THE GRAPEVINE | Volume 20, Issue 5 1

HELPING TENNESSEE GROW BETTER COMMUNITIES IN THIS ISSUE

Thank You by Carol Mathews

The Grapevine Master Gardeners of Hamilton County, tn

June 2013 Volume 20, Issue 6

My letter this month is personal note of thanks for the cards, e-mails, phone calls, visits and food sent my way during the illness and passing of my mother. Mom was 93. As a Christian, I am confident of a life after death and a reunion some day but the earthly existence is missed greatly. Over half of you reading this letter have experienced the loss of your mother so you are well aware of my feelings at this time. The exception for us is that Mother lived with us in our home for 30 years as of this past Mother’s Day weekend. She had separate living quarters but was always just downstairs, on the porch reading or somewhere about all the time, therefore we were all three together every day. For Clyde and I, our physical house is empty as well as a place in our hearts. I say this only to let you know how much we appreciate that so many of the MGHC members came by the funeral home and even attended the funeral. You will never know how

individuals working occasionally on a project, program or attending meetings as strangers. We are friends.

much that meant to both of us. You sent food, plenty, and you sent plants and cards, and took your time to drive a long way to lighten our load. There are not enough words to say thank you.

I read a book a few years back where the author gave many examples of times when we think a good thought about someone and even feel we should call but we get busy and just let the time go by. The author stated that we have those thoughts and/or feelings for a reason. He gave several examples of times that someone called or sent a card or dropped by to say a word and that was the very moment someone was in despair or need. The person visiting made a big difference, even to the point of saving a life someone was about to end. We never know when we might be just what someone else needs. Follow your heart and take the time. It makes a difference. I am proof.

For me, MGHC is not just a group of

2013 MGHC Officers 1 Year Members Committee Chairpersons

Adf President – Carol Mathews Sandy Bunting Bonny Oaks Arboretum – Jack Townsend Hospitality – Lori Ashton

Vice President – Lisa Clark Libby Hickman Chattanooga Market – Connie Giles Hummingbird & Butterfly Garden – Mike Payne

Secretary – Barbara Blankenship Freeman Powell Communications – Dee Clark Membership Directory – Wanda Wilkey

Treasurer – Peggy Dyer 2 Year Members County Fair – Donna Adams Mentor Coordinator – Shirley McMasters (Day Class) Certification Officer – Gretchen

Rominger Connie Giles Events Coordinator – Gail Tryon Clyde Mathews (Night Class)

Communications – Dee Clark Samantha Pfeiffer Finance – Peggy Dyer MGCH Hotline – Valerie Hargis

MGHC Coordinator – Tom Stebbins Ken Harris Food Bank Garden Tour – Jo Lawrence Projects – Stephanie Payne

Garden Expo – Sue Henley Speakers Bureau – Sue Henley

Historian – Joy Wooden State Advocate – Patsy Boles

President’s Message ………………………….1

Tom’s Tidbits ……………………………………2

Gardening Through the Year ………………3

Secretary’s Report …………………………….4

Preserving Summer’s Bounty ……………..4

CEU and Volunteer Opportunities ………5

Hotline Q&A ……………………………………6

Caught in the Act (photos) …………………7

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Tom's Tidbits – Don’t Get Ticked Off! by Tom Stebbins, UT/TSU Extension Agent for Hamilton County

Steps You Can Take to Reduce Ticks in Your Yard

Researchers with the University Of Tennessee Institute Of Agriculture have practical advice both for landscaping and managing your pets to minimize the risk of ticks and tick bites.

Graham Hickling, director of the UT Center for Wildlife Health, advises homeowners to keep their grass mowed and to remove leaf litter, brush and tall weeds from around the home and at the lawn’s edge. Gravel, wood chips or dry mulch can help keep ticks away from paths and children’s play structures. If tick problems become severe, consider employing a pest management company to apply a chemical barrier treatment around such areas.

Another tip is to use plantings that do not attract deer and other wildlife. If deer are common in your area, exclude them from your yard with fencing. Deer frequently carry ticks.

To protect your pets, minimize the time that dogs and cats spend outdoors in areas with leaf litter, brush and tall weeds. Always check your pets for ticks when they come back indoors.

Discuss with your veterinarian the various treatments available that can help your pet avoid tick bites. Learn the signs that your pet might exhibit if affected by a tick-borne disease.

These practical tips can help you minimize the risk of ticks on your pets and in your home.

For more information, visit the Companion Animal Parasite Council, http://www.capcvt.org/capc-recommendations/ticks/

American Dog Tick (http://news.tn.gov/node/10540)

Don’t Let ‘em Tick You Off – Simple Steps to Reduce the Risk of Tick Bites

Warm weather means Tennesseans are spending more time enjoying the great outdoors. But outdoors means exposure to insect pests and ticks.

Researchers with the University Of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture say there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of tick bites and tick-borne infections.

Graham Hickling says if you’re concerned about ticks and heading

outdoors, use insect repellant containing 20 to 30 percent DEET. Follow package instructions and do not apply under clothing or to children under two months of age.

If working regularly in the field, consider also applying permethrin to clothing. Permethrin will last through several washes, but must not be applied to skin — again, be sure to follow package instructions.

Wear light-colored clothing and tuck long pants into your socks to help keep ticks off of your skin. Wear closed-toe shoes or, even better, boots sprayed with permethrin. Your children can be at particular risk. While ticks are unlikely to be encountered in open fields, children chasing balls or cutting through scrub or woods are entering high-risk tick areas. Your best protection against a tick-borne infection, Hickling says, is a careful tick check. “Check immediately after being outside and again in the evening while you are undressing. Do thorough checks of your children and pets. If you find an attached tick, simply use tweezers to remove them. Definitely avoid folk remedies such as hot matches, nail polish remover, petroleum jelly or other substances — these will not work if the tick is firmly attached. Grasp the tick mouthparts as close to the skin as possible and pull the tick straight out using steady pressure.”

Wash the area with soap and water, then dry and apply a topical antiseptic.

Mark the spot where the tick was removed and record the date on your calendar. Watch during the next two weeks for signs of illness (fever, headache or spreading rash). Contact your physician if you feel you may be developing early symptoms of a tick-borne illness.

Consider keeping ticks that were firmly attached for a week or so, to be able to show to your doctor in the event that you start to become ill. Place the tick in rubbing alcohol or in the freezer.

But keep in mind that most tick bites in Tennessee will be harmless. So be sure to get outside and enjoy our state’s abundant natural beauty while keeping these sensible precautions in mind.

For more information, visit the Tick Encounter Resource Center, http://tickencounter.org/prevention

Tom Stebbins – UT/TSU Extension Agent for Hamilton County

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June Trees and shrubs • Fertilize azaleas, pieris, mountain laurel and other cricaceous (acid-loving) species once more before August 15th. • Start taking cuttings of azaleas, rhododendron and hydrangea mid-month.

Perennials, Annuals and Bulbs • Water new plantings and keep a close eye on containerized plants. • Mulch garden beds to conserve soil moisture. • Cut back fall-flowering plants such as asters, goldenrod, sedum and Joe Pye weed by three-quarters of their current growth for shorter-stockier plants . • Continue deadheading spent flowers. • Divide bearded iris. • Gather mature seeds from spring-flowering plants; dry and store in a cool place and plant next month. • Continue to stagger planting annual flowers (sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, cleomes, marigolds.)

Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs • Spray fruit trees in accordance with UT Extension guidelines. • Keep tomatoes pruned and staked or in cages. • Check your garden daily. Start harvesting cucumbers, green beans and summer squash to keep plants producing; continue to harvest berries and herbs. • Harvest herbs early in the morning when essential oil content is at its peak. • Side-dress eggplant, peppers and tomatoes. • Continue to direct-seed summer vegetables (beans, crowder peas, cucumbers, winter squash, pumpkins, corn and okra.)

• Set out more transplants of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes and herbs. • Pull weeds in the morning to prevent seed heads from shattering and scattering. • Patrol the garden for Japanese Beetles, potato beetles and squash bugs that arrive mid-month; knock them off into a mixture of dish soap and water.

Miscellaneous • Enjoy the abundance of bloom

“What a strange thing it is to wake up to a milk-white overcast June morning! The sun is hidden by a thick cotton blanket of clouds, and the air is vapor-filled and hazy with a concentration of blooming scent. The world is somnolent and cool, in a temporary reprieve from the normal heat and radiance. But the sensation of illusion is strong. Because the sun can break through the clouds at any moment . . . What a soft thoughtful time. In this illusory gloom, like a night-blooming flower, let your imagination bloom in a riot of color.”

― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

“Gardening throughout the year”- a guide for Tennessee Gardeners

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Secretary’s Report by Barbara Blankenship

We would like to thank Mike Payne for filling in at the last minute and giving a great lesson on ”Finding Your Own Style in the Garden” for the May membership meeting. Sickness made the original speaker unavailable and Mike, as always, did a great job. Thank you!

Four of five proposals to work on the Caldsted Foundation projects were motioned for approval by Barbara Blankenship and seconded by Peggy Dyer. Motion carried and work will begin in June.

Carol Mathews announced the resignation of Ken Harris as a two year Board of Governors due to an unforeseen work load. Bill Apps has accepted the responsibility of serving out the remaining 18 months as Board of Governors in Ken’s place. We welcome Bill and thank Ken for his service.

What Am I Going To Do With All This Stuff? by Linda Davenport

What to Do With Summer’s Bounty

Our plentiful rainfall and June’s sunlight have made the vegetable garden a wonderful thing. Plants are strong and we’re looking forward to a bountiful harvest. Which begs the question: What will I do with all these tomatoes, peppers, squash, and okra? Where will all this beautiful corn go?

My husband’s stock answer of “Google it!” proved to be a good one. I found a host of good information to help with my optimistic dilemma.

Check out these publications to help you safely preserve your fruits and vegetables, including low- and no-sugar versions:

Food Canning Vocabulary https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP325-B.pdf

Methods of Canning https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP325-A.pdf

Low or No Sugar in Jams, Jellies and Preserves https://utextension.tennesse.edu/publications/Documents/SP325-F

How do I dry…? Good resource for dehydrating all kinds of foods http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry.html

THE GRAPEVINE | Volume 20, Issue 6 5

CEU and Volunteer Opportunities

1st Sat, Noon, 1CEU Chattanooga Regional Hosta Society Barn Nursery 1801 East 24th Street Contact Shirley McMasters @ mcwhoop@att.net 2nd Tue, 6:30-8pm, 1CEU The Chattanooga Herbies CAFB Conference Room Contact Ann Bartlett @ 423.843-5093 or arose56@hamilton.net 2nd Sat, 2pm, 1CEU The Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society Ag Center Contact Jim Gumnick @ 423.847.1342 or jlgtwo@peoplepc.com Sun, June 9, 4:00pm, Class and Outdoor Lab, sponsored by the Brainerd By Grace (B2G) Community Garden at the Pavilion/Garden, taught by Tom Stebbins. This will involve an onsite laboratory and instruction in the Garden. Free and open to all, behind Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Avenue. Sun, July 14, 4:00pm, Growing Herbs Class sponsored by Brainerd By Grace (B2G) Community Garden at the Pavilion/Garden, taught by Chattanooga Herbies.

Chattanooga Market, Sun, 11:00am – 4:00pm @First Tennessee Pavilion, Downtown Chattanooga Siskin Summer Reading Program, Mon and Fri mornings, 10:00am – 11:30am, Mon, June 10 through the end of July (except July 5), reading nature and gardening stories to children ages 2-5. MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH SISKIN ORIENTATION. Contact Sara Stanley, McSara317@gmail.com, 423.326.2904 or 614.205.5841. Mon & Wed, 10am-Noon, Hot Line, Ag Center, contact Valerie Hargis @ valhargis@epbfi.com for more info.

Mon, Wed, Fri, Evelyn Navarre Teaching Garden/Greenhouse Workdays, Chattanooga Area Foodbank Tue, Siren Pool renovations, Chattanooga Arboretum. Contact Dennis Bishop, Arboretum Curator @ dbishop@chattanature.org or 423.821.1160 ext. 115.

Wed, 8-9:30am, Butterfly Garden, Aquarium, contact Julie Piper @423.785.3057. Wed, Center for Creative Arts Earth Club meeting. Contact Maya Crumb @ aureliac@gmail.com or 423.991.2418.

Wed, Grandmother’s Garden at Humphrey House, Chattanooga Arboretum Wed, Butterfly Garden (inside), Tennessee Aquarium First Thu, 6pm, MGHC Board Mtg, Ag Center, (A) Hours, Wed & Fri. Seeding the Cumberlands nursery workday. Contact Sally Wencel, slwencel@gmail.com to sign up.

Crabtree Farms, 8:30am, June 15, create flower arrangements. Crabtree will supply flowers and vases. Contact Sara McIntyre at 423.493.9155 or smcintyre@crabtreefarms.org

How wonderful it is

that nobody need wait

a single moment

before starting to

improve the world.

~Anne Frank

Act as if what you do

makes a difference. It

does. ~William James

THE GRAPEVINE | Volume 20, Issue 6 6

Hot Line Q&A by Bill App, Master Gardener

Question: When is pollen season?

Answer: Eyes watery? Nose running, Dry, annoying hack? Boy, the pollen has been bad this year! When will “pollen season” be over, anyway? We have actually gotten several questions recently regarding pollen season in the Chattanooga area.

The pollen counts we see reported are actually taken by the Air Pollution Control Board at their building on Preservation Drive (off Bonnie Oaks). They have a device – basically a vertical tube – that they place a swatch of material into. Any pollen that falls will impinge onto the material. Every morning about 8:00 am, the swatch is replaced and the removed piece taken into the laboratory where the swatch is examined under a microscope. The number and type of pollen particles are recorded and that is the pollen count for the day. Today’s report is actually for the last twenty-four hours.

Now about the pollen itself…

Anytime you have growth of vegetation you have pollen. Historically in this area, peak pollen season is from about February 15th until about June 1st. This is the time when pollen counts are usually at their highest and when most people with allergies suffer the most. From June 1st through about October 15th, the pollen counts fluctuate somewhat but are not as high as springtime. After October 15th until February 15th, pollen counts are downright low (but rarely zero) because most vegetation is dormant in this area. The only true way to have pollen counts of zero is to have a hard freeze. Even then, as soon as the temperature gets above freezing, something is trying to propagate itself, thus some pollen is in the air.

So pollen season is never truly “over.” It’s just that there are times of year when more things are trying to grow and pollen counts are higher.

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Caught in the Act!

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HELPING TENNESSEE GROW BETTER COMMUNITIES

Master Gardeners of Hamilton County, TN 6183 Adamson Circle Chattanooga, TN 37416

The Food Bank welcomes and accepts produce

donations anytime!