MASTER GARDENERS OF RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN

June 2013

Volume IX, Issue 6

Native Plants 1

Shade Gardening 2

Recipe 3

Bird of the Month 3

Farmers Mkt Classes 5

M G’s @ the Mkt 6

Inside this issue:

The Scoop

NEXT MEETING

June 172013

@ 6:30pm

2013 Officers

President Ken Roberge

Vice President Sabine Ehlers

Treasurer Marilyn Rogan

Secretary Theresa Fly

Why use Native Plants? by Nancy Nelson

At May’s association meeting we learned about

invasive plants in our area, the native plants we can use to

replace them and why we should.

David Adams and Troy Morris from the Natural

Resources Management team at Stones River National Battlefield were our

guest speakers. During the Civil War, the Battle of Stones River was fought

on about 4000 acres. Today the battlefield, listed on the National Register of

Historic Places, consist of about 650 acres. We are fortunate to have this

valuable historic and cultural resource in our “own backyard” to visit

anytime.

There is another battle being fought at the battlefield today. David and

Troy are battling highly invasive plants taking over the battlefield and

understory plants in the woods. Bush honeysuckle, privet, and Musk thistle

are just a few of the invasives’ they are trying to get rid of.

The open fields have been used as agricultural fields but are now

being planted with native grasses, creating a much more sustainable

environment. Last year the native grasses had no problem surviving the

drought we experienced. The grasses are also home to native species such

as turkey and Bob White quail, .

Recently discovered is the Pyne’s Ground Plum, the rarest native

plant in TN that is found no place else in the world. It is listed on the state

and national Endangered Species Plant list. It is found only in the cedar

glades of this area. They are currently

working with the Missouri Botanical garden

to learn more about this rare plant and how

to protect it.

If you have a cedar glade on your property,

be on the lookout. You could have bragging

rights that you have a plant that grows no

where else on earth. Continued on Page 4

Page 2 The Scoop Volume IX, Issue 6

Made in the Shade….

by Linda Lindquist

Many folks think the trade off for a cool

shady spot to rest in summers heat is not

being able to grow anything. Take heart: you CAN

successfully garden in the shade. The trick is knowing

what kind of shade you have and selecting the right

plants.

LIGHT SHADE: this is an area that is completely

shaded for 2 to 4 hours during the heat of the day.

Maybe a building or wall shades the area and as the sun

moves on the area is sunny the rest of the day. Ideally,

sunny in the morning and shaded before the sun can

heat blast the area.

FILTERED SHADE: this is also considered light

shade, but the area may seem shaded all day. Also

called “moving shade” it may be under a tree or arbor,

the light filters thru all day, but never all at once.

Enough sunlight makes its way through that the area is

actually only shaded 2 to 4 hours a day depending on

how much shade the tree or structure provides.

PART SHADE: the area gets 4 to 5 hours of shade.

These may be where trees, a building or wall is so tall

that the sun is blocked for a longer time.

FULL SHADE: shade lasts all day. It’s the dark

shade you find under a building overhang, or between 2

buildings or thick trees. It still gets some light reflected

from sunny areas.

DENSE SHADE: the darkest shade of all. No direct

or reflected sunshine, under very dense, low branched

trees, like a Norway Maple or Magnolia.

Besides the TYPE of shade, other factors to consider are:

Time: What time of day does the shade occur?

Afternoon or morning? If the shade starts too late in

the day (lie 1 or 2pm) it may still be too hot for tender

plants like ferns or impatiens.

Heat—shade doesn’t always mean “cool”. Paths,

walkways, drives ways and other hardscaping can absorb

heat and warm the soil near shady areas.

Moisture—Does the soil stay wet or dry? Some shade

plants love boggy soil, others need moist, well drained

soil. Some even do well in dry, shady areas.

Tree Roots: Tree roots tend to be shallow and can

quickly dry the soil and deplete it of nutrients, leaving

the tender plants to fight for space and food.

Next month we’ll learn which plants do best in what

types of shade & conditions!

Source: UT website, various .edu publications

Secret Garden Tour To benefit Murfreesboro Discovery Center

June 8 10am—4pm Tickets $10.00

Ellie & Rich Leese 1539 Charleston Court Susan & Randall Rickard 910 Hazelwood Dr. Ginger & Danny Demonbreun 2473 Battleground Dr. Sydney & Jim Boerner 2239 Shannon Dr. Danielle & Andy Holmes 4336 Pretoria Dr.

For map or more information: http://explorethedc.org/garden/

ATTENTION !!! MASTER GARDENERS

We are half way thru 2013—have you

recorded your volunteer hours?

If you need a refresher course, go to the

RC MG website / Members Only section

for a tutorial and link to the UT website.

Seasonal Eating - Bird of the Month : Downy Woodpecker

~ Source: Cornell University TN Watchable Wildlife

Page 3 The Scoop Volume IX, Issue 6

The Downy Woodpecker is one of the smallest (6.75in)

and the most common of the woodpeckers found in

North American. They are just as happy in backyard

habitats as they are in the forest. This bird is easily

attracted to bird feeders by providing suet feeders,

sunflower seeds, millet and chunky peanut butter.

Feathers on the back & wings are a striking black & white

checkered pattern, the breast feathers are white. The male

has a red patch on the back of the head, which the females

do not have.

Like other Woodpeckers, they use their bills to drill into

trees, digging out insects and larvae. They will also drink

nectar from hummingbird feeders.

Both parents take responsibility for nesting, hatching &

raising their chicks. Building their nests high in trees,

(usually dead ones) the females choose the site and the

males do most of the construction. Nesting usually occurs

around late April.

Woodpeckers are protected by the Migratory Bird Act of

1918 and it is a federal offense to kill or harm them, their

nests or their eggs. If Woodpeckers are a problem around

your home, causing damage etc., you must contact a

licensed professional to have them removed.

~by Linda Lindquist, CMG

A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well

he will never sit.

D. Elton Trueblood

Fresh Tomato

Garden Salsa

2 cups peeled and chopped

tomatoes

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 Tsp. garlic salt

1/4 Tsp. black pepper

In serving bowl, combine all ingredients.

Cover & chill at least 3 hours before serving.

Makes 2 cups

From: PickTN Products

Male Downy Woodpecker

Come to the UT Gardens in Jackson, Tn. for a

day of ultimate gardening info. There will be

tours, plant sales, diagnostic center, speakers,

demonstrations, food and of course the fabulous

trial gardens on display. Open to the public.

For more information…

http://westtennessee.tennessee.edu/events/Su

mmerCel2013web.pdf

CONTACT US!

Master Gardeners of Rutherford County

UT/TSU Rutherford County Extension

Lane Agri-Park

Suite 101

315 John R. Rice Blvd.

Murfreesboro, TN 37129

Phone: 615-898-7710

Fax: 615-898-7999

Email: mastergardeners.rc@gmail.com

Editor Email: ljl1074@att.net or

mastergardeners.rc@gmail.com

Page 4 The Scoop Volume IX, Issue 6

Natives: Continued from Page 1

Native plants are plants that were growing here

prior to European colonization. There are a

number of native plants we can use to create

more sustainable landscapes. Carolina

Buckthorn and Rusty Blackhaw are a couple

small trees beneficial to wildlife and provide

good fall color. St. John’s Wort and American

Beautyberry are wonderful shrubs that grow only

3 to 4 ft. tall. Virginia Creeper and Cross Vine

have beautiful fall color if you are looking for

vines to cover an area. Butterfly weed and

Columbine are beautiful, beneficial flowers.

Native plants are not only easier to grow in the

proper location they offer nutritional value for

wildlife that invasive plants don’t offer. The

berries of most invasive plants have very little or

no nutritional value to birds or other wildlife,

even though wildlife may eat them. The seeds

are consumed then spread by droppings to

different areas, creating problems. Invasive

plants grow quickly and produce many seeds

within the first few years. They spread by seed

and vegetative growth.

A short list of invasive plants in our area to battle

are Bush and Japanese Honeysuckle, English

Ivy, Chinese Yam, Garlic Mustard, Johnson

Grass, Japanese Privet, Musk thistle, Oriental

bittersweet, Japanese Spiraea, Mimosa and

Tree of Heaven. We can learn more about

invasive plants from the Tennessee Exotic Pest

Plant Council web site www.tneppc.org. They

have an extensive plant list and rate plants as

how invasive they may be. There are currently

26 plants listed that are a severe threat. The site

also offers native plant alternatives for some

invasive plants.

We can help with the battle against invasive

plants by being responsible gardeners and

researching what we plant. Ask yourself are they

native, if not are they invasive? Remove invasive

plants as you find them, and raise awareness of

invasive plants by spreading the word to friends,

family and neighbors. When shopping for plants

do your research and remember nurseries are in

the business to sell plants.

In addition to the TN Exotic Pest Plant Council you

can check out the TN Native Plant Society’s web

site at www.tnps.org.

Two highly recommended books for our native

plants are Wildflowers of Tennessee the Ohio

Valley and the Southern Appalachians by Horn

and Cathcart. This is the official field guide of the

TNPS. Another great book on native plants is

Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee by

Margie Hunter. These books may also be

purchased from the battlefield bookstore.

I read an article several years ago and learned

Tennessee has more native plant diversity than

any of the 48 continuous states. For me that is a

reason enough to be on the lookout for invasive

plants and try to protect our native plants from

being overtaken. We live in a beautiful diverse

state let’s help keep it that way.

Page 5 The Scoop Volume IX, Issue 6

Jun-7 Composting Mark Murphy, CMG The basics of composting—what it is, how to do it and why it’s so good for your garden.

Jun-11 Animals as Environmental Indicators Bonnie Ervin, Disc. Cntr. Meet live animals that are considered “indicator species: in your gardens and learn why they are important. For all ages.

Jun-14 DIY Green Cleaning Colleen Suave, B Real Learn tips and tricks for creating your own environmentally friendly and economical cleaning products.

June 18 Backyard Poultry Basics Michael Shirley, RCExt. Learn about raising chickens in your own yard for egg production. Breed selection, housing , feeding, flock health and local regulations will be taught.

Jun-21 Needle Felting Eva Berg / Everrich Farm Learn the basics of needle felting and make simple flower out of wool or fleece. No young children due to sharp needles being used.

Jun-25 Seasonal Eating (9:30am) Pat Whitaker, RC Ext Learn to pick and prepare the freshest seasonal produce at the Market. Taste new dishes & take home recipes.

Jun-28 Succession Planting in your Garden Richard Lee, CMG Extend the growing season! Learn how to get your veggie garden to produce longer and provide more results.

Jul-2 Recycling Tips for the Garden Barbara Davenport, RC Ext. Tips & Tricks to reuse & recycle house hold items to make your gardening easier & more economical.

Jul-9 Home Rain Gardens Warren Anderson, CMG Learn how & why to use rain gardens in the home landscape to control water run-off issues and to improve the landscape.

Jul-16 Rain Rain Come This Way Mimi Keisling, RCty Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water, and to put water where you need it! Learn to make your own.

Jul-23 Weed Identification Mitchell Mote, RC Ext Some weeds are indicators of nutritional deficiencies in the soil. Knowing which weeds are growing in your landscape or garden and how to prevent them and/or treat them will save you time and money! Know the enemy!

Jul-30 Cooking With Kids (9:30) Raquel Victor, RC Ext. Learn new ways to encourage children to eat healthier. Great recipes that kids will love helping to prepare and eat!

Rutherford Farmers Market

Come one….come all!! to the Rutherford Farmers Market classes.

Starts at 9:00 am (unless otherwise noted) in the Community Center Classroom. Classes are

FREE! A small fee may be charged for optional materials or hands-on projects) Space is

limited, so arrive early. Shop—learn—have a great time!

See web site http://rutherford.tennessee.edu for a complete list of classes

Locally Grown Vegetable Super-Heroes

@ the Market!

“The Scoop” is the official newsletter of the Master Gardeners of Rutherford County, Tennessee and is published by email the first week of the month. Those members without email and who are not able to attend meetings may receive the newsletter by U.S. Postal mail. The deadline for articles, pictures, events, etc. to be included in the newsletter is due the last Friday of the month.

Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at the Lane Agri Park at 6:30 p.m., unless specified. Membership is $25 for a single or $35 for a couple at the same address. All memberships are valid January thru December and are pro-rated for new members only.

PLEASE NOTE: Master Gardener Certification requires 40 hours of training plus 40 hours of volunteer service. Recertification requirements are 25 volunteer hours, plus 8 hours of continuing education per year.

Trade and brand names are used only for information. UT/TSU Extension does not guarantee nor warrant the standard of any product mentions; neither does it imply approval of any products to the exclusion of others which also may be suitable.

Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences and resource development. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, county governments cooperating, UT Extension and Tennessee State University.

Page 6 The Scoop Volume IX, Issue 6

Master Gardeners at the Market-June 2013

By Reggie Reeves, Committee Chair

Thanks to the help of many of our Master Gardeners and Interns, we had a really good start to the season for our Master Gardeners at the Market activities. The Market was open for 7 days in May and we had 16 of our Interns and Master Gardeners volunteer for a total of 64 hours of community service. Thanks to each of you for helping out at our Concessions Window and Information Table, you have made our first month so successful!

I am happy to report that our June volunteer schedule is full, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t stop by to pitch in for a bit, just shoot me an e-mail to let me know if you do. Our July volunteer schedule will be available at our next monthly association meeting on June 17, but in the mean time feel free to e-mail me with your request for any Tuesday or Friday in July. We start at 7:00 and wrap up at noon. Remember that these hours count toward your annual volunteers hour commitment to maintain your Master Gardener Certification, and offer a great opportunity for us to serve as Master Gardener ambassadors by meeting the public and making them aware of who we are and what we do.

New to the Market this year are educational programs, not just on occasional days like last year, but also on every day that the Market is open. This ambitious initiative is coordinated by our wonderful Farmers Market Manager and Master Gardener Coordinator; Janie Becker, with the assistance of our Master Gardeners at the Market Committee. In May a total of 7 free educational programs were offered on a wide range of topics at 9:00 am each Market day in the small classroom just off the main entrance. Among the programs offered were 3 presented by our own Master Gardeners: Container Gardening by Barbara Mullins; Tomato Talk by Les Haeberlin; and Organic Gardening by yours truly. Attendance at all of these programs has been good, averaging about 15 people, with many coming to the Market specifically for these programs. Looking ahead to June there will be a total of 8 programs offered including

two by Master Gardeners: Mark Murphy, June 7 on Composting; and Richard Lee, June 28 on Succession Planting in the Garden.

There are Educational Program schedules available at the Market and on the Farmers Market Facebook page. These programs are a wonderful opportunity to come out and support our Farmers Market, learn some new things, and take care of some of your CEU requirements to maintain Certification. And, if you would like to present a program sometime this summer, please see Janie or myself. There are still some openings in the last part of summer.

Also new this year, Janie has arranged for the sale of T-shirts and hats sporting the Farmers Market logo, in addition to the shopping totes sold last year. Proceeds from the sale of these will go toward helping fund a position to continue the wooden token program where EBT, debit and credit cards can be swiped on-site for wooden tokens that are then used to make purchases at the Market. Unfortunately, the grant that funded the start up of this new program, in partnership with MTSU, ends in September. The availability of this service, along with the general Farmers Market promotional assistance of the MTSU staff and students who have been manning this station, has been a tremendous help and will be dearly missed. Be sure to stop by and visit with these friendly folks next time you are at the Market, and maybe thank them for being there. Also, as part of this program you might see giant walking peas, carrots, and tomatoes wondering around the area on Market days!

Any Master Gardener or Intern who has questions or would like to participate in any of these opportunities is welcome to contact me, Reggie Reeves, via e-mail at reevesj1@comcast.net , or at 615-210-3050, or you can see me at our Association meetings or at the Market. Remember, we typically try to complete sign-ups for the following month at each of our monthly meetings.