Delaware County Master Gardeners

News for Delaware County Master Gardeners

Vol. 13 No. 2 February, 2008

You will notice that the online reporting site has added a new box to check when entering educational hours. You are asked if the program was extension sponsored, and you will have to select yes or no in order to submit the hours. A change was made last year by the Policy Committee, a subcommittee of the State Steering Committee, in the State Policy Statement that we sign when we begin Master Gardener training stating the “4 of the 8 hours of updated education must be extension sponsored.’. Coordinators from the Southeast Region were not in agreement because we felt that there are so many great programs offered in our area, and many on topics that extension does not even address. The language is being changed in February to “extension affiliated.” This allows programs like Longwood’s to be included because they do use extension staff in some of their classes. Also, any of our educational presentations at monthly meetings, 2nd Saturdays, Hortline Updated Training qualify as extension affiliated. Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions about this policy change.

Also, you should know, there a button at the bottom of the page where you write your volunteer time that allows you to clone a record before you submit it. This is very helpful for those of us who put in large numbers of hours on one project. You may only submit 20 hours at a time on one page, but by cloning it, you don’t have to do the write-up again when you submit the next 20 (or less) hours for the same activity. Just change the dates, and submit.

You have received your new membership list, and I already have several corrections. If your contact information is incorrect or recently changed, please let me know. I will put them in the next newsletter. Thanks to Barbara Meahl for entering the information and to Carl Pfeiffer who helped her prepare the mailing. We have sent committee lists to committee chairs and co-chairs. However, we know we missed a few. If you are a chair or co-chair and did not receive a list of your committee members, please let me know and I will send you the list.

Our new shed is here and we are planning to move our tools and treasures from the downstairs office to the shed on February 9 after 2nd Saturday. All helping hands will be welcome!

The Home Gardener’s School brochures have been mailed. Many thanks to Marty Roelandt and Lois Sellers for the wonderful new look, and to Marianne Crawford for the professional printing job. It is going to be a wonderful event, so please put it on your calendar and register early to insure a spot.

The temperature in Harbin reaches forty below zero, both Fahrenheit and centigrade, and stays below freezing nearly half the year. The city is actually further north than notoriously cold Vladivostok, Russia, just 300 miles away. So what does one do here every winter? Hold an outdoor festival, of course! Rather than suffer the cold, the residents of Harbin celebrate it, with an annual festival of snow and ice sculptures and competitions .

Green Thumb

Delaware County Master Gardeners will meet for Green Thumb Dinners at 6:45
March 24th  mark your calendar...the restaurant to be determined.

Wanted !

Gently Used Books for The Frugal Gardener sale table at the Home Gardeners’ School.
Soft cover, hard cover, magazines, the whole range of gardening information. Prune your bookshelves for the benefit of other gardeners! Bring your contributions to the office.

Opportunities for Extension Volunteers

The State Master Gardener Coordinator position is a part-time position, and is funded from year-to-year. Our County Director, Joyce Morrison, and Regional Director, Bill Kleiner are supporters of the MG program, and are encouraging us as members to attend one of these workshops and/or Capital Day to learn more about how to work with legislators, and to have the opportunities to visit with legislators in the Capital.

All events are free but require advance registration. The office will help arrange carpools for interested folks. Call or email Joyce Morrison, County Extension Director – jem28@psu.edu; 610-690-2655.

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Building Stakeholder Relationships

All extension volunteers with an interest in advocating for Extension are welcome to attend one of two sessions on Building Stakeholder Relationships. These regional events are 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Presenters will be Judy Schwank, former County Commissioner and before that County Extension Director in Berks County, and Bill Kleiner, Cooperative Extension Southeast Regional Director.

• Feb. 21 at the Montgomery County Extension Office, outside of Collegeville (45 min – 1 hour from Springfield office)
• Feb 27 at the Lehigh County Extension Office, in Allentown, adjacent to Dorney Park (about 1 hour from Springfield office)

Capital Day for College of Agricultural Sciences – March 18, 2008

This event in Harrisburg provides the opportunity to speak to state legislators about the value of Cooperative Extension to their constituents, the need to continue providing state funds and to share your role as a volunteer. Full day of events starts with orientation at 9:30 am, information sessions and lunch and concludes with legislative visits in the afternoon, followed by a 5:00 pm rally in the rotunda and refreshments. Other groups that attend this event include County Extension Boards, representatives of agricultural associations and 4-H volunteers.

Upcoming Events

Master Gardeners will do five Wednesday night classes for the Spring Session of Haverford Adult School. All classes from 7:00 to 8:30 in Room #104 of the Haverford Middle School on Darby Road in Havertown 19083.

• February 27th ..Gail Skar - Orchids
• March 12th ..Joe Daniels - Pruning
• March  26th ..Janae Alberts - Shade Gardening.
• April 2nd ..Joe Daniels - Container Gardening
• April 16th.. Janae Alberts and Marianne Martin - Planning your Garden for Continuous Color

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This Year's Garden Resolutions
Joe Daniels

I'm sure most of you made that yearly list of New Year's Resolutions.....and have broken them already. I thought while you were paging through the plant and seed catalogs it might be time to make a few garden resolutions this year. I thought I would share a few of mine that I might not give up on this gardening season.

1. Spend more time enjoying gardens
Too often we end up working hard to create a beautiful garden but then don't have the time to enjoy it--or anyone else's for the matter.  If you don't have your own garden space then visit a public garden near you.

2. Prune and deadhead without fail
Pruning may seem like a chore but it really takes very little time and it can be therapeutic too. Same for deadheading flowers, a task that's easily taken care of in a short amount of time. The trick is to just do it.

3. Transplant that perennial or shrub and put it out of its misery
Whether the foliage texture or flower color is completely wrong or that shrub you planted several years ago is simply not thriving in its chosen location, end its misery (and yours) by transplanting it to a new location or getting rid of it altogether. Trade it, donate it, dump it, or toss it, how you do this is up to you.

4. Plant at least two new varieties of vegetables
Plant two new kinds of greens or herbs or a vegetable you've never planted before. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it's new to you. Kind of like healthy eating where it's recommended we try at least one new vegetable a day.

5. Engage in more social gardening activities
While gardening alone can be good therapy, it's also a social activity. Since we already belong to Master Gardeners, help out in a community garden,  join making the Smedley Teaching Gardens even better then they are now by lending an hour a week to water or weed (see committee chairs for advice)

Best of luck with your resolutions and hope to see you socializing in the Smedley Gardens this summer.

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 Upcoming Speakers Bureau Events
 
Feb. 20....Shade Gardening..... Newtown Square Garden Club......1 PM
Feb. 27....Preparing your Garden for Spring….Swarthmore Library..... 7:30 PM
Feb. 27....Orchids............Haverford Night School...... 7 PM
March 8....Cacti and Succulents.....Smedley Park..... 10 AM
March 12....Pruning.....Haverford Night School...... 7 PM
March 19....Garden Prep.....Friendship Circle Senior Center/ Darby..... 1 PM
March 26..Shade Gardening..Springfield Garden Club/ Smedley......11 AM
March 26..Shade Gardening....Haverford Night School.7 PM
March 31....Herb Gardening.......Haverford Library...... 7 PM

Hints From Delilah

As winter wears on, deer and rabbits will get hungrier. If you haven’t already protected young trees, it is not too late to wrap them with chicken wire or burlap or other fabric to keep animals from gnawing on the bark or rubbing against it. In mild weather, use an animal repellant spray. In very cold weather odor repellants are not very volatile; hence they cannot be smelled by animals.

It is time to plant some seeds that take a long time to sprout or cold weather plants such as petunias, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and others.

Check the seed packets too for the earliest plants to be planted in the garden. Recycle old containers for seed starting such as cardboard egg cartons, (bury the cartons in the soil at the proper time, wax-coated milk cartons, cut down plastic jugs and packets of last years annuals. You saved them, didn't you? Set seedling on top of a plastic shoe box lid. Put an aluminum foil backed cardboard behind your seedlings or under them on the window sill to reflect light.

If you have leftover greens seeds either from last year or in the spring, mix them in a jar, seal it tightly and you have your own mesclun mix for the next planting, even if it is for the fall garden.

Dust collects on all house plants all year. Brush off the dust with a small paintbrush or old toothbrush, gently. Check for white flies or spider mites.

Isolate any plants with bug infestation until the bugs are no longer a problem after spraying. House plants can also be de-bugged by covering the soil with aluminum foil and placing the pot in a large set tub or bath tub and spray with a heavy spray of water or with an insecticidal soap. Let the leaves drip until dry. Then remove the foil and place the plant in a large container with several inches of water. Let the plant soak up as much water as it can in one hour. Water it from the top too. Remove the plant from the water and let the pot drain for a while before placing it back on the window sill. Remove dead and diseased foliage as well. Giving the plant a place with better air circulation or more light could also help its recovery.

Cooled leftover tea and water from boiled eggs are good for African violets.

If anyone has a potted evergreen plant that either is need of pruning or has been nicely pruned and which you are willing to loan us for the "At Home Gardener School" program March 29th, please call me.

Make some herbal tea, relax and dream about your spring garden. Delilah Foldes

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Words to Weed Through By Tracey L. Carson

Walk On By

The next time you hear the 1964 classic tune “Walk On By”, made famous by the dynamic duo of Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick, I hope it brings to mind the inspirational story of a very special 62 year old man, now dubbed “eco-celebrity”, named John Francis…aka “The Planetwalker”.

In 1971, Philadelphia born environmentalist, Dr. John Francis, witnessed two tankers crash below the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, spilling about 400,000 gallons of unrefined oil into the Bay. He stated that “the smell alone was overwhelming”, but it didn’t even come close to matching the sight of wildlife washing ashore covered in crude. This single incident changed the course of his life forever. He gave up using all forms of motorized travel for the next 22 years, in the hope of encouraging others to “drop out of the petroleum economy”. Wherever his globe-trotting led, he walked every step of the way, inclusive of trips throughout the entire U.S., and most of South America. As if this wasn’t enough, he then decided that he was arguing too much about his stances and decisions, which affected his ability to listen well, so he stopped talking too! “He took his vow of silence as a gift to his community”. For 17 years he is said to have “communicated only through improvised sign language, notes, and his ever-present banjo”. While maintaining silence throughout his travels across America, he earned an M.S. in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. in Land Resources at the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Francis began speaking again on Earth Day in 1990. Ironically, he was hit by a car on the next day. Being true to his cause, he would not permit the ambulance service to drive him to the hospital, and stood firm on walking instead. He now looks back at the incident and laughs, because upon this decision the paramedics seriously considered diverting him to a psychiatric hospital. In the end, they let him walk.

Many achievements and credits were bestowed upon Dr. Francis in the years to come, such as being recruited by the U.S. Coastguard to write oil spill regulations, and being the only person in the U.S. to write a dissertation on “Oil Spills and How We Determine The Cost”. To read more on Dr. Francis’ accomplishments and journeys, go to www.planetwalk.org.

Throughout all of his pedestrian voyages, he says that “the biggest journey was within, on lessons from the heart”; one of the most profound lessons being that in his 17 years of silence, he learned the act of “listening without judgment”.

“It’s not easy being green. But it’s beautiful, and I think it’s what I want to be.”
~Kermit the Frog

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HELP WANTED

We have a request from a lady in Kennett Square who is seeking pyracantha leaves.  She is raising Austrailian Walking Stick insects, which feed primarily on them.  She could also use rose, bramble, oak, hawthorne and eucalyptus leaves, but prefers the pyracantha.  She will come to your location to collect the leaves.

If you are able to help, please contact Nikki Graham.

Haverford College Arboretum

Not many MGs have been to the Haverford College campus and here's a chance for a lesson on trees as well as some exercise. 370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041
Martha Van Artsdalen, Plant Curator

WE NEED DOOR PRIZES

Nancy Novak is soliciting door prizes for the Home Gardeners' School—from businesses that MG members are willing to contact, or regifts from MGs' own collections, such as books, knick-knacks, plants, etc. Please bring items to the February or March general meetings, or arrange to drop them off at Nancy's house.

HGS attendees are always excited about seeing their names on the prize board and picking up these goodies, so please solicit or donate whatever you can.

Membership List Corrections - Please make the following changes in your 2008 Membership List:

• Ana Bessellieu – email address
• Lynne Crew – Committee chairs please add Lynne to Teaching Gardens (Hillside), Fall Fest, Home Gardeners; School, and Office Management.
• Noreen Kebart – email address, cell phone
• Bev Kostak – email address
• Helene Maculaitis – email address

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Winter Wonderlands

Winter may not be your first choice of season when it comes to visiting public gardens but you may be surprised at what you can see there. True, you won't witness colorful displays of flower blooms; however, botanic gardens, aroboretums, historic house gardens, garden cemeteries, and other public parks are, in many cases a veritable winter wonderland.  And, they're a great place to get ideas for your own garden.

First, winter is actually the best time to see the architectural structure of a garden. Why? Because the color, massing, and textures of the plants typically found in most gardens are not a distraction.  You can see the bare bones of the garden, for instance the twig structure and overall forms of the plants, garden paths, statuary, benches, arbors, ponds, and fountains.  Second of course is the plant material.  It's a chance to observe first hand what different plants look like in the winter--bright berries, colorful stems, peeling bark, interesting evergreen foliage and so on. Some plants even bloom in winter such as several of the witch hazels ( Hammamelis spp), Christmas rose (Hellebore niger), winter flowering jasmine, and winter Daphne(Daphne odora).  Many arboretums and botanic gardens have conservatories where you can see more tropical and exotic plant displays. If you're lucky you might even catch something blooming. Enjoy the season and take some daytrips to our many gardens of the Delaware Valley.   Joe Daniels

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Sweet Dreams

Go on, admit it. You’re charmed by sweet peas every time you see them in buckets at farmer’s markets, tumbling over neighbor’s fences, filling vases at friends’ desks and tabletops. When you draw close to those fluttery blooms and inhale their rich perfume, you want them in your garden. But then you realize it’s already late spring and well past planting time. If that scenario sounds familiar here’s your reminder: In our cold climate, February and March are the preferred months to start seed indoors for transplanting outside as soon as the soil can be worked. If you have never grown sweet peas before, you’re in for a treat. Besides the familiar vining types, you can now grow dwarf kinds perfect for pots and hanging baskets. In our area, notorious for hot summers, you can still grow sweet peas, but they will not bloom as long, maybe only for six weeks.

Choose from single colors, like vivid orange or rich purple, or whisper-soft pastel blends.

Ready to try? Buy a packet or two of seeds and then follow the planting tips. When the flowers appear in spring, you’ll be glad you did.

Growing and care

Sweet peas do best in organically rich, well-drained soil. If your garden soil lacks these attributes, try this technique: Dig a trench 1 to 1½ feet deep. Mix 1 part peat moss or other soil conditioner with 2 parts soil. Backfill the trench with the mix, then plant seeds. Mulch with compost to keep roots cool. Seeds should germinate in 10 to 14 days. When seedlings of vining types have three or four sets of leaves, encourage branching by pinching off the tops. Gently guide lengthening shoots through wire or string mesh to enhance support,

Water sweet peas regularly by hand or with a soaker hose to keep soil moist; avoid wetting the foliage. Feed plants every few weeks with dilute fish emulsion.

Once plants start flowering, pick off faded blossoms as often as daily or plants will start setting seed and bloom will stop. The best stems for bouquets have a few bottom buds open with the top ones getting ready to open.

SOURCES:
Enchanting Sweet Peas (www.enchantingsweetpeas.com or 800/371-0233);
Fragrant Garden Nursery (www.fragrantgarden.com or 541/412-8840);
Renee’s Garden (www.reneesgarden.com or 888/880-7228)
For further guidance, check out The Sweet Pea Book, by Graham Rice (Timber Press, 2002)