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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

January 28, 2014 Kims Weekly Garden Newsletter

January 28, 2014, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter


These weekly garden notes are written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other individual, group or organizations opinions.

Hi Gardeners

Denali Park, Alaska,  northern lights- by Daniel Liefheit
Here we are again on another cold day.  The sun is shining but you don’t want to be outside today.  I read that the weather patterns are starting to shift and that after the next couple days we will slowly return to normal Michigan winter weather.  When Alaska is warmer than Michigan you know something isn’t right.
Most of you who contacted me after last week’s debut of a new newsletter format said you liked it.  

However a few of you couldn’t open the attachment.  So this week there will be an attachment and a link to my blog site.  I am going to put the whole newsletter complete with events on the blog site from now on.  Those of you who cannot open the attachment should be able to go to the blog and there you will be able to see pictures as well as all the other information.   Eventually I will probably just post on the blog site and email you a link to the new blog each week.

I am going to be re-working my gardening blog to include many of the articles posted on Examiner, on a wide variety of garden subjects.  You should be able to type in a word in the search box and find the article right on the blog.  This may take a few weeks.

Make sure to check your houseplants to see if they need water during these really cold spells.  It seems counter-intuitive as houseplants usually need less water during the winter.  But when it’s really cold the furnace runs more and the air gets very dry.  Pots will lose water quickly.  Also make sure the foliage of plants doesn’t touch cold windows as this may damage leaves.

The birds have returned to my bird feeder in mass, and I find I am filling the feeder more often than normal.  My feeder is hanging quite high and I am not seeing any tracks beneath it so I don’t think deer are eating the feed.  But many people are telling me that deer are emptying their feeders each night.  Bird feed is quite expensive so you may want to ration what you put out in the morning so it is gone by nightfall. 

If you feel sorry for the deer don’t feed them close to your house.  There will enough damage to the landscape this spring without encouraging deer to hang out and eat your plants.  The deer in this area won’t be harmed too much from this winter but without supplemental feeding they will have fewer twins and triplets this spring which is a good thing.  And rabbits will also eat the feed you put out for deer and you do not want their populations to increase either.

So if you are seeing a lot of birds at the feeder you may want to participate in:

The 2014 Backyard Bird Count

If you enjoy watching birds and like being a citizen scientist you may want to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) which takes place this year from February 14th – 17th.   Go to this website http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/howto.html to get directions and sign up.  This is a world wide effort with people around the world observing birds and reporting the species they see on those days.  It is sponsored by Cornell University, Audubon and several nature societies.  It’s free to participate in( although donations are accepted)  and you will help researchers determine what bird species are declining, rising or moving to new areas.
Cardinal


Basically you need to count-observe birds for at least 15 minutes on one of the days.  You can do much more time than this if you like.  You can observe birds at a feeder from the warmth of your house or take a bird walk.  You’ll enter your counts on a checklist and submit them to the site.  You’ll also plot the location you saw the birds on a map.  You download the checklist and it’s easy to follow the directions.  You will need to have a good bird guide if you are not familiar with many bird species.   You can also look at this online bird guide from Audubon at http://birds.audubon.org/birdid

On the GBBC site you can look at the compiled lists of other birders and get a lot of interesting  information about birds as well as see some beautiful photos of birds.  In 2013 citizen scientist submitted 134,935 checklists and counted 34,512,432 birds.

Black Super Moon

When the moon reaches its closest proximity to the earth during a full or new moon it is called a super moon.  When the super moon is full and the skies are clear the beautiful large full moon will enchant viewers.  But when the closest proximity occurs when the moon is new or dark it is really not a big deal.  A small increase in the heights of the tides occurs with a super moon but it is not something experts worry about.

It is worth noting that 2014 will include 5 super moons, two of which occur this month.  The first was January 1 and the next is January 30th, Thursday.  Both of these are black super moons , which means if you are crazy enough to go outside in the cold and scan the skies Thursday you will not see the moon.  If the skies are clear though you may see Mercury, which will be at its highest and most easily seen point on January 31st, although it can be seen from the 24th through February 4th.

Look for Mercury, (a bright star)  in the west- southwest horizon about a half hour after sunset.   It will get brighter as it gets darker but will disappear quickly.  And if you really want to see a super moon wait until July, August and September- when there will be full super moons each month and much nicer viewing weather.

Subnivean lifestyle

The deep snow we have this year doesn’t seem to have any advantages and other than insulating our favorite garden plants it probably doesn’t help us humans much.  But under that insulating snow pack many animals, plants and tiny organisms are living quite comfortably.   This under snow world is called a subnivean environment.

Under a deep layer of snow down near the ground the temperature stays about 32 degrees which is much warmer than the surface temperatures.   After a snowfall the warmth from the ground starts melting the snow, causing water vapor to rise and form a crust on the snow’s surface and leaving a drier, light, crystalized area of snow at the bottom. 

In this fluffy layer protected from wind chill and swings in temperature, mice, voles and pocket gophers happily tunnel.   They tend to socialize more than they do above the snow and form little sleeping colonies in comfy nests where the temperature may rise to 50 degrees or more.

The concentration of carbon dioxide may rise under the snowpack, which benefits the buried plants but could be harmful to animals.  But mice and voles make small tunnels to the surface to release this gas and they avoid low spots where the CO2 may concentrate.

Under the snow the tiny animals find seeds, dormant insects and vegetation,( including the stems of some of your garden plants), to eat and they are fairly well protected from predators, although some predators can find them through the snow.  But shrews and weasels enter the subnivean world also, following the tunnels the mice and voles make and gobbling them up.  They may choose to make their own nests under the snow.
Owls can find mice in the snow.  Credit -Steve Jurvetson

Red Squirrels, those pesky small red squirrels with white eye rings also utilize the subnivean world, making
tunnels under the snow to look for buried nuts and vegetation.  Some may also make nests there if there are no suitable tree cavities to protect them.  And when there is a good snow pack ruffled grouse dive bomb from trees into the snow, and then tunnel into the snow further, digging out a snow cave to sleep in.  In the Artic seals and polar bears also make snow caves.

Plants are also happy under the snow and some dim light seeps through the snow, especially toward spring.  Many seeds will start germinating, and moss will grow. Plants like snowdrops develop their buds and begin stretching to the light so they can bloom as soon as they can pop through a melting snowpack. If grass and other vegetation was buried in snow before being exposed to really cold weather it will stay green.  Soil microorganisms will remain active and there are certain microorganisms that have evolved to live very well in the subnivean environment. 

As deer and rabbits scavenge our landscapes and struggle to survive a brutal winter with a deep snowpack, populations of mice and voles may actually rise.   Shrews and weasels fatten up on them and produce more babies.  Hopefully the hard winter will result in fewer deer and rabbits being born in the spring but the mouse, vole, shrew and weasel population may be larger.

If you are a chionophile, or snow lover, you may go for a winter walk on the rooftops of creatures buried below you without any harm.  Just don’t use a snowmobile on top of their homes as this will compact the snow pack and destroy the subnivean world.

There is some risk to the subnivean population as spring nears.  If a warm up occurs rapidly the snow may melt too rapidly to be absorbed into the ground quickly or evaporate into the atmosphere and a wet, even flooded environment will occur under the snowpack.  This will drown some animals or give them hypothermia and may also drown plants and germinating seeds.   So as much as we want the warm up to come quickly there are many small creatures out there hoping it doesn’t.

Woodland Gardens

If you have property that has lots of mature trees you may be considering a garden that features woodland plants.  Woodland gardens are gardens where humans manipulate the understory plants- the plants which tolerate conditions of shade and competition from larger plants and fill in the space under them.  You may be thinking of a wooded glen full of native wildflowers or of a place to showcase hosta, heuchera and other shade plants.  There are many plants that will grow in the shade of other plants but not every shade loving plant will grow in any shaded area.

When you are considering developing a garden in a wooded or shaded area there are several considerations.  One is, of course, the light available for a garden.  There are very densely shaded areas under trees that won’t be suitable for most types of understory plants.  The best areas for woodland gardens are where there is filtered light, with a light tree canopy and shifting patterns of sunlit spots.  In nature this occurs at the edges of woodlands and around areas where trees have fallen or died.  A path or road through your woodlands may provide these conditions on either side of it.

The shade from deciduous trees (trees which lose their leaves in the winter) is different from the shade under evergreen trees.  Deciduous wooded areas offer the chance for many understory plants to grow and bloom in the early spring to early summer period, before the trees have heavy leaf coverage.  Many native wildflowers fall into this category and are called ephemeral flowers.  They grow and bloom early in the season then die back and go dormant until the next spring.   There are also a few plants that bloom in autumn, after the leaves begin to fall.

In contrast when shade is from evergreen trees plants have to adapt to a continuous level of low light.  These areas can support good woodland gardens if they are thinned and “limbed up” to allow some light to penetrate.  This is generally easier to achieve under pines, which tend to lose their lower branches as they grow anyway and still maintain a pleasing look when lower limbs are removed.  In contrast spruce and firs tend to look a bit odd when lower limbs are pruned to allow more light to penetrate under them.  

Very densely planted stands of evergreens such as those in windbreaks and abandoned Christmas tree farms will need a lot of thinning and pruning, including the removal of whole trees, if you want to plant a woodland garden under them.   Some deciduous stands of trees may also need thinning and pruning before a garden under them is attempted.  If you have property like this and want to put in a woodland garden you may want to consult with and or use the services of a registered arborist or forester.  They can advise you how to correctly thin and remove trees.

Competition for water and food

The area under trees often has drier soil than other areas.  While shade helps keep moisture from
evaporating from soil as quickly as in a sunny area, the trees that cause the shade also prevent some rain from ever hitting the ground under them.  And when rain does hit the soil beneath the trees it is quickly soaked up by the trees roots.  Moisture levels under trees can be a limiting factor as to what plants will grow there.  Some areas turn out to be quite dry.   Areas under deciduous trees may have more moisture in the soil because at times of the year rain and snow can reach the ground readily.

Lightly shaded area featuring astilbe.
Tree roots also grab soil nutrients.  Some trees have many surface roots that make planting understory plants under them difficult.   The soil characteristics such as soil fertility and soil pH under trees can vary just as it does anywhere else but it is harder to amend these things than in an area not under trees.  It’s a good idea to get a soil test done before beginning a woodland garden.  Then you may have a better idea of what plants will do well there.  

Usually soil under wooded areas has a lot of organic matter in it from rotting leaves and needles.  Most woodland plants really appreciate this.  But in some cases the property owner has removed leaves or needles every year and the soil is low in organic matter.  While some organic matter can be worked into soil at planting time no more than 3 inches of soil or organic matter such as compost or wood chips should be put over tree roots each year.  Adding more may cause stress or death to the trees.

Some tree roots may actually give off chemicals that interfere with the growth of plants near them.  Black walnut trees and Tree of Heaven, (Ailanthus altissima),  for example, stunt the growth or kill plants growing near their roots.  Other trees which may have allopathic (suppressant ) factors include Sugar maple, Black Locust, Eucalyptus, Sassafrass, Red oak, Black Cherry, and Sycamore.  There are plants which will grow near these species but your selection will be more limited.

If you are willing and able to use some irrigation and supplemental feeding you can grow many species of woodland plants that might not grow in your woodland area naturally.  If you want your woodland garden to be completely self-sustaining you’ll have to carefully select plant species that suit your conditions.

Deciding what to plant

After you have determined light, soil, moisture and nutrient conditions of your woodland area you’ll need to decide just what type of plants you want to grow- and can grow- in those conditions.  You can choose to grow only plants native to your area.  You can use plants that are native to your area with a few “wild flowers” from other places with similar climates and conditions.  You can use only cultivated shade species such as heuchera, hosta and similar plants.  Or you use in your woodland garden any kind of plant that will grow well in your shade conditions, including annual plants and tropical plants during the summer.

Make sure that you research the zone hardiness and specific cultural requirements of plants that you select for your woodland garden just as you would for other gardens.   Some woodland plants such as violets and sweet woodruff can spread quickly so keep the invasive qualities in mind as you choose plants too.   Some species of plants have varieties that have different requirements for light.  Certain hosta varieties, for example, need more light than others to do well, so pay attention to specific variety requirements.

Varied textures and colors are pleasing in a woodland garden
Don’t just count on flowers

In any garden it’s important to plan on plants whose foliage, form or texture, are as important as the flowers.  In woodland gardens it is even more important because most woodland plants only have a short blooming period, which tends to be concentrated in the spring, and when they do bloom the blooms may not be very conspicuous.    Some woodland plants may disappear altogether once summer arrives. 

Plants with gold or white variegated foliage, blue or red foliage can add color without flowers.  Light colored foliage, especially in the golden range, brightens dark areas and is very effective in small amounts.  Don’t overdo such color spots though- it will not look natural in a woodland setting.  Varying the texture; ferns, broad leaved hosta, Japanese Forest grass, and form; ground covers, upright, arching spreading and so forth of plants is also more pleasing than plants that are all of one size and shape.

If you observe your wooded area carefully you may notice areas where “spotlights” of sun fall at least part of the day.  These areas may support plants that more evenly shaded areas won’t.  These areas are also great for a “focus point” perhaps an exuberant basket of tuberose begonias or a cluster of fuchsia. They are also good areas to locate a water feature in the shade garden as the light is reflected off the water.
Below are some species of plants that can grow in shade. 

Spider plant spotlighted by sun.
Bulbs and small spring plants for woodland gardens

Crocus, snowdrops, wood hyacinth, cyclamen( spring blooming), anemone, Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon species) Helleborus species, Lily of the Valley, Blood root,  Hepatica species, Erythronium( Trout Lilies), Trilliums, Arisaema species( Jack in The Pulpit), Corydalis, Arum, primula, violas and violets, Bleeding hearts, Epimedium, Tiarella, Uvularia, Chionodoxa ,Hyacinthoides( English Bluebells), Scilla, Eranthis, Fritillaria

Summer and fall blooming

Astilbe, Aralia, Aconitum,  Kirengeshoma, cyclamen ( fall blooming), Trycyrtis (Toad Lilies), Cranesbill geraniums, Hypericum, Siberian Iris, Lobelia( some)  Polemonium (Jacobs Ladder), Cypripedium ( Lady Slipper orchids), Autumn Crocus.

Ground covers
Sweet Woodruff, Bunchberry, Pachysandra, Ajuga, Lamium, Chrysogonum, Liriope, Phlox stolonifera, Phlox divaricate, Asarum ( Wild Ginger),

Foliage  (some also bloom)
Hosta, heuchera, heucherella, Brunnera, Aruncus, Cimicifuga(Snakeroot), Mukdenia, Rodgersia, Ferns (various), Hakonechloa (Japanese Forest Grass), Solomon’s Seal, Pulmonaria, Goldenseal, Paris Polyphylla, May Apple

Larger plants for wooded areas

Japanese Maples, rhododendrons, azaleas, Calycanthus, Dogwoods( some) Clethra, Fothergilla, Daphne, Itea, Hydrangea (some), Schizophragma (vine) Viburnum,( some)

Your woodland garden will probably evolve a bit through the years as you discover what species do well and where you need more color, form or interest.  Being open to adding non-native plants or supplementing with annuals and tropical plants will often provide the most pleasing and interesting woodland garden.  Many woodland native plants are now available through garden stores. New shade plants are being discovered and new varieties being developed from older ones each year.  You can have a soothing, pretty garden even under trees.

Stay warm and do some desk gardening!
Kim Willis
 “He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
More Information

How cold is too cold for Michigan fruit crops?

Extremely cold temperatures in January have the potential to damage Michigan fruit crops during winter dormancy. Peaches, blueberries and wine grapes are the most cold tender.
Posted on January 21, 2014 by Mark Longstroth, Michigan State University Extension

It is not unusual to have plants damaged by winter cold. Winter injury normally occurs from three possible causes.

It got too cold early, before the plants were sufficiently hardened to handle the cold.
It got cold late in the winter after growth began and plants had lost the ability to acclimate to increasing cold.
Severe winter cold – these events are usually the result of a mid-winter warming event followed by severe cold.

Most of the perennial plants grown in Michigan can easily handle a Michigan winter. When the days began to shorten in August and September, the plants began preparing for winter. As we got the first frosts of the winter, these plants got their second cue that winter was coming (see the Michigan State University Extension article, “Fall color show and winter dormancy in woody plants”). In the winter many, plants enter a form of dormancy called endo-dormancy, meaning that something inside the plant inhibits its growth. The plant monitors the time the temperatures are above freezing to monitor the passage of the winter.

Most Michigan plants need about 1,000 hours of chilling. The best temperatures are those between 35 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Once chilling is complete, the plant can grow when warm temperatures return. This chilling requirement prevents the plant from growing during winter warm spells (see the MSU Extension article “Winter dormancy and chilling in woody plants”).

During dormancy we often talk about cold hardiness. Cold hardiness is the plant’s ability to withstand subfreezing temperatures. The plant does this by controlling when and where the water freezes in the plant. I think of a plant cell as a soggy cardboard box with a balloon inside. The wet cardboard box is the cell wall made of cellulose that gives the cell and the plant its shape. The balloon inside the box is the living cell. The constituents in the cell changed during the fall and early winter to lower the freezing point. Increased sugars and salts in the cell solution lower the freezing point. Proteins and membranes are changed to withstand colder temperatures.

As the temperature falls below freezing, water begins to freeze between the cells. As the temperature continues to fall, more and more water will migrate outside the cell and freeze. This ice outside the cell causes no harm and as temperatures continue to fall, more water moves outside the cell and freezes. This concentrates the solution inside the cell and lowers the freezing point even more. If the cell freezes, it will be killed. If enough cells freeze, we will see damage in the plant as growth begins in the spring or collapse of the plant in the summer when it is stressed.

When the plants are dormant in the winter, they gain and lose cold hardiness depending on the weather. If the temperatures are below freezing, plants can actually acclimate to the cold and gain cold hardiness (see the MSU Extension article “Winter cold hardiness in Michigan fruit crops”). My rule of thumb is that most of our fruit crops can handle 0 F during the winter as their minimal cold hardiness. With colder temperatures I expect our plants to handle more cold. Our cold tender plants such as peaches, blueberries and wine grapes can withstand temperatures down to -10 F before we see injury to the fruit buds and the stems can handle temperature down to -25 F in peaches.

There is a lot of variation between grape varieties. Many of the European wine grapes suffer injury as the temperatures fall to zero and below -10 F, but the hardiest grapes can withstand -30 F. This -10 F threshold is only for cold tender – a relative term – plants such as peaches, wine grapes and blueberries.
More cold hardy are cherries and European plums that can withstand -20 to -25 F. Apples and pears should be able to go to -25 F with little damage and I would expect damage when temperature fell below -30 to -35 F.

If the high or low temperatures drop more than 50 F, I worry, 70 F I really worry. This means we had a lot of free water in the plant, or as the growers would say the sap is up. All this water can freeze quickly and this prevents the orderly controlled freezing, which allows the plant to withstand real cold temperatures. These temperatures are for healthy plants that are acclimated to the cold.

If the weather has been cold – below freezing – for several days, I don’t worry unless the temperatures drop to -10 F, then I start to worry about peaches, blueberries and wine grapes. If the temperature has been above freezing recently, the plants have lost cold hardiness. The plants will have lost all their acclimation to cold weather and will be back to the 0 F damage threshold.

There is actually a fourth cause of winter injury and that is when the plants were weakened going into the winter. It takes a lot of metabolic energy to change the constituents of the cell to get ready for winter. Plants that have been stressed by insect or disease pests, heavy crops or poor growing conditions such as drought do not have the ability to harden off to withstand cold levels as low as healthy plants. Work done by MSU’s Stan Howell here in Michigan over 40 years ago indicated that weak plants were slower to develop cold hardiness, did not acclimate to as low a level as healthy plants and developed later in the spring. This means that stressed plants will be much more susceptible to winter cold injury than healthy plants in the fall and winter.

2013 was a stressful year for many Michigan fruit crops. After the disastrous spring of 2012, most fruit crops had little if any crop in 2012 (see the MSU Extension article “With a backward spring, Mother Nature pitches a change-up after a fastball”). These rested trees, vines and bushes entered 2013 with a lot of vigor and many fruit buds. Many Michigan fruits had bumper crops in 2013. Plants that were stressed by heavy crops in 2013 along with drought or other problems will be much more likely to suffer from the cold in January 2014.

There is no quick way to assess winter injury during the depths of winter. You need to collect shoots and carefully dissect the buds and look for damage. Later in the year after the plant’s chilling requirements have been met, you can collect shoots and force them looking for injured buds. See the MSU Extension article “Forcing cuttings to determine the end of dormancy in fruits and other plants.”
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension.

Events, classes and other offerings

Please let me know if there is any event or class that you would like to share with other gardeners.  These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.
Master Gardeners if you belong to an association that approves your hours please check with that association before assuming a class or work day will count as credit.

Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share?  Post them here by emailing me at kimwillis151@gmail.com

New- 2014 Know and Grow Seminar- Saturday, February 22nd, 2014 - 8:15AM, Bullock Creek High School Auditorium, 1420 Badour Rd. Midland, MI 48640. Early registration fee: $60.00,  After February 7th, 2014  $75.00

This seminar is hosted by the Midland Master Gardener Association. It includes speakers Rick Darke “Balancing Natives and Exotics in the Garden”, Dan Heims “Garden Gems”, and Janet Macunovich “Pluses and Minuses of Gardening in Zone 5”  .  There is a garden marketplace and lunch is included in the cost.

To REGISTER BY PHONE call Dow Gardens at 631-2677 or  1-800-362-4874. Please have your credit card information ready.

New- Getting Started with Selling at Farmers Markets Webinar- February 19, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.  Cost $10.00

This two-hour Adobe Connect webinar is part of the ongoing “2014 Beginning Farmer Webinar Series.” MSU Extension educator Julia Darnton will present information for those interested in selling their product successfully at a farmers market. Topics covered will include: choosing farmers markets at which to sell, negotiating the rules and regulations of a market, market governance, creating a connection with customers, setting up a stall as well as resources for practical tips on tents, tables, displays, and cash handling. Questions and discussion will take place through the webinar ‘chat’ function. Supporting written materials will be available for download during and after the webinar.  A recording of the webinar will be made available to registered participants.

Visit the Getting Started with Selling at Farmers Markets registration page http://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?folder=GettingStartedFarmersMarket
 for more information. Or you can contact Julia Darnton: darntonj@anr.msu.edu or 989-758-2507

Establishing A Rain Garden – Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48105  Feb.12, 2014, 6:45 pm to 8:30 pm

Susan Bryan, Rain Garden Coordinator for the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner's Office, discusses the benefits of rain gardens for the home garden and how they help our rivers and streams. Program also includes how to build and plant one at home using readily available tools. Presented by Wild Ones Ann Arbor. Free. Call 734-647-7600 for more information.

Third Annual Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Academy - Feb. 18-19, 2014, at the Okemos Conference Center in Okemos, Mich., located just outside of East Lansing, Michigan

The 2014 IPM Academy is a two-day workshop packed full of information to help you improve your IPM practices and take advantage of all the great resources MSU has to offer. The presenters at this program include a number of MSU’s best and brightest research and Extension faculty, offering a rare opportunity to hear from experts working in a variety of disciplines and cropping systems at a single event.

The first day of the program will cover fundamental topics, including IPM strategies for disease and insect control; promoting and protecting pollinators; alternative weed control strategies; pesticide basics; the impacts of weather on pesticides; invasive pests; and IPM resources from MSU. On the second day of the workshop, participants opt into two, half-day sessions focused on the topic of their choice.

The cost of this event is $225. Please note that snacks, lunch and parking are included. Participants also receive a notebook with program material and a complimentary IPM-related MSU bulletin. Michigan pesticide recertification credits and Master Gardener credits will be available.

Plants of Distinction- February 3, 2014, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Grand Rapids Crowne Plaza, 4747 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546

New plants are the life-blood of the landscape and gardening economy.  Plant research and global exploration influence the number and types of plants available. However, we all know that “new” is not always “best” for our landscapes. With consumers turning their attention to sustainability and green practices, the question arises “how much maintenance do these plants require?”  MSU Extension has developed a portfolio of renowned plant experts to present this annual seminar. Speakers will enrich your knowledge of widely sought-after plant material while remembering the foundational messages of “right plant right place.”  Cost is $80.00.

Contact Rebecca Finneran, finneran@msu.edu, 616-336-3265 Register online and see speaker info http://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?folder=plantsofdistinction2014





Newsletter information
If you would like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes. You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do reserve the right to publish what I want.

Once again the opinions in this newsletter are mine and I do not represent any organization or business. I do not make any income from this newsletter. I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive these emails have them send their email address to me.  KimWillis151@gmail.com