March 17,
2015 Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim
Willis
Hello Gardeners
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| Happy St. Patrick's Day |
It’s a beautiful day even if
the wind is strong. It looks like our
weather is going to get a little cooler, but not terribly so. On this date last year the temp fell to -2
overnight. I hope you have had a chance to
examine your gardens and see what looks bad, what has animal damage and what
looks like it might be starting to come up. I have just a few bulbs peeking
through and some day lilies are also coming up.
I have green grass showing actually.
Besides the deer damage to my evergreens I spoke of last week, I have
some rabbit damage to an apple tree. I
hope the rabbit that chewed it was the one the cats dragged into the barn last
week.
I am happy to announce that
my lettuce has sprouted inside. I planted
a tub of it and it has come up quite well. It’s in the living room instead of
on the porch so the squirrels don’t eat it. I received my first mail order plant shipment
yesterday, two potted plants from Gurneys. The plants looked green, fully
leaved out and healthy but inside the box was an instruction sheet telling me
what to do with my “dormant” plants. If
I had been a novice gardener and popped these potted, growing plants into cold
storage they would have been very unhappy.
Instead I watered them and set them in a sunny windowsill.
The red winged blackbirds
and killdeer are back but I have yet to see a robin. I was privileged this week to see a pair of
osprey, beautiful big, birds. I don’t know if they were just passing through or
are going to stick around. I also got to
watch a red tailed hawk bringing his mate sticks in a mating ritual. My bird feeders only need to be filled every
2-3 days now instead of everyday. My chickens
are busy tilling the soil so I guess spring is finally coming.
Time to check those houseplants
As it gets warmer in those
sunny windows and plants begin putting out new growth, pots may dry out faster. You may now need to water more than once a
week, sometimes several times a week.
Keeping houseplants from getting too dry helps prevent insect problems
like spider mites, which like stressed plants.
If you have flowering
houseplants and patio plants over wintering inside you’ll need to begin fertilizing
them. Whether you want to fertilize foliage houseplants depends on whether you
want them to grow larger or not and whether they look healthy green or pale and
yellow. Because potted plants have a tendency to accumulate salts from the
fertilizer which will eventually burn their roots, only fertilize with every
other watering. Follow the directions on the fertilizer box for potted or houseplants
and don’t overdo it.
As the days get longer and
warmer it’s also a time when insect problems in houseplants and over wintering
plants may quickly escalate. Check your plants over carefully looking for fine
spider webs, tiny red insects (spider mites), tiny white flies that fly off the
plant when disturbed, sticky droplets and fat round bugs at plant tips (aphids),
sticky droplets and brown bumps on stems and leaves (scale) and white fluffy
looking clumps in leaf axils, (mealy bugs).
All of these damage and may even kill houseplants.
You can buy and use
houseplant insecticides if you like but if you use a spray take the plant to an
unused room or outside on a warm day to spray them so the spray isn’t dispersed
in the air and on surfaces in the house.
If you use systemic products that you mix in the water and pour on the
soil don’t let pets and kids eat the plants. You may not want to use systemics on flowering
plants you will be taking outside when it’s warmer because they may then poison
pollinators.
To avoid using insecticides move
each plant to a table under a bright light and carefully clean off scale, mealy
bugs, aphids and the like with a rag or paper towels dipped in a mild soap and
water mix. This takes a little time and some insects will be missed but it will
reduce populations to where plants may be able to handle the infestation until
you can move them outside and let nature help you. Giving plants a warm shower
can also help. Wrap the pots in a plastic bag tied around the stem or crown of
the plant. Set the plant in the shower
and turn the shower on with a light, mildly warm to the touch spray and give it
5 minutes or so per plant. This washes
some insects off, cleans the plant, increases humidity and generally makes the
plant “feel better” and when it feels better its better able to deal with
insects.
If you need to repot
houseplants or patio plants now is a good time to do it. You can work outside on the project when days
are above 50 degrees and it isn’t windy.
Just remember to bring the plants back inside before it gets colder.
Growing Chocolate Vines- Akebia quinata
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| Chocolate vine. Credit Jeff DeLong wikimedia |
Do you need a hardy vine for
a sunny or partly shaded spot that’s unusual?
Do you want something pretty that covers an eyesore or arbor quickly? Try
a Chocolate vine or as it’s sometimes called, Raisin vine or Five Leaf Akebia. Chocolate vines grow quickly, have sweet
smelling flowers and produce an edible, decorative fruit. They are hardy in planting zones 4-8. The plant is native to Japan and other parts
of Asia. There are several species in
cultivation. Named varieties include “Silver Bells”, “Violet” and “Purple Bouquet”.
Why this vine is called Chocolate
vine is unknown. The vine has leaves consisting
of 5 rounded leaflets. There is a variety with white variegated leaves but it
is hard to find. The vines can keep their leaves all winter in warmer zones but
usually shed them in the fall in colder zones.
In hard winters the vine can die back to the ground but will quickly
recover in spring. The vines can grow 40
feet in a year and quickly cover a trellis, fence or out building. They will grow in sun or partial shade.
Some southeastern states are
labeling the Chocolate vine as invasive, but in colder zones it is no more
invasive than wisteria or trumpet vine.
If you are a gardener who has either of those vines you can guess that
Chocolate vine is a vigorous grower and it is when it’s in a good spot. It can
spread by runners and will cover a lot of ground if unchecked but in northeastern
states it rarely spreads to the wild.
Vigorous pruning and keeping runners mowed or chopped down will contain
the plant. In northern zones plants
rarely propagate naturally by seed.
Chocolate vine flowers and fruit
Chocolate vine has tiny
flowers in mid-spring to early summer in dangling clusters. The sepals of the flowers look like petals and
can be white, pink, yellow and shades of purple. Older plants in full sun are
loaded with flowers in spring and quite attractive. Depending on the weather
and species chocolate vines can flower before leaves emerge or when the leaves
are still small. They have a sweet scent but its more lilies of the valley or
lilac smelling than chocolate. The smell
isn’t overpowering but will pleasantly scent a garden or yard.
If the flowers of Chocolate
vine get pollinized they turn into fat, sausage shaped blue or purple seed pods
about 5 inches long which are attractive on the vine. These ripen in late summer-early fall. The
pods are filled with a creamy white roll of thick jelly-like material studded
with tiny round black seeds. The jelly
is edible, but once again it doesn’t taste like chocolate. It’s the texture of
marshmallow or custard and is sweet but bland.
In Japan jelly is made from the pulp.
The pods are sometimes filled with rice and meat and deep fried.
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| Fruit pods of Chocolate vine. Credit Alpsdake, wikimedia commons |
Pollination of the Chocolate
vine can be a problem. Some gardeners get tons of fruit pods, others none. Bees don’t seem too interested in the plants.
It may be that beetles or some other insect pollinate the chocolate vine in
Japan. In the north the flowers may occur before many pollinators are out or be
frost damaged. It may also be that some plants are just more fruitful than
others.
While each Chocolate vine flower
has both male and female parts they don’t self-fertilize and at least two
plants are needed to get fruit. Many growers recommend two different varieties
or species for best pollination and offer two species in pairs to buyers. However
other growers feel that two plants, whether the same species or not will be
enough for pollination. If you aren’t
getting fruit pods it’s suggested that you can pollinate flowers with a paintbrush,
moving pollen from one plants flowers to another plant’s flowers.
Planting Chocolate vine
Chocolate vine will grow in
most places but prefers a light or sandy loam soil. Best flowering and fruiting
occurs in full sun but Chocolate vine will grow in partial or even full shade
in some cases. Indirect bright light
such as on the north side of buildings is fine.
Chocolate vine doesn’t need fertilization unless your soil is very
poor. It prefers moist but well drained
soil but can withstand dry periods.
Plant your Chocolate vine
next to a sturdy support as it can overwhelm and topple flimsy supports. The different vines needed for pollination
can be at least 20 feet apart perhaps more.
Some people have used Chocolate vines as a sprawling ground cover for preventing
erosion with great success.
Prune Chocolate vine after
it flowers if you want flowers and fruit pods.
You can prune it hard to keep it in bounds or shape it. If it gets too large and ungainly you can
prune it right back to the ground and it will recover quickly. Watch that Chocolate vine doesn’t climb into
trees as it can quickly smother them.
Chocolate vine has few pests
or diseases and deer and rabbits seem to leave them alone.
Propagating Chocolate vine
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| Akebia 'Silver Bells' Credit Alpsdake, wikimedia commons |
Chocolate vines are easily
propagated from soft new growth cuttings about 6 inches long, generally taken
in late spring- early summer. The seeds
can be saved from ripe pods but they must be planted immediately as they don’t
store well. Plant them in a fine potting
medium inside, in a warm area. They will
need to grow overwinter in a warm bright area.
This is probably why Chocolate vine does not spread well by seed in northern
areas as the seedlings would be killed by cold.
Medicinal uses of Chocolate vine
Akebia is used in
Chinese/Japanese herbal medicines as a diuretic and to increase the milk flow
in nursing mothers. For this purpose
stems are chopped in fine pieces, dried and powdered then used in teas and decoctions.
Sources for Chocolate Vine
Thinking outside the box- or flower pot
How about taking one of
those upside down hanging pots and using it for orchids, epiphytes, a staghorn
fern or other exotic plant instead of a cherry tomato this summer?
If you are into hypertufa
containers why not make some hypertufa bird houses? Use a ball or plastic container for a mold. Make a proper size hole in one spot for the
birds you want to attract. Poke some
small drain holes through the cement in the bottom. Cut a groove in it near the top all the way
through the cement mix and all around the house so that you can lift a portion
off after it dries to pull out the mold.
Then you can re-connect the pieces by either screwing in tiny hooks and
latches or by running a wire or band around the bird house to hold it together. A ring or hook for hanging the house can be set
into the cement mix as you make it or screwed in after it dries.
Have lots of black plastic
nursery pots but want pretty pots?
Simply paint them. There are nice
spray paints on the market now that will cover plastic. After you have a good base color you can
hand paint or stencil on a design. How
about dipping your babies feet or your kitties toes into some paint and pressing
them on to the pot?
And if you want some of the glow
in the dark pots simply spray glow in the dark paint on them!
Garden chores you can do in March
March in Michigan is a
tricky month, while we are enjoying very spring-like weather recently some of
our biggest snow storms have come in March.
The gardener is outside, walking the grounds, maybe seeing some early crocus
in bloom in sheltered areas and hearing the robins sing as the males return to
Michigan. The urge is to get out there
and do something in the yard; it’s amazing how anxious we are this time of year
to jump into gardening. There are things
gardeners can be doing, but doing some things can do more harm than good. Here are some safe things to do in your
garden this month.
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| Bad bunnies did this. |
Check for and repair winter
damage (if possible) from rodents and deer.
Look at the bottoms of trees and shrubs to see if the bark has been chewed. If a tree or shrub is totally girdled, (the
bark is eaten off all around the tree) it may die. Some shrubs and even trees may return from
the roots. You’ll want to give damaged
shrubs and trees extra water and fertilizer as new growth begins to help them
recover. Grafted trees such as most
fruit trees, will not respond with growth like the old tree, they come back
from rootstock that is generally undesirable for fruiting. You’ll want to remove those trees.
Pruning fruit trees and
grape vines can still be done. Get a
good pruning manual and follow the directions or better yet, attend a pruning
class. Pruning your fruit trees and
grape vines makes your plants healthier and more productive. Don’t prune fruit trees that are kept just
for spring flowers, such as ornamental cherries and crabapples at this time.
Apply dormant oil
sprays. A dormant oil spray is part of
the good pest management program for fruit trees. It can be applied when the weather is above
40 degrees but below 80 degrees.
You can prune some
ornamental trees. It’s a good time to
prune oaks, yews, poplars, willows, honey locust, katsura, sycamore and some
other trees. Don’t prune maples, birch,
beech, or walnuts if the temperature is above freezing as it will cause heavy
sap loss. Do not prune pines. Do not
prune trees you want spring flowers from, like redbuds and magnolias. Take out all winter damaged limbs, crossing
and rubbing branches, and thin and shape if needed.
Seed grass - yes even if it
still snows sowing grass seed is fine.
Just make sure that your ground is dry enough you don’t leave large
footprints or spreader ruts in the soil.
The ground should not be frozen when you apply the seed and you should
be able to prepare a good seed bed before sowing the seeds.
Build new garden beds. If your ground is dry enough to walk on and
use equipment without making deep imprints and ruts you can start new garden
beds. Mix your soil and amendments and
get everything ready to plant.
Apply manure and
compost. If you use manure now is the
time to apply it to empty flower beds and lightly on occupied ones. Don’t apply fresh manure to vegetable beds,
do that in the fall. Compost is good for all beds but don’t add it until the
ground is thoroughly thawed and don’t make it too deep over existing plants.
Clean up- but go cautiously
here. Don’t remove protective mulches
too early. Trim off dead herbaceous (upper
growth that dies to the ground over winter) perennial parts that you left last
winter carefully. Some of it is
protecting the crowns of the plants; you may want to stop a few inches above
ground for now. Mums for example, need
to be leafed out before all the old stems are removed. Don’t prune off dead
areas on semi-woody shrubs and roses for a bit longer. The dead area protects living tissue below
it. If a cold snap comes and you have
already pruned back to living tissue the cold may kill additional areas of the
plant. You can prune buddleia right to the ground but mark where it is as it is
slow to start growing in the spring.
Start seeds in cold frames
or indoors. It’s a great time to start
things like tomatoes and peppers, which need a long time to grow into large
transplants. Perennial flower seeds and herbs are also good to start early.
Pot up summer bulbs for a
head start. Use planting medium and
start things like cannas, dahlias, and calla lilies. Tuberous begonias should have been started
already, but do it now if you haven’t.
Don’t start glads- they will bloom way too early. You could also start
cuttings of things you have wintered inside, such as geraniums, coleus, cane
begonias and others. The potted bulbs should be placed in full sun inside or
use a grow light over them. Don’t move
them outside until all danger of frost has passed.
Turn the compost pile or
start a new one. Turning the pile will
help it warm faster and get it cooking again after winter. If you don’t have a compost pile, find a good
spot to start one and get going.
Clean and sharpen garden
tools. Check mowers for any needed
parts, and sharpen the blades or replace with new ones. Clean out your garden shed. Check your garden hoses; see if you need new
nozzles or connections. Stock up on
potting soil and buy your seeds while the selection is good. Better to spend a day shopping for garden
supplies while it is still brisk and wet outside, rather than a warm sunny one
when you would rather be working!
Plant your peas and lettuce,
maybe. Peas can be planted as soon as
the ground thaws. Lettuce, radishes and
beets can also be planted around the end of the month, if the ground is bare
and thawed out. You could start these
crops in cold frames.
Clean out, repair and
replace bird houses. The birds are
returning from the south and looking for nesting spots. Keep your feeders full,
there’s not much native food left this time of year. It’s too early for hummingbird feeders, the
fluid may freeze and crack the feeder, and the hummers probably aren’t coming
back until mid-April at the minimum. If
you do see a stray one, put up the feeder, and bring it in on cold nights. Orioles probably won’t be back until April
either, but if you see them grape jelly in a dish is a good alternative to
nectar.
Growing cabbage
Since cabbage is a big part
of St. Patrick’s day celebrations and it’s an extremely healthy as well as easy
to grow crop here’s how to grow cabbage. There are tips for growing cabbage in
containers here too.
Cabbage grows best in the
cool times of the year and late spring and early fall make ideal times to grow
cabbage. Cabbage comes in shades of
green and red. There are round heads and
pointed heads, smooth leaved and crinkled or savoy leaved varieties. If you
want cabbage for fresh eating you should choose varieties with small heads on
maturity. If you are thinking about making sauerkraut you may want to grow some
of the jumbo sized cabbages.
Cabbage also comes in early,
midseason and late maturing varieties and for a continuous supply you may want to
plant several varieties with different maturation rates. You can also start some plants later than
others or plant both seeds and transplants to lengthen the harvest season.
Some good cabbage varieties
Round early green modest
sized heads include ‘Parel’ or ‘Quick Start’ medium maturing greens-‘Stonehead’, ‘Derby Day’ or ‘Charmant’, late maturing larger green heads, ‘Late Flat Dutch’ or ‘Megaton’ red heads, ‘Primero’, ‘Ruby Ball’ or “Ruby Perfection’ savoy types ‘Purple Savoy’ or ‘Alcosa’
and pointed heads- ‘Caraflex’ or ‘Cour Di Bul’.
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| Savoy cabbage. |
Chinese cabbage doesn’t make
a head; rather you use the thick stems that grow in a tight cluster for fresh
eating or cooking. Chinese cabbage
actually does better in the fall and in the northern half of the country should
be planted in August as transplants.
You’ll often find it listed as Pak Choi or Bok Choy.
Planting cabbage
You can grow cabbage from
seed, sown right in the garden a few weeks before the last spring frost,
usually early May in zone 5, or start it inside in pots in late March. Most gardeners who just want a few plants can
pick them up in a local nursery and they are some of the earliest nursery
plants offered. Look for short, stocky deep green (or red) plants.
Cabbage should be planted in
full sun. Get the transplants into the
garden early. The transplants will withstand light frost but cover them if a
heavy frost or freeze threatens. Thin
cabbage plants that come up from seed after they have several leaves and leave
them 18” apart for small headed varieties and 24” apart for large headed
varieties, which is also good spacing for transplants.
Like most vegetables cabbage
prefers slightly acidic soil of 6.5 pH but it will grow in slightly more acidic
or alkaline conditions. Cabbage will
grow in sandy or clay type soils but they must be well drained. The soil should
be fairly fertile before planting. Cabbage should not be fertilized when it is
in the early stages of growth, it will make it go to seed instead of forming a
head. If you suspect the soil is not very fertile you can work in some 5-10-5
or similar formulation around the plants when they start to form heads.
Cabbage needs even,
consistent watering. Too much water near
harvest can cause the heads to split, although that will happen if they get too
mature anyway. Keep cabbage weeded, weeds often stunt growth. Make sure to
rotate cabbage into a new area of the garden each year to avoid root disease
problems.
The biggest problem
gardeners have with cabbage is the Cabbage moth, a pretty white moth that lays
eggs on cabbage that turn into tiny green worms that eat away at the cabbage
heads. You can dust the heads with a garden safe pesticide such as Sevin or
rotenone, or better yet- cover the plants with the very thinnest row cover
material available either by suspending it over the whole row or covering each
plant. Do this very early in the growing
season, around the time of the last frost.
Some people slip an old nylon over developing cabbage heads but the nylon
is more likely to cause growth problems than the row cover material.
Harvesting cabbage
Harvest cabbage as soon as
the heads are large and firm. Don’t wait
too long or the heads will split. Split
heads can still be eaten, but they won’t store very well. If you have many heads maturing at the same
time and can’t keep up with eating them fresh you may want to twist each plant
a half turn in its garden space. This
breaks some roots and slows the uptake of water and slows maturity.
Cut the cabbage head off the
stalk with a sharp knife, leaving several thick outer leaves on it to protect
the head until ready to eat. It will store like this in a cool place for a
couple weeks. You can store cabbage
longer by cleaning the head and wrapping it in plastic, then keeping it about
40-45 degrees. A whole cabbage plant can
be pulled out of the ground and hung upside down in a root cellar, or other
cool dark, moist place. Some cabbage
varieties store better than others and the conditions at harvest and during
storage influence the keeping time.
Cabbage can’t be frozen for
storage but it can be canned or turned into sauerkraut. Regular cabbage will
withstand light frost before harvest but oriental varieties should be protected
from frost. All cabbage should be
harvested before a freeze.
Some container cabbage varieties
If you enjoy cabbage but
don’t have a lot of garden space, don’t despair. There are several varieties of cabbage that
can grow in containers, as long as you have a spot that gets 5 or more hours of
sunlight each day.
These varieties are all
small and mature quickly. Each head will
make 1-4 servings of cabbage, depending on the size it is harvested and how
well you like cabbage. ‘Gonzales’ is a green cabbage that makes
a 2 lb. head in 60 days. ‘Primer’ is a red cabbage that makes a
1-2 lb. head in 72 days. ‘Red Express’ will also grow quickly,
making a red, 2 lb. head in about 55 days. ‘Earliana’ is a fast maturing green cabbage, making a 2 lb. head in 57
days. A 2 lb. head is just a bit larger
than a softball.
If you prefer Oriental types
of cabbage ‘Soloist’ is a pointed
Chinese cabbage that makes a compact 1-1/2 lb. head in only 50 days. It is best grown in the fall. ‘Toy Choi’, ‘Ching Chaing’ and ‘Bonsai’
are miniature forms of pak choi cabbage that will make single servings of
greens in 30-40 days. Several plants
can grow in a 2 gallon pot.
Your containers should hold
a minimum of 2 gallons of planting medium for each cabbage. If you are using large containers for
multiple plants, each mini cabbage should have about 8 square inches of
space. Use planting medium not garden
soil. Planting medium is composed of
peat moss, vermiculite and other things.
It is lightweight, drains well and is free of weeds and disease. Try to find a planting medium that does not
contain fertilizer.
Since cabbage likes cool
growing conditions light colored pots rather than black ones, may reflect the
sunlight and not heat the roots as fast. Moisten the medium before filling the
pot. It’s a good idea to set small
blocks of wood or stones under the pot so that it drains better. Pots sitting on a flat surface with drainage
holes in the bottom may drain slowly.
Drink some green beer and march down your road- Happy St. Patrick’s
day
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
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
A new herb group is forming!
The Lapeer Herb
Circle will meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month at Rebekah’s Health
and Nutrition Store, 6 pm. at 588 S.
Main, Lapeer ( next to Office Depot).
March’s topic will be herbs for bees.
They also have a facebook page you can join.
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
Here’s a link to all
the spring programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in Dryden,
Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/education/progs/springprograms/
New-Saginaw Valley Nursery and Landscape
Spring garden show March 21-22, 2015 at the Ryder Center,
Saginaw Valley State University, 7400 Bay Rd, University Center, MI
Visit this Lawn and Garden show for a wide variety of garden
vendor displays and some great educational opportunities. Admission is $5 adults, kids under 17 free.
Saturday, March 21 free programs (with
admission)
11:00 am Diagnosing Plant Problems in Your Landscape
by Dr. Robert Schutzki, Michigan State University Department of
Horticulture
12:00 pm Creative Container Gardening – Fast, Fun
& Easy! By Clay Johnson, Ball Seed
1:00 pm Adding Color To Your Landscape by Dr. Robert Schutzki, Michigan State University Department of
Horticulture
New- Lansing Home and
Garden Show, March 19 – 22, 2015, MSU Pavilion,
MSU, East Lansing MI.
Incredible gardens, extensive
landscaping projects, a Standard Flower Show and four free seminar stages
surround hundreds of exhibits featuring construction, remodeling, kitchens
& baths, retail garden centers, pools and spas and home services.
Don Engebretson, The Renegade
Gardener will give seminars as will several MSU horticulture educators on the
garden stage each day. Adult admission – $9 , Children (6-14) – $4 - 5 & Under – Free
New-Smart Gardening Apple
Tree Pruning & Care Workshop, March 28, 2015, 10
a.m. - 2 p.m. 9558 AA Lane, Rapid River, MI
Attend this apple tree pruning and
care workshop to learn about basic pruning techniques, apple selection, care,
and management. Dress for the weather as we will be outside. Bringing your own,
clean pruners is optional. $5 fee per person for registration; please send fee
with name and contact information to: MSU Extension, 2 South 6th St., Ste. 14,
Crystal Falls, MI 49920 by March 27th. Contact: Rebecca Krans,
kransr@anr.msu.edu, 906-875-0606
New-Spring Into
Gardening Conference, Saturday, April 25,
2015, 9:00am to 4:00 pm, Mt. Pleasant, MI
A day-long Master Garden Conference
held in Mount Pleasant, Michigan at the Comfort Inn and Suites. Sponsored by the Master Gardener Association
of Isabella County. This conference is
for the beginner to advanced gardeners who love to learn about gardening. Please invite a friend to come along for a
fun filled day! Public welcome-Not
restricted to MG
Speakers:
Barb Balgoyen, topic - Perennials
Jason Erickson, topic - Water
Features
Chuck Martin, topic - Divine use of
Vines
Mary K. Hausbeck, topic - research on
diseases of ornamentals, herbs and vegetables
Requires pre-registration. $60.00
cost includes - Four Speakers, Lunch, Vendors and door prizes
New-Behind the Scenes at
Hidden Lake Gardens- Thu, April 16,
2015, 6:30pm Hidden Lake Gardens,6214 Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
April’s topic: Harper Collection
Explore behind the scenes with HLG’s
Managing Director, Paul Pfeifer. This is an opportunity to enjoy a
behind-the-scenes perspective on different areas of HLG’s collections. Bring
your questions and learn a few tips and secrets.
Cost: $5 per person / free for
Friends of HLG
Woodland Treasures for the Shade
Garden Fri, March 27, 10am, Meadow Brook Hall, Rochester, MI
How to use shade
plants to extend the flowering season. Sponsored by Meadow Brook Garden Club.
$5. MBHGCMembers@gmail.com.
Trees for Tomorrow: Planting &
Maintaining Healthy Trees, beginning March 30, 6:30-8:30pm, Pleasant Ridge
Community Center , Pleasant Ridge, MI
This is a 5 week
series sponsored by SOCWA. The $40. Fee
includes a class reference book. You
must register by Feb 23rd by
calling 248-546-5818.
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/
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
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.
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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