Kim’s
Weekly Garden Newsletter February 25, 2014
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.
Hello Gardeners
 |
| Bee on Bee balm |
Well are you ready for another polar vortex? It’s coming tonight. Are you tired of that word? Will spring ever arrive? It looks like March will arrive as a lion,
hopefully that means it will go out as a lamb.
I am so tired of this bitter cold and my world being ice locked. You can feel that the sun is getting stronger
but these huge piles of ice and snow negate its affects.
The frozen lakes
The Great Lakes are nearly completely ice covered and in some places the
ice is 25 feet deep. This is the first
time this has happened in 20 years. Lake
Superior is 90% ice covered; the other Lakes are 95% or more covered. After this next wave of polar air it’s
possible that some or all of the lakes will be 100% ice covered.
Experts say this ice cover will affect our spring. It could mean that we will now get less snow
because the west wind blowing over Lake Michigan won’t be able to pick up
moisture. That’s good. But it will mean
that winds from the west will be cooled too, as they pass over all that ice and
spring may be slow and cool. That’s bad. The break- up of the ice this spring and the
resulting ice dams could mean a lot of flooding and lots of trouble with
shipping on the Great lakes.
Experts also say the frozen lakes may have killed off some exotic
species which is a good thing. They also
say the ice cover helps the whitefish population by protecting their breeding
areas from early spring storms. However
the ice may allow the movement of some species of animals like wolves, elk, and
others to move into new areas.
Gardening things
to do while waiting for Spring
The weather is lousy and even tree pruning is hard to do with near 0
temps. But if you are a hardy soul fruit
tree pruning time is here. Check trees
and shrubs for animal damage if you go outside.
Heavy duty aluminum foil can be used to temporarily wrap exposed trunks
and limbs. It won’t help a completely girdled
trunk but if damage is minor it can prevent more damage. Most animals won’t chew through it. Remove in the spring. But there are gardening
chores you can do inside while you are waiting.
It’s time to order seeds and
plants. Most nurseries won’t ship
plants until the weather is warm enough but I predict there will be many crop
failures and a shortage of some plants this spring due to weather. Order now so you won’t be disappointed.
Get ready to start seeds. Buy
your seed starting medium and get any other supplies you need like gro-lights
and pots or flats. Collect and wash deli
“clam” plastic containers. They make
excellent mini-greenhouses. Make paper
pots. (See more information below) You
can also make good seed starting pots from Styrofoam cups, paper cups, fiber
egg cartons, and yogurt containers. Wash
all used items with hot water and soap and if the item was ever used for plants
sterilize it with 1 part bleach to 3 parts water before use. (To remove disease organisms.)
It’s still a bit early for starting some seeds like tomatoes and
peppers. They’ll get too lanky and
stressed before planting time unless you have greenhouse conditions. You
could start seeds of annual flowers like petunias, marigolds, coleus,
snapdragons, violas, and perennials grown from seed like lavender, asclepias (Butterfly
weed)Foxglove, hollyhock, seed geraniums and so on. In general things that need to be blooming
size when frost ends or that need a long period of time to begin blooming can
be started now. They grow more slowly
than tomatoes but they still need good light to grow strong and sturdy.
Start some
cuttings. If you don’t have over-
wintered plants such as geraniums, coleus, sweet potatoes etc., maybe you have
some houseplants you can multiply. Succulents
like jade plants, Christmas cacti, African violets, Rex begonias, pothos,
bridal veil and many other houseplants can provide cuttings or divisions to
relieve gardening addiction.
You can even start plants from supermarket finds such as coffee plants
from unroasted beans, pineapple tops, orange and tangerine seeds, pomegranate seeds,
you name it you can try it.
Clean and re-pot house
plants. Wash off dusty leaves, give
plants a warm shower. Re-pot plants. Check for disease and bugs and prune if
necessary.
Check your stored
bulbs and tubers. Discard mushy
ones and add a little moisture if they look dried up.
Replace and clean
tools. The garden stores have a good
selection out right now and they aren’t crowded if you need new tools. Paint the handles of tools that have
roughened from the weather. A bright
color will help you find them if they should get “lost.”
You can sharpen the blades of shears and pruners if you fold up some
aluminum foil multiple times and then make multiple cuts through it with the
shears or pruners. Used foil is fine, as
long as there aren’t big pieces of food on it.
Oil your pruning instruments.
Order mower/machinery
parts or get repairs. If you know you
need a new belt or spark plugs for your mower now is the time to get them. Get mowers repaired or serviced now before
the busy season. Sharpen mower blades or
buy new ones.
Read a garden book or book about
gardening. I just read The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth
Gilbert. It’s about people who made
their living (a rather grand one in this case) from the early botanical trade
but especially one woman botanist’s rather lonely life. It’s fiction but has some fascinating information
about the great Dutch and American botanical gardens and people who traveled
the globe looking for that next plant pharmaceutical or spice or popular
ornamental. It’s also got a good human
story weaved in it.
Attend a garden
talk or seminar. Check out the list at the end of the newsletter. Nothing gets your gardening juices flowing
like being around other crazy gardeners talking about your favorite subject.
Some new plant/ seed
companies to explore. You can find a
large list of links to nurseries and seed companies on my blog but here are
some links that aren’t on the list.
Rohrer Seed – www.AGRP-FEB.com/RSEED
Plow and Hearth- www.plowhearth.com
Big Rock Trees www.bigrocktrees.com
Botanical Interests – www.botanicalinterests.com
Seeds Now – www.SeedsNow.com
Happiness Farms Caladiums- www.happinessfarms.com
Growing Mukdenia
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| Mukdenia in spring. Credit - wikimedia commons |
Want something new for your
shady garden? Mukdenia might just be the
plant you are looking for. Mukdenia is a
cousin of the popular heuchera and it’s also grown for its fabulous foliage,
especially for fall color in the shade.
Mukdenia (Mukdenia rossii) is native to China and Korea and is hardy to
zone 4. It has broad divided fan shaped
leaves that start out medium green in the spring but as summer progresses the
leaves gradually redden until by fall you have completely red foliage. In early spring it has stems of tiny white
flowers much like coral bells.
3.jpg) |
| Mukdenia - fall. |
Mukdenia likes a moist, partly shaded area with good fertility. It dies back to the ground each winter but is
a reasonably long lived perennial. It
naturalizes easily and spreads slowly through underground runners. The plant has a mounded shape about a foot
high.
The variety of Mukdenia most often sold is ‘Karasuba’ often translated
to Crimson Fans.
2-4-D resistant
crops – Should they be allowed?
In the next few weeks the USDA will decide whether or not to allow corn
and soybeans genetically modified to resist the effects of the weed killer
2-4-D (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid).
The makers (Dow Chemicals) claim the new strains of these crops are
needed because weeds have become resistant to “Round Up” (glyphosate). The new products are called “Enlist.”
First let’s get a few facts straight.
When crops are genetically modified to resist weed killers they do not
contain the weed killer in their plant parts. Just like some tomatoes have resistance to
blight and other tomato diseases, these new plants resist dying from 2-4-D. In
this case a bacterial aryloxyalkanoate dioxygenase gene is added to help them
survive 2-4-D. When sprayed with 2-4D the corn or soybeans don’t die. The weeds around them however will die.
Because it takes a lot of money and time to develop resistant crops these
plants are usually patented.
2-4-D is a common agricultural chemical and is currently being used on
many agricultural fields. It can’t be
applied directly to some crops of course, because it kills some plants (like
corn and soybeans.) It is usually used
to burn off weeds before a crop is planted.
2-4-D is a very common ingredient in lawn care products, like “Weed and
Feed” and “Weed Be Gone” and homeowners
use a lot of it. Golf courses are
literally doused in it. These products
usually have other toxic ingredients as well.
Here’s the problem, as many see it.
When crops can withstand a pesticide it is used on them. The corn you eat now is probably not very
likely to contain high levels of 2-4-D on it because the pesticide would have
been used well before the corn was planted.
Now, because the pesticide might be liberally sprayed on corn fields,
harvested corn could have the pesticide on it.
The makers of the new plants claim that 2-4-D doesn’t enter the plants
and doesn’t last long on the corn. But
to many it seems that 2-4-D is much more likely to enter the food supply if it
is applied to crops as they are growing.
2-4-D has a nasty reputation because it was half of the chemical
concoction of a defoliant that was labeled “Agent Orange”. Agent Orange has been found to be responsible
for many health problems including a number of cancers, to soldiers exposed to
it during the Viet Nam War. However
research has proven that it was dioxin, a contaminant of Agent Orange produced
during its manufacture, which caused the problems.
Pesticide manufacturers claim that the method of producing 2-4-D they
use now does not result in dioxin contamination. However some studies have shown some weed
killer brands using 2-4-D do have dioxin contamination. And even if dioxin is absent 2-4-D is not a
harmless pesticide.
2-4-D is not generally ingested, rather people get it in their systems
by absorption through the skin and by breathing it in. The EPA has ruled that it does not cause
cancer in humans. (But dioxin does.) Some scientists disagree. But we can’t
legally test 2-4-D on humans by having them eat it. We can only test it on animals.
However persons who are exposed to 2-4-D in manufacturing plants and who
are agricultural or lawn care personnel that are regularly exposed do have
higher rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Studies have also confirmed that regular exposure to 2-4-D causes male
reproductive problems, including defective sperm. Other studies have linked even smaller
exposures to liver damage- including the study which claimed that golfers who
regularly play on treated courses have higher rates of liver cirrhosis. It has also been linked to eye and lung
damage.
Dogs are very susceptible to liver and other problems including rare
cancers if they are exposed to lawns regularly treated with 2-4-D
products. This is thought to be because
they consume treated grass and lick themselves, ingesting the herbicide. (This is why you should never use these
products on lawns that dogs use, despite the claims of lawn care companies.)
Farmers (or maybe just the companies who want to sell to farmers) say
they need 2-4-D resistant crops because weeds have developed resistance to glyphosate. If they are able to rotate the two types of
crops, glyphosate resistant and 2-4-D resistant, weed resistance to the
pesticides is much less likely to develop.
They point to the fact that 2-4-D has been used on crops since 1946 –
without fanfare and without appreciable damage to the environment. And there is a good chance that any exposure
to 2-4-D by the average consumer comes from their use of it at home.
My personal thoughts are this. I am not against all genetic modification
of plants. I think we should stop developing plants that
resist pesticides because that means more pesticides will be used. I would rather see genetic modifications that
make plants survive weed competition without pesticides. I also believe that we should not allow
companies to collect fees from farmers who save seeds or who have crops
contaminated from pollination by modified crops.
If we do allow the growing of these new resistant varieties I suggest a
trade off. Let’s ban the use of 2-4-D on
lawns, sports fields and golf courses. That
would probably keep the level of 2-4-D used in the US the same as before the
modified crops or even reduce it. Make it a restricted use pesticide that
requires a licensed applicator.
Homeowners are more likely to be exposed to 2-4-D from lawn care/ weed
killer products than agricultural use and they are more likely to use these
pesticides in careless and illegal ways.
Those of you who know me know that I do not believe weed free lawns or
golf courses are a justification for pesticide use. If weeds bother you so much pull them by hand
or use safer methods of getting rid of them such as vinegar. If we banned toxic chemical use on lawns,
sports fields and golf courses we would reduce pesticide levels in the
environment by at least 50%.
The USDA is still taking public comments on whether 2-4-D resistant
crops should be grown until March 11.
Here is the site where you are supposed to be able to leave those
comments.
Organic growing
may pollute groundwater
A study done in Israel confirms studies done in other places. Using large amounts of manure on crop land as
is practiced in many organic operations can have serious impacts on groundwater
and even surface water. Groundwater is
the water found underground that is often tapped for water wells. The breakdown of manure in soil produces
nitrates which are slowly leached through the soil into the ground water. Nitrates have serious health consequences,
and there are standards for how much nitrate can be in drinking water before it
is deemed unfit to drink.
Manure applied heavily to fields may also be washed into nearby drainage
canals or creeks and rivers and pollute surface waters. The Israeli study found that drip irrigation
is the safest method of feeding crops, conventional salt based fertilizers next
safest and manure the riskiest method of crop feeding. How much and how quickly nitrates reach
ground water levels depends on the soil type and management practices. The study was done at Ben-Gurion University
of the Negev, Israel and published in the Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Journal.
While manure improves soil structure and feeds crops with a natural
product it is not harmless. Gardeners
and organic farmers must be very careful when and how they apply manure to
crops. Gardeners should not apply manure
to gardens located within 50 feet of their well or anyone’s well. Manure should be applied in the fall to home
gardens. (That’s also for food safety.)
Composting manure before applying it is
probably the safest way to use it in home gardens. Manure should not be applied to cropland
before the soil has thawed because it is more likely to run off into surface
waters. If you live near land that is
being used for organic crops and manure is applied to that land frequently you
should periodically have your well water tested for nitrates. Nitrates also come from conventional
fertilizers so if your well is within 50 feet of fertilized cropland have your
well water tested every other year or so.
Traveling bottle
gourds
Bottle gourds seem inconsequential in the scheme of things but they were
very important to our early ancestors. Before
the invention of ceramics, wood carving knives and metal working, bottle gourds
carried everything from water to seeds.
They were eaten from, drank from, they stored things and became
decorations. Young bottle gourds were
also eaten. Many early archeological excavations have turned up bottle gourds
and ancient art often depicts them.
The origin of bottle gourds was thought to be Asia for a long time. Their use was also prominent in Africa, and in
North and South America. Scientists have
now determined that bottle gourds first came from Africa through genetic
analysis, comparing them to the few remaining populations of wild gourds in
Africa.
While people surely carried bottle gourds on their migrations out of
Africa scientists also believe that whole gourds floated across the ocean to
the Americas long before people arrived there.
They conducted experiments and found that gourds could float across the
Atlantic in as few as 100 days or take as long as 10 months. When they arrive on American shores the seeds
are still viable. They believe large
animals carried the seeds inland, eating the gourds and passing the seed in
their dung.
Such a simple thing, the bottle gourd, a simple plant seed container. But so important to man’s history and culture
and one of the earliest of domesticated plants. Where would man be without plants?
Wish for warm winds and bright sun.
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
More Information
How to Make
Re-cycled Paper Pots
By Kim Willis
Many gardeners are beginning to prepare for spring by
starting seeds indoors. Instead of going
out and buying peat pots why not make almost free pots from waste newspaper,
junk mail and office mistakes? You won’t
need to buy any fancy gadgets either to make your pots. Your recycled pots will break down in the
garden soil just as quickly as peat pots, if not more quickly. These paper pots are good for starting
cuttings in also. They’re so simple to
make that even small children can help with the project.
What you will need
You’ll need waste paper or thin cardboard. Newspaper, cereal and cracker boxes, old
poster board, junk mail, and used copy paper are good examples. You don’t want
to use glossy colored pages from magazines or junk flyers because the colored
ink on those items may contain lead.
Newspaper and thin copy paper are good for starting seeds
that will only need to be in pots for a couple weeks before transplanting
outside or into larger containers. Thin
cardboard and poster board are better for starting seeds that will need a month
or longer until transplanting. Don’t use
cardboard that food has been in direct contact with, such as pizza boxes. This can cause mold to grow in the planting
medium. Most packaged products have an
inner liner which can be discarded and the cardboard box can be used.
You’ll also need a regular office stapler with staples and a
pair of scissors. That’s it. You will need seed starting medium for
filling the pots. Don’t use garden soil
or compost unless you sterilize it.
Directions
Start by deciding how big of a pot you want. Two- three inch pots would be a common size
for starting seeds or cuttings. They can
be made from 1 layer of thin cardboard or several layers of thin paper. Larger pots should be made of cardboard, even
doubled cardboard.
Cut your paper or cardboard into squares, ( 4 even sides), 3
times the size of the pot you want to make.
For a 2 inch pot start with a square of 6 inches, for a 3 inch pot start
with a 9 inch square, and so on.
Now fold or mark your squares into 3 even parts going in each
direction. You should have a grid of 9
even small squares on your larger square.
With the scissors cut down the 2 creases or marked lines on
one side to the first line or crease going in the opposite direction. Turn the cut side away from you and cut the 2
crease line or marked line on the other side to the first line going the other
way. Cut only 2 sides directly
opposite each other.
With a cut side facing you, fold the center square upward
and then pull the two uncut sides up and fold over the center square. Staple the 3 pieces together and repeat on
the other end. You should have made a
square cube open on one end. To make a
thicker pot, stack several cut pieces of paper and treat them as one when
folding. You’ll have several layers to staple
through.
Instead of using staples you could glue the ends together,
or use a paper clip to hold the ends together and remove it at planting. The paper pots should be put into trays
before filling with planting medium.
Save plastic deli trays, foam meat trays, aluminum cake or pie pans etc.
for this use.
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
Oh Deer! Saturday, March 22nd Bordines Rochester Hills & Clarkston
locations at 10:00 AM Rochester- 1835 S
Rochester Rd • (248) 651-9000 or Clarkston 8600 Dixie Hwy • (248) 625-9100 Free
Oh, Deer! Protecting Your Landscape - Wildlife in the
garden is part of nature. We enjoy
watching the rabbits hop across the lawn or the deer trot through the yard. But when they start using the landscape as
their personal salad bowl something has got to give! Our expert Purple People will provide you
with the tips and products you will need to protect your landscape from the
munching of these cute little critters so you can, once again, enjoy their
presence in your yard.
Bring Your Lawn to Life- March 29
Bordines Rochester Hills & Clarkston locations at 10:00 AM Rochester- 1835 S Rochester Rd • (248)
651-9000 or Clarkston 8600 Dixie Hwy • (248) 625-9100 Free
After such a harsh,
cold winter you are probably wondering if you will ever see a blade of green
grass again. Fear not! The warm weather of spring is coming. Let our
lawn care experts give you the tools and knowledge to bring your lawn back to
life. We will cover fertilization,
watering, insect and disease control and even how to keep those pesky Moles
away! You will leave with all the
information you need to have the greenest lawn on the block!
Spring Into Gardening Sat., March 29 Sat., March 29 Knights
of Columbus Hall Knights of Columbus Hall 1038 S. Van Dyke (M- 1038 S. Van Dyke
(M-53), Bad Axe, MI
Day-long gardening
classes including a catered lunch, Goodie bag and door prizes Also includes
Free admission to Yard & Garden Expo.
$50 registration/person ($60 after March 1) For details on this seminar you need to
request a flyer from Marie at 989-859-1294
Michigan Beekeepers’ Association Spring
Conference: The Wonder of Honeybees- Friday,
March 7 and Saturday, March 8 Kellogg Center, Michigan State University, East
Lansing Mi
Why are bees
important to us? What is local honey? How can I become a beekeeper? What do I
need to get started? Are there any beekeepers near me? Find out the answer to
these and many more questions at the Michigan Beekeeper’s Association Spring
Conference. If you’d like to talk to a beekeeper, become a beekeeper or just find
out about honeybees, this is the place to get started.
Beekeeping supply
vendors will be on hand, and breakout sessions will cover the many aspects of
beekeeping.
The public is
welcome. Register online or at the door. For further information, please contact
us at Michigan Beekeepers’s Association. http://www.michiganbees.org/
Michigan Wildflower Conference:
“Becoming Native to the Place”
March 2 & 3- 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Kellogg Center, Big Ten Wing, Michigan State
University, East Lansing Mi
The Michigan
Wildflower Conference, sponsored by the Wildflower Association of Michigan, is
open to all who are interested in Michigan native plants and their habitats.
General and concurrent sessions take place both days. The keynote speaker will
be Rick Darke, author of The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of
the Deciduous Forest and co-author with William Robinson of The Wild Garden.
Find additional program information and a registration form at the Wildflower
Association of Michigan. Lunch is included with pre-registration.
Horticultural Therapy: Connecting
People and Plants
-Friday, March 7- 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Plant and Soil Sciences Building,
Michigan State University, East Lansing
Mi
The Michigan
Horticultural Therapy Association’s (MHTA) annual conference is an opportunity
for those interested in learning about using horticulture as therapy to gain
understanding and skills.
Nancy Chambers,
HTR, and Gwenn Fried will present the keynote address “Horticultural Therapy: A
Continuum.” Breakout sessions will cover a variety of topics related to
horticultural therapy practices. This event includes displays, exhibits and
door prizes.
Registration: Early Bird Special (postmarked by Feb. 27): $60 for
MHTA members, $80 for nonmembers. Regular registration (postmarked after Feb.
27): $70 for MHTA members, $90 for nonmembers. Registration includes lunch. Membership
is $20 per year and is open to all.
Contact Cathy
Flinton, HTR, at 517-332-1616, ext. 16238 or John Murphy at 269-345-6039 for
more information; or visit the Michigan Horticultural Therapy Association for a
brochure, registration form and membership information. http://www.michiganhta.org/index.php/35th-annual-conference
Michigan Herb Associates 27th Annual
Conference: A Sensory Approach to Herbs Friday, March 7, 8:15 a.m. ‒ 5 p.m.- Eppley Center and
Business College Complex -Michigan
State University, East Lansing Mi
The theme of the
27th annual Michigan Herb Associates (MHA) Conference is “A Sensory Approach to
Herbs.” The Michigan State University (MSU) Department of Horticulture and
Michigan Herb Associates sponsor the conference.
A market of vendors
will offer gardening tools, herbal topiaries, herbal oils and vinegars,
decorative garden-related jewelry and other garden-related items, and many
other gift items. MHA will also have a gift shop featuring a variety of items.
A live plant auction will take place Friday and Saturday.
On Friday morning,
Janet Macunovich will open the conference with “Designing for All Five Senses.”
She is a professional gardener, author and educator, recognized for her
engaging how-to presentations, innovative hands-on workshops and down-to-earth
writing and speaking style. She will be followed by ethnobotanist, garden
author and lecturer Sharon Ackland, who will present “Aromatic Plants: The Power
of Scent.” She will explain and demonstrate how to extract fragrant and healing
plant chemicals for at-home perfumery, medicine and cosmetics.
On Friday
afternoon, two concurrent sessions will take place: 1) Susan Betz, a charter
member and past president of MHA, will present “Native Treasures: Tales from
the Plant Kingdom,” a research project she’s conducting with the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources (DNR). It focuses on land owned by Susan and
her husband, a virtually untouched historical landscape located in southern
Hillsdale County. 2) Coleen French, owner of French Garden Creations in
Portland, Mich., and the MHA membership chairperson, will present “Herbal
Housecleaning.” Coleen will demonstrate how to make at-home “green” cleaning
products while having fun doing it.
Friday’s daytime
program will conclude with Dr. John Biernbaum, professor of horticulture and
faculty director of the MSU Student Organic Farm (SOF), lecturing on “Culinary
Herbs at the Liberty Hyde Bailey Greenhouse and Urban Farm.” He will explain
this new SOF project: how it supplies fresh organic herbs and produce to the
Brody Cafeteria, and how it helps students learn more about herbs. Friday
night’s banquet address, “Myths, Mugs, Worms & Green Fairy!” will be presented
by Carolee Snyder, owner of one of the Midwest’s largest retail herb farms
where she grows more than 2,000 varieties of herbs, perennials, everlastings
and old-fashioned flowers. She will briefly introduce the lore and members of
the artemisia family, and the history and uses of artemisia.
Saturday’s program
will begin with “Hot Herbal Trends,” Carolee Snyder’s take on the hottest and
latest herbal trends. She’ll let us know which plants and herbal topics are
getting the most attention now and promise to be “hot” in the coming year.Later
in the morning Sharon Ackland will present on “Aromachology: The Power of
Healing Herbs.”
On Saturday
afternoon, two concurrent sessions will take place: 1) Susan Betz will present
“Landscaping with Herbs,” detailing how to incorporate herbs into the landscape
for greatest impact and enjoyment. 2) Physical therapists Mary Thiel and Gayle
Durnin of the MSU Rehabilitation Medicine Clinic will present “Don’t Let Your
Green Thumb Feel Blue: Gardening Shouldn’t Hurt!” They’ll show techniques to
prevent injury and increase tolerance for gardening.
Saturday’s program
will conclude with “Every Gathering Should Have a Theme.” Annie Gruber will
give expert advice on planning a relaxed, meaningful and fun gathering for
family and friends. Annie, long-time MHA member as well as creative and expert
cook and party planner, will demonstrate favorite recipes with tastings all
around.
Nonmembers of MHA:
$75 for one day or $110 for both days MHA members: $50 for one day and $85 for
both days. ALL walk-ins will be charged
an additional $10 fee over the pre-registration rates.
The fee for the
Friday evening banquet and program is $35. A delicious lunch provided each day
is available at $12 each. Advance registration is required for all meals and
must be received by Friday, Feb. 28.
To register for the
conference, visit the MHA website at http://miherb.org/
to register online or download the registration form. Send completed
forms with payment to Dolores Lindsay, Mid-Michigan Mechanical Contractors
Assoc., 901 S Cedar Suite 200, Mason, MI 48854 or call 517-676-0390 to pay by
credit card or contact one of the following to request a registration form:
Coleen French, 517-647-7814; Marilyn Ferguson, 616-754-9652; Karen Beekman,
517-349-1709. Note: the Friday night banquet is open to everyone; you do not
need to attend the conference sessions to attend the banquet.
Birding 101: A Beginner’s Guide to
Birding- Saturday, March 1, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m MSU
Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education, Michigan State University,
East Lansing Mi
Michigan Audubon
and the Quiet Water Symposium sponsor this workshop. The morning portion takes
place indoors and includes use of binoculars and field guides, and bird
identification and habitat. It also helps participants discover when, where and
how to find our feathered friends. After a lunch break, participants will meet
with the instructor to put their newfound knowledge to use on a birding walk
around the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education. In case of
inclement weather, participants will spend the afternoon birding at a nearby
nature center.
Register through
the Michigan Audubon website at www.michiganaudubon.org.
The workshop fee, which includes
price of admission to the Quiet Water Symposium, is $35 for Michigan Audubon
and Quiet Waters members, $40 for nonmembers and $25 for students (must provide
student ID). Lunch is not included in the fee.
A Matter of Balance: Approaches to Soil
Health and Water Quality
Friday, March 7 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Registration opens at 8:00 a.m.) Kellogg
Hotel and Conference Center, Room 103AB
Soil health and
water quality are intrinsically linked. Management of these resources faces great
challenges due to emerging ecological, economic and climatic pressures. Now
more than ever, we must support soil’s natural ability to filter water that
moves across and through a landscape. Establishing conservation practices that
support a balanced relationship between soil health and water quality is a
proven best management practice in agricultural production. Management choices
that fail to recognize and protect the physical, chemical and biological
attributes of healthy soil have the potential to jeopardize water quality and
ecological productivity.
For more
information, agenda, speaker biographies, presentation abstracts and
registration information, go to Michigan Chapter of the Soil and Water
Conservation Society at www.miswcs.org/Local_Events.html. Registration includes lunch.
Smart Gardening Conference- Saturday, March 8, 8:30 am – 4:00
pm Ballroom C/D DeVos Place, Grand
Rapids, Michigan
To bring home the
message about smart plants, nationally-known entomologist and author Douglas
Tallamy is lending his expertise to help gardeners choose plants that make wise
ecological sense as well as being easy on the pocketbook. Tallamy’s message
connects our everyday actions at home to the balance that sustains nature’s
food webs. Tallamy believes that humans generally think of themselves as
“outside” the system that keeps our planet green and yet our actions, no matter
how small, can affect just how green we are— and will be.
To get more
information about how to enroll in the 2014 Smart Garden Conference in Grand
Rapids, Mich., contact MSU Extension’s Ginny Wanty at wanty@msu.edu or download
the brochure.
Cost is $59
Enrollment Deadline is Friday, February 28, 2014 or until full
Perennial Gardening 101 Saturday, March 8 at 1 p.m. All
English Gardens stores Free In-store Presentation. Click
here for a store near you. http://www.englishgardens.com/shop-online/workshops.html
Make it & Take it Workshop: Kitchen
Herb Garden
Saturday, March 15 at 2:30 p.m All English Gardens stores FEE: $19.99
Enjoy fresh herbs
from your windowsill. Select your choice of four herbs to plant in a stylish
container. We’ll provide everything you need to make and take this garden home!
Container may vary.
Click here for a
store near you and to sign up on line http://www.englishgardens.com/shop-online/workshops.html
The Secrets to a Beautiful Lawn - Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m. All
English Gardens stores. Free In-store
Presentation. Click here for a store
near you. http://www.englishgardens.com/shop-online/workshops.html
How & When to Prune Trees &
Shrubs Saturday, March 29
at 1 p.m. All English Gardens stores- Free-
Keep the garden
healthy by regularly dividing perennials and pruning trees and shrubs. We’ll
tell you what needs to be done and when. Plus, we’ll show you how to do it. Click
here for a store near you. http://www.englishgardens.com/shop-online/workshops.html
"Practical Knowledge for the Avid
Gardener" St. Clair County Master Gardeners
Annual Spring Symposium Saturday, March 22, 2014, Cornerstone Church, 4025
North Road, Clyde, MI 48049.
Speakers include
Dan Heims, Pearl Fryar, David Culp & Fergus Garrett. Early Bird
Registration is $80.00 and includes all speakers, breakfast, lunch snacks and
shopping. After February 21 the cost will be $90. Contact sanderan51@yahoo.com.
for a brochure.
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
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open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do reserve the right to
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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
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