January Birthdays

5th Erlene Wise 7th Donna Bachman 11th Lana Keyes 12th Monica Hansen 12th Karen Primm 13th Glenda Drace 13th Cindy Morris 15th Randal Hogue 19th Pat Finch 19th Sharron Schelin 19th Billy Woodruff

21st Karen Massey 22nd Jan Dupwe 29th Bruce Schelin

Officers President Donna Tolewitzke

Past President Ann Fergeson

Vice President Anna Warren

Secretary Martha Edmundson

Treasurer Sandy Puryear

Assistant Treasurer Brenda Gray

Projects Karen Massey

Programs Laura Bettis

Recruitment, Retention, Recog-

nition Stephanie Neely

Historian Diane Sandberg

Social Debbie Tate

Parliamentari-

an Mimi Cox

Executive Committee The Officers

Newsletter Editor Donna Tolewitzke

Members-at-Large Jan Dupwe

Donna Bandy Val Price

2019!! I’m planning on this

upcoming New Year to be our busiest year ever! We are a great group of

folks. We’re a group like no other. This year prom-

ises to be full of activity with meetings, seminars and so many projects to be in-volved with, so much so that none of us

should be getting ‘bored’! I love the fact that being involved with our group brings me a feeling of accomplish-

ment and I certainly hope that many of you feel the same. And, I love the fact that if

you need help or have concerns there is always a member willing to help. That’s what make us so special. YES we are a

special group! ~ Donna Tolewitzke, President

January 2019 Volume 13, Issue 1

Our Monthly Meeting will be held January 3rd

Meet and Greet: 6:00 pm

Meeting: 6:30

Program: Paula Smith will interview Mark Nuckles about his work at Riceland Gardens and his

hydroponic gardening

Standing Committee Chairs

WEEDER’S DIGEST CRAIGHEAD COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS

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Project Chairs

ASU Display Garden & Farmers’ Market

Susan Westbrook– Chair Karen Pearce– Co-Chair

On the Deck & Farmer’s

Market Entry

Donna Bandy

ASU Greenhouse LaVeta Howerton

Butterfly Garden Barb Evans

Pat Finch

Courthouse, Extension

Office & City Hall Jason Mullins

NEA District Fair Diane Sandberg-Seeds

Mike Wilbanks-MG Booth

Mimi Cox-Floriculture

NEA FFA-CDE Bruce & Sharron Schelin

Native Plant Garden

Ethel Cole-Chair Ann Ross– Co-Chair

Plant Sale Jason Mullins– Chair

Vicki Mullally

Plants for Sunset Gardens

Margaret Williams

Extension Office Work &

2017 Basic Training Class Neva Shewmaker

HWES Children’s Learning Garden

Melinda Smith

Mulching Leaves

Every year we have a discussion

whether to rake or mulch our leaves.

Below are some of the benefits to

mulching.

Mulching:

-Reduces the volume of leaves tenfold and prevents leaf

piles from clogging drains and causing floods.

-Feeds soil as leaves decompose and soak into the ground.

-Aerates soil, which allows spring seeds to germinate more

easily.

-Soups-up the biological activity in your yard, feeding

earthworms and other beneficial insects.

-Makes lawns spongier and better able to soak up rainwa-

ter runoff.

-Saves time and money from having to bag and haul away.

Saves city money from picking them up and disposal.

More Mulching Tips:

-Don't waste time trying to mulch wet leaves, which are

hard to shred and will likely clog your mower. For the best

result, wait until leaves are dry and crispy.

-Bag some mulched leaves to spread around garden beds

and trees. Keep leaf mulch a few inches from tree trucks to

avoid wood rot.

-Store a few bags of leaf mulch in the corner of your yard.

By spring, it will be "leaf mold," a delicious, nutritious meal

for your vegetable and flower gardens; in a couple of years,

the leaf bags will contain a few shovels of compost.

-Don't be shy about asking your lawn service to mulch-in-

place.

By Branon Thiesse BS, MS

County Extension Agent - Staff Chair

The new class for 2019 will be forming soon and we’ll be in need of Mentors for our new members! Please contact Stephanie

Neely~ RRR Chair if you would like to mentor a new member.

Mentoring

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Minutes of the

December Meeting By Karen Massey

December 6, 2018, President Donna Tolewitzke called the monthly meeting of the Craighead

County Master Gardeners to order at 6:30

Program – All members enjoyed the annual Christmas dinner.

Minutes – The minutes of the November meeting were approved as printed in the monthly

newsletter.

Treasurer’s Report – Stephanie Neely gave the current balance. She also announced that it is time

to pay dues. By the recommendation of the Board a nomination to raise our yearly dues was voted

upon and passed. Dues are currently $10 and will go up to $15 as of January 1, 2020.

Project Reports – Barbara Pitcock thanked the project chairs and all members for their hard work that had gone into all the projects this year.

Susan Westbrook mentioned that the Baxter County Master Gardeners will have a spring seminar

March 23, 2019 that will feature Douglas Tallamy. He is the author of “Bring Nature Home”.

Melinda Smith announced if any one needed hours that the HWES needed

help in the greenhouses.

New Business – Donna Tolewitzke announced that Eileen Adams and

Sharron Schelin have completed 5 Advanced Training Classes and pre-

sented them with new Master Gardener Badges.

By the recommendation of our Nominating Committee our membership

voted into office the following people as Officers for the year 2019: Donna

Tolewitzke – President, Anna Warren – Vice-President, Sandy Puryear –

Treasurer and Martha Edmundson – Assistant Treasurer, Brenda Gray –

Secretary.

The position of RRR (Standing Committee) is in need of a Chair. The pro-

ject FFA/CDE is also in need of a Chair. If anyone is interested please contact Donna Tolewitzke.

If anyone needs their address, email, telephone number or name updated in the member directory, please contact Mimi Cox.

Birthdays – members with December birthdays were given a plant.

Meeting adjourned 7:50.

Photos by Diane Sandberg

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Jan 15: Registration opens for the 2019 State Conference, Hope, AR. https://

www.uaex.edu/yard-garden/master-gardeners/conferences.aspx

March 23: Baxter County “Developing an Ozark Green Thumb” 8am-3pm. Registration

is now open. Cost is $30 which includes lunch. http://www.baxtercountymg.com/spring-seminar.html

March 1-3: Arkansas Flower and Garden Show, Arkansas State Fairgrounds, 2600 How-

ard, Little Rock, AR. For more information on obtaining tickets and times go to: https://

argardenshow.org/?fbclid=IwAR3is8IR1rIndI5namYicdH5gjAbfcSmbtRKEovFRHM-nopQ9rxFAGe8B7s

Logging in Hours: If you are having problems logging hours and/or would rather Donna log

them for you please email her at dtolewitzke@gmail.com. Please include where you worked, the

date and the amount of time you worked. And let's not forget, include your learning/education

hours!

Being Respectful: Just a reminder to be respectful of not only the speakers at meetings but to

your fellow MGs. You may think you are talking quietly but voices carry making it difficult for

others to hear what is going on during the meetings.

Sign In! As you arrive at the MG meeting each month, be sure to SIGN IN and pick up a ticket

for the door prize(s). The sign-in sheet will be on the table to the right as you come in the

door. At the end of each meeting, we will draw for a door prize!

Name Tags: Be sure to wear your MG name tag to each meeting and receive a KISS! Otherwise

put 50 cents in the jar.

Reminders

We reached the ultimate for 2018!!

Working hours: 7248.75 Learning: 5362.75

For a TOTAL of: 12611.50 It cannot be stressed enough, maintaining your hours of service to our program is essential. If we want our Master Gardener program to continue we must show how much we are involved

and logging our activity is the only way to do so..

Tip: New Project on the drop-down menu for logging hours:

“2020 State Conference”. This is where you log all the hours for meetings or working on the 2020 State Conference.

Also: When logging your Monthly Meeting; The Monthly Meeting in the drop down menu is

for Master Gardener Meetings. If you have other meetings you attend please use the project “Attending Classes, Programs and Seminars”.

Upcoming Events

Working and Learning Hours

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We wrapped up the year in the Native Plant Garden by dead-heading and removing

dried stalks and plants in every area of the garden. The Swamp Sunflowers are

still blooming and the blue and white asters are in bloom. A few patches of

golden rod are still golden yellow. A lot of progress has been made this year,

and some new markers have been added to better identify emerging plants in the spring. I am looking forward to next spring and another productive year of

nurturing and tending the beautiful variety of native plants. Many, many thanks

to the faithful few who came each week and worked so diligently.

Native Plant Garden Ethel Cole– Project Chair

Butterfly Garden Barb Evans and Pat Finch– Project Chairs

Seven Butterfly Garden crew met on

November 28th and finished work for

2018. We cleaned out the annuals, and

cut back debris from perennials from

both areas. Nature Center let us have a small area behind bench for overflow.

Joseph planted porter weed, lantana,

mealy sage, moss rose, and several

herbs. We had a small puddling’ area

that needs work next year. Plans are to

test soil over winter so it can be amended as necessary.

Fennel was green and growing sheltered between the perennial lantana, yellow Mexican sun-

flower bush, and red honeysuckle vine. The Autumn Joy sedum donated by Donna Tolewitzke

is doing well also. Several rubeckia plants have green leaves.

Many “Thanks” for all the helpers this season, I’ll check with Lee to get a total on the number

of hours that were worked here this year for everyone’s curiosity.

ASU Display Garden Susan Westbrook– Project Chair

The Display Gardeners have done some

deadheading and cleaning up of debris

in November, as we reflect on the beauty of the last bits of fall color in and

around the garden; Cypress trees, fall

grasses, and mums have been beautiful.

We are THANKFUL!

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Photos from our Members

Judy Cole

Anna Warren

Susan Westbrook

Joseph House` Sam’s Throne, Ozark– St. Francis National Park

Our 1st snow of the year…………….Meanwhile in the sunroom.

Donna Tolewitzke

Nick Wysocki

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Fun and Useful Links

Arkansas Master Gardener Program http://www.uaex.edu/yard-garden/master-gardeners

CCMG Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Craighead-County-Master-Gardeners/629232630461141?ref=hl

HWES School Gardens Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/HWESschoolgardens

Janet Carson's Blog - In the Garden

http://uofacesmg.wordpress.com/

Jim Long’s Blog http://jimlongsgarden.blogspot.com/

Public Horticulture Events

http://www.uaex.edu/yard-garden/master-gardeners/events.aspx

University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research & Extension

http://www.uaex.edu/

Garvan Gardens with Janet Carson

http://www.garvangardens.org/photos-videos/gardeningwithjanet.aspx

The Arkansas Cooperative Extension

Service offers its programs to all eligible

persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, na-

tional origin, religion, age, disability,

marital or veteran status,

Weeder’s Digest is the official news-

letter of the Craighead County AR Mas-

ter Gardener Program.

Please contact the newsletter editor at

dtolewitzke@gmail.com with your arti-

cles, ideas, photos and suggestions.

Newsletters are Adobe files and require the latest

Adobe Reader to view. You may down-

load the latest Adobe Reader at

"http://get.adobe.com/reader/".

Craighead County Master Gardeners are trained volunteers

working with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Exten-sion Service and Craighead County officials to provide beauti-fication projects and horticultural information to the resi-dents of the county. In 2018 Craighead County Master Gar-

deners reported more than 12,611 hours of service and edu-cation to benefit Craighead County.

Branon Thiesse BS, MS

County Extension Agent - Staff Chair

Copyright 2012 -2017 Craighead County Master Gardeners. All rights reserved.

Our friend, Renee Shepherd, owner of Reneesgarden.com (Renee's Gar-

den Seeds), is making a wonderful offer for Health, Wellness and Envi-ronmental Studies Elementary School. If you go to her website and order seed, and use this code when you order: FR556A, she will donate 25% of the price of the seed you order, to the Health, Wellness and Environmen-

tal Studies Elementary Kitchen/Garden Program. Isn't that great? So, go to her website and order some seed, being sure to use the FR556Acoupon code.