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
