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J U L Y 2 0 1 2

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What’s Inside

Gardening with Roses ....... 1,5

Minimizing Gardening Pain with Stretching and Yoga ........................... 1,4,5

The President’s Column ........ 2

Ask & Answer......................... 2

The Plots Thicken ................... 3

Stumped ................................. 6

Reading Our New Format ..... 6

Outreach Event ...................... 7

Continuing Education ....... 8-10

Newsletter Facts ............... 9-10

Photo of Month ................... 10

Gardening With Roses By Bill Connors When I retired in 1996, a friend sent me a few rose bushes to keep me busy. I planted them and became enthralled. I started building beds and buying more roses, and I contacted Jackson & Perkins and began evaluating different hybrids for them. The deer became interested in my rose collection, so I purchased a solar-powered electric fence to protect the plants. As a Master Gardener since 1997, I was fortunate to know the late Bob Alde, who, as many are aware, was a superb rosarian and teacher. He introduced me to the rose world from another perspective—not just their beauty, but the trials and tribulations of growing them. I now have more than 40 different bushes—almost all of them hybrid tea roses—which tend to keep me busy and forever looking for answers to some interesting situations. At the Quince Orchard Library plant clinic, we get many questions about roses, which also keeps me on my toes. I’m happy to share some of that information.

By Lauren Rubenstein As July heats up, perhaps you can sit back and enjoy some of the fruits of your garden labor. You have patiently nurtured fragile seedlings into robust plants. But how often have you nurtured your own sometimes-fragile body? Gardening has connected you to vital life-force energy. But how much have you nurtured your own health? Douglas Brooks says, “The goal of yoga is to savor life, always moving, dynamic, alive, never done.” Isn’t that also true of gardening? It is so tempting to delay stretching or icing your sore muscles until you are “finished gardening.” Is anybody out there finished gardening? If so, please share your secrets! By this point in the season, I know my body is feeling the strain of overzealous gardening. Backs and knees take the biggest hits from gardening. We are particularly vulnerable to injury when we twist—for example, moving compost from bin to wheelbarrow. Or perhaps it’s “pruning elbow”—tendonitis from repetitive use. Body-wise gardening can help prevent injury. Here are some tips.

Minimizing Gardening Pain With Stretching and Yoga

Bill Connors (Class ’97) Quince Orchard Plant Clinic Coordinator and rosarian poses with his roses. Continued On Page 5

Continued On Page 4

I recently came across a plaque that stated, “He is a poor gardener whose garden is kept only for himself.” On reading it, my first thought was the idea certainly applies to “her” as well. My second thought was that it tied right into our MG Open Gardens Program. Taffy Turner started the Open Gardens Program for us in 2008 and she continues working to ensure our participation. For us as garden owners, deciding to open may be the catalyst for a much needed spruce-up or even a re-design of a tired area. Hosting an Open Garden will give us an empathetic audience for all our stories – of the storm that transformed our shady, secluded garden into a bright sunny plot; of where we found that treasured ornamental tree; of a commitment to “go native;” of the challenges of partnering with local wildlife. Although maintenance doesn’t count as MG service hours, we can count time spent preparing a plant inventory, special labeling and presentation. As garden visitors, the Open Garden offers us the opportunity to connect with other MGs, expanding our knowledge and friendships. The visits are expected to be interactive – gardeners are always ready to share advice on their favorite subjects. We’re sure to take home new ideas for our own gardens, and we’ll earn continuing education credit while we’re enjoying ourselves. Our MG Open Gardens Program is not about perfection in the garden. It’s about the pleasure that comes from sharing our common interest. Please consider opening your garden soon, and when you talk to Taffy about volunteering, don’t forget to thank her for developing this great MG benefit.

Julia

The President’s Column

J U L Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 2 The Seed

The Seed Team

Nancy Moses Greenblatt Editor-in-Chief Deborah Petro Julie Super Production Co-Editors Katie Mcle Senior Editor, Editor, Ask & Answer Julie Mangin Photo Editor Lauren Rubenstein Editor, Continuing Education Classes Diyan Rahaman Editor, STUMPED Tech Support Betty Cochran Copy Editor Darlene Nicholson Photographer

Anne Abend, Faye Miner, Rachel Shaw

Contributors

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by Julia Horman

’Open Gardens’ is more sharing than showing

Ask & Answer

Going Native Q. I want to plant a native garden and I am interested in plants with historical significance in this area. Do you have any suggestions? Signed, Natives Wanted in North Bethesda A. One of my favorite native plants is Baptisia australis, also known as False Indigo or Wild Blue Indigo. This herbaceous perennial is native to most of central and eastern North America. Even though it is commonly known to gardens because of its spectacular blue flower, it is a great plant to add to your native garden. It is a member of the pea family and has historical roots. It was grown in early American gardens as a source of blue dye, and was noted by Williamsburg naturalist John Clayton in the early 18th century. The Cherokee Indians also used it as a source of blue dye. It produces gorgeous blue flowers on spikes that emerge in late spring and early summer.

The plant is extremely drought tolerant and will grow even in stony soil. It produces a fabulous large black seed pod. The plant is extremely drought tolerant, is deer resistant, and will grow even in stony soil. It tolerates full sun to partial shade. The spectacular large black seed pods are sought after for use in dried flower arrangements. If you do not want the plant to spread, remove the black seed pods before they break open. This plant looks terrific when paired with another native, the red and yellow flowers of Spigelia marilandica. Source: http://gardening.about.com/od/plantprofiles/p/Baptisia-australis.htm Have a question on any garden or Master Gardener subject for our Ask & Answer column? Send it to mcmgnewsletter12@yahoo.com. We will try to publish the best.

Baptisia australis, also known as False Indigo or Wild Blue Indigo re-sides happily in Katie McIe’s garden. Photo by Katie McIe

The Plots Thicken: Gardeners’ diaries from the demo-gardens

Derwood Demo Gardens: Submitted by Maria Wortman and Darlene Nicholson Lady beetles were especially noticeable on the gorgeous ninebark in full bloom in the Wildlife Garden. The larvae resemble tiny alligators, and they are voracious consumers of aphids. IPM in action! The pond has been stocked with plants and fish, and we have been serenaded by a frog. The little wren in the birdhouse is constantly scolding us as she tirelessly goes in and out feeding her babies. The goatsbeard, Aruncus dioicus, a native of the northeastern U.S., is looking fantastic with its feathery white blooms. In the Vegetable Garden many different varieties of tomato seedlings were planted. Potatoes were hilled up, and we planted leeks and roselle hibiscus, from which Red Zinger Tea is made. The Square Foot Garden is lovely with its patchwork quilt of various-colored lettuces and beets, and the salad table is going strong. We were able to take a huge bag of greens to the Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg. The new support structure for the kiwi vine was erected, and a baby ‘Issai’ hardy kiwi has been planted. In the Kitchen Garden purple chive blossoms are blooming perkily. Purple is king right now in the Herb and Fragrance Garden, with purple sage and purple catmint blooming. Close to the ground, you can smell the delightful fragrance of the chocolate-scented daisy. The ‘New Dawn’ rose is in its glory as it clambers up the sides of the arbor structure. Lightly rub a leaf of the popcorn plant in the Children’s Garden for an aromatic treat. It really does smell like popcorn! The fringetree in the Butterfly Garden is blooming like a delicate fleecy cloud. In the Horticultural Therapy raised beds, the larkspur is a riot of purplish-blue flower spikes. The compost bin team has worked hard adding more sections to our compost bins so they will be more manageable. The fabulous yellow signage will help us all make it successful. We are also very pleased with progress in fulfilling our goal as a demonstration garden by getting more visitors. The Open House was a fantastic event that introduced the garden to more people. Several special tours were held in early June. We’ve even had a group of painters from a Montgomery College art class set up their easels in various places and began capturing the colors of the garden!

Fairgrounds: Submitted by Tom Stanton

The 4H site has been cleaned up and we’ve put in more Black-Eyed Susans, including some ‘Viette’ varietals. The transplanted hibiscus has flower heads, and our silver, gold, and green color scheme seems to be working. However, the bindweed came back like nobody's business. Actually, the weeds at all three sites love the weather! The main site at the Farmer's Triangle is looking fine. The new reblooming hydrangea is in flower; it only took about three weeks from planting. Most annuals are in and we are eyeing the tall perennials (and fingering our clippers), as they are trying to take over. We are adding small perennials: selfheal, campanula, etc., and tucking them in. Our rain garden is now somewhat visible since we transplanted out some of the larger plants and cut back the buttonbush. Next we work on the berm.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 3 The Seed

Ram Narula plants marigolds in front of the beans at DDG

Cabbage looper loops its way across a gardener's glove.

J U L Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 4 The Seed

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1. Vary tasks. If you’ve been weeding for a while, switch to pruning.

2. Switch hands. It’s good brain exercise!

3. Switch positions. You can weed squatting, sitting on a bucket, or on your knees.

4. Use your abdominal muscles. Your core is like the trunk of a tree. Try to pull your navel toward your spine to gently tone your abs. Strong abs help prevent back injuries.

5. Find opportunities to make the chore work for you. For example, if you are weeding on a slope, do it in lunge position—front leg bent, back leg straight—getting a calf stretch in your back leg.

6. Place one foot forward when lifting heavy objects. Widening your base offers more support. Bend from the knees, not the waist, and try to keep your back straight. Move your feet closer to the object you are lifting, and keep it close as you lift it.

7. Use the proper tool for the job. Don’t try to cut thick branches with your hand pruners, even if they happen to be in your hand and your loppers are elsewhere.

8. Pace yourself. Tackle the more demanding chores first, while your energy is higher.

9. Watch your back. Hunching hurts. If you squat when you weed, keep your back as straight as possible.

10. Avoid lifting and twisting in the same movement.

11. Keep your foundation strong. Kneel on both knees at the same time to avoid the temptation to twist or strain. Stand with both feet firmly planted.

12. Use tools with comfortable handles. Wrap the grip with an old piece of hose or coat it with rubber paint.

13. Never work through pain. If your shoulder hurts before you start raking, postpone. Pulling weeds will aggravate your painful forearms. Lifting anything will exacerbate your sore back.

Illustrated below are a set of easy stretches you can do before gardening, reproduced from Stretching: 30th Anniversary Edition, by Bob and Jean Anderson (Shelter Publications, 2010).

Minimizing Gardening Pain With Stretching and Yoga (continued from page 1)

Here are some tips

NOTE: If you have a physical condition that concerns you, check with your

doctor before undertaking these stretches.

Continued On Page 5

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J U L Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 5 The Seed

My Desert Island Poses Yoga can help you minimize garden pain. There are hundreds of yoga poses, but any balanced practice can give you the strength, flexibility, and balance that yoga offers. That being said, I have a few that I would definitely take with me to a desert island: Cat-cow, Thread the needle, Child’s pose, Downward-facing dog and Bridge. For detailed instructions, look up these poses on the website of Yoga Journal. Or simply search the Internet; you will also find videos demonstrating these positions. Better yet, try out some classes. But remember—if you have a physical condition that concerns you, check with your doctor before undertaking any poses or stretches. Just as we try to maintain our gardening tools, we can use yoga to lubricate our joints and stretch our muscles. You wouldn’t prune with rusty Felcos; please don’t garden with a creaky body!

Yoga Resources D’Orazio, Veronica: Gardener's Yoga: Bend and Stretch, Dig and Grow. Sasquatch Books, 2005 Dubinsky, Gail: Yoga for Gardeners (DVD). www.rxyoga.com Forbes, Bo: www.elementalyoga.com. Click on Resources, then select Restorative Yoga Poses Johnson, Jill, and Shannon, Diana: Yoga for Gardeners Swatchbook. http://yogaswatchbook.com/yoga-for-gardeners Rosen, Richard: Yoga for 50+: Modified Poses and Techniques for a Safe Practice. Ulysses Press, 2004 Thomson, Karen M: Yoga for gardeners: reverse gardener’s back with these backbends. New Life Journal, June-July 2002. Available online at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/tn_health Website for Yoga Journal: www.yogajournal.com. Click on Poses, then select Anatomical Focus (e.g., hips, shoulders) or Therapeutic Focus (e.g., neck pain, back pain)

Minimizing Gardening Pain With Stretching and Yoga (continued from page 4)

Gardening With Roses (Continued from page 1)

Pruning. When and how much to prune is a big concern. I usually wait until the roses start to leaf out before beginning the pruning process. That generally means late March or early April, although this year the early warm weather meant an earlier start. To improve air circulation, I prune out everything in the bush but two or three of the younger and strong stems, and cut them to a height of 14 to 16 inches. As drastic as that sounds, by the end of the season you wouldn’t know I’ve done it. Spraying. When humid weather starts, I begin to spray the leaves for black spot, using a combination of Daconil and Funginex every 14 days. The combination gives me both a topical and a systemic approach to attacking the fungus. Mulch and fertilizer. I use Leafgro as a mulch, to help control the weeds. When the weather warms, usually about May, I fertilize with an all-purpose Osmocote, and repeat the application again in late July. Bugs. Besides the deer, I’ve had serious damage from Japanese beetles. I deal with them by carrying a bucket of soapy water to the rose beds and gently shaking each blossom over it; the beetles drop into the bucket. But that’s a time-consuming process. A couple of years ago I read that geraniums were a good companion plant to keep beetles away from roses. I’ve planted them, but with the drought conditions in my area, I have no idea if the geraniums helped or whether it’s the dry conditions that kept the beetles at a minimum. The latest pest is the stink bug, and I have no useful way of dealing with them other than the soapy-water treatment. Deadheading. Twice a week I deadhead the spent blossoms, cutting off the stem down to the first five-leaflet cluster, where the stem looks thicker. I stop deadheading when the weather gets colder, probably about late October, so that the plants can rest for the winter months. Besides my hybrid teas, I have a couple of Knock Out roses, which are very easy to grow and require minimum care. Just thin them out in the spring to improve air circulation, and they take care of themselves I’m often asked what my favorite rose is. For beauty, I think that ‘Just Joey,’ an apricot-colored hybrid tea, is the most attractive. For fragrance, you can’t outdo the red ‘Dolly Parton.’ And for every rose garden, ‘Mr. Lincoln,’ a dark-red hybrid tea, just says it all. “Just Joey “ Rose

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The Seed

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Plant identification can be one of the most challenging tasks that Plant Clinic volunteers can face. Often they have to work with tattered pieces of plant material and have to tease out some of the growing characteristics of the plant specimens from the people who bring them in. Here are two cases that stumped our volunteers but were solved by our professionals at Derwood.

Wild Yam Vine

The apple-green colored vine with lovely veins on its heart shaped leaves came to the Quince Orchard plant clinic on May 5. Despite the presence of experienced MGs Sally Byrne, Linda Waters and Intern and botanist Michael Barnhart, the name of this plant eluded them. Did it stump Steve Dubik as well? Not likely. Here is the 411 on Dioscorea quaternata, commonly called a wild yam vine, which is primarily native to Missouri. For further information on this plant check out: http://www.missouriplants.com/Greenopp/Dioscorea_quaternata_page.html

Cow-dipper This one was brought in by MG Frances Smithson from the Brookside Gardens Plant Clinic and was an invasive weed that was popping up everywhere despite numerous attempts at eradication. Pinellia ternata is native to Japan and is sometimes referred to as cow-dipper. The plant possesses trifoliate leaves and a flower typical to plants in the Araceae family (think of a jack-in-the-pulpit with its spathe and

spadix flower). Similar to other Araceae plants, the flowers of Pinellia are hermaphroditic. One of the secrets of Pinellia ternata’s success is that its stem regenerates from a corm that resides inches below the soil’s surface. As a result, hand-pulling is nearly always ineffectual in ridding a garden area of Pinellia. To learn more about this non-native invasive and how to successfully eradicate it from your yard check out the Scott Arboretum’s blog at: http://blogs.scottarboretum.org/gardenseeds/2008/09/pinellia-ternata/

Stumped

J U L Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 6 The Seed

Wild Yam Vine, Dioscurea quarternata

Cow Dipper, Pinellia ternata

MGs Diyan Rahaman and Don Snyder were recognized by Lynn Rubin from UME for their work with children at Washington Grove Elementary School. They each received a certificate and a book on gardening with children.

Congratulations

Outreach Events Are Big Crowd Pleasers

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General Membership Meeting Where: Derwood

When: Thursday, July 5 2012

9:30 a.m. Mingle 10:00 a.m. Meeting

Speaker:

Michael Szesze

“Carnivorous Plants”

MG BENEFIT

J U N E 2 0 1 2 P A G E 7 The Seed

Hundreds Respond in Olney

The Olney Plant Clinic opened at the Olney Farmer’s Market on Sunday, May 13, coincident with Mother’s Day. MGs Katie McIe, Janet Young, and Diana Bunday (left to right) staffed the plant clinic as well as a “Plant a Flower” giveaway for kids with the help of Plant Clinic Coordinator Sue Kuklewicz. The weather, the market opening, the holiday, and the plant giveaway combined to attract 191 customers on opening day! The following week, this effort was followed with another fantastic event done in synergy with MG SWAT. With the assistance of UME Entomologist Stanton Gill, who provided exotic insects, MGs sponsored an Insect Zoo where children (and adults) could “Pet a Bug!” The Insect Zoo was strategically located next to the MG Plant Clinic tent, so that customers could simultaneously view bugs and ask MGs gardening questions.

The synergy produced great results: the Insect Zoo had more than 200 visitors, and the Plant Clinic MGs talked to over 50 adults. The event was so successful that MGs are hoping to “borrow” Stanton Gill’s exotic insects again at the end of the summer for another showing of the Insect Zoo. Additional “Plant a Flower” events are also in the works. Olney’s numbers clearly show the great results of outreach efforts beyond the traditional library settings.

Veggies 101 Day Attracts Eager Learners

Nominations for 2012 Outstanding Master

Gardener Nominate a fellow MG for an Outstanding Service Award. Anyone can nominate a Mas-ter Gardener. Please note, however, that Board members and committee co-chairs are not eligible to receive awards. The deadline for entries is Oc-tober 1. Please use this form when making your nomina-tions: http://extension.umd.edu/gardening/masterGardeners/local/Montgomery/Files/MG%20of%20the%20year%202012.pdf Awards are presented at the annual Holiday Party in December.

More than 130 contacts were made at Veggies 101, a two-hour MG event at Derwood in May. A few of the MG volunteers there were (l-r): Irene Ingraham (wide brim hat); Kathi Dyer (blue MG shirt); and event and GIEI coordinator Terri Valenti on the far right. See the May issue of The Seed for details about this event.

MGs at their plant clinic tent are ready to greet the masses at special events in Olney.

July Continuing Education Corner Find More Classes Here

The Accokeek Foundation

Brookside Gardens

City Blossoms

Green Spring Gardens

Horticultural Society of Maryland

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Montgomery College

Neighborhood Farm Initiative

Prince William Cooperative Extension

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory

US National Arboretum

WEBINARS www.seedsavers.org (not approved for CE credit) June - Basic Seed Saving for Beginners July - Corn Hand-Pollination August - Squash Hand-Pollination September - Tomato Seed Saving November - Listing Seeds in the Yearbook December - Seed Storage

Ongoing through Oct. 14, 10am–4pm. Exhibit: Becoming a Bonsai. US National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, Special Exhibits Wing. Pictures and text illustrate the principles and steps involved in transforming a common crape myrtle into a charming bonsai through pruning, wiring, styling, and repotting. Free.

July 7, 1:00-2:30pm. Bamboo

Garden Tuteur Workshop.

Cindy Brown, Smithsonian

Gardens. Learn all about this

garden thug, from the

differences between running

and clumping forms to how to

prevent it from taking over the

world. Learn a technique for

creating a beautiful bamboo

tuteur – the perfect support for

any climbing ornamental or

vegetable plant. Course #

187349. Fee: $28, FOBG: $25;

registration required. Brookside

Gardens. www.ParkPASS.org

July 8, 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm.

Workshop: Bonsai II. US

National Arboretum, National

Bonsai & Penjing Museum,

Lecture/ Demonstration

Center. Take your skills and

your tree to the next level at

this workshop designed for

those who have taken a

beginner’s class. Bring your tree

in to learn how to properly

prune, wire, and apply design

elements that will improve its

overall design and health. Limit

of one large or two small

bonsai per student. Bring your

own tools. Fee: $39 ($31 FONA/

NBF) Registration required.

July 10 & 13, 10:00am-noon.

Garden Whimsy Mosaic

Totem. Jane Pettit, Mother

Nature Throws a Party. Tucked

among the leaves and branches

to be discovered by the close

observer or set out as a focal

point, totems add color and

artistic whimsy to any garden.

The finished pieces are

approximately 30” high and

winter-hardy. All supplies are

provided for this 2-day class.

Course # 187150. Fee: $95,

FOBG: $85; registration

required. Brookside Gardens

www.ParkPASS.org

July 10, 17, 24, 31 & Aug. 7,

6:30-8:00pm. Landscape for

Life. This 5-part lecture series

teaches you to work with

nature in your garden. Learn

how it is possible to create a

great-looking healthy garden

while saving you time and

money. Course number

188549. Fee: $49, FOBG: $44;

registration required. Brookside

Gardens, www.ParkPASS.org

July 18, 12:00-1:30pm. Squash,

Sweet & Mellow. Adrienne

Cook, Garden and Cooking

Writer

Danielle Navidi, Caterer. The

many forms and the versatility

of summer squash will be the

focus of this cooking class.

Course number 183405 Fee:

$32, FOBG: $28; registration

required. Brookside Gardens.

www.ParkPASS.org

July 21, 9am–4pm or July 22,

9am–4pm. Workshop: Bonsai

Basics with Tropicals. US

National Arboretum, National

Bonsai & Penjing Museum,

Lecture/Demonstration Center.

Create your own bonsai in this

all-day class designed for the

beginner. You will learn the

horticultural, aesthetic, and

cultural elements of bonsai and

then apply your new

knowledge during the hands-on

workshop. All necessary

materials are provided, and

some tools will be available.

Please bring tools if you have

them. Bring lunch for a noon

break. Fee: $129 ($103 FONA/

NBF) Registration required.

July 25, 10:00am-12:00pm.

Concrete Leaf Sculpting

Workshop. Ann Baker,

Brookside Gardens Staff

A unique piece of sculpture

adds a whimsical accent to any

garden. If you’d like to learn to

create your own masterpiece,

then join Ann Baker to turn a

live leaf into stone and add

year-round interest to that

perfect nook in your garden.

Fee includes all materials.

Course number 189249. Fee:

$25, FOBG: $22; registration

required. Brookside Gardens.

www.ParkPASS.org

MG BENEFIT

J U L Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 8 The Seed

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EDUCATION continued on page 9

J U L Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 9 The Seed

July 28, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

Demonstration: Becoming a

Bonsai. US National Arboretum,

National Bonsai & Penjing

Museum, Lecture/

Demonstration Center. This

demonstration interprets and

expands on the popular exhibit,

Becoming a Bonsai. Assistant

museum curator Aarin Packard

will demonstrate the phases of

bonsai training by explaining

which actions are needed and

performing the necessary

processes, including branch

selection, pruning, styling, and

wiring. Free.

July 28, 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Talk

and Tour: All about Crape

myrtles. US National

Arboretum, Meet in the Visitor

Information trailer. Discover

the diverse sizes, shapes, and

flower colors of Crape myrtle so

that you can appreciate and

choose the best variety for your

landscape. Join a curator for a

walking tour through more than

30 varieties of mature trees in

peak bloom. Get expert cultural

information on how to keep

your trees healthy and

beautiful. Fee: $12 ($10 FONA)

Registration required.

July 28 (Aug. 25), 10am. Moss

Workshop. If mosses intrigue

you when you hike but you

wonder exactly what you are

seeing, this is your chance to

figure it out in a fun

environment. Meetup$10.00,

RSVP required. Natural

Historical Society of MD.

Banneker Historical Park &

Museum , 300 Oella Ave,

Catonsville, MD (map) http://

www.meetup.com/

marylandnature/

events/50167612/

July 31, 7:30 pm. An Ozone-

Monitoring Garden. Maryland

Native Plant Society.

Kensington Library.

www.mdflora.org

August 1, 10:00am-12:00pm.

Concrete Leaf Painting

Workshop. Ann Baker,

Brookside Gardens Staff

Join Ann Baker to finish that

piece of sculpture with some

acrylic paint and a sealant to

help your leaf add interest to

your garden for years to come.

Fee includes paint. Course

number 183651., Fee: $18,

FOBG: $15; registration

required. Brookside Gardens

www.ParkPASS.org

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SUMMER FIELD STUDIES for ADULTS

Dragonflies for Beginners, July 23-25, 10am-3pm

We’ll visit and take short, easy walks at several natural and man-made wetland habitats in Wheaton Regional Park, as well as other county parks. The weather may be hot, so we’ll move at a naturalist's pace, with ample time for observation and photography. Registration fee includes instruction, van transportation, dragonfly field guide, magnifying lens, and resource notebook. Meet at Brookside Gardens each day; a detailed itinerary will be sent in advance. Though this class meets at Brookside Gardens, please direct questions and correspondence to Black Hill Visitor Center, 301-528-3492 or www.BlackHillNature.org. $150. Ages18 & up. ParkPASS #189149. Rain dates: Thursday, July 26 and Friday, July27.

Butterflies of the Maryland Piedmont, August 6-8, 9:30am – 3pm

This course/workshop was created especially for those who would like to learn or improve their butterfly identification skills, and explore the life histories of local butterflies. Our workshop will emphasize outdoor field study through visits to local parks, butterfly gardens, and a rearing facility. You’ll learn how to handle live butterflies for close examination, how to rear butterflies, as well as scientific methods for monitoring butterflies. We’ll focus on butterfly conservation, discussing and demonstrating ways you can help butterflies at schools, parks, churches and backyards. Fee includes van transportation, butterfly field guide, caterpillar field guide, and caterpillar rearing cage. For more information contact Black Hill Visitor Center, 301-528-3492 orwww.BlackHillNature.org. $150. Ages 18 & up. Space is limited to 10individuals. ParkPASS #178050. Rain dates: Thursday, August 9 and Friday, August 10

How to Submit Articles and Pictures

mcmgnewsletter12@yahoo.com

MGs are invited to submit articles and pictures for the news-letter, but keep in mind that sub-mittals may be edited and/or not used until a later month. Photos must come with basic information that includes name of the person in the photo, subject matter or caption and either a signed photo permission slip from those in the picture or an email from them saying they allow us to use their picture in the newslet-ter. Click here for website and scroll to bottom of page for link to the form.

Other Information

Non-discrimination policies: Uni-versity of Maryland Extension programs are open to everyone without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, gen-der, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or disability.

Disclaimer: All opinions regarding businesses or their products are those of the authors and not of the University of Maryland.

Direct correspondence to:

Stephen Dubik University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener Coordinator and Horticultural Consultant 18410 Muncaster Road, Derwood, MD 20855

July Continuing Education Corner (Continued from page 8)

EDUCATION continued on page 10

Continuing Education (continued from page 9)

Photo of the Month

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State Master Gardening Calendar

For details about State MG Advanced Training for Spring & Summer 2012, click here.

J U L Y 2 0 1 2 P A G E 1 0 The Seed

Course name Location Time Presenter Registration fee &

deadline

Landscape Hort. Shade Trees

St. Margaret’s Church (Annapolis)

Thu 7/12, 7/19, 7/26 6-9pm

Wanda MacLachlan $45 Reg. Deadline: 7/5

Landscape Hort. Shade Trees

Cylburn Arboretum (Baltimore City)

Wed. 7/18, 7/25; 8/1 6-9pm

Wanda MacLachlan $45 Reg. Deadline: 7/11

Plant Diseases Montgomery Co. Ext. (Derwood)

Wed. 9/5 9:30am-3:30pm

Dave Clement, Ph.D. $35 Reg. Deadlinne: 8/29

Plant ID/Taxonomy WYE REC (Queenstown)

Th. 9/6, 9/13, 9/27 9:30am-12:30pm

Wanda MacLachlan $35 (plus book) Reg. Deadline: 8/29

Our Vision:

The Maryland Master Gardener vision is a healthier world through environmental stewardship.

Our Mission:

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.

Montgomery County Master Gardeners

18410 Muncaster Road Derwood, MD 20855

301-590-2836

Email: mgmont@umd.edu

Website

Lilium ‘Giraffe’

Photo by Katie McIe

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