April 14,
2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim
Willis
Hi
Gardeners
 |
| Spring is here. |
I love
spring. April has been kind and gentle
so far and I hope it stays so. This
weekend I was able to plant snow peas and two more batches of lettuce and some
spinach. I transplanted some roses that
were lost in my biggest perennial bed and divided some daylilies. I cleaned a fence of old morning glory and
woody nightshade vines and vowed to control both plants much better this
year. And I did a lot of general clean
up and garden musing, planning for this year’s garden season. I hope you were able to get outside too.
The crocus
and winter aconite are blooming beautifully and so are the iris reticulata. I even have some daffodils blooming in a warm
spot. I can see color on the hyacinth
buds. The grass is greening up and our
back yard will need mowing soon. Leaves are popping on some shrubs like the
honeyberries. The pussy willows and
maples are blooming.
The spring
peepers are getting progressively louder and more frenzied in their singing and
many other frogs are now joining in.
Birds are singing and fighting everywhere. The Canada geese and Sandhill
cranes are making a racket each evening. I have seen some honeybees and
bumblebees looking for spring flowers. I
hung out the hummingbird feeder even though I haven’t seen a hummer yet but it
gives the bees something to eat.
Next it’s
on to carrot and onion planting. I may
get some pansies to pop in for color too.
There’s so much to do but I’m not complaining one bit!
Revisiting the native vs non-native
plant argument
People got
very upset with my article last week, published here in the blog and on line at
Examiner.com about not worrying so much about non-native plants. I stand by my assertion that most non-native
plants do not cause the extinction of native plants nor do they seriously harm
wildlife in the vast majority of cases.
This is backed up by research studies done in many countries and by many
agencies.
What people
should do is tailor their gardens to their specific site and climate so as to
minimize environmental impact and make gardening easier and more successful for
them at the same time. You can do that with both native and non-native plants.
If you live in California and are experiencing extreme drought you shouldn’t be
planting or trying to maintain a bluegrass lawn and hosta. But you may want to
include bromeliads, sedums, succulents and other water sparing plants from
around the world in your landscape. In
the Midwest we aren’t quite as concerned with conserving water but if you have
a sandy soil and lots of sun for your garden site you’ll want to choose plants
that tolerate dry conditions too. If you
have heavy clay soil and lots of shade there are plants, both native and non-native,
that can grow well there.
If your
garden suits your climate, soil type, light and drainage conditions, looks
nice, and is pollinator and bird friendly don’t worry about having plant
species that aren’t native in the mix.
You aren’t destroying the planet.
Even if some of the plant species are known to escape to the wild from
time to time the chances that species gardeners would choose are harmful to the
native environment is low. What most
gardeners want are plants that look nice but that are easy to care for and grow
well in their conditions. If you choose
those plants there is little chance you’ll harm the environment. Remember this-one
man’s weed – or invasive plant- is another man’s flower.
If you really
want to re-create the landscape that existed in your area before Europeans
arrived you’ll want to use native plants- and native plants very specifically
suited to your area, not just North America.
And you’ll have to carefully choose for soil, drainage and light
conditions too. It won’t look like a garden of course. But here’s the thing. Your area will never be the same as before
the Europeans arrived because the climate has changed, animal species and their
population numbers have changed, pests have changed, and even the air
composition has changed.
The numbers
of white tail deer in most Eastern US areas are drastically higher- up to 5
times higher- than they were before European settlement. Deer prevent the re-establishment of many
native species, such as trilliums. If
you want a pre-European vegetative state you need pre-European deer numbers.
Are you willing to mount a massive deer hunt? The drainage of swampland,
natural and man-made diversion of streams and rivers has changed the land over
time. The land is not the same as it was pre-European and won’t be again.
Climate
change has happened, whether you believe it was from man or natural cycles of
the sun. Plant species change when the
climate does. Air pollution has changed
what species can thrive in an area.
While man has been introducing new species of plants and animals to
areas he travels to since the beginning of our history, nature also introduces
novel species from time to time. Wind
blows seeds long distances, waves wash plants and seeds to new shores. Birds fly great distances with seeds or plant
bits stuck to them. Change is constant
in nature.
There are
some exceptions to the non- natives are ok philosophy. Giant Hogweed for example, may not hurt the
environment but it does hurt people and animals, so let’s not get it growing
here. If plants are banned by government agencies you probably should avoid
planting them. And some non-native
plants can overrun the landscape and make you unhappy you planted them. But
then again some native plants can make you very unhappy you planted them in the
home landscape too.
Native plants you may not want to
plant
Let’s
enlarge on the idea that native plants aren’t always better. Here are some plants that you might want to
think twice about before you plant them in the garden. Instead you may want to plant a better
behaved non-native plant. Of course with
the right care, the plants listed here could
be planted in the garden, but before you shop from that native plant catalog,
take a minute to read this.
Bee Balm, Monarda, Wild bergamot ( Monarda spps.)
While
pretty and attractive to bees and butterflies, Bee Balm can be an aggressive
spreader, taking over vast areas of the garden, even popping up in unexpected
places. It also has the tendency to get powdery mildew as summer progresses and
look quite ratty in appearance. There are several native species of Monarda. There
are many cultivated varieties of Bee Balm too, but most of them share the
invasive nature. The cultivated
varieties are more disease resistant and prettier in the garden while being
just as friendly to pollinators. If you
are willing to aggressively pull this species from unwanted areas its worth
planting.
Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans)
 |
| Trumpet vine heading for the sky. |
This native
vine is often sold to attract hummingbirds and it will do that. However it will also spread everywhere and
can climb trees, power poles and fences, often damaging them. It spreads by
seed and also by underground runners that travel for long distances
underground. Left alone it can make
impenetrable thickets of intertwined vines.
The dead vines look unsightly in winter.
Don’t expect
this vine to quietly cover an arbor or small trellis. Expect to prune it hard and often, and dig
out and mow down new plants popping up in unexpected places. Don’t plant it anywhere near a structure that
could be damaged by the thick vines.
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
This is
another native vine that is pretty with vivid red fall foliage and clusters of
blue berries attractive to birds. It’s still sold in nursery catalogs as a
native vine despite its extremely invasive nature. Virginia creeper will sprawl through garden
beds, completely covering them, cover trees and shrubs, even climb the sides of
the house, covering it completely if left alone. It spreads by seed and underground
runners.
 |
| Virginia Creeper |
Like the
trumpet vine you will need to aggressively prune this plant as well as root out
plants popping up everywhere. It can
damage trees and shrubs if it grows heavily on them so keep it away from them. Some people mistake Virginia Creeper for poison
ivy but it has 5 leaves, not 3 and poison ivy berries are white. Unfortunately Virginia Creeper may also make
some people break out in a rash if its handled, even though it’s not as bad as
poison ivy.
New England Asters, (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae),
woodland asters, white heath asters
Native
asters are often included in wildflower seed mixes and sold in native plant
sales. They are pretty with their clouds
of small flowers of various colors in the fall and do provide some bee
food. However these native asters are
also aggressive spreaders, by seed and underground stolens and can quickly turn
a garden bed into a thick mat of tangled roots. The wiry stems are difficult to
pull or mow. Plant native asters with
caution and thin aggressively yearly.
There are many cultivated species of native asters that will be better
garden subjects.
Goldenrod (Solidago spps.)
Goldenrod
is a favorite of European gardeners and it can be pretty mixed into tall
perennial borders. There are several native species. It’s great for late fall
color and food for bees and butterflies when other flowers are scarce. But like many natives goldenrod spreads
aggressively and will rapidly take over the garden if not thinned each year and
kept confined to its spot. If you like
it, grow it where you can easily control its spread.
Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos,)
The
delicate leaves of this tree and its spring flowers would suggest it makes a
good landscape plant but many people don’t agree. The leaves constantly litter
the ground and the seed pods make an even greater mess. The pods release seeds
that birds and small animals like, but also spread everywhere and seedlings
will pop up throughout the lawn and garden. Honey Locust has thorns that are
quite dangerous and is prone to breaking in storms. It’s better at the edge of woodlands or
corners of the property than as a lawn tree.
Cattails (Typha latifolia)
Often sold
as a native plant for water gardens, cattails are beneficial in nature,
filtering pollution and providing food for many species of animals. But they can quickly clog a small pond. While the firm “seedheads” look great in
flower arrangements, they don’t look so good when they are opening and
dispersing the seed fluff, looking tattered and messy. The seeds released grow
rapidly and quickly. Don’t plant
cattails in small ponds you want to swim or fish in. Keep them cleared out of roadside ditches so
they don’t impede water flow. There are
a number of species of cattails and a non-hardy, non-native species may be more
suitable for small water features in the garden and it isn’t likely to become
invasive.
Jimson weed (Datura stramonium,)
This plant
has large pretty white, sometimes lavender, flowers and gardeners often want
it, but it’s extremely poisonous to pets, livestock and people. Common names
are moonflower, (not to be confused with the vine Moonflower) angels trumpet or
devil’s trumpet which is more appropriate. This plant is a hallucinogenic, but
should not be experimented with because even a tiny overdose can be deadly. It’s
said even smelling the flowers can make people sick. The prickly seed pods distribute
dozens of seeds everywhere. Once in the garden it will spread aggressively,
seeds will remain dormant in the soil for years. Don’t plant Jimsonweed unless it is protected
from children and pets and you cut off each flower before it goes to seed.
American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens)and Kentucky
wisteria (Wisteria macrostachya)
American
wisteria is often sold as preferable to Chinese wisteria, although there is
little difference in looks or habit. It
is a vine with dangling clusters of blue or white flowers in early summer. It
can also grow as a small tree. It’s very
pretty but comes with a price. Wisteria
spreads aggressively by shooting its seeds out of the pods. The seeds are like
small cannon balls and have been known to hurt if they hit you. It will spread by underground runners
too. The vines will destroy structures
and damage trees that they climb. In the
garden it needs to have a very sturdy support and needs to be kept away from
trees and power poles. You’ll also have
to look for and root out seedlings.
Unlike
Chinese wisteria, which can be heavily scented, Kentucky wisteria has a light
scent, and American wisteria has no scent. The flowers of the native wisterias
are smaller and less abundant. Wisteria
doesn’t always bloom, and if you get a non-blooming plant it can be difficult
to get rid of it.
Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
 |
| Jewelweed |
Jewelweed
is a pretty native with small, dangling orange and gold flowers that bees and
hummingbirds love. It’s a member of the
impatiens family and has fleshy, knotted stems, up to 3 feet high. It grows
well in damp, semi-shaded areas or wet, full sun areas. It’s an annual but once it gets established
in the garden it will spread intensively by seed, which the pods shoot out some
distance from the plant. It will carpet the ground with seedlings and turn into
a thick, messy thicket if allowed. If
you like this plant keep it weeded down to a few plants each spring. Jewelweed
crushed and rubbed on the skin is said to heal poison ivy rash.
Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
This native
plant can look impressive in the garden with its tall sturdy stems, white
flowers and loads of purple-black berries that birds love. People eat the newly emerged shoots as salad
greens but beware most other parts of the plant including the berries are poisonous. Pokeweed shouldn’t be grown in gardens with
children or pets or around livestock.
And because birds love those berries so much- they don’t harm them- you’ll
soon have pokeweed growing everywhere.
Wild grapes (Vitis riparia)
 |
| Wild Grapes |
Wild grapes
are seldom deliberately planted in gardens except by some of the most native-crazy
plant lovers who are seeking to attract wildlife. Wild grapes will take over and smother trees
and cover large areas of ground in messy masses of undergrowth. Because birds do love the fruit you may end up
with wild grapes whether you plant them or not.
And grapes spread by runners underground as well as by seed. If wild grapes get into the garden do your
best to grub them out or you will regret it. They are fine in wild areas but
they don’t belong in the garden.
Elderberries (Sambucus Canadensis)
There are
native and non-native varieties of elderberries. Native elderberries make large, many stemmed
bushes. The bee friendly, flat white
flowers in early summer look and smell good and are edible. The flowers turn into attractive clusters of dark
purple berries. The berries are made
into wine and pies but the berries should not be eaten raw as they are poisonous.
All other plant parts are poisonous too. Use caution planting them around pets,
children and livestock.
Elderberries
take up a lot of space; they can get 15 feet wide and high, and tend to turn
into messy thickets. They spread quickly
through seeds. There are ornamental
elderberries that are better mannered and less invasive you can plant if you want
elderberries in the landscape.
Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)
This native
mulberry is sometime sold in wildlife tree assortments. Other types of mulberries are not native but
may be naturalized throughout the US. The
red mulberry is a small tree with inconspicuous flowers but large amounts of
red-purple fruit in mid-summer that looks like a blackberry or raspberry. As a wildlife attractor it works quite
wonderfully- but that’s why you probably won’t want it close to your
house. Birds will swarm to the trees and
drop their purple poop like rain all over patios, cars, and clothes on the line
and the poop stains what it touches. If
the tree is having an abundant crop year the berries may also litter the lawn
or deck. You will also have an abundance
of little mulberries coming up in the lawn and flowerbeds. If you plant this tree keep it well away from
the house. Mulberry fruit is edible and
can be made into wine, pies and jam.
Bracken Fern (Pteridium)
Bracken
ferns are native in temperate and sub-tropical areas almost
everywhere in the
world. They are some of the oldest and most successful of land plants. They are
large, coarse looking ferns that quickly colonize any disturbed areas with poor
soil. They spread by spores and by “runners”.
Some plants can grow with bracken ferns but many plants grow poorly or
are killed by chemicals the ferns release into the soil. The plants are very poisonous to livestock
and pets. People sometimes eat the
fronds as they emerge, called fiddleheads.
However research has indicated that the ferns can cause cancer when
consumed. There are far better ferns
than Bracket ferns for the landscape.
 |
| Bracken Fern |
Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
This is
another fern that is found in many countries.
It is a better subject for gardens than bracken fern with some
reservations. It is very large, up to 6
feet high in some situations. While it
is beautiful when in its prime, hot dry summers will make the fronds dry and
die back, leaving a lot of empty space and a mess to clean up. Its other
drawback is that it is very invasive and will take up large areas of the garden
quickly. The plants are hard to dig out once established. It will grow in part shade or full sun if the
area is always wet.
Rare tortoises thrive on non-native
plants
To prove
that wildlife aren’t always harmed by introduction of non-native plants and may
actually benefit from them you have only to look at the story of the rare
Galapagos tortoises. On islands where
there have been no real human habitation and few introduced plants the turtles
are disappearing. But on islands where
people have brought agricultural pursuits and introduced many non-native plants
the tortoises are doing well.
Scientists
put GPS tags on the tortoises and followed them around recording every type of
plant they ate for four years. They also analyzed tortoise dung piles for
undigested seeds and plant parts. They found that the tortoises preferred many
non-native plants over native ones and that their diet consisted of at least
half non-native plants when they were available. The tortoises that ate a lot of non-native
plants were healthier overall than other tortoises which had little access to
non-native plants and populations on islands with many introduced plant species
were stable or increasing. The
research was published in the March issue of Biotropica.
Surprise- the world is getting
greener
With all
this talk about planting native plants to help the environment it may surprise you
to know that over the last 20 years the world has actually gained vegetative mass-
more growth of trees and vegetation other than food crops. Satellite data analyzed by an international
group of scientists found that we are still losing forest cover and other
vegetation in the Amazon and Indonesia but that there have actually been
significant increases in vegetation in China, southern African and northern Australia.
The
researchers say that a massive re-forestation project over the last ten years
in China is paying off. The increase of
vegetation in the savannas of Africa and Australia comes from climate change
producing wetter conditions with more CO2 in the atmosphere to increase plant
growth. The research was published in
the journal Nature Climate Change.
Men- wash those veggies and fruits-
or lose your fertility
It’s
healthy to eat lots of fruits and veggies but men who eat lots of non-organic
produce are more likely to have a low sperm count or reduced motility of sperm.
This leads to lower levels of fertility. Pesticide residues on the fruits and
vegetables are thought to be responsible for the lowered fertility.
Research
done at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston found that a group
of men who ate lots of fruits and veggies that were not raised organically had significantly
lower sperm quality than a group of similar men who ate the same amounts of
organic fruits and vegetables. The
non-organic produce was sampled and found to generally have higher levels of
pesticide residue than the organic.
It must be
noted that the study was done on men who were already attending a fertility
clinic in the hopes of achieving conception with a partner. However researchers believe that pesticide
residue may be contributing to a generally lower fertility rate in the last few
generations. They suggest that people
who are trying to conceive a child eat organic produce or thoroughly wash other
produce.
This week’s super food news,
pomegranates, dates and cheese?
Every week
some new superfood that will create a healthier you if you just eat it is
announced. This week researchers suggest
you consume a half glass of pomegranate juice, eat a handful of dates, and have
some cheese every day.
Research
published in the March 26, 2015 edition of Food & Function, a journal of
The Royal Society of Chemistry, found that pomegranate juice and dates helped
people attain maximum protection against hardening of the arteries if consumed
daily.
And
research published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found
that cheese consumption caused high levels of a chemical compound called
butyrate in feces, which means that the gut microbes are processing cholesterol
in high fat foods correctly. People who
have this level of butyrate have better cardio-vascular health and lower body
weight.
So add pomegranate
juice, dates and cheese to your diet along with all the other super foods.
How to Grow Light and Lively Lemon
Balm
Lemon Balm
is another herb that anyone can grow in the garden. With its lovely lemony flavor it complements
many dishes. It has many medicinal uses
and is currently being studied for use in suppressing tumors, and in HIV,
Herpes, and Alzheimer’s treatment. Lemon
Balm is so easy to grow that many people consider it invasive.
Lemon Balm,
Melissa officinalis, is a member of
the mint family. Several species are native to Europe. It will happily grow anywhere in zone 3-9 and
is commercially grown in many areas.
The plant has
square stems like most mints; the leaves are dark green, broadly oval with
toothed edges. Lemon balm grows to about
2 foot tall when it is in a spot it likes.
In midsummer Lemon Balm begins blooming, with small spikes of pale
yellow flowers arising from where the leaf joins the stem. The flowers are tiny but are loved by bees
which flock to the plants.
The Lemon
Balm plant is not very attractive as garden plants go, but it does have that
delightful aroma of lemon when the leaves are handled. It spreads quickly through the garden by seed
and by runners and you will soon have many plants to share with friends. It can be considered to be invasive in spots
it likes.
Growing and Harvesting Lemon Balm
Most
gardeners will start with Lemon Balm plants; anyone who has the plant should be
able to give you a seedling in the spring.
They are perennial, dying back to the ground each winter. Large clumps of Lemon Balm can also be
divided.
Lemon Balm
prefers full sun although it will tolerate partial shade. It will grow in
almost any soil. For the best plants a well-drained, moderately rich soil in
full sun, and water when conditions are very dry is preferred. No fertilizer is
needed. After frost has killed the
foliage cut off the stems to the ground.
The leaves
of Lemon Balm can be harvested at any time. Most of the active ingredients are
found in the leaves, although flowers are also good as a dried herb. The flowers are edible. Simply remove the
leaves needed from the plant or if you have an abundance of plants you can pull
whole plants. Leaves and flowers can be used fresh or dried.
Using Lemon Balm
The active
ingredients in Lemon Balm include terpenes, tannins and eugenol. In traditional
herbal medicine Lemon Balm was usually a complementary addition to other herbs.
The lemony flavor helped make other herbal medications easy to take. Lemon Balm is mildly sedative and helps
decrease anxiety and aid sleep. It is
used to aid in gas and colic relief. Lemon Balm leaves were also crushed and
warmed to use as a poultice on wounds.
A current
popular use is a lotion or cream containing Lemon Balm that is used on cold
sores and other Herpes sores. Cooled
Lemon Balm tea can also be used on sores.
It does not control pain but speeds healing. Much research is being focused on the
anti-viral properties of Lemon Balm in Herpes and HIV treatment.
Other
research is focusing on Lemon Balms ability to aid memory and restore some
cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients.
Some research suggests that Lemon Balm may destroy certain tumors. Lemon
Balm is a mosquito repellant when rubbed on the skin. It is also used in potpourri.
Lemon Balm
has many culinary uses, wherever lemon flavor is required in cooking it can be
substituted for lemon. The essential oils from the plant are used in a wide
variety of things from perfume and cosmetics to furniture polish.
To make a
tea with Lemon Balm use about a cup of fresh crushed leaves to a pint of
boiling water and steep. Use about a
teaspoon of dried herb to a cup of boiling water. Strain and sweeten if desired. Adult dosage of tea should be limited to
about 4 cups per day, children about a cup. Lemon Balm is available in the
market place as dried herb, extract, essential oil, capsules and lotions. Follow dosage directions on the labels.
An old
recipe for using Lemon Balm as a cooling drink includes a bottle of claret
wine, a couple cups of crushed lemon balm leaves, a sliced orange, a half of a
sliced, peeled cucumber, and a half cup
of sugar. All ingredients are mixed
together and allowed to steep for a day in a cool place, then the liquid is
strained and poured over ice.
Warning
Before
using Lemon Balm preparations on the skin test a small area of skin for
allergies. Pregnant and nursing women should consult with a doctor before using
Lemon Balm. Some medications may
interact with Lemon Balm, in particular thyroid medications, and if you are on
medications you should consult with
Time to get off this computer and outside
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).
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
classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road, North
Branch. Now open.
Here’s a link to
programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in Michigan.
Here’s a link to
classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now combined
with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.
Here’s a link to
classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston and
Brighton locations
Here’s a link top
events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann Arbor,
Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |
http://www.lesliesnc.org/
Here’s a link to events at Hidden
Lake Gardens, 6214 Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
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/
Here’s a link to
events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
Spring Pond Cleaning
and Start-Up April 18, 10-11am, The Pond Place, 3505
W Highland Rd., Milford MI.
FREE. Clean-up options, dividing
water plants, water treatment & fish health. Register: www.PondPlace.com.
(248)889-8400
Pollinator Gardens
and Native Plantings, April 11, 2015, 10:00 am –noon- County Farm Field Operations Building 2210
Platt Rd., Ann Arbor right next to the red playground.
This new course will explore
developing pollinator gardens and native plantings.
Strong fruit and vegetable production
often depends on the tiniest of garden visitors – native bees and honey
bees. Learn how to design a beautiful
garden that will boost your crop production, attract beneficial insects, and
support native biodiversity. This course is taught by Washtenaw County
Naturalist Shawn Severance.
**New for 2015** $5/class fee for all classes to discourage
no-shows; registration is required. Call (734) 996-3169. Walk-ins are welcome.
ReLeaf Michigan is
having its annual tree sale, order online and
pick up at several locations around Michigan.
http://releafmichigan.blogspot.com/p/tree-and-shrub-fundraiser-sale.html Check out the unusual selection
of trees and shrubs.
ReLeaf Michigan's annual tree and
shrub sale helps to reverse Michigan's loss of tens of thousands of trees due
to the emerald ash borer, storms, and old age.
Our tree sale is a fundraiser that also encourages the public to plant
trees to improve the overall tree canopy of their community. Purchasing and
planting our trees and shrubs offer environmental benefits that also provide
ReLeaf Michigan with much-needed revenue to support our ongoing tree planting
and educational programs. Thanks for
your support!
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
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
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
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
No comments:
Post a Comment