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CalvertCountyMaster Gardeners Annual Report 2018 Our Vision: People gardening and managing land

in harmony with nature.

Our Mission: Develop and deliver science-based, sustainable gardening and integrated pest

management education for better human and environmental health.

GARDEN SMARTER PROGRAM

The Calvert County Master Gardener (CCMG) Garden Smarter education series began in 2003 in partnership with the Calvert Libraries. The program allows CCMGs to share their knowledge and experience with the Calvert County community and nearby counties. It gives our citizens a place to ask questions, to learn best practices for their own gardening and to share ideas, exchange knowledge and make suggestions. It provides social interaction for people with like-minded interests. Our programs have changed minds and expanded the knowledge of our community, as shown by our guests’ discussion and comments. Under the guidance of Denise Moroney, we added new lecture subjects, and we received requests to present at other venues, such as Garden Clubs in

Calvert and other counties. One or two Master Gardener programs in other counties have adopted a similar outreach program. In 2018, we held two evening sessions with invited speakers from outside organizations who spoke at the Calvert Library in Prince Frederick. One featured David Brinker, Maryland Department of Natural Resources—Wildlife and Heritage Service, who told guests about “Birds of the Assateague”, and Greg Bowen, American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT) Executive Director, who spoke about “Land Trusts and Saving the Bay.” As part of the Garden Smarter program, we began a Community Seed Swap in 2014 that drew attendees from Calvert and Southern Maryland counties. CCMGs were invited to participate in the U.S. Botanic Garden Fall Festival on September 29.

The CCMGs were represented by Deborah Berbert, Elizabeth (Mimi) Miller, Jennifer Miller, Elisa Miller, and Nancy Radcliffe. Their display showed the importance of harvesting and saving seeds. About 200 people from the United States and the world, including New Zealand, Ireland, and Arabic and South American countries, visited the booth.

Summary

2017 2018 Active MG Volunteers 80 75 MG Trainees 16 10 Contacts Made 3,243 4,055 Youth Contacted 1,372 2,737 Total Educated in Classes/Workshops 949 1,365 Youth Educated 369 493 Volunteer Hours 3,889 3,888 Estimated Value *$104,186 *$106,920 *Independent Sector data rates for Maryland: 2017 @$26.79 (2016 data) and 2018 $27.50 (2017 data)

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In 2018:

25 programs were given; 15 CCMGs presented and 24 supported the

programs; 626 guests attended the sessions, with an

average attendance of 24 per event.

BAY-WISE YARD CERTIFICATION

PROGRAM

AT the beginning of the year, Melanie Crowder took over coordination of the Bay-Wise Committee. CCMG members promoted the benefits of the Bay-Wise yard certification program and provided information about controlling stormwater runoff and Best Management Practices in the Garden and Landscape at several events. Calvert Health Medical Center Green Team

invited CCMGs to participate in an Earth Day event at the hospital. Hospital employees and visitors stopped at the CCMG table to learn about the Bay-Wise program.

A Rain Barrel Workshop hosted by the Chesapeake Beach and North Beach Green Teams yielded 6 Bay-Wise consultations with one yard certified. Rain barrels were provided through the Maryland Sea Grant and each of the 35 attendees left with at least one rain barrel with 5 being delivered later.

CCMG gave out Bay-Wise information at the Bay Bash hosted and organized by a group of local high school students. It is very rewarding to have young people so concerned about the health of the Bay and the environment.

Twin Beaches repeated its “Taste the Beaches” and CCMGs gave out information about the Bay-Wise program.

Three visits were set up after contacts were made at the Green Expo at Annmarie Gardens, resulting in two certifications and one consultation.

We received 19 requests for visits at the Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale.

Contacts made at Patuxent River Appreciation Days (PRAD) resulted in one certification in Solomons.

This year, CCMG Bay-Wise Master Gardeners:

Completed 5 community education outreach talks, including:

o North Beach Home and Garden Club o National Association of Retired Federal

Employees (NARFE). Attended 5 community events. Certified 8 residential properties. Certified 2 non-residential properties. Completed 15 homeowner consultations.

The two non-residential certifications were Calverton School and Bowensville Farm and Nursery. CCMGs had worked with Calverton School in the past when they were called in to consult on a native plant rain garden that was sponsored by the parents. The

Bowensville Fam is the first privately owned farm we certified, and we hope others will follow.

At the request of a resident of the Simmons Ridge Community, a new subdivision, we made five consultation visits and gave a presentation to a small

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group of homeowners. We were joined by two guides from ACLT that has land adjacent to the community who took them on a hike to Parkers Creek. Grading has left exposed soil in a steeply sloped area with runoff carrying sediment into Parkers Creek that flows directly into the Bay. We continue to work with residents recommend native plants and landscaping practices that will help reduce storm-water runoff.

The NARFE presentation resulted in an invitation by the Green Team at Asbury Solomons to survey the grounds with them and their landscape management company. Suggestions were made for soft solutions to runoff issues and native plants to replace some non-native invasive plants.

Bay-Wise Advanced Training will be held March 13 and 20, 2019, at the UME Extension Office in the Community Relations Building, Prince Frederick. Almost 30 from Calvert and other counties have enrolled.

MASTER GARDENER DEMONSTRATION GARDENS Community Resources Building

Excessive rain events made it difficult to schedule work days this past year, but Carol Shomette, Karen Anderson, Donna Barrett and Deborah Noyes, with the help of 24 volunteers kept the gardens looking nice. A few beds were adopted by MGs who worked in them independently when it fit their schedules.

The two rain barrels that were acquired in late 2017 were installed at the Southeast corner of the building to collect runoff from the roof. A new bench was installed in the shade of the magnificent Southern Magnolia. The Boardwalk was essential this year as

it allowed us to get into the wet areas without walking in mud or water all the way.

The Demo Gardens, begun in 2010, at the request of the County, are one of our major projects and we are devoted to maintaining them. We continue to look for more volunteers to lead work sessions and/or adopt garden plots to maintain.

Sixteen people came to the garden tour that was held in early June as part of the Garden Smarter program. Native plants left from the Plant Sale were available for purchase.

Two Invasive Plant Tours, Garden Smarter programs, were conducted in August by Carla Porter. Eradicating invasive plants from the landscape is a never-ending job for the Master Gardeners and for most homeowners on their own properties.

Plans are underway to attract more volunteers, increase signage, create walking guides, and make the public more aware of the gardens in the middle of Prince Frederick.

CCMG YOUTH GARDENING PROJECT AT ANNMARIE GARDENS

Led by Jim and Eileen McVey, the Youth Gardens at Annmarie Gardens are in their 7th year of producing crops that are donated to local food banks. The 8 raised beds, filled with rich soil created from composted leaves and top soil and enriched with composted chicken waste, are very productive and allow replanting with a new crop immediately after one is harvested. Produce included tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, string beans, summer squash, lettuces, snow peas, Pak choi and

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Tot choi cabbages, and potatoes grown in bags. Each of the 12’ x 4’ beds provides about 100 pounds of produce annually. The CCMGs held teaching sessions for the children attend the Annmarie Summer Camps. The youth observed the role of pollinators in the garden and learned that beneficial insects can control garden pests without the use of pesticides. They learned that soil is more productive if it is enriched with organic matter rather than fertilizer and how important microbes are in creating healthy soil. Late in the summer, they were able to watch a bumper crop of Monarch caterpillars munch their way through all of the milkweed in the nearby pollinator garden. This year, 14 CCMGs:

Taught 218 children in the summer camps (8 sessions of 30-minute classes) ;

Talked to over 300 adults attending Green Expo and Artsfest events at Annmarie;

Contacted over 200 youth at those events, many of whom planted beans in the garden;

And donated 540 servings of greens and 813 pounds of vegetables to SMILE and St. John Vianney Food Banks.

16TH ANNUAL PLANT SALE

The CCMG Annual Plant sale has a well-established reputation for providing a wide selection of native plants, heirloom and organic vegetable plants, and delicious baked goodies combined with expert advice and information from Master Gardeners. Over 280 people came in 2018 to buy plants and ask questions.

Thirty-seven CCMGs helped on the prep days prior to and on the day of the sale. We sold over 1500 plants and one-third of those were propagated by CCMGs or came from their yards. There were

three information/display tables: Invasive plants, salad boxes and Bay-Wise.

Under the guidance of Deb Berbert, the event was well organized and set up on time. Weather also cooperated for a record turnout of visitors. Wendi Paterno had all the labels ready, and Donna Rea kept the plant information signs well organized. Anita Bruno managed the cashiers and Carol Santivasci and Denise Moroney made sure the bake sale items were deliciously displayed.

Almost all CCMGs volunteer time for the plant sale doing all the many jobs that are required for its success: advertising, potting plants that we purchase and taking care of them until the sale, digging them up from their yards, propagating plants, prepping them for the plant sale (cleaning them up, putting in labels and pricing them), bringing boxes, gathering visitor information, helping customers to their cars with plants, answering their questions, getting there early to move plants to the display stands, baking for the bake sale, cleaning up after it’s over and taking plants home to keep for another event.

All proceeds from the Plant Sale go to support our many programs, and it is our sole source of funding.

YOUTH-ORIENTED EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Children’s Day on the Farm (JPPM)

Rain, rain, rain, go away, but it didn’t. All day, it rained, and attendance was less than a quarter of the number who usually visit this very popular event.

Nevertheless, Penny Moran, the coordinator, and eight CCMGs huddled inside the pavilion and talked to youth and adults. Veronica Cristo borrowed the apple tree and hen house again and the children who came delighted in harvesting and taking produce to market. We owe a special thanks to the Maryland Economic Development Corporation for once again lending us the very realistic hen house, apple tree, and market stand displays.

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We played the garden game, and each child planted a watermelon, sunflower or pumpkin seed in a Dixie cup to take home to plant in their own garden. The booth was visited by 83 adults and 81 children.

Youth Day at the Calvert County Fair

County schools close so that children and their parents can spend a day at the County Fair. Managed by Rose Thompson, the CCMG booth is a popular stop where visitors can play Spin the Wheel and answer gardening questions for prizes. This year, an electronic game was created. Players pushed buttons to match a picture of a caterpillar with the butterfly or moth they thought it would become as an adult. A doorbell rang and a light went on with each correct answer. Everyone won the choice of a prize—daffodil bulbs or fruit snacks,

and each was given a plastic insect or insect stickers.

Just over 300 youth and about 225 adults stopped by the CCMG booth.

4-H Summer Camp

Held at King’s Landing Park, Judy Kay taught 15 youth and 5 adults about pollination and pollinators. Games were played demonstrating how pollination works and photos of native bees and other pollinators were shown.

GROW IT EAT IT ACTIVITES WITH YOUTH

Project Spudnik

The container gardens are on the grounds of All Saints Episcopal Church. Project Spudnik was the proud recipient of a grant of $1,000 from the Calvert Garden Club to support teaching teens about gardening by making it fun and challenging.

Seventeen youth from there and Broadview Baptist Church planted and harvested potatoes, a variety of vegetables, and fall greens. Youth were taught about soil composition and how to improve it, preventing and controlling disease, companion planting, watering, and fertilizing. Over 200 pounds of produce were donated to Chesapeake Cares and Saint John Vianney Food Pantries.

Double Oak Farm Activities for Youth

In three sessions over the summer, seventeen youth and eleven adults from the Tidewater 4-H learned about soils and how to harvest, care and cure sweet potatoes. At the 4th and last session, they prepared and ate sweet potato pie, chips, fries, etc.

A tour of the Double Oak Garden was given to 9 Huntingtown kids, grades 5-6, along with 7 adults.

Eight students and 4 teachers/assistants from Patuxent High School toured the garden, were given a talk about what a seed needs to germinate and grow, and helped plant okra.

In June, 62 pre-schoolers from John Hanson Montessorial School and 12 adults toured the garden to look at vegetables and helped plant an 80- foot row of bush beans.

WORK WITH VULNERABLE CITIZENS

Head Start Day Camp Each year, Food Supplement Nutrition Education (FSNE), directed by Jackie Gray, hosts a Summer Camp at Barstow Elementary School to teach

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children aged 3-5 about nutrition and growing vegetables that they can harvest and eat. Master Gardener Carol Santivasci taught “How Plants Grow” and the “Importance of Bees” to a total of 47 children. Clover Buds 4-H Club Another gardening project, sponsored by FSNE, was held at the Judy Center for members of the Clover Buds 4-H Club, ages 5-7. Penny Jacobs taught them how to grow potatoes in grow bags, provided seedlings and helped set up the garden. Twenty-two children participated and the food was used for tasting during the Judy Center Summer Camp. Children’s Garden at North Beach Boys & Girls Club This new program, begun in the Spring with Deborah Noyes overseeing it, offers an opportunity for children to plant gardens in raised beds. Included are a Sensory Garden, Pollinator Garden and Vegetable Garden, including herbs. Fifteen children helped with soil preparation, planting and harvesting throughout the summer. In October, an After-School Children’s Garden Club began with twelve youth. Summer gardens were cleaned up, a few tomatoes harvested and a fall garden prepared and planted. Educational sessions about plants and soil accompanied both programs.

WORK AT HISTORIC AND DEMONSTRATION GARDENS

Jefferson Patterson Park (JPPM) Mansion Garden. Work was done to clean up beds and remove plants in advance of critical restoration work on the Patterson Home. The gardens will be closed until it is completed. Calvert Marine Museum “Yard Arms” changed their name to Calvert Marine Museum Garden Guild. In April, they hosted 22 children and their parents during spring break. They discussed the benefit of native plants and stormwater management. The children were asked questions about native plants and asked to identify species. Each was given a packet of Black-Eyed Susan seeds. Plants were replaced in the Children’s Maritime Garden.

Master Gardeners also volunteered at:

U. S. Arboretum Chesapeake Natives

COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION

Solomon’s Riverwalk.

CCMGs have assisted in the maintenance of 15 “Island Gardens” along Solomon’s Riverwalk since 2009. Jean McDougall and Lin Gauchat worked with the Solomon’s Civic Association to begin the project. About 7 CCMGs volunteered time to help keep the gardens looking lovely.

Olivet United Methodist Church

Susan Hammond began the project in 2017 to add memorial gardens and control stormwater runoff at her local church. The roadway was raised several years ago that caused excessive storm water being shed into a tidal creek and flooding the church basement. Grading and installation of pipes to control water around the church have been installed and walkways and steps completed. Planting should commence in 2019.

BOOTHS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS

Calvert Green Team and Green Expo CCMGs are represented on the Calvert County Green Team by Judy Kay and Birgit Sharp. The CCMG booth inside the Expo at Annmarie Gardens was run by Judy Kay, with 14 Master Gardeners and Interns splitting their time between this booth and the booth set up at the Youth Gardens. The threat of inclement weather kept attendance low at this

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annual event. At this booth, we gave away over 100 native perennials and about 30 youth stopped to plant seeds in peat pots. We tallied 141 adult visitors and 41 youth.

The CCMG booth at the Youth Garden was on the path into the Expo and 127 adults stopped by to ask questions about gardening. Over 70 children were invited to taste snow peas right off the vine and to help plant bush beans in the raised beds.

Insectival at Annmarie Gardens

This was the first year CCMG participated in this fun event. We had a display board and a lot of literature about insects; however, everyone gathered to watch the Monarch caterpillars Jim McVey had collected from the Youth Gardens that morning. We borrowed a dish from Annmarie staff, found some milkweed leaves in the garden next to the building and put it out on the table.

A total of 95, including 52 children, stopped at the table to talk and look at the caterpillars munching away on milkweed. We also gave away insect stickers and plastic insects.

Library Reads Kick-Off at Prince Frederick Library

Mimi, Elisa and Jennifer Miller hosted a table with projects for children. They all got messy painting 86 clay pots. After painting with quick-drying paint, they

put soil in the pots and planted their choice of green bean, watermelon, pumpkin, sunflower or cantaloupe seeds. Watermelon was the favorite! Over 160 adults and children visited the CCMG table.

. Patuxent River Appreciation Days (PRAD) Booth locations were rearranged this year, and the CCMG booth was located across the road going into the Museum grounds. It was referred to as a “Green Village” and included the non-profit organizations. This spot did not receive the foot traffic that a place in front of the museum entrance does, and we were disappointed in the attendance and exposure. On Saturday, we hosted 330 visitors when the area held 10 booths. On Sunday, we saw only 132 and the organizations attending were down to 4. Overall attendance at PRAD on Sunday was low compared to previous years. We may reconsider two-day participation in 2019.

Penny Moran coordinated the set up and volunteers and 23 CCMGs volunteered their time. We gave away native plant seedlings and plastic insects and insect stickers left from the Insectival. We also used the electronic game board so visitors could match caterpillars with adult butterflies and moths. One young girl remembered all the answers because she had played the game at Youth Day at the Fair!

North Beach Farmers Market Throughout the summer, Deborah Noyes coordinated the staffing of the CCMG booth at the North Beach Farmers Market. Over 500 visitors, including 80 youth, stopped by the booth to pick up information and ask questions about gardening and plants.

WORK WITH PARTNERS

Double Oak Farm at American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT)

CCMGs have worked at Double Oak Farm since 2015 under the guidance of R.T. West. In 2018, 11 CCMGs volunteered time to work in both the vegetable and pollinator gardens. The latter is in the middle of the vegetables, attracting pollinators and beneficial insects that prey on garden pests.

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Extreme amounts of rain this past year diminished the amount of food produced; nevertheless, 2,533 pounds of a wide variety of vegetables were delivered to St. John Vianney’s Food Pantry.

The Garden is a central attraction for visitors to ACLT. Guided tours are given during special events and those going to hike the trails go past it.

Birgit Sharp led a tour of the Gardens as part of the Garden Smarter education series.

College of Southern Maryland-Prince Frederick

After learning about their Bee Campus certification, Denise Moroney, who is acquainted with a CSM team member, contacted her. In August, she and Judy Kay visited the college to discuss ways we could assist them.

We offered planting advice and donated several plants from our yards in September. The committee members from Prince Frederick and the chair from the La Plata campus were there.

We discussed further interaction with them. They want to form a committee, including several organizations, to promote planting pollinator gardens in Southern Maryland. This has not been formed yet.

Art Blooms Floral Design Exhibit

The Art Blooms exhibit is sponsored by the Calvert Garden Club and held at Annmarie Gardens as a fund raiser for the Gardens. This year,

Betty Seifert and Carol Shomette entered a dazzling display.

CCCMG SPEAKERS BUREAU

Sherrill Munn presented Container Gardening to 27 members of the Prospect Bay Country Club Garden Club in Chestertown, MD; and to 19 members of the Chesapeake Garden Club in Calvert County.

A Bay-Wise talk was given by Melanie Crowder to 23 members of the North Beach Garden Club. Judy Kay made a presentation about

Bay-Wise gardening to 14 members of the

National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE). A ‘Faire Gardens’ workshop was given at the Calvary Bible Church to 10 participants. Elisa and Jennifer Miller led a discussion about the best containers to use, type of soil and the best plants for miniature gardens. The attendees also asked questions about various landscaping problems and received assistance in finding solutions to them.

ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

Calvert County Master Gardener Facebook The page was developed and is maintained by Jennifer and Elisa Miller. We use it to post notices about CCMG activities and events, Garden Smarter Power Point handouts, CCMG photos, and articles of interest related to gardening and the environment. Budget Committee The Budget Committee gathers Budget requests from project leaders for the coming year and puts together the budget. It is then approved by CCMG members at the January meeting. The Committee also approves Purchase Requests based on the availability of project/activity funds. Mimi Miller is Coordinator of the Committee.

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Advanced Master Gardener Training

All Master Gardeners are required to complete ten hours of advanced training and 20 hours of volunteer work each year. In 2018, CCMGs completed 814 hours of advanced training to further their knowledge of sustainable gardening and protecting the environment.

Master Gardener Training

Ten students completed the 2018 MG training class in Calvert County. Keith Ehman and Joe Hance have completed their 40-hour volunteer requirements to become Master Gardeners and others are expected to complete them by April 2019.

University of Maryland Extension Calvert County Staff

Chris Seubert, Area Extension Director

Herb Reed, Senior Agent Emeritus, Agriculture and Master Gardener Elaine Long Bailey, Senior Agent,

4-H Youth Development Ari Strahl, 4-H Program Assistant

Janet Sefton, 4-H Program Assistant Jackie Gray, Senior Associate Agent,

Food Supplement Nutrition Educator Chris Dowell, Nutrient Management Advisor

Liz Laher, Administrative Assistant II Laura Griffiths, Office Clerk II

We thank the UME-Calvert Staff for their support and assistance.

We especially thank

Chris Seubert for his guidance, advice and leadership of the group and for

working with the County Commissioners and the University to obtain a Master Gardener

Project Assistant position.

AND

Liz Laher and Laura Griffiths for all the work they do for us! We couldn’t do it without them!!

In addition, we thank The University of Maryland Extension

The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners,

Calvert County Government Departments and Staff and

Other state, local and community organizations.

The Annual Report was compiled by Judy Kay and

edited by Norma Imershein, Liz Laher, Denise Moroney and Penny Moran

Photos are courtesy of Karen Anderson, Deb Berbert, Melanie Crowder, Judy Kay, Eileen McVey, Jennifer Miller and Mary Ann Munn.

Equal Access Programs