master gardeners, inc. april 2013€¦ · jim trocha, president [email protected] jackie rosales,...
TRANSCRIPT
Published By:
Hendricks County Master Gardeners, Inc.
Hendricks County Extension Office 1900 E. Main Street P.O. Box 7
Danville, IN 46122-0007
317.745.9260 www.HendricksGardeners.com
Jim Trocha, President [email protected]
Jackie Rosales, Vice President [email protected]
Linda Rogers, Treasurer [email protected]
Dan & Cathy Dunn, Secretary [email protected]
Deborah Ashby, Editor [email protected]
Ed Freeman, Webmaster [email protected]
Jon Cain, AG and Natural Resources Educator
Becky Troutman
HENDRICKS GARDENER THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER
OF THE HENDRICKS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS
WWW.HENDRICKSGARDENERS.COM
Mission statement: The mission of the Master Gardener Program is to provide current, research-based, home horticulture information and
education to the citizens of Indiana through Purdue University Extension programs and projects.
APRIL 2013
WE WELCOME
KRISTEN HEITMAN TO OUR APRIL 16TH MEETING.
SHE WILL BE SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT
CWR PROVIDENCE WILDLIFE REHABILITATION
LOCATED IN INDIANAPOLIS, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THE CARE,
RECOVERY, AND RELEASE OF ORPHANED AND/OR INJURED WILDLIFE.
JOIN US AT 6:30 TO MINGLE AND
MUNCH! MEETING BEGINS AT 7 PM AT THE HENDRICKS COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS
Spring Fever
An annual Condition
that we all share.
From winter we run
Warm days too rare
Visions and Dreams
of sunny, blue skies
And Daffodils dancing
As breezes blow by.
-Deborah Ashby
JIM TROCHA President;
Hendricks County Master Gardeners
Please contact the president at
least 5 days prior to the meetings about business or committee
reports so that information can
be put on the agenda for the
meeting Thank You
A Letter From Our President… April 2013
Musings….
Gardening for All Ages, April 20th. That seemed so far away, and now it’s here.
I’m looking forward to all the energy that this show brings to our group. We have another group of great vendors.
I remember the first GFAA I worked in 08’ as an intern. It was the first time our class got to work together. Looking back, it was a great way to meet others that you went to class with.
We’ll have time during our next meeting to break into the groups you signed up for and coordinate what gets done Friday and Saturday of the show. Please be there.
Also, please take the time to go through your garages, and sheds and look for gently used garden items that you can donate to the “Gardeners Closet” our fund-raising booth. It’s a great way to clean up the garage for summer and contribute to and raise funds for the organi-zation.
We had a great turnout at last month’s meeting I want to thank you for the opportunity to lead this group. You’re great Have a great April.
Jim
Page 2
A historic Collection of the Hendricks County Master Gardeners was begun in 2007 . It contains publicity, flyers and material from various Master Gardener functions. The historic volume also contains all photos that have been taken by the Master Gardeners as well as all the PowerPoint programs that have been created about the Master Gardener activities. Jon Cain will keep the volume in his office and it is there for HCMG use. A request is made that whomever is responsible for publicity each year, please add to the book. Colletta Kosiba, who began this history collection, will continue to keep a photographic record for the year which will be shown at the January meetings. The program and photos will then be added to the history book. Please send any photographs of Master Gardener functions and activities to her. Thank you.
History Is Made......
Page 3
CUPCAKES, JELLY BEANS.....SALSA AND CHIPS
...what a Great way to bring springtime into our hearts and stomachs!. Thank you, Jill Clouser and Dan and Cathy Dunn, for those deliciously tasty treats. What better way to start the evening meeting. While Master Gardeners mingled and munched, many of our dedicated crew worked diligently at putting together the 2013 Membership Directory
so that members could have them by the end of the night.
William Roche, Superintendent of Hendricks County Parks and Recreation, spent some time sharing information regarding McCloud Nature Park, Sodalis Park and their new endeavor, W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park. As the Master Gardeners have done in the past, there is potentially great opportunity to work together
with the Parks Department through volunteer efforts to create and present programs about gardens, plants and nature, educating members of the community. Master Gardeners are encouraged to contact the Hen-dricks County Parks and Recreation office if they would like to be involved in this opportunity. Jana Gilbert coordinates volunteers and can be contacted at [email protected] The main office phone number is 317-718-6188. There are endless opportunities at the parks. Often the Nature Center at McCloud is used as a classroom facility, but classes can also be held in a pavilion or on the trail. McCloud Park actually has a tiny greenhouse. With the development of Gibbs Park, there are going to be some really exciting opportunities.
After a brief break, and eating more cupcakes, the speaker for the even-ing, Master Gardener, Kelly Allen, presented a program on Food Preservation. First some questions about what it is that you ‘Like’ to eat, then...what kind of space do you have to store food in your freezer or shelf space for canned foods. She began the topic with the method of Drying foods. Showing different meth-ods to do so, always start with clean, healthy, and the freshest produce. Be mind-ful of the relative humidity when drying produce. After drying herbs and foods, store in airtight containers. Herbs should be placed in the dark to prevent fad-ing, and you can also freeze them to inhibit bacterial growth. From drying to
Freezing....you need lots of space to store frozen foods. Regardless of the containers or bags used to place your produce, be sure to remove as much air as possible from the container. Freezing vegetables requires blanching before storing and those times vary with the produce. It is highly recommended that you follow the recipes and preparation and preservation information available in Preservation books. When freeze pre-serving foods it’s important to leave some head space in the container to allow for the expansion that occurs when it freezes. And, a particularly good suggestion is to use a specific size measure, such as 1 cup, to place in a bag or container, that will work for a single meal. This eliminates having ‘left overs’ hanging around to be forgotten or wasted. Try to make sure that the food is cooled sufficiently before placing it in the freezer and don’t stack too close together so that it can freeze more consistently. One thing that I had never heard of
Jill Clouser
As always, members working together
Kelly Allen
Page 4
before was to place some wax paper inside and on top of the preserved produce, to eliminate ice crystals from forming. To lengthen the life of Flour, sugar and cornmeal, the packages can be stored in plastic bags and frozen. There’s not much that you can’t freeze! I even freeze bananas. Then the conversation turned to Pressure Canners....How many are afraid to use one of those things? The numbers of Master Gardeners who are intimidated by it, was amusing....of course I was included in the group. I know that I had tried to understand what it said in the manual but I recall the one time that I tried to can Sweet Potatoes. I released the pressure too soon after it was finished and it sucked ALL the fluid out of the jars. Stop laughing now. It could happen to you . I was pretty steamed about it, so I ditched the Pressure Canner and decided to only use a Water Bath Canner from that day forward! According to Kelly, it is vitally important to follow the recommendations in the canning books, regardless of what type of can-ner you decide to use. I’m still staying away from the Pressure Canner. Anyway, Kelly shared some very good information on canning and preserving foods. Thank you Kelly, for a great presentation.
Gardening For ALL Ages.... April 20th 9 am –4pm Be prepared for a great day at this event. This years speakers include:
Elizabeth Romine: Romine Farms Heirloom Vegetables and Natural Farming
Hendricks County Pollinator Project: Panel Discussion about People & Pollinators
Gene Bush: Munchkin Gardens Color in Shade: 9 Months of Natives in Bloom
Dottie Warner: Frazee Gardens Popular Annuals and Perennials in Landscaping
Take a look through your garden books, tools and supplies and see if you might have some gently used items to donate to the Gardener’s Closet. This is one of our fundraising projects, so put on your thinking caps and see what you can come up
with. Donated items can be delivered to the building on Friday, which is preferred or Saturday morning before the event opens. Items can also include plants and
bulbs, but please include written information regarding them.
Our “go to” guy, Jon Cain, was recently appointed to the Hen-dricks County Parks and Recreation Board, which is
comprised of dedicated community leaders who volunteer their time to further its mission. Jon has an enduring commitment to
resource conservation. Congratulations Jon!
Page 5
Hendricks County Master Gardeners Association Meeting
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The March meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by President, Jim Trocha, with approximately 60 members attending.
New Business:
Membership directories for 2013 are available for pickup.
Gardening for All Ages – April 20, 2013
40 vendor booths have been filled with 31 different vendors planning to participate in our 2013 GFAA Show. MG volunteer sign-up sheets still need to be filled out. All MG’s can and should greet our guests, but we need dedicat-ed time slots filled in order to ensure greeting and all other areas are covered. Only one more meeting before we present GFAA. Our show cannot be successful without you. Requests: 1) Please bring clean containers (cottage cheese, but-ter, etc.) with lids to be reused for a “worm” giveaway. 2) Please collect items for our “Gardeners Closet” a great ini-tiative to start your spring cleaning early.
HCMG Cookbook
Blank recipe submission forms are available in the newsletter and at monthly meetings. Please include phone numbers with each recipe in case more info is needed. Appetizer recipes were for March, Soups and Salads are re-quested for the April meeting. Submissions through the year will be accepted, but lets get this started. Tips and com-ments on your recipes are welcome. What a great opportunity to not only preserve your favorite recipes in a great format for family and friends, but support HCMG in this wonderful project.
HCMG Scholarship
Suzie Freeman gave the club an update on the HCMG Scholarship program. According to Emily Eubank no applications or questions have been received. Suzie is following up with school counselors, newspapers, Hendricks County College Night. Deadline for applications is April 12th.
Colletta Kosiba reflected on Gardening for the Handicapped and how it applies to all gardeners. We are all TAB (temporarily able-bodied). If you love gardening, just as you would do for your home, make a plan to keep and maintain them both. Colletta has put the HCMG History book in Jon Cain’s office, but plans to continue the photo histo-ry.
Becky Troutman passed out information about Providence Wildlife, Inc., who provides emergency care and rehabilitation for our surrounding wildlife in need. Providence will be here to visit us during our April meeting.
Hendrick’s County Park Superintendent, Bill Roche, spoke about our county parks, in particular the newer parks, Sodalis Nature Park and W.S Gibbs Park located off C R 200 South. Mr. Roche encouraged public input of new park usage, and hopefully some form of Master Gardener involvement in the future, and other volunteer opportunities to help shape and grow our county’s natural resources. He suggests for all interested to look often at the county parks website www.hendrickscountyparks.org for park plans, information, and opportunities.
Master Gardener, Kelly Allen, gave a presentation on Food Preservation-Canning, Freezing, and Drying. Kelly explained all three processes and the equipment necessary to properly preserve produce, meat, fish, and eggs. She rec-ommended that you read your equipment manual for proper usage and it is also the best source of safe and reliable reci-pes. Kelly shared preserving tips along with her favorite information and vendor websites. Remember the basics: What
do you and your family like to eat, what kind of equipment do you have or plan to acquire, and what kind and how much storage space do you have to dedicate for food items—shelving, freezer space, canning jars, bags, etc.
Correction from the March issue of the newsletter: Ginny Brandgard is also on the Scholarship Committee.
Page 6
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Apr 6th Boone County Master Gardener “Garden Fest” in Lebanon 9am-3pm at the Boone County Fairgrounds Speakers include John Thieme “Life with Insects” Apr 10th “Using Native Plants in the Home Garden” Presentation by Colletta Kosiba Free 7 pm at the Brownsburg Library Call to Register 852-3167 Apr 13th Gardening Program for Danville Parks by Colletta Kosiba 10 am at 49 N. Wayne Street, Danville
Apr 20th “Gardening For ALL Ages“ Set up will be April 19th with lots to do. 9am-4 pm Hendricks Co. Fairgrounds & Conference Center May 1st “Grow Up” Vertical Gardening and Structures” by Colletta Kosiba 12 pm at the Green Thumb Garden Club Irving Library on E. Washington Street May 2nd “Best Annuals” Program by Colletta Kosiba 7 pm at the Plainfield Library Please call 317-839-6602 May 8th “Perennial Plant Exchange and planting tips” with Colletta Kosiba at the Brownsburg Library
6:30 pm 852-3167 Bring 6 labeled plants and take 6 home
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE GIVING A PRESENTATION, OR KNOW OF ONE THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO THE MASTER GARDENERS, SO THAT IT CAN BE POSTED IN THE NEWSLETTER.
GOT DEER? Protect Your Daylilies with Vick's Vapo-Rub Here's a tip from Diana Bristol of Bloomingfield’s Farm, deep in the deer-infested wilds of
Connecticut, who swears by it to protect her hundreds of hostas and daylilies: Put a little Vick's Vapo-Rub on your thumb and index finger and then touch bud or leaf with it here and there. Diana says
touching the smallest buds on a stalk is especially effective because the Vapo-Rub will remain on them for a long time. Seems like it just might be worth a try! Thank you for sharing, Colletta.
Ginny Brandgard, Terry Meingasner and Colletta Kosiba at the Wabash Valley Semi-nar where Colletta presented “Native Plants in the Home Garden. Looks like they were
having a great time! Meanwhile, Jackie Rosales made sure that everyone got a card advertising our Gardening For ALL Ages
event. Great Job!
Hendricks County Master Gardeners, Becky Troutman, Intern, Dianna Zamani, MG Rhonda Legan and Intern, Heather Cullen manned the Master Gardener booth at
the Flower and Patio show.
Page 7
I am asking for great, proven recipes of all kinds, including Gluten Free. Keeping to one category of recipe at a time, my request for APRIL is SOUPS
and SALADS. I am sure that all of you have some great recipes to share! Please be a part of this project. Please use the following form to submit recipes
to me. Following the guideline, emailed recipes are also welcomed. Please include nutritional information if available.
THE HENDRICKS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS COOKBOOK
It is the policy of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service that all persons have equal opportunity and access to its educational programs, services, activities, and facilities without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, National origin or ancestry, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability or status as a veteran. Pur-due University is an Affirmative Action institution. This material may be available in alternative formats.
Please Print Clearly
Recipe Name: ________________________________________________________________________
Submitted by: ____________________________________________Phone # _____________________
# of Servings: _____________ Oven Temp: ________ Category:_______________________
Ingredients ___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Directions: __________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
If you have a comment or story to tell about this recipe, please write about that below.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Please include Nutritional information if available; ____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________