February 24,
2015 Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim
Willis
Hi Gardeners
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| Dogwood blooming at Gettysburg. Credit:Flickr.com 4989 |
Aren’t you ready for
spring? This cold weather is really
getting crazy. The wind today makes it
feel much worse than yesterday when it was actually colder. Looking ahead at
long range weather forecasts I see that there is supposed to be a return to
normal late winter weather by the weekend.
Let’s just hope it continues after that.
Really long range forecasts are calling for April to be warmer than
normal and I think we deserve that.
I put in an article about
growing forsythia this week because it’s blooming really says spring to
me. But last spring the only place the
forsythia bloomed here was down along the bottom of the plants where the limbs
were covered with snow most of the winter.
We have had even more bitter cold weather this winter so I am wondering
how much forsythia I’ll even see. I’m
glad I have pictures.
It’s hard to believe that
this winter is going down in the books for being the second warmest winter on
record if you average the whole US into the picture. Just the Northeast corner of the country is
getting this brutal cold although it got cold really far south this past week. Why us?
I guess it could be worse; Boston has cold and deep snow.
I can hardly keep the wild
birds fed. They were going through the
sunflower seed in the feeder in the backyard so fast last week that I bought a
second feeder for out there because I saw one on sale. I wanted to make fewer trips out to the
feeders. Now there were two feeders in
the same place but do you think that saved me from going out in the cold so
often? Nope, it just allowed more birds
to get to the feeders and they emptied at the same time.
Thinking about start seeds inside? Some tips.
If you are like me you are
getting the urge to plant something. Many
of us start seeds inside about this time of year but remember you don’t want to
start your seeds too soon, because they will get lanky, stunted from small pots
and may not transplant well when the warm weather finally arrives. Wait another
month or so, (April), before starting things like tomatoes, eggplants and
peppers, unless you have a heated greenhouse and space for larger pots. It’s probably better to wait on fast maturing
annuals like marigolds too.
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| Seed geraniums. |
It’s the right time to start
some slower growing perennial flowers or early blooming annuals like violas, pansies, sweet peas, lavender,
hollyhocks, coleus, petunias, dahlias from seed, coreopsis, seed geraniums,
verbena, Echinacea, dianthus, and so on if you have the right conditions. Any annual that takes more than 10 weeks to
start blooming or any perennials that aren’t fussy about transplanting are
candidates for an early start.
You can also pot up stored
summer bulbs, like calla’s, dahlia’s, canna, and tuberous begonias (if those
haven’t been started already.) If you
stored these in pots of soil and have them in a room above 50 degrees they may
just need a bit of water to get growing.
Before you try to start
seeds or get bulbs growing make sure you have a warm place for them to grow. Inside the house will work better than an
unheated greenhouse right now. Once you
have the seeds germinated or bulbs putting up shoots you’ll need a bright,
moderately warm place (55-75 degrees F.) for most of them to grow. Southern windowsills may allow enough light-
but with the weather we are having spots next to windows may be too cold. You may need a grow light fixture to provide
light away from windows. These need to
be about 18 inches above the tops of seedlings.
On the other hand, if you
keep your house above 75 degrees all the time it may too warm for a few plants,
like sweet peas to do well. Make sure
you know the cultural requirements of the plants you are starting from seed and
whether you can provide the right conditions at this time of year. If you have
a greenhouse or even a room where you can control the temperature and light
conditions you may be ready to start almost anything. For most plants a day temperature of about 75
degrees F. and a night temperature of 55 degrees F. would work well.
Unheated greenhouses are
risky because of the wide swing in temperatures that can happen early in
spring. A cooler period at night (55
degrees) can be helpful in keeping plants short and stocky but swings from 85
degrees or more in the daytime sun and below 40 degrees at night will quickly
kill many seedlings. By the middle of
April in zone 5 we are usually warm enough so that unheated
greenhouse or spaces can be used for starting most plants.
Unheated greenhouses or even
cold frames can be used to start lettuce, peas, violas and pansies as soon as
nighttime temps in the structures stay above freezing. You’ll need to make certain that these are
well ventilated on sunny days so the temps don’t get too high inside. Other plants may be started in these when
night temps inside them stay above 45 degrees.
To avoid fungal diseases,
use soil-less potting mix to start seeds, not garden soil or compost. There’s
been new research published that says fluoride in city water can harm plants. Water your seedlings with distilled water,
rain water or melted snow, or well water that hasn’t passed through a water
softener, which may add salts. The water
should be barely warm to your touch. Let
the soil surface dry slightly between watering.
Make sure the containers that seedlings are in drain quickly.
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| Velcro® Brand Peel Away™ Pots used for starting sage. |
Don’t give too much
fertilizer to seedlings and started bulbs. You want plants to grow slowly
inside anyway. Remember plants can make most of their own food from sunlight.
Some planting mixes have slow release fertilizer added to them; these don’t
require any fertilization unless the plants are in them longer than 3
months. If the potting mix doesn’t have fertilizer
or you are starting bulbs in containers from last year you can add a small
amount of fertilizer to the water for the plants. Dilute it to about half the recommended rate
and feed every other watering. If the
plants have deep green coloring and seem to be growing well you may not even
need fertilization.
It’s hard to wait when you
have the itch to garden but waiting until the time is best to start the plants
you want to grow results in healthier plants. Our weather and the conditions in
the place where we have space to start plants should dictate when to plant
seeds, not the calendar.
Red pepper can help you lose weight
A study done at Purdue
University and published in Physiology
& Behavior in 2011, found
that just a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes sprinkled over your food can aid
dieters by curbing their appetite, making them feel full faster and may make
them actually burn calories faster and more efficiently. Now a new study, presented by Dr. Baskaran
Thyagarajan, University of Wyoming at the Biophysical Society's 59th Annual
Meeting in Baltimore, Md. in February, 2015 confirms that capsaicin, an ingredient in red pepper aides weight
loss.
The researchers in the first
study used dried, ground cayenne red pepper that you find in any grocery. The
research found that people who weren’t used to spicy foods got better
results. The pepper reduced cravings for
sweet and salty foods. Dieters who used
red pepper flakes on their meals lost more weight than a control group. The researchers noted that consuming the red
pepper in capsule form did not work; it’s the taste in the mouth that works to
curb appetite.
In the more recent study
laboratory trials on mice eating a high fat diet found that capsaicin caused
brown fat cells, those that burn energy instead of storing it, to work better
and prevented the mice from becoming obese.
Dr. Thyagarajan is working to develop a slow release capsaicin product
that will keep dieters burning fat for longer periods.
And red grapes burn fat too
Another study done by Oregon
State University (The Journal of
Nutritional Biochemistry, 2015) found that consuming red grapes, red wine or
red grape juice also helped your body burn fat.
This time the helpful ingredient is ellagic acid, which boosts fat
burning in the liver and lowers circulating blood sugars. Fat in the liver is
especially dangerous and can cause diabetes and other problems. People who have
fatty livers usually also have abdominal fat and general obesity.
Researchers used an extract
of Muscadine grapes in their study, but said that any dark red or purple grapes
would work. They suggest a cup and a
half of whole dark grapes a day, or a small glass of unsweetened dark grape
juice or red wine daily to help regulate blood sugar and keep your body burning
fat efficiently.
Pretty but edible- make your plants do double duty
Want to have your garden and
eat it too? If you are a gardener without a lot of space you may want to
consider plants that can do double duty.
These are plants that are attractive to look at but are also useful in
the kitchen. If you have no room for a vegetable garden, consider incorporating
some vegetables and herbs into your flower beds.
A lovely border to flower beds can be made by
leaf lettuces, mixed in a variety of colors or woven into a pattern of red and
green varieties. Compact, globe shaped
bush basil also makes an excellent border.
Good varieties include ‘Minette’ and ‘Pistou’. Many types of tall basil
have wonderfully colored leaves and delightful scents. These can be added to borders or even grown in
containers. Try ‘Red Rubin’ with deep purple red leaves and strong basil flavor.
Both basil and lettuce are
annual plants. For a perennial border
that does double duty, consider using one of the many varieties of thyme. Lemon thyme with variegated leaves is
especially pretty and goes well with chicken and fish dishes.
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| Oregano Zorba Red. |
Oregano varieties with
larger and more colorful flowers are now on the market and are another
excellent plant for perennial beds. It also is loved by bees and makes an
excellent plant in a pollinator garden. Fernleaf dill will lend its feathery
leaves for an airy accent in the border or in your favorite pickle recipe. Dill is also used in a variety of sauces and
salads. ‘Redbor’ kale survives frost and has beautiful curly leaves of deep
maroon, excellent in the garden or as a garnish, salad, or cooked.
Rosemary is a delightful
plant for mixed flowerbeds, especially in sandy soil. It has narrow evergreen leaves on a plant
that eventually forms a small shrub if brought inside to winter and returned
outside after frost danger has passed.
In the summer the plants have tiny blue or white blooms that are
attractive to bees. And rosemary is excellent sprinkled on bread before baking,
or on chicken or fish dishes.
Swiss Chard is an excellent
source of vitamins A and C and tasty cooked or raw. It can also be quite ornamental.
The clumps of dark green, wrinkled leaves are carried on long stalks that can
be a number of vibrant colors in the variety ‘Bright Lights’ or deep ruby red
in the variety known as ‘Rhubarb’.
Speaking of rhubarb, this
plant can be quite ornamental. The clumps of large leaves are impressive in the
back of the border but the plant also blooms with long stalks of fluffy white
flowers in summer. You can harvest leaf
stalks of the plant for pie and still have an impressive garden plant.
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| Rhubarb in bloom. |
Another large border plant
that’s pretty and edible is okra.
Placed in the back of the bed the tall stalks will produce large
hibiscus–like flowers of pale yellow that will turn into seed pods to be used
in your favorite recipes. ‘Little Lucy’ is a striking smaller okra variety with
red veined foliage, deep red stems, maroon and yellow flowers and it still produces tasty okra pods.
Chives give you neat clumps
of narrow foliage and pretty purple globe flowers in spring. They taste excellent minced into scrambled eggs
and salads too. Nasturtiums have
colorful flowers with a spicy taste, leaves and flowers are excellent for
salads. They come in bush and trailing
varieties, and can be used in containers.
Many of the ornamental
pepper plants have fruit that is too hot for most gardeners taste. But ‘Sweet Pickle’ has clusters of long
tapered fruit in colors of red, yellow, purple and orange on the same plant and
its sweet enough for pickles or salads.
If you like a medium hot pepper ‘Marbles’ will give you small round
fruit in the same range of colors. Peppers make colorful container plants too.
For a unique hanging basket
why not try a pepper plant? ‘Mohawk’ has sweet, small bell peppers that turn
orange when ripe or that can be picked green and a beautiful shape for baskets.
In mixed containers the small peppers mentioned above work great combined with
leaf lettuce and basil.
For a vertical accent try
some pole beans. ‘Scarlet Runner’ beans
have scarlet flowers, ‘Sunset Runner’ has salmon pink flowers, ‘Painted Lady’
has red and white blooms. All of these
climbing beans will produce flowers for a long time if the beans are kept
picked off and eaten as snap beans while they are young and tender. Purple Hyacinth Beans are also very
ornamental but the beans shouldn’t be eaten as they are poisonous.
‘Tumbling Tom’ is a cherry
tomato that will grow well in a hanging basket.
There is a red and a yellow variety. Several other cherry tomatoes also
do well in baskets or containers. A
patch of sun and a basket of cherry tomatoes will keep you munching from
mid-summer to frost.
Strawberries will also grow
in containers and hanging baskets.
Choose everbearing varieties for flowers and fruit all summer. Strawberries grown in hanging baskets won’t
survive the winter but some may survive in large, thick walled containers.
Strawberries can also be used to border flower beds, but be aware that they
will spread through the bed if allowed.
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| Borage is another ornamental herb. |
For large containers there
are several very attractive dwarf blueberries now on the market. These dwarf blueberries also make good
additions to the landscape, even in mixed perennial borders. The attractive
foliage can provide beautiful fall color and stays green all winter, and you
can pick lots of small blueberries off the plants in summer.
An eggplant ‘Fairy Tale’ is
a dwarf plant with lovely lavender flowers and long slender fruit of rosy
purple streaked with white. “Twinkle’ is similar in color and size but the
fruit is round. ‘Red Giant’ Mustard with
deep red foliage and delicious mild flavor survives frost and is an excellent
addition to pots of pansies in spring or mums in the fall.
Cilantro and moss leaved
parsley can be tucked into containers of flowers. Strawberry spinach, chenopodium capitatum, is
a relatively new plant on the North American market. It has triangular leaves
that are eaten like spinach when young and attractive ruby red berries later in
the summer that have a nutty taste. A
beet grown for its tasty tender leaves instead of roots, ‘MacGregor’s
Favorite’, is also known for its long, shiny purple leaves that are stunning as
accents in containers.
Don’t spray pesticides or
use systemic pesticides on plants that are going to be eaten or even on nearby
plants. Some ornamental varieties of
herbs and vegetables don’t have the same flavor as the same herb or vegetable
in a plainer version so choose carefully.
Growing Forsythia
Forsythia is one of those
rare plants that are most often referred to by the Latin name,
(forsythia,). The golden flowers of
forsythia signify that spring is here. This
cheerful shrub is native to Europe and Eastern Asia but hardy and easy to grow.
Forsythia is used in foundation plantings, as specimen plants, in perennial
borders and as hedges. The smaller
varieties blend well in larger perennial beds.
Forsythia blooms are edible and are sometimes used in spring
salads.
As spring arrives a line of
gold moves from south to north. The
yellow, four petal forsythia flowers open before the plant leafs out in the spring. Forsythia has narrow, dark green leaves with
a lighter underside, and a serrated edge.
There are also variegated and golden leaved varieties.
Here are some varieties of
forsythia that gardeners may want to try.
‘Lynwood Gold’ and ‘Spectabilis’ are two of the oldest
varieties of forsythia. Both are large
shrubs, up to 6 foot tall, with arching stems of golden flowers. ‘Karl
Sax’ has large, deep golden flowers with a bushier, more horizontal growth
habit. ‘Northern Sun’ is a variety developed in Canada whose buds are
hardy to zone 4 or less.
For smaller, more compact
forsythias try ‘Golden Peep’, which
grows to about 3’ and has a rounded growth habit, or ‘Goldilocks’ only about 30 inches high with blooms that cover the
stems totally. ‘Gold Tide’ has light lemon yellow flowers and is a groundcover
about 2 feet high. Another dwarf
variety is ‘Citrus Swizzle’, which is
not only small, 1 foot high by 3 feet wide, but has leaves edged in yellow as
well as golden flowers. ‘Golden Times’ is a true gem. It has golden yellow flowers on a moderately
sized plant, but it also has leaves that open in shades of red and pink which
mature to purple and in fall change to a glowing purple-pink.
Forsythia is purchased as a
plant. It transplants best in the spring
but can also be planted in the fall.
Forsythia will grow in any garden soil from zone 4-8 as long as it is
well drained. In zone 4 forsythia buds
are sometimes killed by winter cold, but the plant will not be harmed. For the best flowers, forsythia should be
planted in full sun, but it will tolerate part shade. Deer love forsythia, and
if the branch ends are nibbled in the winter you will not have flowers. You may want to protect your plants with
netting or fencing.
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| Forsythia in all its glory. Credit: commons.wikimedia.org |
Forsythia seldom needs to be
fertilized and only needs to be watered during periods of extreme drought. In
most areas forsythia is a robust grower and spreads rapidly. Forsythia looks
best when allowed to develop its natural, gently arching shape, but can be
pruned into a hedge.
If pruning is needed, prune
forsythia immediately after flowering.
Thin out some of the older growth and trim the plant back to the size
you prefer. If the plant is overgrown
and you need to drastically reduce the size, you can prune it at any time quite
severely and the plant will recover. However, you will lose much of the flowers
for the next year. Keeping forsythia sheared as a hedge will also remove some
of next year’s flowers. Most varieties
set flower buds far down the stems so some flowers may remain even when the
plant is sheared.
Forsythia roots easily from
cuttings taken in early spring just after flowering. Branches brought into the house as floral
arrangements sometimes even root in the water.
Forsythia can also be propagated by burying a lower branch in soil and
weighing it down, leaving the tip of the branch exposed. After a few months the plant should have
developed roots along the buried portion, and can be severed from the parent
plant and transplanted.
Some gardeners consider
forsythia old fashioned and too large to grow in small gardens. Don’t be a garden snob, there are many
smaller varieties of forsythia for smaller gardens and spring isn’t here until
they bloom.
Twenty–five days to spring!
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
More Information
This was sent to me by the Garden Media Group in hopes that I would
pass it along, so here it is.
Bee
the Solution
Bees are responsible for one out of every three bites of
food we eat.
European honey bees may be the best known and widely managed
pollinators, but there are hundreds of native bees that can help the challenged
honey bees.
While saving honey bees is important, their primary job is
to make honey.
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| Bee on catnip. |
Honey bees make honey. Mason bees make food.
Gentle, solitary mason bees are the super pollinators. Their only job is to pollinate vegetables,
fruits, nuts and flowers – not make honey.
More importantly, easy-to-raise mason bees are vastly more
effective at pollinating than honey bees. You need 25,000 honey bees to
pollinate 100 fruit trees. The same work can be done by only 400 mason bees.
Working together, mason bees and honey bees can secure that
we all have enough food to eat.
To protect our food supply and ensure that farmers have
abundant pollinators for their crops in the future, we must increase the
population of all native bees.
Crown Bees is on a mission to expand the use of native bees
by building a network of “Bee Boosters” that raises, harvests and shares millions
of gentle bees in backyards, communities and farms across North America. Crown Bees, http://crownbees.com/
Our goal is to take the pressure off honey bees, increase
awareness of gentle, rarely-stinging native bees and diversify the bees that
pollinate our food.
Most of us understand the value of creating gardens and
habitats to support pollinators. But that is only the first step.
We invite you to join our Bee Booster network to raise,
harvest and share these gentle bees. Here’s what you can do:
1. Put up a Crown Bee house for mason bees to build a nest
and lay eggs. It’s as easy as hanging a bird feeder. No special suit or
expensive equipment is required, as with honey beekeeping.
2. Donate Crown Bee houses to community gardens, public
parks, zoos, botanical gardens, and local farmers to increase native
pollinators. These gentle bees rarely sting, making them perfect for backyards
and public spaces.
3. Share links on social media about mason bees and how they
ensure food security. Use #BeeBoosters #MasonBees @CrownBees
4. Donate to our campaign. In order to get our network
buzzing, we will launch a crowfunding campaign on Indiegogo Wed., March 18 to
fund the redesign of Bee with Me, a social network that connects and maps Bee
Boosters across the country. Our goal is to raise $100,000 by Friday, May 1.
With your help, we can dramatically increase the number of
mason bees beyond our own backyards.
Pay
It Forward
We need more mason bees to supplement the troubled honey
bees.
Not all of us are willing or able to raise mason bees, but
everyone who eats has a responsibility to help protect our food supply.
What makes Crown Bees the most effective solution? We aren’t
just providing houses for mason bees. We are building a sustainable network of
Bee Boosters who raise, harvest and share mason bees.
It’s easy to do and takes only a few hours of care each
year. Just hang a Crown Bee house, like you would a bird feeder. At the end of
the season, harvest the sleeping mason bee cocoons and share the bounty. You
can save them for next spring, give them to a friend or send them to Crown
Bees. We will rehome your bees with other gardeners and farmers who need them.
Together, we can expand the number of native bees vital for
protecting our food supply.
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. Kimwillis151@gmail.com
Attention Beekeepers!!! We are looking for individuals to
participate with a state-wide apiary registry. We are currently developing the
website/database for this project and we are looking for beekeepers who will
come in on the ground floor of this project and help us get it launched. Not
asking for any money, only your time and/or input. Please send us an e-mail if
you are interested in helping the bees or want to know more.
In specific, we are
looking for people with beekeeping experience to be board members for the
organization, inspectors for different areas around Michigan and volunteers to
help us get the word out at different clubs, festivals, etc. Please consider
helping us and the bees too! Visit our website and let us know if you can help!
www.MichiganApiaryRegistry.org
Starting Seeds Indoors Tue, March 3, 1pm, Spicer House, Farmington
Hills, MI,
Give your gardens a
better start by starting seeds indoors. Sponsored by Farmington Garden Club. For more info contact 248-477-3854, fgc1932@gmail.com.
ABC’s of Growing Herbs Sat, March 7, 1pm, all locations of
English Gardens, see below.
Herbs are easy to
grow in your garden & do wonders for enhancing your meals. Get tips on the best
varieties. Class is free.
Sign up in-store or
on-line: www.EnglishGardens.com. Locations:
Ann Arbor, Maple Village Shopping Center, 155 N. Maple Rd., Ann Arbor,
Phone: (734) 332-7900, Clinton Township, 44850 Garfield Rd. at Hall Rd.,
Clinton Twp., MI, Phone: (586) 286-6100, Dearborn Heights, 22650 Ford Rd.,
Dearborn Heights, MI Nursery: (313)
278-4433, Eastpointe, 22501 Kelly Rd., Eastpointe, MI, Phone: (586) 771-4200,
Royal Oak, 4901 Coolidge Hwy, Royal Oak, MI , Phone: (248) 280-9500, West
Bloomfield, 6370 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield, MI, Phone: (248) 851-7506
Wonderful World & Folklore of
Cabbage, Thursday, March 12, 7pm, Kulick Community Ctr., Ferndale, MI
Sponsored by the
Ferndale Garden Club and presented by Virginia Froehlich. Guests are welcome. For more information call 248-398-6283.
7th Annual Growing Great Gardens, Sat, March 14, 8am-4pm, Wayne Co.
Community College, 21000 Northline, Taylor, MI
Presented in
partnership with the Taylor Garden Club, Taylor Conservatory Foundation and
Wayne County Community College District, this garden seminar features 4
presentations, the latest in garden trends, door prizes, lunch, shopping &
more. Cost is $35 before Mar 2, $45
after. Sign up for a bonus class with
Janet Macunovich, “Lunch & Learn- Fine Pruning in the Landscape”, just $10
additional. Registration Forms
@taylorconservatory.org Or @taylorgardenclub.com or email pk48180@yahoo.com Or phone
313-715-8316
Great Lakes Region American Hosta
Society / Hosta College 2015, Friday evening, March 20th and Saturday March 21st , Upper Valley Career Center, 8811
Career Drive, Piqua, Ohio.
At this conference
there is a rare plant auction starting at 6 pm Friday evening and on Saturday,
beginning at 8 am participants will attend 5 classes from a list of 70 to
choose from. There is a big vendor’s
area and a buffet luncheon is included.
In the evening there is a banquet.
Cost is $42 for members, $55 for non-members.
Further
information: http://www.ihostohio.org/portal/glhc/
To register http://www.ihostohio.org/portal/glhc/
17th Annual Conference ASSOCIATION OF
PROFESSIONAL GARDENERS Saturday, March 7, 2015, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Waldenwoods Banquet and Conference Center, 2975 Old US-23, Hartland MI.
Drawing Inspiration from Japanese
Garden Design
Our Guest Presenter for the day will be Greg Afman,
Head Horticulturist for the Japanese Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand
Rapids, Michigan. This phenomenal new garden will debut in June 2015, and as
part of his presentation, Greg will share a first-hand review of its progress. Greg is a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and
engaging speaker, whom we discovered last August, when he led APG members on a
tour of the future Japanese Garden.
His presentations
will cover:
The Evolution of the
Japanese Garden
Applying Japanese
Aesthetics to your Garden - This presentation conveys how Japanese design
principles are universally applicable to all gardens especially here in
Michigan.
Create Your Own
Bonsai Planter - In the afternoon Greg will facilitate a hands-on workshop, in
which all Conference attendees will create and take home their own Bonsai. All materials will be supplied with the
exception of wire cutters and a small pair of scissors or pruners, which we ask
you to bring.
Cost: APG Member
$60; Non-member $80. Includes Continental breakfast, lunch, conference materials,
and workshop supplies. Registration Deadline: Friday, February 20, 2015.
Seating is limited, so please register early! Registration at link below or
call/email Sue Grubba, president, (248) 535-4940, or suegrubba@sbcglobal.net
Bringing Birds & Bees Through the
Use of Native Plants Fri, February 27, 10-11:30am Meadow Brook Hall, Rochester,
MI,
Laura Zigmanth
shares what native plants bring in butterflies & native bees. Sponsored By
Meadow Brook GC. Cost: $5. Coffee at
9:15. For more information call 248‑364‑6210.
Never Stop Growing Tue, March 3, 2015, Ypsilanti
District Library, Ypsilanti, MI
Join Garden A to
Z.com's Janet Macunovich for tips on gardening as the years add up. Part of a new series. Call 734-482-4110 for more information.
Backyard Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop Saturday morning, March 28, 2015
from 10am to 12:30pm, Greater Holy Temple C.O.G.I.C. , 6702 N. Dort Hwy, Flint,
MI
Bob Tritten, MSUE
District Fruit Educator will give an outdoor demonstration workshop at two
community orchards. We will also visit the Uni-Corn Community Garden to cover
pruning of older fruit trees. Participants will learn the basic methods of
pruning young and bearing fruit trees. Pre-registration required by 3/25/15. Workshop
to be held rain or shine (walking required)
Contact: Deb
Hamilton at 810-244-8547 or email: hamiltod@anr.msu.edu Cost per person: $10.00 Make check payable to edible
flint Mail to: MSU Extension, 605 N. Saginaw Street, Suite 1A, Flint, MI
48502. Please include NAME, ADDRESS,
PHONE # AND EMAIL ADDRESS.
Spring 2015 Symposium by the Master
Gardeners of St. Clair County, Saturday, March 21, 2015 - 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Cornerstone Church, 4025 North Road, Clyde,
MI 48049 - (Two miles west of Port Huron, MI)
Keynote speaker
Sean Hogan Portland,
OR. Cistus Nursery. Class topics:
Richard Bitner- “Designing with Conifers”,
Panayoti Kelaidis, “Rockgardens”,
Susan Betz: “Magical Moons &
Seasonal Circles”, Sean Hogan: “More Than Meets the Eye”.
Early bird
registration: $80.00, includes all speakers, continental breakfast, lunch, and
snack break. Late registration,(after February 20, 2015), $90.00. Make check
payable to MGSCC (Master Gardeners of St. Clair County) Checks or money orders
only, to be cashed upon arrival in the mail – no refunds can be made after
February 20.
Mail registration
to: Sandy Billings, 99 Richman Rd., St. Clair, MI 48079, call Sandy at (810)
367-3399; E-mail: sanderan51@yahoo.com or Lisa Sharrow at (810) 329-3722. More
information and Registration forms are also online at www.mgoscc.org
The MSU Hort Club 2015 Spring Show
and Plant Sale Saturday April 18th 2014, 9am-6pm and Sunday April
19th 2014, 10am- 4pm located in the head house of the Plant and Soil Sciences
Building (PSS) at Michigan State University, 1600 Bogue St, East Lansing (located
on the corner of Wilson and Bogue.)
No information is
given about what the show entails or whether there is a fee to enter but if you
want to see the list of plants they are selling you can go here.
There is parking in
the 4H Children’s garden parking lot just south of the PSS bldg, in the vet med
lot across Bogue and the Horticulture Department lot to the west of PSS.
(*Note: locations are marked on the map with 'Parking') Be sure to read parking
signs as parking tickets are common on MSU's campus. Please enter through
either the south door of the head house or through the greenhouses.
MSU Horticulture Gardens’ Spring
Program: Can You Dig It?, May 2, 2015 8
a.m. - 4 p.m., Plant and Soil
Sciences Building, 1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI
Sessions include: Woodland wonders from the wild, Art
of Gardening, Joy of Propagation,
Cultivating the recipe garden, lunch from Grand Traverse Pie Company
included. Rare plant sales. Early registration (on or before April 21)
for MSU Horticulture Garden Member $69 Early registration (on or before April
21) for non-MSU Horticulture Garden Member $79 Registrations received after
April 21 $89
Register
online: http://events.anr.msu.edu/register.cfm?eventID=F981110CAB81205F®isProcessID=78A6375F6399E682
Contact:
517-353-0443, hgardens@msu.edu.
Gardening and All That Jazz –
Innovation and Sustainability For Your Garden, Saturday, April 25, 2015 – 7 am –
4:15 pm, Oakland Schools Conference Center 2111 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford
Sessions
include: Will Allen – Growing Power and the Good Food Revolution: A visual
story of how Growing Power came to be and of Will Allen’s personal journey, the
lives he has touched, and a grassroots movement that is changing the way our
nation eats., Will Allen – How To Put “Growing Power” in Your Backyard: How to
make your own compost bin, outdoor and indoor worm bins and raised beds.
Matthew Benson – Growing Beautiful Food: Cultivating the Incredible, Edible
Garden - Kerry Ann Mendez – Gardening Simplified for Changing Lifestyle:
Exceptional Plants and Design Solutions for Aging and Time-pressed Gardeners
Lunch and snacks
included in cost. Garden marketplace and
jazz musicians. Early Bloomers Registration Fee: $70 After March 14, 2015 Fee:
$80 Registration at the door is not available. Registration Deadline:
Wednesday, April 20, 2015 Registr by
going to http://www.mgsoc.org/2015Conference_registration.pdf
For more info: Nancy Strodl, Phone:
248-552-5095, E-mail: nancy_strodl@comcast.net
Horticultural Therapy: Connecting
People and Plants-March 13, 2015 - March 14, 2015 Plant and Soil Sciences
Building, 1066 Bogue St., East Lansing, MI 48824
The Michigan
Horticultural Therapy Association is excited to present two events 36th Annual
Conference ‒ Friday, March 13, 8:30 a.m. ‒ 4 p.m. and a workshop ‒ Saturday, March
14, 8:30 a.m. ‒ 12:30 p.m. in conjunction with Agriculture and Natural
Resources Week at Michigan State University. Join us for presentations,
networking, vendors, books sales and more as we learn more about using
horticulture as therapy.
For complete program
and registration information, go to www.michiganhta.org or contact Cathy Flinton at cathy@michiganhta.org.
Michigan Herb Associates Annual
Conference- March 13, 2015 - March 14, 2015 Eppley Center and Business College
Complex/Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, MSU Campus, East Lansing MI.
The theme of the
28th annual Michigan Herb Associates (MHA) Conference is “Sensational Savory.”
The Michigan State University (MSU) Department of Horticulture and Michigan
Herb Associates sponsor the conference. The two-day MHA conference is filled
with programs of interest to beginning and advanced herb gardeners and crafters
who enjoy growing and using herbs as a hobby.
Lectures and
demonstrations will take place at the Eppley Center and Business College
Complex. A market of vendors will offer herbal plants and topiaries, herbal
food-related items, decorative garden ornaments and jewelry, and many other
gift items. MHA will have a small gift shop along with speaker book sales and
signings. A live plant auction will take place Friday and Saturday.
Organic Farming Intensives Initiative
Classes March 12, 2015 - 9 am- 4 pm - Michigan State University, Brody Complex, East
Lansing MI.
The Organic Farming
Intensives Initiative will offer three to four all-day classes of single topics
with a focus on organic farming. Possible topics include vegetable production,
fruit tree management, soil health, transplants, pest management, farm-plan
building and organic certification.
For more
information, contact Vicki Morrone at sorrone@msu.edu or 517-282-3557. To learn more about
the Organic Farming Exchange, visit http://www.michiganorganic.msu.edu/.
Michigan Beekeepers Association
Spring Conference Friday, March 13, 2015 and Saturday, March 14, 2015 at the
Kellogg Center on the Michigan State University campus, East Lansing, Mi.
There will be
break-out sessions on both days covering a wide range of topics that should be
of interest for both the beginner and advanced beekeeper alike. And, of course, the ever-popular vendor area
will be back so that you can see all of the latest beekeeping equipment in one
place. Also, this year we will be
expanding the vendors to include a “beekeeping” trade show. The trade show will feature major
manufacturers of beekeeping equipment and gear.
Here will be your opportunity to see what’s new in the beekeeping world
and meet the folks who actually make your stuff!
Pre-registration is
available on-line and we encourage all attendees to do so. When you pre-register you get a discount
too! We encourage all conference
attendees to pre-register. If you
pre-pay when you pre-register, your conference material will be available for
immediate pick-up… no waiting in line.
For more information go to http://www.michiganbees.org/2015-spring-conference/
MSU Tollgate Maple Tapping and
Pancake Celebration March 15, 2015-10 a.m. - 12 p.m. or 1 - 3 p.m. 28115 Meadowbrook Rd, Novi, MI,
Celebrate
the Maple Tapping Season with Pancakes at MSU Tollgate! With a full-on pancake
breakfast or lunch!
Identify
and tap a maple tree, tour the sugar shack with ongoing evaporation, take a
wagon ride, taste maple syrup, and tackle historical tools! Prior to the 2-hour
program, enjoy a pancake celebration in the historic, 19th-century barn.
Pancakes, coffee, cocoa, and of course, real maple syrup will be provided!
Eat your
fill of yummy food and grab a cup of coffee 9 - 10 a.m. before your 2-hour
program. Enjoy entertainment in the 19th century barn while you eat and relax.
Need to
sleep in? Join us at 12 p.m. for a pancake lunch before heading out to the
sugar bush at 1 p.m.
Cost is
$12.00 per person. If cancellations are needed, please do so before March 11,
2015, to avoid cancellation fee of $5 per person registered.
The last
day to register online is March 11, 2015.
Grand Rapids Smart Gardening
Conference March 7, 2015- 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monroe Meeting Rooms DeVos Place, Grand Rapids,
Michigan
Classes include: “Smart Design of the Living
Landscape-Putting back the Layers”, Rick Darke, “Tapping the Smart Gardener’s
Work Force—Predators, Parasitoids and Pollinators!”, Elly Maxwell, Entomologist,
Dow Gardens, Vegetable Potpourri for the Smart Gardener”, Rebecca Krans, “Grow
More with Less-a Smart Approach to Gardening!”, Vincent Simeone Horticulturist,
Author, Lecturer, Oyster Bay, New York.
Cost: Early Bird Registration by Feb. 13 - $59 Late Registration - $70 Must pre-register. Enrollment
deadline is Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 or until full. More info and online
registration http://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?folder=smartgardening2015 or
Contact: finneran@msu.edu, 616-632-7865
28th ANNUAL MICHIGAN WILDFLOWER
CONFERENCE- Sunday
March 8 and Monday March 9, 2015- Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center , MSU
campus, East Lansing MI.
$65 for one
day, $120 for both until 2/25/2015, after that $75 and $140. WAM membership required, add $15. Laura Liebler, Registrar Phone:
734.662.2206
MSU offered a variety of on line
seminars for those who were interested in beginning farming topics of various
types. Some of those are now available
free to watch at the address below.
Gardeners may be interested in topics like organic pest control. Get the list of topics and links here.
Conifer Propagation Seminar at Hidden Lake
Gardens, March 7, 2015 – 9am – 4pm, 6214 Monroe Road (M-50),Tipton, MI
Join us
as we share what we know about some of the rare plants of the Harper Collection
of Dwarf and Rare Conifers. Now condensed into one day!
Learn
the art and science of making more conifers (cone-bearing plants). Staff and
volunteers will share their extensive knowledge and experience on the nuances
of propagation. Seminar includes:
Hands-on
grafting of 6 different plants*
Cuttings
of at least 16 plants*
Lunch,
and
Tour of
Harper Collection or propagation facility
*
Species will likely include Thuja, Juniperus, Pinus, Picea, and Abies.
Extensive care instructions provided.
Designed
for the beginning propagator, this seminar will share techniques even
experienced propagators will appreciate. Advance registration is required, but
experience is not.
Cost:
$100 per person early registration ($90 per person for Friends of HLG) $125 per
person after Feb 21. Registration is limited and will close on March 1st.
Registration is required. Hidden Lake Gardens - www.HiddenLakeGardens.msu.edu (517)
431-2060
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
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You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any
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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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