Monroe County Master Gardener Association

Story and Photos by Gail K

 In honor of May 1—- “Naked Gardening Day”  a few pics from my back yard

 feathered friends——always welcome a sharp call announcing their arrival & the grape jelly stays out til they fly south.

removing winter colors for a sunny display-

Just tulips….One year, I changed out the colors but

people let me know, they “really” preferred the all red and all
white flower beds……….so  that’s what I plant.

this and that, in and about the yard

Welcome mat for Hummers-Dwarf Buckeye

 Below: Trillium–all for now, & I promise I had clothes on when I took these photos……..    Welcome Spring!!!!

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Gail sent this in case anyone is interested

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story & Phots by Gail K.

April mtg-2022Covid restrictions newly lifted:

Jennie suggested with no speaker scheduled; we take advantage of watching a previous zoom meeting hosted by MSU extension.   (note location of speaker)

One major aspect of being a Master Gardener at any level is the quest to learn & share.  Covid forced us to change in order to achieve and maintain……

Zoom meetings allowed us to broaden the scope of who & where  we garnered our gardening info.

Look at the number of people who were involved in the original mtg.

If you look closely-one of our own members was a participant-

do you see her??? Hello-Deb!

She is proficient & knowledgeable in growing daylilies–

Here are the pictures of two plant types he spoke of Lenten Roses & Succulents. So very striking—-in color and contrast.

This lecture was informative & well worth the time. Thanks Jennie for sharing: because no matter where we are, or what we grow; as gardeners we face the same concerns. We love Mother Earth & know we must strive to seek a balance in our care of her and our quests to find that perfect plant./g

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story & photos by Gail K.

With Covid still a concern, our first meeting/speaker for 2022was held in March.

It was nice seeing a friendly face: Josh from 4 Star came with his top picks of Proven Winner plants for 2022.

Everyone was intent on hearing all the latest, as Josh spoke about the testing and trials which the Proven Winner brand goes thru before it reaches the market. 

As is his norm-Josh brought many plants for us to see.

With Covid, many have taken up “gardening” so he also brought house plants from Proven Winners.

Knowing several of our members love using Coleus–Josh shared a photo of one he wasn’t able to bring a sample of.     Very Striking I must say.

He also shared a sample of a petunia-the closest to a true-blue color they have ever achieved

The meeting ended with Josh graciously allowing anyone to choose from the selections below; a plant to take home. THANK YOU JOSH!  As always, a very informative discussion/g.

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story & photos by Gail K.

The past two years, found many of us facing a variety of life’s curve balls.  I would like to step back in time and catch up on posts to our blog………

March 2022- I attended a discussion on bird seed and feeders  at a  local nursery.   Our host was Jennifer-

–

I’ve spoken of Nature’s Corner before-finding Jen to be informative & helpful.  Maybe you’ve
heard her garden talks on Toledo TV channels.

The day was sunny but chilly.  There was a large number in attendance & most were excitedly anticipating spring’s arrival and winter’s end.

The speaker was a rep from a seed company.  He had a variety of seed & feeders; was informative and

happy to answer the many questions.

There was even a raffle drawing:

Although I did not win; these friendly ladies got me my free sunflower seeds and helped me with the purchase of a

nifty feeder to hold meal worms that I use to feed my bluebirds.If ever you are out that way–stop in at Nature’s Nursery-they have plants of all kinds and a great gift shop.
SEE YA AT THE CORNER………………..g

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JOAN sent Gail these flyers. She thought to share with all…..in case some

others want to give some thought to attending either one………..

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Naida sent in this information on Bedford’s Garden tour.

This event is the major fundraiser for the Bedford Garden Club with proceeds used for library and community projects along with providing a $1,000 scholarship each year to a Bedford High School graduate who plans to study horticulture or agriculture.

What: Bedford Flower and Garden Club Annual Garden Tour

When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 9.

Starting point: Bedford Branch Library, 8575 Jackman Rd., Temperance.

Cost: $10 a person, available at the library on the day of the tour.

Benefit: Proceeds are used by the garden club for library and community projects, along with a scholarship fund for Bedford High School students.

At the tour’s beginning point, the Bedford Branch Library, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy floral displays, music and refreshments. There also will be a Backyard Boutique area with raffle drawings and garden-related items for purchase.

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In the last few years, I’ve planted 5 David Austin James Galway roses along my newly installed fence, an Eden climbing rose and Zephirine Drouhin climbing rose on an arbor installed.  Along with these were several rose bushes I’ve planted throughout the year.  My roses were doing beautifully with foliage, but I notice the buds looking a bit odd.  I first thought it was just the odd weather we’ve been having because as they were opening I notices brownish edges on them.  Many opened fully, but you could see the damage.  I did some research and found that I had thrips.  I followed some instructions to make sure by taking an open rose and shaking it onto the palm of my hand….yes there they were.  They are so small, like the size of a whisker, these tiny little insects sucking the life from my roses. 

For treatment I got a rose insecticide making sure that it said it would treat thrips.  I sprayed every bud and bloom on every rose in my front and back yard.  I did this to make sure I can eliminate them.  I left it on a day, then I went back and cut off every bud and bloom on every rose bush in my yard.  I did this even though some did not show damage.  I just didn’t want to take the chance.  Hopefully, they’re controlled and will only hurt this first spring bloom.  I will definitely spray as soon as I see a bud forming to prevent further infestation.  Cutting all those beautiful roses and buds off was just so depressing…I’m sure I will feel better as soon as they begin to produce again. I put them in a sealed bag and disposed of them.  Just heartbreaking.  Thrips tend to go for light color and pink roses, however I cut all just to be safe. I suppose that’s why my Eden shows the most damage.  Hopefully, they have blooms by the garden tour.

I will closely watch for any signs and spray periodically.  The foliage still appears healthy, although I did find a few saw fly damage and larvae.  I picked those off and destroyed them. Here are some photos of all I had to treat and remove.

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Stella sent us info:

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity at MBGNA.  We completed three successful plant sales, hosted a national cut flower show, welcomed the first outdoor wedding of the year, launched the 2022 Shakespeare in the Arb season, and celebrated the W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden’s 100th Anniversary!  We are so grateful to our amazing staff and volunteers for all of their hard hard work readying the gardens and supporting these events, and to our visitors who made it all worthwhile.  We could not have done it without you!Bonsai in BloomOur Azalea Bonsai are currently blooming and they are exquisite! Their bloom is short-lived, so stop in to Matthaei Botanical Gardens this week if you want to see them in person. Interested in growing your own bonsai?  We have a DIY guide on our website, check it out here.Bugs with Beth: Mining bee (genus Andrena)by Beth WeilerThis week’s featured bug is a Mining bee (genus Andrena)! These bees get their name from their nesting habit, which is to “mine” and create their nests in bare ground. All bees in this genus are solitary ground-nesters. Female Mining bees excavate a small burrow in the ground, then divide it into multiple cells; she will lay one egg in each cell. The female then collects pollen throughout the day and turns it into “bee bread”: firm, round little loaves of pollen, which she leaves in each cell for the developing baby bee to eat. Pictured is Andrena vicina, the Neighborly Mining bee. It is covered in the bright orange pollen of Prairie alumroot (Heuchera richardsonii), which is currently blooming in the prairie of the Great Lakes Garden at Matthaei. The bee bread that this individual is making for her offspring will probably be bright orange and quite delicious!100 Years in Bloom: celebration highlightsAfter over a year of planning, the W.E. Upjohn Centennial Celebration took place on June 5, 2022.  The weather was perfect and the peonies were ready to impress. Highlights of the event including photos are available at this link.  Highlights from this year’s peony bloomThe W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden is more than a just a place – it is a meaningful backdrop for so many moments that is intricately woven into the tapestry of our community. This garden is your garden. We celebrate together. Enjoy video of the garden at the link below.June is pride monthFlowers such as green carnations, violets, pansies, roses, and lavender have symbolized the LGBTQIA2s+ movement for centuries. Flowers were used as a form of coded language and to symbolize represent love, beauty, and loss. To our friends in the LGBTQIA2s+ community, we see you and support you. Native plants supporting pollinatorsHost plants are plants that provide food for butterfly or moth larvae.  This beautiful Raspberry Pyrausta moth’s host plant is dotted mint (Monarda punctata).   You can learn more about which moths and butterflies feed on which native plants at this Native Plant Finder. This friendly Mining bee (Andrena sp.) was found in our Great Lakes Garden is collecting pollen on a fleabane.  Both daisy fleabanes (Erigeron annuus and Erigeron annuus) are native to Michigan. Native pollinators such as these are important to humans, not only for ecological balance, but in their role in our food production.  By including native plants in our own yards and spaces we can support these important

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