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Art Explosion Image Library

The Garden Fence Monthly Newsletter –June 2017

Harford County Master Gardeners

This month, I was given homework: I had to prepare a lesson on bugs to present to second-grader Brownie Scouts in order to earn their Bug Badge. The Bug Badge calls on scouts to draw a bug poster, try a bug craft, see bugs in action, explore bug homes, and other activities. I scoured the library to find good books on the subject of bugs. Which books are good in helping the scouts prepare for their badge? I found several books, all of which are relatively recent, and all of which are available at the public library. At the end, I found that my efforts were also applicable to courses with younger or older children and adults.

Here are some good books that I found: I started, of course, with the Maryland Master Gardener Handbook (University of Maryland, 2012 edition), by reading though the section on Entomology. This chapter can give a good basic understanding of insects and bugs. The Brownies have a Bug badge, not an Insect badge; which means that they use the term “bug” rather loosely. Of course, it is up to us Master Gardeners to explain the difference between bugs and insects!

The book “Ask a Bug” (Dearling Kinsey Limited, 2011) is a good place to start. The first few pages include a good explanation of Bug/Insect differences, and a great section on bug body parts. This is a great book for developing programs for grade schoolers on up.

There are several books in the “Comparing Bugs” series, all authored by Charlotte Guillain. These are all picture books, and good for presentations to younger children (preschool/kindergarten). “Bug Parts” is a good book on bug anatomy (of course). “Bugs on the Move” show locomotion of several types of insects, and “Bug Homes” show a variety of bug habitats.

President’s Message

Inside this Issue

President’s Message 1

Liriodendron 2

Eating Around Harvest 2

Plastic Eating Moth 3

Training 3

Calendar of Events

Officers

Ellen Haas

President

Anne Spelman

Vice President

Nancy Cohen

Secretary

Jane Howe

Secretary

Kathy Ullrich

Treasurer

Quick Links Harford County Extension

Office

Home & Garden Info

Center

MG Hours Online

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For something different but very interesting, in “Bugs and Bugsicles” Amy Hansen (2010) describes what happens to some insects in the winter. The insects described in this book include the dragonfly, monarch butterfly, honeybee, ladybug, and Arctic Woolly bear. I never knew how the arctic woolly bear spent the winter!

I found several more books. However, this column does not have enough space to describe them all. I had a wonderful time reading and learning about bugs and insects.

~Ellen Haas – 2013

I am changing the date we meet to work and have fun at Lirio. (Larry Franz Woodland Walk is too long to say so the project is called “Lirio”). This has been a Master Gardener project since 1997 and the work day has always been Tuesday morning. But since Eden Mill’s day is also Tuesday, I am changing the date to Thursday 9am – 11am. I currently have only 3 MG’s I can consistently count on – a few more hands would make the work so much easier. It would also allow the project to expand – adding bird feeders, benches, etc.

Remember we don’t just weed and pick up sticks. We plant new plants and we usually tour the garden to teach the names of the

plants – learning the botanical name too. Also to know what is a good plant vs. a weed.

General Instructions: (1) I email everyone who is on the Lirio list the night before in case we need to cancel due to weather. Or you can call me the morning of at 410-652-1338 before 8:30 am. It also gives me an idea who is coming so please respond to the email. (2) Bring your favorite weeding tool, gloves, a weed bucket, knee pad, and water. We have garden carts and other big tools available.

~Anne Lee

Liriodendron/Larry Franz Woodland Walk

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Snow Pea and Carrot Salad The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden-Fresh Cookbook

2 cups fresh snow peas, cut diagonally 2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks 3 Tablespoons sesame oil 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 Teaspoon soy sauce 1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds ½ Teaspoon chopped fresh mint

1. Put the snow peas and carrots into a saucepan with a small amount of water. Simmer over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until barely soft. Drain, then rinse in cold water. Blot dry.

2. In a small bowl or jar with lid, combine the sesame oil, lemon juice, and soy sauce and whisk or shake to blend.

3. Preheat the oven to 300 ° F. Spread the sunflower seeds on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

4. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, sprinkle with the seeds and mint, and toss to coat. Serve warm or cold.

Serves 6

Stanton Gill UMD IPM Report May 2017

A Spanish researcher, Federica Bertocchini, has found that wax moth larvae are able to chew and digest plastic. Wax moth larvae are commonly found feeding on the wax in honeybee hives. Beeswax is a mixture of different compounds with chemical bonds somewhat similar to compounds found in polyethylene. Researchers are now trying to figure out if it is a bacteria in the larvae’s gut that allows it to digest polyethylene or whether it is a digestive enzyme. This feeding can be good news if they can figure out a way to have insects help digest old plastic bags, but it could get rather interesting if they start digesting plastic used for greenhouse covers, plastic handled tools and other gardening implements that are made of plastic.

Eating Around the Harvest

Plastic-eating Moth Larvae

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Bay-Wise Advanced Training - 2 Saturdays (You must attend both.)

June 3rd and June 10th Maryland 4-H Center, College Park, MD – 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Most Maryland residents live within a half-mile of a storm drain, stream or river. Most of those

waterways eventually drain into the Chesapeake Bay. What we do to maintain our own landscapes

can affect the health of our local waterways (drainage ditches, streams, and rivers), the Chesapeake

Bay and our environment. We all need to do our part to take care of our waterways and environment.

By changing a few simple landscape practices, you and your

family can help keep Maryland communities healthy.

The MD Bay-Wise Program focuses on water quality. It

comprises a comprehensive set of environmental topics that

affect the quality and quantity of water here in Maryland. Most of

these topics relate to landscape management, however, a few,

like hydrology, wells & septic systems, hazardous household

products and water conservation, address household issues.

Fee: $50.00 (make check payable to "Prince George's County EAC")

To register, contact: Franchella Kendall at franchellak@aol.com

Meadow Making Part 1: Planning a Meadow-

June 30th 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Middletown Municipal Center, Frederick County

This class will focus on the most important aspect of successfully converting lawn to meadow: project planning! Topics to be covered include

• Reasons to convert a lawn to meadow • Overview of the meadow making process • Meadow ecology • Goal setting • Site selection, analysis, and planning

By the end of this course you will be ready to begin planning your own native meadow project!

Tentative Class Schedule: 9:30-10:00 am Attendees check-in and enjoy light refreshments 10:00-12:00 pm Presentation on Planning a Meadow 12:00-1:00 pm Optional: Sara will stick around to answer questions you may have about your own specific

meadow project.

Note: From 12-1 there will be open, free-wheeling discussion. Please feel free to stick around from 12-1 to ask questions, share photos or stories about your meadow making project, or just listen in to others’ discussion if you believe that would be helpful to you.

Master Gardener Advanced Training

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Continuing Education Credits This class will count as 2 hours of UME MG or UME MN continuing education and also towards the Advanced Training: Native Plants Certificate.

Refund Policy No refunds will be awarded after June 30th.

About the Meadow Making Class Series In 2016, Maryland Master Gardeners partnered with NASA to offer Advanced Training Classes in conjunction with the creation of a small meadow at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). In 2017, we are offering the Meadow Making Class Series again, this time in conjunction with the city of Middletown, Maryland.

The creation process at both sites is being filmed to generate video for a 7-part online course called Meadow Making. The complete Meadow Making online series will be available in late 2017.

In the series we'll cover everything you need to know to convert lawn into native meadow. The majority of this process is generally completed within one year and includes:

• Meadow Making (MM) Part 1: Planning a Meadow • MM Part 2: Site Preparation • MM Part 3: Selecting Species • MM Part 4: Wild Collecting Seeds • MM Part 5: Sowing Seeds • MM Part 6: Monitoring and Maintenance

(This is actually completed in Year 2 of a meadow making project)

Dr. Sara Tangren (Agent Associate, Home & Garden Information Center) is a specialist in sustainable landscaping and native plants. In addition to working with native landscapes and planted meadows, she has worked with the University of Maryland Arboretum and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources on the conservation of native plants.

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June 17, 2017, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Talk and Tour: Daylily Daze: Past, Present, and Future of Daylily Breeding United States National Arboretum, Washington, DC

Join Chris von Kohn, horticulturist and curator of the Perennial Collection, for a tour of the daylily collection, and a presentation on daylily breeding. The presentation will focus on topics to consider when starting a breeding program, and will include a preview of plants that may become more readily available in the future. They’re not just your grandmother’s daylilies anymore! Fee: $10 https://campscui.active.com/orgs/NationalArboretumUSDA#/selectSessions/1986601 May 12, 2017, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

National Public Gardens Day, Mount Cuba Center Hockenssin, DE

Commemorate America’s public garden heritage with a complimentary visit to Mt. Cuba Center. Relax in our gardens, enjoy a picnic lunch, or take a leisurely stroll among spring wildflowers. Participate in family-friendly programs or guided walks and take home a free native plant.

Fee: Free http://mtcubacenter.org/event/national-public-gardens-day-3/

June 6, 2017, 6:00 p.m.

“Les Jardins Anglo-Chinois (The Landscape Garden)” Winterthur, Wilmington, DE

Join Aldous Bertram, Ph.D., interior designer, and learn more about England’s fascinating transition from the formal garden to French-inspired naturalistic designs.

Members $10, Non-Members $15 http://www.winterthur.org/?p=950

June 10 2017, 8:00 p.m.

Director’s Garden Walks, Meadows, Streams, and Ponds Winterthur, Wilmington, DE

Formerly known as the Second Saturdays Garden Walk, these walks are on the second Saturday of each month, year-round at 1:00 pm (unless otherwise noted). All walks begin and end at the Visitor Center and are free for Members and included with admission.

Join Winterthur’s Director of Garden & Estate Chris Strand on a special walk highlighting interesting and seldom seen parts of the Winterthur landscape! Walks last about 90 minutes. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, an update message will be left at 302.888.4915 approximately 3 hours before the walk. http://www.winterthur.org/?p=1192 June 16, 2017, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

The Gardener and the Chef: Summer Greens Longwood Gardens , Wilmington, DE

Spend a morning learning about the fascinating world of summer greens that culminates with a cooking demonstration and taste test with Executive Chef Will Brown. During the heat of the summer your nice spring greens typically turn a little bitter. With the right plant selection and proper care, you can avoid the bitterness that comes with summer’s heat. Learn about fun and exciting plants that can tolerate the mid-Atlantic summer with Harold and explore Longwood’s vegetable garden.

Fee: $59 https://longwoodgardens.org/events-and-performances/events/gardener-and-chef-summer-greens-class

Training Opportunities

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Calendar of Events June 1 7:00 p.m. MG Monthly Meeting HCEO

June 2 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. STEM Day Churchville Elementary School

June 3 10:00 a.m. – Noon Composting & Soil Health HdG Library

June 3 10:00 a.m. – Noon Ask a MG Plant Clinic Bel Air Library

June 4 National Cancer Survivors Day Program

Kauffman Center

June 6 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Brightview Brightview

June 6 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Planting for Honey Bees Whiteford Library

June 6 6:00 p.m. Healthy People/Healthy Parks

June 10 10:15 a.m. – Noon GIEI Companion Gardening Eden Mill

June 16 1:00 p.m. Vegetables As Art Kauffman Center

June 17 10:15 a.m. – Noon Garden Series Purposeful Perennials

Bel Air Library

June 17 9:00 a.m. – Noon HdG Farmer’s Market HdG

June 17 10:00 a.m. – Noon Ask a MG Plant Clinic Abingdon Library

June 21 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Daytime Study Group HCEO

June 21 1:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. GIEI Preserve It HCEO

June 29 10:00 a.m. MG Steering Committee HCEO

The Maryland Master Gardener Mission Statement

The Maryland Master Gardener mission is to support the University of Maryland Extension by educating Maryland residents about safe effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes and communities.

Joyce Browning Urban Horticulturist

Master Gardener Coordinator Harford County Office

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The University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources programs are open to all and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion,

ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, or gender identity and expression.