Roots & Shoots Master Gardener Society of Oakland County August/September 2006 Michigan Late Summer Gardening * Take out faded annuals. Through fall, mums or kale, etc., can fill the empty spots. Divide perennials, plant spring flowering bulbs, shrubs, etc. in September. * August – keep watering. Water early in the day so plants dry out by evening. September –unless it is unusually dry, you may not need to water. * Harvest time for many crops! Hint: Keep a garden journal, listing harvest times, problems, new things you want to try next year.. * Plant pests: Use insecticidal soap on underside of leaves if you see aphids, thrips, mites or whiteflies. There can be mildew, slugs and grubs emerging as weather gets cooler and damp. * Mow lawns as needed. Early fall is the time to weed and feed lawns. Suggestions from “Month-by-Month Gardening in Michigan” by James A. Fizzell MGSOOC Contacts President: John P Humphrey (248)542-8213 Vice Pres: Tom Hershberger (586)573-3954 Secretary: Ruth Vrbensky (248)969-6904 Treasurer: Jean Gramlich (810)714-2343 Team Adm: Sherry Jones (248)442-9866 MSU Extension Oakland County Coordinator Advisor: Carol Lenchek (248)858-0900 lenchekc@co.oakland.mi.us Team Coordinators Bowers Farm: Martha Humphrey babylon6@ameritech.net Communications: John P Humphrey (248)542-8213 Hospitality: Pat Banaszek (586)677-2048 Membership: Tom Hershberger (586)573-3954 Project Support: Clay Ottoni (248)454-9800 Trips & Tours: Sandie Parrott (248)394-1532 Web Site address: www.mgsoc.org Mission Statement It is the Master Gardener Society of Oakland County’s Mission to assist, enable, and encourage its members to use their horticultural knowledge and experience to help the people of their communities, enrich their lives through gardening and good gardening practices. August 2, 2006 @ 6:30 pm MGSOOC Society Meeting & Location General Meeting ~ 6:30 pm ~ Full Credit Charles Bower Farm - 1219 E. Square Lake Rd, Bloomfield Hills Alternative School Building Speaker:  Mr. Steve Turner Education:  Michigan State African Violet Society Steve will demonstrate propagation, basic growing tips and culture, give information on the AVSA or the MSAVS and Town and Country Clubs. If possible, he will provide a slide presentation, to make a good and informative program happen for our club. September 6th, 2006 @ 6:30 pm MGSOOC Society Meeting & Location General Meeting ~ 6:30 pm ~ Full Credit Charles Bower Farm - 1219 E. Square Lake Rd, Bloomfield Hills Alternative School Building Speaker: Danielle Smith Education: Proven Winners® ColorChoice® brand of flowering shrubs Danielle is a dynamic, well respected horticulturist that draws on a wide range of experience including public garden curation, sales, merchandising, new product development and marketing. She currently works for Spring Meadow Nursery, where she is responsible for educating clients and the media about the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® brand of flowering shrubs. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture and Landscape Design from Michigan State University. Prior to her current position she worked at the Leila Arboretum in Battle Creek, MI and at Zelenka Nurseries of Grand Haven, one of the largest nurseries in the country. She is a frequent guest on radio gardening programs and gives seminars around the country teaching people about new and exciting plants. This year we celebrate our 25th anniversary in business. We are known within the horticulture industry for introducing innovative and exciting shrubs to the market. Spring Meadow Nursery is responsible for introducing all shrubs under the Proven Winners brand and at this time there are 57 varieties being promoted. We are a wholesale nursery that promotes our Proven Winners ColorChoice varieties to the end consumer through advertising and public relations, which is rare within this industry. Promoting these varieties makes the retail shopping experience one step easier. Our goal with this program is to simplify gardening so even novice gardeners are not overwhelmed when stepping into a garden center. Check out their web site.. It contains an abundance of valuable information. http://www.springmeadownursery.com/about_us_1.htm October 4th, 2006 @ 6:30 pm MGSOOC Society Meeting & Location General Meeting ~ 6:30 pm ~ Full Credit Charles Bower Farm - 1219 E. Square Lake Rd, Bloomfield Hills Alternative School Building Education: Cantor Penny M. Steyer, Temple Shir Shalom, Sukkot, the Jewish First Harvest Festival November 1st, 2006 @ 6:30 pm MGSOOC Society Meeting & Location General Meeting ~ 6:30 pm ~ Full Credit Charles Bower Farm - 1219 E. Square Lake Rd, Bloomfield Hills Alternative School Building Education: Mark Torregrossa, Chief Meteorologist, at WEYI, NBC25. He will discuss “Weather gardening” December 6th, 2006 @ 6:30 pm MGSOOC Society Meeting & Location General Meeting ~ 6:30 pm ~ Full Credit Charles Bower Farm - 1219 E. Square Lake Rd, Bloomfield Hills Alternative School Building Holiday Potluck Master Gardener Society Trip to Toronto, June 16-18 BY Sandie Parrott If you weren’t able to go on the trip this year, you missed a good one, some said the best (but then I’m biased). If you want to see a few photos from this year’s trip go to http://www.mgsoc.org/tours.htm (keep an eye on this link for next year’s trip)! Yes, isn’t it amazing - we all grew mustaches on the trip! The first stop was Quai du Vin (pronounced K-dew-Van) Winery in St Thomas, Ontario. Yup, stumble off the bus all sleepy at about 8 am and stumble back on (not really). The driveway was a bit narrow for the bus, but our intrepid driver, Jim Truscott, got us in with no problem! He is the best! The day was gorgeous and our tour leader, Jamie, Rob and Lisa’s son and winemaker, took us out in the vineyard and explained about growing grapes, pruning and the different trellis system they employed. Everyone had a chance to taste the wines and buy a few. The owners said they had never given a wine tasting this early before. Hey, it fit the schedule…! The lovely town of Stratford was our second stop. We were treated to a walking tour and talk about the Shakespeare Gardens. We had free time to have lunch, stroll along the streets, poke into the shops of Stratford and walk along the Avon River. There were baby Mute Swans nesting right along the path. The group ended up at the Arthur Meighan Gardens by the Festival Theatre. The reason for ending here was to view the gardens before a talk on Saturday by the former Head Gardener, Harry Jongerden. Kathy Click started the first of the fun and well-organized games on this stretch. We had wonderful prizes donated by many major manufacturers. If you won something, please let the manufacturer know if you liked it! We arrived at the European style Strathcona Hotel in the center of Toronto in time to grab something to eat and change clothes to head to the Blue Man Group. OK, the Blue Man Group isn’t for everyone, but WOW, were they funny! Even before they came out there was streaming jokes about people in the audience and crazy paper headbands. But the star of the show, hands down was our own Florence Reaume! (We discovered there may be a relationship through marriage.) Anyway, she was selected to go up on stage by blue men walking on top of chairs. With no training she was the best deadpan actor around. What she can do with Twinkies and three blue painted men, you would have to see to believe! Saturday, the group headed to the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG). We had time to travel to the Rose, Laking, Rock and Arboretum along with the Discovery and Conservatories before lunch. Unfortunately, the Lilac and Iris plants were pretty much done blooming, but the roses and perennials were stunning. Harry Jongerden, now the Director of RBG, joined us during lunch to talk about the gardens in Stratford and some of his plans for RBG. They will be going for the Wow factor with the public, rather than concentrating on rows of collections. Gee, if he only had more money. The gardens didn’t seem to be struggling, but the further you were from the main “bling” gardens, the less attention was given. We then visited the very fun private garden of Laura Grant. She is a TV personality in Toronto, Executive Director of the AMERICAN Rhododendron Society (she travels to NY monthly) and the founder of the Ontario Water Garden Society. Her pond was full of life, every spot in her small garden was planted, even the median strip between the tire tracks in her driveway…a cute and practical alpine garden! We had time for a quick surprise trip to her neighbor Lucy Simons’ ravine garden. There really wasn’t anything at the bottom of the ravine except an art piece, but it was fun to climb around the many steps and bridges. The rest of the day was left for exploring Toronto. The hotel was in a perfect spot to walk to restaurants, theaters and shopping. Sunday dawned another perfect day in Toronto. We started down by the water, just blocks from the hotel, at the Music Garden. It was designed as a tribute to Bach’s First Suite for unaccompanied Cello. Different sections of the spiral shaped gardens relate to the dance movements within the suite. Not a typical garden, but, the grasses and trees inspired many of the gardeners…there was even a snail watching our progress on the paths. We then boarded a ferry to the Toronto Islands for an event called “Through the Garden Gate”, sponsored by the (new) Toronto Botanical Gardens. This was a favorite of most everyone. The gardens we visited were on Ward’s and Algonquin Islands, linked by an arched walking bridge with a wonderful view of the Toronto skyline. I had arranged to “sneak” into the gardens early with the local Master Gardeners. The islands were covered with mostly tiny adorable cottages, all unique and colorful, (like a doorknob garden)! Small gardens were the norm but were packed with fantasy ornaments, small handmade sheds, bubbling water features, pergolas, arbors, fun plants and friendly owners. All agreed that there were ideas that could be “borrowed” for our own gardens. The ferry came all too soon…literally. It left the dock one minute early. Some of the group had to run, but we all made it, thank goodness! The last stop was Richter’s Herbs. The funniest was when 43 people came pouring off the bus with black mustaches. I had forgotten we would be met at the bus. Oh my gosh! I was laughing so hard, I couldn’t even explain. They are a huge mail order nursery, but their retail presence wasn’t quite as nice as expected. Most managed to find some interesting herbs while traipsing through a very HOT greenhouse and waiting in line. Some went to find shade on some picnic tables outside. Minnie Whiting suggested we stop for ice cream on the way home (we stopped in Ohio one year and took 10 years off the clerk’s lives when they saw the bus pull up)! Well, that got me to thinking about drinks or something cool. Richter’s came through with popsicles for everyone. They tasted SO good! We arrived back in Pontiac tired, but full of garden ideas after a garden associated movie (chosen by Kathy Click)…Calendar Girls, sort of a woman’s version of the Full Monty, to raise money for their garden club! Hmm, what an idea…NOT! Join the fun next year. I’m looking at possibly Pittsburgh or Chicago. Send me your comments and suggestions on these two destinations or maybe something else at RSBirdy@Comcast.net Sheri Trout is working on putting past trip summaries on the Master Gardener Society website www.mgsoc.org (under Trips and Tours) so you will have an idea of where we have traveled. Please send me photos from the trip for posting on the website…and please help with your feedback (hey, then I’ll know if anyone read this article)! Carol’s Corner I was remiss in that I didn’t introduce our new Horticulture Educator, Mary Wilson, in the last issue of Roots & Shoots. Mary began working here in April and has been busy running around Oakland County networking at the local Green Industry businesses she is unfamiliar with. Many of you already know Mary, because she has been teaching Woody Ornamentals for the Master Gardeners training class for years. Mary spent 20 + years at the Genesee County MSUE office. Though my heart goes out to my friends there, I’m thrilled to have her working for us! We have been discussing future programming directed towards Master Gardener Volunteers, so keep your eyes open for these class announcements! Please make sure to give her a warm welcome when you see her down the road (I keep telling her how great you Oakland County Master Gardeners are). I’m very pleased to report on the 2006 Ask a Master Gardener Program. Master Gardener Volunteers put a total of 291 hours at the seven garden centers that participated in the program. As a result of the time you put in, $2,039.10 was donated to the Oakland County Master Gardener Program. I’d like to give a special thanks to Denise Jones who provided the leadership who has been providing the leadership for this fundraiser for many years. I’d also like to thank all the Master Gardener Volunteers who gave their time during those May weekends when most of us want to spend time in our own gardens. The nurseries who participated were Auburn Oaks, Inc., Bogie Lake Greenhouse, English Gardens in Royal Oak and West Bloomfield, Four Seasons Garden Center, Goldner Walsh, and Westborn Flower Market. They are all great supporters of MSUE and the Master Gardener Program. We are busy getting ready for the Fall Master Gardener Training Class. This class will be held 9:30am-2:30pm on Tuesdays from August 22 through November 14. The specific dates for each topic is not yet ready to publish as I write this, but may be as you read this. Once it is finalized it will be posted on our website www.msue.msu.edu/oakland. If you’d like to sit in on a class, make sure to call me to make sure there is a seat available in the back of the room for you. I hope you are enjoying the summer and that your flowers are beautiful and vegetables are bountiful. Carol You’re Invited! The Master Gardener Society of Oakland County Garden Study Tour to Portland, Oregon September 6 - 11, 2006 Oakland County Master Gardener Volunteers: A MSU Extension Garden Study Tour to Portland, Oregon, September 6 - 11, 2006, for MSU Master Gardener Volunteers & Their Friends is announced!   This unique tour is designed for you - the garden enthusiast!  We'll visit the premier gardens in the Portland area, get a 'behind the scenes' look at specialty nurseries, see the spectacular scenery of the Columbia Gorge, Mount Hood, and the Oregon Coast . . . plus spend a memorable night at the historic Timberline Lodge!  About your educators: Rebecca Finneran and Mary Wilson are MSU Extension Horticulture Educators for Kent and Oakland counties, respectively. They have conducted study trips to botanical gardens, arboreta, and other points of horticulture interest across the U.S. and Canada for twenty years. When you travel with Rebecca and Mary, you can always count on a fun and educational experience! This trip will qualify for 30 hours of MSU Master Gardener advanced education. For information about the tour program, contact: Rebecca Finneran Kent County MSU Extension 775 Ball Avenue NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616)336-3282 finneran@msu.edu Technical questions regarding flight arrangements or general travel information should be addressed to Witte Travel & Tours. 3250 - 28th Street SE Grand Rapids, MI 49512 (616)957-8113 or (800)469-4883 email Groups@wittetravel.com www.wittetravel.com Tour Cost $1,495 per person from Grand Rapids. Applications are due July 17, 2006. Applications received by July 5th will save $50 per person off the published tour cost! This tour is limited to 34 participants, so sign up early! Mary A. Wilson, Horticulture Educator MSU Extension - Oakland County Building 26 East, 2nd Floor 1200 N. Telegraph Road Pontiac, Michigan 48341-0416 Phone: 248/858-0887 Fax: 248/858-1477 www.msue.msu.edu/oakland  Notes from Nutcase Nursery August 2006 This is the time of year at Nutcase when we basically give up the battles of gardening and decide to relax and “go with the flow,” as they say (whoever “they” is/are). At the beginning of the season we race against nature and the clock because that’s what season it is. We’ve had the winter downtime to plan and design the landscapes in our heads and we can’t wait for that bell to sound signifying it’s safe to play in the soil. Like racehorses in the starter gate, we chomp at the bit, eager to use every available minute of increasing daylight to accomplish something on the huge list of chores concocted during the off-season. But, when the heat and humidity arrive, it’s just not a good time for a lot of outdoor exercise, like redoing beds, or planting flora. Those weeds might still be in the ground but at least (hopefully) we’ve managed to whack off the seedheads of those most promiscuous. There are always jobs on the list that never seem to get done and sometimes the best way to deal with that is to just ignore them. The days are getting shorter and warmer and that list is causing some stress. Is it too late to take softwood cuttings, prune a forsythia, apply a fungicide, move a datura? The urgency of the list has not waned a bit, but the “Dog Days” of summer make it a Herculean effort just to keep things hydrated. Perhaps it’s just nature’s way of telling us to slow down or die. So while I was trying to adjust my inner clock to a lower gear, I got into a reflective mood (it might have been heatstroke) and the topic was time management. When I was a kid, on the occasional Sunday in winter, my Dad would load a handful of us bundled in snowgear into the station wagon and take us to the cottage for an afternoon of freezing fun and frolic. After checking the ice, Dad would disappear inside and we played until our noses turned pink, our mittens were sopped and we had to “use the facilities.” We would troop in, deposit our wet clothing over the backs of chairs and ask Dad when we could go home. He’d be watching football and his stock answer would be “As soon as the game is over.” I would always ask how many minutes were left in the game and get an answer with some ridiculous number like “19 .” Three hours later we would finally leave. It felt like three days. Back then, I grew to hate “football minutes.” Now, I wish I had them to spend in the garden! As long and drawn out as “football minutes” are, “garden minutes” are painfully twice as short. Sometimes shorter. My whole concept of time has been skewed because of gardening. For example, I put potatoes on to boil and ran outside to pick some garlic. Five football minutes later I have burned potatoes, no garlic, and a five gallon bucket half full of weeds. It couldn’t have been more than two garden minutes. How can potatoes cook so fast? Another time I planned to leave for a bridal shower, which was at least forty-five football minutes away, in five regular minutes. I needed to finish off my gift with some fresh flowers instead of a bow so I headed to the gardens, clippers in hand. Five garden minutes later, at the most, I had dead-headed a peony, pruned a small yew, eliminated a primrose that didn’t belong, and pulled out fourteen pounds of dill. I have my bouquet in hand, not yet on the package, and I am now eleventeen football minutes late leaving, with flat hair, melting makeup, glistening skin, wearing ‘Eau de Dill’ as my signature scent. Time seems to slip away much more quickly when there’s less of it. That’s why they say time is relative. A direct correlation exists between time and degree of enjoyment. The more positive you feel about a task, the faster time moves. If it’s torture, you get football minutes. As far as I can tell, almost all minutes spent gardening pass too quickly. The cruelest exception is the amount of time it takes to for me to “get” certain things. The lessons learned under the quiet tutelage of Mother Nature don’t always sink in immediately. My knowledge is shaped by her gentle hand and that great “aha” moment often takes a long and circuitous route. I think the reason for this kind of brain block is simply because the “classes” are only taught once a year. Traditionally, each year during my May vacation, I would clean the garage and plant the vegetable gardens. I would spend the one whole day working on my cleaning chore and usually finish in the late afternoon. I love cottonseed meal but I hate cottonwood seeds. Within an hour, the garage floor would be covered by little white fuzzies, completely undoing all my hard work. After years of this ridiculous dance, I finally made the connection (duh) that the end of May was fuzzy time and if I would just wait a few weeks, I wouldn’t have the problem. Why fight the natural cycle? I quit cleaning the garage altogether though, just to celebrate the accomplishment of understanding the pattern’s existence. Remember degree days from class? It’s a part of the natural rhythm of our gardens. If you wish to eliminate crabgrass, you must correctly time the pre-emergent application. Too early or too late and it’s all for naught. Many gardeners use the forsythia as a marker for certain activities. Forsythias bloom at a temperature which happens to be the same as that which causes crabgrass seed germination. According to tradition, it’s considered safe to prune roses when the forsythia begin to flower. The application of preemergent should take place before the forsythia flowers drop. How many years would it take for me to figure this out myself? I would hate to think. And speaking of weeds, during the season a lot of time is spent playing that fun gardening game, “What The Heck Is That?” There are usually two rules to keep in mind when faced with a mystery plant. If there are six billion seedlings and you don’t remember dropping a whole bag of seed, chances are good that it’s something noxious. By the same token, if it’s six feet tall by the middle of May, odds are it’s really not a keeper. And the little devils that masquerade as good guys are totally detestable! I have pretend marigolds and fake columbine. I don’t know the name of the particular weed, but it mimics a marigold. Very clever this weed! This plant was lobed but not as delicately as a marigold seedling. Ha! To think I considered offering them fertilizer. In a case like this, I could really use some football minutes to allow me the time to slow down, develop keen observation skills and get close to that patch of columbine hiding an amazing amount of sourgrass. It sprouts later than most weeds you try to catch with a pre-emergent and it looks like a columbine puppy. But, it pulls easily. Whoopee. Keen observation skills come in handy but occasionally you run into a negative. For longer than I would ever admit, I celebrated the bloom of summer by painting my nails with the brightest enamel I owned. Its name was “Poppy” and it was also very effective hiding the dirt under my nails. When the June strawberries ripened I drove myself insane picking the tiny fruits in my tiny plot. Everywhere I thought I saw a strawberry, it would turn out to be my own finger. Not bad enough, I continued using the same color through the raspberry picking in July. A really quick learner, I am. I finally switched to a very practical shade of nail polish that more matches the leaf mulch. It dries almost as quickly as garden minutes pass.   The Master Gardener Society of Oakland County Has an Election this year! In accordance with our MGSOOC by-laws, this announcement is made to inform our membership, of the following (3) Three open SEB positions, their terms of service and duties. Article V – Officers Section 3 b. Vice President ~ 2 Year Term To perform the duties of the President in the event of his/her absence and such duties of other officers in their absence; to perform or oversee an annual audit of the accounts and records of the Master Gardener Society of Oakland County. c. Secretary ~ 2 Year Term To record the minutes of the SEB and general membership meetings; to record membership attendance; to submit highlights of the minutes to the Master Gardener Society of Oakland County newsletter; to attend to all correspondence of the Master Gardener Society of Oakland County and maintain complete files of minutes, attendance and correspondence. e. Team Administrator ~ 1 Year Term To perform duties as assigned by the SEB Article VIII – Elections Section 1. Written nominations are to be submitted to the Nominations Committee prior to the October general membership meeting. Nominations for elected SEB officers may also be accepted at the October general membership meeting. Section 2. Nominations for elected SEB officers shall be closed at the conclusion of the October general membership meeting. Ballots shall be mailed to all members entitled to vote via US mail, within (5) five days following the October meeting. Ballots must be returned by US Mail or electronic transmission. Ballots must be postmarked or returned by electronic transmission, no later than 20 days after the ballot mailing date. Section 3. Election results shall be announced at the November general membership meeting. Candidates receiving a plurality of votes cast for a particular office shall be elected for a term of (2) two years. Elections will be held annually, with the election of two officers, alternating between president/treasurer and vice president/secretary. The team administrator shall be elected every year. The term for the newly elected officers shall begin January 1st. Section 4. Only those persons who have indicated their consent to serve if elected or appointed shall be nominated for office or other positions. This is your opportunity to participate in the direction of your society! Evening in the Gardens Workshops MSU Tollgate Education Center Drought Tolerant Gardening with instructor Sue Grubba – August 10, 6:30-8:30 pm  Part of Evening in the Gardens series of classes.  Cost: $20.00.  Join renowned gardener Sue Grubba as she discusses the world of plants that are survivors.  There are many plants that can flourish in conditions that would be much too dry for other plants to even survive.  Including these tough plants in your landscape can save you time and money on irrigation as well as providing you with years of enjoyment.  Come and learn about some of the gorgeous options that are available for the gardener who wants to water a bit less. Putting Your Herb Garden to Work Colleen French, August 24, 2006, 6:30-8:30 pm Part of Evening in the Gardens series of classes.  Cost: $30.00.  See how you can easily prepare at least five wonderful fragrant gifts compliments of your herb garden.  Everyone loves receiving herbal treats like layered fragrant bath salts, cleansing scrubs, salves to ease aches and pains, lip balms and facial steams.  These gifts are fun to make and definitely more popular than a new pair of socks!  During class we'll make an herbal salve and a lip balm for you to take home plus recipes and instructions.  Instructor Coleen French is the owner of French Garden Creations and has been growing, using and teaching about herbs for over 30 years. Visit the website www.msue.msu.edu/oakland , On the left side click on upcoming events and scroll down to the Evening in the Gardens link for complete details and registration form. Volunteers – Required Hours! There are still many openings for volunteers at the local farmer’s markets. Birmingham:  10-22       Farmington:  7-22, 7-23, 7-29, 8-19, 8-26 and 9-23       Rochester: 7-22, 8-5, 8-12 and 9-2       Royal Oak:  8-26       Walled Lake:  8-23, 8-30, and 9-27   If you would like to reserve a spot, please email Ruth Parulis at ruthparulis@sbcglobal.net Thanks! Michigan State University Extension- Oakland County “Bringing Knowledge to Life” North Office Building, #26 East Office Hours: 1200 N. Telegraph Road Monday through Friday Pontiac, MI 48341 8:30 a.m to 12:00 noon & 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Beverly Terry…248-858-0885 Carol Lenchek…248-858-0900 County Extension Director Master Gardener Program Coordinator E-Mail: terryb@co.oakland.mi.us E-Mail: lenchekc@co.oakland.mi.us Yard & Garden Hotline…248-858-0902 Cathy Morris….248-858-1639 Charlene Molnar, Horticulture Advisor Clerk & Contact for Certification Hours of operation vary with seasonal Of Volunteer & Education Hours needs. E-mail: morrisc@co.oakland.mi.us Food Safety Hotline…248-858-0904 Michigan State University Master Gardener Robin Danto, Extension Educator Program Mary McLellan, State Coordinator 517-355-5191, ext 408 4-H Youth Programs…248-858-0905 Water Quality …248-858-5198 Tom Schneider, Extension Educator Bindu Bhakta, Extension Educator Lois Thieleke….248-858-0888 Children, Youth & Family 248-52-9726 Extension Educator- Food & Nutrition Saneya Hamler, Extension Educator The Oakland Gardener only accepts submissions via e-mail. E-mail needs to include a description of request, contact person’s name, phone number and e-mail address. This info will be “cut and pasted” into this newsletter. Roots & Shoots is a joint publication of MSU Extension-Oakland County and Master Gardener Society of Oakland County. Submit articles for publication by suggested deadlines below. January 1 For February/March Issue March 1 For April/May Issue May 1 For June/July Issue July 1 For August/September Issue September 1 For October/November Issue November 1 For December/January Issue Effective January 6, 2006, postal rates are increasing. With this in mind, if you have Internet access we encourage you to read Roots & Shoots online at the Master Gardener Society website www.mgsoc.org. ?? ?? ?? ?? 16