Roots & Shoots June / July 2007 June 6, 2007 @ 6:30pm MGSOOC General Society Meeting & Location Bowers Farm, Alternative School Building, 1219 E. Square Lake Rd. http://mgsoc.org/Images/Bowers_streetMap.jpg Speaker : Lynn Hartung – Education: Pontiac Agriculture Network A business meeting will take place, prior to the start of our Educational program. July 11, 2007 @ 6:30pm MGSOOC General Society Meeting & Location Bowers Farm, Alternative School Building, 1219 E. Square Lake Rd. http://mgsoc.org/Images/Bowers_streetMap.jpg Speaker : George Hartley – Education: “Roses” A business meeting will take place, prior to the start of our Educational program. August 1, 2007 @ 6:30pm MGSOOC General Society Meeting & Location Bowers Farm, Alternative School Building, 1219 E. Square Lake Rd. http://mgsoc.org/Images/Bowers_streetMap.jpg Speaker : Mike Best – Education: “Astronomy and Gardening” A business meeting will take place, prior to the start of our Educational program. The Master Gardener Society along with MSU invites you to… Hidden Lake Gardens, Toledo Botanical Garden (special Art Show!) and Toledo Architectural Artifacts!!! Sunday August 5, 2007 Cost is ONLY $75 per person! (Check must accompany form; one form per person) MASTER GARDENER EDUCATIONAL CREDITS of 5 hours!!! Deluxe motor coach, samples, prizes, games, entrance fees, breakfast, lunch, shopping and FUN!!! Fill out the reservation form completely and mail it to me with full payment to reserve your place on this fabulous tour! No advance reservations! Contact Sandie Parrott for questions…248-394-1532 or RSBirdy@Comcast.net See you on the trip! Sandie Parrott Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status or family status. +++++++++++++++++++++++ CUT HERE++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2007 Hidden Lake & Toledo Botanical Garden Bus Trip - RESERVATION FORM ALL INFORMATION IS REQUIRED!!!!!! Full Name (For Name Badge) ___________________________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________________________________________ Phone No: ______________________________Cell Phone No: _______________________________ Email (for updates/changes) ____________________________________________________________ Are you a Certified Master Gardener? YES________ NO________ Candidate_______ (Master Gardener status is not required for the trip, we just want to know) Are you a Vegetarian? YES________ NO________ Do you have any physical or dietary restrictions? YES_________ NO________ If yes, please explain_________________________________________________________________ Other comments, questions, or concerns________________________________________________ Make checks (NO Credit Cards) to: MASTER GARDENER SOCIETY OF OAKLAND COUNTY Mail this form (keep the rest for your records) and full payment to: Sandie Parrott c/o Master Gardener Society Trip 8528 Thendara Blvd. Clarkston, MI 48348-3356 Carol’s Corner On April 26th, 132 of us came together at White Lake Oaks Country Club to honor the Master Gardener Volunteers who earned awards this year. It sure looked like everyone had a great time. I know I did! It’s a treat to have so many of you in one room to say thank you too! As we socialized during the Cocktail Reception we were treated to the wonderful piano music of Carol Taut. Did you realize all her piano selections had garden or flower themes? The silent auction was a great success! The money raised is going to the Ellis Barn Heritage Garden at Springfield Oaks in Davis burg. Thanks to all who donated items and to all who bought items. We had a nice sit-down dinner in the newly remodeled and elegant Country Club and a fun fruit and dessert buffet. Plenty of awards were given out, people shared stories with their classmates and laughter rang through the room all evening. The evening culminated with Clay Ottoni being named Master Gardener of the Year! This banquet would not come together without the hard work of the volunteer committee. I’d like to give a special thanks to Kay Kisell, Ellie Ledbetter, John Olsen, Carla Spradlin, Jan Stephens, and Marie Tuohey. This group of volunteers exemplifies all of you. You work hard at whatever volunteer task you take on, rain or shine with smiles on your faces. Thank you also too Oak Management for their 1st class catering, Oakland County Parks for the use of their facility, and to Telly’s for donating the table centerpieces. Our honorees: Basic Certification Jackie Allen, Rhonda Banks, Susan Bay, Ed Blondin, Hillarie F Boettger, Susan Bork, Mark Boynton, Stacey Bozynski, Carol Brantley, Carola Briod, Beth Brown, Rhonda Brown, Bonna Cathey, Marion Cenci, Charlie Coffin, Carol Cohan, Kathryn Coleman, Dan DeMello-Johnson, Grace English, Bernie Ethridge, Gary Faust, Emily Fronckowiak, Justin Fronckowiak, Ruth Frushour, Diane M Funk, Joann Gadbaw, Andrea Gallucci, Kyra Grathwohl, Cara Gray, Cathy Green, Gordon Green, Denny Gross, Tammy Haelterman, Geri Harubin, Carole Harrick, Lynn Henderson, Phil Holst, Margaret Horne, Gerry Howard, Ron Iwaszkiewicz, Chris Janisse, Patty Keenan, Betsy Keidan, Wendy Kolbusz, Marcia Kowalczyk, Dale Kukla, Gayle Kusch, Wayne Lapinski, Beverly Leonard, Bob Lorenz, Bill Madalin, Delores Manoogian, Carol Matle, Nancy McDermott, Kerrie McMillen, Phil McPeek, Fran Meuser, Martha M Montgomery, Darene Newman, Gail Novak-Phelps, Stephanie Patil, Kimberly Reeves, Sue Roehl, Judy Ryan, Karen Sadovsky, Susie Safford, Mike Saint, Marianne Schwartz, Edward Scritchfield, Dennis C Stephens, Jen Tewkesbury, Margaret Truza, Suzanne Turowski, Sue Tyson-Blackman, Carolyn Volk, Susan Work, Tim Wrobel, Cathy Young, Paul Young Advanced Certification Florence Alling, Rose Bartnik, Sally Bataran, James Bennett, Ed Blondin, Shirley I Dobie, PhD, Mark Boynton, Paula Brose, Beth Brown, Margo Campbell, Kelly McMillen, Martha Coffman, Dianne Cusumano, Judith Davis, Maureen Dinverno, Nancy Drayton, Suzanne Farley, Ilene Hill, Ann Hudak, Dawn Hughes, Ron Iwaszkiewicz, Laura Jury, Kathryn Kisell, Wendy Kolbusz, Sandy Kondos, Diane Kovich, Meg Costello Lambert, Katherine L Ligon, Virginia Makkonen, Collette Martilotti, Ann Mehney, Margie Mooney, Catherine Nanney, Judy Poole, Jan Prehm, Kathleen A Prost, Judy Roeser, Susan Sherman, Ella Steele, Karen Suter Young, Kathleen Todd, Margaret Truza, Jane Turner, Rita Urbanski, Donna Van Dam, Cathy West, Sharon Widger, Susan Work, Cathy Young 250 Hour Pins Ed Abeska, Karin Andresen, Bill Cichowski, Catherine Connelly, Dawn Gallinger, Robert Hannah, Ellie Ledbetter, Elizabeth Lilley, Dane Lovelady, Janice McNulty, Carolyn McQuiggan, Cynthia Mitchell, Nancy Murray, Paul Nelson, Susan Newman, Ann North, Frank Schauerte, Janet Schenk, Joann Shulte, Michael Sinelli, Ella Steele, Diane Taylor 500 Hour Pins John Blust, Patricia Langs, Gail Lutzky, Peggy Malnati, Don McGhee, Gary Milam, Barbara Near, Priscilla Needle, John Olsen, Kathleen Schaefer   1,000 Hour Pins Tom Hershberger, Clay Ottoni, Cynthia Reid, Susan Tatus McLarty 1,500 Hour Pins Cherry Lee Baker, Jan Everson, Sandie Parrott   3,000 Hour Pin Siegrid Stern 2006 Master Gardener Volunteer of the Year Clay Ottoni 2006 Annual Master Gardener Volunteer Program Report At-A-Glance 2006 Oakland County Master Gardener Volunteer Activities Total volunteer hours: 31,470 Full-time employee equivalents: 15 Economic value to Oakland County citizens: $569,921 ($18.11 per hour) Number of residents reached: 292,104 plus Oakland County Master Gardener Volunteer Program Ten -Year Summary Year MGVs Trained Active MGVs Hours Logged 1997 69 99 15,373 hours 1998 66 144 10,463 hours 1999 66 192 8,799 hours 2000 208 252 11,639 hours 2001 159 310 13,632 hours 2002 173 377 16,315 hours 2003 85 442 20,076 hours 2004 121 508 22,138 hours 2005 118 458 20,105 hours 2006 119 546 31,470 hours 1,084 170,010 hours! 200+ Community Outreach Projects Environmental Stewardship Improving Community & Quality of Life Helping Youth Succeed Enhancing Agriculture Profitability Michigan Fallen Heroes Memorial Landscape Design Workshop   — By Gail Novak With about a half dozen landscape designs, Facilities Project Coordinator Oakland County Sheriff Community Liaison and I met on May 8, 2007.   The meeting was very productive.  Each design was examined and, amazingly, something special was chosen from each design.   * From the parking lot at the beginning of the walk, grasses should be planted in a semi circular bed on each side of the walk (and around the fire hydrant). ?     At the turn in the sidewalk, a bench should be placed as a resting spot with a small arbor/trellis over the bench with a white flowering vine.  A flower bed circle around the bench may continue on the other side of the walk with detailed plantings, perennials and annuals. * Where the sidewalk branches to the right and left at the berm of the memorial, medium planters (not too small or large) should be placed on the grass giving that area a slight vertical sense.  These can be planted with annuals. ?     For privacy but not blocking the memorial, beyond the sycamore tree on the south/left side, 4 or 5 river birches can planted in the wet soil, possibly with some red dogwood. * The berm needs to be refilled with more soil.  Afterwards, a staggered, half moon shape on both sides of the berm with a carpet of planting that stays green, low lying junipers with interspersed red dogwood (something prickly will keep individuals from crawling on the berm). ?     On the berm, some cutout areas to hold something of little height, such as tulips or annuals. * The inner circle needs to be replanted after the hardscape lighting is installed. ?     The north side, pines or more birch or another garden can be planted in the future.   A special thanks to all of you who contributed! Medieval Monastic Gardens — By Jean Gramlich New Master Gardener Ed Blondin gave our lecture for May on the topic of Medieval Monastic Gardens. To show the origins of medieval gardens, he started off in Egypt around 1450 B.C. where classical order made irrigation and harvesting easy, and the gardens were walled to protect them from wind and animals. Several hundred years later the Babylonians continued the tradition and built elaborate enclosed garden spaces. The Romans carried on various garden traditions in 300 A.D. by building grand palaces like the Villa Rustica of Canterbury with courtyards arranged like ancient gardens. There was usually a central water feature that was stocked with eels and fish. The courtyards often included frescoes. After the fall of Rome, the Romans withdrew from Britain, and Angles and Saxons came into the country with their religious and cultural traditions. The Pope integrated their symbols into the Holy Roman Empire, and classical Roman gardens with Christian influences were again built in Europe. Meanwhile, Islamic influences came into Europe and affected gardens. Monasteries were centers of work and prayer - a balance of physical work and contemplation, the secular and the religious world together, a garden of earthly delights. The rose was a symbol of sensual temptation and the pain of physical travail. Monasteries were shelters for travelers and pilgrims, and the gardens provided food for the monks and their guests. They also functioned as health care facilities. Traditional Anglo-Saxon herb gardens were recreated in raised beds. Herbs were used for medicinal and other purposes. When the Black Death came to Europe in 1300, the people believed that the herb pennyroyal would ward off the disease, and, indeed, pennyroyal is still used in flea powder. Herbs like lavender, thyme, and chamomile were used to mask odor (people didn’t take too many baths in those days), and herbs were strewn on paths. People created gardens specifically for fragrance. Cloister gardens were meant for private contemplation, reading and meditation. There were 5 absolute principles: 1) perfect proportion, 2) shelter in all weather, 3) beauty through simplicity, 4) calm, 5) a central feature – either water or one tree. The medieval monastic gardeners grew the first lawns, symbolizing renewal and everlasting life. Ed gave us so much information in one lecture that he could expand his topic into several fascinating segments. Perhaps he will come to speak to us again. Notes from Nutcase Nursery Summer 2007 This is the time of the season! We were waiting so long for green that the gorgeousness of it in May almost hurt my eyes. And as we leave spring the gardens have never looked so good, have they? This is that incredible season when things seem to be at their best. The wonderful dose of moisture in April gave way to that period of the calendar that borders on perfection in the garden beds of Michigan. Things have stems, bark, leaves and flowers and have reached that certain size when balance, form and essence make you wish you signed yourself up for a garden walk. Occasionally, events occur that suck the pressure right out of your spray tank. Sometimes a storm will wreak its devastation, or the sheriff lands the county helicopter on your front lawn, but these should simply be considered accidents and you should never take this kind of gardening interruption personally. Your goal is to continually fine-tune your majestic estate; relish each dazzling focal point, from the blooms of the peonies to the jewels of the lilies. You must keep the scene sharp, with the clarity that comes from the wise and trained eye of the beholder. To maintain a rich, Technicolor fantasy life year-round, I take numerous photographs because I know that the views that make my heart sing will slowly smudge into less uplifting ones. I have albums actually. I think it’s that darned Mother Nature thing again. I keep picture books of my offspring for show and tell. These are both proud history and damning evidence. Fond memories of how that bed looked before the uprooted tree happened. “Oh yes. Here’s a picture of a lovely (fill in the blank) but then the city had to move the gas meter.” Here at Nutcase we like every plant to have a name. Even mystery plants get names; just because the cultivar is unknown doesn’t mean it should live anonymously. ‘Kathy’s Gold’ is an iris from a college friend, ‘Hester’s Peach’ is a lovely shade of daylily, and so is ‘Little Annie.’ An old neighbor who moved to Minnesota paid a surprise visit one summer day and since we somehow managed to escape the Nursery, he left a note in the side door. I was sorry we missed each other because he wrote, “I love how you have everything labeled.” I took it as an honest compliment. I prefer to believe that as a former science teacher, he, too, has an appreciation for order. Obsessive compulsives have to stick together. Unfortunately, in the real world not everything comes labeled. Sometimes, a neighborhood munchkin, intending to help, winds up plucking all the labels from every bed, leaving you with a more natural look but serious amnesia. Once, a friend’s elderly aunt picked up all of the plants markers with the pictures on them out of every bed and put them in a shoebox. She presented the box at the end of her visit announcing how happy she was to help clean up. Not having labels makes me uncomfortable. I rely on the assistance of labels. Not only do they function as dwarf lightning rods, activating nitrogen in the soil during thunderstorms, they also save what sanity I have left because no matter how well I think I know something, all it takes is for someone to ask what it is, and the mind responds with “lights on, nobody home.” Not a good habit for someone trying to get work as a docent for Meadowbrook, Cranbrook or a garden tour. In order to perform publicly in a manner that would not cause the Extension Office serious heartburn or embarrassment, I’ve collected a few plant names that are designed to get a show-and-tell gardener through such emergencies. They are useful, fairly easy to understand, sometimes Latin, German or a combination of both as are many other genus, species, cultivar trios. They serve a purpose. They help maintain order. And in a world where unnamed daylily varieties have a lesser status than those with three-word titles and awards, they reduce obsess-sive-compulsive stress. Martha would say that they are a “good thing.” A factual example of such a naming convention is a lovely salvia introduced from Germany called Salvia nemorosa “Mai Nacht.” It ignores the heat and is happy with average, well-drained soil. In English, it’s known as “May Night.” This is easily enough of a precedent for my use of the German “Watischdaat,” (pronounced “vutt-ish-dot). It’s an answer to the question I have no immediate and intelligent answer for, and it gets me off the hook. To be a good citizen I always try to get back to the person with a more proper botanical name. Sometimes I never see them again. It’s okay. People like to tour the Nursery, and are pretty much welcome no matter what the dog says. If the chores have been tiresome we figure that company is Nature’s way of telling us to take a break. Often something they’ve never seen before catches their eye and they want to know “What is that?” Suddenly, you know-it-all Master Gardener you, you feel like you have been struck by lightning. “Oh which one? That one over there? Oh, that one….that’s uh, uh….that’s a Menta lapsicus. ‘Had it for years.” And you gracefully move on. In the shade garden there’s a low-growing ephemeral and again your mouth wants to attach a rightful and righteous moniker to it. Poof, you knew it five seconds ago and now, omigosh, what the heck is it? Solemnly and simply, pronounce it a “Cranium blanca” and you should recover from your brain pain quite handily. Or it could be “Stoogea.” They look very similar. It’s always a good idea to have a working vocabulary that contains some gardening Latin. Is it four feet tall with deep purple flowers? It’s a “Stalchus nigra.” If it’s four feet tall with no flowers it sounds like “Stalchus erecta” to me. That patch of green and white-leaved groundcover that started with a slip from Mrs. Shepard’s grandmother’s yard years and years and years ago….why it’s Creeping variegatus. Has someone completely flipped over your patch of those knee-high, kind of bushy, floppy flowery thingies that come in red, yellow, and white? Never fear. They are obviously a fine collection of Admirabilis rubra, Admirabilis lutea, and Admirabilis blanca. Is something standing particularly straight and proud, beside and besides you? For the moment, it’s real name escapes. But it’s green and it’s happy. Shout it out with confidence. It’s obviously a Verde robustus. I received a wonderful gift from a gardening friend. It’s a hanging plant tag whose label reads, “I Don’t Remember Planting This.” And it has large print too. How long have I been stealing tongue depressors from my doctors’ offices? Ever since my eyesight got worse and I was gaining too much weight eating ice creams on a stick. They To contact Nutcase Nursery, email nutcase_nursery@yahoo.com. Postscript: In the last missive from Nutcase, I mentioned a long-time market by the name of Clyde Smith’s. Sad to say it is no more. And another one hits the compost pile. Do You Need Gardeners Anonymous? Have a spare moment for this quiz? Take a break, hydrate and answer the questions below. Check the statements that apply and figure out your score according to the scale. Give yourself a point for each positive answer. Give yourself 5 extra points if you’re wearing garden gloves as you read this. You might be a Gardening Addict if: ___ Your car has an MG license plate frame. ___ You refer to what’s beneath your clogs as “soil” as opposed to “dirt.” ___ You carry garden tools in your car as regular fixtures. ___ You won’t let the Jiffy Lube guy vacuum your car because there’s too much soil on the floor. ___ You display framed pictures of your flowers and/or vegetables. ___ You would prefer to cut the lawn rather than vacuum the carpet. ___ You wear trowel earrings, have gardening tool charms on your bracelet, sport a wheelbarrow belt buckle or something similar. ___ You pull weeds from containers at Home Depot. ___ You stop at a stranger’s house to tell them the mulch around their tree is too deep. ___ In the fall you snitch leaves from other yards the night before garbage pickup. ___ You would rather have a water feature than a swimming pool. ___ After working your shift at the State Fair, you hit the horse barn to beg a bag of puckey. ___ You would turn down a promotion if it meant a transfer to a city with a lower hardiness zone. ___ You plant things in other people’s yards because you no longer have room. (Three extra points if they don’t know.) ___ You refuse to take a vacation until after a freeze. ___ Only very loud thunder will force you to abandon gardening in the rain. ___ The crisper bins in your refrigerator contain corms, bulbs or other plant material. ___ You have more gardening books than cookbooks. ___ You’d rather have a hothouse than a hot tub. ___ All of your daylilies, hosta, or whatever you “collect” have to have names. ___ Entertainment at Thanksgiving Dinner consists of encouraging guests to guess what dishes are “home-grown.” ___ At the grocery store you won’t let your produce ride the belt to avoid bruising. ___ You have a rain garden and a rain barrel and a dry river bed and a xeriscape. Scoring: Under 5: You don’t even deserve a badge. 5 – 10: You get lost on your way to the Extension office. 11-15: You know the difference between a rhizome and a tuber. 16-20: You never get to sit on your own lawn chairs. 21 and over: You need to hit a G.A. meeting but there’s never anyone there. Members are out having too much fun gardening to attend 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 and 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@oakgov.com E-Mail: lenchekc@oakgov.com Mary Wilson…248-858-0887 Linda Smith…248-858-0887 Horticulture Educator Horticulture Secretary E-Mail: wilsonm1@msu.edu E-Mail: smithlin@oakgov.com 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 needs. Of Volunteer & Education Hours E-mail: morrisc@oakgov.com Food Safety Hotline…248-858-0904 Robin Danto, Extension Educator 4-H Youth Programs…248-858-0905 Water Quality Education…248-858-5198 Tom Schneider, Extension Educator Bindu Bhakta, Extension Educator Lois Thieleke….248-858-0888 Children, Youth & Family…248-452-9726 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. ?? ?? ?? ?? - 1 -