ncemgva winter 2013 · the vmi center for landscape and ethics, lexington, virginia. keynote...
TRANSCRIPT
January 25, 2014 - Pitt County
Extension Master Gardeners will be
hosting Paul James of "Q&A with Paul
James The Gardener Guy", 10:00 a.m. at
the J.W. Rose High School, Performing
Arts Center, 600 W Arlington Blvd. in
Greenville.
Paul’s program is designed for people
who want their yards to look great but
don’t have a lot of time to spend on them.
He focuses on the lighter side of
gardening, giving practical advice on
gardening basics such as soil, watering,
composting, native plants and other
gardening topics.
Admission is $20 for the general
public, $15 for Friends of the Arboretum,
$30 for ALL tickets at the door. Tickets
are available at the Pitt Co. Arboretum
(252-902-1709 and Wild Birds Unlimited,
Greenville (252-493-0340).
March 8, 2014 – Grow 2014: A
Celebration of Trees, presented by
Lexington Horticultural Symposiums at
the VMI Center for Landscape and
Ethics, Lexington, Virginia. Keynote
speaker: Dr. Michael Dirr. For more
information, visit the symposium’s
website: www.grow-2014.com.
May 5-7, 2014 - NC Extension Master
Gardener Conference, Hawthorne Inn,
Winston-Salem, NC. More information
on Pg.2 and www.ncmastergardeners.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
North CarolinaNorth Carolina Extension Master GardenerExtension Master Gardener
Volunteer Association Volunteer Association Helping North Carolina Grow
Winter 2013
Tundra Swans fill the skies during their winter Tundra Swans fill the skies during their winter migration at Lake Mattamuskeetmigration at Lake Mattamuskeet
Just to re-cap: NCEMGVA partnered with NCSU in 2010 to develop a spe-
cial license plate for North Carolina’s Extension Master Gardeners. In 2011,
Governor Perdue signed the legislation authoriz-
ing the plate. Under DMV’s rules, 300 paid appli-
cations are required before the plates can be pro-
duced. The cost of the plate is $20.00 per year in
addition to the regular registration fee. $10.00 of
this is retained by DMV, the other $10.00, per our
request, is automatically donated to the NC Ex-
tension Master Gardener Endowment.
After 2 years of campaigning, we are at 193 applications, 107 short of the
required number, and only a handful have been received in the last
year. At the NCEMGVA Board meeting this summer it was decided
to sunset the campaign at the end of the May, 2014 state conference
in Winston-Salem. At that time, if we don’t have the 300 applica-
tions in hand, the money will be refunded to the applicants and the
Endowment’s share of the initial sales ($3,000.00) will be lost, as
well as any revenue from future sales of the plates. If we sunset the
program, it will probably be several years before there will be much
interest in trying again.
A special plate for the Extension Master Gardeners is one more
way we can demonstrate support for the program and Cooperative
Extension. And it comes at a time when that support is particularly
needed. So, to round up those last 107 applications, we need your
help. Whether you’re a delegate to the Board, an Association member, or just a
fan of what Master Gardeners do, now is the time to weigh in, and if you haven’t
done so, apply for a plate. If you already have a special plate, take a one year
sabbatical, and apply for an EMG plate so we can reach 300. If circumstances
preclude that, donate $20.00 so that someone else can get a free plate for the
first year. Failing that, get the word to the other EMGs in your county and to
new candidates who will be joining your program in the next few months. Lobby
your agents. Leave no stone unturned, no invasive rooted. This is important.
And to sweeten the deal, anyone who applies for a plate before the deadline
at noon on May 6, will automatically be entered in a drawing for an award
worth up to $500.00. The drawing will take place at the conference banquet on
the evening of May 6 in Winston-Salem.
Applications and campaign materials (posters and handouts) are available
for download from the NCEMGVA website at www.ncmastergardeners.org. For
an irreverent litany of the most popular excuses for not participating, see the
letter from “Anonymous” on Page 3.
In this Issue:
Page 1 - Upcoming Events
Page 1 - The Final License Plate
Campaign
Page 2 - 2014 NCEMG Conference
Page 3 - Western Regional Recap
Page 3 - Reasons Against the Plate
Page 4- President’s Report
Page 5-17 - County Reports
The Master Gardener License Plate:The Master Gardener License Plate:
The FINAL CampaignThe FINAL Campaign
By Janie Taylor and Bob Kellam By Janie Taylor and Bob Kellam
PAGE 2 THE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENS ION MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION
It’s time to mark your calendars! Another new year will be upon us in the blink
of an eye, and this new year will bring a very special Extension Master Gardener con-
ference in May. The site will be Winston-Salem, in the heart of the Piedmont region
of North Carolina, and the dates are May 5-7.
Two outstanding, nationally-known keynote speakers will set the tone for this
three-day gathering: Joe Lamp’l, an Atlanta TV personality for the Joe Gardener
Company and the Growing a Greener World TV program, and Dr. Robert Lyons,
Professor of Landscape Horticulture and Director, Longwood Graduate Program at
the University of Delaware/Longwood Gardens. An incredible twenty breakout ses-
sions on twenty different gardening topics will be available to gardeners attending
the conference from North Carolina and neighboring states. In fact, the conference planners are intent on designing a
conference so packed with educational opportunities that your greatest difficulty will lie in determining exactly which of
those opportunities you can fit into your brief three-day stay in Winston-Salem!
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers from five counties – Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, and Surry – have
been meeting regularly since September, 2012, to plan the 2014 NCEMG Conference. Among Conference highlights will
be Monday pre-Conference tours of local public and private gardens or local wineries; Monday workshops held at spec-
tacular local gardens; a Monday evening opening reception at the Red Barn at Tanglewood Arboretum in Clemmons; and
the Tuesday evening banquet/NCEMGVA membership meeting. (Remember, NCEMGVA members receive a discount on
Conference registration that basically pays for the membership dues, so if you need a little extra nudge to join NCEM-
GVA, this is it!)
Stay tuned for more Conference announcements as we finalize details. It’s going to be a great three days in May, and
we want you to be a part of it!
April Showers Bring the 2014 NCEMG Conference!April Showers Bring the 2014 NCEMG Conference!
As we came to start wrapping up the 2013 Western Regional Symposium, I asked the
committee members about the history of this event. Suzanne Wodek from Buncombe
County recalled that she had been on the committee in 2001, and believed that it had
been going for several years before that. So this year must have made the 13th or 14th
year for the event – we skipped 2012 as the State Conference was held in Asheville that
year.
The purpose of the Symposium is to provide one full day of affordable and enjoyable con-
tinuing education for EMG’s in the region, who may find it difficult either financially or
time-wise to attend the multi-day State Conference. It is not meant to be a fundraiser,
rather to break even – and hopefully leave a small sum as seed money for the following
year.
After the 2011 event, we realized that we had outgrown our previous location at the
North Carolina Arboretum. Many of our committee members having developed a good working relationship with the
DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village during the 2012 State Conference, we opted to hold this year’s Symposium in the
same venue. Conveniently located near the intersection of two interstate highways and offering ample free parking and
meeting rooms, it was a great fit.
This year’s theme was “Gardeners Embracing Change”, be it aging gardeners adapting
to changes in themselves, gardening with shrinking incomes, downsizing gardens and the
inevitable climate change. Our keynote speaker, Felder Rushing, was a delight and was
well received by everyone. He gave two presentations – “Slow Gardening” and “Pass-along
Plants”. During the program breaks, he completely sold out of the books he brought along to
sign. We also welcomed back State Master Gardener Coordinator, Lucy Bradley, who
brought everyone up to date on what is available for us online. Other speakers included lo-
cal Extension Agents and Master Gardeners. Breakfast and lunch were provided and a won-
derful selection of door prizes.
2013 Western Regional Symposium 2013 Western Regional Symposium -- October 17, 2013 October 17, 2013
By Betty Lockwood, Symposium Chair By Betty Lockwood, Symposium Chair
Joyce Weinberg (Buncombe),
Joellen Johnson (Henderson)
and Janice Kennedy
(Buncombe) registering arrivals
Brenda Ward (Polk) ready to
distribute door prizes
PAGE 3 WWW.NCMASTERGARDENERS.ORG
This year’s committee consisted of a fantastic group of
EMG’s, each bringing different talents to the whole: Kathy
Connors, Marion Donovan, Betty Lockwood, Paula Snyder
and Horticulture Agent Kerrie Roach from Henderson
County; Janice Kennedy, Marilyn Lonan, Patsy McNatt,
Joyce Weinberg and Suzanne Wodek from Buncombe
County; Brenda Ward and Jackie Weedon from Polk County;
Susan Rudniak from Haywood County; and Maryanne
Mickewicz from Transylvania County. Plans are already
under way for 2014! Marion Donovan and Betty
Lockwood with Felder Rushing
Patsy McNatt and Paula Sny-
der ready for the next speaker
Newsletter Staff
Editor: Bob Kellam Wake County Ph: 919-231-2827 [email protected]
District Reporters:
West District:
Betty Lockwood Henderson County [email protected]
Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Cherokee Resv., Clay, Graham, Haywood, Hen-derson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Tran-sylvania, Watauga, Yancey
West Central District:
Debbie Moore Clark Mecklenburg County [email protected]
Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Davie, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Rutherford, Surry, Wilkes, Yad-kin
North Central District:
Edna Gaston Kerr Lake Master Gardeners [email protected]
Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, David-son, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gran-ville, Guilford, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Vance, Wake, Warren
South Central District:
Kandis Lindsay Cumberland County [email protected]
Anson, Bladen, Cabarrus, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Mont-gomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Scotland, Stanly, Union
Northeast District:
VACANT (If you would be interested in the job, contact [email protected])
Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Cur-rituck, Dare, Edgecombe, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, North-ampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrell, Washington
Southeast District:
Lynn Brugnolotti Carteret County [email protected]
Brunswick, Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Sampson, Wayne, Wilson
PAGE 4 THE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENS ION MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION
President’s Report President’s Report
by Barbara Walters, Onslow County
Golly! Six months of my term have already passed and I feel
like I was elected last week!! There is so much going on I don’t
know where to start. But, here it goes…………….first and really of
great importance is all the additions and changes that are being
done at NCSUgarden.com along with other informational websites
directly involved with NCSU Cooperative Extension. I hope you
will have an opportunity to check out the new links on the NCEM-
GVA website. Dr. Lucy Bradley gave us a sneak preview at our
last Board Meeting and I was so impressed with the simplicity of
being able to find answers to questions we are faced with every day while we are man-
aging our plant clinics. Even if your County doesn’t have a plant clinic, you will enjoy
just going to these sites and experiencing what they have to offer. Another great bit of
information Dr. Lucy shared with us was the beginning of the updating of the Exten-
sion Master Gardener Training Manual. Wow! That is an undertaking of monstrous
proportions! She and her qualified staff of bloodhounds are out there sniffing out the
latest and best information they can find on all the subjects we learn while taking the
class.
As you’ve probably noticed in the earlier articles, a last chance campaign is under-
way for the License Plate project. If we do not meet the required 300 applications, we
will have to abandon the plans (probably FOREVER) for putting EMG license plates
on our cars advertising the program that we are all so proud to be associated
with. Even if we get only the minimum 300 plates don’t you think that would be an
impressive display of the EMG program as we travel around the state doing our day to
day routine business? I certainly do! You would be surprised at how many people do
not know there is a EMG program within your county. What a wonderful way to get
new Master Gardeners in your County. It is a win, win situation. But don’t wait on
your friend or college to apply for the plate…….YOU apply for one. Even if it is for
one year only. Help those of us who really want a Master Gardener license plate to
signify our association with the MG program. You can read more about our final cam-
paign and what we are giving to one lucky applicant elsewhere in this newsletter.
The Board of NCEMGVA has an opening and we would like to fill it. This opening
is for the newsletter Editor. We have so many talented Master Gardeners out there
whose talents are not being utilized. And I want to tap into that wealth of knowledge
that someone has and is willing to share.
Maybe it is you! Perhaps you don’t even know this is something you could
do. Contact me and I will describe the particulars to you. Bob has asked for a break
as he has been Editor for many years and we are utilizing his talents in other ways to
promote and benefit NCEMGVA.
Lastly, I want to comment on the 501(c)3 project. Papers have been filed with IRS
and now it is just a waiting game to see if we will be allowed to have a Group Determi-
nation. This waiting game could last a year or longer, although I am praying it will be
a lot faster than that. If your County is interested in getting a 501(c)3 determination
through NCEMGVA, please contact me and I will send you the packet of information
and requirements. Once we get the approval for the determination (and I see no rea-
son to be rejected), there will be a small window of time where additional counties can
be included. If you already have your paperwork taken care of you will be assured of
your inclusion. You can contact me at [email protected] for this or anything else you
have on your mind.
There is so much more I would like to say but my space is limited, but if invited I
would be happy to come to one of your meetings and address your Master Garden-
ers. So I will end by saying to you all ,and I can’t believe I am actually going to
say, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”
WWW.NCMASTERGARDENERS.ORG PAGE 5
The County Line: West District ReportThe County Line: West District Report Betty Lockwood, District ReporterBetty Lockwood, District Reporter
Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Cherokee Reservation, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson,
Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Yancey
Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Davie,
Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Rutherford, Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin
The County Line: West Central District The County Line: West Central District Debbie Moore Clark, District ReporterDebbie Moore Clark, District Reporter
Burke CountyBurke County - Submitted by Ed Morse
The third quarter of 2013 was full of Burke County Master Gardener Association activities, typical of our summers.
The Association’s July meeting featured John Krebs, Staff Archaeologist for the Exploring Joara Foundation, who pre-
sented a program on Spain’s Appalachian settlement in Burke County that is being excavated by the Foundation. The
August meeting focused on Association organizational items, including outcomes from our August 20 planning retreat, a
survey on monthly meeting preferences, and the approval of changes to the By-Laws. September’s program was on bee-
keeping, presented by our very own President Randall James. As always, the refreshments at our monthly meetings
were incredible!
The Association was involved in several activities/projects during the third quarter, including a booth at the His-
Henderson CountyHenderson County - Submitted by Betty Lockwood
The months of May through August were the wettest on record here in Henderson County. Along with rain, of
course, come cloudy skies and lack of sunshine and this proved frustrating for home gardeners and commercial growers
alike. It seemed that following a “winter that wasn’t”, we experienced a “summer that wasn’t”. Happily, the fall seems to
have brought more normal weather, beautiful color and more seasonable temperatures.
Despite the battles with Mother Nature, Henderson County Master Gardeners were able to get out and tend the vari-
ous gardens they support. Our booths on Main Street at the Garden Jubilee in May and Apple Festival in September,
coordinated by EMG Paula Snyder and EMG Janet Gardner respectively, enabled us to do some fundraising and ac-
quaint the public with our various projects. Not least of these projects is the hotline at the County Extension Center,
which we staff Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to Noon, March through
October.
This was the year when, despite the weather, the Dahlia Garden at Bullington Gardens finally came into its own.
Early October we celebrated the first Dazzling Dahlia Day. This garden is overseen by dahlia expert Brian Killingsworth,
with help from EMG Sheri Metzger.
Throughout the year EMGs Betty Lockwood, Kathy Connors, Marion Donovan and Paula Snyder, together with Hor-
ticulture Agent Kerrie Roach, worked with EMGs from the surrounding counties to put together the Western Regional
Symposium. This was held in mid-October and was a great success. See the article on Page 3 for a full recap.
As we wind down the year, plans are underway for our annual banquet on November 7. At this time our 7 newly
minted EMGs will graduate, achievements will be celebrated and good food, fun and fellowship will be enjoyed by all.
Jackson and Swain CountiesJackson and Swain Counties - Submitted by Helen Butler
The Jackson-Swain Master Gardner Association is excited about Fall. President Jan Miller attended the Western
Regional Symposium in Asheville, NC.
After months of work, an Almanac for our area has been completed (see attached). It contains
monthly gardening tips and checklists. Jan Miller worked diligently researching and putting all the
information together and ready for printing. With special help from Kerri Rayburn, we are proud to
offer this handy publication.
We will offer Almanac at both Jackson and Swain a County Farmers' Markets. We are also sell-
ing Gardening Gloves to raise funds for educational projects.
Officers for 2014 will be introduced at our December 11th Meeting. We are celebrating past and
present EMG's as well as potential Master Gardener's with a Pot Luck Luncheon.
PAGE 6 THE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENS ION MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION
toric Morganton Festival, the Drexel Fair, a Strategic Planning Retreat,
presentations to school children at the Exploring Joara Foundation Native
American Gardens, and assisting our Extension Agent, Donna Teasley, at
community workshops on gardening topics.
Rob Hawk, Director of the Jackson and Swain Counties Extension Of-
fice, did a great job facilitating our August strategic planning retreat.
Donna Teasley, who provides tremendous counsel and support to our as-
sociation, secured for us new event signs that say, “Burke County Master
Gardeners in Action.” To these, we are extremely grateful.
Catawba CountyCatawba County - Submitted by Mary Fitzpatrick
Looking back at a busy summer for the Catawba County Master Gardener Volunteers is amazing because of the
many hours engaged in a variety of activities. We maintained our focus on education, doing this at the NC Cooperative
Extension building, farmers markets, festivals, hospitals, libraries, churches, and even along roadsides.
The Demonstration Garden at the NC Cooperative Extension building continued to be a great venue for trying differ-
ent gardening practices, seeing how plants grow that may not be in your own garden, and checking out the many ways to
compost. Catawba EMGs also helped citizens who called the Master Gardener Phone Clinic with questions about gar-
dening. Our EMGs have learned that researching answers for others is a great learning experience, which can some-
times be entertaining.
4-H groups met at the NC Cooperative Extension building and EMGs worked with these youth as they planned pro-
jects and got ready for gatherings, competitions and the county fair. 4-H is vast in its topics of interest that bring youth
and adults together to learn about everyday skills, from traditional ones like plants, foods and animals, to innovative
ones like poetry, ethnic topics and robotics. Catawba County has a vibrant and growing 4-H program.
Catawba EMGs staffed information booths at farmers markets and other local events this summer. At these venues,
we encouraged people to do soil testing by handing out soil test kits, which included boxes to fill with soil and information
on how to test soil at home. This year we added demonstrations about how to put together container vegetable gardens.
The Healthy House is a medical program located at Catawba Valley Medical Center that helps children and their
families learn about healthy eating. The facility includes a demonstration garden, which our members designed, tend
and lend expertise to the staff to maintain. The Sustainable Garden for the Healthy House is now in its fourth year of
operation. We have touched the lives of many families here with the gift of knowledge about good food and better health.
Our work with the Catawba County Historical Association to implement the landscape plan created for the Harper
House by Andrea Watson continued. Harper House (one of four locations that the Catawba County Historical Associa-
tion manages) is located next to Fry Hospital near a walking path. Our plan is to make it a welcome retreat for people at
the hospital and a beautiful historical setting for events at the Harper House.
The “Keep Catawba County Beautiful” campaign encouraged us to join the Adopt-a-Highway Program and to adopt
two miles of route NC127 in Hickory. We had our first Litter-pickup in September and discovered that the task is not
difficult if you have the right equipment and a group to share the experience.
This summer, Catawba EMGs also tended and helped with several gardens located at libraries, schools and civic ar-
eas. Two sites this year included a pruning workshop at the Catawba County Library in Newton and a fall clean up at
Hickory High School.
In September, our meetings re-started, and Phyllis Erikson from Ironwood Estate Orchids spoke on many topics re-
lated to growing orchids. She brought some lovely orchids and growing materials for display and purchase. Phyllis has
an upcoming sale and plans to give future classes in the greenhouse at Ironwood Estate Orchids. They have orchids in
bloom throughout the year as well as young orchids that you can grow to bloom. Also available are orchid supplies and
various decorative pots. Catawba EMGs always look forward to our fall meetings and programs as our outside garden
activities start to slow down.
Cleveland CountyCleveland County - Submitted by Cindy Cabaniss
Our group designed and installed large pie-shaped rotating display at our Cleveland County Fair. Included in this
display were sections on Herbs, Succulents, Alternatives for Weed Control, Decorative Yard Art, Hypertufa—and more.
We also staffed our booth for any questions from fair-goers. Soil Sample kits were made available.
In September, a new class of 13 students graduated from the Master Gardening Program. During the quarter, we
also met with Cleveland County Fair Officials and Yarboro families regarding the “Yarboro Memorial Garden” that Mas-
ter Gardener Volunteers have been asked to design and install. Next, we will begin the design work and develop the
plant list for this garden.
We concluded our mini-gardening judging for the 4H. It was such a delight to see young children interested in vege-
Burke County EMGs
at the Drexel Fair
Strategic Planning Re-
treat led by Rob Hawk
WWW.NCMASTERGARDENERS.ORG PAGE 7
table gardening. We also concluded our every-other-Saturday booth at our local farmers market. Some of our themes
included herbs, hypertufa, hydroponic rooting, and mulch. Beyond offering information on these topics, we also educated
the public on what the Extension Master Gardening program entails, and were available to answer questions and supply
soil sample kits.
On-going planning for our demonstration garden located at our Extension Office continues.
Gaston CountyGaston County - Submitted by Doris Kellar
The Gaston County Extension Master Gardener and Habitat Partnership grows
The Gaston County Master Gardeners’ educational Extension program with Habitat for Humanity intensified
over the summer. Shoppers at the Habitat ReStore were treated to a workshop on creative container gardening. Our
members displayed and planted containers that came from basic everyday items found in the ReStore. Plus, members
answered customer questions on the “what and how” of container and patio gardening. We displayed repurposed plant-
ers, even an antique red flyer wagon hosting a “fairy garden.” We had great participation by our group as well as lots of
interest from Habitat customers and others who came specifically to our workshop.
Gaston County EMGs participated in Habitat’s “Designers Challenge,” where they high-
lighted unusual ideas for “rebuilding, renewing, reusing, redesigning, and restoring” through
gardening. Members used items which had been donated to the ReStore and repurposed them
to carry through the gardening theme. For example, a wooden pallet was used as an upright
wall container for a porch herb garden. Some old doors were hinged and painted with a flower
theme to make a room divider. An old tennis shoe was turned into a plant holder. A missing
seat of an old-timey straight back chair became a unique planter. Garden stepping stones
were made of shards from broken china and cups. All proceeds from this Habitat event will go
to the building of Habitat’s 100th House that will be constructed through volunteer labor of
the Gastonia Police and Fire Departments and the Office of the Sheriff of Gaston County.
Our Master Gardener group has had a long-standing relationship with Habitat through a vari-
ety of other activities. EMGs have helped with the
landscaping design for Habitat houses. We have iden-
tified and suggested hardy plants for the new home-
owner yards based on soil analysis and plant hardi-
ness. We have designed and planted welcoming planters for Habitat’s entry way.
With upcoming homeowner seminars starting in the fall, our EMGs will provide
the seminar lectures on landscaping and yard maintenance.
Mary Harris, Executive Director of Habitat, noted with appreciation that
“the Master Gardener educational program has been an extra-ordinary opportu-
nity for Habitat homeowners, shoppers and interested individuals.” Ms. Harris
further noted that this “teaching opportunity is especially important in helping to
make a better life and brighter future for Habitat families.” A big “thank you” is
extended to those gardeners who have participated in these events.
Iredell CountyIredell County - Submitted by Brenda Bernhardt
Iredell County Master Gardeners have been very diligent in meeting the basic goals of the
Master Gardener Association. They have provided instruction for the public, worked in their dem-
onstration garden, answered telephones, and continued their own education.
The Speakers Bureau provided presenters for the Mooresville Library, Statesville Seniors
Group, and the Mooresville Rotary Group. Topics covered were “Container Gardening,”
“Attracting Butterflies to the Garden” and “Gardening in Raised Beds.”
The Demonstration Garden has been in full bloom all summer. Summer crops of okra, beans,
peppers, cucumbers, and more, have been plentiful. Under the leadership of Rita and Richard
Karn, Association members stayed ahead of the grass and maintained the beautiful flowers and
tasty vegetables.
Because many members wanted to learn more about landscape design, a landscape project
was begun this quarter. From our exploration, we are creating a Power Point presentation of the
process one goes through and design principles one uses when creating a landscape design. This
presentation will be used by our Speakers Bureau. Lee Hollifield volunteered his personal home
site for the landscape project. Members, divided into three groups, visited Lee’s home and gar-
dens where they planned a landscape design for their designated site: front of the home; work-
Monica Hoehne and Mary
Beam plant containers
from the Habitat for Hu-
manity ReStore.
Booths by Gaston County Extension
Master Gardeners at the Habitat for Hu-
manity’s “Designers’ Challenge.” Photos
by Doris and Grayson Kellar.
Kimberly Riggans is
ready to answer ques-
tions for the Iredell
EMGs at the Iredell
County Fair.
PAGE 8 THE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENS ION MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION
shop area; and a shaded woody creek area. Meeting in small groups, they discussed what plants would be best used in
their assigned areas and then drew a landscape plot plan. Lee is now the proud owner of professional-looking landscape
drawings. He only wishes the group would come and help with the digging!
A booth at the Iredell County Fair was planned and decorated under the leadership of Pam Aman and Lee Hollifield.
Association members volunteered their time to staff the booth during evening hours, answering many gardening ques-
tions and representing the Master Gardening program to the public. Members also staffed a booth at the Iredell County
Employees Wellness Fair. Employees were reminded that gardening is a wonderful way to exercise and a means to put-
ting healthy food on the table.
All this work led to play! The Association enjoyed a summer cookout at the home of Ellie McMillan where members
enjoyed wonderful food and social time. The crowning point of the event was the tour Ellie gave of her beautiful gardens.
She shared her experiences of turning a tennis court into fabulous landscape.
Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County - Submitted by Debbie Moore Clark
Annually, during the summer months of July and August, EMG Newsletter Editor Debbie
Moore Clark busily plans newsletters for the subsequent year. At this year’s July monthly meeting,
the membership was asked to submit ideas and requests for educational articles to be included in
the next year’s news organ. Following that meeting, Debbie compiled the topic ideas and shared the
list with prospective writers. By summer’s end, writers were enlisted, almost all topics assigned,
and writers were encouraged to begin researching, interviewing and writing articles for the 2014
newsletter. Eventually, the best of the articles—those well suited for public consumption—will be
posted to our public website at www.mastergardenersmecklenburg.org. Currently, it is estimated
350+ articles are posted to the website. We encourage you to check out the site for its educational
content.
Monthly meetings for Mecklenburg EMGs are educational, productive, fun and well attended.
Program leaders for the third quarter included Pam Crown who spoke on “Perennial Pleasures:
Pinching, Potting & Pruning—or Your Plants are More Alike Teenagers than You Ever Knew!” at
the July meeting; Susan Hooper, who presented and demonstrated “Flower
Arranging from Your Yard” at the August meeting; and Dr. Greg Pillar, As-
sociate Professor, Queens University, who presented “Organic Soil Fertility”
at the September meeting. Of special note, at the monthly meeting on Au-
gust 21, 2013, EMGs flocked to and savored the irresistible Fourth Annual
Tomato Fest! This delightful luncheon featured homegrown tomatoes, to-
mato sandwiches, fresh basil, tomato pies, and more! Donna Adams and Beverly Pearson serve
the organization as Program Chair and Team Building Chair, respectively.
Demonstration Garden development and maintenance remained points of intentional focus for
Mecklenburg EMGs with regularly scheduled Thursday workdays. For more information about
both EMG Volunteer demonstration gardens, visit Demonstration Gardens at
www.mastergardenersmecklenburg.org.
EMG Carol Carraux, Co-chair of the Independence Park Demonstration Garden recently
shared these thoughts in the July/August issue of our newsletter: “The camaraderie from working
side by side with fellow EMGs is not only good for rooting friendships, but allows for enlighten-
ment as ideas are exchanged. As our garden plants grow, so do our souls. Plants need water,
sunlight, soil and nutrients; people need food, water, shel-
ter and friends! When working in the demonstration gar-
dens one may find a new perspective on plant arrangement or combinations—
whether by happenstance or by thoughtful planning—which can then be consid-
ered for one’s own garden. If we only work in our own gardens, we are not grow-
ing as gardeners. Working with different soils, plants and conditions helps to
broaden us, and thus, helps us to educate others more effectively in our commu-
nity.”
Mecklenburg EMG volunteers participated in the fun at the Annual Reedy
Creek Hummingbird Festival on Saturday, August 17, 2013 at Reedy Creek,
answering questions posed by the public and selling plants to raise money for
educational projects.
September was the month for Charlotte’s 49th Annual Festival in the Park.
EMGs Rosalie Holzinger, Sue Riley and
Susan Hooper staff the Festival in the
Park tent at the Freedom Park Demon-
stration Garden on 9/21/13. Photo by M.
R. Genkins.
Jane McNeary con-
templates her artis-
tically-constructed
tomato sandwich at
the Tomato Fest. Photo by Debbie Moore
Clark
EMG Sandy Roork,
adorned in tomato-
colored garb for the
Tomato Fest. Photo by Debbie Moore Clark
WWW.NCMASTERGARDENERS.ORG PAGE 9
As is our custom, Mecklenburg EMG volunteers were on hand in our Freedom Park Demonstration Garden to field ques-
tions and conduct tours of the garden located within the Park. This year, 282 people visited our booth; this number was
down from last year due to rain on Saturday, which adversely affected the overall festival crowd size. EMGs maintained
their “Ask a Master Gardener” booth for three days, September 21-23, 2013. At this year’s event, chaired by EMG Nan
Bracy, EMG Sue Riley led demonstrations on planting spring bulbs in a pot; EMG Rosalie Holzinger brought worm com-
posting bins and bin start-up supplies to teach visitors about worm composting; and EMG Karen Tvarock created a chil-
dren’s scavenger hunt through the Demonstration Garden, which EMG Cathe Hawley formatted as a brochure that also
advertised future children’s programs.
Rowan CountyRowan County - Submitted by Sue Davis
With five Pocket Gardens, four of which were newly planted in spring of 2013, Rowan County Extension Master Gar-
deners were busy weeding, watering and watching during the third quarter. Despite all
the rain in August, the Pocket Gardens survived, but the
Herb Garden and the Southern Living Plant Demonstra-
tion Garden flourished! The butterflies seemed extremely
confused about coming to the new Pollinator Garden until
late August and September, but on September 7, 2013, Sue
Davis counted twelve Monarch caterpillars. By the end of
the month, EMGs were spotting chrysalises hanging from
the four trellises that Randy Cox installed during August.
We were sure more than a half dozen Monarch butterflies
began their journey to Mexico from our Pollinator Garden.
Many of us got very interested in the other butterfly spe-
cies in the garden. The Spice Bush Swallowtail became
our favorite, but only one Spice Bush visited our garden.
We had several Spice Bush plants in the shade area being
readied for our October plant sale, so one of the members brought one up to the garden to
provide more food for the larva.
July always brings a special kind of excitement to the Extension Office. Rowan County
EMGs hosted a Retro Flower Show in July. We invited the public to come to the event,
which included educational sessions on displaying and preparing plants for judging. This
year, there were categories for dish gardens, specimen plants, displays based on themes,
and a children’s category. Annually, the event draws attention from the community and
helps to increase interest in raising flowers to increase the pollinator population and over-
all environmental quality. We were all pleased and proud that the Best in Show winner
was from Rowan County and not an EMG.
Carole Massey and Sue Davis planned and taught classes to 4H members with help from a
number of EMGs. Working with the 4H is one way that EMGs give back to the Extension
Office activities. Carole worked with the younger children on creating their very own seed
art masterpiece. We were proud when several showed at the County Fair in September.
Sue Davis developed a class in dyeing with natural dyes. The class could have been called
“Let’s Get Messy,” but everyone went home with two shirts dyed with juice from red cab-
bage, turmeric, tea or onion skins. These activities included the helping hands of fourteen
EMGs.
Carol Comer led a week of Garden Camp at the Millbridge Elementary School.
Among the activities that Carol and the eight participating EMG volunteers tackled was
creating a garden in a small space, using small shallow pots and lots of “yard art” and
small plants like succulents.
Jean Lamb led the Annual Propagation Class for members and the community.
Each year EMGs work side by side with community members to learn how to propagate
plants from their yards and the yards of members and other participants. In October,
the participants return to pot up their successes. This quarter, members created flats of
plants, which will be kept in the greenhouse over winter; in spring the plants will be
sold at the May Plant Sale. Learning is the biggest part of this activity: learning the
names, environment and the sizes of plants is an important element of being an EMG.
More important is identifying plants that are mislabeled or not labeled at all. Dawn
Holshouser introduced us to watching for alternate leaf patterns and opposite leaf pat-
The children’s awards for dish
gardens and terrariums went
to EMG Connie Sherrill’s
grandchildren.
Karen Busby and Katherine
Jones watch the 4H Clover
Buds create seed art master-
pieces during 4H Summer Fun
Carol Comer, Carolyn Alexander
and Kay Ball tackle a tray of
plants at the July propagation
class
A member’s cell phone captured
an emerging Monarch on one of
Randy’s trellises.
PAGE 10 THE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENS ION MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION
The County Line: North Central District The County Line: North Central District Edna Gaston, District ReporterEdna Gaston, District Reporter
Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Granville,
Guilford, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Vance, Wake, Warren
Wake CountyWake County - Submitted by Cathy Burton
The Wake County Extension Master Gardeners were able to fill 108 available slots at this year's North Carolina
State Fair (October 17-27, 2013), manning the Waterwise Garden, the Greenhouse areas,
and also staffing the 'Ask a MG' booth (where gloves were also sold). All told the group
was in contact with 6,918 persons, dispensing advice on general gardening, and answer-
ing questions about the various plants and plantings at
the fair.
And speaking of the fair, if you were there, you may
have noticed a NEW look to the Master Gardener Volun-
teer booth. Prior to the fair a team of people tackled a
complete update and refresh of the booth with awesome
results! Newly painted, fresh 'peg' board, and weather
flaps enable a much brighter and comfortable atmos-
phere as people ask their questions, get advice, and buy
gloves during their State Fair visit. Congrats to all in-
volved and special thanks to Roger Madariaga, husband of Pat Madariaga and a truly
MASTER carpenter. He was instrumental in this getting done.
Another fair-type event held in September is Heritage Day at Historic Oakview
County Park, which is like an old-time county fair with a focus on animals, crafts, an-
tique farm equipment displays, cane pole fishing, live entertainment and more. Wake
County Extension Master Gardeners hosted a booth here to help and advise participants
on gardening questions.
Finally, Wake County Extension Master Gar-
deners have been hard at work creating two new
publications. Wayne Carlson created an excellent,
simple-to-use guide on 'Weed Management in Resi-
dential Landscapes' - which has great summary
charts of types of weed control for almost anything
you might be tending to in the garden. And Cindy
Sanborn (along with county agent Jeana Myers)
have created the 'Vegetable Gardening for Home
Gardens' publication to assist the home gardener in
some of the key considerations regarding home
vegetable gardening.
Painters (l.to r.) Gay Kayye, Effie
Underwood, Joyce Bibby, Pat
Madariaga, Debra Burke, and
Fred Valachovic (not shown is
painter Amy Etheridge)
Our 2013 State Fair Booth Joyce Bibby and Susan Wyatt at
Oakview Park Heritage Day
Sue McCormick at the Water-
wise Garden, NC State Fair
terns when trying to verify plants that are similar. Right now the greenhouse
has several “projects” going on because we have some very small plants we
cannot identify the plant without reservation.
In September, twelve Rowan EMGs attended the Garden Gala in Guilford
County. We all came away with a great deal of information, which we shared
with other members. The Gala was a special event where EMGs from many
counties came together to learn and discuss what is going on in their associa-
tions. We were fortunate to host Cabarrus EMGs who came for a tour of the
Extension Office Pocket Gardens. Interaction with other associations is al-
ways worthwhile.
Like all summers, the Rowan County Fair in September marks our transi-
tion to fall and more outdoor activities.
Sue Davis records the judging at the Rowan
County Fair. Judges were Grady, an EMG
from Iredell County and Mary Jacq from
the Forsyth Extension Office.
WWW.NCMASTERGARDENERS.ORG PAGE 11
The County Line: South Central DistrictThe County Line: South Central District Kandis Lindsay, District ReporterKandis Lindsay, District Reporter
Anson, Bladen, Cabarrus, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery,
Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Scotland, Stanly, Union
Cumberland CountyCumberland County - Submitted by Kandis Lindsay
Another successful event for Master Gardeners! So many of our members assisted in the first indoor/outdoor
plant/garage sale. A lot of people did a lot of hard work. We had a plant sale outside and a garage sale inside. Members
donated everything from socks to furniture and most of it was sold to the public. We had a
fun time setting the items up and a real fun time on the day of the sale.
The Heritage Gardens at Cape Fear Botanical Garden are getting a renovation! Unlike the
renovations featured on HGTV, there are no granite countertops involved…just sweat eq-
uity, new compost, a sprinkling of organic fertilizer and new plants.
The Heritage Team gathered in early September to assess the needs of
the two gardens in the complex. We wanted them all to look fresh for
the Heritage Festival October 6th. Wow! There was much to do and not
much time to do it!
The Herb Garden in particular was in need of control over the sev-
eral varieties that love to sprawl and crawl. The Artemisia ‘Silver
King’, the Monarda ‘Jacob Kline’, the oregano, the mother of thyme,
the achillea and the soapwort had all over-grown their assigned plots
and invaded their neighbors. It was time to re-establish boundaries.
Week 1—The renovation work began with potting up specimens to
be saved and re-located. The day was warm and the work was intense
but the collection of planters pots holding healthy roots and stems
grew quickly in the temporary site near the glory bower bush. Re-
moval of those plants doomed to compost pile began after coffee break.
It was still a VERY WARM day. All of us felt the heat! The chance dis-
covery of a pile of brick pavers turned into a great looking border for
the main walkway from the farmhouse. Bob and Amy make a great
survey team! They made nice straight lines for those pavers to follow
using stakes and strings. The finished product looks marvelous.
Week 2—The Cleanup continued. Some of the team turned their
attention to the Vegetable Garden. It too was finished as a spring and
summer garden. Those sad finished plants needed removing and a
new layer of compost spread and a soil test to get the pH right. The
Heritage Team sadly removed many healthy bronze fennel (every seed
had germinated). The soapwort and thyme and oregano and monarda
were a task that may be yet unfinished given their extensive root sys-
tem. However, at the end of the day, the clumps were on their way to
composting and there was fresh compost and a tiller to mix it in. The
Herb garden was on its way to renewal!
Week 3—The Heritage Team was feeling the heat again! Heritage
Festival was only 2 weeks away. The Herb and Vegetable gardens des-
perately needed green plants to delight visitors. Replanting began. The
collection of growers’ pots began to empty. Someone came with new cab-
bage and kale plants. Onions appeared. A MG expedition to Big Bloom-
ers discovered a few end of season herbs suitable for a Heritage Herb
garden. The planting continued. A flat of violas arrived and found a new
home.
Week 4—Watering, watering, watering. The sprinkler system was on
the fritz. Hand watering is not a task quickly done. The calendar said
Fall but the thermometer said Summer!
The Heritage Garden returns.
Joram’s wonderful well
Amy loads the truck
Elma’s joy
Cleaning out the beds, we
found a path to the farmhouse
Renovating garden beds and
brick border
Building the beds
PAGE 12 THE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENS ION MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION
Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Edgecombe, Gates, Halifax,
Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrell, Washington
The County Line: NortheastThe County Line: Northeast DistrictDistrict District Reporter (Vacant)District Reporter (Vacant)
Dare CountyDare County - Submitted by Chris Stadther
Excited children and a
beautiful day! What more
could a Master Gardener ask
for? On July 17, the Dare
County Extension Master
Gardener Volunteers wel-
comed over 65 children from
the 4-H Summer School Age
Children’s Camp to the Arbo-
retum. Seed and flower
planting, tours of the Arbore-
tum and assorted crafts were just some of the activities.
The Master Gardener Speakers Bureau presented
“Don’t Squash Me” to over 100 children during the summer. This program is about benefi-
cial bugs in the garden and almost every child had a story to share about their own bug
encounters.
The Dare County Master Gardeners have been busy in
the Arboretum surrounding the Thomas A. Baum Senior
Center in Kill Devil Hills. Potting Benches and an exten-
sion to the work shed as well as a new arbor in the Central
Garden area have been added this summer.
Next up for the busy Dare County Master Gardeners is the
Holiday Centerpiece sale, which is a lot of fun. They bring holi-
day happiness to many people in our community.
Dare County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers wish
everyone a safe and happy holiday season!
Pitt CountyPitt County - Submitted by Pam Mastin Happy Autumn everyone! It’s been a great growing season and it’s good to be a gardener this time of year.
Container Garden - It had become time to replace and upgrade long ago purchased pots that serve as our Container
Garden at the Arboretum. With cooler temperatures and the seasonal change of plants com-
ing soon, the Container curator and her committee took to the task. Using the old rule of
thrillers, spillers and fillers, our newest pots are three feet across at the top and provide the
opportunity for some semi-permanent thrillers. After a morning of plant shopping, the warm
weather plants were removed and were replaced. The accompanying photos show three com-
panion pots that were acquired this summer along with one of our new, larger ones. The lar-
ger container holds Edgeworthia chrysantha (Oriental Paperbush), Juniperus horizontalis
‘Blue Rug’ Juniper and Nemesia fruticans ‘Sensatia Lemon’ Nemesia. In the three companion
planters the largest one holds Acer palmatum ‘Orangelo’ Japanese Maple and Diascia hybrid
‘Flying Colors Red’; the second largest holds Nandina domestica ‘SEIKA” Obsession, Carex
‘Toffee Twist’ and Viola x wittrockiana ‘Sherry pansies with an assortment of fall ornamentals
in the next smaller one.
Pleaching Project at the Pitt County Arboretum submitted by Carol Taylor
One winter a few years ago we started a shade garden in a narrow strip next to a wall only to
find out that in summer it was not shady! A lesson in planning right there. At the end of the
MGs Rosanne Davis, Lynne
Maclaga and Carol Taylor
spruce up containers
4-H SACC Camp at the Thomas A. Baum Senior Center. “Don’t Squash Me” presentation at
Kill Devil Hills Library, NC.
Potting bench for propagation
New Arbor in Central Garden
Holiday Centerpieces
WWW.NCMASTERGARDENERS.ORG PAGE 13
The County Line: Southeast DistrictThe County Line: Southeast District Lynn Brugnolotti, District ReporterLynn Brugnolotti, District Reporter
Brunswick, Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover,
Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Sampson, Wayne, Wilson
Brunswick County Brunswick County Brunswick County - Submitted by Mary T. Dixon
Junior Master Gardener Wins Ribbon at 4-H Fair
There is no greater pride than being recognized and rewarded for putting your knowledge to
work. This was how Zachary Fowler, Junior Master Gardener, felt when he recently won a rib-
bon at the first ever Brunswick County 4-H Fair. Zachary’s exhibit was a scrapbook that he had
designed with the help of other members of the Merry Gold Gardeners, Junior Master Gardener
club at Supply Elementary School. The competition was fierce, with 93 exhibits from clubs all
over the county.
This Junior Master Gardener Club is led by Master Gardener Grace Wrigley with assistance
from other Master Gardeners. Members of the club are students in
grades 3 through 5 who meet after school every two weeks throughout
the school year. These boys and girls learn to perform many life skills such as running a meet-
ing, electing officers, documenting their accomplishments, and working as a team. Additionally,
they learn basic gardening skills such as testing soil, what to plant when, watering needs, and
the joy of eating food grown by their own hands.
This Junior Master Gardener Club coordinates its efforts with the Feast Downeast and Food
Corps, two non-profit organizations that teach children and families how to enjoy healthy foods
and prepare healthy meals for the entire family.
May 2013 Plant Sale we had several crape myrtles unsold so we decided to create our
own shade by planting the same. Because trees had to be pruned back to prevent
them interfering with trucks going to the adjacent utility room, we decided on the an-
cient method of pleaching. This can create tunnels, arbors or our design to have a "hedge
in the air". This fall we pruned away most of the lower branches and excess trunks. The
trees were topped below where we want the top edge to be allowing for new growth in the
spring. As some branches were still flexible we tied these firmly together laterally so the
bark touches, this will create the opportunity for pleaching. That is, the bark
will degrade and the wood will fuse together. This is something we always try to avoid in
caring for trees but this case we want this to happen. Crape Myrtles seem ideal for
this sculpting as they often pleach themselves naturally. Our experiment is just start-
ing. Next summer we will tie more new flexible branches together and include some
temporary support poles to shape our shade hedge. When we have sufficient lat-
eral branches the structure will be pruned in summer to reduce vigor and keep its shape. Hopefully
this will be the shady garden we imagined a few years ago. For more information on pleaching:
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=155
Annual January Event Fundraiser January will see us hosting Paul James of "Q&A with
Paul James The Gardener Guy", January 25, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. His program is designed for people
who want their yards to look great but don’t have a lot of time to spend on them. He focused on the
lighter side of gardening, giving practical advice on gardening basics such as soil,
watering, composting, native plants and other gardening topics.
Admission is $20 for the general public, $15 for Friends of the Arboretum, $30 for
ALL tickets at the door. Tickets are available at the Pitt Co. Arboretum (252-902-
1709 and Wild Birds Unlimited, Greenville (252-493-0340). Location: J. W. Rose
High School, Performing Arts Center, 600 W. Arlington Blvd, Greenville.
New NCEMGVA Delegate – Rosanne Davis EMG Rosanne Davis is our new delegate to the
NCEMGVA. Rosanne has been an EMG Volunteer for 5 years. She was Plant Sale Co-chair in 2012,
Chair in 2013 and serves on our Special Events Committee. Congratulations and thank you, Rosanne!
MGs Carol Taylor, Kathy White-
head and Teresa Surratt com-
plete the pleaching process.
Rosanne Davis
Paul James the
Gardener Guy
PAGE 14 THE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENS ION MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION
Greenlands Farm Fest is Healthy Family Fun
Where can you go to take a ride with a Llama pulling the cart?
Greenlands Farm in Bolivia offers llama rides, horse rides, and a
petting zoo. This working farm also offers local, natural, and organic
produce and farm products for sale.
Master Gardeners answered questions and distributed information
at their booth in a grove of tall pine trees. A pet adoption center was
set up with several puppies of various breeds. There were plant
booths, apple bobbing, corn-hole boards, and lots of other fun activi-
ties.
The Feast Downeast booth promoted buying locally grown foods. They also promoted healthy
eating with “MyPlate,” a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture program designed to remind people what a
plate filled with nutritional foods look like. The plate is divided into four sections. Vegetables – vary your vegetables.
Grains – make at least half you grains whole. Protein – go lean with protein. Fruits – focus on fruits. Off the plate is a
section called Dairy – get your calcium-rich foods. All kinds of plastic food was available for children to make their own
plates including the foods they prefer. This was a fun way to increase awareness of what a healthy plate would look like.
Purple Broccoli – A Splash of Color in the Winter Garden
Even if you don’t plan to eat it, Purple Broccoli can offer a spectacular focal point in the winter landscape. Available
in a wide variety of leaf and floret color combinations, this cool weather vegetable evolves each week to give you a new
perspective on its true beauty.
Cut the center stalk and enjoy it in broccoli slaw, green salad, or with your favorite dip.
Steam it lighty to retain the bright color. The richness of flavor will
amaze you. Once cooked, it freezes well. When the center stalk is gone,
smaller florets emerge around the stalk and between the leaves. These
are perfect size for children to dip in ranch dressing for a snack.
If your broccoli plants gets too big, just cut off some of the lower leaves
and use them in coleslaw. Or grind them up in a healthy morning
smoothie. Dehydrate the leaves and grind them into powder for sum-
mer smoothies when it is too hot for fresh broccoli. Every part of this
plant is edible – florets, leaves, stalks, and flowers. The purple color
indicates the presence of special flavonoids and phytonutrients that provide many health bene-
fits, according to recent research. Flowering cabbages are edible, too. Treat them the same as
broccoli. There is purple cauliflower too. Careful, purple brassicas may spoil you so that never again will you be satis-
fied with the plain green grocery store varieties.
Carteret County Carteret County Carteret County - Submitted by Lynn Brugnolotti
Fall is in full swing down at the coast, with no slowdown in activities for the Car-
teret County Master Gardeners….if anything, the cooler weather inspires us to MORE
projects! The temperate climate also lets us garden further into the year than our
“high country” brothers and sisters, even if we don’t have as much of the fall color. Our
signs of the change in season are more subtle: grasses are showing their feathery
blooms, we’ve changed over to fall/winter vegetables in our gardens, and suddenly
(and happily) we don’t have to mow the lawn as often!
The collaboration between the master gardeners and the Beaufort Historical Association continues to be mutually
beneficial: the historically accurate garden at the Leffers House has produced a crop of sesame seeds, along with the
other vegetables, and county school children have visited and learned about the Colonial period from master gardener
volunteers. The herb garden delights visitors as well, and the propagation area provides new plants for the plant sale as
well as the gardens at the historical site.
The membership enjoyed the annual plant swap and pot-
luck luncheon in October, with everyone taking home even
MORE plants (always a good thing!)
The pilot project on gardens in schools, another example of
collaboration between master gardeners and another entity
(this time, 4H) continues to refine the lesson plans in accor-
dance with the Common Core curriculum. Volunteers held
school-wide hands-on experiences in entomology and on vermiculture, with age-appropriate lessons from pre-K through
5th grade.
Craven County Craven County Craven County - Submitted by Helene Conklin
2013 was VERY busy and rewarding for the members of the Craven County Master Gardener Volunteer Association,
Inc. This year we became a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. Our group was fortunate enough to have a retired attorney in
our ranks who graciously volunteered his professional service for this endeavor.
We’ve also placed a heavy emphasis on community education through public programming and gardening. We assist
our CDC with workshops on the 3rd Saturdays and Mondays of the month. We staff the Extension information desk two
mornings a week and have an information booth at the New Bern Famers' Market every 2nd Saturday. We’re also the
Garden Docent contingent for the Spring Historic Homes and Gardens tour, in New Bern’s three national historic dis-
tricts.
We volunteer to help the public with plant purchasing at Tryon Palace plant sales. We also use our pass along plants
to encourage donations and familiarize people with seasonal plant options. Through our annual bulb sale we introduce
the community to sustainable low maintenance landscape options. Through these venues we touch thousands of our
neighbors and friends with a ray of knowledge about the earth’s magic.
This year Craven County Master Gardeners have also taken a global look at our demonstration gardens. We’re ex-
cited to begin working one on one with our training class in early 2014, and wanted to include them in our site develop-
ment. By creating many small gardening arenas, where senior gardeners work with small groups of interns, we hope to
foster an understanding of the microclimate they’re involved in, and evoke a commitment
to our site. Starting the interns with a sense of personal ownership helps them easily
come into the fold of our very dynamic organization.
During the 2013 season Extension Gardeners have participated in the formation of a
county wide community garden association, as well as the establishment of an organic gar-
den and an elementary school vegetable garden. We develop and tend the garden at our
local farmers’ market. We’re implementing the redesign of our county extension office and
have a 14 member design team creating a Purple
Heart Memorial Plaza at the Craven County gov-
ernment complex.
During 2013 we had some interesting and wonder-
ful destinations. We learned how compost and
mulch was made from our curbside waste. We also learned how our waste treat-
ment plant processed human waste into a nutritional soil amendment. We en-
joyed each other’s company during ‘afternoon in the garden’ tours. These brought
us into our contemporaries’ gardens for an afternoon of learning and sharing.
The 2013 Bulb Sale was a record breaker! With these proceeds we look for-
ward to embellishing our demonstration gardens and welcoming a new group of
interns to the fun and fellowship of Extension Master Gardening.
Onslow County Onslow County Onslow County - Submitted by Marge Waslicki
The Onslow county Master Gardeners went on two field trips in September and October. The first trip was to the
Huffman Vineyards in Richlands, NC for a tour and wine tasting. Our last trip for the season was to Mumfest and the
native plant sale in New Bern, NC.
Kudos to our Onslow County Fair Committee! The Master Gar-
deners booth not only won a first place blue ribbon but also a
monetary prize for our association. The exhibit titled “The Right
Trees for Onslow County” presented the residents of Onslow
County with a variety of trees and shrubs suitable for the area.
Through the use of photographs large and small ornamental
trees as well as fruit bearing varieties were displayed. Handouts
included tree themed coloring books for the children and for the
adult lists of appropriate plantings for their gardens as well as
resources for further information.
The Onslow County Beekeepers Association recently held their second annual honey tast-
ing contest and three Onslow County Master Gardeners, Jeff Morton, Jim Van Gorder,
and Star Reagan won first, second and third places, respectively. Congratulations!
PAGE 15 THE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENS ION MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION
EMG volunteers at our 2013 Bulb Sale
booth at the Farmers’ Market—ready
for the crowds of shoppers to converge.
Jeanne Bowditch’s ‘Afternoon
in the Garden tour’-- at her
water-side property.
Fair Committee: l to r., Judy
Laughlin, Jane Fugate, Ginger
Melton, Terri Welch, Pat Foun-
tain, and Rebecca Ingram.
Terri Welch holding the
blue ribbon.
The Discovery Gardens of Onslow are moving beyond the
planning and design stages and the Master Gardener Vol-
unteers are seeing the payoff of many years of planning,
fund raising and hard work and are starting to develop
areas of the garden.
The purpose of the gardens is to provide research-based
information, while creating an outdoor area for recreation
in Onslow County. In 2007-2008 a master plan was de-
veloped including a variety of demonstration and teach-
ing gardens as well as recreational opportunities.
This was followed by raising more funds, applying for permits in order to comply with the storm water and erosion
requirement for the state of North Carolina, bidding and finally paving the area, and pouring concrete for the Entrance
Circle. On May 21, 2012 a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for the Discovery Gar-
dens of Onslow County occurred at the site of the four acre multi-use garden. By spring
of this year, the grading of biocels was completed. The Onslow County Master Gardeners
have been busy this summer planting and maintaining plants within the biocels.
As part of our emphasis on education, the biocels are a low
impact design storm water management technique. In-
stead of a traditional storm water pond, biocels function
like large rain gardens, holding storm water until it can
infiltrate in to the ground rather than running off. The
plants in these cels have been selected to tolerate a range
of soil conditions from moist to droughty. Many native plants have been included in the
design.
The Master Gardener Association has been fortunate to have the support of our local
government that has been instrumental in the heavy construction phase of the gardens
development. This past summer our green houses have been filled with the trees, shrubs, and plants awaiting planting
workdays. We now order mulch by the truckload and soon will be ordering lumber for the construction of boardwalks
and other structures through the area.
Wayne County Wayne County Wayne County - Submitted by Brenda Carter
A very rewarding and busy year for Master Gardeners in Wayne County. Besides working two days a week in the
Plant Clinic we were busy helping teach 4-H groups about gardening and all the ingredients that go into gardening.
There were four groups and each group taught either on soil, insects, disease or plants. It is quite amazing how much
these young ones really do know. We taught them a lot about gardening and they taught us a lot too.
Butterfly garden in Stoney Creek was outstanding with all the heavy rains we received this spring. This is a fairly
new park in Goldsboro and they had their dedication this year. The city and community were so appreciative for the hard
work done by the Master Gardeners. Master gardeners also planted the Vet. Memorial gardens in the spring with a beau-
tiful white and gray color scheme. It turned out very pretty. The garden has been replanted with
pansies and colorful Bright eyes, Swiss Chard for the winter. This was the previous home of our
community building. It was destroyed by fire and makes the perfect place to honor our fallen sol-
diers . Beautifully designed and landscaped Wayne County is very proud of this and Master Gar-
deners help each year by planting the bed twice in front with seasonal flowers.
The Wayne County Regional Agricultural Fair was also a huge success this year. The
Flower Garden and the Vegetable Garden were huge successes this year and over 800 contacts
were made with the citizens of Wayne County. The Vegetable Garden chose a theme of “The Abil-
ity Garden“. This demonstration garden showed different techniques that can be used by garden-
ers that are handicapped as well as aging gardeners. They planted in raised beds with seating on
the sides to accommodate those who had problems getting down low in the garden. They also had
a Trough that anyone in a wheel chair could roll right up to and garden without having to get out
of their chair. The vegetable garden was the star attraction for gardeners.
Master Gardeners celebrated all their hard work with an annual picnic at the home of
our President June Hoyle. They have a lovely picnic area on the river’s edge and this is always a
treat sharing delicious Charlie Hoyle Burgers and Hotdogs with lots of sides provided by every-
one who attended. It is really hard to decide if we are better at gardening or better at cooking.
Lots of good food was enjoyed by all. October 28th a van of Master Gardeners headed for the Ash Touring the Ash Japa-
nese Maple Farm.
PAGE 16 THE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENS ION MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION
Japanese Maple Farm. What a beautiful sight with all the maples changing colors. The owners gave such a great tour of
their 11 acre farm and answered a lot of inquisitive Master Gardener questions. What a treat for everyone who were able
to attend. This was a trip worth taking if anyone needs an idea for a nice day trip. The owners are super knowledgeable
and super nice people.
Wilson County Wilson County Wilson County - Submitted by Sandy Goetz
This past year the Wilson Botanical Gardens have been nothing less than amaz-
ing! The Wilson Extension Master Gardeners had their Annual Plant sale in April
which was estimated $3,000 plus in profit. The turn out for the plant sale was a
little lower than previous years but the volume of plants sold made it a successful
sale. April also brought a new addition to the Children’s Secret Garden, a green
heavy duty sliding board to represent a banana peel before it is ripe this carries
through with the Banana Split theme of the garden. When visitors come to the Chil-
dren’s Secret Garden they are told the slide is to represent a banana peel and the
children can slide down into the garden then continue to
visit the main focal point, the banana split area. This is the
area to teach children horticulture in a fun way by using
plant names that are al-
ready named like the ‘Banana Cream’ Shasta Daisy or
one of my favorite ‘Reese Pieces’ that are yellow and orange
snapdragons with choco- late cosmos. Just recently, the
Children’s Secret Garden was selected for a BB&T Light-
house Project. The team members of the project designed
and installed a unique sundae fountain to the banana
split area, it is a must see addition!
The Wilson Botanical Gar- dens had its first ‘Green Adventure’
in April. This was a $3.000 grant given through the Community Sparkplugs of the Rensselaer-
ville Institute, a foundation of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. This grant opened a
door to change our community for the better using awareness on nutrition and exercise and how to educate others using
self-help. The Green Adventures were once a month on a selected date and continued
through October. Our goal was to promote growing and eat-
ing more fruits vegetables. Each Green Adventure started
out with exercising and then gardening of some sort, a
healthy snack was served and flyers to educate on the cov-
ered subject.
The 2013 Wilson Garden Tour May 3rd and 4th was another
fantastic fundraiser bringing $23,000 to be used in the Chil-
dren’s Secret Garden for a 12’ Aquascape stream. Details
are not final but the stream is to be installed November
2013.
This past summer a ‘Sponsor Sign’ was added to the Children’s Secret Garden. It is an information board to up-date
visitors on happenings at the WBG. On one side are the sponsor names and on the back is
information about gardening, health tips, environment awareness and events or other impor-
tant information such as the $4 fee on soil- test December through March.
The Wilson Botanical Gardens is a growing event itself.
There is always something going on whether it is giving a
tour, garden workday, collecting seeds, digging up plants
for the plant sale for 2014 or planting new plants just for
their beauty.
In closing I would like to say how much I enjoyed the 2013
NC Master Gardener State Conference this past June in
Monroe and how honored I was to received an Outstanding
Volunteer Award. Thank you for believing in me and I
hope to keep inspiring and educating others through my
Extension Master Gardener experiences.
PAGE 17 THE NORTH CAROLINA EXTENS ION MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION
NCEMGVA Newsletter
731 N Rogers Ln
Raleigh, NC 27610