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A Publication of the Howard County Master Gardeners
June 2015
From Georgia’s Desk
News from College Park: An an-
nouncement of the appointment of Dr. Craig A.
Beyrouty as Dean of the College of Agriculture
and Natural Resources, effective November 1.
It is noteworthy since although we in the Coun-
ties don’t generally see the Dean, a change of
personnel can mean changes in administrative,
organizational and even philosophical proce-
dures, strategies, issues. For example, Dean
Wei, our current Dean, has been a strong sup-
porter of the MG program, and has always
greeted us at Advanced Training Day. So, we’ll
look and listen as November and the years
ahead bring possible changes.
The onset of spring and summer
means a busy schedule of all our MG programs
and I know that the special activities as Days of
Taste, and Our Environment in Our Hands add
to the already full schedule of programs. Plan-
ning has begun for the Howard County Fair and
the 2016 MG training.
Take some time to enjoy the garden, try
some new plants and techniques and of course,
vacation. Enjoy!
Georgia Eacker
Master Gardener Coordinator
410-313-1913
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.
Educating People to Help Themselves
HOWARD COUNTY ∙ 3300 NORTH RIDGE ROAD, ∙SUITE 240, ELLICOTT CITY, MD 21043
HOWARD COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ∙ (410) 313-2707 ∙ FAX (410) 313-2712
www.mastergardener.umd.edu/local/howard/index.cfm
LOOSELEAF
June 2015 Looseleaf 2 Howard County Master Gardeners
June 2015 Looseleaf 1 From Georgia’s Desk 3 Mt. Pleasant 4 Conservation Stewardship 6 School Yard Habitat 8 Continuing Education
Suzette Holiday, MG, Editor [email protected]
Mark Your Calendar!
Master Gardener Demonstration Day
Miller Library
Saturday, June 20t(weather permitting)
10:00 - 12:30 p.m.
Prepare for a successful gardening season by joining us for
mini presentations and informal discussions on Vegetable
Gardening, Pruning, Herbs, Rain Gardens, Native Plants,
Composting, and Pollinators. Led by University of MD Ex-
tension Howard County Master Gardeners.
Posies in a Pot (or Small Space Gardening)
Miller Library
Thursday, June 11
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Brighten an outdoor space with a pot of blooming flow-
ers. Pat Greenwald with share information on suitable con-
tainers, types of soil and nutrients, best plants, and colorful
uses of container gardens.
For details and additional events, check the MG Calendar on
our Web page.
Submit items for the July 2015 Looseleaf by Thursday, June 25 to Suzette Holiday at [email protected]. Submit items for the Howard County Master Gardener Calendar to Janine Grossman at [email protected] or Roy Heath at [email protected].
June 2015 Looseleaf 3 Howard County Master Gardeners
Doings at the Howard County Conservancy at Mt. Pleasant
May weather was typical for Maryland, sometimes freezing and sometimes very hot. The
garden has been almost completely planted with a wide variety of vegetables and herbs. The peas
and beans are climbing the new supports and the remaining plants are responding vigorously to the
warm weather. We have begun to harvest greens and have taken a small amount to the Food Bank.
We would be happy to take any excess produce which you would like to donate. Work days continue
every Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on the very hot days; or 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for those
who can’t come until later. Come join us when you are able.
We have also had school and family groups stop be each week as part of their field trips to the
Conservancy, using the Historical Garden as part of their learning experience.
The Conservancy is open every day from 9:00 a.m. until at least 3:00 p.m. with occasional
evening programs. Check the website www.hcconservancy.org for Saturday and evening programs
at Mt. Pleasant and the new Belmont site. Come out to Mt. Pleasant to hike the trails and see what is
in bloom.
BY JOANN RUSSO, MG [email protected]
The garden at the Conservancy. Photograph: Paul DiCrispino
June 2015 Looseleaf 4 Howard County Master Gardeners
Middle Patuxent Environmental Area
2015 Conservation Stewardship Project
Twelve Spring ephemeral lovers, twenty-four differ-
ent flowering plants and one tree frog made for a
wonderful morning at the MPEA on April 28. The
Virginia bluebells were indeed in bloom as were the
many others. Happily the garlic mustard in areas
where we have this event each April is decreasing but
sadly, Vinca, Euonymus, and Bush honeysuckle were
found in places they had not occurred the previous
year.
Louisa Thompson, our wonderful guest speaker, de-
veloped the Howard County Master Gardener Native
Plant program about 15 years ago. We were treated
to great information about ephemeral plants and pol-
linators, and also the various soil types we encoun-
tered (Manor, Gladstone, and Codorus) that were
identified using core sampling.
BY AYLENE GARD, MG
Rosemarie Meservey and Sarah Causey bagging garlic mustard.
Louisa Thompson describing soil profiles.
Sue Buswell “bunching” garlic mustard.
June 2015 Looseleaf 5 Howard County Master Gardeners
Middle Patuxent Environmental Area
2015 Conservation Stewardship Project
On June 23 we will meet at the South Wind Circle Trailhead. Dr. Vanessa Beauchamp, Assistant Professor of Biology
at Towson University and a third-time guest, will update us about the status of Wavyleaf basketgrass, a relative
newcomer and very challenging invasive species. Prepare to be a citizen-scientist by mapping its current distribution
using a cell phone app and GPS (bring yours) from the www.towson.edu/wavyleaf web site. “Techie” teens are espe-
cially welcome.The remaining time will be spent dealing with our nemesis Japanese barberry.
Meet the group at 9:00 a.m. at the South Wind Circle trailhead (Route 29 to Route 108W towards Clarksville OR
Route 32 to Route 108E. Turn onto Trotter Road to South Wind Circle (about 1 mile). Enter the circle and proceed to
trailhead on left (opposite Misty Top Path). For more information contact Aylene Gard (410) 992-9889 or Jeff
Claffy [email protected]
Signs of Spring abound in the Patuxent woods. Above, emerging fiddleheads. At right, a toad lily in bloom. Photographs: Aylene Gard
June 2015 Looseleaf 6 Howard County Master Gardeners
Look how beautiful the new section of our
pollinator garden is growing! The lovely
purple haze is an inter-planting of Lyre-
leafed Sage, Salvia lyrata, and Hairy
Beardtongue, Penstemon hirsutus. The
white in the foreground is the lovely native
Chickweed, Cerastium arvense and Plan-
tain-leafed pussytoes, Antennaria
plantaginifolia. The second photo shows
what the garden looked like last September
when the baby plants were put in, funded
by the Governor’s September 11 Day of
Service and Remembrance Project. We’re
looking forward to watching the mood of
the garden change as different plants
emerge from spring to summer. It is a
pleasure to watch the butterflies and other
pollinators attracted to the new garden.
Thanks to the many hours put in by Master Gardeners and other volunteers, we have kept the weeds at bay and are plan-
ning the next stages of landscaping.
The goal of the School Yard Habitat (SYH), located in front of the National Wildlife Visitor Center, is to teach landown-
ers how to landscape to attract wildlife, enhance ecosystem function in landscapes, and protect local waterways and the
Chesapeake Bay. Each day we get many visitors to the SYH and one of the joys of working there is the opportunity to
interact with the public while we do our gardening.
The Patuxent Research Refuge (PRR), established in 1936 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, is the only national wildlife
refuge established to support wildlife research. Besides gardening we have many additional volunteer opportunities to
support wildlife research. Come visit, come join us. This National treasure is in our own backyard.
Sunday, June 14 - Patuxent Research Refuge Volunteer Orientation. Contact Diana Ogilvie, [email protected] to register. Monday, June 15, noon – School Yard Habitat Team Meeting, PRR Visitor Center, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel, MD 20708. Monday, June 15, 1 pm – Introduction for those new to working at the School Yard Habitat Tuesdays, June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23, June 30, 9 am to noon – Weeding workdays. If you not have attended a PRR Orientation you will be asked to sign a volunteer release form before working in the garden. For more information about the SYH, please contact Ann Coren, [email protected]
Spring Brings New Success to the School Yard Habitat: Patuxent Research Refuge
Visitor Center entrance. Photograph: Phyllis Yigdall
SUBMITTED BY ANN COREN, MG [email protected]
June 2015 Looseleaf 7 Howard County Master Gardeners
Above left: Lyre-leafed Sage, Salvia lyrata, and Hairy Beardtongue, Penstemon hirsutus. Above: Newly planted section of SYH Pollinator Garden, September 2014. At left: Spring boom. Photographs: Ann Coren
June 2015 Looseleaf 8 Howard County Master Gardeners
Continuing Education Speakers and Topics for 2015
Our first of two Continuing Education tours will be on Tuesday, June 9 at The Green Farmacy Gar-
den located in Fulton, Maryland. Here 300 native and non-native species of plants used traditionally or re-
searched for medicinal purposes are grown. Master Gardeners and guests will be given a two hour tour of
the teaching garden with a guest appearance by retired USDA botanist, Jim Duke, PhD. The plants collected
over sixty years are highlighted in Jim’s book, The Green Pharmacy.
Due to limited parking, please RSVP to Joanna Cumbie, [email protected]. She will provide
further details. If a large number of people plan to attend, we may have to meet at nearby Reservoir High
School parking lot and carpool to the property at 8210 Murphy Rd. (less than 1 mile from the high school).
For questions, contact Karin DeLaitsch, [email protected].
2015 Continuing Education Speakers
Tuesday, June 9 Tour the Green Farmacy Garden, Fulton, MD – see a collection of 300 plant species used/
researched for medicinal purposes. 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, July 14 Tour Brisco Daylily Garden, Ellicott City, MD – see 1100 daylily cultivars during peak
bloom; impulse buying allowed: 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, August 11 Gardens of Lakes Como and Maggiore, Italy , speaker Judy Petersen, MG. 9:30 a.m.
—11:00 a.m., Extension Office
Tuesday, September 8 Native Plant Nursery at the County Corrections Facility, speaker Lori Lilly, Man-
ager, 9:30 a.m.—1:00 a.m., Extension Office
Tuesday, October 13 A Retrospect Look at What Sets the Bay-Wise Home Tour Landscapes Apart? speak-
er TBD (The Bay-Wise Committee). 9:30 a.m. —11:00 a.m., Extension Office
Tuesday, November 10 Tree topic TBD, speaker Wanda MacLachlan, UME Area Educator – Residential
Landscape Management: 9:30 a.m. —11:00 a.m. Extension office