The Seed News that grows on you

M A R C H 2 0 1 2

University of Maryland Extension Montgomery County MD Master Gardeners

Plant Clinics Wersquore Open Every Day

Monthly MG Meeting Now through May at Fairgrounds

Whatrsquos Inside

Plant Clinics Wersquore Open Every day 1

Presidentrsquos Column 2

The Seed Team 2

A Tribute to Greg Gregoire 2

A Shrub for Winter Interest 3

Seeing Green 3

Ask amp Answer 4

Photo of Month 4

Stumped 5

Reading Our New Format 5

Announcements 67

Well-Grounded Plant Clinic Worker 78

Where Have All Our Hours Gone 8

MG Speakers 2012 8

Deer Tales 9

Continuing Education 10 11

Board amp Newsletter Facts 12

By Katie McIe In the 2012 gardening season Master Garden-

ers plant clinics will be functioning somewhere in the county every day of the week This outreach is an impressive milestone in the University of Mary-land Extensionrsquos presence in Montgomery County

Organizational history reveals that since the 1980rsquos county residents have been able to bring plant samples and gardening questions to the Uni-versity of Maryland Extension for help Master Gardeners in the county have regularly volunteered at plant clinics since the first formal ldquoplant clinicrdquo was started in the Nancy Ballard phone room at Derwood Plant clinics then expanded to Brookside Gardens and a few other locations Now we have locations all over the County ndash at county libraries and at farmers markets such as Olney and Silver Spring This year the Nancy Ballard phone room will be listed specifically as a plant clinic on Mon-days and on Fridays The Derwood Demo Garden will host a clinic on Tuesdays

Why do we offer plant clinics at all especially in the age of the Internet Plant clinics provide a place for people to share information on a face-to-face basis At plant clinics people can bring plant or insect samples for diagnosis and discussion We can take undiagnosed samples back to Derwood for further analysis

Plant clinics allow MGs to perform community outreach and education MGs also listen and learn from gardeners in the community At some of our plant clinics we have repeat customers who visit regularly MG Lisa Diamond tells a story of a cus-tomer at Brookside Gardens who wanted infor-mation on every plant mentioned in the Biblehellipand made LOTS of repeat visits These customers also spread the word to others in the community so the outreach continues

How can we engage clients at plant clinics MG Bill Connors coordinator of the plant clinic at the Quince Orchard Library in Gaithersburg says that they have had success with displays of different types of soil mixtures They display three contain-ers one holds clay soil a second holds Leaf Gro and the thirds holds a mixture of clay and Leaf Gro They use the displays to engage people in conversa-tion about their gardens

MG Sally Byrne also at Quince Orchard says that samples of insect or larvae have been incredi-bly successful by generating the interest of children Once the children were engaged the parents were sure to follow and to participate The praying man-tis the assassin bug and the tomato hornworm were especially popular She added that the MGs there always try to turn any demonstration into a teaching moment whether with children or with adults

Plant clinic coordinators Sue Kuklewicz and Hayley Goris have reported that the number of plant clinic customers has been trending upward over the past several years With the increasing focus on home gardening and on Grow It Eat It plant clinics definitely have a purpose and fill a need Click here for a complete list of plant clinics

MG Len Friedman (left) talked over plant selections at the MG Plant Clinic at Brookside Gardens with visitor Adam Samuels from Northern Virginia

Quick Links

Board Meeting Minutes GIEI Blog Green Sheets Home amp Garden Info Center Join the Listserv MG Information Sheet Native Plant Center

Plant Clinics

See Pages 7 amp 8 for The Well-Grounded Plant Clinic Workers

M A R C H 2 0 1 2 P A G E 2

The Seed

The Seed Team

Nancy Moses Greenblatt Editor-in-Chief Deborah Petro Julie Super Production Co-Editors Katie Mcle Senior Editor Editor Ask amp Answer Michele Fain Photo Editor Lauren Rubenstein Editor Continuing Education Classes Diyan Rahaman Editor STUMPED Tech Support Betty Cochran Copy Editor Darlene Nicholson Photographer

Anne Abend Faye Miner Rachel Shaw

Contributors

Montgomery County Master Gardeners

18410 Muncaster Road Derwood MD 20855

301-590-2836

Email mgmontumdedu

Website

A Tribute to Greg Gregoire

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

The Presidentrsquos Column

To gardeners of Irish heritage March with its two lsquogreenrsquo events is a spe-cial month While we wait to welcome spring at the vernal equinox therersquos St Patrickrsquos Day to celebrate

Ireland seems to call to me and last summer some of my family and I en-joyed another trip over On one of our most memorable days we went to see the Torc Waterfall in Killarney National Park Although not on a grand scale Torc was impressive that day after several weeks of heavy rain As we ap-proached the top of the falls we met a young Irishman who encouraged us to take the route the locals favored and continue on up the mountain He assured us we were on a ring path So up we went into a marvelous oak and hemlock forest filled with mosses lichen and filmy ferns many growing as epiphytes attached to the trunks and branches of the oaks Looking through the eerily veiled landscape we could see the Lakes of Killarney sparkling in the distance As he stood in this forest that is as green as only Ireland can be our 13 year old grandson looked around with a smile and said ldquoThis place is enchanting ndash no wonder the Irish believe in fairies and leprechaunsrdquo

With that thought in mind I raise a toast to all of you using the Irish Slẚinte ndash cheers Herersquos wishing you a wonderful spring and the pleasure of finding enchanting places

March 17mdashSt Patrickrsquos Day March 20mdashVernal Equinox

Julia

by Julia Horman

We lost a very special Master Gardener when Greg Gregoire passed away in January Greg joined Master Gardeners in 1998 and was imme-diately drawn to working with special needs children and adolescents He had a unique talent for reaching these children from county pro-grams where he volunteered Mark Twain Middle and High School Til-den Middle School Rock Terrace Special Education School and the Al-fred D Noyes Detention Center He also worked for more than 10 years with children with autism in our Demonstration Garden at Derwood

What was special about Greg was his devotion infinite patience and acceptance of each child as they were In recent years Greg suffered from chronic back pain and alt-hough barely able to stand he still came to Derwood to work with the children Part of the ldquotherapyrdquo for the children was in the relationship they had with Greg We ourselves are part of the therapeutic pro-cess and Greg knew just how to relate to them and draw the best from them This was his unique con-tribution to the Therapeutic Horticulture Program

Greg was a modest and self-effacing individual who never put himself forward or sought recognition which is why many Master Gardeners never knew of him One of his last requests was that our work with children with autism continues We will do our best to see that it does Greg

-Submitted by JoAnn Mueller Chair Therapeutic Horticulture Committee

Finding your enchanted garden this spring

P A G E 3 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

A Shrub for Winter Interest Seeing Green By Cynthia Walczak

With scarce snow evergreen perennials can brighten the brown winterscape adding cheer and the promise of spring Listed below are perennials Irsquove enjoyed and for me the deer donrsquot like them However your deerrsquos taste buds may differ More details about these can be found on page 3 of the Takoma Hor-ticultural Clubrsquos February newsletter I hope you are inspired to explore evergreen perennials for your gar-den

Arum italicum Italian arum

Asarum canadense Wild ginger

Asarum europaeum European ginger

Liriope muscari Big blue liriope

Epimedium Bishoprsquos hat

Rohdea japonica Sacred lily

Sarcococca hookerana var humilis Sweetbox

Helleborus foetidus Stinking hellebore

Opuntia humifusa (native) Prickly pear cactus

Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas fern

Packera aurea (native) Golden groundsel

Veronica umbrosa Creeping veronica

Lamiastrum galeobdolon Variegatum Yellow Archangel

Euphorbia eg Robrsquos spurge

Rosemary lsquoArprsquo or lsquoHills Hardyrsquo

By Michele Fain

One balmy February morning while wandering through The Woodland Garden at Historic London Town in Edgewater MD I happened upon a shrub that stopped me dead in my tracks

The shrub had bisque colored bells hanging from its branches as if it were decorated for the holidays Looking more closely I saw that these bells were actu-ally flower buds each finely grooved like finely cast porcelain It also had prominent lenticels and leaf at-tachment scars on its twigs and branches

London Townrsquos director of horticulture told me that the shrub was Edgeworth-ia chrysantha common name Chinese paper bush a relative to the Daphne family of plants

I had to have onehellipto view from my kitchen window through the otherwise vacant winter months I soon purchased one at the His-toric London Town Spring Plant sale but it is also available online at waysidegardenscom

Now firmly established in my garden (zone 7) and affectionately called Mr Ed my shrub posts its flower buds in December slowly enlarging its buds through the winter then bursting into bloom in late Marchearly April The blooms are reminiscent of Winter Jasmine with flowers

of both white and yellow coloration

An additional bonus is that it is also an elegant shrub during the summer months with leaves similar to those of Rhododendrons but with a more graceful overall form

Winter buds of Edgeworthia chrysatha

Blooms of Edgeworthia chrysantha

Summer form of Edgeworthia chrysathana

Ask amp Answer

P A G E 4 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Photo of the Month

Q I have had absolutely no luck in getting my orchids to bloom again after the initial blooms drop off What am I doing wrong

A This question is mine MG Katie McIe My husband and I love orchids but none that we bought would rebloom (and were subsequently tossed) I got the answer to my problem at a plant clinic where I was working We were visited by someone who mentioned his expertise was orchid growing I told him my tale of woe His advice was ldquoRepot themrdquo

I followed his advice I used bark as the potting medium and orchid pots which have holes on the sides to provide more air to the roots After all orchids should have exposed roots at the top of the pot since they are epiphytes (they grow in the air) Within weeks the plants were in bloom Hooray for plant clinics where we all get to share information

Here are regrowing tips that I also have followed to ensure success

Purchase the easiest orchids to grow and rebloom Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) Paphiopedilum (Ladyslipper) the Cattleya hybrids and Dendrobium

Orchids will grow in low light but will not bloom Provide enough light

When grown in a sunny window water thoroughly once per week until the water flows out the bot-tom Do not water again until the potting medium is dry In winter reduce watering frequency

Use a fertilizer that is formulated for orchids infrequently

Drop the evening temperature by at least 10 degrees for several weeks particularly in the fall to stim-ulate rebloom

Grow plants on a tray of pebbles that are kept wet However do not allow the pot to sit in water

Monitor orchids for pests such as mealy bug and whitefly and use insecticidal soap to remove them

Source White Judy Bloom Again Orchids Timber Press Inc 2009

Signed Distressed in Damascus

New blooms on the authorrsquos own Phalaenopsis

Photo by D Nicholson Nostalgic for snow

P A G E 5 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

The Seedrsquos

New Format

More Features

Scroll Down to Read Us and Print Out

Our switch to Publisher enables you to print out indi-vidual pages or the whole newsletter to read at your leisure While most articles will be shorter they will be finished without clicking for continuations

Other features

Click on a Table of Contents listing to go directly to that page

Click on the bottom orange bar of each page and back you go to the Table of Con-tents

Click on Quick Links in side columns or within articles to visit websites for more in-formation

Here are some home-gardener questions that came to the MG Extension office plant clinics and to HGIC recently There will be those questions we could answer and those that had us -- STUMPED

Winter Weeds in the Way Homeowners sent in samples of winter weeds for identification and eradication advice Weed con-

trol can be by hand pulling before they go to seed Other control measures have been recommended by IPMnet (ipmnetumdedu) of the University of Maryland Extension

Common Chickweed Common Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a winter

annual that grows in a dense prostrate fashion in both turf and ornamental beds Common chickweed can pro-duce more than 2000 seeds per plant under ideal grow-ing conditions with a germination rate above 90 and viability of more than 30 months Several important nematode species can infest common chickweed so control is beneficial Leaves are opposite egg shaped and pointed at the apex The root system is fibrous and shallow and easily detaches when the foliage is pulled

Hand pulling can control Chickweed In extensively affected areas chemical controls are recom-mended To prevent Chickweed germination use benefin under trade name Balaned in the late sum-mer Chickweed in ornamental beds can be controlled with an early spring application of ldquoSnapshotrdquo which is a mixture of isoxaben and trifluralin but requires one half inch of rainfall or irrigation within three days to properly activate Post emergent Chickweed in turf can be controlled by many of the broadleaf herbicides Post emergent Chickweed control in beds can be achieved through the use of a glyphosate product

Hairy Bittercress Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsute) is a weed found throughout the northeast

This plant has a taproot and branches that are erect and reach 12 inches in height Hairy bittercress will have alternately arranged leaflets occurring in two to four pairs The leaflets are rounded and emerge from a petiole that is hairy Leaf size decreases as they emerge higher on the stem The flower of

this weed is in clusters at the end of flowering stems Flowers are two to three millimeters in diameter and have four petals The fruit of this weed is a silique that releases thousands of seeds in an explosive manner up to eight feet from the plant

Hand pull or in extensively affected areas use pre-emergent products that include oxadiazon (Ronstar) flumioxazin (Broadstar) or isoxaben (Gallery)

Stumped

Photo by Diyan Rahaman

P A G E 6 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Announcements

Black Hill Butterfly Habitat

Needs Volunteers

What This up-county field needs Master Gardener volunteers to make its annual metamorphosis into a well-maintained butterfly habitat We will remove inva-sives weed and plant

When On the six Wednesdays before May 1 March 21 and 28 April 4 11 18 and 25

Work hours are 9 am to noon

Where Monarch Way Station on the edge of Black Hill Regional Park on Route 121 (Clarksburg Road) across from 20612 Clarksburg Road

Be Prepared Bring your favorite tools for weeding and planting Muddy working conditions

All are welcome from old hands to 2012 Interns

Alternatives Interested but not available Wednes-days Contact Marsha at 301-349-2956 or email her at vondurckheimmdhotmailcom

MG Seed Swap at March Meeting What March Seed Swap

When March 1 2012 after general membership meeting

Where Fairgrounds

Below are a few guidelines on packaging your own seeds for the Seed Swap Of course you can also bring purchased commercial seeds If you bring your own saved seeds please follow these guidelines

Seed Packet Please put at least 20 seeds in each resealable plastic baggie

Seed Category Label each baggie as Annual Perennial Edible Herb Native Exotic and Woody (Tree or Shrub)

Labeling Packet Use a white label for the information or white paper taped to the baggie Please include as a minimum the following plant CATEGORY plant name (common and Latin if known) date for planting (if from a seed packet use the date on the packet if you saved seeds last year then use 2012) growing conditions and where you collected the seeds or purchased them

Questions Contact Janet Young by email at janetgoldraycom or by phone at 301-854-0388

General Membership Meeting County Fairgrounds

Thursday March 1 2012

930 am mingle 10 am meeting

Speaker Anne Brooks Gardener lecturer 30 years in the nursery and floral design business

Topic Volunteers of the Garden (Volunteers as in plants not peo-ple) These are plants that reseed and put on their own floral shows and that are welcome gifts for the busy gardener Learn which ones offer the best rewards to brighten your landscape taking on the charms of the English cottage garden Click for Directions

Therapeutic Horticulture Seeks Volunteers

Come to our Planning Workshop Monday March 26 930am-1pm in Der-wood in the multi-purpose room See our project ideas for 2012 TH veterans and new members are welcome Contact JoAnn Mueller 301-421-9657

Last Chance to Save 2011 Newsletters May-November

In 2011 our May-November newsletters were produced and mailed through Constant Contact Since we have returned to mailing it ourselves we are ending that subscription Technically we can-not store these past issues directly on our own website If you wish to save an article from them now is the time through mid-April to do so through a link from our website

MG BENEFIT

MG BENEFIT

Volunteer

Opps

Volunteer

Opps

P A G E 5 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

The Seedrsquos

New Format

More Features

Scroll Down to Read Us and Print Out

Our switch to Publisher enables you to print out indi-vidual pages or the whole newsletter to read at your leisure While most articles will be shorter they will be finished without clicking for continuations

Other features

Click on a Table of Contents listing to go directly to that page

Click on the bottom orange bar of each page and back you go to the Table of Con-tents

Click on Quick Links in side columns or within articles to visit websites for more in-formation

Here are some home-gardener questions that came to the MG Extension office plant clinics and to HGIC recently There will be those questions we could answer and those that had us -- STUMPED

Winter Weeds in the Way Homeowners sent in samples of winter weeds for identification and eradication advice Weed con-

trol can be by hand pulling before they go to seed Other control measures have been recommended by IPMnet (ipmnetumdedu) of the University of Maryland Extension

Common Chickweed Common Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a winter

annual that grows in a dense prostrate fashion in both turf and ornamental beds Common chickweed can pro-duce more than 2000 seeds per plant under ideal grow-ing conditions with a germination rate above 90 and viability of more than 30 months Several important nematode species can infest common chickweed so control is beneficial Leaves are opposite egg shaped and pointed at the apex The root system is fibrous and shallow and easily detaches when the foliage is pulled

Hand pulling can control Chickweed In extensively affected areas chemical controls are recom-mended To prevent Chickweed germination use benefin under trade name Balaned in the late sum-mer Chickweed in ornamental beds can be controlled with an early spring application of ldquoSnapshotrdquo which is a mixture of isoxaben and trifluralin but requires one half inch of rainfall or irrigation within three days to properly activate Post emergent Chickweed in turf can be controlled by many of the broadleaf herbicides Post emergent Chickweed control in beds can be achieved through the use of a glyphosate product

Hairy Bittercress Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsute) is a weed found throughout the northeast

This plant has a taproot and branches that are erect and reach 12 inches in height Hairy bittercress will have alternately arranged leaflets occurring in two to four pairs The leaflets are rounded and emerge from a petiole that is hairy Leaf size decreases as they emerge higher on the stem The flower of

this weed is in clusters at the end of flowering stems Flowers are two to three millimeters in diameter and have four petals The fruit of this weed is a silique that releases thousands of seeds in an explosive manner up to eight feet from the plant

Hand pull or in extensively affected areas use pre-emergent products that include oxadiazon (Ronstar) flumioxazin (Broadstar) or isoxaben (Gallery)

Stumped

Photo by Diyan Rahaman

P A G E 6 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Announcements

Black Hill Butterfly Habitat

Needs Volunteers

What This up-county field needs Master Gardener volunteers to make its annual metamorphosis into a well-maintained butterfly habitat We will remove inva-sives weed and plant

When On the six Wednesdays before May 1 March 21 and 28 April 4 11 18 and 25

Work hours are 9 am to noon

Where Monarch Way Station on the edge of Black Hill Regional Park on Route 121 (Clarksburg Road) across from 20612 Clarksburg Road

Be Prepared Bring your favorite tools for weeding and planting Muddy working conditions

All are welcome from old hands to 2012 Interns

Alternatives Interested but not available Wednes-days Contact Marsha at 301-349-2956 or email her at vondurckheimmdhotmailcom

MG Seed Swap at March Meeting What March Seed Swap

When March 1 2012 after general membership meeting

Where Fairgrounds

Below are a few guidelines on packaging your own seeds for the Seed Swap Of course you can also bring purchased commercial seeds If you bring your own saved seeds please follow these guidelines

Seed Packet Please put at least 20 seeds in each resealable plastic baggie

Seed Category Label each baggie as Annual Perennial Edible Herb Native Exotic and Woody (Tree or Shrub)

Labeling Packet Use a white label for the information or white paper taped to the baggie Please include as a minimum the following plant CATEGORY plant name (common and Latin if known) date for planting (if from a seed packet use the date on the packet if you saved seeds last year then use 2012) growing conditions and where you collected the seeds or purchased them

Questions Contact Janet Young by email at janetgoldraycom or by phone at 301-854-0388

General Membership Meeting County Fairgrounds

Thursday March 1 2012

930 am mingle 10 am meeting

Speaker Anne Brooks Gardener lecturer 30 years in the nursery and floral design business

Topic Volunteers of the Garden (Volunteers as in plants not peo-ple) These are plants that reseed and put on their own floral shows and that are welcome gifts for the busy gardener Learn which ones offer the best rewards to brighten your landscape taking on the charms of the English cottage garden Click for Directions

Therapeutic Horticulture Seeks Volunteers

Come to our Planning Workshop Monday March 26 930am-1pm in Der-wood in the multi-purpose room See our project ideas for 2012 TH veterans and new members are welcome Contact JoAnn Mueller 301-421-9657

Last Chance to Save 2011 Newsletters May-November

In 2011 our May-November newsletters were produced and mailed through Constant Contact Since we have returned to mailing it ourselves we are ending that subscription Technically we can-not store these past issues directly on our own website If you wish to save an article from them now is the time through mid-April to do so through a link from our website

MG BENEFIT

MG BENEFIT

Volunteer

Opps

Volunteer

Opps

P A G E 6 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Announcements

Black Hill Butterfly Habitat

Needs Volunteers

What This up-county field needs Master Gardener volunteers to make its annual metamorphosis into a well-maintained butterfly habitat We will remove inva-sives weed and plant

When On the six Wednesdays before May 1 March 21 and 28 April 4 11 18 and 25

Work hours are 9 am to noon

Where Monarch Way Station on the edge of Black Hill Regional Park on Route 121 (Clarksburg Road) across from 20612 Clarksburg Road

Be Prepared Bring your favorite tools for weeding and planting Muddy working conditions

All are welcome from old hands to 2012 Interns

Alternatives Interested but not available Wednes-days Contact Marsha at 301-349-2956 or email her at vondurckheimmdhotmailcom

MG Seed Swap at March Meeting What March Seed Swap

When March 1 2012 after general membership meeting

Where Fairgrounds

Below are a few guidelines on packaging your own seeds for the Seed Swap Of course you can also bring purchased commercial seeds If you bring your own saved seeds please follow these guidelines

Seed Packet Please put at least 20 seeds in each resealable plastic baggie

Seed Category Label each baggie as Annual Perennial Edible Herb Native Exotic and Woody (Tree or Shrub)

Labeling Packet Use a white label for the information or white paper taped to the baggie Please include as a minimum the following plant CATEGORY plant name (common and Latin if known) date for planting (if from a seed packet use the date on the packet if you saved seeds last year then use 2012) growing conditions and where you collected the seeds or purchased them

Questions Contact Janet Young by email at janetgoldraycom or by phone at 301-854-0388

General Membership Meeting County Fairgrounds

Thursday March 1 2012

930 am mingle 10 am meeting

Speaker Anne Brooks Gardener lecturer 30 years in the nursery and floral design business

Topic Volunteers of the Garden (Volunteers as in plants not peo-ple) These are plants that reseed and put on their own floral shows and that are welcome gifts for the busy gardener Learn which ones offer the best rewards to brighten your landscape taking on the charms of the English cottage garden Click for Directions

Therapeutic Horticulture Seeks Volunteers

Come to our Planning Workshop Monday March 26 930am-1pm in Der-wood in the multi-purpose room See our project ideas for 2012 TH veterans and new members are welcome Contact JoAnn Mueller 301-421-9657

Last Chance to Save 2011 Newsletters May-November

In 2011 our May-November newsletters were produced and mailed through Constant Contact Since we have returned to mailing it ourselves we are ending that subscription Technically we can-not store these past issues directly on our own website If you wish to save an article from them now is the time through mid-April to do so through a link from our website

MG BENEFIT

MG BENEFIT

Volunteer

Opps

Volunteer

Opps

Announcements

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

P A G E 7 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Volunteers Needed for Derwood Demo Garden By Coordinators Maria Wortman ndash mariabkwverizonnet and Darlene Nicholson ndash kdnickcomcastnet

Starting Tuesday April 3 800 am to 1200 pm and continuing on Tuesdays through November

We look forward to meeting our new interns and working with our many faithful veteran volunteers You are also welcome to show up whenever you can make it Contact one of the lead gardeners below to make volunteer arrangements Work activities include weeding mulching pruning plant ID installing new plants writing brochures making renovations and structural improvements general maintenance and watering

Many thanks to our team of Lead Gardeners

Plant Label Making John Gelb johngelbgmailcom

Fence Tom Maxwell thomasmaxwellcomcastnet

Equipment Tools Joe Ginther josephgintherhotmailcom

Compost Gary Cahn garycahnverizonnet

Butterfly Garden Bobbie Maxwell bmaxwell72comcastnet

Therapeutic Horticulture JoAnn Mueller JoAnnMuellerverizonnet

Autistic Child Garden Ellen Meyerson clayladypostharvardedu

HerbFragrance Garden Marty Isaacson brooklynstarpowernet

Maria Lyons mariaclyonsyahoocom

Vegetable Garden Erica Smith hedda62gmailcom

Potatoes Barbara Knapp bbk49verizonnet

Wildlife Garden Mary Johnson lesterjohnson7903comcastnet

Ponds Emilye Hill EmilyeHill2comcastnet

Shade Garden Carol Martin Carolleomartinaolcom

Special Watering Joe Ginther josephgintherhotmailcom

Kitchen Garden Ida Wallenmeyer 301-762-4087

Tomatoes David Studley studleymindspringcom

Turf Plots Joe Ginther josephgintherhotmailcom

Bulletin Board OPEN

Childrenrsquos Garden OPEN

Our primary goal is to educate the public through the following ways

demonstrate plants that grow in our soil and climate

demonstrate Integrated Pest Management practices

provide signs and brochures on our plants and practices

provide plant materials for the Therapeutic Horticulture program

provide summer therapeutic horticulture activities for autistic children

participate in the public events that are planned by the Park Service and

provide site visits and tours for county organizations

The Well-Grounded Plant Clinic Worker

Who MG Lisa Diamond 2010

Why she enjoys working at plant clinics Loves solving problems and investigating challenging prob-lems and questions Finds plant clinics a rich learning environment where she learns both from other MGs and from the plant clinic customers

Specific areas of interest Flower gardening in containers and in beds Herb gardens and gardening with vegetables Using her back-ground in art and design to play with color harmonies textures and rhythms Encouraging the use of plants with multi-seasonal color

Who is the typical plant clinic customer Novice gardeners retirees customers with a garden mystery to solve Some know more than the MGs thus generat-ing a great learning experience

Kinds of questions she gets ldquoWhat kind of weed is thisrdquo to ldquoWhy arenrsquot my roses blooming this yearrdquo Plant identification questions are often the most chal-lenging The strangest question ever ldquoCan I eat all of the weeds in my yard like they do in Chinardquo

Favorite plant Most recent fa-vorites ladyrsquos mantle (Alchemilla) and for its beautiful hot-pink flow-ers the lsquoWild Thingrsquo cultivar of Texas sage (Salvia greggii)

Volunteer

Opps

Continued on page 8

P A G E 8 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

The Well-Grounded Plant Clinic Worker Continued from page 7

Who MG Lynn Furrow 2006

Why she enjoys working at plant clinics The challenge of solving problems and seeing satisfied cus-tomers

Specific areas of interest Plant identification and plant pathology Rock gardening and gardening in woodland and meadow settings Container gardening for vegetables as much of her yard is shady and containers can be moved into the sun

Who is the typical plant clinic cus-tomer Someone who is eager for help and appreciates the help given

Kinds of questions she gets By far the most common are ldquoWhat is this plantrdquo and ldquoHow do I grow itrdquo They also are her favorite questions as they allow her to put her plant identification skills to work

Favorite plant Louisiana iris (Iris brevicaulis Iris fulva Iris hexagona) and the Japanese iris (Iris ensata) because they are elegant easy to grow wonderful for flower arrang-ing and deer resistant

Since 2006 there has been more than a 20 percent increase in the number of Master Gardeners

in Montgomery County and about a 50 increase in MGrsquos total volunteer hours Over these 5 years the percent time spent in Speakers and at Special Events activities showed an increase while the Brookside Gardens ldquoWings of Fancyrdquo and the Ballard Room (Hotline) activities showed a decrease A major contributor to increased hours has been the addition of the Special Work Action Teams (SWAT) that the Board approved about four years ago The reduction in Hotline calls is a trend seen in MG groups throughout Maryland

YEAR 2011 2006

ACTIVITY (category)

Plant clinics (2) 16 18

Speakers (4) (15) 12 6

Comm Garden (7) 7 2

Therap Hort (8) 9 12

Demo Gardens (9) 16 16

Special Events (10) 17 9

Internal Admin (11) 13 14

Brookside (12) 6 11

Ballard Room (14) 6 11

Total Volunteer Hours 20002 13214

Of note on the chart is that categories 7 and 12 were changed a few years ago so a direct com-parison between years is more difficult

MASTER GARDENER SPEAKERS 2012

MONTH SPEAKER TOPIC LOCATION

5-Jan Catherine Zimmerman Meadow Gardening Fairgrounds - Heritage

2-Feb Susan Reimer Gardening on the Web Fairgrounds - Heritage

1-Mar Anne Brooks Volunteers of the Garden Fairgrounds - Heritage

5-Apr Dr Matt Taylor Cold Hardy Camellias Longwood Gardens Fairgrounds - Heritage

3-May Chris McComas Getting to Know UMEs Home amp Garden Info Center Fairgrounds - Heritage

7-Jun Gary Carver American Chestnut Tree (PICNIC) Derwood

5-Jul Michael Szesze Carnivorous Plants Derwood

2-Aug Melanie Chookas-Bradley City of Trees Derwood

6-Sep Maxine Levin Soil Science Derwood

4-Oct Adrian Higgins Chanticleer - a Pleasure Garden Derwood

1-Nov Mini-conference Derwood

6-Dec Holiday Party Fairgrounds ndashHeritage

Where have all our hours gone By Len Friedman

P A G E 9 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Deer Tales

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Several Master Gardeners wrote Frank Lostumbo following his article in the February SEED request-ing letters telling about unfortunate contact with deer Here are excerpts of a few of the letters that tell how the overpopulation of deer has hurt county residents

1 To Governor OrsquoMalley from the Maryland Native Plant Society Kirsten Johnson President Despite the destruction that white-tailed deer are causing they are still protected by a regulatory system established decades ago when the deer population was sparse State law and policy should now be updated Park managers should be permitted to control deer populations through managed hunting In addition white-tailed deer could like the fish and crustaceans of the Chesapeake Bay be managed as an economic resource To this end we propose that the commercial sale of wild-hunted venison be permitted under an appropriate regulatory system that addresses public safety and balanc-es the interests of recreational and commercial hunters We believe this would be a practical way to reduce the deer population to a healthy level while at the same time providing revenue for our li-censed hunters and healthy high-protein low-fat food for the people of Maryland

2 From Merikay Smith I had advanced lyme disease helliprequiring IV antibiotics followed by several years of continued medical treatment for complete left-side facial paralysis problems with my nervous system difficulty with memory and thought (mistaking a hair dryer for a telephone for example) hellip Even after ten years I still suffer from problems related to Lyme disease

3 From Kate Kern I could cage my one acre yard with a 6 foot fence to the tune of thousands of dollars but isnt that just pushing the animals into my neighborsrsquo yards who have no fences I feel convinced that if county officials contracted this horrific disease they would be acting on culling the herds even more aggressively

4 From Cindy Walczak I had a collision with a deer in 2010 The deer shattered the windshield of my car and dented the roof and hood but I was unhurt Unless my insurance company or the auto shop reported it the county would never have heard about it Of course there was a lengthy repair at significant cost

MG Frank Lostumbo sent to the Gazette Newspaper the following ldquoLetter to the Editorrdquo Dear Editor

I recently read in the February 1 2012 Gazette four Letters to the Editor titled ldquoDeer are just trying to surviverdquo

Is saving deer the most im-portant priority for people in the county I hardly think so It is how deer are disrupting the environmen-tal balance necessary for us humans There are many sad stories told by county residents about injurious encounters between deer and hu-mans Proper deer management must be implemented now and can no longer be delayed and debated

There are many examples of our environment devastated by large numbers of deer Look at those con-sequences the important regenera-tion of trees and native flora is being methodically thwarted the number of songbirds is systematically being reduced while auto accidents caused by deer have increased with fatal and expensive consequences and the spread of Lyme disease continues from carrier deer

These are the dramatic impacts of our continued failure to signifi-cantly manage deer populations and provide a better environment for future generations

Frank Lostumbo Master Gardener University of

Maryland Extension

Frustrating Experiences with Deer

Photo by M Smith Merikay Smithrsquos backyard herd

P A G E 1 0 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Continuing Education

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Webinars Accepted for Hours Master Gardeners can participate in Webinars (live on-line courses) and get acceptable CE hours More and more conservation gardening and horticultural organizations are offering them--even free ones These types of classes have been denied previously to fulfill the 10-hour CE requirements However as Steve Dubik said The technology of the times has overridden previous decisions

Mar 3 10 24 31 130-330 pm Workshop Bon-sai 101 Behnkes Beltsville $120 Plus materials Bonsai Master Ducky Hong guides you step by step through this centuries-old process Find out more about this Workshop Here or Signup Here

Mar 3 9 am ndash 4 pm Tree Planting Workshop National Zoo Citizen Forester-qualifying course Citizen Foresters serve as volunteer tree ambassa-dors to the community on behalf of Casey Trees and teach new volunteers how to properly plant and care for trees

Mar 3 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup 11 am Starting Seeds Indoors What Works Best Noon Starting Seeds Outdoors Grow Forth and Multiply 1 pm Pruning Demonstration Spring Maintenance Learn proper pruning techniques

Mar 4 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup 1 pm Pruning Demonstration Spring Maintenance Pruning techniques 2 pm Growing an Old Fashioned Flower Garden from Seed

Mar 10 9 am ndash noon Tree Tour mdash Winter ID Trees in Transition Rock Creek Trail at Beach Drive Lead by Melanie Choukas-Bradley author of City of Trees Take a late winter hike in the Boundary Bridge area of Rock Creek Park on the MDDC line Visit the many native trees that are identifiable in winter ndash eg sycamores river birches tulip-trees

and box-elders ndash plus others Notes No formal restroom facilities available Barring severe weath-er the walk takes place rain or shine covering a moderate distance over uneven terrain Dress warmly bring snacks and water RSVP (required) online httpctconvionetcalendar

Mar 10 11am Growing Onions Garlic Shallots Potatoes and Other Root Vegetables Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup

Mar 10 noon Growing Asparagus Rhubarb Okra and Horseradish Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to sig-nup

Mar 10 9 am ndash 430 pm Orchid Diagnostic and Repotting Clinic with Carol Allen Behnkes Poto-mac wwwbehnkescom

Mar 14 amp Apr 4 930 am-3pm (includes field trip) Master Composter U MD Extension-Derwood Registration Fee $45 (plus texts) Registration Dead-line Mar 7 Advanced course for experts and nov-ices Also Vermicomposting demo and hands-on exercise field trip to a MD Environment Services facility httpmastergardenerumdeduAdvancedTrainingMasterComposter2012cfm

Mar 14 630-830pm A Stinker at the Window The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Learn the history of BMSB in North America its biology and ecology and what you can do to manage this exotic invader SPEAKER University of MD entomology professor Dr Mike Raupp also known as The Bug Guy as our speaker this month Check-in and refreshments at 630 pm one-hour lecture begins at 7 pm followed by Q amp A FREE Register at ParkPASSorg

Meadowside Nature Center

5100 Meadowside Lane Rockville MD 20855

wwwMeadowsideNatureorg

MG BENEFIT

Continued on page 11

Find More Classes Here

The Accokeek Foundation

Brookside Gardens

City Blossoms

Green Spring Gardens

Horticultural Society of Maryland

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Montgomery College

Neighborhood Farm Initiative

Prince William Cooperative Extension

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory

US National Arboretum

P A G E 8 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

The Well-Grounded Plant Clinic Worker Continued from page 7

Who MG Lynn Furrow 2006

Why she enjoys working at plant clinics The challenge of solving problems and seeing satisfied cus-tomers

Specific areas of interest Plant identification and plant pathology Rock gardening and gardening in woodland and meadow settings Container gardening for vegetables as much of her yard is shady and containers can be moved into the sun

Who is the typical plant clinic cus-tomer Someone who is eager for help and appreciates the help given

Kinds of questions she gets By far the most common are ldquoWhat is this plantrdquo and ldquoHow do I grow itrdquo They also are her favorite questions as they allow her to put her plant identification skills to work

Favorite plant Louisiana iris (Iris brevicaulis Iris fulva Iris hexagona) and the Japanese iris (Iris ensata) because they are elegant easy to grow wonderful for flower arrang-ing and deer resistant

Since 2006 there has been more than a 20 percent increase in the number of Master Gardeners

in Montgomery County and about a 50 increase in MGrsquos total volunteer hours Over these 5 years the percent time spent in Speakers and at Special Events activities showed an increase while the Brookside Gardens ldquoWings of Fancyrdquo and the Ballard Room (Hotline) activities showed a decrease A major contributor to increased hours has been the addition of the Special Work Action Teams (SWAT) that the Board approved about four years ago The reduction in Hotline calls is a trend seen in MG groups throughout Maryland

YEAR 2011 2006

ACTIVITY (category)

Plant clinics (2) 16 18

Speakers (4) (15) 12 6

Comm Garden (7) 7 2

Therap Hort (8) 9 12

Demo Gardens (9) 16 16

Special Events (10) 17 9

Internal Admin (11) 13 14

Brookside (12) 6 11

Ballard Room (14) 6 11

Total Volunteer Hours 20002 13214

Of note on the chart is that categories 7 and 12 were changed a few years ago so a direct com-parison between years is more difficult

MASTER GARDENER SPEAKERS 2012

MONTH SPEAKER TOPIC LOCATION

5-Jan Catherine Zimmerman Meadow Gardening Fairgrounds - Heritage

2-Feb Susan Reimer Gardening on the Web Fairgrounds - Heritage

1-Mar Anne Brooks Volunteers of the Garden Fairgrounds - Heritage

5-Apr Dr Matt Taylor Cold Hardy Camellias Longwood Gardens Fairgrounds - Heritage

3-May Chris McComas Getting to Know UMEs Home amp Garden Info Center Fairgrounds - Heritage

7-Jun Gary Carver American Chestnut Tree (PICNIC) Derwood

5-Jul Michael Szesze Carnivorous Plants Derwood

2-Aug Melanie Chookas-Bradley City of Trees Derwood

6-Sep Maxine Levin Soil Science Derwood

4-Oct Adrian Higgins Chanticleer - a Pleasure Garden Derwood

1-Nov Mini-conference Derwood

6-Dec Holiday Party Fairgrounds ndashHeritage

Where have all our hours gone By Len Friedman

P A G E 9 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Deer Tales

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Several Master Gardeners wrote Frank Lostumbo following his article in the February SEED request-ing letters telling about unfortunate contact with deer Here are excerpts of a few of the letters that tell how the overpopulation of deer has hurt county residents

1 To Governor OrsquoMalley from the Maryland Native Plant Society Kirsten Johnson President Despite the destruction that white-tailed deer are causing they are still protected by a regulatory system established decades ago when the deer population was sparse State law and policy should now be updated Park managers should be permitted to control deer populations through managed hunting In addition white-tailed deer could like the fish and crustaceans of the Chesapeake Bay be managed as an economic resource To this end we propose that the commercial sale of wild-hunted venison be permitted under an appropriate regulatory system that addresses public safety and balanc-es the interests of recreational and commercial hunters We believe this would be a practical way to reduce the deer population to a healthy level while at the same time providing revenue for our li-censed hunters and healthy high-protein low-fat food for the people of Maryland

2 From Merikay Smith I had advanced lyme disease helliprequiring IV antibiotics followed by several years of continued medical treatment for complete left-side facial paralysis problems with my nervous system difficulty with memory and thought (mistaking a hair dryer for a telephone for example) hellip Even after ten years I still suffer from problems related to Lyme disease

3 From Kate Kern I could cage my one acre yard with a 6 foot fence to the tune of thousands of dollars but isnt that just pushing the animals into my neighborsrsquo yards who have no fences I feel convinced that if county officials contracted this horrific disease they would be acting on culling the herds even more aggressively

4 From Cindy Walczak I had a collision with a deer in 2010 The deer shattered the windshield of my car and dented the roof and hood but I was unhurt Unless my insurance company or the auto shop reported it the county would never have heard about it Of course there was a lengthy repair at significant cost

MG Frank Lostumbo sent to the Gazette Newspaper the following ldquoLetter to the Editorrdquo Dear Editor

I recently read in the February 1 2012 Gazette four Letters to the Editor titled ldquoDeer are just trying to surviverdquo

Is saving deer the most im-portant priority for people in the county I hardly think so It is how deer are disrupting the environmen-tal balance necessary for us humans There are many sad stories told by county residents about injurious encounters between deer and hu-mans Proper deer management must be implemented now and can no longer be delayed and debated

There are many examples of our environment devastated by large numbers of deer Look at those con-sequences the important regenera-tion of trees and native flora is being methodically thwarted the number of songbirds is systematically being reduced while auto accidents caused by deer have increased with fatal and expensive consequences and the spread of Lyme disease continues from carrier deer

These are the dramatic impacts of our continued failure to signifi-cantly manage deer populations and provide a better environment for future generations

Frank Lostumbo Master Gardener University of

Maryland Extension

Frustrating Experiences with Deer

Photo by M Smith Merikay Smithrsquos backyard herd

P A G E 1 0 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Continuing Education

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Webinars Accepted for Hours Master Gardeners can participate in Webinars (live on-line courses) and get acceptable CE hours More and more conservation gardening and horticultural organizations are offering them--even free ones These types of classes have been denied previously to fulfill the 10-hour CE requirements However as Steve Dubik said The technology of the times has overridden previous decisions

Mar 3 10 24 31 130-330 pm Workshop Bon-sai 101 Behnkes Beltsville $120 Plus materials Bonsai Master Ducky Hong guides you step by step through this centuries-old process Find out more about this Workshop Here or Signup Here

Mar 3 9 am ndash 4 pm Tree Planting Workshop National Zoo Citizen Forester-qualifying course Citizen Foresters serve as volunteer tree ambassa-dors to the community on behalf of Casey Trees and teach new volunteers how to properly plant and care for trees

Mar 3 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup 11 am Starting Seeds Indoors What Works Best Noon Starting Seeds Outdoors Grow Forth and Multiply 1 pm Pruning Demonstration Spring Maintenance Learn proper pruning techniques

Mar 4 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup 1 pm Pruning Demonstration Spring Maintenance Pruning techniques 2 pm Growing an Old Fashioned Flower Garden from Seed

Mar 10 9 am ndash noon Tree Tour mdash Winter ID Trees in Transition Rock Creek Trail at Beach Drive Lead by Melanie Choukas-Bradley author of City of Trees Take a late winter hike in the Boundary Bridge area of Rock Creek Park on the MDDC line Visit the many native trees that are identifiable in winter ndash eg sycamores river birches tulip-trees

and box-elders ndash plus others Notes No formal restroom facilities available Barring severe weath-er the walk takes place rain or shine covering a moderate distance over uneven terrain Dress warmly bring snacks and water RSVP (required) online httpctconvionetcalendar

Mar 10 11am Growing Onions Garlic Shallots Potatoes and Other Root Vegetables Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup

Mar 10 noon Growing Asparagus Rhubarb Okra and Horseradish Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to sig-nup

Mar 10 9 am ndash 430 pm Orchid Diagnostic and Repotting Clinic with Carol Allen Behnkes Poto-mac wwwbehnkescom

Mar 14 amp Apr 4 930 am-3pm (includes field trip) Master Composter U MD Extension-Derwood Registration Fee $45 (plus texts) Registration Dead-line Mar 7 Advanced course for experts and nov-ices Also Vermicomposting demo and hands-on exercise field trip to a MD Environment Services facility httpmastergardenerumdeduAdvancedTrainingMasterComposter2012cfm

Mar 14 630-830pm A Stinker at the Window The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Learn the history of BMSB in North America its biology and ecology and what you can do to manage this exotic invader SPEAKER University of MD entomology professor Dr Mike Raupp also known as The Bug Guy as our speaker this month Check-in and refreshments at 630 pm one-hour lecture begins at 7 pm followed by Q amp A FREE Register at ParkPASSorg

Meadowside Nature Center

5100 Meadowside Lane Rockville MD 20855

wwwMeadowsideNatureorg

MG BENEFIT

Continued on page 11

Find More Classes Here

The Accokeek Foundation

Brookside Gardens

City Blossoms

Green Spring Gardens

Horticultural Society of Maryland

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Montgomery College

Neighborhood Farm Initiative

Prince William Cooperative Extension

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory

US National Arboretum

P A G E 9 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Deer Tales

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Several Master Gardeners wrote Frank Lostumbo following his article in the February SEED request-ing letters telling about unfortunate contact with deer Here are excerpts of a few of the letters that tell how the overpopulation of deer has hurt county residents

1 To Governor OrsquoMalley from the Maryland Native Plant Society Kirsten Johnson President Despite the destruction that white-tailed deer are causing they are still protected by a regulatory system established decades ago when the deer population was sparse State law and policy should now be updated Park managers should be permitted to control deer populations through managed hunting In addition white-tailed deer could like the fish and crustaceans of the Chesapeake Bay be managed as an economic resource To this end we propose that the commercial sale of wild-hunted venison be permitted under an appropriate regulatory system that addresses public safety and balanc-es the interests of recreational and commercial hunters We believe this would be a practical way to reduce the deer population to a healthy level while at the same time providing revenue for our li-censed hunters and healthy high-protein low-fat food for the people of Maryland

2 From Merikay Smith I had advanced lyme disease helliprequiring IV antibiotics followed by several years of continued medical treatment for complete left-side facial paralysis problems with my nervous system difficulty with memory and thought (mistaking a hair dryer for a telephone for example) hellip Even after ten years I still suffer from problems related to Lyme disease

3 From Kate Kern I could cage my one acre yard with a 6 foot fence to the tune of thousands of dollars but isnt that just pushing the animals into my neighborsrsquo yards who have no fences I feel convinced that if county officials contracted this horrific disease they would be acting on culling the herds even more aggressively

4 From Cindy Walczak I had a collision with a deer in 2010 The deer shattered the windshield of my car and dented the roof and hood but I was unhurt Unless my insurance company or the auto shop reported it the county would never have heard about it Of course there was a lengthy repair at significant cost

MG Frank Lostumbo sent to the Gazette Newspaper the following ldquoLetter to the Editorrdquo Dear Editor

I recently read in the February 1 2012 Gazette four Letters to the Editor titled ldquoDeer are just trying to surviverdquo

Is saving deer the most im-portant priority for people in the county I hardly think so It is how deer are disrupting the environmen-tal balance necessary for us humans There are many sad stories told by county residents about injurious encounters between deer and hu-mans Proper deer management must be implemented now and can no longer be delayed and debated

There are many examples of our environment devastated by large numbers of deer Look at those con-sequences the important regenera-tion of trees and native flora is being methodically thwarted the number of songbirds is systematically being reduced while auto accidents caused by deer have increased with fatal and expensive consequences and the spread of Lyme disease continues from carrier deer

These are the dramatic impacts of our continued failure to signifi-cantly manage deer populations and provide a better environment for future generations

Frank Lostumbo Master Gardener University of

Maryland Extension

Frustrating Experiences with Deer

Photo by M Smith Merikay Smithrsquos backyard herd

P A G E 1 0 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Continuing Education

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Webinars Accepted for Hours Master Gardeners can participate in Webinars (live on-line courses) and get acceptable CE hours More and more conservation gardening and horticultural organizations are offering them--even free ones These types of classes have been denied previously to fulfill the 10-hour CE requirements However as Steve Dubik said The technology of the times has overridden previous decisions

Mar 3 10 24 31 130-330 pm Workshop Bon-sai 101 Behnkes Beltsville $120 Plus materials Bonsai Master Ducky Hong guides you step by step through this centuries-old process Find out more about this Workshop Here or Signup Here

Mar 3 9 am ndash 4 pm Tree Planting Workshop National Zoo Citizen Forester-qualifying course Citizen Foresters serve as volunteer tree ambassa-dors to the community on behalf of Casey Trees and teach new volunteers how to properly plant and care for trees

Mar 3 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup 11 am Starting Seeds Indoors What Works Best Noon Starting Seeds Outdoors Grow Forth and Multiply 1 pm Pruning Demonstration Spring Maintenance Learn proper pruning techniques

Mar 4 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup 1 pm Pruning Demonstration Spring Maintenance Pruning techniques 2 pm Growing an Old Fashioned Flower Garden from Seed

Mar 10 9 am ndash noon Tree Tour mdash Winter ID Trees in Transition Rock Creek Trail at Beach Drive Lead by Melanie Choukas-Bradley author of City of Trees Take a late winter hike in the Boundary Bridge area of Rock Creek Park on the MDDC line Visit the many native trees that are identifiable in winter ndash eg sycamores river birches tulip-trees

and box-elders ndash plus others Notes No formal restroom facilities available Barring severe weath-er the walk takes place rain or shine covering a moderate distance over uneven terrain Dress warmly bring snacks and water RSVP (required) online httpctconvionetcalendar

Mar 10 11am Growing Onions Garlic Shallots Potatoes and Other Root Vegetables Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup

Mar 10 noon Growing Asparagus Rhubarb Okra and Horseradish Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to sig-nup

Mar 10 9 am ndash 430 pm Orchid Diagnostic and Repotting Clinic with Carol Allen Behnkes Poto-mac wwwbehnkescom

Mar 14 amp Apr 4 930 am-3pm (includes field trip) Master Composter U MD Extension-Derwood Registration Fee $45 (plus texts) Registration Dead-line Mar 7 Advanced course for experts and nov-ices Also Vermicomposting demo and hands-on exercise field trip to a MD Environment Services facility httpmastergardenerumdeduAdvancedTrainingMasterComposter2012cfm

Mar 14 630-830pm A Stinker at the Window The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Learn the history of BMSB in North America its biology and ecology and what you can do to manage this exotic invader SPEAKER University of MD entomology professor Dr Mike Raupp also known as The Bug Guy as our speaker this month Check-in and refreshments at 630 pm one-hour lecture begins at 7 pm followed by Q amp A FREE Register at ParkPASSorg

Meadowside Nature Center

5100 Meadowside Lane Rockville MD 20855

wwwMeadowsideNatureorg

MG BENEFIT

Continued on page 11

Find More Classes Here

The Accokeek Foundation

Brookside Gardens

City Blossoms

Green Spring Gardens

Horticultural Society of Maryland

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Montgomery College

Neighborhood Farm Initiative

Prince William Cooperative Extension

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory

US National Arboretum

P A G E 1 0 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Continuing Education

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Webinars Accepted for Hours Master Gardeners can participate in Webinars (live on-line courses) and get acceptable CE hours More and more conservation gardening and horticultural organizations are offering them--even free ones These types of classes have been denied previously to fulfill the 10-hour CE requirements However as Steve Dubik said The technology of the times has overridden previous decisions

Mar 3 10 24 31 130-330 pm Workshop Bon-sai 101 Behnkes Beltsville $120 Plus materials Bonsai Master Ducky Hong guides you step by step through this centuries-old process Find out more about this Workshop Here or Signup Here

Mar 3 9 am ndash 4 pm Tree Planting Workshop National Zoo Citizen Forester-qualifying course Citizen Foresters serve as volunteer tree ambassa-dors to the community on behalf of Casey Trees and teach new volunteers how to properly plant and care for trees

Mar 3 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup 11 am Starting Seeds Indoors What Works Best Noon Starting Seeds Outdoors Grow Forth and Multiply 1 pm Pruning Demonstration Spring Maintenance Learn proper pruning techniques

Mar 4 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup 1 pm Pruning Demonstration Spring Maintenance Pruning techniques 2 pm Growing an Old Fashioned Flower Garden from Seed

Mar 10 9 am ndash noon Tree Tour mdash Winter ID Trees in Transition Rock Creek Trail at Beach Drive Lead by Melanie Choukas-Bradley author of City of Trees Take a late winter hike in the Boundary Bridge area of Rock Creek Park on the MDDC line Visit the many native trees that are identifiable in winter ndash eg sycamores river birches tulip-trees

and box-elders ndash plus others Notes No formal restroom facilities available Barring severe weath-er the walk takes place rain or shine covering a moderate distance over uneven terrain Dress warmly bring snacks and water RSVP (required) online httpctconvionetcalendar

Mar 10 11am Growing Onions Garlic Shallots Potatoes and Other Root Vegetables Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup

Mar 10 noon Growing Asparagus Rhubarb Okra and Horseradish Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to sig-nup

Mar 10 9 am ndash 430 pm Orchid Diagnostic and Repotting Clinic with Carol Allen Behnkes Poto-mac wwwbehnkescom

Mar 14 amp Apr 4 930 am-3pm (includes field trip) Master Composter U MD Extension-Derwood Registration Fee $45 (plus texts) Registration Dead-line Mar 7 Advanced course for experts and nov-ices Also Vermicomposting demo and hands-on exercise field trip to a MD Environment Services facility httpmastergardenerumdeduAdvancedTrainingMasterComposter2012cfm

Mar 14 630-830pm A Stinker at the Window The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Learn the history of BMSB in North America its biology and ecology and what you can do to manage this exotic invader SPEAKER University of MD entomology professor Dr Mike Raupp also known as The Bug Guy as our speaker this month Check-in and refreshments at 630 pm one-hour lecture begins at 7 pm followed by Q amp A FREE Register at ParkPASSorg

Meadowside Nature Center

5100 Meadowside Lane Rockville MD 20855

wwwMeadowsideNatureorg

MG BENEFIT

Continued on page 11

Find More Classes Here

The Accokeek Foundation

Brookside Gardens

City Blossoms

Green Spring Gardens

Horticultural Society of Maryland

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Montgomery College

Neighborhood Farm Initiative

Prince William Cooperative Extension

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory

US National Arboretum

P A G E 1 1 M A R C H 2 0 1 2 The Seed

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents

Mar 23 630-9 pm Remarkable Trees of Virginia Casey Tree Headquarters 3030 12th St NE

Washington DC Dr Jeff Kirwan co-author of Re-markable Trees of Virginia will mix science history literature and photos illustrating how old and large trees get and those that were living during im-portant events in American history Includes trees that are culturally important to American Indians and African Americans and describes the economic and social benefits of trees Light dinner provided Space limited online advance registration required class descriptions httpctconvionetcalendar

Mar 24 noon Plant a Strawberry Jar $35 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Sign up at wwwShopBehnkescom

Mar 24-25 Green-Up Your Gardening Skills The Loudoun County Master Gardenersrsquo their 3rd An-nual Gardening Symposium mdash two days of garden-ing inspiration and practical information Topics Remarkable Trees Two An Update Seeing Trees Simple Steps to Organic Lawn Care The Lazy Gar-dener Seven Strategies for Garden Success IPM is Like a Green KISS for Your Garden Why Challenge Yourself Pruning Woody Plants Naturally Pollina-tion Under Pressure Organic Sustainable Vegetable Gardening Its a Small World -- Small Fruit that is Registration online and by mail Prices include the conference lunch (vegetarian options) and trade show One day $3750 two days $65 Holiday Inn Leesburg at Carradoc Hall1500 E Market St

Mar 25 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup 1 pm Growing Berries Blueberries Raspberries and Blackberries 2 pm Uncommon Fruits for Your Garden Persim-mons Figs PawPaws and Pomegranates

Mar 31 Behnkes Beltsville wwwbehnkescom Please use online form to signup 11 am Deer Re-sistant Shrubs and Perennials Noon Best Native Plants for Your Garden

MG

MG State Advanced

Training Classes

Click here for link to Maryland Website

Youth Gardening Education Joint MG Food Supplement Nutrition Education (FSNE) program Panels on starting gardens managing kids in the garden and engaging different age groups Break Out Presentations on Safety and Resources Grow-Lights Cooking with kids Raised beds Con-tainer Gardening and the Growing Healthy Habits Curriculum (you can attend 3 break-outs) Participat-ing MGrsquos will be encouraged to contribute at least 5 hours of volunteer time in the area of youth educa-tion Choose one datelocation Washington County Extension- Friday March 2 930am-330pm Sheri-dan Street Garden (PG County) Saturday March 3 930am-330pm Registration $30 For full program description and register go to httpmastergardenerumdeduAdvancedTrainingYouthGardcfm

UPCOMING SPRING AND SUMMER CLASSES

April 18 Growing Fruit at Home with Joe Fiola PhD amp Chris Walsh PhD Washington Co May 30 June 6 amp 13 Landscape Horticulture Flowering Shrubs with Wanda MacLachlanrsquo Balto Co June5 12 amp 19 Landscape Horticulture Ornamental Trees and Vines with Bob Stewart St Maryrsquos Co June 6 amp 14 Entomology amp Ecological IPM with Mike Raupp PhD Howard Co June 19 26 28 Ask a MG with Dave Clement PhD Mary Kay Malinoski Paula

Continuing Education continued from page 10

State Master Gardening Calendar

Save the Date

Wednesday

May 232012

MG Annual Training Day

If you have recom-mendations for speakers

please contact Robin Hessey at 4105311754

mhesseyumdedu

P A G E 1 2 The Seed

Board Members Committees and Services

How to Submit Articles and Pictures

MGs are invited to submit articles and pictures for the news-letter but keep in mind that sub-mittals may be edited andor not used until a later month Photos must come with basic information that includes name of the person in the photo subject matter or caption and either a signed photo permission slip from those in the picture or an email from them saying they allow us to use their picture in the newslet-ter Click here for website and scroll to bottom of page for link to the form

Other Information

Non-discrimination policies Uni-versity of Maryland Extension programs are open to everyone without regard to race color religion age national origin gen-der sexual orientation marital or parental status or disability

Disclaimer All opinions regarding businesses or their products are those of the authors and not of the University of Maryland

Direct correspondence to

Stephen Dubik University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener Coordinator and Horticultural Consultant 18410 Muncaster Road Derwood MD 20855

M A R C H 2 0 1 2

Our Vision

The Maryland Master Gardener vision is a healthier world through environmental stewardship

Our Mission

To support the University of Maryland Extension mission by educating residents about safe effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens landscapes and communities

Board Members Committees and Services

OFFICER OR CHAIR CO-CHAIR(S)

President Julia Horman

First VP Taffy Turner

Second VP Kathi Dyer

Treasurer Elizabeth Bradford

Secretary Katie McIe

Derwood Demo Garden Maria Wortman Darlene Nicholson

Gaithersburg Fairgrounds Tom Stanton Mike Parizer

Landscape Design Len Friedman Sheryl Freishtat

Newsletter Editor Nancy Moses Greenblatt

Plant Clinics Hayley Goris Sue Kuklewicz

ProgramEducation Joe Ginther Pat Kenny amp Liz Hofmeister

Public Relations Kathy Eighmey Liz Hofmeister amp Pat Dickey

Speakers Bureau Paula Jean Hallberg

External Special Events Taffy Turner Barbara Waite-Jaques

Internal Special Events Kathi Dyer Terri Pitts

Nancy Ballard Telephone Room Nancy Farrar Donald Snyder

Therapeutic Horticulture JoAnn Mueller Alyce Wertheimer

Strategic Planning Len Friedman Frank Lostumbo

SWAT Pat Lynch

Black Hills Butterfly Habitat Marsha Von Duerckheim

Mini-Conference Michael Parizer

Co TechnologyWeb Design Gary Cahn Joe Ginther

Youth Programs Ron Anderson

Class of 2011 Representative Katie McIe Terri Valenti

At Large Paula Knepper Janet Young

Scroll or Return to Table of Contents