Monroe County Master Gardener Association

Mark Your Calendars: 2018 Master Gardener College, Sept. 14-15

Ready? Set? Join us on the Road to Southeast Michigan!

HARVESTING EXCITEMENT: Learning, Growing and Sharing

Master Gardener College is designed to support and enhance the research and science-based knowledge of the currently certified MSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers and Trainees.

Location: Wayne County Community College District (Ted Scott Campus) 955 Haggerty Road, Belleville, MI 48111

The event will primarily take place at the Ted Scott campus. With lots of meeting space and easy access to free parking, this will serve as the event headquarters. Easily catch the bus for our day-long tours or other offsite events.

Friday: Friday features full day tours, showcasing all that southeastern Michigan has to offer or participate in one of our half-day workshops filled with critical need-to-know information! The tours and workshops will be followed by Garden Marketplace shopping, MMGA annual meeting, a delicious dinner, and an award presentation to wrap-up the evening.

Saturday: Features hot horticultural topics and information you do not want to miss for 2018. Plus earn educational credits for attending.

Keynote: Two nationally recognized horticultural experts who will share their wisdom and expertise.

Lectures: Many topics will be selected based on previous years surveys, ensuring there’s something for everyone.

Workshops – Back by popular demand, Saturday will feature hands-on workshops that promise to be sell-outs.

Shopping: Visit the enhanced Garden Marketplace, sure to please any gardener! The Garden Marketplace will be open on Friday evening and include new vendors and products from the area. What a way to reward yourself as you begin plans for next year!

For more information Visit the Master Gardener College website and visit often. Updates are happening all the time as plans are confirmed! http://www.canr.msu.edu/master_gardener_volunteer_program/master_gardener_college/

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The first meeting of the new Horticulture Club, February 17, had 22 new members join and a pretty full room to hear Josh Miller talk about his job at Four Star Greenhouse and some of his favorite Proven Winner plants. Some of the members plan to sign up for Taylor Conservancy’s Growing Great Gardens Program March 17, while others will return to the MSUE office that day for a different program. On March 10, some will carpool to the spring bulb show at Hidden Lake Gardens.

MCMGA President, Doris declaring this a significant marker in the master gardener program as
we welcome new members to the first meeting of the Horticulture Club.

Jennie talks to the group about our speaker planned for this meeting

Our speaker, Josh Miller, from Four Star Nursery speaks to our club about Proven Winners and Proven Selections

Answering questions from the club member about the production process, marketing and shipping of their beautiful Products.

New Horticultural members watch intently as Josh Miller shows us new introductions for this year.

New introductions include a sedum with fine foliage,and tight compact growth in a bright green named Lemon Coral, an orange Calendula called Lady Godiva, and a pink Supertunia called Hot Pink Charm. in the background

A beautiful new Dahlia is a 2018 introduction. An unusual color to the line. it’s named Delightful Crushed Crimson.

Delighfful Crushed Crimson Dahlia along with Rockin Deep Purple Salvia (who calyx or sepal is a purple color) , and a newly introduced Meteor Showers Verbena.

At the end of the presentation each of us were able to take one of these introductions home with us. I chose the new Primo Black Pearl Heuchera.

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Winnie was so kind as to write a review for the Blog:

Rock Gardening by Joseph Tychonievich- Reimagining a Classic Style
Joseph is from Michigan but his book takes us all over the U.S. and
the United Kingdom showcasing rock gardens that are low maintenance,
drought resistant, time savers and also versatile.
You can begin with existing gardens or excavate and construct to
create your own personal design.
The photographs in this book are so refreshing that I’d like to just
step into them and get lost in their beauty. There are stunning photos
of larger rockscapes and pathways as well as other garden examples
that are relatively small- mostly private gardens to encourage us
gardeners with limited space. I enjoyed seeing the different plant
containers, hypertufa creations,and interesting garden accents along
with varying clips of striking color, textures,movement,and sizes of
so many plants and flowers.bn
The book features a chapter on differenet climates, and several
sources for procuring plants,seeds,and growing cuttings as well as
instructions for making hypertufa into containers or even using it as
edging.
This was a perfect book for me to sit and read through as a foot of
snow fell outside. You can request a copy at the Monroe County Library
System.
Winnie

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bE-Informed
Monroe Conservation District
February 2018

Minor corrections to the Spring 2018 Conservation Plants Sale
Hosta substitutions:
Blue Angel replaces Blue Hawaii; 32” tall by 70″ wide Heart-shaped blue-green leaves are slightly wavy and have nice corrugation. This hosta emerges blue but will be blue-green to green by mid-summer. Very little direct sunlight to hold onto the blue the longest. These giant hostas have excellent slug resistance.
Rainbow’s End replaces Cherry Berry; 10” tall by 21” wide Very showy and unique hosta with extreme variegation and shiny leaves. with a bright yellow center and dark green margins. The leaf variegation is so irregular that no two leaves look the same. The center of the leaf brightens to white during the summer. Give this hosta some good fertile soil and some bright sun for best results. In late summer, showy red scapes carry the dark lavender, tubular flowers. Slug Resistant.
Victory replaces T-Rex; 35” tall by 70” wide. Shiny green leaves with wide cream margins. Large heart-shaped leaves have a wavy cream margin. These very large thick leaves are held upright as they emerge and form a massive mound when mature. Absolutely stunning hosta that should be used as a specimen plant where it can be appreciated! Slug resistant.
Another correction is that the Lapins Cherry is self-fertile, it does not need another cherry to pollinate although another cherry will encourage a larger harvest.

Well Water Testing:
The Monroe Conservation District will screen drinking water well samples for nitrate/nitrite during tree pickup hours.
The screening is sponsored by the Monroe Conservation District and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). There is no fee to participants for this service. The screening is open to everyone who uses a personal well for drinking water; however, the number of samples that can be tested is limited to one.
Please do not bring samples from public water supplies or non-drinking water sources. Only drinking water well samples will be tested. You do not have to use a special bottle for this screening. Any small clean jar will work—one ounce of water is enough.

The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) is an innovative, proactive program that helps farms of all sizes and all commodities voluntarily prevent or minimize agricultural pollution risks. MAEAP‘s mission is to develop and implement a proactive environmental assurance program ensuring that Michigan farmers are engaging in cost-effective pollution prevention practices and working to comply with state and federal environmental regulations. Please visit with Monroe’s MAEAP Technicians while picking up your trees or Monday thru Friday at the Monroe Conservation District office.

Monroe Conservation District Spring 2018 Conservation Plants Fundraiser Catalog is available on our website – http://www.monroecd.org/products.html If you are not on our mailing list and would like to receive a hard copy of the tree order form, please reply to this e-mail with your name and mailing address, or call the Conservation District office, (734) 241.8540 Ext 5.

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Gail writes:
February 2018 Just received another email listing available events. On average, I get weekly notices like this from various groups. Should have no trouble attaining the increase in education hours now required for MG certification; at issue is choosing one. As I reviewed them, I noted a reference made to one listed for the Oakwoods Metropark in Flat Rock, Michigan. That reminded me I had not reported on an event Linda had posted to our blog in November, which Connie V. and I attended: Oak Openings Invasive Species Strategy Workshop. Don’t ask……..I laugh now but when the program started, Connie and I just sat there with our mouths open. What had we gotten into now??? We found it very, very interesting but learned quickly that neither of us had the full educational background for the topic at hand; however the room was full of those who did. The program was in depth (at least to us) on all the methods the Green Ribbon Initiative group is using to tackle the invasive plant species in our environment. Student, Ashlee Decker from the University of Toledo, who is attaining her master’s degree, led the seminar. She was an excellent speaker and covered the strategy and purpose of the study. We discussed the various levels assigned to specific plants and the observations which defined specifics for types of environment in defined counties and regions the plants were located. There was a multitude of studies, and graphs based on everything and anything; far more than I can put down here. They covered the characteristics of the plants, the nature which allows them to become invasive, the impactthey have on the “native” environment and just what can be done to control them. Mind the word “control” there is a long process to actually eradicate but it can happen and we play a role. One factor Connie and I found most interesting was the development and use of the program known as the MISIN (Midwest Invasive Plant Network). This program uses a mobile app to track and map locations of the invasive plants in a specific area by using a list of criteria to rank them. Due to the weather that day, we were not able to actually go out and utilize this program. (Ok I admit, I do not have a smart phone so I wasn’t even able to download the app not alone use it). In closing, I want to leave these thoughts. Despite my being techno challenged, it is exciting to know there are students involved in these types of studies. Once again, we arereminded that maybe the most important role we as master gardeners have, is to SHARE by planting the seeds of our knowledge, experiences and concerns with the next generation, however we can. These seeds will instill a desire within their beings to care for our Mother Earth. I want to encourage all of you to take the time to go out to the Oakwoods Metro Park. The diversity of the various habitats in this park located in our backyards no less, is just amazing. So to that, I am thankful I attended the program but extend an apology as I did not have my camera. Connie and I (with camera) plan to go back. This is a park with 4 season interest and the Nature Center is extensively involved with children. I am sending Linda the newsletter link I have for the Green Ribbon group so you can access their schedule; some are based at the Oakwoods Metro Park. Garden on and think spring. gail k

Here is a link to the Oak Openings Web site: https://www.oakopenings.org/?utm_source=Oak%20Openings%20Newletter&utm_campaign=864d1855e8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_80be2b9799-864d1855e8-45463155
Link to their newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/a09eb1215803/oak-openings-gri-february-newsletter?e=8f5512a66a

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