Roots & Shoots August / September 2008 August 6, 2008 @ 6:30pm MGSOOC General Society Meeting & Location Note Location: Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church , 5631 North Adams Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI  48304 Speaker : Dennis & Susan Ashton–Education: “Michigan Apples” A business meeting will take place, prior to the start of our Educational program. September 3, 2008 @ 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 : Brenda Dziedzic–Education: “Butterflies of SE Michigan” A business meeting will take place, prior to the start of our Educational program. October 1, 2008 @ 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 : John Scholten, Live Roof LLC –Education: “Green Roof Basics” A business meeting will take place, prior to the start of our Educational program. Carol’s Corner It’s been a fun summer so far with lots of fun activities to choose from. I hope you’re taking advantage of the wealth of volunteer opportunities now because they do tend to dry up in the fall and winter. For me one of the highlights of the summer so far was judging at the Oakland County Fair. I judge in the Plant Science category; this year judging herbs, educational exhibits, and flower arrangements. The fun part is that each child comes up individually with their entry and I get to interview them! These kids are so knowledgeable, serious, and always have a (sometimes funny) story to tell about the entry. Our job as judges is to encourage them. As I’m talking to them about their project my goal is to put a smile on their face that they can’t wipe off. We give required volunteer hours for judging. It doesn’t matter if you judge plants, photography, or creative writing. Many judges are needed each year and I encourage you to try it! We are now gearing up for the State Fair (August 22- September 1). Tom Hershberger provides leadership for our volunteers. This year we have a much better location and both parking and gate passes for volunteers! If you are interested call Tom at 586-573-3954. The fall Master Gardener Volunteer Training class will be starting on August 26 and running through November 18. This is a day class. If you know of anyone who has expressed an interest in becoming a MGV, now is the time to talk to them. I’m not sure if the class will be full by the time you read this but its worth calling Linda Smith to find out. Her phone number is 248-858-0887. UPCOMING PROGRAMS Information and registration forms for the programs listed below are available on our website www.msue.msu.edu/oakland under Upcoming Events. 2008 Evening in the Garden These popular 2-hour seminars run through middle September. All classes are held at Tollgate in Novi. Tollgate is located at 12 mile & Meadowbrook Roads. Come to the class early or stay late and enjoy the beautiful gardens and pond. Monday, August 11, Ten Things People Need to Know About Their Lawn with Ron Calhoun. Wednesday, August 13, Cooking With Herbs with Jean and Roxanne Riggs. Wednesday, August 27, Keeping it Safe from Garden to Plate with Robin Danto. Tuesday, September 16, Lavender – How to Grow & Use with Iris Lee Underwood MGV Study Tour to Longwood Gardens (and More!) September 21-25, 2008 At the request of several Master Gardener volunteers, Kent County Horticulture Educator, Rebecca Finneran, and our Oakland County Horticulture Educator, Mary Wilson, have developed a study trip to Longwood Gardens (and more!), September 21-25, 2008. Rebecca and Mary have offered study tours to Master Gardeners for over 20 years. They’re especially excited to offer this educational opportunity to you. Highlights include a stop at one of Ohio's hidden jewels-KINGWOOD CENTER. This 47 acre public garden was the estate of Charles Kelley-King and dates back to the 1900s. The exquisitely laid out grounds include a carriage house and greenhouse where the family grew and enjoyed fresh produce throughout the season and more than a dozen garden areas. Located adjacent to the Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh is the site of PHIPPS CONSERVATORY. This Victorian style glasshouse has delighted plant and flower enthusiasts for over 100 years. A smaller replica of many British glass houses such as Kew, this indoor garden boasts thirteen display rooms as well as lovely gardens surrounding the conservatory. Their Welcome Center is one of the few LEED-certified public garden buildings. (LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) The next day, we will spend the entire day at LONGWOOD GARDENS. Longwood is known as America's premier garden and has roots back to William Penn when America was just getting a foothold. The estate of Pierre DuPont, this rolling expanse of garden was added onto over the years to make it one of the most unique experiences, both indoors and out anywhere in the country. With 150 year old trees on the property, and water lilies that would hold a 125 lb. human, everyone will find something to experience and enjoy on this stop. (For those unfamiliar with Longwood Gardens, it has the reputation as the Mecca for horticulturists in the United States. After four visits to Longwood, Rebecca and I concur!) CHANTICLEER is best known as a "pleasure garden," and was labeled by the Washington Post as "one of the most interesting and edgy public gardens in America." This 35 acre garden has historic components but has also undergone a magical transformation in the last 10 years. Lush tropicals embellish formal courtyards, vast formal expanses make up a variety of display gardens and new gardens showcase an eclectic blend of new-age design with a rolling countryside estate. The final day of our journey we will tour KLYN NURSERY, one of Lake County Ohio's finest wholesale nurseries. With over 2000 plant species, industry professionals know this nursery is just about guaranteed to have any sought-after plant. Our host, Bill Hendricks, will provide us with a fascinating behind-the-screens look at nursery production. Next, Bill will take us on a special tour of a nearby plant collector's PRIVATE GARDEN that is truly inspiring. This study tour will be a multi-county trip with participants from Genesee, Kalamazoo, Kent, and Oakland counties. It should be a wonderful mix of Master Gardener volunteers and Extension horticulturists for a great time of learning and fun! This will be one study trip you don't want to miss! 22 MGV Educational Credits will be given for this very educational tour. Herb Extravaganza on October 11 The Continuing Educations Committee has put together a day-long Herb Extravaganza scheduled for Saturday, October 11. Jean and Roxanne Riggs from Sunshine Farm will be starting the day with the topic Getting Started With Herbs. You will be able to see a wide variety of herbs and be given the cultural information necessary for success. Then Herbalist Jim McDonald will discuss Using Common Herbs to Nourish Immunity. Jim will share the uses of familiar plants growing in almost all gardens, and how they nourish and restore wellness. Jim writes that gardeners surround themselves with some of the most revered medicinal plants, but perhaps haven’t learned the seemingly unending virtues which they possess. Our last presenter will be Colleen Dodt will present The Fragrant Path: Growing What You Use and Using What You Grow. We will explore the world of aromatic plants. Colleen Dodt is an herbalist, aromatherapy advocate, and author who will be sharing information on using herbs for various household and beauty products, teas, and potpourris. There will be herb plants, herbal products, and books for sale during the day, so you can get started on your holiday shopping! Master Gardeners will receive five full-credit education hours for attending this event. 2008 Fall Master Gardener Training Class Schedule Executive Office Conference Center 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford 9:00 am-1:00 pm Tues Aug 26 Intro/Natives Tues Sept 2 Plant Science Tues Sept 9 Vegetable Culture Tues Sept 16 Soil Science/Composting Tues Sept 23 Flower Culture Tues Sept 30 Water Quality/ Invasives Tues Oct 7 Woody Ornamentals Tues Oct 14 Indoor Plants/Propagation Wed Oct 22 Backyard Fruit Wed Oct 29 Household Pests Tues Nov 4 Plant Health Care and Diagnostics Tues Nov 11 Lawn Care Tues Nov 18 Volunteer Day This schedule is subject to change so call Linda (248-858-0887) to ensure that the schedule hasn’t changed. You will earn 2 full credit educational hours for attending any class. This is a great way to get a refresher if it’s been awhile since you took the training. Alliums Bob Koenders, who grows alliums for the wholesale market at the Backyard Bouquet Farm in Armada, was our June speaker. He also sells flowers at the Rochester Farmers Market. He brought with him huge buckets of alliums, and we all got to take some home with us. He chose the land in Armada because it is lake bed soil and has lots of calcium. Alliums need full sun and good drainage with lots of organic matter and nitrogen in the soil. He uses wheat or rye as a cover crop. Most alliums are easy to grow and will last for years and years. They can be dug and divided anytime they are dormant. They bloom in the spring and die back and become dormant quite quickly. They generally come in various shades of white and purple. ‘Purple Sensation’ is the earliest cultivar, and it is cheap and easy to grow. ‘Globemaster’ is huge and reliable. ‘Giant’ is most difficult to grow and tends to rot if the soil is too wet. ‘Star of Persia’ is a variety that dries on the stem well and seeds itself. The dry blossoms can be spray painted and used for Christmas decorations. ‘Mount Everest’ is the best-known white variety. He brought with him a hanging bell allium with unusual umbels of blossoms. Submitted by Jean Gramlich Emily Dickinson’s Garden Annick Hivert-Carthew shared her enthusiasm for Emily Dickinson’s poetry and her garden for our July meeting. The Dickinson family home is in Amherst, Massachusetts and is open to the public as a museum. There are many flowers in her poetry, and they had great symbolic meaning for her. Bleeding heart represented young love which does not last. Sage represented wisdom, and pansies were a symbol of the Holy Trinity. She had seas of tulips because bulbs represented death and resurrection to her. She raised only perennials because they do not die at the end of the season like annuals. She was afraid of death and had lost many family members. She kept her garden very natural with banks of primroses (now choked with weeds) and violets everywhere. Violets were believed to cure liver problems. She had a conservatory which she called her indoor garden. There she forced plants like jasmine, oleander, heliotrope, fuchsia and orchids. Emily Dickinson was very eccentric and lived an isolated life. At age 30 she decided to stay at home and never left after that. She often stayed in her bedroom. She gardened at night dressed all in white. She liked to walk barefoot in the mud. She loved animals and was very attuned to nature. She had a Newfoundland who went with her everywhere. She published only 3 or 4 poems before her death, but 1400 poems are now in her collected works. Submitted by Jean Gramlich Calendula, 2008 Herb of the Year Also known as the Pot Marigold, Calendula was originally from southern Europe. It is a hardy annual plant with light greenish yellow leaves, and flowers in shades of yellow and orange. Because of the plants unique characteristics, it is found in ancient prose and poetry. At dawn, the blossom opens and rises with the sun. The golden orange color brightens the day until sunset when the early-to-bed marigold closes for the evening. Because of this sensitivity to the sun, this plants recognition has lasted thru time. The Latin name Calendula comes from calends, meaning the first day of the month which the Romans observed and recorded. In medieval England, a popular religious legend described the Virgin Mary as wearing golden blossoms. The monks of that period decided that they should be named in her honor. With that, the poets began calling the herb “Mary Gowles” and “Mary Golde.” Years later, Shakespeare referred to the flowers as “winking Marybuds.” -- continued on next page -- The Latin specific name officinalis was the term used to designate medicinal herbs. In Maison Rustique, or the Countrie Farme (1699), Stevens listed some of the body pains and problems that the Marigold could heal: headache, jaundice, red eye, and toothache. He also had a formula for the cure of plague “A conserve, using Marigold flowers and sugar, taken in the morning fasting, sureth the trembling of the harte, and is given in the time of plague.” The seventeenth century herbalist, Culpeper, had other used for the Marigold: “The juice of Marigold leaves mixed with vinegar, and any hot swelling bathed with it, instantly gives ease, and assuages it.” To provide aid to an ailing heart or any kind of fever, Culpeper recommended placing a “plaister” made from a mix of powdered dried flowers, lard, turpentine, and rosin on the breast of the ailing. The early herbalist had certain instructions for picking the flower. To preserve the virtue of the herb, it must be gathered only when the moon is in the sign of the Virgin. Picking it during the rise of Jupiter would result in its loss of all virtue. The person assigned to gathering the plant must be free of deadly sin and must remember to say three Pater Nosters and three Aves. Once gathered and worn by someone, the Marigold plant can give that person the power to perceive and recognize anyone who has robbed him or her. Also, it will strengthen the eyes of anyone who so much as looks at it. During the American Civil War and the First World Was, the Marigold flower was used as a hemostatic. Even today, Calendula ointment serves as a dressing for small wounds. For relief from the pain of a wasp or bee sting, try rubbing the flower on the affected part. Sprains and cuts can be less painful if a lotion made from the flower is applied. When a fever strikes, an infusion of freshly gathered blossoms will encourage perspiration and expel any collected mucus. The culinary uses of the Marigold herb are primarily in salads and dried in broths and soups. The taste of the leaves is at first pasty and sweet, and then quite salty. Use petals to give a saffron color and a light, tangy flavor to rice, fish, and meat soups, soft cheese, yogurt, butter, omelets, milk dishes, cakes and sweet breads. Add one teaspoon of petals to fish and venison. Use as a garnish for meat platters, pate, and fruit salads. The seeds are unusual in shape and formation. Light yellow in color, with at least a half dozen shapes, ranging from a winged seed to a curled seed. The Calendula seed holds its germination for only one year therefore fresh seeds are needed each year for planting. Keep the plants free of weeds and space about nine or ten inches apart. Phosphate content is important for healthy flowering. Although the Calendula can survive the first frost, 25 degrees will damage it. As for harvesting, the flower can be pinched off on sunny days. If the petals are mixed with the green center, it is considered an impure product. The only part of the plant generally used in food and medicine is the flower petal, therefore creating a very expensive herb. The petals should be dried in the shade on paper rather than on screens, since once they are dried, they have a tendency to hold tightly to the screen, making it difficult to remove. Store petals in a moisture-proof container to preserve the color and flavor. Calendula is a most versatile herb. Submitted by Diane Opria Some Information You Should Know MGSOOC Board Members President: Tom Hershberger ………………..…. (586)573-3954 Vice President: John Grant……………………….(248)852-3758 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: Martha Humphrey mlhgrows@ameritech.net Project Support: Clay Ottoni ………….. ……..(248)454-9800 Hospitality: Pat Banaszek …………………. (586)677-2048 Membership: Tom Hershberger …………… (586)573-3954 Programs: John P. Humphrey ………….(248)542-8213 Trips & Tours: Sandie Parrott ………………..(248)394-1532 Web Site: Becky Akers akersrs@hotmail.com Corresponding Secretary: Diane Rix calrix1@comcast.net Web Site Address: www.mgsoc.org 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 Beverly Terry…248-858-0885 Horticulture Office Assistant County Extension Director Email: smithlin@oakgov.com Email: terryb@oakgov.com Cathy Morris…248-858-1639 Mary Wilson…248-858-0887 Clerk & Contact for Certification of Volunteer Extension Educator~Horticulture & Education Hours Email: wilsonm1@msu.edu Email: morrisc@oakgov.com Charlene Molnar…248-858-0902 Bindu Bhakta…248-858-5198 Horticulture Advisor Extension Educator~Water Quality Plant & Pest Hotline Email: bhaktabi@msu.edu Hours of operation vary seasonally Saneya Hamler…248-452-9726 Robin Danto…248-858-0904 Extension Educator~Children, Youth & Family Extension Educator~Food Safety Email: hamlersa@msu.edu Email: dantor@oakgov.com Lois Thieleke…248-858-0888 Tom Schneider…248-858-0905 Extension Educator~Food & Nutrition Extension Educator~4-H Youth Programs Email: thielekel@oakgov.com Email: schneidert@oakgov.com Eva Poole…248-858-1993 Extension Educator~Children, Youth & Family Email: ander204@msu.edu ?? ?? ?? ?? - 1 - Michigan State University Extension- Oakland County “Bringing Knowledge to Life”