LOOSELEAF | JUNE 2020

A Publication of the University of Maryland Extension Howard County Master Gardeners

3300 NORTH RIDGE ROAD, SUITE 240 | ELLICOTT CITY, MD 21043 410)313-2707 | FAX (410)313-2712

http://www.extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/howard-county-master-gardeners

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FROM GEORGIA'S DESK ... One pleasant, positive side of working at home is that in between Zoom, Webex, and emails, I have the opportunities to take short walks to look around and enjoy Spring. It has been a very special and colorful spring!

Now, back to virtual meetings. I've joined two such meetings this week: one with UME Administration and the second involving the MG State Coordinator, Stephanie Mathias; the ENR Program Leader, Bill Hubbard; and the other MG Coordinators. I want to share some of the topics to give you an understanding of the issues and current situation relative to the University and Extension. There are no defined reopening dates. In fact, emphasis now is on what needs to be done prior to re-entry into our UME suite to be sure of proper sanitation for health safety of staff, faculty, and visitors.

As has been previously discussed for certified MGs, the hours submitted at the end of the year will be acceptable regardless of the number. On the issue of intern certification there was no consensus nor policy. The subject has been put on the June meeting agenda. However, several options are on the table, such as: extend the intern period by one year (December 2021) in which the volunteer time can be provided, waive the requirement, and use the final exam as the only criteria for certification. By the way, let me repeat that I did receive several exams prior to closing either by mail or drop off. Since the mail is not being delivered and the office is not covered, do not take any action until the situation has changed.

Be sure to take advantage of any continuing education opportunities and keep a record of these. The certified MGs should record these in the VMS. Interns should simply keep a personal record for now.

The other item which consumed significant time relates to the state policy on the participation of MGs in community gardens. A basic policy was created May 18, but is subject to change and will be distributed as soon as accepted by the administration. I know there have been many questions on the policy. As noted by Stephanie, MGs are volunteers, not employees, so an essential worker classification is completely different. They have to get permission to be essential employees to travel and work to make sure that they won't put the organization at risk.

One comment shared by Jon Traunfeld in regard to the use of bird netting for protecting plants: his suggestion is to use tulle (bridal veil material) as an alternative - a thought!

These are interesting days for all of us, but do remain safe and healthy. Please don't hesitate to call or email. I welcome hearing from you no matter what the issue. I just wish it weren't through technology, but that's it for now! Best wishes.

— Georgia Eacker, MG Coordinator, WSA Liaison, 410-313-1913, geacker@umd.edu

The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.

INSIDE —

2 Conservation Stewardship (MPEA)

2 Calendar Highlights

3 Backyard Bees: Eastern Squash Bee

4 In Praise of Weigelas

5 Local Nativity of Maryland Plants

6 Latin for Gardeners: Seersucker Sedge

8 Grow It Eat It News

9 Book Review: Essential Native Trees and Shrubs

Asclep

ias incarn

ata

LooseLeaf • June 2020 • page 2

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Meetings, Events, Volunteer Options Check the MG Electronic Calendar!

Go to the Howard County page of the Maryland MG website. Our calendar is in the upper right-hand

column under the link to LooseLeaf. Click here to go directly to the MG Calendar. Look for dates, times,

locations and contact information for MG activities in Howard County. Click on a specific listing for details.

NOTE: Many MG meetings, projects, and activities have been postponed due to the COVID19.

Please make a note to check the MG Electronic Calendar during the rest of the season.

IDEAS FOR CONTINUING ED HOURS

Check out this link for a variety of webinars and advanced training options

for your continuing education hours for 2020.

This link will take you to the MG pages of the University of MD Extension website.

http://extension.umd.edu/mg/volunteer-resources/continuing-education

LooseLeaf • June 2020 • page 3

BACKYARD BEES: A Frosted Pumpkin Bee

This month’s adorable bee is unusual in being entirely

dependent on people, specifically gardeners and farmers.

The Eastern squash bee is a specialist of cucurbits, and in

Maryland only collects pollen from cultivated members of this

family (pumpkins, squash and gourds). Their scientific name,

Peponapis pruinosa, translates as frosted pumpkin bee; pepon

is Greek for pumpkin, apis means bee while pruinosa is Latin

for frosty. These bees originated in Mexico where squash were first domesticated and travelled north as

the plants spread with the Native Americans who traded seeds to grow this important staple.

As specialist bees, Peponapis are highly adapted to the plants they visit. Cucurbits have large pollen grains,

so female squash bees have long, widely spaced hairs on their rear legs adapted to carry the protein-rich

pollen back to their nests. Squash bees are also earlier risers, waking before sunrise when cucurbit flowers

open. They visit flowers in rapid succession before the large blooms close, often as early as 9:00 am, so

their day’s work is done when other bees are just thinking about waking. Each female bee digs a small

vertical hole, usually next to squash plants, and creates individual nest chambers branching from the main

tunnel. Male bees, however, like to hang out in the best spot to encounter a female, so sleep inside

blossoms. If you gently cup a closed pumpkin blossom and hear a buzzing inside, you have disturbed a

male bee’s slumbers.

Attracting Squash Bees to your yard: If you regularly grow cucurbits in your vegetable garden, you can

help support these great crop pollinators by avoiding deep tilling which would destroy their nests (these are

usually at least 12” deep). Although it is a good practice to rotate crops, if you don’t grow any squash one

year the bees that emerge will leave to hunt for another garden and you may not have this pollinator visit

again for a few years. Squash bees are sensitive to pesticides, so avoid using them around plants that are

blooming. — Clare Walker, MG 2015

Several bees will often congregate in the

same flower (above). As squash bees

are usually seen headfirst in a flower, the

white and black stripes will differentiate it

from the similarly sized honeybee (above

and rights). They are also much hairier

(right). Photos Public Domain.

LooseLeaf • June 2020 • page 4

IN PRAISE OF WEIGELAS

Several years back I started planning a major

transformation of our largest, crescent shaped garden

running the entire length of our back yard. The many

beautiful perennials in the original garden needed lots of

care and feeding and major cleanup in spring and fall. We

decided it was just getting to be too much.

So I designed a makeover that would be 90 percent shrubs

and did a lot of research to create a mix of colors and

texture and interest for all seasons.

The transformed garden is now growing into maturity and

the results are quite stunning. One fail was the two dwarf

mugo pines that sawflies constantly attacked by eating the

“candles” put up every year. Regular size mugos now stand

in their place. But everything else has done quite well.

I’m especially happy with the varieties of an old-fashioned

plant called weigela (pronounced why-GEE-lah), which I

selected to provide deciduous interest with interesting

foliage and flowers. In the very center of the crescent

garden is a Weigela Florida variegata with green and

cream variegated leaves that look great all summer. But in

spring it is entirely covered with gorgeous light pink trumpet

shaped flowers (see photo). On either side of this

(separated by the newly planted regular mugo pines) are

Weigela “Alexandra” Wine and Roses. I chose these for

their reddish purple foliage. In spring, these are also

covered with trumpet shaped flowers of a beautiful garnet

color. In my front garden we have a dwarf shaped version

(W. Spilled Wine) that works very well as an accent for

evergreen shrubs.

The best part of all is that these shrubs are very easy to

maintain. Little pruning is needed, light fertilizer, very few

pests and absolutely no deer ravaging. As my friends in

Yorkshire, England would say, "Perfik."

Photos (top to bottom):

Weigela Florida variegata

Weigela Florida “Alexandra” Wine and Roses

Weigela Florida Spilled Wine

— Roy Heath, MG 2011

LooseLeaf • June 2020 • page 5

LOCAL NATIVITY OF MARYLAND PLANTS

As Master Gardeners, we strive to recommend the

‘right plant for the right place’—which normally means

the right sun exposure, soil moisture, soil composition,

and terrain. We also ask you to consider local nativity

when selecting and recommending plants.

There are several sources for plant nativity. Some

organize by eco-regions across broad expanses of multi-state areas such as the Chesapeake Bay

Watershed. Others refer only to a state where the plant can be naturally found.

Some list all referenced species by a county. Few go to the trouble of authoritatively stating in which

county a plant was judged to be native. Most often the choice of scientific name (botanical name,

Latin name) can vary for any given plant due to reclassification by the scientific community, discovery

of new species, the time when a reference was written, etc.

Each reference source has strengths and weaknesses. And the topic continues to evolve with

scholarly research. But, in the end, it will be our best understanding of local nativity. And perhaps,

more importantly, it’s more important that we move to planting natives to our area rather than strictly

trying to only plant natives that are judged by a botanical authority to be native to the locality where

the planting will be.

The Pollinator and Native Landscapes Committee has drafted a guide that seeks to combine our

best understanding of local nativity for plants in Maryland, interview with experts, and thoughtful

analysis of the published and available data. Our approach will be described along with outlying

data and anomalies.

Please checkout a copy of our guide:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LqOHsFwoia3jdBrTYoWclEkeil77Zo9K/view?usp=sharing

For a tailored guide, along with interesting pollinator data, etc., for your own garden, provide a list of

botanical names to MDPollinator@gmail.com

— John & Joyce Jadik, MG 2018

LooseLeaf • June 2020 • page 6

LATIN FOR GARDENERS

June’s Native Maryland Plant

Carex plantaginea Lam. (KARE-eks plan-taj-in-EE-ah)

Common Name: Seersucker Sedge or Plantain-leaf Sedge

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that I, like many of you, have been spending most of my time at home,

keeping safe and reducing my risk of getting the coronavirus. For me, being at home has meant even more

time in the garden, intently observing nature and the emergence of spring while also having the opportunity

to look at my plants with a more critical eye. I have been using this time to determine which plants are best

at suppressing weeds and reducing maintenance to save myself even more time once things get back to

normal.

One plant I’ve grown to admire for its ability to compete with invasives (e.g. periwinkle, Japanese stiltgrass)

is Carex plantaginea. This rather ornamental sedge that I planted 3 years ago in a large swath of moist

shade under high canopy trees has shown itself to be a star. Because it emerges in early spring, it is

effective at suppressing weeds while creating an attractive groundcover along the way - its wide, puckered

leaves and showy inflorescence add unexpected visual interest. The common name, seersucker sedge,

refers to its crinkled leaves which resemble the very breathable summer fabric known as seersucker—

traditionally worn in the south between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

LooseLeaf • June 2020 • page 7

If you prefer planting to pulling weeds in your garden—give Carex plantaginea a try. You may find it gives

you just a bit more time on your hands—not on your knees!

Note: There are over 1500 species in the genus Carex. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, but those of the genus Carex are called "true" sedges. The study of Carex is known as caricology.

— Alison Milligan, MG 2013

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What is a Native Plant?

It is a common misconception that species are native to politically-defined regions. A plant

species is actually native to the eco-region where it has evolved in concert with soils, climate,

fauna and other members of the plant community. This process of adaptation and evolution

is ongoing and helps to perpetuate species even as conditions change. Even within its home

ecoregion, a species is native to specific sets of conditions. Salt marsh grasses, for example,

are native to saline water and periodic inundation. Source: Home and Garden Information Center

LooseLeaf • June 2020 • page 8

GROW IT, EAT IT NEWS

As I write this on May 20th, the broccoli and

cauliflower have just started to head up in my raised

bed. It will soon be time to side dress each broccoli

plant with a tablespoon of 10-10-10 to get it to

produce copious side shoots for harvest. (See

HGIC’s fact sheet on broccoli.) The Lacinato kale is

going gangbusters, and I’m sure that Mary will be making Portuguese kale, potato, and sausage soup over

the Memorial Day weekend. While the brassicas have been covered with row cover, the weather has been

cool and I haven’t seen any imported cabbage worm moths. Plans for this bed in mid to late June will be to

plant Jade green beans, Touchstone Gold beets and Romance carrots in place of the broccoli and

cauliflower.

The Super Sugar Snap peas are about three feet tall and should be starting to bloom any day. In the same

bed with the peas, we had lettuce, arugula, and spinach planted, but it really had not grown much since the

seeds were planted in late March. Well, I was a bit puzzled, so I put my IPM hat on and started looking for

the reason and finally found it. There at the base of the pea trellis was some fur. Further exploration

revealed five baby bunnies. I guess they like lettuce and arugula too. The peas will be replaced in mid-June

with a second planting of Iznik cucumbers to be started this weekend under lights. Ultimately, the cukes will

be trained to the trellis and feed off the nitrogen the peas have added to the soil.

Since Mary’s raised bed garden is only 112 square feet, we are growing a number of containers on the

back deck. There are Little Mama and Sun Gold tomatoes in large plastic containers, Jalapeno and Gyspy

peppers, Galine eggplant, Touchstone Gold beets in the yellow cat litter buckets (yes, they are food grade

HDPE 2) and Romance carrots all in the five gallon double self watering buckets. Each of these containers

is fertilized every two weeks with a balanced water soluble fertilizer. We also have Italian, Thia and red

Rubbin basil, french tarragon, and rosemary in containers on the deck.

I am tentatively scheduled to co-host a virtual organic gardening class for Miller Library on June 4, at

7:00 pm, so check the Howard County library website to register for this class, if it is held. I will also be

co-hosting a virtual meeting for Glenwood library on June 15. I will be discussing IPM management of

pests, succession planting, planning for the fall vegetable garden and answering attendees questions.

— Kent Phillips, MG 2009

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Native Plants and Climate Change (Sara Tangren, April 24, 2019) http://extension.umd.edu/learn/native-plants-and-climate-change

Whether in natural areas or in our gardens, climate change is affecting native plants. According to the Maryland Climate Summary, our temperatures are expected to increase 5 to 11F by 2100.

• Higher temperatures cause native plants to experience more heat-related stress. Heat stress causes higher water demand, a situation made worse by longer droughts.

• Higher atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 levels preferentially promote the growth of invasive plant species, decreasing the space needed to support natural areas.

• Elongated growing seasons cause earlier leaf out and bloom times, which in turn affects the animal species synchronized to the life cycles of native plants, especially pollinators.

LooseLeaf • June 2020 • page 9

BOOK REVIEW: Essential Native Trees and Shrubs Tony Dove and Ginger Woolridge (2018)

This book, a hefty and hearty piece of work, is self-

described as “the guide to creating a sustainable

landscape.” The authors have considerable experience

and expertise in their specialties: Dove is versed in

public garden management and currently acts as the

Chief Horticulturist at the Smithsonian Environmental

Research Center; Woolridge, a landscape architect, is

known for her work with 1000 Friends of Maryland.

I particularly liked how the book is organized in a clear

and concise yet thorough manner. Part 1 focuses on the

attributes of the site conditions and plants, citing plants

that are well suited to conditions of the landscape and

the needs and strengths of the plants. Part 2 presents a

more thorough description of the plants, characteristics,

requirements, and cultivars. Part 3 looks at secondary

plants, those that may be desirable and workable given

the proper conditions, but with important limitations. All

of this information is enhanced by color photographs,

charts, graphs, and pencil and ink drawings.

Now dig in! You can go through Part 1 to choose those trees and shrubs which interest you and

are suitable for your landscape. So many choices—attractive bark, shelter and food for birds,

drought tolerant, full shade/full sun tolerant, deer resistant, winter interest, exceptional fall color, by

height, and many other attributes. Then Part 2 describes each plant in detail so you can narrow

your choices to the most suitable. So many possibilities and so well-articulated.

The book has a well-organized index. The plants are listed by both botanical name and common

name. The authors, further, offer a glossary of the characteristics of the plants described in the

book. This is a helpful tool to provide context to how these terms are used in the book.

This book is not only very useful for those who want to create sustainable landscapes, it is

immersive, captivating the reader in the brilliant multi-layered lives of plants. It’s not amenable to

reading in one sitting but definitely deserves a long look. And if you have a tree or shrub need, this

is a “go-to” book and invaluable reference.

— Pattee Fletcher, MG 2014