Master Gardeners’ Newsletter 1

Energize Your Gardening PassionPlants, Pruning, and Working the Land

In this issue ...

Volume 19, No. 4 December 2006

Letter from the Chair ............... 2Clinics ...................................... 2Community Projects................. 5Calendar ................................10

Master Gardener Update, Sunday, March 25, 20079:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Michael J. Fox Theatre

Burnaby South High School, 5455 Rumble Street, Burnaby

2007 Update Committee

www.bcmastergardeners.org

At this year’s annual update, we host three keynote speakers anddistinguished members of a panel who are changing the way we relate togarden plants and the land we steward. The workshop sessions are as follows:

Taming the Overgrown Garden—Cass Turnbull, author of CassTurnbull’s Guide to Pruning, founded Plant Amnesty, a private non-profitorganization in Seattle that strives to educate the commercial and publicsectors on responsible, appropriate pruning and landscape managementpractices. She will demonstrate how to restore order to an overgrown yardwithout committing a crime against nature. Discover how to fix the mostcommon well-intentioned but poor pruning mistakes.

Plants Without Problems—Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, landscape architect,ISA-certified arborist, and director of the Master Gardener curriculum forWashington State University, will guide your decision making when selectingand sustaining healthy nursery plants. Well known for exploding horticulturalmyths, Dr. Chalker-Scott will provide key pointers to assist your next visitto the nursery.

Is Gardening Perennial? A panel discussion on trends in the nurseryindustry features John Zaplatynsky, president of the Garden Works Nurserychain, Gary Lewis, owner of Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants inRichmond, Cass Turnbull, founder of Plant Amnesty in Seattle, and GwenOdermatt, co-owner of Petals and Butterfly Nursery in Langley.

A Journey to the New Frontiers of Agriculture—Michael Abelman,author of Fields of Plenty: A Farmer’s Journey in Search of Real Food andthe People Who Grow It, will speak about individuals who work the land,growing healthy food in a sustainable way. Michael, who lives on SaltspringIsland with his wife and two sons, feels passionately about choosing a modelthat honours our traditional relationship with food, the land, and each other.

For more information about the speakers, volunteering, and registrationforms, please visit www.bcmastergardeners.org.

—Barbara Bowers

Steering committee—Barbara Bowers, LynneChrismas, Susan Lazar,Barry RobertsRegistration—Kathy ShynkarykPat TaylorCompost sale—Brian CampbellBarry RobertsEducational materials—Lynne ChrismasVendors and tables—Susan LazarFloral arrangements—Nigel BunningPlant sale—Joan BentleyPublic relations—Janet Fraser

We need volunteers, so please giveus a call. You will find telephonenumbers and email addresses in themaster MG list.

2 December 2006

Believe it or not, this is my last letter as your Chair.And horrors—I forced myself to reread all seven of theprevious ones I had written. (It was like having toswallow seven spoonfuls of oil of oregano!) I also readDoug Courtemanche’s final letter and out popped thatfamiliar theme, change. It seems that, concomitant withall the challenges, successes, and disappointments facedby Chairs of our organization, passion to foster changewithin and without is a major theme. Willingness tosupport change is the sign of a healthy organizationand I look forward with confidence to successive leadersas they carry on embracing and guiding change.

Looking back at the priorities put forward by Councilin January 2005, I’m pleased to note progress in anumber of areas. Internal communications improvedwith implementation of changes recommended by an

It is armchair gardening time again.The latest gardening magazines andseed catalogues sit by my chair, readyto help me dream of next year’s garden.

The New Year will bring new gardeningenergy, but also new Council members,a new Basic Training class, and then

new clinics. This year it will also bring a new Overall ClinicCoordinator—Diane Hartley. I will be tackling Jack Grant’sposition as Chair.

For 2007 clinics, signup will take place by email betweenFebruary 1 and February 6; then the signup binder will beat the VanDusen Botanical Garden reception desk fromFebruary 8 to March 23. It will also be at the February 8general meeting and at the Update on March 25, the lastday for signup.

As in previous years, the signup book is organized into awhite binder, with colour-coded territories, a set ofcalendars, and a nursery location address list. Each clinichas a separate page and shows the number of MGs neededfor the clinic. Please print your name and phone numberwhen completing the clinic page. It is important that yourname is printed legibly so that the Master List is made upcorrectly.

Letter from the Chair

When signing up for clinics, please make sure you haveyour personal calendar with you so you can fill in yourclinic choices. Remember that changes can be made inthe signup book anytime up to March 23 or at the Updateon March 25. The Master List will then be prepared andyou will have to notify both the Area Coordinator and theClinic Coordinator with the name of the MG you havefound to replace you at the clinic.

When you receive your copy of the Master List by mail,please review all information and check the clinics whereyour name is listed to make sure you have recorded thedates on your calendar. Also check if you are listed as theClinic Coordinator and review the job description for thatrole.

Watch for more clinic and signup information as signuptime gets closer. If you have any ideas or want to requestclinics at your garden club, school plant sale, or otherevents, please send the information to Diane Hartley byJanuary 25, 2007.

I would like to thank everyone for their support over thepast few years while I undertook the Overall ClinicCoordinator job. I would ask that you give the same helpand support to Diane as she moves into the position. It hasbeen a pleasure.

—Lynne Chrismas

ad hoc committee. Now we must work on developing acommunications strategy for all at outreach activities.

I’m very proud of the work done by the EducationCommittee, beginning with the January 2006 feedbacksession and leading to the launch of four continuingeducation activities throughout the year. Again, muchneeds to be done as this dedicated group looks todeveloping an evaluation model for the Basic andAdvanced Training programs.

We have received a report by another dedicated group,who looked at the issue of volunteer hours. We dealtwith their recommendations initially at the NovemberAnnual General Meeting. On another front, a smallcommittee has met several times to look at the future of

continued on page 3

Master Gardeners’ Newsletter 3

the MGABC as referenced by my lasttwo letters. This group will bepresenting some significant changesto the framework of our Associationin January specific to the provincialgovernance structure of the MGABC.As you read this column, theAssociation will have been presentedwith a revised proposal for amembership fee that fits with thesechanges in structure.

As the year comes to an end, theexcellent work of the 2006 Councilshould be noted.

A Members’ Skills inventorydeveloped by Barry Roberts will becirculated to all members with thenewsletter to give us criticalinformation for future projects andactivities.

In the New Year, Jenny Newman will have put togethera Members’ Handbook, initially aimed at studentsentering the program but useful to all member.

We are now collaborating with VanDusen SeedCollectors, providing packaging research andinformation as well as taking over the organizationof Seedy Saturday, a long-running event held thisyear on Saturday, February 24, that will this yearproduce revenue for the Association. LynneChrismas has had a major role in this endeavour.

Susan Lazar and Norma Dechene have developedEducation Guidelines for new chapters establishedin BC. They were assisted by Linda Sears, whospearheaded the development of the Summerlandchapter of Master Gardeners.

Several Council members headed by BarbaraBowers have jumped into the breach and have planswell underway for the 2007 Update on March 25.These members are doing double duty to make surethat the show indeed goes on. (An alarming

continued from page 2

Nancy Dickson (left) and Mary Butterfield of the VanDusen Capital Campaignaccept a cheque for $3,000 from MGABC chair, Jack Grant.

development over the past two years was that nomember came forward to chair the UpdateCommittee.)

These projects, as well as the usual multipleresponsibilities of Council (Secretary KatieMcIntosh and Treasurer Karen Shuster must bementioned), illustrate how well the membership hasbeen served over the past year. To Council membersand to all members who have contributed so much,my heartfelt thanks.

I take leave of the Chair with the confidence thatexciting things will continue to happen within ourorganization and that the usual challenges will bemet by those members who have accepted keyresponsibilities. My two years have motivated meto continue working to achieve some of theobjectives I am passionate about. I cannot closewithout restating my mantra: Change will occur andit will happen for the good of the organization.That’s 30 for 2006.

—Jack Grant

LLetter from the Chair

4 December 2006

Advanced Training Graduates

It has again been a busy year for Master Gardeners onVancouver Island. Members offered 330 clinics atgarden centres, plant sales, garden clubs, farmers’markets, and garden tours. We also wrote articles,spoke at garden club meetings, and did research onthe internet. Changes in clinic reporting this yearallowed Clinic Coordinators to read all questions andanswers that students recorded. We also developedforms for documentation of questions, answers, andreferences.

Behind the scenesThe Executive held a Strategic Planning day to assessthe Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association(VIMGA)’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, andthreats (a SWOT process). Out of this discussion cameprioritized goals and objectives that are being tackledslowly but surely.

An Advisory Committee has been struck withMalaspina University in order to address a number ofconcerns relating to the strength of students going intoand coming out of the program. We have had severalproductive meetings and have just received acounterproposal from Malasapina. A briefing note wascirculated at the Fall Annual General Meeting, whenfeedback was requested. A pilot mentorship programis up and running with the Fall 2006 class in Nanaimo.We have four mentors each working with five or sixstudents.

Several of our goals are to develop more satisfyingand relevant clinic opportunities, to enforce uniformprocedures and guidelines throughout the Island, andto continue to offer high-quality, in-serviceopportunities to our members in such areas as Insectand Disease Control and Plant Identification. We havehad two very successful workshops with LindaGilkeson and Andrea Buonassissi.

Our focus is generally on strengthening the quality ofour members and the advice they give in the face ofthe very quick growth we have experienced here onthe Island.

Most interesting questionDemonstrating the truism that “A little knowledge is adangerous thing,” a visitor to our table at the NanaimoCommunity Gardens had these questions for us: “Whatdo you think about growing fall rye?” We of course gave

Congratulations to the 16 new graduates of the MGAdvanced Training program. At the September 2006meeting, pins and certificates were awarded to thefollowing members of the Advanced Training classof 2005: Anne Ayre, Miriam Brownlow, LorriEspeseth, Jeannette Gamble, Diane Hartley, HeatherHyde, Libby Kelley, Penny Koch, Colleen Martin,William McCarthy, Ruth Patrick, Kathy Shynkaryk,Kelly Smith, Eleanor Smyth, and Lynda Taylor, aswell as Carol Wong of the class of 2003. Thesegraduates bring to 118 the number of MGs who havecompleted the core Advanced Training program andat least three of the seven electives.

The core program (12 Tuesdays from September throughDecember) consists of advanced classes in the majorareas of Botany, Taxonomy, Right Place/Right Plant,IPM, and Soils and Fertilizers. In addition, three electivesmust be completed (15 hours each, consisting of threefive-hour classes) from among the following:Entomology, Landscape Design, Native Plants, PlantDisease Diagnosing, Plant Propagation, Shrubs, andTrees. Reading in texts or other provided material isrequired in addition to research papers for each area.

The next Advanced Training core program may beoffered in September 2007, with information availablein January 2007. All MGs who have completed theregular MG program two or more years previouslyare eligible for the Advanced Training program.

—June Pierson

her the prescribed a n s w e r .She went on to say: “A friend said that if Igrow fall rye she won’t come to my garden becausethe ergot fungus that grows on rye is associated withwitchcraft and makes people crazy, even die.” Wewere asked: “What do you know about ergot?”

A Google search revealed the hypothesis that the Salemwitchcraft trials in the late 1600s could have resultedfrom ergot poisoning. The ergot fungus, of the genusClaviceps, exists on grain, some breads, peanuts, and inthe soil. Remember the song, “Found a peanut, it wasrotten, ate it anyway, died, and went to heaven”? I thinkit was written about ergot.

—Gael Ackroyd and Eleanor Voysey

Report from Vancouver Island

Master Gardeners’ Newsletter 5

with children seemed a great way to earnmy hours, but little did I suspect what wasactually in store … The first group ofchildren came out and I was hooked!” Thecoordinator of the Northeast Mental HealthUnit adds: “The contribution of the MasterGardener was invaluable to the success ofthe group.” While the coordinator of theKidSafe project echoes this sentiment:“Thanks for helping us out and providingtwo great volunteers. We are very grateful.”

Not only are the projects geographicallydiverse, but the types of situations andparticipants also vary. Two projects are setin schools and work with children. Anothertwo are set in correctional institutions andhelp participants to learn new skills andgain self-esteem. One project assistswomen who have sought refuge in a homefor abused women and their children. Three

others contribute to the quality of life of long-termresidents in hospital locations, while at a mental healthresidence, participants learn new skills andappreciation for gardening. A hospice project offerssolace to patients and their families and friends. Parksare the location for two more projects and variousEvergreen events are staffed by Master Gardeners.Finally, the healing garden project operates at severalsites where gardens have become part of the strategyfor ameliorating the violence and harms of the past.

The following are brief descriptions of the projects.

Alouette Correctional Centre for WomenCoordinator: Barb CollisLocated in Maple Ridge, this is a provincialcorrectional centre for low and medium risk women.In the garden, more than 30 raised beds wereconstructed this year and the produce harvested fromthem was distributed to all of the residents and staffwhose nutrition was greatly enhanced. Not only dothe women find the work empowering but they alsolearn skills that are transferable to the community aftertheir release. Master Gardeners help with educationalaspects of the project as well as the planning of newgardens and projects. In addition, the population ofthe site will be expanding so that there will be a needfor more help. This is a very large project that has theopportunity to grow so all volunteers are welcome.

continued on page 6

As the growing season draws to a close, MasterGardeners can feel proud of their achievements in 14community projects scattered across the LowerMainland and Fraser Valley. Eighty-seven certifiedMaster Gardeners and students contributed anamazing 1,850 hours. At each site, the volunteersoffered service to the community while educatingparticipants in the satisfaction of gardening andprotecting the Earth. The benefits, of course, wentboth ways, as participants came to understand moreabout the natural world around them and the gardenershoned their skills while enjoying participation in acommunity.

As the growing season draws to a close, MasterGardeners can feel proud of their achievements in 14

Master Gardener volunteers Jill Ley and Esther Donnelly work withchildren and teachers to plant a wide variety of vegetables and flowers atQueen Alexandra School.

Consider a Community Project

community projects scattered across the Lower Main-land and Fraser Valley. Eighty-seven certified MasterGardeners and students contributed an amazing 1,850hours. At each site, the volunteers offered service tothe community while educating participants to thesatisfaction of gardening and protecting the Earth. Thebenefits, of course, went both ways, as participantscame to understand more about the natural worldaround them and the gardeners honed their skills whileenjoying participation in a community.

One new volunteer at Queen Alexandra SchoolGarden commented: “Working in a garden

A Great Way to Earn Volunteer Hours

6 December 2006

Banfield Extended Care PavilionCoordinator: Shelagh SmithBanfield Pavilion is the Extended Care Unit atVancouver General Hospital. Under the direction of ahorticultural therapist, Master Gardener volunteersprovide gardening assistance and instruction toresidents and other volunteers. Since this is ahorticultural therapy program, Master Gardeners helpto individualize programs and to introduce theirparticular areas of interest and expertise to patients.

Burnaby Nature HouseCoordinator: Judy WellingtonBurnaby Butterfly Garden is located next to the NatureHouse on Burnaby Lake. It is meant to inform visitorsabout butterflies, their habitat, and food source. MasterGardener volunteers give advice and information tovisitors and reorganize the plant material of the gardento be more “ butterfly friendly”. They also assist witheducation for children who attend programs in theNature House. This year the garden gained a new area.The GVRD is very supportive of the project and wantsit to be larger. This project has room to grow.

Burnaby Youth Custody ServicesCoordinator: Barbara WarnerVolunteers work in both the secure and open units atthe Burnaby Youth Custody services on WillingdonAvenue opposite BCIT. Master Gardeners teachresidents basic gardening skills, plant identification, andan appreciation of growing flowers and vegetables.Volunteers participate each week during the residents’educational time and they note the growth in confidenceand self-esteem among the youth. The produce fromthe gardens is used in the cooking program.

EvergreenCoordinator: Alyssa SemczyszynEvergreen is a national non-profit organization that bringscommunities and nature together for mutual benefit.Master Gardener volunteers provide leadership,guidance, and education at events. These occur aroundthe Lower Mainland and are one-day programs concernedwith habitat restoration on publicly owned lands. MasterGardeners run training sessions for those who participatein events and they help to run the programs. Volunteerwork occurs only during public restoration events.

The Healing Garden CommitteeCoordinator: Judy ZipurskyThis committee researches, catalogues, and developsmaterials relating to “Healing Gardens”. It also offersadvice on the establishment and maintenance of healinggardens in the community. The committee is involvedin several sites that are developing healing gardens andMaster Gardeners offer help with the practical aspectsof creating such gardens as well as the restorativebenefits to be derived from them. The committee hasbeen very busy this year responding to several requestsfor information and installation of gardens. In addition,the volunteers spend time in self-education as well asoffering their expertise to the community.

KidSafe ProjectCoordinator: Catherine HomenchukThe KidSafe Project helps create safe havens at timeswhen schools are closed. The project serves at-riskstudents living in poverty who are enrolled at Vancouverinner-city elementary schools. KidSafe ensures thatchildren are protected for 12 months of the year andencourages increased awareness of smart and nutritiouslocal food. The school gardens act as a focus for activityand as a place to learn about gardening. Volunteers alsohelp to design and manage new gardens, since KidSafeis attempting to expand the number of schools that havegardens.

Marguerite Dixon Transition House andSecond Stage UnitsCoordinator: Helen TsepnopoulosThis is a horticultural therapy program that assists staffand residents of facilities for abused women. Thecoordinator of the project organizes gardening activitiesfor the project on various days throughout the season.On some of these days, Maser Gardeners direct UnitedWay volunteers who come to work in the garden and tocomplete new installations.

Native Demonstration Garden, Mahon Park,City of North VancouverCoordinator: Joanna ClarkThe Native Demonstration Garden was part of anextensive restoration of Mahon Park in the City of NorthVancouver. Master Gardener volunteers provideinformation on native plants. In addition, they coordinate

continued from page 5

Another Successful Year of Community Projects

Master Gardeners’ Newsletter 7

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

“Community projects are a satisfying, enjoyable way tocontribute to the well-being of those around you.”

community work parties. This is a project that occursprimarily during community events and workingsessions. Master Gardeners participated in and directedover 2,000 hours of community work in the park.

North East Mental Health TeamGardening GroupCoordinator: Tom HeahThe North East Team is one of several in the LowerMainland area. The team serves children, adults, andolder adults with serious mental illness, using aninterdisciplinary approach. The rehab department isquite active and offers a variety of group activities,including gardening. This offers new leisure andeducational opportunities to participants. MasterGardeners provide gardening expertise to the project.

The Pearson GardensCoordinator: Judith HowardPearson Hospital is a long-term residence for disabledpatients. The gardens help to improve the quality oflife for the residents and involve them in the planning,and where possible, alterations to the garden. It is alsohoped that, in the future, the project will involve arearesidents in the enhancement of the site.

Queen Alexandra School Gardening ProgramCoordinator: Sharon HannaThe award-winning project at Queen Alexandra Schoolworks with K-to-7 students in a 10,000 square footgarden—growing food, weeding, watering, andsometimes preparing food. In addition, gardeninginformation is integrated into the academic curriculum.Activities occur every week and volunteers mustparticipate on a regular basis. Last year over 620volunteer hours were clocked.

St. James’s Cottage HospiceCoordinator: Pascale Powell“Cottage” is a beautiful 10-bed facility for terminallyill adults. Master Gardener volunteers work withresidents when possible and with their families andfriends. Volunteers create garden beds, troubleshootpests and diseases, and advise on plant selection,location, and maintenance. Hours are flexible oncevolunteers are introduced to the project’s requirements.

Yaletown HouseCoordinator: Shelagh SmithYaletown House is located in the heart of Vancouver’sYaletown district. Under the direction of a horticulturaltherapist, Master Gardener volunteers provide gardeningassistance and instruction to residents.

How the Projects WorkEach project has its own coordinator who sets up theschedule of activities and keeps track of volunteer hours.She or he contacts people to discuss the specific detailsof the project and provides an orientation to the goalsand needs of the program. The schedules vary dependingon the needs of the site. Some require work every weekwhile others occur less frequently. Regardless, as withclinics, a commitment to a project must be honoured,since programs depend on Master Gardeners.

Starting a ProjectIf you know of or work at a site that combinescommunity service with gardening educationalopportunities and you think that it might become acommunity project, please contact the CommunityProject Coordinators, Alice Kilian (akilian@shaw.ca)or Andrea Lebowitz (lebowitz@sfu.ca) for moreinformation. They will visit the site and discuss it withyou as a potential project. As stated above, a projectwill only be considered if there is an on-site coordinatorwilling to take responsibility for the administration ofthe project. This person need not be Master Gardener.If there is a coordinator and the project includes botheducation and service, the coordinator in consultationwith Alice and Andrea will design a description of theproject and set it up for inclusion in the roster of projectsthat will be presented to volunteers in the spring.

A Final WordCommunity projects count toward a Master Gardener’sor student’s required hours. But more than that, theyare a satisfying and enjoyable way to contribute to thewell-being of those around you.

—Alice Kilian and Andrea Lebowitz

8 December 2006

At the time of writing, only half the volunteer hourssheets for 2006 have been submitted, but the trend forthe Interior is clear: our Master Gardeners have beenspending only about 45 percent of their time givingadvice to local gardeners at garden centres. Theremaining time is spent on research, self-educationcourses and lectures, writing gardening columns, andvolunteering at other venues such as communityprojects, plant sales, care centres, garden tours, judgingfor Communities in Bloom, and at the Interior ProvincialExhibition in Armstrong (a wonderful agricultural venuethat includes prize-sized squash and dahlias on display,along with animals of every ilk). The bulk of theadministrative hours accrue from the ProgramCoordinator and Area Clinic Coordinator (JanisThompson), who will be sharing some of theirresponsibilities with our MGs in future.

Although garden centre clinics serve as great internshipsfor students, they are not our ultimate goal, which is tobecome educators for the region. Fortunately, thisphilosophy seems to align with that of the provincialAssociation, so we will be endeavouring to establish aMaster Gardener presence at our home base, theSummerland Ornamental Gardens, to provide answers,advice, workshops, demonstrations, and tours for thegardening public as well as visitors to the region.

In February 2007, the Basic Program teaching sessionfor Summerland Master Gardeners will be coordinatedby the Continuing Studies department of the Okanagan

Our New ComputerAs I sit here at my old clunker of a computer I canreflect back on the hours spent tapping away duringtwo years as MGABC secretary. I have enjoyed theopportunity to become part of a hardworking group

on Council, getting to know moremembers and understanding the greatdiversity of this organization.However, I will not miss hauling tomeetings my wheelie desk,containing giant binders and otherparaphernalia required to do my job.

My successor will have the great pleasure of usingthe brand-new HP Pavilion laptop computer that wasrecently purchased for the use of the secretary andother members of Council.

The laptop computer has a clear 14.4-inch screen and ahuge 120-Gbyte hard-disk memory, which should enable

Summerland ReportCollege in Penticton. As this is a new initiative, it is tooearly to report on how this will knit with our group, butwe are hopeful that many of those who take the trainingwill elect to continue with the Master Gardeners. Theconcept of mentoring, as is being considered by theVancouver Island group, will be kept in mind as asensible introduction for the Master Gardener studentsat OK College.

Our members live from Osoyoos in the south toKamloops in the north. A large area, but with onecommon factor: at some point during the summermonths, there will be dryness verging on droughtconditions. Native, drought-tolerant species are a smartchoice, and we all wince when we see brown, dead, ordying underwatered cedar windbreaks in this area whenmuch better species are available.

At our Fall Update in September, we heard two localexperts talk about honouring our native soils by keepingthem organic and pure, and by choosing species thatwant to do well here—by making xeriscape choices. Itwas an informative day for all who attended.

At that time, we graduated 10 new Master Gardeners,which brings us to 27 active members in this region.Their interest and enthusiasm serve as a motivator tocontinue with our rewarding gardening work in this area.

—Linda SearsProgram Coordinator

Summerland Master Gardeners

us to securely save all Association communications,minutes of meetings, emails, constitution, and so on. Italso has a DVD+RW/R and CD-RW combo drive,meaning that we could store and maintain the membershipdatabase on the laptop. And we have the memory spaceavailable to build a library of digital photos.

Software includes Microsoft Windows XP Professionaloperating system and Windows Office, which providesWord, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. Further items stillto be purchased include a scanner/fax/printer.

Thanks to Lynne and Barry for researching suitablecomputers and especially to Barry, who put together thispackage with the necessary software. We can look forwardto using this computer for many years to come.

—Katie McIntosh

Master Gardeners’ Newsletter 9

Come Join the Fun!

Master Gardeners Association of BC

Christmas Party

Tuesday, December 12, 7:00 p.m.

Floral Hall VanDusen Botanical Garden

Bring along your favourite dessert.

Looking for something to do during the wet and coldwinter months ahead? Consider sorting slides andphotos for the MGABC picture library. A collection ofphotos such as this would help support furtherdevelopment of the MG website and could be used inall Association publications, including the newsletter,advertising brochures, magazine articles, books, and anyother form of printed or online, electric, or digitalpublishing the Association undertakes in future.

So look through your personal collection of photos forsuitable pictures. Then categorize your selections (bycorrect botanical plant name, general garden andlandscape, Association activities, and so on) and includea caption or explanation, along with the name of thephotographer. We are in particular need of photographsof our special projects, community projects, andworkshops.

Save your photos on CD or email them toroberts_bn@yahoo.ca. Slides are also welcome and canbe brought to our general meetings.

We will protect the interests of the Association and ourmembers by signing an ownership and copyrightagreement with everyone who submits photos.

I welcome all comments and suggestions from ourmembers about the picture library. More details will beavailable at our January general meeting.

—Barry Roberts

UBC Botanical Garden’s David Tarrant welcomes MGs tothe garden on September 21, 2006.

Building a Picture Library

Membership Skills SurveyWe have many new members, as well as manylongstanding members, with great expertise andexperience that could be of value to the MGABC, ifonly we knew about it!

Please complete and return the Skills Survey thataccompanies printed copies of the Decembernewsletter or download a copy via the MG website atwww.bcmastergardeners.org. The survey will also besent by email from MG Admin.

Please return the survey by post, email, or by handdelivery to the reception desk at VanDusen BotanicalGardens. Full details are explained in theaccompanying Skills Survey.

—Barry Roberts

10 December 2006

Master Gardeners’ Association of British ColumbiaContact List 2006/2007

of theMaster Gardeners’ Association of

British ColumbiaAffiliated with VanDusen

Botanical Gardens Association

Mission StatementThe Mission of the Master Gardeners’Association of British Columbia is toprovide information about gardening tothe community and to educate peopleabout environmentally responsiblegardening practices.

Please send all contact informationchanges to Kathy Shynkaryk ,membership chair.

All other newsletter correspondencecan be sent to the editor, Ann-MarieMetten, at ametten@telus.net.

Newsletter layout by Wendy JonesCarere.

The MG Newsletter is published inMarch, June, September, and December.Deadline for submissions to the Marchnewsletter is January 15, 2007.

www.bcmastergardeners.orggardener@bcmastergardeners.org

MG Calendar Tuesday, December 12, 7:00 p.m.MGABC Christmas partyPlease bring your favourite dessert,finger foods only. Tour the Festivalof Lights 5 to 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, January 9, 7:30 p.m.General meeting, Andrea LebowitzCommunity Projects for MasterGardeners with Melita Thornhillof the Emerging Hope project.

This meeting includes the annual MGbook and magazine sale, so bringalong garden and plant books andmagazines you no longer need.

Thursday, February 8, 9:30 a.m.General meetingChris WoodsAn Introduction to VanDusen BotanicalGardens’ New Executive Directorand His Ideas for the GardenThis is a meeting held jointly withVanDusen Guides.

ChairLynne ChrismasPast ChairJack Grant1st Vice ChairBarbara Bowers2nd Vice ChairJenny NewmanSecretaryDiane HartleyTreasurerKaren ShusterMembers-at-LargeSusan LazarBarry RobertsJanet SawatskyLinda Sears

Advanced TrainingJune PiersonBasic Training (BT)Doreen GodwinBylawsSheila WatkinsClinic CoordinatorDiane HartleyCoffee ConvenorJudy ZipurskyCommunity ProjectsAlice KilianAndrea LebowitzDatabase ManagerPat TaylorFinanceKaren Shuster

FundraisingBrian CampbellMembershipKathy ShynkarykJim K. TaylorNewsletter EditorAnn-Marie MettenNominationsMel FelkerPlant Information LineSheila WatkinsPlant Sale CoordinatorsJoan BentleyLoretta BarrPublicity—available—

Selection (BT)Doreen GodwinSpeakers GroupLinda ShulmanTelephone/EmailColleen MartinLinda WrightTransition/New Students—available—Update SeminarBarbara BowersWebsite CommitteeKaren Shuster

Web MasterDeb DoreyDavid WatkinsWelcome TableShirley Mason

VIMGA(Vancouver Island)ChairRodney MurraySecretaryLinda Cooper

SMGA(Summerland)Program CoordinatorLinda Sears

Saturday, February 24,10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.18th Annual Seedy SaturdayFeaturing Heritage Seed Swapand Great Bean Count.Admission by donation.

February 28Registration deadlineGardens of England TourMay 24 to June 4, 2007ruralbritaintours.com

No monthly meeting in March

Sunday, March 25, 9:00 a.m.Update 2007Energize Your Gardening Passion:Plants, Pruning, and Workingthe LandMichael J. Fox TheatreBurnaby South High School5455 Rumble Street, Burnaby

Please refer to your current MG member list for full contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses.