September 23,
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
.JPG) |
| Maximilian sunflower blooms late and is good bee food. |
Today is the first full day of fall and what a beautiful
fall day it is. The only thing that
could make it better is to get rid of the trucks dumping limestone on the road
in front of the house. I hate that
beeping noise they make when they back up.
But maybe the roads will be better for a while. Today sure beats the weekend weather- we had
1 & 2/10 inch of rain this weekend.
In the garden I have hardy hibiscus, sweet autumn clematis,
mums, sedum, Echinacea, buddleia, and landscape roses in bloom. The dahlias are still blooming despite 32
degree temps last week on one evening. The fields are filled with asters both
blue and white. Maximilian or swamp
sunflowers are starting to bloom.
The hummingbirds and turkey vultures are still around, so I
guess mild weather may stick around a bit longer. I have a little chipmunk that has moved under
our new deck and he has been real busy picking up acorns from the
driveway. I suspect the space under the
deck will soon be filled with them. He
pays no attention to me outside and I wonder how he has escaped the cats so
far.
We had to go to Saginaw last Wednesday, which was a
beautiful day like today. The drive
through the Saginaw valley was pretty, even though the trees haven’t got much
color yet. Everyone had pumpkins out
front for sale it seemed. Sugar beets
are being harvested. We took a side trip
to look at the windmills up near Reese.
We got really close to one in a cornfield right close to the road. We were probably 30 feet away and the
windmill was working. I rolled down the
window and could hear nothing but corn rustling in the wind. I don’t know why people say they are noisy. I think the white windmills strung across
miles of corn and soybean fields are quite pretty.
Moving your houseplants inside
I have moved most of my houseplants back inside. Now that many nights are 40 degrees or less
most tropical should be brought inside.
Some hardier things, geraniums, spider plants, rosemary, potted citrus
can take the cold a little longer but do cover them if a frost is predicted. If a hard frost or freeze is predicted they
should be brought inside.
The 32 degree weather we had last week was brief, it only
lasted an hour or two before clouds rolled in and warmed things up. But had I
known it was going that low I probably would have brought all the plants
in. I covered a lot of things with old
sheets that evening and everything was fine.
When you cover things to extend the season a bit use cloth
or paper not plastic, unless you make sure the plastic is supported so it doesn’t
touch the plants. If plastic is touching
plants they will often be damaged there in a frost. You can cover things like petunias and
marigolds to keep them blooming longer.
If summer has caused a growth spurt in your houseplants you
may need to repot them before they are brought inside. If they have insects or scale you want to
treat do it before you bring them inside.
Check pots for holes chewed in them near the bottom before you bring
them inside. Mice sometimes establish
homes inside large pots and they are really happy when you carry the pot inside. If you are suspicious dump the soil out of
the pot and repot the plant before bringing it inside.
The Rex Begonias did very well outside this year, I have
heard that from several people and I know mine are beautiful. They will stay beautiful inside all winter in
a sunny window. However my tuberous begonias pooped out early this year. I am going to cut the stems back and store
the pots inside on the porch. I do the
same with pineapple lilies (Ecomis).
They overwinter in the pots in a dormant state then in the spring I
begin watering and fertilizing and have new gorgeous plants.
Best trees for fall color in Michigan
.JPG) |
| Maples |
One of the selling
points for Michigan tourism is our beautiful fall show of fall color. With our mixture of deciduous and evergreen
trees our roads and fields are lined with beautiful scenery every fall. If you want to extend that fall color to your
Michigan landscape there are some great trees you can plant. The list of trees below will give you some of
the best.
Sugar maple is one
of the greatest trees for color in Michigan.
The fall color can vary from brilliant red to golden. They are great shade trees also and of
course- can be used to make maple syrup.
Other maples also provide color- there are dozens of maples and most are
colorful in the fall. Red maples are
commonly called swamp maples and have good red color. They are the tree most red landscape maples are
bred from. Amur maples are small and
more shrub-like and also have good red fall color. Many Japanese maples have good fall color.
Some maples don’t
make good “yard trees” however. Silver
maple and the box elder are two examples of weak wood and weedy growth in the
maple family. Specially bred strains of
maple such as ‘Autumn Blaze’ can provide wonderful color and are good landscape
choices.
Sassafras is a
unique tree with leaves that vary tremendously in shape, all on the same
tree. The mitten shaped leaves make it a
good tree for us here in the mitten shaped state. Color is striking shades of orange and yellow
to red. The bark and twigs of sassafras
have a pleasant taste and are used in beverages and other edibles.
Shagbark hickories
provide nuts for wildlife as well as beautiful golden yellow fall foliage. They are slow growing; buying a grafted tree
from a nursery will insure better color and faster growth.
Northern Red oak
and Pin oak are two oak trees that generally have good fall color in the red range. Most other oaks have less spectacular color,
often tan or brown. Oaks turn color
later than Maples and extend the fall color show.
Ginko bilboa trees
are not native but their fan shaped leaves turn a pretty golden yellow in the
fall. Katsura trees have apricot colored fall foliage that as it starts to fall
leaves behind a cotton candy or caramel smell on the air.
Redbud trees not
only put on a pretty show in the spring with their lavender pink flowers but
have excellent yellow fall color on a small tree. Kousa dogwood are small trees with pretty
white spring flowers and purple - red fall color.
Black Gums are not
trees for small yards. They get huge and
have small blue fruits that are loved by birds in the fall as well as fall
color in shades of yellow, red and purple, often on the same tree. American
sweet gums are also large trees with color from orange to purple.
Shrubs that have
good fall color are of course Euonymus, Burning bush- scarlet, cotoneaster -
red, blueberries- red, grey dogwood- red, Sumac- yellow, orange and red, Oak leaf hydrangea - red, yellow and purple,
and barberry - red.
Trees like aspen
and poplar provide good yellow fall color but aren’t very desirable as
landscape trees. They often lose their
leaves before much of a color show is obtained.
There are many
other non- native and native trees with interesting fall color. Because fall color can vary from tree to tree
within the same species if a certain color is important to your landscape
scheme pick out the tree in the nursery in the fall - when it is showing its
colors. Weather can have an effect, but
weather doesn’t change tree color from yellow to red. Remember that it is the nature of some trees
however, to have a color assortment on each tree.
Cacti as house plants
Winter is coming
and it’s time to think about houseplants, and you know by now that I think
every home needs houseplants. If you
fail with other types of plants because you forget to water them or you keep
your home warm and dry maybe you should try some cacti. Cacti are succulents but all succulents
are not cacti. The difference is hard to
define but in this article we are discussing those cacti with “spines” that
generally come from desert areas.
 |
| Pincushion cactus. commons.wikipedia.org |
Any species of
cacti can be grown indoors but smaller varieties are usually offered as house
plants. Greenhouses are now offering a
good selection of cacti and succulents and they can be ordered by mail from
catalogs. Here are some good cacti to
use as houseplants.
Pincushion cacti
have several species but most are round in shape with flowers appearing in a
ring at the top. They have clusters of
fine whitish looking needles with one darker, larger needle in the center of
the cluster. Ball cacti are great for those who don’t have a real sunny
window. They do just fine in good light
but don’t need direct sun. They are
oblong or football shape rather than round and have deep segments running top
to bottom. The ridge on each segment has
a line of yellowish fine spines.
Fairy castle (Cereus
tetragonus) and Peruvian apple (Cereus peruvianus) are cacti that form tall
spikes for vertical accents. They
sometimes produce side “branches”. Both
bloom fairly easily with spiky colorful blooms appearing at the top of stems. Bunny Ears (Opuntia sp.) have big flat round
segments, (more like mouse ears) covered with dots consisting of clusters of
fine reddish needles. You won’t want to
get these needles in your hands because they are very irritating and hard to
remove without a magnifying glass and fine tweezers. Bunny ears can make large clumps in a good
location.
 |
| Bunny ears (Opuntia) wikipedia.com |
Many cacti offered
as house plants come with tiny dried strawflowers stuck in them and people
think they are blooming. The true
flowers are much more beautiful but harder to achieve indoors. But with a little care you can enjoy the
flowers of cacti and some are quite spectacular.
Cacti need a sunny
window, preferably with southern exposure or strong artificial light. Most cacti are slow growing inside, which is
generally a good thing. Pots for cacti
should be quick draining, clay pots allow moisture to escape through the walls
as well as the bottom. Use a potting soil especially designed for cacti or mix
regular potting soil and sand in equal parts.
Some cacti become top heavy for their shallow root system and tend to
tip over and expose the roots. A few
stones on the top of the soil may help prevent this. Don’t use too large of a pot for cacti as
this encourages over-watering.
Cacti do need
water, although they should be allowed to dry out between watering. In fall and winter they become semi-dormant,
especially if in a cool environment. They
need very little water at this time.
When the days begin to get longer in spring, you will need to water more
frequently. The extra watering and a
weak fertilizer low in nitrogen may encourage blooming.
Place your cacti
where you will not regularly brush against it or where small fingers cannot
touch it. If the spines get in the skin
they often are very painful and can get infected. A piece of tape placed over the spine can
often pull it out. You may want to
handle the cacti with tongs or stiff paper wrapped around it when re-potting or
working with the plant.
Eating fruits and veggies makes your skin prettier
Red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables contain carotenoids,
and those carotenoids color the skin of those who eat them in a pleasing
manner. Researchers asked people to
judge how attractive the skin of people who had a high carotenoid level was in
comparison to people who had skin colored primarily from melanin, the pigment
our bodies make from sun exposure. In
almost all cases people found the skin colored by carotenoids was more
attractive.
The moral is skip the tanning bed and eat more carrots. This research was published in The Quarterly
Journal of Experimental Psychology
Let’s feed oranges to cows
Feeding
oranges and other citrus fruit to cows, pigs and chickens may soon become one
of the green and safe ways to combat food borne illness. Animals shed salmonella and other organisms
in their feces and no matter how careful we try to be when butchering animals
some of those organisms may remain behind and can cause bouts of food borne
illness that sicken millions of American each year. Recent research has found that feeding citrus
peel and pulp to animals significantly lowers the number of harmful bacteria in
their gut without affecting the helpful bacteria they need to efficiently
digest their food.
The way
farmers have conventionally tried to reduce the number of “bad” organisms in
animals has been to feed them antibiotics.
In recent years we have come to understand that this may be causing
strains of bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics and this could have
serious consequences for human health.
Animal rights movements and human health advocates have been clamoring
for laws against the feeding of antibiotics to animals as disease preventatives
and growth enhancement aids.
Scientists
have been busy searching for alternatives to antibiotics that would keep
animals growing and healthy but not contribute to the growing problem of
antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria and pollution of our land and
water. Microbiologist Todd R. Callaway
and animal scientist Tom S. Edrington, with the Food and Feed Safety Research
Unit in College Station, Texas; ARS animal scientist and research leader
Jeffery Carroll with the Livestock Issues Research Unit in Lubbock, Texas; and
John Arthington at the University of Florida in Ona took on the challenge in a
different way.
These
researchers knew that oils from citrus had long been used for cleaning and were
known to deter pests, and kill many types of viruses and bacteria. They are relatively non-toxic and the
researchers decided to feed the left over peels and pulp from citrus processing
plants to cattle and pigs to see what would happen.
While
people find citrus peel rather bitter and not very tasty the animals seemed to
enjoy them. They readily ate the
leftovers without having to be coaxed.
And the researchers found that not only did the citrus waste provide
vitamins and roughage for the animals, they also did what researchers hoped-
they reduced the amount of harmful bacteria in the guts of animals without
harming the good bacteria animals need to digest food.
When there
is less harmful bacteria produced and shed by animals there are fewer chances
for bacteria to contaminate food and cause illness. While total elimination of harmful bacteria
like salmonella is probably impossible, reducing the numbers substantially goes
a long way toward safer food.
Further
research both in the field and in the lab have shown very promising results.
Collaborations with University of Arkansas-Fayetteville researchers Steven
Ricke and Philip Crandall have identified specific essential oils that kill
pathogenic bacteria. Microbiologist
Calloway is studying ways to make citrus waste into lightweight pellets so that
farms away from citrus producing areas can share in the benefits of feeding
citrus to their animals.
Natural
solutions to problems are a win-win situation for all. Citrus producers get another source of income
from a waste product, which they will no longer have to find a way to dispose
of. Animals get a tasty and nutritious
feed supplement that keeps harmful bacteria from causing digestive and other
problems. Livestock producers get a
reasonably priced, all natural alternative to antibiotics that food critics
approve of. And people will have a
reduced chance of getting food borne diseases without worrying that those
organisms are developing resistance to life saving antibiotics.
This
week’s weed- New England Aster
New England
Aster, ( Aster novae-angliae), spreads its pretty purple flowers along sunny
roadsides and in fields in late summer and fall. It often grows in the same areas as
Goldenrod, producing a stunning color combination gardeners often imitate. In fact, cultivars of both plants are
available for gardeners to use in gardens for fall color.
 |
| New England Aster |
New England
asters are perennial plants that die to the ground each winter. The stems are stiff and hairy and feel sticky
to the touch. The long dark green leaves
seem to clasp the stems at their base.
The plants grow to 5 or more feet in ideal conditions but generally
range from 2-3 feet high.
New England
Asters have clusters of small purple daisy-like flowers with yellow
centers. The flowers range from 1-2
inches wide depending on growing conditions and individual plant
characteristics. In Michigan they start
blooming in late August and continue until a hard frost. They prefer sunny, moist areas.
New England
Asters are excellent plants for native plant gardens and even for more
conventional gardens to bring late fall color.
They also make good cut flowers.
It’s time
for a fall nature hike!
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
More Information
Colorful
stems, bright green leaves and a powerhouse of nutrients
Swiss chard
is a vegetable “star” with its impressive list of health promoting nutrients.
Posted on
September 2, 2014 by Eileen Haraminac, Michigan State University Extension
A vegetable
that has become popular and is very nutrient dense is Swiss chard. Chard is a
tall, leafy green vegetable commonly referred to as “Swiss chard.” It belongs
to the same family as beets and spinach, sharing a similar taste profile with a
bitter, pungent and slightly salty flavor.
 |
| Chard |
Swiss chard
is truly one of the vegetable “stars” with its exceptionally impressive list of
health promoting nutrients. Chard is an excellent vegetable source for vitamin
K; four ounces provides about 700 percent of recommended intake. Vitamin K has
a potential role in bone health by promoting bone formation and strengthening
activity. Adequate vitamin K levels in the diet help limit neuronal damage in
the brain. It is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids; vitamin A and
flavonoids, anti-oxidants such as carotene, lutein and zea-xanthin. Carotenes
convert to vitamin A inside the body.
Michigan
State University Extension recommends chard’s at its peak season, when it is at
its best and in the greatest abundance at your local market, ranging from June
through September. Swiss chard, along with kale, mustard greens and collard
greens is one of several leafy green vegetables often referred to as “greens.”
It is a tall leafy green vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk that comes in
white, red or yellow with wide fan-like green leaves. Choose chard that has
leaves that are vivid green in color and that do not display any browning or
yellowing. The leaves should not be wilted nor should they have tiny holes. The
stalks should look crisp and be unblemished.
Do not wash
Swiss chard before storing as the exposure to water encourages spoilage. Place
chard in a plastic storage bag and wrap the bag tightly around the chard,
squeezing out as much of the air from the bag as possible. Place in the
refrigerator where it will stay fresh for up to five days.
United
States Department of Agriculture offers information and recipes for cooking
greens from the SNAP-Ed Connection Recipe Finder database. Here is a quick and
easy recipe for you and your family to enjoy.
Swiss Chard
Salad with Cranberries, Almonds and Feta
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 bunch
rainbow chard
2
Tablespoons olive oil
1
Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon
salt
Fresh
ground black pepper
12
breakfast radishes, thinly sliced
1 shallot,
minced
1/4 cup
dried sweetened cranberries
1/4 cup
almonds, toasted
1/4 cup
crumbled feta cheese
1 bunch
parsley, chiffonade
1 avocado
Directions
Wash the
chard well and spin dry. Thinly slice, taking special care to slice the ribs
particularly thin.
Add the
olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to the chard. Massage well for about 15
seconds.
Add the
radishes, shallot, cranberries, almonds, feta, parsley and avocado. Toss
lightly to combine.
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.
Free- Free- Roosters- 2 banty roosters- one purebred Golden Sebright, one Sebright-Porcelain cross and one full size rooster- Ameraucana have a few banty hens for sale also. Write Kim for more information Kimwillis151@gmail.com
Smart
Gardening Roadshow, October 16, 2014 5:30 - 9 p.m., Kettunen
Center, 14901 4-H Drive, Tustin, MI 49688
Two classes in one night! Bright and colorful gardens
using native plants in garden designs for eco-friendly gardening! Join Consumer
Horticulture Educators Mary Wilson and Rebecca Finneran from Michigan State
University Extension for an evening of fun! Bring your gardening friends,
neighbors and spouse to learn the latest in Smart Gardening!
Greening the Garden… A Smart Gardener’s Journey
If you love plants and garden design, but find yourself
making resolutions to “green your garden,” don’t assume that all things
beautiful must be put out to pasture. During Finneran’s presentation, you will
get ideas for plants and design that are water smart, pest free and low input!
Native Trees and Shrubs with Bling!
There are many reasons you might want native plants in
your garden, yet a common perception is that they are drab and boring. Not so,
as we’ll learn from Mary Wilson. Mary will share some of her favorites, both
native species and their cultivars, for a bright and colorful garden in various
seasons. No longer the step-children of the plant world, but those with
attitude and bling!
Registration fee is $25.00 by Oct. 9, 2014. No refunds
will be made after this date, but substitutions are welcome! On-site
Registration is $35.00. Contact:
Marybeth Denton: Denton.Marybeth@anr.msu.edu, 989-539-7805
Flint
River Wild Ones September Event -Thursday, September 25,
2014 - 2:30PM - 4:30PM at For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum, 2142 N.
Genesee Road, Burton, MI
Discussion: Viewing of Urban & Suburban Meadows -
Bringing Meadowscaping to Big & Small Spaces Companion DVD (Total Running
Time: 60 Minutes) is an enticing introduction to meadowscaping. Author and
photographer, Catherine Zimmerman, combines her expertise in photography,
storytelling, environmental issues, horticulture and organic practices to offer
meadowscaping as an alternative to reduce monoculture lawns.
Please RSVP to Melville Kennedy at (810) 275-8822
(leave message) or via email at mkennedy60@charter.net.
Genesee
County Master Gardeners Fall into Spring Conference Saturday, October 4, 2014 -
8:00 am - 4:00 pm- Mott Community College Events Center, 1401
E. Court Street, Flint, MI 48503
Fall Into Spring - what a wonderful way to experience
tips and ideas to create a beautiful garden for next year. October 4th will be
a fun-filled, inspirational day full of ideas and guidelines to aid the
gardener from the basic to the most experienced.
The Garden Market will include MG Garden Stones, garden
art, herbal products, and gardening supplies. Please bring CASH or CHECKS for
your purchases. Speakers and Topics are subject to change. Open to Master
Gardener Volunteers and the general public. Master Gardener Volunteers will
earn 5 hours of education credit
Registration is $65.00 by September 26th. Registration
after September 26th will be $70.00. REGISTER EARLY AND AVOID AN ADDITIONAL
$5.00 FEE. Make checks payable to:
MGAGCM
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Download the registration trifold flyer at this link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByaD3jouRMNReFhKRnpYal9xdVk/edit?usp=sharing
Mail Registration To:
Genesee County Master Gardeners Fall into Spring
Conference
PO Box 34
Flushing, MI 48433
Phone: (810) 244-8531
Cottage
to Commercial: Ingredients for a successful food business- Several locations
and dates
Michigan State University Extension and MSU Product
Center Educators will conduct four food business planning classes September
through November in Berrien, Muskegon, Ingham and Kent County, Michigan
locations.
The two-hour session addresses basic food processing,
regulatory requirements, business development resources, and related topics.
The program targets individuals who are interested in starting a licensed,
commercial food business.
The Niles session will be held 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.
30 at the Niles Entrepreneur & Culinary Incubator (NECI) 219 North 4th
Street/2nd Floor, Niles, MI 49120. NECI, a program of Niles Main Street, is
designed to help local entrepreneurs start and grow food businesses. There is a
$25 fee. Make checks payable to Niles Main Street, and mail to 333 N 2nd Street
Suite 303, Niles, MI 49120 by the deadline of Sept.26, 2014. For more
information call NECI at 269-687-4332.
The Muskegon session will be held 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 1 at the Muskegon County (South Campus) Building, 133 E. Apple
Avenue, Muskegon, Michigan 49442. The fee is $20, and registration is available
online through Sept. 26. For more
information, call 269-944-4126.
The Ingham County program will be held 10 a.m. - 12
p.m., Tuesday, October 16, 2014 at the Hilliard Building, Conf. Room B, 121 E.
Maple, Mason, MI 48854. The fee is $20, and registration is available online
through the Oct. 10. For details, call 517-526-7895.
The Kent County session is scheduled for 10 a.m. - 12
p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014 at Kent County MSU Extension 775 Ball Ave. N.E.,
Grand Rapids, MI 49503. The fee is $20 per person, and registration is
available online through Nov. 4, 2014.
The MSU Product Center helps aspiring entrepreneurs and
existing businesses to develop and launch new product and service ideas into
food, agriculture, bioenergy and natural resources markets. A statewide network
of Innovation Counselors is available to counsel individuals interested in
starting related business ventures. Last year the MSU Product Center assisted
647 clients with business planning.
Those who are unable to attend one of the offerings are
invited to request counseling with a field- based MSU Product Center innovation
counselor at www.productcenter.msu.edu , or by phone at 517-432-8750 This
article was published by Michigan State University Extension.
Workshops
for the Garden, Saturday, September 27, Seven Ponds Nature Center, 3854 Crawford Road, Dryden, MI
We are offering two projects to enhance your garden.
Sign up for just one or, bring a lunch and join us for both workshops. Each
workshop is limited to 10 participants. Must pre-register by September 23. To
register call 1-810-796-3200
Introduction to Rain Barrels: A Make It and Take It
Workshop
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Learn all about rain barrels and their importance to
water conservation with Karen Page, owner and Environmental Educator of Back
Track to Nature. Not only will you learn but will also have the opportunity to
make your own barrel. All supplies are included. Fee: $70.00.
Build a Backyard Hypertufa Water Feature
1:00 to 3:00 pm
Using 10″ leaves as a mold; we will create a lovely
container to hold water for toads, insects and more. This small water bath will
provide habitat and beauty to your garden. Fee: $15.00 (members $12.00).
Grow
it! Cook it! Eat it! Workshop, Oct. 1 or Nov. 12. MSU Extension Ingham County Lansing
Office and MSU Extension – Livingston County
Learn how to grow, store and prepare a variety of fresh
vegetables by attending one or all of these mid-Michigan workshops.
Posted
on August 12, 2014 by Diane Brown, Michigan State University Extension
Home vegetable gardening is once again popular. In
addition to vegetables you grow yourself, a bounty of beautiful produce awaits
at farmer’s markets and from community supported agriculture (CSAs). But do you
know the best varieties to select for your home garden? Do you know how to tell
when a vegetable is ready to harvest, or what to look for at the market? How to
store them? How to cook them? Get answers to these questions and more during a
series of three Grow it! Cook it! Eat it! workshops from Michigan State
University Extension designed to help you make the most of fresh garden
vegetables. Cost: $20 for one session/$50 for all three.
Oct. 1, 2014, 6-8 p.m.
Root for the Root Vegetables – beets, carrots, kohlrabi, parsnips,
potatoes, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, turnips
Location: MSU Extension – Livingston County, 2300 East
Grand River,Howell, MI 48843
Nov. 12, 2014, 6-8 p.m.Pumpkins and Their Kin – winter
squash and pumpkins Location: MSU Extension Ingham County Lansing Office, 5303
S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI 48911
Register online for these exciting workshops, and save
$10 over individual workshop pricing when you register early for all three
events. Contact the Ingham County MSU Extension office at 517-676-7207 for more
information.
Advance Garden Design 4-5-6 September
13, 2014 - September 27, 2014 9:00am-1:00pm Oakland County Executive Office
Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, 41W, Waterford, MI
This workshop is
$125. The fee includes light morning refreshments each day and instructional
handouts. There will be a wide variety of design exercises and a recommended
garden design book list and web site used in formal and informal gardens.
During this workshop, participants will develop skills in the layout of garden
beds and small landscape areas using the principles of floral harmony, balance
and color. The workshop takes the participants through a successive series of
training stages, from simple to advanced garden design planning techniques.
This is a comprehensive training class for advanced level gardeners who are
interested in learning to expand their garden design skills. It is recommended
that you have taken Garden Design 1-2-3 or have other garden design class
experience and understand of design concepts of plant layering, spatial balance
and axial symmetry. Master Gardeners will receive credit for twelve education
hours for attending this 3 day workshop. Contact Linda Smith at 248-858-0887
UP Smart Gardening Conference, Oct. 4
Learn to create
edible landscapes, Ramada Inn, 412 W. Washington St., Marquette, MI
Gardening
enthusiasts and those interested in learning more about this type of gardening
should consider attending this year’s UP Smart Gardening Conference – Edible
Landscaping with Smart Gardening on Oct. 4. This is a one-day conference full
of great speakers, a garden marketplace, door prizes and lunch. The early bird
registration fee is good until Aug. 30. Plan now to attend and avoid a fee
increase. Register online for the early bird reduced fee. http://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?folder=UPSmartGardeningConference
Cost: Early
registration fee of $60.00 per participant by August 29th Late
registration fee of $70.00 from Aug. 30th to Oct. 2nd . Walk in
registration fee of $80.00 (Includes lunch, refreshments, door prizes,
handouts)
Kent/MSU Extension Grand Ideas Garden
10th anniversary celebration Saturday, October 4at 5:00pm
775 Ball Ave NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
WOW!! Ten Years
Old!! Join the merriment and celebration of the tenth anniversary of the MSU
Extension Grand Ideas Garden at our annual fund raising auction! Open to everyone-bring your friends. Auction
items include new plants, garden tools and gadgets, beautiful local art,
pottery, services and so much more.
This event is sure
to please with great food, live music and “competitively fun” bidding. Get
involved in the bidding excitement as we raise money to support the ongoing
mission of the Grand Ideas Garden—one of Kent County’s hidden treasures!
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
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