As is our custom, we met before dawn at the Extension office parking lot. Jim, from Indian Trails bus line had our motor coach ready for the eager, though still groggy travelers. Marilyn Spence distributed our personally prepared bags, full of the important information and the goodies each of us would need for the next three days. Sandie Parrot had requested (begged actually), and was given a wide assortment of complimentary items from national and local companies as well as from destination points along our route. Bravo Sandie! After a quick head count, we were off to the Toledo Botanical Gardens, our first destination. Patty from TBG welcomed us. She gave us a choice of docent or self-guided tours of the grounds. Rain gear was necessary because it was a good day to be a duck. I chose the docent tour with Mona, our guide. She escorted us through shade, herb, rose, perennial, hosta, pioneer village, annual display, and dahlia gardens. Ohio State University Extension offers the MG program each spring at the TBG. Resident Horticulture Organizations such as the Maumee Valley Herb Society and the Black Swamp Hosta and Daylily Society are just a few of the many volunteer educational groups that contribute to the beauty of TBG. www.toledogarden.org By 11:15am, Put In Bay was in sight as we drove onto the Port Clinton Jet Express Catamaran. Andrea arranged for the ferry to wait for us. Once on the island, our group went off in many directions for an afternoon of exploring. Perry's Monument and the history behind it was of special interest to me. The tower and grounds are maintained by the National Park Service. At the two year old interactive visitor's center I watched a 15 minute video presentation clearly explaining the 1812 battle. There were also displays that detailed the Island's history. Returning to Port Clinton, we were ready to proceed to the Hyatt - Cleveland at the Arcade. En route to our hotel, our driver Jim gave us a quick tour of the downtown attractions. Gwen, the Hyatt's night manager, checked us in and handed us our room key-cards. The hotel's concierge offered valuable advice on where to eat and things to do. Saturday morning started early, with a bountiful breakfast in the Superior dining room. Satiated, we boarded the bus for a short drive to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. www.cbgarden.org. Martha Scott welcomed us and offered either a docent or self-guided tour to our group. We assembled for a group picture, adorned in our Purple trip t-shirts. Then armed with my handy guide to the garden, I chose to roam. Highlight areas of CBG have to start with the Glasshouse, with its diverse ecosystems all enclosed in a magnificent two story eye-catching glass structure. Ten beautifully landscaped gardens awaited us, any of which we could easily have spent hours exploring. CBG is wheelchair accessible with a few modest hills along the way. My favorite part of the garden was in the Gallery... "Between Science and Art", an exhibit of X-Ray photography of botanicals. Working with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Judith McMillan used an X-Ray machine as her camera to produce images not normally seen. Keeping to our itinerary, our group assembled with pictures captured, gifts purchased and memories stored away. As we walked the few blocks to our bus, we became active participants in the annual Parade the Circle Celebration. Let's just say, "We came, We marched, We waved". Our next stop, Chalet Debonne Vineyards and Country Gourmet, was ready and waiting for our group. Our guide, Beth, gave us a tour of the facilities and conducted the wine tasting. Lunch at County Gourmet followed. The rest of Saturday afternoon we wandered about on our own. Cleveland's former moniker, "Mistake on the Lake", no longer applies. This town has really transformed itself. Public transportation is accessible and convenient, with day passes available for $3.00 at Tower City. This beautifully restored building is the hub of riverfront entertainment and suburban destinations. With its diverse blend of banking, entertainment, clothing stores and restaurants, the hub shines as an example of a delightful meeting place. Sunday morning after breakfast, we checked out of the Hyatt and headed for the Holden Arboretum, www.holdenarb.org. Eva Stephans welcomed us before we reboarded the bus for the short excursion to Lantern Court: 25 acres of gardens, woodlands and the Georgian Colonial home of the Holden family. We returned to the Arboretum to explore and view the Rose display in the Corning Visitors Center. The Pizza Market located in the shelter overlooking the Arboretum provided lunch. The delicious pizza and salads were followed by two wonderful desert pizzas: Apple crumble and peanut butter/chocolate. Corso's Perennials in Sandusky, Ohio was our final destination. John Corso gave us a brief history of his family-run business. Most of our group shopped for plants, and shop they did. The next time you buy plants keep an eye out; Corso's also markets the brand called Perennial Perfections. I want to take a moment to thank Shannon Waid. She provided entertainment interludes during our three-day bus trip, giving people an opportunity to win some great prizes. If you think that's all you're mistaken. Jim topped off the weekend with a "Triple Scoop” by finding an ice cream shop just outside of Toledo. Thanks Jim! We arrived back at the Extension office before 7:00 PM, collected our belongings, and headed for our respective homes. Thanks to everyone who was involved in the preparation and implementation of another successful trip. Just one last thing for the members of our group, "There's always room for J-E-L-L-O!" AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004 Master Gardener Trip to Ohio By John Humphrey, President of MGSOC Meeting Highlights 2 MG Candidates at Detroit Zoo 3 Moments to Remember 4 Forget-Me-Nots 5 Fall 2004 Master Gardener Class Schedule 8 Speaker Highlights - August 8 Inside this issue: Roots & Shoots ROOTS & SHOOTS, PAGE # ROOTS & SHOOTS, PAGE # North Office Building, #26 East 1200 North Telegraph Road Pontiac, MI 48341-0416 248/858-0880 Fax: 248/858-1477 This story can fit 175-225 words. If your newsletter is folded and mailed, this story will appear on the back. So, it's a good idea to make it easy to read at a glance. A question and answer session is a good way to quickly capture the attention of readers. You can either compile questions that you've received since the last edition or you can summarize some generic questions that are frequently asked about your organization. A listing of names and titles of managers in your organization is a good way to give your newsletter a personal touch. If your organization is small, you may want to list the names of all employees. If you have any prices of standard products or services, you can include a listing of those here. You may want to refer your readers to any other forms of communication that you've created for your organization. You can also use this space to remind readers to mark their calendars for a regular event, such as a breakfast meeting for vendors every third Tuesday of the month, or a biannual charity auction. If space is available, this is a good place to insert a clip art image or some other graphic. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2003 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2003 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004 ROOTS & SHOOTS, PAGE # MG Candidates at Detroit Zoo Hi Carol,       I thought I would let you know what good workers the following MG candidates are. Joy Bornschlegel, Sue Nunn, Dianna Rowland, Debbie Pavlak, Mary Ellen Stanley, Paula Brose, Susie Sherman, Dana Jelsch, worked at the Detroit Zoo gardens on May 8th and May 15th for a total of 67.5 hours.   We moved 2 end loaders of soil and compost, 4 end loaders of woodchips, planted 14 flats of flowers,  learned how to follow the chart to create a butterfly shaped garden, laid landscape fabric and put woodchips on top, pulled weeds, planted flowers, trimmed a few trees and bushes, and worked very hard to create a beautiful garden.  You can be sure everyone went home tired, ready for a hot bath, and a good nights sleep.   We had a lot of laughs and got to know each other a lot better.  Gardening is a wonderful way to make friends.  Many of these ladies will be going to the garden during the summer to help with the upkeep and watering.  Some will also become landscape helpers in the landscape dept.  What a great bunch of workers, I can't say enough good things about them.   Thank you for the MG class and the great MG's you produce.   Sincerely,  Sylvia Schult AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004 ROOTS & SHOOTS, PAGE # Meeting Highlights By Jean Gramlich July Meeting - Pressed Flowers Judy Cornellier shared her enthusiasm for pressed flowers at our July meeting. She began with an historical perspective: In the late 1700's when Linnaeus was working on taxonomy, plant collectors from all over the world began gathering and pressing flowers, stems, leaves, roots and seedpods in herbariums. By 1850, 50% of the plants in Kew Gardens were exotics. Locally, Cranbrook has a herbarium of Michigan wildflowers. Collecting plants and flowers for pressing provides us with fascinating facts about the structure of flowers as well as botanical families. Leaves change color from spring to summer, and sometimes the backs are a different color from the front. There are many varied habitats in which to gather flowers: Gardens, woodlands, hedgerows, beaches and meadows. When gathering wildflowers, be careful not to collect specimens from the wildflower protected list. The best time to gather material is in the early afternoon when the plant is thoroughly dry. Flowers picked during a drought hold their color well. Press flowers with telephone books that are weighed down with heavy books, pots, cinder blocks, etc. If the plants are moist, allow more pages between each specimen. Be sure not to overlap materials. DO NOT use paper towels because the dried flowers will have a waffle-like appearance. It takes one or two weeks for flowers to thoroughly dry. A little heat can help (Judy says that sometimes she puts the telephone books on the dashboard of her car parked in the sun). Remember to label each specimen with name, place and the time gathered. After the material has dried, store it in a cool, dry, dark, flat place. Include one mothball in each plastic storage bag to deter little bugs. The plant material can be used to make pressed flower projects like pictures, notepaper, bookmarks, etc. A dab of Elmer's Glue sticks each piece to the paper. Inevitably, the color of the flowers fades over time with exposure to light, though you can preserve the color by making color copies. Judy recommends these books to learn more about pressing flowers: Glorious Pressed Flower Projects by Cellestine Hannomann, and Collecting and Preserving Plants for Science and Pleasure by Ruth B. MacFarlane. Judy brought with her many pieces of dried plant material, paper and laminating sheets so that everyone could make their own bookmarks. Pressed flowers preserve a bit of our colorful summer garden. They enable us to visit it in the winter when our outdoor world seems colorless! June Meeting - Urban Farming Brother Rick Samyn from the Capuchin Soup Kitchen spoke to us about urban farming for our June meeting. The Soup Kitchen and Gleaners Community Food Bank formed Earth Works Garden and grow produce on almost an acre of urban landscape. The Garden's goal is to restore connectedness to the land through sustainable agriculture. The Garden not only produces food, but also promotes local farming projects and educational programs for children. Brother Rick began the farming project five years ago by first testing the soil on three sites. One appeared to be contaminated with lead so that is where he put the greenhouse. The soil in the other two sites was very compacted so he plowed and replowed them. Then, he added topsoil and now adds huge amounts of compost made from coffee grounds, produce scraps, and bakery leftovers. Working in 4' X 100' raised beds, Brother Rick plants cover crops. This year, for the first time, he is experimenting with continuous planting. In one area, he set up a high tunnel to lengthen the growing season. He plants spinach in August and harvests it in February, then plants lettuce and spinach in March for an early spring harvest. He waters the crops with drip irrigation. Last year the Garden harvested 6000 pounds of produce. Much it went to Project Fresh, a WIC program through the Health Department. Recipients get coupons to buy Michigan-grown produce from farmers or farmers' markets. The Growing Healthy Kids program, which is partially funded by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan, teaches children about nutrition, growing food, as well as composting and recycling. Kids for the Bees teaches children about beekeeping and bees' function in agriculture. The Capuchin Soup Kitchen is also working with the Greening of Detroit on a United States Department of Agriculture grant to convert five acres of a Southwest Detroit park into an urban farm. This interactive green space is designed to break down barriers and build communities. Volunteers for the education programs as well as for harvesting and packing food. For more information call Brother Rick Samyn at 313-579-2100, ext. 211 or by e-mail rsamyn@cskdetroit.org. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004 ROOTS & SHOOTS, PAGE # Forget-Me-Nots By Linda Hamilton Published bimonthly for Oakland County Master Gardeners and Master Gardener Society members AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004 ROOTS & SHOOTS, PAGE # AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004 ROOTS & SHOOTS, PAGE # Landscape Design with Janet Macunovich Join Janet for a six-class series designed for the beginning landscape designer who has prior gardening experience. Learn these basics of design: Determine realistic expectations for a landscape Pass judgment on existing plants Decide where to place pants and visualize the changes Select plants that will thrive, and Capture your ideas on paper Students not only participate in a group design project, they also develop an individual plan for a home landscape. A soil test kit is immediately sent upon receipt of your registration as well as a pre-class assignment to be completed before the first class. The registration fee covers the soil test as well as all class handouts. Each student meets with a professional designer on the next to last class. When: Wednesdays, beginning September 15th from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon Where: Lower level classroom at North Office Building - #26 East; 1200 N Telegraph Road; Pontiac, MI Cost: $200 if postmarked or received by MSU August 6th $250 if postmarked or received by MSU on or after August 7th Registration deadline August 6, 2004 For more information, contact Carol Lenchek at: 248-858-0900 or lenchekc@co.oakland.mi.us Speaker Highlights - August Bill Pioch will speak to us on at our next General Meeting on Wednesday, August 4th. An Advanced Master Gardener, Bill has been growing herbs for 40 years. He is particularly interested in heirloom plants and sustainable agriculture. Bill spends much of the summer in Bellaire where he has his main garden. He combines his knowledge of herbs with his love of cooking to make a number of delicious dishes including garlic soup, lemon herb chicken, pumpkin soup, among others that he is known for. Bill is involved in the Plant-A-Row Gardens in Oakland County, providing his labor and expertise as well as many transplants from the seed he has sown. Bill also sits on the MSUE-Oakland County Leadership Council. FALL 2004 MASTER GARDENER CLASS SCHEDULE Classes will be held on Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Includes a 1 hour lunch) in the North Office Building (where the MSU Extension office is located).  If you would like to sit in on a particular class, call Carol at 248-858-0900  to reserve a seat in the back of the classroom.  Seating is very limited. Society Officers President: John P. Humphrey.....…….........248-542-8213 Vice President: John Grant..… ………….......248-852-3758 Secretary: Ruth Vrbensky...… ………............248-969-6904 Treasurer: Julie Bird...……… …...................248-358-3277 Team Administrator: Sherry D. Jones……….248-442-9866 MSU Extension Liaison Carol Lenchek....…..……………….................248-858-0900 e-mail...………….………….......lenchekc@co.oakland.mi.us Team Leaders Bowers Farm: John Grant…………..………..248-852-3758 Deeann Bauer...........…………..........248-828-7385 John Humphrey..........…………. ......248-542-8213 Martha Humphrey e-mail……………….…...babylon6@ameritech.net Education /Volunteer Committee: position open Hospitality: Sylvia Schult...........…….........586-992-0944 Membership:Tom Hershberger....……........248-435-3954 MGSOOC Newsletter: Marilyn Citron.......…........……........248-645-5515 e-mail...…………............MCWrites@sbcglobal.net Nomination Committee: Tom Hershberger.......………..............248-435-3954 Programs: John Humphrey.……......…........248-542-8213 Trips & Tours: Sandie Parrott.....……........248-394-1532 Website Administrator: Sheri Trout..…..248-328-0557 e-mail................................sheri@oaklandweb.com Volunteer Opportunity Contacts Oakland County Farmer's Market Info Booth Royal Oak Farmer's Market Info Booth Rochester Farmer's Market Info Booth Farmington Farmer's Market Info Booth (April 1st through September 30th) Ruth Parulis…….....………...............248-682-2909 e-mail…….…………...ruthpreston2909@msm.com Bowers Farm Manager: Mark Seeley.......248-341-6475 e-mail.......………….........mseeley@bloomfield.org Ask a Master Gardener...Helping People Grow: Denise Jones..….....586-944-8543 Continuing Education Committee for Oakland County: Jody Roeder.........………................248-642-7375 Tollgate Gardens: Rene Cottrell................248-398-2562 e-mail..........................................tyrenee@aol.com Calendar General meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Bowers Farm, 1219 East Square Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 from April through October. From November through March, General Meetings held at MSU Extension Office, lower conference room, 1200 North Telegraph Road Pontiac, MI 48341 August 1, 2004: Roots & Shoots mailing August1, 2004: Calendar submissions for Sep/Oct/Nov due to Secretary August 1, 2004: Calendar published for newsletter and website August 4, 2004 General Meeting: 6:30 PM at Bowers Farm. Education: Bill Pioch will speak about “Herbs” August 16, 2004 Board Meeting: 7:00 p.m. at Extension Office in 1st Floor Instructional Conference Room September 1, 2004: Deadline for Oct/Nov issue of Roots & Shoots September 1, 2004: Calendar submissions for Oct/Nov/Sept due to Secretary from Programs teams leader September 1, 2004: Calendar published for newsletter and website September 1, 2004 General Meeting: 6:30 PM at Bowers Farm. Education: Dianne Hilborn from Telly's will speak on “The Beauty of Japanese Gardens.” Nominations accepted for Vice-President, Secretary and Team Administrator MASTER GARDENER SOCIETY Michigan State University Extension Oakland County ROOTS & SHOOTS, PAGE # AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004 North Office Building, #26 East 1200 North Telegraph Road Pontiac, MI 48341-0416 248/858-0880 Fax: 248/858-1477 Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Dr. Emma Brooks. . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . 248/858-0885 County Extension Director E-mail: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . brookse@co.oakland.mi.us Carol Lenchek... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248/858-0900 Extension Program Coordinator E-mail: ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...lenchekc@co.oakland.mi.us Cathy Morris . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248/858-1639 Clerk & Contact for Certification Volunteer & Education hours E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . morrisc@co.oakland.mi.us Yard and Garden Hotline…………….…….248/858-0902 Charlene Molnar, Horticulture Advisor Hours of operation vary with seasonal needs. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status. MSUE-Oakland County Office Contacts Food Safety Hotline Sylvia Treitman 248/858-0904 4-H Youth Programs Tom Schneider 248/858-0889 Michigan State University Master Gardener Program Mary McLellan, State Coordinator 517/353-3774 Building Strong Families Dawn Koger 248/858-0897 Youth and Community Development Christy Hicks-Bowman 248/858-0889 Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program Matt Dykstra 248/858-5198 Roots & Shoots is a joint publication of M.S.U. Extension - Oakland County and MGSOC. Deadlines for submitting information or articles to Roots & Shoots are: Submission Deadline Issue Dates January 1 February/March Issue March 1 April/May Issue May 1 June/July Issue July 1 August/September Issue September 1 October/November Issue November 1 December/January Issue 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 online newsletter. Map to Bowers Farm AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004 ROOTS & SHOOTS, PAGE # I Need Help . . . Who Do I Call? Nora, Nora, Nora! Nora Wojciechowski! You need something done, ask Nora; you want to know something, ask Nora; need ideas, ask Nora. Nora is your person for just about anything because she knows so much about everything. She is always willing to teach you something new. Growing up in Iron River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Nora loved the outdoors and her knowledge of plants and animals grew extensively. She learned, “We ate what we grew, harvested from the woods, and hunted and fished for our food.” At age eight, she was responsible for one of her family's fresh vegetable and flower gardens. She became so good at this, that she was recognized as one of the top 4H'ers in Michigan Science was one of Nora's top interests. She attended Northern Michigan University to study forestry. However, she switched to teaching and received a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Art degree. She taught science for 26 years at Highland Park High School in Michigan. Nora lives next door to the historic Orson Starr house in Royal Oak; she came to know the Master Gardener who volunteered in the garden. As she chatted with her, Nora realized that she too could become a Master Gardener. So, she paid her fee, sat in the chair and listened, passed the tests, and became a Master Gardener and Advanced Master Gardener in 1998. These classes, plus her practical knowledge of gardening, made her an excellent person to answer questions at the Royal Oak and Pontiac Farmer's Markets, for Let's Go Gardening, and for other places where answers were needed. Nora also volunteered at, and continues to volunteer, in the garden at the Orson Starr House in Royal Oak, the Mary Thompson Community Gardens in Southfield, St. Marks Orthodox Church, and the Continuing Education Committee for Oakland County. When Nora received her MG certificates, Martha Ferguson asked her to do an all-day seminar about seed germination for kindergarten thru fifth grade students. She thanked the Lord for the great resources of the internet, because she had just retired from teaching and had put away all of her materials. She has also earned education hours at the Master Gardener Summer Conference at MSU, in classes at Tollgate, and Master Gardener Society of Oakland County meetings. Nora has team-taught the Plant Science and Vegetable Section of the MG course with Elmer Morehouse twice. She helps with the Holiday Party for MGSOOC, has taught a hands-on class on herb gardening in her yard, helped in education classes for Master Gardeners, and . . . It's no wonder she has close to 1000 hours of volunteer time. One of Nora's latest projects is a joint venture with Forgotten Harvest, Plant A Row, MG's , and English Gardens at the Michigan State Fair. Kathy Brown of Wayne County did a great garden design and Peggy Milotti, Nora and other MG's spent many hours planting flowers and vegetables for this ongoing summer project. And at the fall State Fair, they will man an information booth. With all of her gardening projects, she still has time for other hobbies. She used to weave quite a bit, having made placemats, scarves, blankets, and shawls for family and friends. She has been the past-President of the Orthodox Christian Women of Michigan and continues to serve on the Board. She also gives time to the Guild at St. Marks Church, helping with potlucks, the Sunshine Committee, and Hospitality. And, along with two other women, she bakes bread communion. Nora and Ron have been married for 35 years. Ron also has a science background. They make a great team in the yard, where they have an 8 ft. by 10 ft. pond. Ron (affectionately known as her “man slave”) takes care of the filtration system. They are in the process of a massive reconstruction for the back yard and then the front yard. This is Nora's first year of not having her 1200 sq. ft. vegetable garden. Although flowers are nice, Nora says, “I figure if I'm going to expend energy, I am not only going to have a beautiful garden, but I'm going to be able to eat the product of my energies.” If only we all had the energy this dynamic woman has! Nora and Ron own 40 acres in the Upper Peninsula. A very primitive 400 sq. ft. cabin, built in 1933 sits on the property. Its luxuries include an outhouse and wood -burning stove. They plan to develop some feedlots for the wild life. As Nora says, “It is mostly gravel so we will have to “farm” rocks before any seeds are sown for the wild animals.” It's a nice place for them to get away from everything and get back to nature. Nora and her husband Ron will be celebrating the October 23rd wedding of their daughter, Helen. She is getting married at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. Every mother's dream is to help her daughter with her wedding plans. You can be sure many special “Nora touches” will be at the wedding shower and the wedding. What wonderful “Moments to Remember”, Nora will have. As a little girl in the 4H Club, Nora pledged: My Head to clearer thinking, My Heart to greater loyalty, My Hands to larger service, My Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world. Nora has truly lived her life by this code. Date August 17 August 24 August 31 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov.9 Topic Introduction Plant Science Soil Science/Composting Vegetable Culture Lawn Care Household Pests Flower Culture Woody Ornamentals Small Fruit Culture Tree Fruit Culture Indoor Plants Native Plants Integrated Pest Mgt Water Quality Diagnostics Volunteering Presenter Carol Lenchek Darren Bagley Peter Bray Greg Patchan Gretchen Voyle Janet Macunovich Mary Wilson Jim Lincoln Mike Creller Sandra RichardsRuth Vrbensky Hannah Stevens Matt Dykstra Charlene Molnar Carol Lenchek Moments to Remember By Sylvia Schult Sometimes, nothing pleases me more than a tomato sandwich made with a garden-fresh tomato. My husband thinks it's disgusting, but he only likes tomatoes in ketchup and sauces, so what does he know about the sublime enjoyment of a juicy fresh tomato sandwich? I won't share my particular recipe because it's really nothing much. However, I will share the following morsels of information about “the love apple:” Tomatoes first grew as wild, cherry-sized berries in the South American Andes, but the fruit, as we know it today, was developed in Mexico where it was known as tomatil and traveled to Europe by boat with the returning conquistadors. Upon arrival in Italy, the heart-shaped tomato was considered an aphrodisiac, thus tomato in Italian, poma amoris, means "love apple." (Hmph, if my husband only knew . . . . ) If you suffer from skin disease, a tomato a day may keep the doctor away, as tomatine, tomato's principle alkaloid, concentrated in its branchy leaves and green fruit, heals certain fungous diseases of the skin. Skull and Crossbones Regarded as poison by American colonists because of its relation to deadly nightshade (belladonna), the tomato's reputation was saved by Robert Gibbon Johnson, who stood on the New Jersey courthouse steps in 1820, and ate a tomato--with no adverse effects, to the amazement of the town. Mrs. Isabella Beeton, in Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management of 1861, states, “To many persons there is something unpleasant, not to say offensive, in the flavour of this excellent fruit, the tomato. It has however, long been used for culinary purposes in various countries of Europe. Dr. Bennett, a professor of some celebrity, considers it an invaluable article of diet, and scribes to it very important medicinal properties.” Tom-ay-to/Tom-ah-to A ripened ovary of a seed plant, the tomato is by definition a fruit, but in 1893 the U.S. Supreme Court over-ruled Mother Nature declaring that tomatoes were not fruits, but vegetables. A virtual tomato seed smorgasbord, the Tomato Genetics Stock Center at the University of California, Davis has more than 2,750 genetic varieties of tomatoes. The largest tomato on record is a 7-pound monster grown in Oklahoma. Ms. Susan Tatus McLarty Ms. Rita Urbanski  Pat Antonick Ms. Amy J. Baker Ms. Linda Baker Ms. Patricia A. Banaszek Ms. Linda Becker Ms. Jacqueline Binkert Ms. Kelly Chaiser Mr. William Gichowski Ms. Patricia Coates Ms. Diane Crawford Ms. Karen Elliott Ms. Judith M Fife Ms. Sue Gelbach Ms. Geri Harubin Mrs. Mary Ann Henry Ms. Michell Piech-Hickok Mrs. Jovette Houtteman Ms. Joan Jensen Ms. Dellie Kolacki Mrs. Teresa Kummer Ms. Penny S Mason Mrs. Sandra McKelley Ms. Debbie Paviak Ms. Kimberly Pearson Ms. Ann Quail  Mrs. Marlene Regan Mr. Sean Regan Ms. Laurie Rutkowske Mrs. Lisa Schmaltz Ms. Susie Sherman Ms. Nikki L Slater Ms. Elizabeth Thiel Ms. Susan Wallet Ms. Geaneen Washington Ms. Julie Zube (Kennedy)  Ms. Nona Amberg Ms. Karen Baird Ms. Valerie Biehl Ms. Joy Bornschlegel Ms. Paula Brose Mr. Raymond J Buratto Ms. Colleen J Essary Ms. Kathleen M. Gauronskas Ms. Marianne Gutknecht Ms. Sandra Gutleber Ms. Andi Kinor Ms. Janine LaFlamme Ms. Barb Near Ms. Suzanne Nunn Ms. Dianna Rowland Mr. Andrew Savel Ms. Kathleen Schein Ms. Susan Silk Mrs. Mary Ellen Stanley Ms. JoEllen Stanley Ms. Karin Andresen Stroscheim Mrs. Rhea Thomas Ms. Patricia Thomas Mr. Bill Whitson Mrs. Debbie Whitson Mr. Steve Wyatt  Ms. Suzanne McClow Ms. Carol A. McCormick Ms. Elizabeth Novak Mrs. Cynthia Reid Ms. Patty Salter Mrs. Connie Schmelzle We look forward to seeing you at our meetings and events. Welcome New Members The Master Gardener Society of Oakland Counts welcomes t he following new members: (Continued on page #) (Continued from page #) An Autumn Affair for Gardeners The Saginaw Valley Master Gardener Association invites you to its fall seminar, “An Autumn Affair for Gardens.” Conference topics and speakers include: Frederick W. Case Jr, keynote speaker, will discuss “Wildflowers” Grey Gitzen will present “Forcing Bulbs and Bulbs for Fall Planting” Jerry Somalski of Bay Landscaping, will talk about “Turf Management.” Peggy Shaver will help you plan for your “Garden in the Fall.” The October 2nd conference is from 8 am to 4 pm at Saginaw Valley State University, Regional Education Center, Ott Auditorium. The cost is $50. For more information and directions, contact Gail Caird at (989) 793-1942 or Judy Henning at (989) 799-4136.before September 15th.