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Tuesday, March 1, 2016

March 1, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

March 1, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter    © Kim Willis

Hi Gardeners

Hurry spring
Bah humbug to winter.  We got 11 inches of snow last Tuesday-Wednesday. All the snow was almost gone now its back. I want to sleep somewhere until spring, which on the calendar is only 20 days away.  Let’s hope that the weather forecasters are right when they say that this weekend we will start warming back up to above normal temperatures. 

I have hosta, day lily, other lilies, milkweed, petunia exserta and a few other plants growing in the windowsills.  I just don’t have a lot of room for seed starting until its warm enough to use my unheated porch.   I got two new tropical hibiscus from Logee’ s this week.  I can’t wait to see them bloom, (which will be a while.)  I also got notified that Gurneys will be shipping the peach tree I ordered next week so I hope that warm spell happens.

I saw a red winged blackbird this week at the feeder.  I thought that was a good sign winter was almost over.  Poor bird.  I filled all my feeders this morning at 10 am and they are almost empty now.  We had some baby parakeets hatch inside this week though- they are noisy when they are hungry.

I injured my arm and typing and mouse use is a bit painful.  This newsletter is probably smaller than usual.  Hopefully I’ll heal by gardening time.

March almanac

The full moon in March (March 23rd) is called the Worm moon, because earthworms once more make worm casts on the soil surface or Sap moon because the trees begin to produce sap again. New moon is the 8th.  The moon perigee is the 10th – a good day to expect a storm around.  Moon apogee is the 25th.

Good days for planting above ground crops are the 16-17th, and good days for planting below ground crops are the 26-27th. (Farmers Almanac)

The most important date for all gardeners in March is, of course the first day of spring.  It’s March 20th, precisely 12:30 am.  That’s the date when the length of the day and the night are about the same, the spring equinox. Actually in Michigan the length of the day will be 12 hours and 10 minutes.  The length of the day will be 12 hours, 42 minutes on March 31st.  March 13th begins daylight savings time.

Other important dates and holidays in March are: 7th – Employee Appreciation Day, 8th International Women’s day, 12th – Girl Scout Day and Plant a flower Day, the 13th is National popcorn day and the 14th National Potato chip day.  The 14th is also Learn about Butterflies day.

The 15th is the Ides of March.  In ancient Rome this was the beginning of the New Year and also of spring. The 17th is St. Patrick’s Day and the 18th is the Goddess of Fertility day.  The 19th is poultry day, the 20th is Earth Day although beware-it’s also Alien Abduction day.  The 25th is National Agriculture day as well as National Pecan day and National Waffle day. The 27th is Easter.  The 30th is National Doctors day.

March is Irish American month as well as National Women’s History month, National Nutrition month, National Peanut month, National Craft Month and National Frozen Foods month. 

March’s birth flower is the daffodil or jonquil, the birthstone is aqua marine.
March's flower is the daffodil

March Gardening

Gardeners are itching to get outside in the garden in March.  In garden zones 5 and 6 spring may be coming and going in March and during a warm spell it’s easy to get carried away and get too far ahead of the season.  There is plenty you can do in the garden, but some things still need a bit more time before it’s the “right” time to do them. 

You’ll want to take it slow anyway, so you can warm up those muscles and avoid injuring yourself in the first warm days of spring.  Alternate activities so some groups of muscles don’t get overused.  And remember the sun is getting stronger so use sun screen and eye protection.

What can be pruned
Pruning fruit trees and grape vines can still be done.  Get a good pruning manual and follow the directions.  You can get pruning information at your County Extension office also.  Pruning your fruit trees and grape vines makes your plants healthier and more productive. 

It’s a good time to prune oaks, yews, poplars, willows, honey locust, katsura, sycamore and some other trees.  Take out all winter damaged limbs, crossing and rubbing branches, and thin and shape if needed.

What not to prune
Don’t prune fruit trees that are kept just for spring flowers, such as ornamental cherries and crabapples at this time.

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 or shrubs you want spring flowers from, like redbuds, dogwood, magnolias, forsythia, lilacs, azalea, rhododendron, witch hazel, weigelia, spirea, flowering quince, and daphne. 

What to clean up
 Check for and repair winter damage (if possible) from rodents and deer.  Look at the bottoms of tree and shrub 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.

If you didn’t cut down your herbaceous perennials, plants whose upper parts died over winter, you can do that cleanup now.  Remove old stalks and seedheads.  Use caution when cutting back mums.  Leave the stems several inches above ground to avoid damaging buds on the lower stems.  Work with all plants carefully so as not to damage emerging sprouts or pull them from wet ground.

Woody and semi-woody perennials should not be pruned just yet.  This includes roses. The ends of stems have hardened over the winter, or died back, and are protecting buds farther down the stem. If you cut them back in March a cold snap may kill buds down much farther than you want. Instead wait for mid to late April in most parts of Michigan when the weather is a bit milder to prune woody plants.

Don’t be in a hurry to remove any protective mulch you put over plants such as strawberries.  If the weather gets quite warm you can remove some of the mulch but leave it close by and be prepared to re-cover plants if a cold snap is coming.

If the vegetable garden wasn’t cleaned up in the fall you can do that now.  Remove all old debris to avoid insect and disease problems in the coming year.

Soil improvement-fertilizing
If the ground isn’t frozen it’s a good time to get a soil test done. You’ll get your results faster than if you wait until later in the spring.  Soil tests should be done when you are gardening in a new location, if your plants didn’t do well last year, or if you haven’t done a soil test in a long time.  Collect your soil sample and let it air dry if it’s very wet before sending it to the lab. 

One of the sure signs spring has arrived in Michigan is the mud.  Don’t get in your garden when the ground is still wet, this compacts the soil and will seriously affect the root systems of plants.  Walking on and moving equipment across wet lawns will leave unsightly ruts and make you curse while mowing later in the spring.

Compost and aged manure can be placed on beds.  Just be careful not to leave ruts or compact the soil when moving loads of material.  Because of “frost laws” in the spring heavy truck loads of mulch, soil or soil amendments may not be allowed on roads leading to your house in March so plan accordingly.  Frost laws are set by each county, call your county road commission to see when they apply in your area.

If early bulbs are up and the ground isn’t frozen you can apply a granular slow release fertilizer around them.  This helps insure bigger bulbs and more blooms next year.   Granular slow release fertilizer can be applied around spring blooming shrubs and trees also.

Planning and building
Lay out new beds and remove sod before it gets growing. Build and fill raised beds if the ground beneath them is unfrozen and dry enough to walk on.  It’s a good time to measure your landscape if you are planning changes or additions.  You can remove any sprouting weeds and cut down seedling trees which sprouted in the wrong places.


You can build or put up gazebos, sheds, trellis’s, planters, decks, swings, benches and so on.  Move rocks into place.  Excavate water features.  It’s a good time to put up fences.  You may want to build row tunnels or other plant protection.  Repair and paint fences and other structures.

You can renew the mulch around beds and on paths.  It’s a great time to establish new paths, and mulch around trees.

What to plant
Seed grass seed- 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.

If the weather is balmy gardeners may even be able to plant a few containers of cold hardy annuals like pansies or flats of sprouted spring bulbs for early color.  The garden shops in your area will be offering such goodies if the area and weather are suitable.

You can plant dormant bareroot plants as long as the ground isn’t frozen.  Snow and cold weather after planting won’t hurt dormant plants that are hardy for your area.

You can plant crops like lettuce and radishes in coldframes or under row covers.  Near the end of March you can start plants like cabbage, tomatoes and peppers inside in a warm place.  If you like peas you can sow them in the garden in mid-March if the ground is unfrozen.

There is still time to plant seeds of perennials inside in flats or pots. You can pot up tuberous begonias and calla’s and start geranium and coleus cuttings.

Other garden chores
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.

It’s an excellent time to clean, paint or put up more birdhouses.  You will want to have most bird houses in place by April.  You can scrape and clean any surface that’s going to be painted when the weather is warmer.  Get the mower out and sharpen the blades.  Make sure it’s in good repair before the mad spring rush to mower repair shops begins.  Clean garden tools and buy new ones if needed.

Lawns and the environment

Its spring and some people’s thoughts turn to lawn care.  Lawns have their good and bad points.  The definition of a lawn is a mowed area for appearance or leisure activities.  What you mow and how you care for it is another story and defines what is good for the environment and what is not.  A modest sized lawn composed of various plant species is probably more beneficial than harmful.  Lawns can reduce the fire hazard around a home, reduce insect populations like mosquitoes and ticks, prevent soil erosion, reduce air temperature, provide oxygen and of course look nice around the flower beds.  A beneficial lawn doesn’t use lots of fertilizer or pesticides. 

Lawns that are not so beneficial to the environment include those of one species, usually in the north that species is Kentucky Bluegrass.  Lawns that are treated with pesticides and lots of fertilizer have a negative effect on the environment.  Too much lawn around a residence is also a negative environmental influence.  If you are mowing more than a half-acre of lawn you have too much land in lawn.

What’s non- native about your lawn?

Almost all lawns in the northeast are composed of non-native plants.  Many people are surprised when they find out that Kentucky bluegrass, despite its name, is not a native North American species.  That’s the most common lawn grass in the north and the one most recommended for homes by lawn care experts.  Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is native to Europe and northern Asia.  It was brought over by early English colonists, probably accidentally by seed in hay for animals.  Here in the US Poa pratensis was refined into the lawn grass we know now, and given the common name of Kentucky bluegrass. 

Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), another common ingredient in American lawns is also a European native. Perennial ryegrass, (Lolium perenne L. ssp. perenne) is too.  Some fescue grass species are native but those generally used in lawn seed mixtures are not.

Most of the weeds in your lawn- those plants that aid diversity and make the lawn more environmentally friendly – are also non-native plants.  Dandelion, plantain, crabgrass, Shepard’s purse, white clover, ground ivy, hensbit, purple deadnettle, and cheese mallow are all non- native plants.  The common violet is one exception, it is native.  This doesn’t mean much unless you are bragging that you only use native plants in the landscape.
Violets are probably the only native plant in your lawn.

Leave the weeds- they’re good for the environment

If you have been around gardeners a lot you have probably heard the term 60 mph lawn.  That means when you drive by at 60 mph the mowed lawn looks nice because you can’t see the “weeds” in it.  But every gardener should appreciate a “weedy” lawn.  Lawns with weeds are actually healthier than a monoculture of bluegrass.  There will be more beneficial insects, more helpful soil microbes and earthworms (also non-native by the way) if a lawn is composed of diverse species.

There has been research that suggests a “weedy” lawn also distracts rabbits from munching on ornamentals and vegetables near the lawn.  Rabbits prefer some plants like white clover over bluegrass and your precious flowers and vegetables.  Birds like to pick through a diverse mix of species and pollinators appreciate flowering plants in the lawn.

Treating lawns with pesticides to get rid of weeds or insects is not an environmentally friendly act.  It’s not healthy for you or your pets either.  While pesticide applicators may tell you differently, pesticides on lawns frequently poison pets.  Just ask any vet.   Pesticides kill pollinators and helpful insects.  They wash into surface waters like ponds and streams to kill fish and aquatic life.  Most insects, like grubs, don’t affect “weeds” much.  Leaving the weeds means that your lawn will still look green when lawn insects strike and there is some evidence that a lawn of diverse species helps prevent infestations of insects that destroy grass roots.

If certain weeds bother you and you don’t want to eat them (many weeds are edible and make good salads and medicines) mechanically dig them up.  Mow weeds like dandelions before they go to seed.  Leaving lawns 3 inches tall will shade some weed seedlings out.  Avoid compacting the soil by staying off it when its’ wet.  What species flourish in your lawn depends a lot on soil conditions and mowing practices.  You’ll favor grass with fertile, loose soil, full sun exposure and letting it stay at a healthy 3 inch length.

Excess fertilization that’s frequently employed by those who want a perfect, all grass lawn is also environmentally unfriendly.  It wastes resources, and the excess fertilizer often washes into surface water, polluting it and causing algae blooms.  One light application of chemical fertilizer in the spring or a light application of compost or dried manure and mulching grass trimmings and leaves back into the lawn is all the fertilizing an environmentally friendly lawn should get.

How much water a lawn needs also determines how environmentally friendly the lawn is too.  An environmentally friendly lawn doesn’t get watered a lot.  It learns to put down deep roots and go dormant through dry spells.  Weedy lawns require less water to look green in hot dry weather.  Unless you need a green lawn as a firebreak around your home, environmentally friendly lawns should not be watered often.  In prolonged drought a deep watering once a month should keep lawns alive.

“Native” and non-lawns
Some of the native only fanatics will give advice as to planting things like buffalo grass instead of a lawn.  That’s fine, but it won’t look like a lawn as people define them today.  Almost all native grasses do not grow well when mowed. Moss is sometimes used in place of a lawn or small groundcovers.  These can be good choices but once again they tend to be mono-cultures.  Less diverse ecosystems have more problems and aren’t as environmentally friendly.

You can remove your lawn areas all together and instead make them gardens with mulched areas and paths.  There are multiple solutions to this depending on the light, soil conditions and your idea of beauty.  Being without any lawn area takes some getting used to for most gardeners, you may slowly want to decrease your lawn area each year by adding more flower beds, shrubs and groundcovers.  For most gardeners having more space to grow plants is a good thing.

When you decide to go the no lawn route make sure to take into account any rules or laws that may be place in the area you live in.  Planting in the front of the house may be limited or there may be height restrictions on what you choose to grow in place of a lawn.  When planning, try to make the replaced lawn area look neat and more like a garden than an abandoned field.

You’ll also want to think about the care of the non-lawn and how much time it takes.  You will probably want to choose low maintenance plants.  Don’t take on more work than you can handle.  It takes a lot of time to mow, but it’s pretty easy work. Plants that need frequent pruning, deadheading or other care may not work in your situation.

 While a thick green plush carpet of Kentucky bluegrass looks nice, so does a lawn sprinkled with yellow dandelions or white clover flowers, if you train your eyes to see it that way.  Let a diverse ecosystem flourish in your lawn and you won’t have to feel guilty about having one.

How to grow Daffodils, the March birth flower

There nothing more cheerful in spring than the blooming of the daffodils.  In Michigan they may not bloom in March but these easy to care for plants make any month more cheerful.  Daffodils and their family members, narcissus and jonquils are plants that almost every gardener can grow, in almost every area of the country.  They are almost carefree, live a very long time and multiply year after year.  No garden should be without them.

Daffodil ((Narcissus pseudonarcissus) is the name given to the larger flowered members of the Narcissus genus.  Narcissus or jonquil usually refers to smaller flowered members in common usage. However all daffodils are technically narcissus.  There is a specific species of narcissus (Narcissus jonquilla), that should be defined as a jonquil, but the term jonquil in catalogs and stores may be deceptive.  Jonquils should be plants with narrow, tube like leaves, where other members of the Narcissus family have broader flat leaves.
Narcissus

Narcissus are native to north Africa, and southwestern Europe where they have flourished for many thousands of years in meadows and the edges of woodlands. They have been pictured in art and written about since the earliest recorded human history.  There are dozens of species of narcissus and hundreds of cultivated varieties.  They have naturalized throughout much of the temperate areas of the world.

What they look like

The narcissus family consists of plants with a bulb, from which roots grow out of the bottom.  The bulbs are covered with a brown papery “skin” and have long necks. Often narcissus or daffodil bulbs appear in clusters of two or three bulbs called double nosed or triple nosed bulbs.  Daffodils/narcissus reproduce by producing new bulbs as well as seeds.  Each bulb only lives about 4 years, but a colony of narcissus/daffodils can persist through decades.  They have been found at home sites abandoned for more than a hundred years.

The bulbs of narcissus/daffodil need a cold dormancy period before re-blooming.  How much cold and for how long varies by the species.  When the dormancy period is over in the spring the daffodil/narcissus bulb sends up 2-4 leaves and a flower stem.  In most narcissus species the leaves are long, narrow and flat with a round tip. The leaves are blue green to dark green and have a waxy sheen.  The jonquil, as mentioned above, has tubular, hollow leaves.  Height of the plants ranges from about a foot to a few inches high, depending on species and variety.

The flower stem of daffodils/narcissus is hollow near the flower bud and filled with a spongy material down closer to the bulb.  The flower stem and bud emerge with the leaves or shortly after.  Some narcissus/daffodils species have a single flower bud on each stem; others have a small cluster of flowers.

The daffodil/narcissus flower has a ring of 6 tepals (sepal-petal combination) at the base and a cup shaped flower structure called the crown, in the center which surrounds the sexual parts of the flower.  Crowns can be shallow or long and deep.  In a few species the crown is the prominent feature with the tepals small or absent.

Flower color is yellow or white with some cultivated varieties having deep orange–red color or a pinkish or green tint.  Some flowers have contrasting colored tepals and crowns or a crown rimmed with a darker color.  There are double flowered narcissus/daffodils and ones where the crown is split, called a butterfly narcissus.

Some daffodil/narcissus flowers are scented, and you either like the scent or you don’t.  Some nod or dangle their flowers and other species have outward facing flowers.  Some flowers are tiny and others are huge, depending on variety.  The flowers produce hollow, 3 chambered seed pods filled with seeds.  The plant does reproduce well from seed, but gardeners generally start with bulbs.

Common cultivated varieties of narcissus/daffodils include: ‘King Alfred’, large yellow; ‘Dutch Master’, very large, strong stems, yellow; ‘Mount Hood,’ large, pure white flowers; ‘Peach Cobbler’, large double flowers of yellow and orange, ‘Apricot Whirl’, a split crown with yellow tepals, orange center, light scent; ‘Broadway Star’, white double split cup with orange center marking, fragrant; ‘Galactic Star’, chartreuse tepals with white crown; ‘Salome’, white tepals with apricot crown and ‘Decoy’, white tepals with almost red crown.

Small varieties of daffodils/narcissus include: ‘Quail’, 3-4 flowers per bulb, golden yellow, fragrant; ‘Geranium’, 3-4 cluster flowers, white with red –orange crow, fragrant; ‘Minnow’, white with yellow crown, fragrant;  ‘Bridal Crown’, 3-5 flower cluster of double white with yellow center, fragrant; ‘Thalia’, tiny pure white flowers on dwarf plant, fragrant and ‘Tete a Tete’, a yellow miniature.

There are many, many more varieties.  Daffodils/narcissus are often sold in mixed collections or unnamed collections and these can be great bargains.

Care of narcissus/daffodils

Daffodils and narcissus are very easy to care for.  Gardeners plant bulbs of narcissus/daffodils in fall.  Look for large, plump bulbs, size will vary somewhat by species and variety. Double or triple nosed bulbs will give you 2 or 3 flowers instead of one.  Plant the bulbs about twice as deep as they are long and about 6 inches apart, pointed or neck area up.  Bulbs can be planted in full sun areas or areas under deciduous trees where they will get plenty of sun before the trees leaf out.  They are tolerant of most soils, but the area must be well drained.

Do not use bone meal in the holes when planting as it attracts mice.  Mice and squirrels rarely eat narcissus/daffodil bulbs as they are poisonous. But they can fling them out of the ground looking for bone meal or other bulbs.  You can mix a granular slow release fertilizer in the soil you dug out of the hole and then refill over the bulbs.  In a good location the bulbs will quickly multiply and fill the space. 

Your bulbs will bloom in the spring anywhere from early spring just after the crocus to late spring depending on species and variety.  When you see the bulbs peeking above ground sprinkle some slow release granular fertilizer for flowers on the ground around them, according to label directions.  This will help the bulbs prepare next year’s blooms and multiply.

After blooming is done remove the bloom stalk back to the ground.  Leave the leaves to yellow and die naturally.  The plant needs the leaves to produce food to make next year’s flower.  This is one reason that while daffodils may look nice blooming in a lawn early in spring, it’s not a good idea to plant them there.  It can take a month or more for the leaves to die back after flowering finishes and you won’t want to leave the lawn un-mowed that long.

Deer and rabbits will not eat daffodils/narcissus as they are poisonous.  The plants have few disease or insect problems.  Occasionally a really cold snap after the plant has large buds or flowers may cause the flowers or buds to drop off or fail to open.  In a confined bed the bulbs may get too crowded and may bloom less after a few years. Dig them up in the fall, remove some bulbs and then replant.

Caution: Daffodils and narcissus are poisonous.  Do not allow pets or children to eat the bulbs, leaves or flowers. Do not allow pets to drink water that cut narcissus/daffodils are sitting in.  Cut daffodils may cause the quick demise of other flowers that are put in the same water with them.

Suggestions for use



Plant your narcissus and daffodil bulbs in flower beds that contain plants like hosta and daylilies.  They will bloom early and the foliage of the other plants will hide the yellowing foliage.  Narcissus and daffodils look best in large drifts or clumps.  In areas where mowing isn’t important, such as the edges of woodlands, they can be allowed to naturalize and spread.  Small flowered species and miniature varieties look nice in rock garden beds.

If you like daffodils for cut flowers in the spring you may want to plant a large bed of them in some out of the way spot just for cutting.  Smaller varieties will often survive winter and bloom when planted in large containers. You can plant early, mid and late spring blooming varieties for a prolonged spring floral effect.

There’s no reason any gardener should be without the cheerful flowers of daffodils and narcissus in the spring.  If you failed to buy any bulbs to plant last fall your local garden store may have potted bulbs you can plant in the spring.  Nothing says spring like the gold of a daffodil.

While I hate saying it- get out the snow shovel one more (I Hope) time.

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
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
Daylily mixed
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

Invitation
If you are a gardener in Michigan close to Lapeer we invite you to join the Lapeer Area Horticultural Society. The club meets once a month, 6:30 pm, on the third Monday at various places for a short educational talk, snacks and socializing with fellow gardeners. (Monday, March 21, meet at Campbell’s Greenhouse, North Branch, for a tour.) No educational or volunteer requirements for membership, all are welcome. Membership dues are $20 per year. Come and visit us, sit in on a meeting for free. Contact Julie Schröder, LAHS Secretary, 810-728-2269 - Julie.Schroder@brose.com

New - A Balanced Backyard by Elly Maxwell, Tue, March 8, 11:15 am, Rochester Community House, 816 Ludlow Ave, Rochester,
Presented by the Rochester Garden Club.  $5.  To register: 586-337-0897. www.RochesterGardenClub.org.

New- Seed Saturday Detroit - Sat, March 12, 9am-4pm, WSU Student Center Building, Wayne State University, 42 W Warren Ave, Detroit
Come to Seed Saturday in Detroit for engaging presentations, a seed exchange, free seeds, raffle items, vendors and more. 

New- “Spring Ephemerals” Mon, March 21, 6:30-7:30 pm Mt Clemens Library, Mount Clemens, MI,
Cheryl English presents Native Wildflowers for the Woodland Garden. $10.  More info call 586-954-9998.

New -Basic Vegetable Gardening- Two free seminars- Tue, March 22, 6:30 -8 pm, MSU Extension,-21885 Dunham Rd, Charter Twp. of Clinton, MI  OR Wed, March 23, 1-2:30pm, Thompson Community Ctr, 11370 Hupp Ave, Warren, MI
         
This program covers everything from planning to planting. To register for either session call 586-469-6440.

Smart Vegetable Gardening Series - Thursday, March 3, 2016 to Friday, March 4, 2016, 5:00pm.  DeVos Place - 3rd Floor, Grand Gallery Overlook Rooms F & G, 303 Monroe Ave NW., Grand Rapids, MI.

Want to start growing vegetables, but not sure where to start? Or are you already growing, but want to increase your yield? The Michigan State University Extension’s Smart Gardening team is here to help! With experts in every facet of the veggie growing process, the Smart Vegetable Gardening Series can teach you everything you need to know to make your vegetable garden a success! Plan now to attend one or all 4 sessions.
Cost: $20 per session or $60 for the entire series! Registration includes a Weekend Pass to the Show! https://secure.interactiveticketing.com/1.10/e4fbce/#/select


2016 Michigan Horticultural Therapy Conference: "Horticultural Therapy: Connecting People & Plants" Friday, March 11, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.- Michigan State University: Plant & Soil Sciences Building, East Lansing, Mi

The MHTA conference is beneficial to anyone interested in learning how the people-plant interaction brings therapeutic change and improves well-being. This event features informative breakout sessions, book/product sales, hands-on workshops, displays, refreshments, door prizes and optional visit to the MSU Indoor/Outdoor Children’s Garden. Join us to learn aspects of horticultural therapy that can enhance adult day services, seniors, children’s programs, recreational therapy programs, school gardens, community and healing gardens, corrections, hospice, medical care/mental health, rehabilitation programs and more.
Early Registration fee is $60 for MHTA members/$80 for non-members (postmarked by March 4). 
Regular registration is $70 for MHTA members/$90 for non-members and $30 for full time students. Annual MHTA membership is $20.
Registration fee includes lunch (vegetarian option available).
For additional information contact Cathy Flinton, HTR at 517-332-1616 x16238 or Cathy@michiganhta.org; or M.C. Haering at MC@michiganhta.org or 248-982-6266. Or go to http://www.michiganhta.org/index.php/march-11-conference

MICHIGAN HERB ASSOCIATES CONFERENCE, A GARDEN FIESTA TO REMEMBER! Thursday, March 10th, 2016,  MSU, Plant and Soil Sciences Building, East Lansing Mi.   Registration and Shoppe Sales start at 8:15 am and the program begins at 9:00 am.

The conference opens with Lucinda Hutson, all the way from Texas.  Her talks will be on Herbal Landscapes Inside and Out, and The Ultimate Guide to Entertaining in your Outdoor Spaces. Also speaking, Jessica Wright and Val Albright, Cultivating the Recipe Garden. The day will finish with a Make and Take activity where we will all make a package of Guacamole Seasoning to take home.

The pre-reservation only buffet luncheon will be in the nearby conservatory with linen covered tables, plants, and hopefully butterflies! Check out www.miherb.org  for the rest of the lineup, and a registration form to print out and mail. The conference is $45 (early bird rate before Feb 12),  Postmarked after February 12, MHA Member Rate $50.00, Non-Member Rate $75.00 Salad Buffet Luncheon $13.00.

You must register by March 2nd to reserve lunches. TIP: You can register up until the day of the conference by phone by calling Dolores Lindsay 517.899.7275, or by coming as a walk-in. Walk in’s will be charged extra.


MSU Horticulture Gardens’ Spring Program: The Garden Professors April 9, 2016, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Plant and Soil Sciences Building, 1066 Bogue Street East Lansing, MI

Looking to bust through gardening myths and dig down to the truth? Join the creators of The Garden Professors, a blog where expert professors from around the country use science-based information to provide you with the facts about gardening from every aspect. We will host two of these professors and they will be joined by organic farming expert, Adam Montri. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance, many of which will be answered by these experts during a final Q & A session! Early registration (on or before March 31) for MSU Horticulture Garden Member $70, Early registration (on or before March 31) for non-MSU Horticulture Garden Member $80 Registrations received after March 31 $90

Contact: Jennifer Sweet at 517-353-0443 or hgardens@msu.edu

Growing Great Gardens – Saturday, March 12, 2016 - 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Heinz C Prechter Performing Arts Center, 21000 Northline Rd, Taylor, MI
Are you a "plant geek"? Ready for some inspiration? Calling all gardeners for a day of learning, food, prizes and fun at the 8th annual Growing Great Gardens. Enjoy renowned horticulture gurus Scott Beuerlein, Joe Tychonievich, Ed Blondin and Susan Martin. Lunch included. Master Gardeners can earn education hours, too! (5-6 hours, depending on whether you sign up for the BONUS class at lunchtime. Costs: $45 before 1/31. Lunch & learn class $10.

More info- Phone: 888-383-4108

Grand Rapids Smart Gardening Conference 2016, March 5, 2016, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Several speakers on native plants, low impact/care gardening, pollinators.  More info-
                                                   
Cost: Early Bird Registration by Feb. 15, 2016 - $60, Late Registration - $70 Enrollment deadline is Friday, Feb. 26, 2016 or until full. Registration at the door is not available.
Contact: Diane Brady, bradydi1@anr.msu.edu, 616-632-786

Great Lakes Hosta College, March 18-19, 2016, Upper Valley Career Center in Piqua, Ohio.

Students attend 5 classes they have chosen from a program of over 70 classes taught by a faculty of approximately 50 volunteers. Mid-day each student has lunch from a delicious buffet included in the registration fee. At the end of the day students take a brief break and then return for a banquet and talk that concludes the Hosta College experience.

The vending area offers a large selection of plants (even though it may be snowing outside!), garden accessories, tools, and other garden-related merchandise for shoppers. The Bookstore features gardening books at fantastic discounts, stationery, society clothing items, and other Hosta College souvenirs. Persons who belong to one of the local societies with membership in the Great Lakes Region receive preferential registration and a reduced registration fee.  $42 registration fee for members, $55 registration fee for non-members.

To register or get class list go to http://www.ihostohio.org/portal/glhc/college.asp

Here’s a facebook page link for gardeners in the Lapeer area.  This link has a lot of events listed on it.

Here’s a link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/

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

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 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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