looseleaf - university of maryland...

A Publication of the Howard County Master Gardeners

August 2015

From Georgia’s Desk

How about "Slow Gardening"? Here

are some thoughts I'd like to share after reading

Felder Rushing's Slow Gardening - especially

with some of the very hot weather we've had

recently. Grow plants that thrive in your climate

and that provide something for you and wildlife

through all seasons. Include plants for evening

enjoyment, and certainly some edibles for satis-

fying home-grown food. When practical,

choose quiet hand tools over noisy power

equipment. Use your camera (or smart phone)

to get more intimate with your garden and share

its successes with others. Design your land-

scape for comfort. Include weatherproof seating

and walkways for summer shade and winter

wind protection. Ponder the mysteries of the

universe in the microcosm of your own yard.

Life is filled with pressures; why include them

in your garden? Slow gardening helps us get

more from the garden while appreciating how

our leisure time and resources are spent. It

teaches us to savor the long haul and share it

with others. "Life is not a problem to be solved

but a reality to be experienced" --Soren Kierke-

gaard. Let's spread the word!

Just a note on the upcoming 2015 Inter-

national master Gardener Conference: Septem-

ber 22-25, 2015 at the Mid- American Center,

Council Bluffs, Iowa. Check http://

mastergardener.unl.edu/imgc2015

Enjoy the summer and your garden!

Georgia Eacker

Master Gardener Coordinator

410-313-1913

[email protected]

The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation,

and gender identity or expression.

Educating People to Help Themselves

HOWARD COUNTY ∙ 3300 NORTH RIDGE ROAD, ∙SUITE 240, ELLICOTT CITY, MD 21043

HOWARD COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ∙ (410) 313-2707 ∙ FAX (410) 313-2712

www.mastergardener.umd.edu/local/howard/index.cfm

LOOSELEAF

http://mastergardener.unl.edu/imgc2015

http://mastergardener.unl.edu/imgc2015

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.mastergardener.umd.edu/local/howard/index.cfm

August 2015 Looseleaf 2 Howard County Master Gardeners

August 2015 Looseleaf 1 From Georgia’s Desk 4 Mt. Pleasant 5 Ask a Master Gardener 6 Continuing Education 7 School Yard Habitat 9 Continuing Education 12 Bay-Wise

Suzette Holiday, MG, Editor [email protected]

Mark Your Calendar!

Bay-Wise meeting

August 3

1:30—2:30 p.m. at UME office

Gardens of Lakes Como and Maggio-

re, Italy

August 11

9:30 — 11:00 a.m. at UME office.

Continuing Education opportunity. MG Judy Petersen will

talk about gardens in northern Italy.

Miller Library Garden

Every Tuesday and Wednesday

Drop-in to volunteer from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m.

Whipps Cemetery Garden

Every Thursday

Drop-in to volunteer starting at 9:00 a.m.

Check our electronic calendar on a regular basis for more

MG activities and meetings. You’ll find a link in the right-

hand column on the HC MG web page.

Need Hours? Volunteer for a Compost Demo

Help educate Howard County residents about the benefits of backyard composting. We have five locations where MGs

offer tips and advice about how to get started, and distribute free compost bins courtesy of the County’s Environmental

Services Department.

Composting is a terrific way to utilize all of the leaves that will soon be falling. Blend them with nitrogen-rich items

such as kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags and garden trimmings to make a “free” soil amendment. And as an add-

ed bonus, you’ll lower the amount of waste headed for the landfill.

Check out the Compost section of the Howard County MG web pages for more information about composting. You’ll

find the Demo Schedule (dates and times) and the backyard composting brochure. Materials are also available in the

supply room at the UME office.

Contact the compost site coordinators if you would like to volunteer.

Alpha Ridge: Jerry Fitzpatrick, [email protected]

Centennial Park: Michelle Bryden, [email protected]

Robinson Nature Center: Richard Freas, [email protected]

Schooley Mill Park: Susan Levi-Goerlich, [email protected]

Miller Library: Darcy Bellido de Luna, [email protected]

Save the Date

The annual Bay-Wise Garden

Tour will be held Saturday,

September 19 featuring Master

Gardener Holly McFarland's

lovely garden oasis.








Submit items for the September 2015 Looseleaf by Thursday, August 20 to Suzette Holiday at [email protected]. Submit items for the Howard County Master Gardener Calendar to Janine Grossman at [email protected] or Roy Heath at [email protected].

University of Maryland Extension Howard County Master Gardener Email Protocols

Remember to always include your full name when sending

messages to the MG listerv. And be specific with your de-

scription in the subject line. Check the HC MG web page

for the e-mail protocol document.

Recruit someone for the 2016 intern class! Now is a great time to talk with your neighbors and friends about becoming a Master Gardener. Below

are some handy talking points to help you recruit for the Class of 2016.

What is the program’s focus? The Maryland Master Gardener Program trains participants as volunteer

horticultural educators to support the University of Maryland Extension mission by educating residents

about safe, effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and

communities.

What Does a Master Gardener Do?

Helps to solve gardening problems and teach environmentally sound practices by

- Educating the public at community events and fairs

- Developing and maintaining demonstration gardens

- Speaking to community groups, beginning gardeners and youth

- Answering questions about gardening techniques and plant problems at plant clinics

- Using special skills (writing, photography, computer, etc.) to benefit the program.

Where/How are Master Gardeners Trained? Classes are held late January through March each year

from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon on Mondays and Wednesdays at the University of Maryland Extension of-

fice, 3300 North Ridge Road, Ellicott City.

When to Apply for Master Gardener Training? Applications are accepted each fall followed by an in-

terview process. To apply, contact Georgia Eacker, Howard County Master Gardener Program Coordi-

nator, at 410-313-1913.

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Looseleaf


mailto:[email protected]?subject=MG%20Calendar


Doings at the Howard County Conservancy at Mt. Pleasant

The Historical Vegetable Garden is fully planted and everything is growing rapidly thanks to the fre-

quent rains. We are finally picking ripe tomatoes, along with squash, beans and lots of greens. So far

this year we have contributed about 150 pounds of produce to the food bank including lots of herbs

which they state they enjoy getting. Several gardeners from the Fairhaven community garden are

helping us with this project. We would be happy to take any excess produce which you would like to

donate. Work days continue every Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on the very hot days; or 9:00

a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for those who can’t come until later. Come join us when you are able.

The summer campers alerted us that the ground hog was spotted in the garden about two weeks ago.

A new supply of ammonia was put down his tunnel and we have not seen signs of him since.

The Conservancy is open every day from 9:00 a.m. until at least 3:00 p.m. with occasional evening

programs. Check the website www.hcconservancy.org for Saturday and evening programs at Mt.

Pleasant and the new Belmont site. Come out to Mt. Pleasant to hike the trails and see what is cur-

rently in bloom.

BY JOANN RUSSO, MG [email protected]

Plenty of rain and sunshine result in big healthy crops in the Conservancy garden. Photograph: Paul DiCrispino

http://www.hcconservancy.org/



Ask-a-Master-Gardener – Frequently Asked Questions

The Ask-a-Master-Gardener plant clinics offered at Miller, Central, and

Glenwood libraries in April through September provide a good opportunity for

Master Gardeners to find out what is on gardeners’ minds – what questions they

have about plants and what problems they are experiencing in their gardens. By

conducting these plant clinics, we are able to provide valuable outreach to the

community, interface with the public directly as Master Gardeners, promote gar-

dening and the Master Gardener Program, and engage in education about garden-

ing emphasizing best practices, sustainability, and protecting the environment.

Peoples’ questions generally fall into two broad categories: plant cultivation and

diagnostic issues. They want to know how to grow annuals, perennials, bulbs,

houseplants, trees, shrubs, vines, and vegetables. They want to learn about their

maintenance, pruning, and fertilizing as well as how to mulch and suppress weed

growth. Disease and pest questions are frequent and often take the form of

“what’s eating, what’s killing, what’s covering or what’s wilting my ……?” Not

only do they want to know what the problem is but also suggestions for its solu-

tion. We can share what we know about the topic and provide them the many fine

resources we have available to get the answer they’re seeking.

A frequently asked question is, “What can I plant that the deer won’t de-

vour?” I try to have at least one selection from each plant category to offer as a

possibility. The selections I have taken are from the Rutgers Cooperative Re-

search & Extension Bulletin, “Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance.” I

have chosen plants designated as “rarely damaged,” so that the chances for suc-

cess are maximized. The ones I have found that are beautiful specimens in my

garden are as follows:

the annual, Cleome (Spider Flower) – a prolific, tall bloomer, July through

September, which re-seeds generously

the biennial, Digitalis purpurea (Common Foxglove) – a colorful, June

bloomer which comes back faithfully

the bulb, Allium, (Ornamental Onion) – showy pom-poms in May and June,

which come in a variety of sizes and heights

the fern, Cytominium falcatum, Holly Fern – a shiny leafed beauty easy to

grow in shade with leaves resembling holly

the perennial, Euphorbia, (Spurge) – a sun-lover, requiring good drainage,

that adds a different aesthetic to the garden, giving a touch of an arid feel

the shrub, Daphne,(Daphne) – try Carol Mackie, with its cold resistance,

beautiful variegated leaves and fragrant pink flowers in spring

the tree, Albizia julibrissin, (Mimosa) – offering a delicately filtered light,

perfect for patios and terraces, and feathery pink flowers

I have had success with these plants and, so far, seen no deer damage. It is

a pleasure to share what I have learned with other gardeners on this topic and to

think that maybe I have offered them a partial solution to the deer problem. It is

satisfying to know that I have been of help and, in meeting the public at the plant

clinic, have been able to discuss gardening and learn from them, also.

SUBMITTED BY GREG JONES, MG


Continuing Education Speakers and Topics for 2015

Please join us on Tuesday, August 11, 9:30 a.m. at the Extension office when fellow Master Gardener Judy Pe-

tersen whisks us away to Italy as she shares her photos from her travels to ten unique gardens of Lakes Como and

Maggiore, Italy. See how these gardens make the most of their natural lake and mountain surroundings while

demonstrating classic Italian style. Enjoy their magnificence during May bloom. All master gardeners and guests

are welcome to attend.

SUBMITTED BY KARIN DELAITSCH

2015 Continuing Education Speakers

Tuesday, August 11 Gardens of Lakes Como and Maggiore, Italy , speaker Judy Petersen, MG. 9:30 a.m.—11:00

a.m., Extension Office

Tuesday, September 8 Native Plant Nursery at the County Corrections Facility, speaker Lori Lilly, Manager, 9:30

a.m.—1:00 a.m., Extension Office

Tuesday, October 13 A Retrospect Look at What Sets the Bay-Wise Home Tour Landscapes Apart? speaker TBD

(The Bay-Wise Committee). 9:30 a.m. —11:00 a.m., Extension Office

Tuesday, November 10 Tree topic TBD, speaker Wanda MacLachlan, UME Area Educator – Residential Land-

scape Management: 9:30 a.m. —11:00 a.m. Extension office

I just wanted to alert all MG s about adhering

to safe practices while out and about in the garden.

I am allergic to yellow jacket bees and have

had a number of serious stings over the years. I carry a

bee sting kit with me and have several around the house

and in my garage however. Last month while weeding at

a weeding party with nine other MGs I got stung once

and while walking to my car to retrieve my kit and ad-

minister to myself I felt weak and faint and dazed and

confused. I called to another gardener who came over to

help administer the epi pen. She couldn't read the fine

print and I was too confused to give her instructions.. She

called over another gardener who came over and imme-

diately administered the epi pen in my thigh ... My point

here is if you have any type of an allergy requiring ad-

ministration of life saving medication please advise folk

you are with so if what happened to me happens to you

you can receive your medication quickly and safely . Per-

haps a run through to show someone how to do this is

smart. i have always been able to self-administer the epi

pen but this time I was too confused and already had vas-

cular and pulmonary symptoms that made it impossible

for me to even tell someone what to do.

My emergency plan now incorporates having

kit with me and making sure someone I’m gardening

with feels comfortable administering it if I cannot. Also

it is very important to give a response card with name of

who to contact in an emergency and a plan for what hap-

pens to your vehicle. All in all the people I was with that

day did all the right things but it could have been so

much easier and quicker if I had prepped my fellow gar-

deners. The bees are particularly menacing this year, but

think about it, we are all in the age bracket that if some

kind of emergency comes up while gardening you must

rely on someone else. It is important to have a plan. Have

the meds you need handy. And emergency names and

telephone numbers available and most importantly, don’t

work alone. Tell someone where you are going or tan-

dem up with a buddy or two.... And stay cool and hydrat-

ed and be prepared....

BY LJ MAUCERI

Garden Smart and Safe


At the Patuxent Research Refuge we know if what greater suc-

cess is there than capturing both blossoms and butterflies in the

School Yard Habitat at the National Wildlife Visitor Center at

Patuxent Research Refuge! This native plant garden is designed

and maintained as a pollinator garden. Enjoy this July success

story in photos! MGs – and other volunteers -- work hard to

maintain this garden, keeping weeds and deer at bay, while plant-

ing and nurturing native flowers as host plants for pollinator eggs

and larvae, and as a source of pollen and nectar for the adults.

Kudos to this team for their hard work on this educational site.

Blossoms and Butterflies at the Patuxent Research Refuge School Yard Habitat

The sign on the side of the PRR Visitor Center

is decorated by Southern Wild Senna, Senna

hebecarpa, the host plant for Cloudless Sul-

phurs.

Photograph: Phyllis Yigdall

Anne Cottle and Ruth Vriend, HoCo MGs, (pictured below in middle) are involved in heavy duty weeding. Pic-

tured below are before (at left) and after (at right) photos of a section of the garden that the deer had eaten to the

ground in the spring. We thought we had lost all of the plants, but when we weeded the grass and thistles back

we re-discovered our Joe-Pye Weed, Bee Balm, Black-eyed Susans and many other favorites that had re-grown,

protected from the deer by the weeds. We may not see blooms this year, but we are happy to see the young

plants.


Please join us at the North Tract of the Refuge on Saturday, August

15, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., for the annual Wildlife Conservation and

Recreation Day. A fun filled day for everyone in the family. More

details at: http://www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?

id=2147543403

Kudos to Joe DiGiovanni and his team for the beautiful pollinator

gardens at the North Tract. Pictured at right are Great Spangled Fritil-

laries on Common Milkweed, Asclepias syrica.

More dates to join us:

Weeding: Tuesday, July 28, 9:00 a.m.

Weeding: Tuesday, August 4, 9:00 a.m.

Weeding: Sunday, August 16, 9:00 a.m.

Weeding: Monday, August 17, 9:00 a.m.

Monthly Planning Meeting, Monday, August 17, noon

Weeding: Tuesday, August 25, 9:00 a.m.

Weeding: Sunday, August 30, 9:00 a.m.

Other dates will be announced via email to those on the mailing list.

One of the challenges of gardening with natives is that some plants can

become aggressive. Carolyn Cregan begins to thin the 'wall' of Late-

flowering Thoroughwort that has grown along the path blocking the

view of the rest of the garden.

Photographs and text by Ann Coren, MG

http://www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?id=2147543403

http://www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?id=2147543403


Pollinators and Their Nectar Plants

At left, Monarch on Butterfly Milkweed, Asclepias Tuberosa At right, Horace’s Dusky wing on Nar-row-leafed Moun-tain Mint, Pycnan-themum tenufolium

At left, Sachem on Short-toothed Mountain Mint, Pyc-nanthemum muti-cum At right, Silver-spotted Skipper on Mountain Mint, Pyc-nanthemum muti-cum



Host Plants for Pollinators

At letft, Spotted Beebalm, Monar-da punctata just budding, special value to native bees. At right, Whorled Coreopsis, Core-opsis verticillata, popular with but-terflies.

At left, Lesser Dai-sy Fleabane, Erig-eron strigosus invit-ing you to watch its pollinators from the bench. It attracts large numbers of native bees, as well as predatory or par-asitic insects that prey upon pest in-sects. At right, Rose Mal-low, Hibiscus moscheutos, a pol-len source for na-tive bees and host for the Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak.



On Tuesday, August 11, Master

Gardener Judy Petersen will share her

photographs and adventures from her

recent travel to ten unique gardens in

Lake Como and Maggiore, Italy as part

of the Continuing Education series. All

Master Gardeners are welcome to at-

tend. An excerpt of her presentation

follows.

Our first visit was to Villa Car-

lotta in Tremezzo, a small town on the

northeast side of Lake Como. The gar-

den started its life at the end of the 17th

century as the residence of a Milanese

marquis and by the early 1800s was an

important stop on the Grand Tour. In

the mid 1800s it was given as a wed-

ding gift to Princess Carlotta and since

then has continued to evolve so that it

contains much of its original formality

but also incorporates elements that are

picturesque and meant to appeal to the

senses rather than being primarily in-

tended to impress. The gardens extend

over about 20 acres with over 150 sorts

of azaleas and rhododendrons. The rho-

dodendron woods contains specimens

the size of trees. Among the many fea-

tures of the garden are a fern valley;

camellias; centuries-old cedars and se-

quoias; plane trees; papyrus; citrus tun-

nels; roses that climb everywhere.

There is a bamboo garden with over 25

species of bamboo as well as a rock gar-

den with cacti, succulents, and palms.

Many of the plants and trees in this and

other gardens are semi-tropical, taking

advantage of the Mediterranean climate

created by the proximity of water. The

old garden on the left of the villa is

more romantic than formal with foun-

tains, grottoes, waterfalls, stairs – evi-

dence of how gardens change and

evolve over time.

BY JUDY PETERSEN, MG

Above, the Villa Carlotta garden entrance overlooks Lake Como, with the foothills of the Italian Alps beyond. Below, turtles sun in a grotto, a frequently encountered feature in the Italian gardens Judy visited.

Visit the Gardens of Lake Como at August Continuing Education Event


When nature gives us free water in the form of rain,

it makes sense to put that water to the best use possible.

We can direct, capture, and control the flow of water so it

benefits our gardens and yards without damaging our

homes and the surrounding ecosystem. However, many of

our current cultural practices create significant problems

downstream.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s 2014 State of

the Bay Report found that the most significant increase in

pollutant flows into the Bay recently has come from storm-

water runoff, particularly from urban and suburban areas.

Stormwater runoff is water from rain or melting snow that

“runs off” across the land instead of seeping into the

ground. Generally speaking, stormwater is rain – also melt-

ing snow and ice – that washes off driveways, parking lots,

roads, yards, rooftops, and other hard surfaces, known as

hardscape. The pollutants showing up in this runoff include:

nitrogen and phosphorus

trash

fecal bacteria

oil and other petroleum products

road salt

pesticides and herbicides

toxic metals – including copper, lead and zinc

soil and sediment.

Our Bay-Wise program suggests a number of ac-

tions to help responsible residents mitigate pollution in the

Chesapeake. These actions, mostly intended to “slow the

flow” of run off rainwater and allow it to soak into the land,

include:

reducing hardscape around the home: driveways, patios,

and walkways may be minimized or converted with

permeable materials

directing downspouts and gutters to drain into gardens,

lawns, and other permeable surfaces

installing a rain garden, where appropriate, to capture,

absorb, and slowly release water

installing rain barrels to hold water for later use in the

landscape

covering bare soil with mulch or plant material to hold

the soil in place and slow/reduce/eliminate water simply

flowing off the yard

picking up trash and pet waste daily to avoid their flow-

ing into storm drains or streams – which eventually

lands in the Chesapeake.

Through our Bay-Wise educational and consulting

programs, we help citizens be better stewards of our pre-

cious water resources by providing real workable solutions

for effectively managing storm water runoff and, as an add-

ed benefit, help to fulfill our Master Gardener vision: “A

healthier world through environmental stewardship.”

BY PAUL BEARES, MG

Bay-Wise Gardening Starts with Stormwater Management


Alpha Ridge Demonstration Rain Garden Responsibilities for over-seeing and organizing the maintenance of the Alpha Ridge Rain Garden recently

passed from Gaye Holcomb to MG interns, LJ Mauceri and Linda Olson.

About five years ago Gaye headed a committee that applied for a grant from the state to build the rain gar-

den at Alpha Ridge. She designed the garden and the staff at Alpha Ridge dug out the site, put the rock edges in

place, and helped with the planting of the 3 river birches. Gaye used the money from the grant ($3-4K) to pur-

chase signage and plants and had about 25 volunteers to do the initial planting. Over the years, Gaye has tended

the site and supervised the efforts of our MG volunteers.

FYI, this is not the only Rain Garden Gaye has been involved with. She designed and maintains one at

the Bethany United Methodist Church. Designs of hers have also been installed at Howard Community College

and at the St Johns Swim Club, where 2 are installed as a result of a Bay-Wise consultation. In addition, the Co-

lumbia Association and READY use plans and plant lists designed by Gaye.

LJ and Linda are encouraging a group of MGs to step up to routine garden maintenance and to public edu-

cational efforts on the benefits of having one on own property. If interested, please contact LJ or Linda.

([email protected], [email protected])

BY PHYLLIS YIGDALL, MG

For information about the latest Bay-Wise

activities around the state, the newsletter is

available on line at https://extension.umd.edu/

sites/default/files/_docs/programs/bay-wise/

BW%20Newsletter%20Spring%20Summer%

202015%20for%20email.pdf.

You can also find this newsletter by going to

the Bay-Wise homepage and clicking on the

“For Bay-Wise Master Gardeners Only” tab.

From this page find the link in the right side-

bar. Happy reading.

Gaye Holcomb ‘passes the baton’ to LJ Mauceri.



https://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/_docs/programs/bay-wise/BW%20Newsletter%20Spring%20Summer%202015%20for%20email.pdf





August

Just when you begin to feel

You could depend on the summer,

That each morning would deliver

The same mourning dove singing

From his station on the phone pole,

The same smell of bacon frying

Somewhere in the neighborhood,

The same sun burning off

The coastal fog by noon,

When you could reward yourself

For a good morning's work

With lunch at the same little seaside cafe

With its shaded deck and iced tea,

The day's routing finally down

Like an old song with minor variations,

There comes a morning when the light

Tilts ever so slightly on its track,

A cool gust of out of nowhere

Whirlwinds a litter of dead grass

Across the sidewalk, the swimsuits

Are piled on the sale table,

And the back of your hand,

Which you thought you knew,

Has begun to look like an old leaf.

Or the back of someone else's hand.

—-by George Bilgere

SUBMITTED BY JUDY PETERSEN, MG

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