Roots & Shoots February / March 2012 February 7 , 2012 @ 6:30pm MGSOC General Society Meeting & Location Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church 5631 North Adams Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI  48304 Speaker : Iris Lee Underwood Education: “Growing and Healing with Lavender” A business meeting will take place, prior to the start of our Educational Program. March 6 , 2012 @ 6:30pm MGSOC General Society Meeting & Location Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church 5631 North Adams Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI  48304 Speaker : Scott Bates Education: “Water Gardening” A business meeting will take place, prior to the start of our Educational Program. April 10 , 2012 @ 6:30pm MGSOC General Society Meeting & Location Telly’s Greenhouse 3301 John R Road, Troy, MI 48083 Speaker : George Papadelis Education: “New Annuals and Perennials for 2012” A business meeting will take place, prior to the start of our Educational Program. Carol’s Corner If you were not able to log onto the MGVP update webinar on January 11, a recording is now available at http://connect.msu.edu/p2tqfv4hk94/ I urge all of you to watch it. The unanswered questions and answers will be posted in the near future.  There are still many unanswered questions on where the Master Gardener Program is heading. We just have to move on as if all will be settled in a manner that you and County of Oakland can live with. I hope to have more information and be able to fill you in more completely in the next issue of Roots & Shoots. To save on postage, Hours Confirmation letters will be mailed every other month. So the next confirmation letter will go out in March. We will continue to mail Basic and Advanced Name Badges once a month. Remember, you can always look up your hours though the Record Keeping System. The Continuing Education Committee (CEC) has been busy coming up with a nice slate of programs for this winter/spring. Postings of the registration flyers/brochures will be on our MSUE Oakland County website with notices posted in the Oakland Gardener weekly e-newsletter. Winter is a great time to work on your educational hours! The program schedule is: Vegetable Gardening 101 March 1 6pm-8:30pm Edible Landscaping March 17 9am-noon Garden Design 123 April 14, 21, 28, May 12 9am-1pm HerbFest 2012 May 5 9am-3pm The Year at a Glance—MGSOC Meetings/Events for 2012 February 7 Iris Lee Underwood “Growing and Healing with Lavender” March 6 Scott Bates “Water Gardening” March 19 MGSOC Board Meeting 7PM @ Extension ofc. April 10 George Papadelis “New Annuals and Perennials for 2012” Note: Meet at Telly’s in Troy. May 8 Lillian Dean “Better Gardening With Compost” May 21 MGSOC Board Meeting 7PM @ Extension ofc. June 5 Brenda Dziedzic “Attract Butterflies to Your Garden” June 16 Garden Tour (save the date) July 3 Janet Macunovich “Never Too Late: Planting in Summer” August 7 Jan Burns “Wonderful Weeds” August 20 MGSOC Board Meeting 7PM @ Extension ofc. September 4 Dr. Burt Cregg “Uncommon Conifers” October 2 Sue Grubba “Proper Pruning Techniques” October 15 MGSOC Board Meeting 7PM @ Extension ofc. November 6 Ann Cline “Bearded Iris” November 19 MGSOC Board Meeting 7PM @ Extension ofc. December 11 Holiday Party The Greening of Detroit Lindsay Pielack from the Greening of Detroit spoke in January about the history and functions of the organization that was founded in 1989 in response to the devastation left by Dutch elm disease. Tree replanting was the first purpose of the organization that has grown in the past 8 years to include environmental education, workforce development, urban agriculture and community planting programs. Since its inception 80,000 trees have been planted including 6500 last year alone. Detroit has 50,000 vacant lots (5000 acres) that could be used as green space or places to grow food. There are no chain grocery stores in the city, and a large percentage of the people are low-income. The organization helps people to get resources to grow food by distributing seeds and transplants and educating people about how to grow their own food through classes taught by local people when possible. There are classes on nutrition, cooking, leadership development, bee-keeping and season extension. Shared workdays and neighborhood classes help neighbors to get to know one another and hone their horticultural skills. Last year there were 1351 gardens. “Grown in Detroit” is a cooperative that sold about $60,000 worth of fresh produce last year. Detroit Market Garden is 3 acres near Eastern Market, and it will have a greenhouse soon. Currently there is a nursery at Rouge Park where the tree seedlings are grown. Some young people have part-time jobs and learn horticultural and leadership skills while they work. The Greening of Detroit is funded through foundation grants and individual donations. The organization also holds a tree sale annually. —Submitted by Jean Gramlich Becoming Green She was looking for something interesting to do in the winter months, and recalled reading in various newspapers about a Master Gardener course. M-m-m-m this sounds interesting, she thought. And so, months later, another Master Gardener was born -- Marianne Cotter! After working as a Legal Assistant in a law firm all day, this was a great way for her to relax. “Since my husband Jim takes care of the lawn, who would have thought the Turf Class would be my favorite,” says Marianne. “There was just so much to learn, and it all was so interesting. The best thing is that I have become 'Green'. I have learned to be attuned to the natural and safe way of gardening and other things”. Marianne received her Basic MG Certificate in 2007 and her Advanced MG Certificate in 2008. Marianne learned about Bowers Farm while taking the MG course. She has been there Saturdays, for the last five years putting in four or more hours each time. There is always so much to do, lots of flower beds to tend and many, many vegetable to grow, and always the weeding. There is the occasional stray goat, chicken or rooster to take back to its pen. Marianne says, “It's just so nice to work outside and smell the freshness of the earth and feel the warm breeze.” The eggplants, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, onions, etc., which totaled 322 pounds last year, were donated to “Open Door Outreach Center” located in Waterford. Bowers farm has some designated days during the summer for “Open Barn”, a time you can visit the animals, as well as see the flowers and vegetables. This year, Marianne, Beth Brown, and Bob Denver are Tri-Captains at the farm. This means they will share the responsibility of choosing and buying the seedlings for growing, tending the plants, transporting the vegetables to Open Door Outreach Center, taking care of the flower beds and reporting monthly to the MGSOC Board. Marianne has also volunteered at the Oakland Farmers Market, and the Emerald Ash Borer Program. She has earned her 250 hour pin and is well on her way to the 500 hour pin. In December, 2011 Marianne was awarded the Martha Humphrey Award which recognizes a Society volunteer who has gone above and beyond in contributing their time and energy at Bowers Farm for the current year. Marianne and Jim love to travel, especially cruising in the Caribbean. Reading and cooking are also high on her enjoyment list. Don't ask her what she likes to cook the most; she tries a new recipe every weekend. When Marianne and Jim moved into their home, it was a new sub with no landscape, so it was quite an adventure to create what they have today. There are a lot of deer coming through their property and as you know, they love to eat, so she is trying to plant a more deer resistant garden. Marianne's favorite flower in her garden is the hibiscus, but then, as she says, there are the happy daisies swaying in the wind, beautiful daylilies, saucer magnolia, and of course the wonderful lavender plants with their sweet fragrance. Last fall she planted 150 daffodils and can hardly wait until spring. What a beautiful sight that will be, especially knowing the deer will leave them alone. Trees, such as Pear, Crabapple, Beech, and Maple are happy to live with her favorite, the majestic Metasequoia (dawn redwood). Like most gardeners, Marianne thinks of her garden, as a work in progress. You think you have everything you need and all you can hold in your garden until you go to a nursery and spot something you simply must have, and another purchase is made. As Marianne says, “Your garden grows, plants get bigger, you need to thin them out, and that's where more enjoyment begins, sharing your flowers with others.” —Submitted by Sylvia Schult CONGRATULATIONS Marianne The Charles L. Bowers School Farm is an integral part of the K-12 science instructional program of Bloomfield Hills Schools. It serves as a land laboratory for students from preschool through adult. For many years MGSOC has played an important part in the farms growing landscape. Flower and vegetable gardens have been planted and maintained by MGSOC. The Martha Humphrey Award recognizes a MGSOC volunteer who has gone above and beyond in contributing their time and energy at Bowers Farm for the current year. Marianne Cotter was given this award on December 13, 2011. Marianne has worked at Bowers Farm for the past five years. Every Saturday from spring to fall she was there for approximately four or more hours each time, planting, weeding, watering, and keeping a stray goat or sheep out of the gardens. Last year 322 lbs. of vegetables were delivered to Open Door Outreach Center in Waterford. CONGRATULATIONS Denise The Sylvia Schult Award recognizes a Society volunteer's dedication and achievement in serving the Society and its goals for the previous year. Denise Brown was given this award on Jan 3, 2012. Notes From Nutcase Nursery Gardeners, start your engines and welcome the new year of gardening pleasures and treasures! By now you should have plenty of catalogs and articles to whet the appetite and drive you crazy. How are those resolutions holding up so far? Did you make any of them regarding the gardener in you? Personally, I am not a big fan of resolutions; I prefer to think of them more as “suggestions.” I finally succeeded in internalizing at least one long-standing, semi-fake resolution not all that long ago, but it had more to do with practicality pushing me than the goal of becoming a better person motivating me. It had to do with accumulating plants. I suspect I am not alone in thinking that I could have one of everything. There are many factors that feed that kind of thought pattern. The first of course, is becoming aware of your gardenership, your gardening essence, if you will. Couple that with a little property to call your own, and some loose cash or credit card (or shovel), and pretty soon your head explodes when spring hits. Should that property be seriously devoid of flora, all the better. You don’t have a disease; you are on a sacred mission given you by Nature herself. So you collect. You shop catalogs and nurseries, you know every store that sells greenery (and probably the clerk’s name as well). You cruise “dead tables,” garage sales, roadsides, plant swaps, alleys, and perhaps dumpsters. You create gardens with abandon because you are happy and don’t know any better. You may not have as yet heard the mantra “right plant, right place” but you have been learning it all along. You were learning it when you realized that the description “ground cover” was translated from the ancient Greek words for “plants that grow through concrete.” You learn that not everything you’ve done pleases you still. The evolution of a gardener mirrors the growth processes of nature. You discover an interest in some aspect of gardening; a seed is planted. It may have come at the knees of a grandparent, after a loss to fill a void, or possibly the result of a simple experiment. You take classes and attend seminars; that’s the organic fertilizer. You collect books and magazines, study and buddy. That’s leafing out. And finally, you bloom and you are at the height of your glory just like your gardens. You transformed from novice to teacher. Then, usually one of two things occurs --- you run out of room, or you run out of oomph. Or both at the same time. It’s a natural progression, just as natural as the fact that making a new garden is much more fun that rejuvenating an old one. I’m fairly sure that’s an actual law of nature. One sure law of nature is that things age. If I continue with the plant cycle analogy, we are now talking about that step in the process after the bloom, the one where you might have “gone to seed” and took up propagating and maybe even started a nursery. Then you wilt a bit further on that journey toward becoming compost. But spring is on its way and the topic is better steered toward renewal, not recycling yard waste, although I would like to nominate something else for oblivion. Saying goodbye to the holidays was not difficult. I think the holidays are great for most people but I find that I celebrate the coming of the winter solstice with more exuberance than I do Santa’s yearly drive-by. It seems the solstice arrives just in time to combat the ever-increasing doldrums precipitated by the cold, dark, damp days of November and December and of course, diminishing light. Not to mention suffering the tearful demise of the landscape. Don’t get me wrong. The holidays are wonderful for celebrating the spirit of the season, seeing friends and family, full of Hallmark and Kodak moments and absolutely delightful and delectable goodies. But there are certain aspects of the holidays that simply give me the creeps. I have to admit that I find those inflatable holiday characters depressing as well as downright frightening. Christmas is supposed to be for the kids and how can they be cheery when all they see on the way back and forth to school are dead Santas, dead elves, flat camels, flopped Frosties, giraffes and penguins and even Casper the Friendly Ghost (I have no idea why) with the rest of his life sucked out of him? Adding to the horror, they see all of this de-puffed stuff from the height of the schoolbus windows as if it were a crime scene investigation. How sad. And freakish. Maybe I feel this way because I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. The positive side of the dark December days is the realization that, although the solstice announces the beginning of winter, which is likely not my favorite season, it also marks the moment when the days begin to lengthen which will in turn eventually cure my SAD. Yes, sunshine is the cure and didn’t 2012 begin with its basket loaded! Last January, you might recall “The Thaw” lasted all of six hours on New Year’s Day. This year, we had over two weeks of “Thaw.” You’d think people would be happy, except of course for those in need of snow, but I received a question from someone wanting to know if “technically” this weather could be considered a January thaw when in fact their ground was not yet frozen. My response was basically “This is January and if you’re not wearing a winter coat, it’s the January thaw. Love it and get outside while you can. If something better comes along, it will be a bonus. The ground is just beginning to freeze.” I stopped to see a neighbor on a bright but rather chilly day and I found her outside, bundled up with hat, scarf and mittens, in a little alcove she has by her side door. The wind was blocked, the sun was warming the brick and the walkway and she sat on her lawn chair happy as a cat on a sunny windowsill. In the cosmic order of things, taking a mental hygiene day to blow off all other chores and do some gardening is definitely in order when you get days that are truly gifts. I was out the day after Christmas and several days in January blithely filling yard waste containers for pick up in April. Even the Dingo cooperated by actually staying in the yard without ropes, chains and shackles. Of course I had to chant my front yard mantra all the while clipping and pulling: “Stay in the yard. Stay in the yard. Stay in the yard. Good girrrrrrrrrl.” At one point she was so thrilled with the praise and the joy of freedom she began leaping and running and accidentally wound up two yards away. She abruptly dropped to earth when I yelled her name and came running back like she had been shot out of cannon. Of course I am reasonably sure that this was just a tactic to lure me into developing a false sense of security so I might turn my back for a second and she could perform her vanishing act. She wants to stay on the dark side but I keep letting her know that resistance is futile. We are definitely getting better at behaving but we apparently don’t want to rush it. Knowing the weather was about to undergo a reality check, I spent as much time outside as possible, noting with worry that some of the daffodils are already up 8 inches and that the buds on the lilacs are awfully plump for this time of year. I picked a stash of garlic which I know will not last long enough. I made sure all the solar collectors were positioned properly since the Dingo is fond of rearranging anything within “her” domain. I hung out rugs, washed windows, aired out pillows, fed the birds everything we had and choked at the way prices have gone up. I had heard that there was a sunflower crop failure somewhere so now we have to worry about starving birds. Not that I’m complaining, but since multi-tasking only confuses me, the good weather delayed taking care of the indoor garden chores which normally would be done by now. If you garden indoors then you know there is no rest for the wicked. Especially if you’ve brought in some of the outsiders for protection. I needed to make my annual batch of sticky traps to capture the flyers, and mix a batch of anti-powdery mildew juice and treat Rose and Mary before it was absolutely too late. At the same time I need to make myself a big sign warning me not to get too close to the sticky traps, my most serious job hazard. Every year I put sticky traps in several of the pots. It then takes weeks for me to learn not to do the dumpster dive when I lean in to check on the condition of a plant. Usually I wind up with Tangle Trap stuck in my hair. After that most commonly I find my clothes stuck to a stick. Tangle Trap does not come off easily which is why it works so well. I also have an experiment planned. Last year I fed two pothos a couple of tablespoons of compost. I was shocked at the results. While I expected a healthy perk up, I really didn’t expect the leaves of both plants to actually grow larger. I had assumed that they were the proper size in the first place. This year, I resolved (ha!) to perform the experiment again but on a larger scale; there are certainly enough pots to play in. And certainly I should be documenting the results but I have a feeling that that task will be derailed in favor of playing with my seed packets in preparation for Bordine’s seed sale. And February even has an extra day this year! The first thing I do with my seeds is take inventory. Some of my seeds are filed in plastic cases according to type: vegetable and flower and then alphabetically therein. Some seeds live in jars in the fridge or freezer in no particular order. Some are in plastic bags, film cases, and condiment take-out containers. I don’t bother with the periphery during inventory. The odds and ends are more like dessert. The main course revolves around the vegetable seeds. I make a list of what I have and write down the dates as well. Then I check my viability table to determine the odds of success. If you have been keeping your seeds in optimum storage conditions such as cold, dark, and sealed, you might expect to enjoy them for the following viability periods: One Year Two Years Three Years Four Years Five Years Six Years onions sweet corn Beans beets cucumber lettuce parsnips leeks Broccoli Brussels sprouts collard greens parsley okra Carrots cabbage endive peppers Celery cauliflower radish Chinese cabbage Swiss chard muskmelon Kohlrabi eggplant Peas pumpkin Spinach squash tomatoes Remember: When in doubt, sprout. A germination test requires a minimum of 10 seeds with 50 to 100 being wiser. If you don’t have that many to spare just buy new and plant both for the heck of it. Just plant the marginal seeds more thickly. If you do decide to sprout, germination paper is suggested by the experts. Normal people would probably use paper towel. You must be sure to mimic the light and temperature conditions recommended on the seed packet. For instance, lettuce and celery do it with the lights on and onions and chives like it dark. For details on germination testing and other seed-saving activities check out A Seed Saving Guide for Gardeners and Farmers put together by the Organic Seed Alliance. You can find it on their website at www.seedalliance.org . After I’ve determined what seeds are needed and/or desired I make a shopping list and dream about it every night until the big seed sale. During the day I tend to everything I need to kick off the planting season, like making sure the APS units are well-cleaned and sterilized, that I have sufficient amounts of seed-starting mix, and those containers that need lids have lids. I check all of the catalogs for competitive pricing as well as attributes of their offerings. I sent an email to Burpee’s after I checked their catalog for tomato info. One thing about their catalog piqued my curiosity. None of the tomato varieties has their disease resistance coded. Their answer was that space is at a premium in their catalog and they didn’t have room for the letters V, F, N, T, etc. What???????????????????? They did try to be a little helpful in that they recommended a few varieties with more resistant abilities. They also warned me that disease resistance does not mean that a variety is immune. Thank you. But back to the task at hand….If you’ve never started your garden from scratch, know that it can be very rewarding and exciting. It requires a certain amount of devotion but the reward is knowing where your produce came from. Start on a small scale and you won’t get overwhelmed. Much. Make sure you have the right type of potting mix, the right amount of light and the right temperature. Keep in mind always that there are really not mistakes or failures, only experiments. And even if your experiments don’t turn out the way you’d like, there will still be time to pick up more seeds or wait for a while and buy plants. Don’t worry about the small things. You’re evolving. And just one more thing about the holidays. For some reason, this one was filled with glitter. Glitter on gift bags, glitter on ribbons, glitter all over the laundry room floor. I am seriously tired of cleaning up sparkles. They were everywhere including on the Dingo, which was kind of festive for a while. I have done several loads of wash since and I’m still collecting dryer lint that glitters. The birds will probably be expecting some fancy foodstuffs after making gold and silver-flecked nests. Since there was a peanut crop failure along with the sunflower crop failure, they may have to get used to a bargain brand rather than Jif. And speaking of the birds, don’t forget to water them too. Now get busy! Spring Forward, Fall Back Spring can be the cruelest time. It comes in starts and fits. One day it’s warm and wonderful, Then next day it’s the pits. You plant some seeds, But there’s no rain, So nothing ever sprouts. You plant more seeds And then it pours and Washes them all out. You start your plants And carry them To harden off outside. You take off on another task And later find them fried. You watch the weather news each night; Know when to bring things in. The station’s forty miles away, Guessing cannot win. Take the mulch off, Put it back, There still could be a frost. The plant you saved since fall last year Got frozen, now it’s lost. And where have all these weeds come from? Some I have never seen. The birds have pooped some monster seeds. How could they be so mean? And over here’s another bed Just loaded with surprises. But wow, it’s changed - the plants have grown And doubled in their sizes! But are they weeds or flowers? I know I should remember. But sometimes I don’t know my name Let alone what went in last September. I swear each year I’ll pare things down. I haven’t as of yet. The hurrieder I go you know, The behinder I just get. Susan Tatus McLarty May 2006 Some Information You Should Know MGSOOC Board Members President: Wayne Lapinski………………..…….(248)391-6269 Vice President: Tom Hershberger………….….(586)573-3954 Secretary: Ruth Vrbensky ……………………….(248)969-6904 Treasurer: Jean Gramlich …………………..…..(810)714-2343 Team Administrator: Susan McLarty ……… (248)673-8092 MSU Extension Oakland County Coordinator Advisor: Carol Lenchek ………………………… (248)858-0900 lenchekc@oakgov.com Team Coordinators Bowers Farm: Beth Brown………………………(248)681-8512 Project Support: Denise Brown ……..….…… (248)640-5977 Hospitality: Mary Golla……………….…..(248) 371-0476 Membership: Julie Kowalk …………………(810)655-2228 Programs: DeeAnn Bauer …………...….(248)828-7385 Door prize Coordinator: Janie Grissom…..(248)887-6096 Trips & Tours: Sandie Parrott ………….….....(248)394-1532 Corresponding Secretary: Margy Truza…… mat4744@aol.com Roots & Shoots Editor: Dick Wanat………...(248)644-5699 Web Site Address: www.mgsoc.org Webmaster: Sheri Trout sheri@oaklandweb.com Web Site Calendar: Peggy Wanat pwanat43@comcast.net Currently Available Opportunities: Communications, Education, Project Support, Volunteer Activities North Office Building, #26 East Carol Lenchek…248-858-0900 1200 N. Telegraph Road Extension Educator~Master Gardener Program Pontiac, MI 48341 Email: lenchekc@oakgov.com Office Hours: M- F 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Linda Smith…248-858-0887 Marie Ruemenapp Horticulture Office Assistant 248-380-9100 or 248-858-0885 Email: smithlin@oakgov.com MSU Extension District Coordinator Email: ruemenap@msu.edu Cathy Morris…248-858-1639 Clerk & Contact for Certification of Volunteer Charlene Molnar…248-858-0902 & Education Hours Horticulture Advisor Email: morrisc@oakgov.com Plant & Pest Hotline Hours of operation vary seasonally Bindu Bhakta…248-858-5198 Extension Educator~Water Quality Robin Danto…248-858-0904 Email: bhaktabi@msu.edu Extension Educator~Food Safety Email: dantor@oakgov.com Saneya Hamler…248-452-9726 Extension Educator~Children, Youth & Family Tom Schneider…248-858-0905 Email: hamlersa@msu.edu Extension Educator~4-H Youth Programs Email: schneidert@oakgov.com Eva Poole…248-858-1993 Extension Educator~Children, Youth & Family Email: ander204@msu.edu ?? ?? ?? ?? - 14 - Michigan State University Extension- Oakland County “Bringing Knowledge to Life”