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Volume 11 ◦ Issue 10

November, 2013

Don’t Miss the Next Meeting!

Thursday, November 21

Birding Rep. from Delta Rivers Nature Center

(You are requested to bring your binoculars)

Election of Officers for 2014

Regular meetings are held on the third Thurs-

day of each month at 5:15p.m. at St. Mary’s

Episcopal Church. Members are encour-

aged to bring a non-perishable food item

for Interfaith Help Service (IHS) .

Inside this issue:

From the editors: Year End Atta Boys 2

Events 2

November Gardening 2

Project Reports 2

Birthday Celebration - Great Fun 3

SAAC Festival of Trees 4

On Facebook = UnionCounty MasterGardeners

Minutes of October meeting-see

insert

FALL BULB SALE

Another BIG Success

By Jean Eckert and Nell Ashworth

Nineteen MGs packaged bulbs at Carol

McKinnon’s house on November 7.

A chilly, damp day may have kept some shoppers away from our annual bulb sale, but our MGs showed up to assist in the sale!

The BULB Committee did a great job of selecting a variety of beau-tiful spring bulbs. The well-labeled, colorful boxes displayed our selections attractively with pictures of all flowering bulbs to

entice buyers.

Current count of sales indicates that we have cleared 100% over our cost with several packages of

bulbs remaining for sale. This profit includes the sale of all the donated bulbs contributed by Charlotte Abbott and other Master Gardeners. A BIG THANKS to those who donated cannas, elephant ears, spider lilies, Mexican petunias, and numerous other plants, as well

as those who gave their time and effort to this project.

Th

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Project Reports

Page 2 The Leaf let

November Gardening Ideas

Barbie Luther, 864-0805 [barbieluther@suddenlink.net]

Jean Eckert , 862-1375 [jensa@suddenlink.net]

“Union County MasterGardener” on fb: Jean Had-

ley

This is the ideal time for planting evergreens, decidu-

ous trees, spring bulbs, perennials, and annuals. You

can even add herbs to the garden now. [BHG]

Plant a tree; look for one with pretty fall foliage

Wait to plant azaleas or crape myrtles until spring,

when you can buy plants in flower to ensure you're

getting the exact hue you want .[BHG]

Rake, mulch and compost.

Keep the mulch away from tree trunks and plant

crowns to prevent rodents from damaging them.*

Clean up perennials as they die back.

Drain hoses and coil for storage.

*www.pallensmith.com

BHG - ”Your Daily Inspiration,” www.BHG.com 11/01/2013

NORTWEST SCHOOL: Thanks to everyone who took small pots and 6-pack containers to Northwest School. The children planted pansies

and took them home. Mary Beth Simpson is so appreciative for the

$100 project money . [Allison Menefee]

HOPE LANDING: Eight master gardeners met at Hope Landing on a chilly Friday morning. We dug up some over-grown cannas , planted

some back and saved some for the bulb sale; dug up and moved an Azalea; weeded and amended with Osmocote; sprinkled for some pesky fire ants, and planted some beautiful pansies. We are in need of peren-nials that are low maintenance, water wise and suited to a sunny spot.

Contact me if you have any questions. Thanks. [Sharon Traylor]

THE ARBORETUM: Autumn at the Arboretum was superb! Thanks to all who worked preparing the arboretum for the event and came out to help. The kids were precious with their decorated pumpkins and went

on to plant trees in the newly cleared natural area. Jeff High did a good job getting the seedlings, flagging the planting sites, and providing markers for the kids to write their names by the tree they planted. The talented jazz cats pulled everything together, providing a music back-ground to a beautiful afternoon. From comments received, your work as Master Gardeners has not gone unnoticed. [Charlotte Abbott]

From the editors: Year End ATTA-BOYS

EVENTS

Nov. 18 Work day at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 1:30.

Nov. 20 P. Allen Smith Garden Home Lecture Series. Peter Hatch, who served at Monticello as the

gardens and grounds director for 35 years, will speak about Thomas Jefferson’s revolutionary

gardens at the Clinton School of Public Service

at 12:00. Admission is free.

Nov. 25-26 Decorating day for SAAC Festival of trees.

Dec 19 UCMGs Holiday Pot Luck meeting

Jan. 18 North East LA Master Gardeners Annual

Spring Ag Expo Gardening Seminar

“Southern Birds & Blooms,” West Monroe Convention Center, 901 Ridge Road from 7:30

a.m.-12:30p.m; fee is $20.00 Featured Speaker Melinda Myers, Birds and Blooms magazine,

will present, “Beautiful, Easy, and Affordable Landscape Makeovers,” plus book signing. Ex-

hibitors, door prizes and refreshments. Contact

LSU AG Center at 318-323-2251 for informa-

tion and advance registration forms.

Feb 21-23 Arkansas Flower & Garden Show: Gardening-

That’s Entertainment! Statehouse Convention

Center, Little Rock.

March 8 Union County Master Gardener’s Dirt

Friends Festival. G . Michael Shoup, Antique Rose Emporium, and Janet Carson, Horticultural

Specialist, U of A Extension and Research.

May 28-31 State MG Conference, “Gardening on the

Edge;” Texarkana, TX.

Carol is out of pocket, but we join her in sending her thanks to everyone for their work to make the bulb sale a

success; we can look forward now to our spring seminar!

Thanks to Carol, Robin and Leon for providing a fun road

trip to Moss Mountain Farm.

Thanks to Melba for great programs and being so consci-

entious in getting this information to us early in the

month, and to Becky who always provides minutes early

enough to have copies ready to add to newsletter at mail-

ing.

Thanks to those of you who contributed articles, informa-

tion, and pictures, and helped us when we were scram-

bling for data as deadline approached. We only hope that

in the coming year, many more of you will share your

knowledge and experience by writing an article or con-

tributing a suggestion for an article.

We are excited that we are growing in numbers and our outreach to the community is growing with new projects. In

April 2010, we were mailing 45 copies; this issue will be mailed to 67 members! Please contact us if you would like to

be removed from the mailing list.

Barbie and Jean

Thanks to Nell Ashworth, Tammy Michael, Phyllis Perkins,

Marilyn Joiner (pictures), and project committee chairs for

their contribution to this issue. All contributions for the DE-

CEMBER issue need to be submitted by December 9.

N ovemb er 2013 Page 3

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION -- GREAT FUN !

Kneeling , left to right: Jean Eckert, Alma Floyd, Tammy Michael, Barbie Luther and Robin Bridges; Second row, Linda Calk, Pat Smith, Bernice

Maczka, Judy Byers, Flo Sage, Theresa Leake, Winfred Tubbs, Elena Estes, Melba Ainsworth, Dodie Vestal, and Allison Menefee. Back row, Barbara

Smith, Henry Nunley, Leon Miles, Carol McKinnon, Marilyn Joyner, Nell Ashworth, Gail Bridges, Carolyn Hendrix, Maureen DeBruin, Susan Heil-

man, Theresa Moore, and Phyllis Perkins.

The visit to Moss Mt. Farm for the Arkansas Master Gardeners birthday celebration was a trip most of us are not likely to forget. Union County had 32 members participate in the celebration. A BIG THANKS to Robin Bridges and

Leon Miles for chauffeuring 26 eager UCMGs to the farm. There was something to wow everyone whether it be in the

home, the gardens, the pastures, the “Pumpkin” house, or P. Allen himself in the gift shop. An Encore Azalea was given

to each MG group to mark the occasion. Our azalea has been planted at the Barton Library.

Union County Cooperative Extension Service

307 American Road

El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

Union County Cooperative Extension Service 307 American Road

El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

Phone (870) 864-1916

fax (870) 864-1919

union@uaex.edu

Any mention of brand names in this publication are for reference

only and should not be taken as an endorsement by the Coopera-

tive Extension Office, the U of A or its affiliates.

All meetings and activities announced in this newsletter are open

to all persons without regard to race, national origin, religion,

gender, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally

protected status. Persons with disabilities who require alternative

means for communication of program information (large print,

audio tapes, etc.) should notify the County Extension Office as

soon as possible prior to the activity.

Robin D. Bridges County Extension Agent, Staff Chair, Union County

Decorating Days November 25 - 26, 9am-8pm

2013 Theme is A Vintage Christmas

Come trim the UCMG tree with decorations that will bring

pleasure to children.

Lynn Enzor has reserved our tree and selected a family in need of our Christmas help. Gifts will be needed.

More information will be available at monthly meeting.

South Arkansas

Art Center

Festival of Trees

Design and Decorating

Compettion!

sponsored by Deltic Timber