eXtension Master Gardener

My husband and I are Beekeepers in Union County, North Carolina.  We have 4 hives.  We have been Beekeepers going on 4 years.  I went to my first “Bee Class” in January 2010 (shortly after finishing my Master Gardener program).  I had no idea what fascinating creatures bees were.  At that first class I was given more information than my little brain could contain, but I wanted to learn more.   So we started with our first hive in May 2010.

Starting Our First Colony with Package Bees

We were so green….we did not know anything.  But the bees soon taught us.  We started our hive with “package bees”, and they are just that.  We ordered what is called “package bees”   They come in a wooden box with screened sides to the post office (or in our case they came to a business that ordered and sold bees).

Bee Installation – Box of Bees (Photo: Gladys Hutson)

The bees that are received are all female bees.  The Queen bee is a female and all of the worker bees are female.   The Queen comes in a small separate wooden box with screened sides with a few attendant worker bees.  The Queen has already been mated.  Queens make male bees (Drones) in the spring for mating purposes only.

Bee Installation – queen cage (Photo: Gladys Hutson)

From Package to Hive- Steps to Unifying the Queen and Hive

We were following instructions from the “Bees for Dummies” book.   We had the hive all ready for the worker bees and got them out of the larger box and into the hive.

Dumping bees into hive. (Photo: Gladys Hutson)

All bees in the hive (Photo: Gladys Hutson)

The book then instructed us to take the Queen bee box and remove the cork on one side.   There is a candy plug under the cork that the attendant bees eat from one side and the worker bees in the hive eat from the opposite side, which releases the Queen into the hive.

The Queen bee has to be introduced slowly so that the worker bees can get used to her pheromones or smell that she gives off.  The pheromones of a Queen bee serves as a social “glue” unifying and helping to give individual identity to a bee colony.

Unfortunately, our first attempt to unify the Queen and hive of bees failed because the Queen was released too quickly.

First Lesson Learned – Wait to Remove the Cork!

The book failed to say that the Queen box should be placed in the hive for about 3 days before the cork is removed.  We found out the hard way……the worker bees killed the Queen bee (called balling the Queen) because she was released too soon.   So our hive was without a Queen.  This is bad because the Queen bee keeps the hive populated by continually laying eggs.  She can lay up to 1500 eggs per day.

A Queen lives anywhere from 3-5 years and a beekeeper may replace her depending on how well she is laying.  A worker bee only lives about 30 days and to keep the population up in the hive, there must be a Queen and the Queen must continue to lay eggs during the warm months.

Fortunately, we were able to get another Queen and merge the two together successfully.   Our bees taught us our first lesson…….and there would be many more to come!

For more basic information and terminology of beekeeping you might like to see http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/agrs93.pdf

 

-Gladys Hutson
North Carolina -Union County Extension Master Gardener
Union County Beekeeper’s Assoc.

Tree Peony Photos by Shelby Snider, Virginia (zone 7)

 

In answer to our question last week “What’s blooming in your garden?” Shelby Snider answered “Tree Peonies!” These ruffled beauties are long lived, sometimes over 100 years old. So what’s blooming in your garden today?

 

In a previous blog post you could think of as seed saving 101, we discussed the difference between heirlooms and hybrids in regards to seed saving.  Now we take a look at specific vegetables and which are most easily saved and what planning and considerations are needed for saving seeds.  Most home gardeners want to ensure that the seeds that they save will produce plants similar to, if not the same as, those from which they collected the seed.

The Genetics of Seed Saving

In order for us to discuss  seed saving of specific vegetables, we first need to learn a little terminology and plant genetics.  While you might think it is not the most interesting of subjects, there’s lots to be learned and it will ultimately make us better seed savers.  You don’t have to delve to the level of the authors plant-geekdom (and study Mendelian genetics in radishes as your high school senior project), but a little basic knowledge will help.

A tomato flower is made to promote self-pollination. (Photo: Felagund commons.wikimedia.org

Self-pollinated plants are self-fertile, which make them prime candidates for saving seeds that are “true to variety,” which means that the resulting seeds will have most of the characteristics of the parent.  Self-pollination is also referred to as natural inbreeding. In some cases, such as beans and tomatoes, pollination often occurs even before the flowers fully open and the flower’s shape discourages insect pollination.

Cross-pollination can also be referred to as natural outbreeding.  Cross-pollinated plants require pollen from another individual plant for successful pollination.  The most common modes of pollination are wind pollination and insect pollination.  These plants are harder to save seed from, since they are less likely to produce “true to variety” offspring.

Some cross-pollinated plants are perfectly happy crossing with individuals of the same variety.  However, some do exhibit inbreeding depression, which refers to reduced vigor and fitness in a population that arises from inbreeding.  If a species with inbreeding suppression

Hybrid vigor refers to improved vigor and fitness of individuals that rise from the crossing, or hybridization, of two genetically diverse varieties.

So What Does All this Mean?

Basically, this means that some seeds are easier to save than others.  In a nutshell, here are the take-away lessons:

Legumes (beans and peas) and solanaceous crops (tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants)  are by far the easiest crops to save, since they
are self-pollinated.  There is the potential for cross-pollinating if you have hungry pollinators (I’ve seen bumblebees rip open bean flowers).  Peppers and eggplants also have the potential for cross-pollination, so if you want to maintain a specific variety they need to be separated by at least 500 feet or have flowers bagged.  Lettuce is also relatively easy to save.

Most of the other common garden vegetables have a high hybrid vigor and are natural outbreeders, meaning that they cross- pollinate readily.  Members of the Cucurbitaceae family (squash, pumpkins, melons, gourds), Apiaceae family (carrots, dill, fennel), Amaryllidaceae family (onions, chives, leeks), and some members of the Brassicaceae family like the cruciferous radish exhibit little inbreeding suppression, meaning that you can easily cross a variety with itself if you isolate it from other varieties.  Corn (Poaceae) and cole crops like cabbage, broccoli, and kale (Brassica oleracea) have a higher level of inbreeding depression, meaning that crosses with members of the same variety result in seeds that are less vigorous.

How do you isolate plants?

Plants that easily cross can potentially cross with other varieties in the garden or the neighbors garden.  Insect pollinated plants are typically pollinated by bees, which can have a travel range of two miles or more.  Home gardeners would have trouble separating their varieties that far, so it would be easier to isolate individual flowers or plants.  Covering a plant with fine mesh netting or bagging flowers are popular choices.

 

For cucurbits, flowers have only one gender, so this is easier.  Before blossoms fully open, removing male flowers and using them to pollinate female flowers is the general practice.  The female flower is then wrapped in a bag until the fruit begins to form.  For other plants, using netting and hand pollinating may be the option.

Of interesting note is the case of some of the cucurbits and cole crops.  All of the cole crops (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, etc.) are all the same species and will easily cross.  There are instances of crosses of broccoli and kale, sprouts and flowering cabbage and others.  Likewise, many members of the cucurbit family are the same species.  It is not uncommon to get crosses of pumpkins and zucchini (a puccini, anyone?) and others.

by Connie Schultz, Master Gardener/Composter (’95 Cornell), now serving in Johnston County, NC

Spring time blooms (lft to rt) Iris: Stitch Witch, World Premier, Gay Parasol, Swingtime, & Clarence.
What’s blooming in your yard?

 

What’s blooming in your spring garden?

{Editor’s note: As described in this blog post, WSU Extension established the first Master Gardener program in 1972, with the first public training in 1973. Today Extension Master Gardener programs exist in nearly all 50 states. For more information, see the EMG White Paper or find an Extension Master Gardener Program near you. To learn how the Master Gardener program ties into the history of the nation’s land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension Service, see Exploring Our Roots: A Short History of Extension and the Master Gardener Program. }

Some Early Days in Extension

Donald Tapio recalls some early days at WSU Extension and how the Master Gardener program began.

I welcome the opportunity to share some history of Extension prior to the Development of the Master Gardener program. I cannot think of anyone more appreciative of Master Gardener volunteers than I, since I was involved with Washington State University (WSU) Extension prior to the development of the Master Gardener program.

My career with WSU Extension actually began in the summer of 1969 when I was hired as a summer work-study student in the Pierce County Extension office in Tacoma, WA. I was assigned to work with a horticulture agent who was very pleased to have me in the office to take the hundreds of calls that came each week from home gardeners. WSU was well aware of the demand for home gardening information and soon installed a “Dial a Garden Tip” service with daily messages on seasonal pest problems and options for their control.

Answering Hundreds of Gardening Questions Per Day

After graduating from WSU, I was hired by WSU Extension as a Horticulture Program Assistant in Seattle. Home gardening calls coming into the King County office averaged over 100 per day. Most days I never got off the phone for more than a short lunch break. In addition to the incoming calls, there were dozens of letters and plant samples delivered to the office on a daily basis. A year later Mr. Johanson retired and I was asked to work in the Pierce County office in the mornings and the King County office in the afternoons.

WSU made it clear that I would never receive agent status without an advanced degree. Just as I was leaving for graduate school, a young woman came into the office and after a long discussion made the remark that she thought my job and extension work would be so much fun. That individual was Sharon Collman and she was hired by WSU to fill my position. (You will read more about her in another blog post. She was one of the first teachers in the new Master Gardener progam.)  After completing my graduate degree I was hired as the horticulture agent in Snohomish County.

While I was gone, WSU hired Dr. David Gibby as the horticulture agent for King and Pierce counties. He was a true visionary in recognizing that in many respects Extension was simply “bailing out the ocean.” The demand for home gardening questions and information was so great it was nearly impossible to do any programming beyond answering the telephone. WSU Extension in King County at the time had 8 incoming telephone lines and we had one individual who was a switchboard operator to direct calls.

Master Gardener Program Trains Volunteers to Teach Others

Soon after his arrival, Dr. Gibby made his historic trip to Puyallup where there were discussions with a number of specialists and agents on the idea of training volunteers who would then conduct diagnostic plant clinics in the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area. I am convinced that no one at that time was aware that the Master Gardener program would become what it is today with thousands of volunteers throughout the state or nation-wide. The concept of training volunteers to teach others seemed to be the answer to addressing the need for home gardening education and the program was quickly adopted throughout the nation.

Master Gardener training in these early days was much different then. There was no charge and no textbook for the classes. However, I vividly recall as an instructor, lugging around boxes filled with publications for the class. (Many agents were assigned station wagons during those years since we hauled so many publications to various meetings. Both the springs and shock absorbers on these vehicles were usually shot from the weight of the publications!) At the end of training, an individual from the Washington State Department of Agriculture would come in and give a closed book exam. Those passing the exam became licensed pesticide applicators, which qualified them to provide recommendations for pesticide use. We quickly learned that many, many volunteers had great anxiety over taking a closed book exam and did not do well.

The evolution of the Master Gardener program continued as more and more counties throughout the state adopted the program. Those of us involved as instructors would schedule our training so that we were presenting in a different county each day beginning with Whatcom, by the Canadian border, and ending in Clark, on the border with Oregon. Once trained, most counties utilized their newly trained volunteers to staff plant clinics. As more and more volunteers became trained, volunteers were able to expand their educational outreach through presenting programs, writing news articles, and developing demonstration gardens.

Appreciation for the Work of Master Gardener Volunteers

I know that I speak for many agents in saying we simply cannot imagine Extension work today without Master Gardener volunteers. The amount of time invested in training and managing volunteers is paid back more than a thousand fold. I continue to be in awe of how innovative, enthusiastic, and dedicated Master Gardener volunteers are in carrying out the mission of WSU Extension. I am convinced that Washington State University will continue to be recognized nationally for the impact and success of the Master Gardener program in making our communities better and more beautiful places.

Donald D. Tapio
WSU Extension Regional Specialist
Grays Harbor/Pacific Counties Extension

“Reprinted with permission from the July 2009 issue of Seeds for Thought, the newsletter of the Master Gardener Foundation of Washington State.”  Parts of this have been abridged with permission from the author. To see the entire article go to: http://mastergardener.wsu.edu/mgfws/files/2012/12/907Seeds.pdf?9d7bd4

 

When the organizers of National Earth Day, National Arbor Day, and National Volunteer Week just happened to organize all three celebrations to be in the same week in April, I wonder if they had the Extension Master Gardener program in mind?!  We’ve had a great month, hearing how programs across the country are celebrating and volunteering during National Volunteer Week 2013, Earth Day, and Arbor Day.

Celebrating National Volunteer Week – NVW13

Seaman Knapp ‘Father of Extension’?

Kicking off the week with an NVW “how-to-get-involved” announcement, we saw many Extension Master Gardener programs across the country gearing up to celebrate National Volunteer Week. We asked for examples of how local programs were celebrating or volunteering during National Volunteer Week, and we found some great responses which we turned into blog posts:

• Exploring our Roots: A Short History of Extension and the Master Gardener Program is a captivating history (as noted in the comments section) of how our nation’s extension education system has met the needs of communities for over a hundred years, and how Master Gardeners continue that mission amidst the environmental and horticultural challenges of the 21st century.

Thanks to Bob Kellam, president of the North Carolina Extension Master Gardeners Volunteer Association for sharing his article, originally posted in their association’s newsletter.

• Extension Master Gardeners During National Volunteer Week.  What did Master Gardeners do during NVW13, April 21 – 27, 2013?  Programs across the country contributed pictures and stories to share here, including examples of recognition in their counties, and volunteer activities they participated in during NVW13, Earth Day, and Arbor Day.

Volunteer Recognition in Sacramento, County, California

Master Gardeners and other volunteers participate in Phenology celebration via the Tucson Phenology Trail

 

 National Earth Day and Arbor Day Inspired Blog Posts

One could say every day is earth day for Master Gardeners, as they are literally working with the earth, a lot.  But, Master Gardeners are pretty passionate about trees, too, thus the following posts were inspired in celebration of April’s National Earth and Arbor days:

• Rake and Take Master Gardener Project Coordinates Fallen Leaves into Gardeners Gold.  This volunteer project is both Earth Day and Arbor Day inspired as it helps coordinate an abundance of leaves from one person’s yard to another person’s yard where it can be used as mulch or compost.
  
• Earth Day in the Garden – 10 Ways to Be an Earth Friendly Gardener - John Porter share 10 wasy to being an ‘earth friendly gardener’ with links to ‘how-to’ resources that can help succeed in your earth friendly gardening pursuit.
• Creating an Eco-System in Your Own Backyard - Connie shares her own experience creating a backyard habitat, including some of her favorite resources and a helpful video for implementing these own backyard eco-system.
• Here’s Why Trees (Doodle Animated Video) -Convinced of the value of trees, but not sure if others are? Share this short video on the value of trees – especially with those in urban areas, as it might just spark discussion about how invaluable they are and how to care for them in your community.

April Wordless Wednesday

This month, we admired the tiny treasures in the garden, how the Chihuahua desert bloomed on less than 5 inches of rain (in 1 1/2 years!) , and Trees and Master Gardeners.

Tiny treasures

Claret cup cactus

Volunteers plant trees

 

Gardening Webinars and Online Modules/Courses

• New! eLearn Urban Forestry Modules - 10 new modules are now available for Master Gardeners or others interested in urban forestry to either consult as a resource or to be complete in full with requirements for certification.
• Upcoming Webinars:
  • May 17th, Webinar: Protecting Gardens from Moles, Voles, & More…
  • June 6, Webinar Gardening for Pollinators – details soon to be posted at eXtension Learn

For more upcoming and recorded Webinars on a variety of gardening and non-gardening subjects, see: eXtension Learn

Until Next Month

Until next month, please join us and share your gardening or volunteer experiences with us in the following spaces:

Here – Extension Master Gardener Blog: http://blogs.extension.org/mastergardener/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/extensionmastergardener
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eXEMG
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/emastergardener/

-Karen Jeannette

-Editorial Reviewer
Linda Brandon, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator
NC Cooperative Extension/Guilford County Center

 

Visit Your Local Public Garden for Free!

On National Public Gardens Day, Friday – May 10th, you can get in free to many of public gardens for free thanks to Better Homes and Gardens and Rain Bird.

• Here is a list of participating gardens: http://www.bhg.com/bhg/pdf/bhg_parklist_revised2013.pdf

• Here is the coupon for free admission: http://www.nationalpublicgardensday.org/free-admission-offer/

Tip: Each coupon is good for up to two people to get free admission into the garden but you can print the coupon as many times as needed to accommodate everyone in your group. . .

Rocky, sandy, heavy, salty, poorly drained and dry. The challenges of gardening in southern New Mexico.

Submitted and photos by Sylvia Hacker
Doña Ana Co. Master Gardeners (On Facebook)
Texas Master Naturalist
Las Cruces, New Mexico

New Mexico soils

New Mexico soils

 

New Mexico soils

 

New Mexico soils

 

New Mexico Soils

 

New Mexico soils

 

I love looking out our kitchen window in April and seeing “thirty shades of green.” Everything is starting to look so lush and alive and it makes me feel better about the possibility of warm weather arriving at last. The hostas are unfurling their variegated leaves. Luckily, the nights have been cool enough that the slugs haven’t been very active yet, so the hosta have a head start.

A view from my kitchen window – April 15th (Photo: Carla Albright)

When spring arrives each year, I note the changes in my garden journal. I know I am not the only one who does this. In fact there is a whole science based on the relative changes in nature called phenology.

In formal terms, phenology is “the study of how the biological world and its naturally occurring events are timed with seasonal and annual variations taken into account.”  But this is a longer way of saying its how natural things relate to each other and to the climate surrounding them.

Recording Changes in Plants Can Traced to the 8th Century!

When we stop to think about it, we know that throughout history people have been studying natural relationships. Ancient tribes of North America, for example, would schedule their crop plantings according to a variety of signs in nature, be it the phases of the moon or the leafing out of the maple trees. Other early cultures worldwide knew of the signs that indicated that the plants and animals were taking their cues from the local climate. Think of the cherry blossom festivals in ancient Japan and China whose dates can be traced to earlier than the 8th century. Vintners in Europe have been keeping climate records for over 500 years, which gives them a nice, long baseline to work with.

The father of Modern Phenology is considered to be Englishman Robert Marsham when, in 1736, he started systematically and precisely recording the signs of spring on his estate in Norfolk. This tradition of meticulous record-keeping continued for generations in his family until 1958 when Martha Marsham died. As you can imagine, a long-time record that spans 200 years would be really helpful in a lot of crop plans.

Garden Journaling Helps Me Grow My Garden

Epimedium ‘Bandit” makes an appearance  in the early spring garden. (Photo: Carla Albright).

In our current times of climate upheaval, a science like this would also be advantageous in noting specific changes.

In my own small way, I have been doing this for about 10 years in my garden journal. Ten years may seem like a drop in the bucket compared to the dedication of the Marsham family, but it has been useful to me just in my garden plantings as well as interesting to see the year-to-year progressions. I know when the Hellebores start to fade in March, the Epimediums will start to sprout and the hosta will poke through the soil.

What to record?

Traditionally, the three main factors in the study of phenology have been sunlight, temperature and precipitation, all of which – of course – are the basis of climate.  These are the factors that work together in determining the timing of natural events. One example would be the bird migrations that base their flying times on the amount of daylight, leaving their wintering grounds as the days become longer. In a reverse order are the bloom times of poinsettias, which cue in to shorter days.

It helps me to record low and high temperatures in my journal as well as rainfall. This way, if in mid-summer certain plants aren’t doing well, I can look back and see what might be a factor in that failure to thrive. Perhaps it will even allow me some insight to correct for that factor next year.

Get Recording With Citizen Science Projects or Your Own Garden Journal

There is now an organization dedicated to phenology. It offers gardeners and amateur scientists an opportunity to record data and have it compiled with the data of other researchers. It is called the United States National Phenology Network and can be reached at www.usanpn.org/ . I kind of liked their description of phenology as being “Nature’s Calendar.” The website offers lots of ideas of keeping records and is looking for volunteer record-keepers from around the country so a larger cache of information can be gleaned. But even if you are not interested in joining other gardeners in keeping track of nature, keeping a record for your own use can be invaluable.

Because the world around us changes so quickly in April, it is the perfect time to begin record keeping. Birds are migrating, leaves and buds are swelling on the trees, perennial plants are poking through the soil, bees are out on warmer days, frogs are singing. Of course the first robin is a good climate indicator. But summer, fall and winter bring their own changes, with flowers blooming and leaves changing colors and eventually dropping.

Project Budburst, Project Feederwatch, or Frogwatch USA are also some good citizen scientist programs to check out. Find them through your online search engine. For a first-hand experience from other Master Gardeners, check out Edy and Pat’s story in their Nature’s Notebook and Master Gardener A Tool for All Seasons blog post  from this past January at to see how valuable a notebook can be. Then get yourself a garden journal, make one from a 79 cent notebook, a three-ring binder, or keep records on your computer, and become an amateur phenologist.

Do you keep a garden journal? What kinds of things do you record?

Would you like to compare notes with other Master Gardeners this fall? It might be a fun way of creating our own MG phenology research guide for our own geographical areas.

My Garden Journal (Photo: Carla Albright)

 

~ Carla Albright, Tillamook County Oregon Master Gardener

 

After I have worked for a public garden I think of it as mine.  I think anyone who has spent time and energy on a parcel of land understands this.  Once I have dug in the earth and spent a year watching the seasons that place becomes a part of me.  I know the spots  that dry out first, the places where the rain runs off and where the garter snake lives.  These were my gardens for a little while.

In honor of National Public Garden Day, May 10,  I’d like to tell you some little known and entertaining facts about my gardens:

• Chicago Botanic Garden – Glenco, Illinois
• Reiman Gardens – Ames, Iowa
• Longwood Gardens – Kennet Square, Pennsylvania
• Taltree Arboretum and Gardens- Valparaiso, Indiana
• Charley Creek Gardens – Wabash, Indiana

  Chicago Botanic Garden

 

Chicago Botanic Garden Fruit and Vegetable Island – Photo credit Foy Spicer

My first public garden was Chicago Botanic Garden where I was an intern for Alana Mezo in the Fruit and Vegetable Garden. After this internship I knew I wanted Alana’s job. I wanted to be a horticulturist when I grew up.

Little known fact: Chicago Botanic is touted as a series of “islands” in a “lake”. It is actually a series of raised bumps in a swamp. I worked on the Fruit and Vegetable Island.  It had a huge ground squirrel population the summer I was there. They ate all the bean, squash and melon seedlings! We used have-a-heart traps to live-catch the little buggers and transport them off the “island”. In the end we caught and relocated 19 ground squirrels. The great part of gardening on an island they didn’t come back! Also bonus, no deer!  Although the raccoons would swim over and tear down the grape arbor to get a midnight bunch.  

Reiman Gardens

 

Reiman Gardens Butterfly Wing – Photo Credit Foy Spicer

 

I was a intern at Reiman Gardens. This little gem is located right off Iowa State University’s Campus. It’s 16 acres of winding paths and many little garden rooms. This is a great place for home gardeners to get ideas.    Reiman also has a butterfly wing conservatory that is an absolute treat.    Little known fact: when they first opened up the butterfly wing there was a major problem. The acute angled roof confused butterflies and they would run into the glass committing butterfly suicide. There would be little piles of dead butterflies in the corners the entomologist had to clean up every morning before visitors could come in. The problem was fixed by hanging nets in the corners to keep the butterflies from out of peril.  Longwood Gardens

 

Longwood Gardens Lily Pool – Photo credit Foy Spicer

 

I love internships. This was my fourth and final internship and it was a year long. Longwood is considered the premier public garden in America. It’s an old DuPont Estate in the southeast corner of Pennsylvania. There are so many fascinating facts about Longwood. Here’s a good one: Longwood does a big Fourth of July lighted, dancing fountains and fireworks display all choreographed to music. It is impressive. But even more impressive is the staff wets down all the plant material the day before and even has sprinklers running over some of the more valuable specimen plants during the show because one year a very old hemlock bush burned from some way ward sparks. There are even a couple bushes with fire damage if you know where to look. Another fun fact is there is a secret underground passage from the Longwood house to the conservatory so Pierre didn’t have to go outside in the winter to get to the green houses. One more thing, in the above picture is me in the lily pond and as you can see the pools aren’t that deep.  To get a nice reflective surface for showing off the Victorian Hybrid Waterlilies developed at Longwood, they dye the water black so it looks dark, deep and opaque. Taltree Arboretum and Gardens

 

Taltree Arboretum and Gardens – Railway Garden – Photo credit Foy Spicer

This was the first garden I have worked for that is actively growing. There are huge plans in the works. A model railway opened in 2011 and a Children’s Garden opened this spring (2013). Plans also include a visitor’s center. The arboretum continues to grow and new trails are opening through recently acquired land.   Fun fact: The Taltree Railway Garden show cases a collection of dwarf conifers. There are over 1000 varieties of plants ordered to go in this two-acre area. I’m learned a lot about dwarf conifers as I spent much time cataloging and tagging them.    Charley Creek Gardens

 

Charley Creek Garden – Photo credit Foy Spicer

This summer I will be helping out at a little public garden called Charley Creek.  This six-acre oasis is a luxury for the town of Wabash, Indiana.  The patron of this garden has a love for plants and art.  Many sculptures can be found as you wend your way through.     Fun Fact: Charley Creek is named after a Maimi Indian named Charley who lived on a reservation near Wabash County.  The creek that runs through the gardens was named for him.  His Maimi name was Kintunga which translates to sleepy.   Visit Your Local Public Garden for Free!

 

On National Public Gardens Day, Friday – May 10th, you can get in free to many of public gardens for free thanks to Better Homes and Gardens and Rain Bird.     Here is the list of participating gardens:  http://www.bhg.com/bhg/pdf/bhg_parklist_revised2013.pdf Here is the coupon for free admission: http://www.nationalpublicgardensday.org/free-admission-offer/ Tip: Each coupon is good for up to two people to get free admission into the garden but you can print the coupon as many times as needed to accommodate everyone in your group. Foy Spicer Master Gardner for Wabash County, Indiana

We grow all sorts of wonderful veggies and fruits to feed and fuel our bodies, but we also grow an abundance of beauty to feed our senses and souls.  While it is certainly satisfying to share our edible abundance, in many ways it is a special joy to give away my flowers.

Flower Philanthropy…An Idea I’d Love to See Grow

‘Flower Philanthropy’, as I call it, is an idea I’d love to see grow!  I am now enrolled in the Master Gardener course through our county’s Extension Office, where I have learned tons AND found a committed community of like-minded – okay, fanatic! – gardeners.  Who better than Master Gardeners to talk with about the possibilities of sharing a bounty of beauty.

The first project I was involved with this past summer grew out of wanting to share the gazillion flowers I grow.  I contacted our town’s community garden and asked if they could think of some way to use these blossoms and blooms.  There are many Master Gardeners involved with the Community Garden, still none of us could foresee how many, many people this sharing effort would reach, and touch.

Each Thursday throughout the summer, two dedicated volunteers, Jane and Ted Metzler, came to my gardens and cut baskets and buckets of flowers.  Sometimes Jane’s sisters Pat and Pam joined in picking, and even crafting the mini-bouquets of those flowers.

Jane Metzler with a box of mini-bouquets on their way to Meals on Wheels (Photo credit: Ted Metlzer)

Jane and Pat Cheney finishing mini-bouquets for delivery to Meals on Wheels recipients. (Photo credit: Ted Metzler)

Mini-bouquets for Meals on Wheels

Those bouquets were distributed locally to Meals on Wheels recipients. I don’t have words big enough to tell you how much those bouquets meant to everyone. The volunteers delivering the meals were touched by the recipient’s obvious pleasure.  Over 500 of these mini-bouquets were distributed in 2012.

Jane shared some of the responses to the flowers…

“Best comment from a client was a letter filled with praise for the kindness, beautiful colors, the smells, and dreading the day when the frost would halt the project. The men and women who delivered the meals with the flowers got as much reward from the project as the recipients. Our client who sent the letter full of praise said “ps I do like the meat loaf that you sent too but the flowers are the best.”

Dried Flowers Extend Flower Philanthrophy Through Winter!

We do have long winters here in Maine, so we knew how much folks would miss the blooms. Hmmmm… I dry enormous numbers of flowers all summer…statice, strawflowers, astrantia, celosias, ageratums, and so much more. We had planned to fill miniature pumpkins with dried flowers for each table at the Community Garden’s annual Harvest Supper, but oh! what Jane and Ted did with the remaining dried blossoms!!

Armloads of dried flowers soon to become mini-bouquets to help. Meals on Wheels recipients through another Maine winter  (Photo credit: Ted Metzler)

Flower Philanthropy, in this case, sharing the bounty of beauty, is an idea that could easily grow across the country.  I can’t imagine anyone better suited to this possibility than Master Gardeners, who are so generous in sharing their time, energy, expertise, experience, and love of all thing green and growing!

Do you participate in or know of ‘flower philanthropy’ type of opportunities near you?

Mary Webber
Master-Gardener-in-Training
Yarmouth, Maine
marywebb@maine.rr.com

Grandma’s Garden was created and is maintained by Lee County Alabama Master Gardeners at the Lee County Historical Museum site.

 

eLearn Urban Forestry is a new online course now available for Extension Master Gardeners and others interested in learning more about urban forestry.

As most of us know, healthy urban forests require a strong investment, and not just from the individuals and communities who benefit directly from these forests, but also from volunteers and professionals providing the expertise and care to support them. As an Extension Master Gardener volunteer, you might find yourself interested in knowing more about what it takes to select, plant, and maintain trees in urban areas to ensure their maximum benefit.

Well, now you can with eLearn Urban Forestry, a state-of-the-art online learning opportunity designed specifically for those working or volunteering in urban forestry situations, but not classically trained in urban forestry. eLearn Urban Forestry in part of the new Trees for Energy Conservation resource area on eXtension, and is led by urban forestry team members from across the U.S Complete eLearn Urban Forestry Course to Earn Credits/Certificate

The eLearn Urban Forestry Course is available for volunteer credit/certification, but individual modules can also be viewed at anytime, in any order, as a training resource.

Check with your local Master Gardener coordinator to see if you can earn volunteer credit and/or apply your certificate of completion to your local program training requirements. (Note: If you found this blog posts and are looking for professional credits to apply to your work, you can access the site for credit from the International Society of Arboriculture and Society of American Foresters, by visiting cfegroup.org. You can also review modules for free by visiting elearn.sref.info.)

Access the training for Extension Master Gardeners by visiting campus.extension.org (see how to enroll below).  This eLearn Urban Forestry course is made up of 10 modules, each module being about 1 hour each. The modules are interactive and self-paced and the whole program can take around 10-15 hours to complete.

Module topics include:

• Module 1: Costs and Benefits of the Urban Forest
• Module 2: Tree Growth and Development
• Module 3: Urban Soils
• Module 4: Site, Tree Selection, and Planting
• Module 5: Arboriculture
• Module 6: Assessing and Managing Tree Risk
• Module 7: Tree Disorder, Diagnosis, and Management
• Module 8: Trees and Construction
• Module 9: Public Policy and Urban Forestry
• Module 10: Urban Forest Management

eLearn Urban Forestry for Extension Master Gardener through eXtension

How To Enroll in eLearn Urban Forestry for Extension Master Gardeners

1)Visit the eXtension website, http://campus.extension.org

2) Set up an eXtension Campus (Moodle) account:

• “Create an account” link (top, left side of the page) via the secure connection.
• Once you have that account created, you will receive an e-mail with a confirmation and a password. Follow the instructions in the email to complete your account set-up.
• Remember your login and password so you can access this or other future courses.

Create an eXtension Campus Account (click to enlarge image)

3)Login to the course

• After you create an account, log into eXtension Campus (Moodle) ( http://campus.extension.org/ ) . Find the log in entry at the top, left side of page, where you first created the account.
• Scroll through the available course categories and select Master Gardener (under Yard and Garden).

Find eLearn Urban Forestry for Extension Master Gardeners under ‘Yard and Garden’ (click to enlarge image)

• Select the course: eLearn Urban Forestry for Master Gardeners (Teachers: Raina Sheridan)

4) View the course and get started

For more information, see: http://www.extension.org/pages/67932/elearn-urban-forestry:-online-training-in-urban-forestry

It’s Arbor Day for much of the country.  People across the nation will be planting trees.  But have you ever really considered why we plant trees?  Most of us who will plant trees either today or sometime during the year are not major forest landowners planting trees as part of our business plan.

Most folks are like me and probably you.  Ordinary folks plant trees for lots of reasons.  Some are practical to provide shade on hot summer days, and others are less vital reasons, such as to hang a swing in. One critical reason to plant trees around homes is that it can reduce energy consumption.  Research shows that mature trees shading a house can reduce energy consumption for air conditioning by more than 50 percent.  Trees in the home landscape provide other important benefits including controlling erosion and reducing stormwater runoff.

‘Why Trees ?’ video encourages more homeowners to consider planting trees.

encourages homeowners and cities to consider planting more trees.

But that’s at the individual level.  What about why should cities plant trees? It’s a question that city governments struggle to answer during tough economic times. Planting trees is an important consideration for many communities. Tree planting and maintenance budgets are often the first to go in tough economic times, and advocates for trees need sound arguments to convince elected officials.

Why Trees Video

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System tackled this question in its “Why Trees?” video. The video, available on YouTube, encourages homeowners and cities to consider planting more trees.  Two Extension forestry professionals did the research and crafted the script behind the video.

This video, using free-hand drawing and time-lapse video, is commonly referred to as a lecture doodle. It is both fun and engaging with a goal of educating and promoting advocacy for planting trees. It is an excellent educational tool for events as diverse a town-hall meeting, a Master Gardener meeting or a school classroom.

The video provides an understanding of the benefits urban trees provide to the economy, the environment and society.  Some research indicates that communities with shaded streets and parks have a stronger sense of community than cities with fewer trees. Other studies point towards lower crimes rates as urban forest canopies and maintained landscapes increase.

Economically, shops located around mature trees have shown a 12 percent increase in sales. Shoppers perceive these shops as having better merchandise and will travel larger distances to visit these businesses. In addition, homes with mature trees in the front lawn increase property values by as much as 20 percent. That’s right, healthy mature trees can add value to your home and residential property.

However, there are more than societal and economic benefits. Trees in urban landscapes have been found to lower incidences of asthma, attention deficit disorder (ADD), and shorten hospitals stays. Basically, as urban forest canopies increase so does people’s health and well-being.

The “Why Trees?” video provides an excellent synopsis of the benefits of urban trees. So the questions should not be “Why Trees?” but rather “Why Not More Trees?”.  Perhaps, it’s a conversation Master Gardeners can lead in their communities.

To watch “Why Trees?” check out this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=74063UKSmXw

By: Maggie Lawrence and Beau Brodbeck with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System

In recognition of Earth Day (April 22nd), I wanted to share the opportunity to participate in the National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Habitat program. In 2006

Shade garden in Connecticut (Photo credit Connie Schultz)

when I lived in Connecticut, I used to watch a program called Backyard Habitat with David Mizejewski, a program of the National Wildlife Federation.  Dave would go to people’s homes and help them create backyard “habitats” that were creature friendly.

A habitat is defined as “the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism or a particular type of environment regarded as a home for organisms.”

An ecosystem is defined as “a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the non-living components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.”

It’s stunning to think of your backyard – your own little piece of earth – as an ecosystem. What are the possibilities for exploring this dimension of your little plot of land? What are the implications for impacting your surroundings?

In the program, Dave Mizejewski visited home owners to help them create habitats that reflected the varying sites and locations and the homeowner’s interests – habitats for butterflies, turtles, frogs, salamanders, birds, and many more. There were only four ingredients required:

1) Food

2) Water

3) Cover/protection/shelter

4) Home (a place to have their babies)

Sounded simple! So I got started!

Bog Garden Connecticut (Photo credit Connie Schultz)

Food: I wanted to attract pollinators and I already gardened organically to avoid the indiscriminate chemicals that kill both “friend and foe” and used a lot of flowering plants. Not just any flowering plants though, because it’s important to use as many native plants as possible since the insects and the creatures that feed on them (like birds) are adapted to feed on certain varieties of plants that are native to their home environment.

Water: Our well head always overflowed or seeped, so I used that water source to create a little “bog garden

habitat.” This drew butterflies as well as bees and other pollinators.

Cover: This simply meant leaving a little patch of undeveloped woods or shrubs, a pile of sticks (easy to come by in my garden), or a pile of rocks; places where creatures can take refuge if they need to escape a predator.

Home: This meant they need a place to make a nest and raise their young. For butterflies this meant growing not only nectar plants but host plants that they lay their eggs on. If I want to attract wonderful garden toads (they eat the insects that nibble my plants), I make sure they have a dark inviting places to sleep during the day because they’re nocturnal.

Certified Backyard Habitat (sign from National Wildlife Federation)

So in 2006 my yard became a certified Backyard Habitat.

Sara Stein says in her book Noah’s Garden (I highly recommend it) :

“We cannot in fairness rail against those who destroy the rain forest or threaten the spotted owl when we have made our own backyards uninhabitable (for creatures).”

If you’d like to experience this wonderful journey into the life in your backyard, try watching this introductory video on becoming a backyard habitat and garden for life – wildlife!    Garden for Wildlife!

Also enjoy this publication, Bringing Conservation From the Countryside to Your Backyard, a cooperative project from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Association of Conservation Districts, Wildlife Habitat Council, and the National Audubon Society.

Question: Do you have a certified Backyard Habitat? Please tell us about it! (Be sure to state your location.)

by Connie Schultz, Master Gardener/Composter (’95 Cornell) now volunteering in Johnston County, NC

In today’s (Almost) Wordless Wednesday post, you’ll see examples of how some Master Gardeners from across the United States are volunteering or being recognized this National Volunteer Week 2013.

As Terry Straub mentioned last year in his Well-Educated Volunteer article, while volunteer recognition is definitely appreciated, so are meaningful, and life-long learning opportunities. Thus,  you’ll see examples of Master Gardeners participating in meaningful and fun volunteer events and also how Master Gardeners are being recognized in programs across the U.S during National Volunteer Week 2013!

This is just a beginning.  We’d like to know: How are Master Gardeners volunteering or being recognized in your program this week? (Let us know in the comments section).

Educating Youth

Educating Youth via the Junior Master Gardener Program
University of MN Extension Master Gardeners – Hennepin County
April 23

Instructing youth on how to measure plants

Citizen Science

Phenology Day Walk
Pima County Master Gardeners, University of Arizona
www.usanpn.org/tucson-phenology-trail
April 20

Master Gardeners were part of the 25 people plus 15 volunteers who collected data at 6 sites along our Tucson Phenology Trail

Master Gardeners and other volunteers participate in Saturday’s phenology celebration via the Tucson Phenology Trail

Get the latest on Master Gardeners and Nature’s Notebook

Find more about Master Gardeners and Citizen Science Opportunities

 

Answering Gardening Questions

Answering Infoline Questions
North Carolina Extension/Guilford County Master Gardeners
April 24 (date photo taken)

Dana and Jim on Infoline

 

Betty & Anita- Answering the Infoline

Annual Plant Sales

Prep for Annual Master Gardener Plant Sale
UNCE Master Gardeners
April 20, 2013

UNCE Master Gardener and Katie from Hungry Mother Organics starting seeds to prep for annual MG plant sale.

Left to Right Mark, Walt, Katie, Joyce, Sadie, Celia.
Photo by Bill Kositzky

UNL Spring Plant Affair Plant Sale
Nebraska Master Gardeners
Photos from 2012
Plants Sale is April 27 

Nebraska Master Gardeners at Spring Plant Sale

 

‘Plant Sitter’ Station keeps Spring Affair purchased plants so people can attend talks and educational events.

Propagation Team Propagates for Plant Sale
Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners
April 20th

Propagation team, propagating usual plants to raise funds for outreach programs.

See more about Spring Master Gardener Plant Sales

Volunteer Recognition and Awards

Appreciation for Answering Horticulture Questions
Hillsborough County Master Gardener Program, University of Florida
April 22

April 21st – April 27th is National Volunteer Week. National Volunteer Week honors the people who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities.

I want to personally thank each one of you [Master Gardeners] for all that you do to make the Hillsborough County Master Gardener Program a success. You give your time, talents, and creativity, and provide science-based, research information that improves the natural environment and the lives of our adult and youth citizens. THANK YOU!!!

 -Nicole

Thank You Volunteers!

 

County Proclamation
Somerset County, Rutger Master Gardener Program
April 23

“Here in  Somerset County, NJ we honor all our Extension program area volunteers with a County Proclamation recognizing their efforts”

-Nicholas Polanin, Associate Professor, County Agent II, State Coordinator, Rutgers Master Gardener Program

Rutger Program Recogntion

Volunteer of the Year
Sacramento County MG program
Tuesday, April 23

University of California Lifetime Master Gardener Farmer Fred Hoffman was honored as Master Gardener “Volunteer of the Year” for 2012 by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (April 23). Fred hosts two popular Northern California gardening radio shows each week and spreads extension information via numerous social media platforms, his website, blogs and newspaper columns. Next to Fred and dressed in green, is Sacramento County MG program coordinator Judy McClure.

Sacramento-Volunteer of the Year

 

Volunteer Recognition
UNCE Master Gardener, Washoe County
April 22

Master Gardener Volunteer Dale Hildebrandt’s volunteer service was acknowledged on Monday at the Washoe County Commissioners meeting. She is pictured here with the other volunteers recognized, she’s in the center of the third row, to the left of the Nevada flag and to the right of the uniformed gentleman in the third row.

 

Master Gardener Volunteer, Dale Hildebrandt with other Washoe County, Nevada Volunteers

 

Awards Breakfast
NC Cooperative Extension/Guilford County Center
April 17

We held an Awards Breakfast last Wednesday, during which our Horticulture Agent, Karen Neill, presented County Commissioner Linda
Shaw with a “check” for $368,854.26, representing the volunteer contribution of Guilford County’s EMGs to the residents of the County.

During the Breakfast, Jeanne Aller was presented the award for Veteran of the Year for 2012, honoring in part her contribution of more than 500 hours to the program; Intern Ken Bastion, who put in more than 180 hours as well as signing on as Co-Chair of our Demo Garden Committee during his trainee year, is shown accepting his Rookie of the Year award.

-Linda Brandon, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator
NC Cooperative Extension/Guilford County Center

(Editor’s note: Exploring our Roots is an excerpt first written by Bob Kellam for the North Carolina Extension Master Gardeners Volunteer Association Newsletter.  His preface is directed at members of the North Carolina Extension Master Gardener Association, but has relevance for all programs exploring the roots and connections between Extension and the Master Gardener program.}

Preface:  Those of you who attended last year’s conference in Asheville may remember the lively discussion we had at the membership meeting concerning the addition of “Extension” to the Association’s name.  I was struck by the number of Master Gardeners who wondered aloud why we would want to do that.  What does Extension have to do with the Master Gardeners anyway?  It occurred to me that, beyond the fact that our program is part of Cooperative Extension, my own understanding of how and why Extension came to be was sadly lacking.  So I set out to do some research on the subject.  The results of that effort are below, albeit a bit condensed.  Some of the questions I set out to answer were:  Where did the name Cooperative Extension come from and why do you usually get blank stares when you mention it?, Who was the first Extension agent?, What was the real reason for creating 4H?  and, Where does the EMG program fit in?  I hope you will find the answers as interesting and illuminating as I did. – Bob

The Beginning: Industrial Revolution Brings Progress, Agriculture Struggles

It wasn’t so long ago that about half the U.S. population lived on farms.  Now only about 2% of us do, and only 17% live in what are called “rural areas”.  80 years ago, most of us would have been very familiar with the work of Extension. Now only about 1 in 5 would recognize the name.  And therein lies the rub: Extension has never been just about agriculture, but even most of the 20% would say: “oh, yeah, that’s 4H and the ag agents.”

In the latter part of the 19th century, the industrial revolution is well underway and the cities are growing, but half of us still live on farms, and it has become, for the most part, a hardscrabble life.  Agriculture in America is an unproductive system, built on tradition, superstition, and backbreaking toil.  Families spend as much as 40% of their income on food, and the disparity between the quality of life on the farm and life in the city is getting larger, with a considerable proportion of the former suffering from poverty and illiteracy.  Most farmers are suspicious of the new techniques being developed by the fledgling USDA, referring to them as “book farming.”  As a result, productivity is down, soils are being depleted in as few as 5 years, and food prices are going up.  Something has to give.

By the 1870s the industrial revolution is in full swing and America’s cities are bustling with activity

 

Poor crop rotation and lack of contour plowing are depleting soils at an alarming rate

 

Life is different on farms in late 1800s, where poverty and illiteracy grows

Morrill Act Forms USDA and Land Grant Universities

Early in President Lincoln’s first term, Congress finally gets its act together, despite the fact that there’s a war on, passing in the same year the “Organic Act” which formed USDA and the Morrill Act of 1862.

The Morrill Act establishes “Land Grant” universities in each State to educate citizens in agriculture, home economics, mechanical arts, and other practical professions.

Morrill Act

In the first year as a land grant university (1889), NCSU boasts 72 students and 6 faculty.

The idea of a “land grant” is actually a practice we borrowed from Europe, in which the government provides a grant of federal land to be used for a specific purpose, or which can be sold to raise funds for that purpose.  In this case, the specific purpose is considerably different from the liberal arts curricula of most institutions of higher learning.  The implementation of the law leads to the formation of the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts in 1887 and it’s first class matriculates in 1889.

Hatch Act Creates Agricultural Experimental Stations

Seaman Knapp

In 1867, the Hatch Act creates agricultural experimental stations and, in 1890, the second Morrill Act, aimed at the former Confederate states, provides additional funds, but with a catch: the states must demonstrate that race is not a criterion for admission.  In those separate but not so equal times, this leads to the founding of our second land grant university, NCA&T.  But the USDA, charged with raising productivity and bringing down the cost of food, is still grappling with how to get farmers to embrace the new practices being developed.

Enter one Seaman A. Knapp, felt by many to be the father of Extension.  He is a physician by training, a college instructor, and comes to farming late, but is impressed by the new farming techniques being developed in Michigan and Iowa.  In 1902, he’s dispatched to Texas to start a demonstration farm to help combat the cotton boll weevil.  The farm is a successful cooperative venture with local farmers and the idea quickly spreads across the South.

In 1907, the USDA sends Cassius R Hudson to North Carolina to start a similar demonstration program.  Unfortunately, he isn’t received all that warmly by the local farmers who view him as just another Washington bureaucrat who is out of touch with “real agriculture.”

Cassius Hudson

Under the rules of his employment he must be paid by the State, and the only federal support he is given is $1.00 for mailing expenses.  North Carolina grudgingly assigns him office space adjacent to the area where the corn and grain exhibit for the state fair is stored, and numerous, well-fed families of mice from next door visit regularly, much to the distress of the secretaries.

Clubs promote growing and food preservation practices

In 1908, to promote some of the new growing practices, NC State signs a memorandum of understanding with USDA to start Farmers Boys’ Clubs, the forerunner of 4H.  The success of the resulting “Corn Clubs” is still being celebrated 50 years later.  In 1911, Jane S McKimmon is hired to develop girls’ “Canning Clubs” and “Tomato Clubs” in response to an epidemic of food poisoning, due in large part to poor food preservation practices.  This focus on youth is largely motivated by the USDA’s repeated failure to persuade older farmers to adopt better practices.  USDA begins to realize that raising a new generation of farmers more open to improved techniques may be part of the solution.  And the strategy pays off.

Corn Clubs, the forerunner of 4H

Girls canning clubs help to combat food-borne illness

Smith Lever Act Extends Practical Applications of Research to Counties

The growing success (literally) of these programs leads to the passage in 1914 of the Smith-Lever Act, also known as the Extension Agriculture Act. Smith-Lever is designed “to aid in diffusing among the people of the United States, useful and practical information on subjects relating to agriculture and home economics, and to encourage the application of the same.”  The Act forms a partnership between the USDA and the land grant universities to extend the practical applications of research through demonstrations at the county level (e.g. your cooperative extension office), and requires the states to match federal funding on an equal basis.

Smith-Lever is still considered one of the most responsible and ingenious pieces of legislation ever passed by Congress.  It provides the authorizing legislation to create an Extension presence at the county level and does so by shared funding with state and local governments.

Squanto, the 1st Extension agent?

There is some dispute about who should be recognized as being the first Extension agent.  Seaman Knapp, of boll weevil fame, is one contender.  But another popular candidate, given the mission of Extension, is Squanto, a member of the Patuxent tribe who, legend has it, helped the Plymouth colonists through their first hard winter in 1621, by teaching them how to grow corn by adding a fish for fertilizer.

Core Principles of Extension Revealed Through Acts

The things that the implementers of the Morrill, Hatch, and Smith-Lever Acts learned in translating these laws into effective programs can be distilled down to a simple statement:

If you want to persuade people to undertake something, the effort needs to be: responsive to a recognized need or issue; cooperative and interactive; practical, well-demonstrated, and service-oriented.  Throw in un-biased, research-based information and include a focus on youth, and you pretty much have the core principles of Extension – and the Extension Master Gardeners.

Extension During the Farm and Great Depression

Over the next several decades, there are several more forces that help to shape Extension.  In the Farm Depression of the 1920’s the focus changes from production to economic concerns and quality of life issues.  Extension’s ranks thin, emergency funds disappear and the program become more dependent on volunteers.  This has the positive benefit of stimulating rural leadership, however, as well as the formation of local cooperatives.

The Great Depression obliges Extension to become more dependent on volunteers and local cooperatives

The next major test is the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s.  Extension draws farm families into county, state, and national public affairs.  Home economic programs focus on self-sufficiency.  Ultimately, Extension is called on to manage several new agencies: initially the Farm Seed and Loan program and, later, the Soil and Water Conservation Service, Agricultural Adjustment Act, Rural Electrification, and Federal Housing Administration.

Volunteers Become Extension Backbone After World Wars

During and after the World Wars, Extension helps the country focus on food and fiber production for the war effort and volunteer leadership evolves.  It is during this time that volunteers become the backbone of Extension.

WSU Forms the First Extension Master Gardener Program

In 1972, the Washington State Cooperative Extension, in response to a high demand for urban horticulture and gardening advice, forms the first Master Gardener program.  By the end of the decade, the program has spread across the country to North Carolina.  New Hanover county gets bragging rights for creating the first gardening hotline in 1979, but Wake County, NC graduates the first class of Master Gardeners in the same year.  By the 2009 survey, there are more than 95,000 Master Gardeners nationwide, providing 5,000,000 hours of volunteer service annually.

So, How Does the Master Gardener Program Align with Extension?

One of the questions I had posed for myself when I began this research was: where does the Master Gardener program fit in to Extension? The answer I’ve come to understand is: just about everywhere.If you line the Master Gardener programs up against the core principles of Extension the match is clear:

• We respond to the recognized needs of waterwise strategies, avoiding invasive species, and minimizing fertilizer and pesticide use.
• We provide cooperative and interactive phone and email support, successful gardening clinics, speakers’ bureaus, farmers’ market assistance, and junior Master Gardener training.
• We offer practical help in best gardening practices and teaching courses like Vegetables 101.
• And we are service-oriented through our community gardening, Habitat for Humanity, and horticultural therapy programs.

Cooperative Extension Programs –  Yesterday and Today

And, should you be tempted to subscribe to the notion that Extension has somehow become less relevant as America has become less rural, consider the kinds of programs that Cooperative Extension currently offers to counties.

In Community and Economic Development, Extension offers municipal official development, rural-urban interface studies, land use issues, public policy, and water quality programs.  For families and youth, there are programs on health and food safety, managing family and household resources, strengthening family life, volunteer and leadership development, and improving the life skills of youth. In agriculture and natural resources, Extension manages programs in plant and animal science, fruits and vegetables, turf and gardening, farm management, forestry and forestry products, and marketing agricultural products.

It would appear that Extension’s responsibilities have broadened over the years.  If you focus on what Smith-Lever wanted to happen in the area of food production: greater reliance on research; higher and more efficient production; and cheaper food, you might argue that we have succeeded too well.  As far as the goals for its second century, we do have some hints: promoting local food (the current flagship program in NC), encouraging sustainable production (not depleting our resources faster than we can replenish them), and, at least, recognizing the potential adverse impacts of some of the research inroads we’ve made in the last few decades (pesticide and hormone residues, GMO, mono-cropping, and the narrowing of the gene pool.

Strong Belief in Equality of Individuals, Possibility of Change and Progress, Reliability of Scientific Information, Power of Education

If we focus on the underlying principle of Extension as improving the quality of American life, then the periodic adjustment and re-calibration of our goals is wholly consistent with a research-based organization.  And, throughout its history, the guiding philosophy of Extension has remained unchanged: a strong belief in the equality of individuals, the possibility of change and progress, the reliability of scientific information, and the power of education.

Liberty Hyde Bailey, another of Extension’s founders was a member of the Cornell faculty and dean of the New York College of Agriculture from 1903-13.  He observed:

  “Extension work is not exhortation.  Nor is it exploitation of the people, or advertising of an institution, or publicity work for securing students.  It is a plain, earnest, and continuous effort to meet the needs of the people on their own farms and in their localities.”

And, since he was a teacher, he had the habit of asking his students: “What do you know today that you did not know the last time we met?”

 

{Editors note: The Howard County Maryland Master Gardeners  Rake and Take volunteer program that helps turn one’s surplus of leaves into another one’s mulch and compost was worth waiting to share for National Volunteer Week, Earth Day and Arbor Day celebrations – as it hits on all these themes. Thank you Pat Hooker and the HCMDMGs for sharing the story about how this program is coordinated and implemented. – Karen Jeannette}

What is Rake and Take?

“Rake and Take” is a program of the University of Maryland Extension Howard County Master Gardeners which pairs leaf ‘Rakers’ with leaf ‘Takers’.

Clip from ‘Rake and Take’ flyer

Rakers agree to bag pesticide/herbicide-free leaves and place them at the curb of their residences. Takers agree to pick up the bags. Takers either use the leaves for their own compost piles or shred the leaves for mulch.  Some leaves even make it to the compost demonstration sites in Howard County (see our composting page for more info) via members of the HC/MD/MG Composting Committee.

While most of the Takers have been Master Gardeners, the Rake and Take program is open to any Howard County citizen and several non-Master Gardeners participate, especially those who have recently become interested in composting.

Information about the composting demonstration sites is included in the promotional Rake and Take flyer.

What does Rake and Take Look Like? First the ‘Rakers’ rake and bag

Raking Leaves

Bags of leaves waiting to be shredded

Then the “Takers’ shred leaves

Shredding leaves under tree

Then “Takers’ mulch….

Some leaves mulch garden beds

..or make compost

Some leaves go to compost heap

(The compost pile gets insulated in late fall with leaf bags)

The compost ‘cooking’

Compost – ‘black gold’ on a garden bed

Rakers and Takers Get an Opportunity to Talk ‘Compost’

Sometimes Master Gardener Takers have an opportunity to have a conversation with Rakers and this year we are asking them to share a Backyard Composting brochure to educate more people about composting. When Takers have a chance to interact with Rakers it is a very positive experience for both and helps spread the word about good gardening practices.

How Rake and Take is Coordinated

As the Rake and Take coordinator, I keep a database of names, addresses with zip codes, e-mail addresses and phone numbers of participants. Both Rakers and Takers register with me annually. When a Raker notifies me they have leaves available I use the zip code to match with a Taker in the same general neighborhood (for the sake of mutual convenience) if I already have a Taker name.

Otherwise I send a notice to the Howard County Master Gardeners e-mail list stating the number of bags and the general location of the leaf pickup. When I get a response, I provide the contact information to the Taker, who then makes pickup arrangements with the Raker. I make a point of not including personal contact information on the e-mail list posting since that is freely available to the general public on the web. In some cases people who have been paired one year contact one another directly the following year and the relationship continues from one year to the next.

Promoting Rake and Take

The program is advertised through local newspapers, on our Howard County MG Rake and Take website and on the Howard County Green Central Station website. Lindsay DeMarzo who writes a blog for Green Central station in Howard County MD has recently done a very nice posting “Share the Wealth with Rake and Take’ about our Rake and Take program. Additionally we distribute the Rake and Take flyer at the Plant Clinics during the late summer and fall months.

If you are interested in coordinating a Rake and Take project near you, we’d be happy to answer any question you may by contacting us through our  Howard County MG Rake and Take website.

by Pat (Patricia) Hooker
Howard County MD Master Gardener

(Photo: Deviantart, v-collins)

Today we celebrate Earth Day, where we take a look at the earth and our place in it.  Though we must remember that every day is really an “earth day.”  It is not what we do on one day in April that makes the difference – it is what we do every day that makes the difference.

  We take pause to celebrate the goodness of the earth, the bounty that it provides, and the quality that it brings to our lives.  We celebrate the fertile soil, the life- sustaining waters, the cycle of life and of death, and all the plants, animals, fungi and other life forms that form the webs and networks and cycles that keep us in balance.

Earth Day is also a call to reflect upon our place on earth and our contributions to the goodness of earth and our impacts on the natural resources on which we rely and which make the earth the grand and glorious place of which poets speak and from which artists find their inspiration.  It is also a  call to action to evaluate our activities and practices as gardeners and make sure that we are following best practices that benefit the environment or at least cause the least harm to the earth and the environment.

By being good stewards in the garden, we take care of the resources that have been entrusted to us.  We also invest in the earth and the environment, rather than use or abuse those resources.  We can make a difference in our local environs, which, in turn, are a part of the larger global environment.  We are, afterall, taking care of the place where we live.

So, what are some things that you can do to be an Earth Friendly Gardener?  There are many simple practices to consider in the garden that will either be beneficial or decrease negative impacts or our direct interaction with nature.

1. Compost

By composting our yard wastes and kitchen scraps, we reduce the amount of wastes added to landfills and make one of the best soil amendments you can add to your garden.  Good compost also encourages a thriving micro-ecosystem of fungi, bacteria and other little critters that are good for the soil and the plants.  You can take it one step further and practice vermicomposting- a worm bin in or near the kitchen to eat those veggie scraps.  Cornell has more info than you can digest on composting in this handy guide.

A bee pollinates a flower. (Photo: Photopedia, Mauro Moroni)

2.  Feed the Pollinators

Pollination is vital to the health of the world food supply – estimates show that at least 75% of the food crops in the world require pollination.  As we have seen issues with honeybees in recent years, it is as important as ever to make sure that we have a healthy population of native pollinators (plus we can also help feed honeybees).  Pollinators such as native bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds and even bats can benefit from a good food source and other needs.  Check out www.pollinator.org to find a pollinator planting guide for your area.  They even have a pollinator gardening app!

3.  Conserve water

Water is one of our most precious, and most limited, natural resources.  Some areas of the country have water in abundance, while others are severely lacking.  Looking at water consumption in our vegetable gardens, landscapes and lawns is important, no matter where we are.  Some practices like mulching, using native plants, selecting water-wise plants, using drip irrigation instead of sprinklers and collecting irrigation water in rain barrels are all ways to help.  Be sure to find ways to conserve water in your vegetable garden and your landscape.

Teapots and mugs make fun recycled garden containers. (Photo: Flickr, Vilseskogen)

4. Recycle

While composting is nutrient recycling, there’s room for recycling other things in the garden.  My favorite veggie garden mulch is newspaper, and some of my favorite seed starting containers are recycled plastic cups and takeout containers.  There is no limit to recycling in the garden.  There’s lots of garden art that can be made from recycled materials, and you can make a planter out of anything you can drill a hole in.  Check out this nifty list of garden recycling I found from the University of Florida.

5.  Be a Climate Friendly Gardener

There are many steps that we can take that reduce the carbon emissions of our gardens and their potential impact on the climate.  The Union of Concerned Scientists has a nice booklet on practices such as choosing low-impact products, choosing trees and shrubs, proper lawn management and more.  You can download the booklet or read the basics at their site.

6.  Practice Integrated Pest Management

IPM focuses on reducing or preventing pest problems, rather than reacting to pest problems.  Practices like using row covers to exclude insects, proper plant spacing, reducing overhead watering and using mulch to reduce diseases are great ways to prevent diseases.  IPM uses the least-toxic pesticides as a last-resort for pest control.  The National Pesticide Information Center is a great resource for IPM in the home, garden, lawn and more.

7. Love your soil

 Great gardeners know that you start with the soil – it is one of the most important things in your garden.  The first step is testing your soil, but it doesn’t stop there.  Adding organic matter to improve structure and rotating crops with different root depths and shapes can be great ways to affect the soil.  The Conservation Technology Information Center at Purdue has some good background information on what to do.  You can find out more about your soil using the NRCS Web Soil Survey.

8. Use least-toxic or organic pesticides

We know that there are problems that arise that do need treatment from time to time.  When making choices on disease, pest, or weed treatments, gardeners should always make the least-toxic choice to handle the situation.  Many gardeners also choose to select organic controls for pests.  Organics are usually produced from naturally-occurring sources, though safety precautions should always be followed – they can have some of the same impacts on health and the environment as their non-organic cousins.  I found a good list of least-toxic and organic pesticides from Oregon State University.

A wonderful backyard vegetable garden. (Photo: Flickr, Laura K. Gibb)

9. Grow Your Own Food

By growing your own vegetables, not only do you know what you are eating, but it can also reduce the amount of fuel used to get your food from farm to plate.  You can also practice edible landscaping and grow fruits, veggies and other tasty treats among the flowers.  The estimated travel distance for an item on the grocery shelf is 1200 miles, which could vary depending on where you live.  To find info on growing your food, check out the Ready, Set, GROW! section of my county extension webpage.  You’ll also find handouts from some of my workshops, including “The Sustainable Garden,” “Food Among The Flowers,” and more.

10.  Share your love of gardening

There’s nothing better than sharing the joys and benefits of gardening with your friends and neighbors.  Show your neighbors how to grow your favorite plant, adopt a school garden, help patients garden at a nursing home, or just find your own way to share your love of the earth.

John Porter
Extension Agent, WVU Extension Service
Charleston, WV

@WVUgardenguru
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

 

Looking for the tiny hidden treasures in the garden…..

 

(Lft to Rt) Serissa foetida flower, moss fruiting bodies, Virginia Creeper pads or sticky fingers (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), tiny Testudinaria flowers. Photo Credit Sara Siegers and Connie Schultz

by Connie Schultz, Master Gardener/Composter (’95 Cornell Extension), now volunteering in Johnston County, NC