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Tuesday, December 8, 2015

December 8, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

December 8, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter    © Kim Willis

Hi Gardeners

I could do without this dense fog every day but I won’t complain too much because I can still get the hose to the barn to run at least once a day and I’m not shoveling snow.  Weather forecasters say its La Nina intensifying through December that’s producing this mild, high pressure type of weather.  It’s expected to modify a bit in January and February but I’m hoping not too much.  We can still get snow storms though- if there’s a dip in the jet stream even temporarily.  But I hope we just keep ticking off one mild day after the other. 

The ice frosts the last few mornings have been pretty but it means even the hardy things outside like pansies are gone.  Inside I have Tropical hibiscus, kalanchoe, bouvardia, geraniums and my transplanted pansies in bloom and the Christmas cacti have buds. Speaking of blooming I saw some pictures of a jade plant in bloom in someone’s post on line. They have very beautiful flowers but I have never had one bloom.  They say the plants have to be large and mature- mine are quite large and quite a few years old so maybe there’s hope.  

If your Christmas decorating isn’t done consider some of the new solar powered Christmas lights.  I love these things, just bought some more.  You can put them anywhere you can get the collector platform into the sun. It’s about 8 inches square and has a 6-10 foot cord before the lights begin. They come with a short stake but I’m putting mine on little posts a bit higher in case it snows.  No electric cords to run outside and no electricity to pay for either.  They come on at dark automatically and last for several hours, even if the day was cloudy. If it was sunny they may last all night.  No worries about turning them on or off and no fire hazard. They use LED lights and are pretty bright.  I have flower shapes and little fuzzy ball shapes.  The cost is comparable to other light sets. I bought mine from Amazon but I hear they are available in many places.

This issue of the newsletter is all about evergreens and Christmas trees.  I’ll return to more varied topics next week.

The difference between pines, spruce and other evergreens

Before we start talking about Christmas trees let’s talk about identifying evergreen trees in general. We’ll skip plants that are evergreen but have broad leaves, such as holly and euonymus and concentrate on the needle leaved, woody evergreens.  And we will also leave out the few species of trees with needle like leaves that lose those leaves in the winter, such as bald cypress. 

First some terminology, without being too technical. “Evergreens” is a broad term for many species of needle leafed woody plants.  Most of these are also conifers-that is they reproduce using a cone.  Yews and junipers are both woody evergreens with needle like leaves but they produce fleshy berry-like cones with seeds inside.  These woody, needle leafed evergreens should not be called Christmas trees unless they are actually being used for that purpose.

But if you need help with choosing a species to plant, or diagnosing a tree problem or are simply talking to other gardeners about your landscape you should have at least a rudimentary knowledge of what plant family you are discussing, for example, pine, spruce, cedar, fir, and so on, instead of using the term evergreen or worse Christmas tree.  And all woody, needled plants should not be called pine trees either.  Different plant families have different cultural needs, get different diseases and insect pests and have different growth characteristics.  A good gardener at least knows what family of plants he or she is speaking about, even though they may have trouble identifying individual species within that family.

Here are some general identifying characteristics of different woody evergreen plants.  The main plant families are pine (Pinus), spruce (Picea), firs (Abies), Yew (Taxus), Juniper (Juniperus), and cedars (Thuja). It is easy to identify some species within a plant family but in other cases even experts have a hard time identifying individual species, especially if they are not common ones. And in addition some common names suggest a family that the tree doesn’t really belong in.  So don’t worry too much if you can’t identify what species of fir you have, just whether you have a pine or a fir.

Scotch Pine
Pines are some of the most common evergreen woodies in Michigan.  The white pine once covered large areas of Michigan and is our state tree.  Pines always have needles in bundles.  A little papery sheath binds together anywhere from 2 to 5 needles.  Pines have cones of various shapes; the shape as well as the number and length of the needles can help identify the species. Many cones of pines have a prickly point on the end of each scale on the cone. 

The Eastern White pine has long, soft blue green needles in clusters of 5.  The cones are also long and narrow, with a slight curve and are often covered in resin. The red pine has 4-6 inch needles in bundles of 2 and the cones are stubby and often connected in pairs opposite each other on the stem.  The bark of a young red pine trunk has a reddish color.  Scotch or Scots pines have needles in bundles of 2, they are 2-3 inches long, slightly twisted,  blue-green in summer fading to dull green or yellow green in winter.  The cones are short and point back toward the trunk. 

Austrian pines are an imported species that are sometimes hard to distinguish from red pines.  They have needles in clusters of 2, slightly shorter than red pine needles and a duller green.  The cones are about 3 inches long.  The trees are a bit fuller and more shapely than red pine which is why they are often used in landscapes.  The jack pine also has needles in bundles of 2 that are relatively short, less than 2 inches, and spread in a V.  The cones are small and generally have a distinct curve and point toward the tip of the branch. These are the cones that need the heat of a fire to open them.  Jack pines often have odd growth habits such as leaning or distorted branches.  There are many other species of pines.
Blue spruce

Spruces have short needles attached singly to the branch with a little stub that remains after the needle falls off.  That makes the branch feel quite rough with its numerous protrusions. Spruce needles are generally 4 sided with a blunt tip, surround the entire branch and are square looking when cross cut.  When crushed spruce needles have a pungent odor that can remind you of cat pee.

The Black spruce has short needles to 3/8 inch long and small cones with a purplish tint.  The White Spruce has slightly longer, blue-green needles with a waxy sheen, the cones are longer and light brown. Blue Spruce or Colorado Blue spruce are some of the most frequently planted ornamental evergreens. Some have a very silver blue tint, especially when young, but the color can vary widely.  The needles are long and sharp, somewhat longer than White Spruce and the smell especially sharp also.  Cones are also long.

The Norway spruce is a widely planted non-native ornamental with dark green slightly flattened, 1 ½ inch needles and long narrow cones.  A mature tree has a graceful weeping form.  There are many other spruces, native and non-native, planted in landscapes.

Firs are the trees with the delightful smell associated with Christmas and are often sold for Christmas trees.  They are less frequent in the landscape than pines or spruces.  Firs have single needles attached to the branch with little suction cup like bases.  When they fall off they leave a slight pit on the branch, but the branch will feel smooth.  Fir needles often have one or two white lines on the back of the flattened needle.  Fir cones stand upright on the top of a branch; the cone scales fall away and leave a “core” protruding from the branch for a while.

The Balsam fir is probably the most common fir.  It has small purplish cones.  Also grown are White, Concolor, Grand, and Frasier firs.

The Douglas fir is not a true fir but is in a species of its own (Psuedotsuga menziesii).  It has flat, soft, single needles attached to the branch.  The needles narrow at the base and when they fall off they leave raised scar, but are not as prominent as the bumps on a spruce.  Douglas fir cones hang downward on the underside of branches and are unique because 3 pointed seed bracts protrude from each scale on the cone.  Douglas firs grow to be the second largest of our trees, second only to Sequoias.

The tree family Thuja is also called Cedar or Arborvitae and they are common landscape plants.  Northern White Cedar is our most common species.  However what is confusing is that there is a southern tree family called White Cedar (Chamaecyparis) which looks very similar to our Thuja species.  Occasionally some species and cultivars of this family are sold as ornamentals although they aren’t very hardy in the north.

Arborvitae or Northern White cedar
Northern White Cedar has flattened overlapping scale-like leaves.  On the underside of the leaves you can find tiny raised spots called resin glands.  The trees have tiny cones in clusters near the branch tips.  Arborvitae comes in a variety of shapes, from the natural tree like form to upright dense windbreak forms and rounded globes that stay small.  It has a pleasant smell, reddish bark and wood that is hard and dense.

Junipers are known for their prickliness.  Adding to the name confusion one species of Juniper has the common name of Eastern Redcedar.  It forms a tree shape and has overlapping rows of flattened scale like needles when mature but when the plant is young the needles are spiky and sharp.  Common juniper forms a more shrub-like sprawling form and the needles, arranged in whorls of 3, stay sharp and prickly.  The common identifying characteristic of Junipers besides their prickly needles is their blue, berry–like cones.  These are used to flavor gin.

Yew
Yews have soft flat, dark green needles which are paler yellowish green on the bottom. Their identifying characteristic is that they have red berry-like cones. They are seldom found in the wild, but are common ornamentals here.  They tolerate shade and trimming.  However yews are extremely poisonous to livestock and pets eating foliage or bark and children consuming the berries. Use care planting them in the landscape.

There you have it, a guide to the common landscape evergreens so you can identify what you have and have a better way to describe them to your gardening friends or look up their care and diagnose problems.

What are the best evergreen species for Christmas trees?

Best is subjective of course, and usually best means the type of tree you have always had through the years.  But if you haven’t had a fresh cut tree before you may want some tips. The most common Christmas tree species sold in Michigan are Balsam, Fraiser and Concolor firs, Douglas Fir, Scotch Pine, Blue Spruce, White spruce and White pine.

The firs all smell nice but have a more open shape and don’t take heavy ornaments that well.  The needles aren’t scratchy but drop fairly quickly inside.

Scotch pines are dense and pleasing in shape, hold heavy ornaments and smell pretty good.  They are prickly though but hold their needles a long time inside.

Blue spruce and other spruces have good shapes, are dense and strong but their smell is not pleasant. They are also scratchy when decorating.  Most spruce hold their needles a long time.  They are generally more expensive than other trees.

White pines that have been pruned for a denser shape make pretty good Christmas trees but are more open than pines or spruce and don’t take heavy ornaments well. They smell nice, but not strongly.  They retain needles well and are said to be the least allergenic of the Christmas tree species.

Want a low cost, fresh Christmas tree? 

You can have a great family outing and get a low cost, beautiful fresh cut Christmas tree if you are willing to do a little work for it.  Most people don’t realize that many National Forests can be the source for Christmas trees.  You’ll need to cut your own tree and transport it back to the car.  Each National Forest will also have a fee for a “tree tag” which you’ll need to purchase before going out to hunt for the perfect tree.  In Michigan tags cost $5.   You can purchase up to 3 tags, each good for 1 tree.  Trees are for personal use and cannot be sold.

We have one National Forest in the Lower Peninsula, the Huron –Manistee National Forest.  It extends east from Hartwick Pines State Park to the Lake Huron shoreline. There is also the Hiawatha National Forest in the UP. 

In Michigan you must also have a parks pass to enter the park. You can buy a day passport for $5 or a weekly passport for $15. Seasonal passes can also be purchased. Go to http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/hmnf/home for details on how to get a daily or seasonal pass.  You can buy the passes on line but you must go to a park office to buy your Christmas tree tag.  You could buy the daily pass there too.  There are offices in Cadillac, Mio, Oscoda and Baldwin which are open M-F, 8 – 4:30; the office in Manistee is open M-F, 9 – 4.

Many public school 4th grade students were given a park pass. This year any 4th Grader who has a valid Every Kid in a Park pass or paper voucher will get one (1) FREE Christmas Tree permit.   For more information on getting an Every Kid in a Park pass or voucher visit: www.EveryKidinaPark.gov.
 

Cutting your own tree- www.fsusda.gov
If you are not familiar with your National Forest lands when you get your tree tag get a map that will show you where you can and can’t cut Christmas trees, where park boundaries are and where access roads are located.  When you get your tree tag you’ll probably be given a set of regulations on Christmas tree cutting.  Read them before you hop in the car to search for a tree.  There are generally hours when tree cutting is permitted.  These are generally set to make sure people are out of the forest before dark. The Michigan National Forests don’t allow “topping” or cutting just the top of a tree off.  Pets may also be restricted if you are thinking about including them in the outing. 

Remember most state and county parks do not allow tree cutting and you may get a hefty fine if you do so.   You cannot cut trees from roadsides and medians.  Also never cut trees on private property where you do not have permission to cut trees, whether the property is posted or not.  This is theft and can be prosecuted as such.

Where to buy Christmas trees

If you don’t want to cut your own tree from the National Forest but want a real Christmas tree here are two online sources to check.

For places selling pre-cut trees go here- http://www.mcta.org/retail-lots-directory

For cut your own tree farms go here- http://www.mcta.org/choose-cut-directory

Some charitable organizations sell trees as a fund raiser.  Consider buying your tree where you can help the less fortunate.

Tips on cutting your own Christmas tree

Whether you head out to a National Forest or go to a tree farm you’ll need to be prepared when you go out to cut your own tree.  Some farms transport you right to the area they want you to search for and cut the tree but in others you are allowed to roam around and find your own.  Depending on the weather you may need a four wheel drive vehicle to get down access roads.  Most National Forest roads are not plowed or sanded in winter if you are going there.

Some tree farms supply saws but its best to bring your own tools. A hand saw is the preferred cutting tool for a tree.  It should be sharp.  Since blades can break a back-up blade or saw is a good idea.   Axes are hard to use when a tree has branches to the ground and more dangerous than a saw.  Chain saws, if they are permitted, are heavy things to carry when trekking through the woods, and even heavier on the way back when you are carrying a tree.  They are also dangerous tools to use when medical help can be a long hike back to a car and miles to emergency treatment.

You’ll want a tarp and ropes or bungee cords to tie the tree on the car or at least to wrap it for the back of a truck or van.   A sled or wagon can be handy for transporting a large tree back to the car.  And you may want a measuring tape to check to see if the tree will fit your car and home before you cut it.  Trees look smaller out in a forest than they do in the living room.

Everyone in your tree cutting party should be dressed appropriately for a day in winter weather. Even if the weather is warm you’ll want heavy gloves for handling the tree.  If you are going to a remote place your car should have blankets, food and water and other emergency supplies should something happen.  Take your cell phone, but realize you may be out of a signal range. It’s a good idea to bring a compass or a GPS device.  Carry something to start a fire should an emergency situation occur. Make sure to tell someone where you are going- at least the general area and when you expect to be back. 

Be practical and careful in hunting for a tree.  Don’t go so far into the forest that after cutting a tree and heading back it will be dark.  Keep track of where you are going so you don’t get lost.  Respect your exercise and strength abilities and those of the weakest member of your party. Stop before everyone is overly tired as this is when accidents happen.  A tree can be very heavy even if you are dragging it. Don’t cross ice covered water unless the ice is 2 inches thick and even then use extreme caution and cross one person at a time. 

Tips for picking that live tree and transporting it

Look for a full symmetrical tree but realize that National Forest trees are not pruned into shape the way trees on commercial Christmas tree farms are pruned.  Measure the tree to make sure you can get it through your doors, that it will stand upright in your room and won’t take more space than you have for it.   If you are at a commercial tree farm you may have to pay for the tree by the foot so take that in consideration also.

Look at the tree trunk to make sure it’s straight and not oddly shaped.  A tree may appear to be straight but the trunk may have an odd angle that will make inserting it in a stand and keeping it upright hard. Leave a long “stem” on the tree because you need to do a second cut across the stump before you put it in the stand.  This makes sure the tree can take up water.  And make your cut as straight across the trunk as possible.

After the tree is cut give it a few quick bounces on the ground to dislodge loose needles.  You may want to check for bird nests.  Some people think they are lucky and leave them in the tree.  But bird nests may contain pests like lice or even mice and probably should be removed. 

Make sure to attach your tree tag to the tree before you begin to transport it to the car if you are in a National Forest.  The easiest way to carry the tree back to the car is to wrap it in a tarp. It protects the tree and makes it easier to handle.  If the tree is to ride home on top of the car it should be wrapped in a tarp or blanket and the top of the tree should point to the front of the car.  Secure it tightly with ropes or bungee cords.

Once you have the tree home store it outside in a cool, shady place in a bucket of water until you are ready to put it up inside.  You’ll want it where dogs and cats can’t “anoint” it for you or where deer or other animals could nibble it.  Trees store well outside in cool weather for several weeks. Live trees should not go up inside the house until 7-10 days before Christmas and should be removed within a few days after Christmas.


Keeping your “real” Christmas tree alive through the holidays

Whether you choose a real fresh cut tree for that delightful smell or the nostalgia or the fact that it’s the green thing to do you’ll want to keep it looking fresh through the holidays. And you’ll want to keep it from becoming a fire hazard too.  Here’s what to do to keep your tree beautiful and safe.

First realize that if you buy your tree from a lot that it may have been cut weeks before you purchase it.  Stand a tree up and bounce it on the ground before you buy it.  All trees will lose some needles when you do this, even freshly cut ones, but if the tree sheds a lot of yellowed needles you’ll want to look for a fresher one.  The branches should feel springy and won’t snap easily.

Once you buy a tree or cut one don’t bring it inside too soon.  Ten days before Christmas is about the limit for safe practices.  Until then keep it outside in a cool shady place in a bucket of water.  Right before you bring it inside make a fresh cut across the tree trunk a couple of inches thick. Often the cells in the cut stump will have sealed themselves as the tree sat in storage, especially if it was not in water.  A fresh cut makes it more likely the tree can take up water adequately enough to delay its drying out.

The most important thing to keep a tree fresh and safe is to make sure it has plenty of water.  Make sure your tree stand holds at least a gallon of water for a small tree, more for larger trees. There are all kinds of supplements to put in water and home remedies to keep trees fresh, but nothing is really needed but lots and lots of water.  Supplements do little to keep trees fresh and may even clog tree pores. Check the tree every day and add water so that the bottom of the trunk is never exposed to air.  If the tree is in a warm room near heating vents you may need to add water twice a day.  Water, water ,water, that’s the key to keeping a tree fresh and safe.

Keeping a tree hydrated helps keep it from being a fire hazard but remember all evergreens are a fire hazard indoors.  (So are most artificial trees.) Never use candles or other burning items on or near the tree. Definitely keep them away from fireplaces and heaters.  Use cool burning lights like the new LED ones, make sure the wires are not frayed or damaged, and turn off lights when no one is home or when everyone is sleeping. 

It’s wise to make sure you have a working smoke detector and a fire extinguisher in the home near the Christmas tree.  After Christmas move the tree outside as soon as possible.

How to keep people from stealing evergreens from your property

Every year in Michigan around Christmas time some rural property owners find that evergreens on their property have been damaged or even stolen by people illegally harvesting Christmas greens. And it’s not just people in the country who have problems, every year law enforcement offices get calls from suburban and city property owners who have had landscape trees damaged or stolen. What can you do to stop inconsiderate people from stealing their Christmas greens from your property?

You might feel like a grinch but people who steal greenery often make a mess of trees they cut from.  Most thieves don’t know much about tree growth and care. Evergreens may never look good again or even die after improper cutting.  People sometimes cut the top of a tree off to make a reasonable sized Christmas tree thinking the tree will re-grow and be fine but most evergreens don’t recover from losing their tops like this and will always look bad. 

A tree takes many years to grow and removing good sized trees from a location sets a reforestation project back years.  And replacing larger trees in a landscape planting is quite expensive. Yes trees need to be thinned, trimmed and otherwise managed but that work should be left to the owner of the property.

If your property has nice looking evergreens that can be seen from a public road make sure that you post no trespassing signs and check early in December to make sure that the signs are still up and visible.  It’s illegal to harvest greens or trees from any property that you don’t own or have written permission from the owner to harvest.  Public property and road rights of way are included in the ban.   Marking your property reminds people that someone owns the trees.

Talk to your neighbors and ask them to call you if they see any suspicious activity around your trees.  If you are going to allow someone to harvest trees or greens make sure you let them know that too.  This also reminds the neighbors that you don’t want people cutting trees or greens if they need a reminder.  If you feel the neighbors may have been the ones harvesting greenery in the past enlisting their help watching the trees makes it less likely they’ll do so this year.

Make sure gates to access roads are closed and locked.  Block trails with brush or piles of soil. Most people don’t want to carry harvested greenery too far.  Electric fencing is relatively cheap and if the charger is just turned on in December it won’t cost much to run.  If you have very nice trees in a location easily seen from a road you may want to light the area at night if possible, at least through the month of December.

If you have had problems with people harvesting greenery from your property in the past and/or your property has places where trespassers are not likely to be seen you may want to take tree protection a bit further.  Products are sold that when applied to trees give them a very unpleasant smell, (but the smell wears off by spring). You can buy these from nursery supply catalogs.  

Sprays that hunters use like fox urine can be bought in sporting goods stores and the smelliest ones applied to trees. Some people mix their own smelly mixtures with manure or rotten eggs. Make sure anything you mix up is harmless to the trees.  Even if the thief goes ahead and cuts the tree and brings it home, he or she will surely regret moving it into the house when warmer air gets the scent wafting through the house.  Maybe they won’t be back next year.

Tags which have the danger symbol and the words- hazardous chemicals applied - can be attached to each tree, even if not sprayed with anything, but this takes a bit of work.  Some people use a very bright temporary paint to spray on trees.   If it lasts a month it will probably work.  You just need to mark a big x on one or two sides.  A piece of yellow caution ribbon like police use could be wrapped around choice trees to give thieves a second thought.

One property owner who wants his evergreens for wildlife habitat just cuts a limb out of the tree here and there so that the tree isn’t a good Christmas tree candidate but still works fine for wildlife.  This isn’t the best tactic for trees you want to look nice in the landscape though.

If you do catch people on your property stealing trees or greenery try to get photos and a car license plate number before confronting them.  Call your local law enforcement agency and get them on the way.  If the trespassers give you any resistance, leave enforcement to the professionals.  Don’t threaten people with weapons, which may get you in more trouble than they are in.

Not only can people be fined for illegally cutting trees or greenery they can be charged with larceny which can be a misdemeanor or felony depending on the value of the trees they damaged or stole.

If you do sustain landscape damage from thieves you may want to check with your home insurance company to see if the damage is covered.  You’ll need to make a police report and document the damage. 

Just recognizing that your trees may appeal to greenery thieves and a little extra vigilance may keep your landscape intact this holiday season and let you enjoy your trees for years to come.
A weathered old juniper.  Wikipedia

Buying Live Christmas Trees for replanting

If you are intending to buy a live tree for Christmas to plant outside after the holiday, dig the hole outside before the ground freezes.  If you haven’t purchased the tree yet and don’t know how to size it, just make a good sized hole and save all the soil you removed in buckets or on a tarp.  If you live in an area where the ground is likely to freeze by the end of December you may want to cover the hole with a bale of straw.

Choose smaller trees for best results and don’t bring them inside until a few days before Christmas.  Keep them watered while they wait.   When inside keep them in the coolest place possible and away from fireplaces and heating vents.   Decorate lightly and if you must use lights, use tiny, cool burning lights sparingly. 

Keep the root ball or pot moist and take the tree outside to plant immediately after the holiday.  Remove the pot, any burlap or strings and wire before planting.  Settle the tree in the hole and fill with the soil you removed.  Water the tree deeply with warm water and if the soil remains unfrozen water weekly.  In a windy location these new evergreens may need to be staked until they establish new roots.

Smell that Christmas tree?
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.

Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share?  Post them here by emailing me.

Free seeds
I have these seeds that I collected from my garden that I am willing to share free.  Look at the list and if you would like some contact me at kimwillis151@gmail.com
I will tell you where to send a stamped self-addressed envelope for the seeds. If you want popcorn or black walnuts it will take several stamps.  I have published this list on the seed swap sites also.  I’ll try to give everyone who asks some until they are gone.
Lilies, a seed mixture of assorted hybrids, oriental- Asiatic- trumpet- Casa Blanca, Stargazer, La Reve, purple tree, yellow tree, Silk Road, more
Anise hyssop
Morning glory – common purple
Scarlet runner bean - few
Japanese hull-less popcorn
Hosta asst.of seed from numerous varieties- lots
Ligularia desmonda (daisy–like flower)
Ligularia rocket – spires of flowers
Yucca
Glad mixed
Zinnia mixed
Foxglove Dalmation peach
Calendula mixed
Baptisia blue
Jewelweed
Cleome white
Columbine mixed- small amount
Nicotiana small bedding type- mixed colors
Nicotiana alata ( woodland tobacco, Only the Lonely)
Daylily mixed
Kangaroo Paws orange
Hollyhock mixed
Black walnut- few hulled nuts


An interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook

Here’s a seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/

Here’s a facebook page link for gardeners in the Lapeer area


Here’s a link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road, North Branch.  Now open.

Here’s a link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
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 to 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 nature 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


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.
I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive these emails have them send their email address to me.  KimWillis151@gmail.com


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