Delaware County Master Gardeners

News for Delaware County Master Gardeners

Vol. 13 No. 5, May, 2008

Congratulations to Elsie Mueller and Mary Sambor and the Arbor Day Committee for a great program. Both the children and the adults enjoyed themselves with the games, tree planting, picnic, and poetry readings. It was a delightful day. Many thanks to Carolyn and Bruno DiPaulo for the donation of the hot dogs for the picnic.

The April Plant and Seed Pick-Up was very successful, and the Taylor Greenhouse and IG Committee are getting ready for the May 17th warm season vegetables and flowers pick-up. If you are available and wish to help or come and purchase plants, you will be most welcome. The hours are 10-1 at the Intergenerational Garden at 6th and Morton in Chester.

Martha VanArtsdalen was a panelist at the Southeast Regional Conference on April 28. The topic was “Media Attention for Extension.” Martha’s tips for getting print media were very timely and clearly presented. As she pointed out in the discussion, Delaware County has a large number of daily and weekly papers, and keeping up with the changing staff can be difficult. However, we also have a lot of opportunities for getting our Master Gardener events listed.

The State Master Gardener Conference was held on April 29th. Ginger Pryor, our state coordinator reviewed the strategic plan that was developed by the Steering committee in 2007, gave instructions for the 2008 state report, set the schedule for MG training by VTC for counties that do not have live trainers, and demonstrated how to access the new Coordinators’ Manual online. Ginger also introduced the advanced training series that is included with your newsletter. Other topics dealt with recruiting and dealing with internal problems in the county organizations. Fortunately, we have few issues, but it was interesting to hear the concerns of other counties. Dr. Mary Ann Frazier from the Department of Entomology spoke about the colony collapse disorder affecting honey bees. The research is ongoing and some fascinating and surprising results are being reported. You can find out about the research by visiting the Mid Atlantic Apiary site at MAAREC.psu.edu. Haagen Dazs has donated funds to Penn State for research, and some of that funding will be used in counties to create pollinator friendly gardens at Cooperative Extension sites. The Master Gardeners will receive a donation of $100 in each participating county to plant, maintain and report on pollinator activity in these gardens. Fortunately we already have a well-established Bird and Butterfly garden that contains almost all of the recommended plants.

We were especially saddened at the death of Maru Hollen, a Master Gardener since 1995, and co-chair of the Shade Garden. A memorial service was held on Saturday, May 3. She would have been delighted by the special show of the tree peonies in the Shade Garden this year.

Thanks to all of you who have worked in the Teaching Gardens this spring. They are looking great!

Please keep updating your volunteer hours and advanced training. If you have any questions about which activities count as volunteer time, don’t hesitate to ask.

Left: This photo is from the Memorial Bench dedication at the April meeting.  The lady behind the bench is Mary Myers, Joe Myers’ widow.  Joe was in the first MG class in Delaware county in 1989, and was the first president of our group.  Beside her is Kathy Hornberger, MG president.

We all know that May is the month of Memorial Day, the US federal holiday that is now observed on the last Monday of the month, although most of us grew up always observing it on May 30th. Once known as Decoration Day, it pays tribute to men and women who have died in military service to this country. However, for many areas of the US, Memorial Day has become a day when families decorate graves of all their loved ones, not just those who served in the military.

The flower most associated with this holiday (and Veterans Day in November) is the Red Poppy, Papaver rhoeas L., also known as Corn Poppy, Field Poppy, and Flanders Poppy. This is the official remembrance flower of the US Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, whose members are often seen standing outside of grocery stores at this time of year selling the artificial lapel version.

The Corn Poppy is a small, annual wildflower native to Eurasia and North Africa, although it is most often associated with Central Europe where the battles of WWI were fought and many cemeteries were created to receive the bodies of those who perished.

These plants are easily grown in disturbed soil by spreading the seeds on the surface of the ground and covering them slightly. Once sprouted, they prefer drier situations and will grow 12-14 inches tall.

Another plant that means remembrance is Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis L. It has been used in funeral wreaths at war commemorations and for civilian services for hundreds of years. A woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves, Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region of the world. It tolerates some degree of drought so is easily grown in our gardens in sunny, dry areas. Forms range from prostrate to upright, the latter sometimes reaching 3-4 feet tall!

Most of us, however, don’t grow this plant to put into funeral arrangements. We grow it for its culinary use, either fresh or dried. This species is a definite MUST for anyone who develops a kitchen garden. Check out pages 4 and 81 in the MG Cookbook for two delicious recipes using this plant.

Pay tribute to your family and friends. Grow red poppies or rosemary (or yellow zinnias, pink carnations, or statice).

(Written in memory of Joe Myers, Marijka Wijsmuller, Susan McMillen, and Maru Hollan.)

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Hints from Delilah

“Go Green” surrounds us these days but one saving never occurred to me until recently. Unplugging small appliances will save about 75% of the energy the appliance uses when turned off—but still plugged in!! When replacing any appliance, choose an energy efficient one, appliances now wear an Energy Star of approval.

This spring has been a dry one and the summer may be also. To save water and the water bill, choose plants that tolerate dry conditions. And don’t forget the native plants.

Whenever you plant, make a diagram of its location to avoid digging into the roots or bulbs of other plants.

Keeping slugs away from hosts, lettuce and other plants is a challenge. You’ve heard of placing a saucer of beer at ground level to attract and drown the slugs, but who wants drunk slugs—grape juice works too.

Cutworms are another problem in the garden. Plan now to make collars for your young plants. Use cardboard collars from toilet paper rolls, or towel rolls, tuna cans with both ends removed, plastic drinking cups (re-use, recycle) of make them from strips of light cardboard. All collars should be 3” high and placed around the plant with 1” below soil level and 2”inches above. If the plant is too big to pull through the collar, slit the collar to place it around the stem and then tape or staple it together.

Turn over the garden soil three weeks before planting, if possible, to let the birds eat the grubs that wintered-over in the soil. Fall plantings may also suffer from cutworm attacks so the process may have to be repeated.

To capture ticks, make a flag to drag across the top of weeds and tall grasses. Use a broom handle, an old kitchen towel or 14” x 18” cloth and 3 safety pins to pin the cloth to the handle. Pass this flag across the weeds several times, slowly. Ticks will scramble toward the movement as they sense the presence of a host. After rinsing and drying, the cloth may be used again.

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MG News in June

The deadline for articles to be published in the June MG Newsletter is Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Ed.

Arbor Day 2008

Arbor Day committee members deserve a great deal of credit for their work at the April 26 event.  The small group of unpredictable boys and girls arrived rather shy but they left boisterous and bubbly about planting their tree seedlings in their yards.   That makes the event a success.

Joe Daniels greeted the youngsters, and their parents,  with an introduction dotted with humor.   He encouraged good interaction -all about trees.    Steve Koziak continued the theme near the shade garden with a fun talk about proper tree planting including visual aids which demonstrated improper  tree care.   With help from Stephen Hinds an Amelanchier was planted.

For an outdoors scavenger hunt,  Barb and Don Wark handed out item lists which showed pictures of leaves strikingly realistic.   Children filled their bags with leaves found on the grounds from the path down to the creek.   One boy was disappointed he could not get a frog he spotted into his bag.

The aroma of grilling hot dogs spiked the atmosphere because Master Gardeners top chef,  Carl Pfeiffer,  was flipping them on the grill and the group  appreciated  sitting down to a picnic.   Carolyn DiPaulo who brought the delicious hot dogs credited her hubby for the donation.    Mary Sanbor was responsible for the food menu.

When Helene Harris beckoned the crowd into the building she directed the youngsters

to insert lima beans in transparent plastic glasses next to wet paper to take home and watch how stems grow out of the beans.  Poetry which children brought was read and Joe announced all poems will be printed on the MG internet pages.

The messiest activity was attacked with great enthusiasm.   The boys and girls loved getting potting soil into pots with red oak and silver maple seedlings and happy to take them home.  They were inspired.
Elsie Mueller  

The following poems were written by children who attended our Arbor Day Program on April 26th at Smedley Park sponsored by the Master Gardener's of Delaware County. Elsie Mueller and her committee ran a fun-filled and enjoyable program that was much appreciated by parents, children and attendees.

	Trees are so beautiful God made trees And I like them Steven G., Age 5 Swarthmore
Trees are so handsome to me I like them I like trees because of their pretty leaves Matthew G., age 4 Swarthmore
	Three tree are staring at me. The first tree looks like a pea The second tree looks like a bee Last, but not least, the third tree looks like. . . a key! Now we are done learning about trees, Let’s go play in the leaves. Camryn S. Springfield
I love butterflies any size, I love butterflies on my pie I love butterflies in the sky Butterflies are sweet and neat. Brianna P., age 6 Havertown

Above: Steve K. (standing) and Stephen H. (stooping) teaching how to plant a tree at Arbor Day in Smedley Park	Above: Mary Sambor shows Carl Pfeiffer the tree she and Diana Breen planted on Arbor Day 2001

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Just say "No" to Cedar Mulch
by Joe Daniels

We all know mulch is beneficial to plants in that it helps keep the soil moist, prevents weeds from cropping up and as it decays, adds organic matter to the soil. But with all the different types of mulch out there in the garden centers how do you know which mulch to use. 

  One of the best mulches for flower and shrub beds is aged triple shredded hardwood or pine bark mulch. The key word here is aged and it should be aged at least one year and because it is triple shredded, it is less coarse than wood chips or chunks of bark. Aged mulch means that it has already started decomposing and contributes organic matter and nutrients to the soil more quickly. Triple shredded bark is also more naturalistic looking in appearance, unless it has been dyed a color like red that makes it look artificial (yes, mulch is often dyed)! 

While those naturally insect resistant cedar trees make excellent mulch for the garden, pine is a much more environmentally friendly alternative. Why? For the simple reason that pine trees are grown on plantations and cedars are not. Cedars are also knows as bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). Native to the southeastern USA and as far north as the coast of Delaware, and typically grow in wetlands.  They also do fine when they don't have "wet feet."  Logging these trees for mulch creates big problems. Here's why:

As we know, wetlands are extremely valuable ecosystems, particularly in places like Louisiana and Florida where hurricanes can cause significant damage. Cypress wetlands like these filter pollutants from water, provide habitats for wildlife, and recharge groundwater. More importantly (from a human viewpoint), they protect the coastline from storm surges by retaining storm water during hurricanes and buffering the effects.

It seems that in the past ten years or so cypress logging as an industry has taken off. It was reported that according to the Louisiana Forestry Association, loggers are razing up to 20,000 acres of cypress every year, most of it not for wood for furniture or houses, but for....mulch. And it is all above board. Supporters say logging provides desperately needed jobs. But, at what expense? If the present logging trend continues, it is only a matter of decades before southern Louisiana is obliterated, then what?  When purchasing mulch this spring think "Green" and buy an eco-friendly mulch type that will help your garden just as much.

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Trout Lily by Joe Daniels

A favorite spring bulb of mine is Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum); a lovely wildflower that is native to the woodlands and stream banks of the eastern half of North America. Its range extending from the northern reaches of Quebec Province, south to Georgia and Louisiana. It is a member of the Lily plant family (Lilaceae) and is hardy between USDA Zones 3 and 8. Trout lily also goes by the name of yellow dogtooth violet. The name trout lily refers to the mottled leaves as well as the appearance of flowers during trout season. Blooming in early to late spring, typically from March to May, trout lily has a single bright yellow lily like flower. The prominent anthers are yellow to dark reddish-brown in color. The glossy, elliptical-shaped leaves are dark green with dark reddish-purple and brown mottles. Trout lily is a low growing perennial, typically no more than 6 inches tall and prefers part to full shade and moist acidic soil. Trout lily is a bulb and after blooming, it goes dormant. It naturalizes easily, making a pretty groundcover in spring if you are in a woodland setting or have a small grove of trees in your yard. It also looks nice along pond and stream banks and in rock gardens.

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Volunteers Needed

The Christ Lutheran Church in Upper Darby would like to have a program to teach their summer camp youth about vegetable gardening. The program is 8 weeks long, and the gardening project would be just one of the activities offered. The Arlington Cemetery has offered a plot of land that is suitable for the garden. The hours and frequency of sessions for Master Gardener involvement will be determined by the volunteers. The program operates from 8-5 daily. There are adults working with the group who will be involved in supervising all of the activities.

Please contact Linda if you are interested or would like more information about the program.

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