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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,
LOOSELEAF
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-gardener
September 2016
INSIDE — 2- Tomato Taste-Off
3-Compost Committee Goes to Sum-
mer Camp
4-Perennializing Narcissus, Part II
4—Need a Few More Hours?
5—Latin for Gardeners
7—Maryland’s New Invasive Plant
Regulations
8—Low Maintenance in the Garden:
What Does It Mean?
9— 2016 Continuing Education
Speaker Series
10—Maryland Day to Serve at Patux-
ent Research Refuge
11—Annual Baywise Garden Tour
Program Update from Georgia —
In spite of the heat and humidity, the Howard County Fair went well. Many thanks to those who helped staff our exhibit and talk with 618 visitors: Susan Aldape, Paul Berg, Joan Bielski, Susan Bishop, Charlotte Clive, Michele Connolly, Joanna Cumbie, Kathryn Foat, Tina Grot, Sarah Herman, Robin Hessey, Gisela Hoffman, Elaine Kielman, Karen Koebel, Pam Peters, Nancy Rescigno, Betty Rice, Carolyn Rimes, Cindy Sabra, Carol Spencer, Mark Wallace, Hillary Wilk and Lisa Wingate- great to have you there! Special thanks to the exhibit creators, Susan Bishop, Elaine Kielman and Carol Spencer, and Michele Wright, who organized our staffing schedule. Carol told me they are already planning for 2017! Did you hear about our film star? More importantly, did you see the video and hear about MG Beth Blum-Spiker receiv-ing the Golden Shovel Award, presented by Mayor Mope? This is great publicity for the Bay-Wise program, and thank you, Beth for bringing this publicity to our attention. I hope you've put Tuesday, September 20th, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm on your calendar. Please plan to come for lunch at the UME conference room. Reconnect with fellow MGs and hear from our program coordinators about our 2016 activi-ties and thoughts about 2017. If you're willing, please bring a dessert to share (maybe the recipe as well). I look forward to seeing you. Georgia Eacker, MG Coordinator, WSA Liaison, 410-313-1913, [email protected]
LooseLeaf September 2016 Page 2
Calendar Highlights for September
Mark Your Calendar!
View the MG electronic calendar in your pre-ferred format: Month, Week or Agenda. Click here for the calendar. You’ll find times, loca-tions, and contact info for these events in Sep-tember.
12 Bay-wise meeting
13 Continuing Ed
17 Garden Tour
20 LooseLeaf deadline!
20 MG Luncheon
27 Conservation Stewardship
Work Days @
Enchanted Garden, Tuesdays
Whipps, Thursdays
HC Conservancy, Fridays
Ask a Master Gardener
Volunteer for a session or two.
On Saturday. August 20, we celebrated the Year of the Tomato at the Miller Library’s Enchanted Gar-den. Many tomato varieties were tasted along with some bruschetta and mozzarella, tomato and balsamic vinegar. Of course, everything was delicious because we all know that nothing can compare to a ripe, freshly-picked homegrown tomato. A big Thank You to the approximately twenty MGs who participated - whether by donating or tasting! Here’s a list of some of the tomato varieties tasted at the taste-off. Each variety’s name is a link to where the MG purchased their seed. Sungold (cherry), Juliet (mini Roma paste), Mountain Magic, (the fol-lowing are slicers) Ananes Noire, Yellow Brandywine, Unanmin Hybrid, Kellogg’s Breakfast, Caspian Pink, Pink Brandywine, Big Rainbow, Red Brandywine, Pineapple, Nebraska wedding, Green Zebra, (the following are paste or heart shaped) Amish Paste, Joe Thieneman Australian Heart, Gilberte, Big Mama and Sheybogan.
At the tomato tasting event we showcased eight varieties of tomatoes, all donated by individual Mas-ter Gardeners as well as the demonstration garden at Miller Library. Special thanks to Ann Hackeling for sponsoring the event at the Enchanted Garden and thanks to Sharon Gordon and Robin Hessey for volun-teering.
Kent Phillips, 2009, [email protected]
Tomato Taste-Off in the Enchanted Garden
It’s Time Again For
Conservation Stewardship
Join us on Tuesday, Sept 27 for a planting get-together!
Clegg’s Meadow at MPEA is large grassland that contains
a riparian buffer planting site and a small cedar glade. Vol-
unteers nurture and protect the saplings in this area
throughout the year, but deer and vines always find a way
to kill a small number of the saplings.
Come on out and help as we revisit these locations to plant
and shelter more native trees and shrubs. And enjoy a dis-
cussion with a guest botanist who will teach us about the
different types of trees we will be planting.
MPEA is the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area just
south of Route 108. On Sept 27 we will start from the South
Wind Circle Trailhead. Wear long pants and a hat. Bring
along some insect spray. We will have tools. Looking for-
ward to seeing you there!
Aylene Gard, 1998, [email protected]
LooseLeaf September 2016 Page 3
Compost Committee Goes to Summer Camp
Four times this summer a team from the MG Compost Committee talked about the benefits of composting with campers at Belmont, which is one of two locations managed by the Howard County Conservancy. Belmont has an active compost bin and does vermicomposting, and by including this topic in the nature camp curriculum we knew they were serious about developing future composters!
MGs Janine Grossman, Darcy Bellido de Luna, Susan Aldape, and Rosemary Noble held a general discussion with the group of about 22 campers each week before dividing them into activities: identifying the compost decompos-ers with magnifying lens; playing the board game, “Making Black Gold” patterned on the Candy Land board game; playing a memory game with composting components; and designing bookmarks with a compost theme. Rosemary created the board and memory games as part of her Master Composter class, and they were a big hit with the campers.
The campers ranged from ages 5 to 12, and had varying levels of interest; some already had knowledge of com-posting and compost vocabulary. The activities definitely kept the campers engaged at each of the stations, even the ones outdoors despite the record-setting temperatures. Adding materials to the existing compost bin was a highlight, especially crunching the egg shells and shredding some newspaper!
The MG team took sample materials (kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, dried leaves, etc.) for the compost. They also had items that shouldn’t be added to a bin such as snack wrappers and juice boxes. The campers were very knowl-edgeable about which items to compost, which to recycle and which went in the trash.
One camper remarked, “My mother would never do this,” while another said “I help with the compost bin in our yard.” A few of the campers were there each of the four sessions and when on the final session one of these ongo-ing campers asked, “Are you coming back next week?” We felt our composting lessons were well received!
Rosemary Noble, 2006, [email protected]
Campers playing the Making Black Gold board game.
Creating compost-themed book-marks complete with bug stickers.
Looking for worms and sow bugs in active compost.
Choosing which materials to add to the bin.
LooseLeaf September 2016 Page 4
(Note: the first part of the story ran in the April issue of Loose-Leaf.) For best perennializing success chose the cultivars of narcis-sus that have the best track record for both perennializing and multiplying. When choosing, it's best to order from repu-table bulb dealers because local sources display bulbs in Au-gust, and all the heat isn't good for bulbs. Bulb companies, on the other hand, will ship bulbs at the proper time for planting. When ordering, look for words like naturalize, perennial, mul-tiply, hardy. It's also helpful to look for those daffodils that are offered in almost every bulb catalog because they're like-ly to be no-fail cultivars. Knowing that some divisions (in catalogs bulb growers assign daffodils to different divisions according to their parentage, bloom time, appearance) are more forgiving than others is also helpful. For instance, daffodils from the cyclamineus and poeticus divisions are more tolerant of shade and damp than most daffodils. Another strategy is to select bulbs that have been around for many years as opposed to the showy new kids on the block. Daffodils that still have some closeness to their wild ancestors are also a good bet. To help you on your way, here is a partial list of narcissus that are known to be good perennializers. The division name is in bold type.
Trumpet: 'Mt Hood' and 'King Alfred.' There are others, but I'm prejudiced against trumpets so you only get two. Large Cup: 'Carlton' (it’s been thriving in my garden for 25 years); 'Ice Follies'; 'Accent'; 'Ceylon'; 'Delibes'; 'Flower Record'; 'Professor Einstein'; 'Scarlet O'Hara.' Small Cup: 'Barrett Browning.' Double: 'Manly'; 'Sir Winston'; 'Tahiti'; 'Yellow Cheerfulness.' With spring's erratic temperatures, some doubles have a ten-dency to blast: buds turn brown and fail to bloom. Look for varieties advertised as blast resistant. Triandrus: ' Ice Wings'; 'Petrel'; 'Thalia' – a delicate white narcissus with the stamina of its wild ancestors. Cyclamineus: 'Jack Snipe'; 'Jet Fire'; 'Tete a Tete.' The first two have the swept-back petals of their ancestors. Jonquilla: ' Quail'; 'Suzy'; 'Sweetness.' Tazetta: 'Martinette'; 'Geranium.' Check cold hardiness zone; some narcissus in this division are tender in our area. These and the next division are heavenly fragrant. Most daffodils have at least some fragrance. Poeticus: 'Actaea'; recurvus, the latter being very close to its wild ancestors. These are characterized by tiny cups banded with deep crimson.
Bulbs are an evolutionary success story with their multiple survival strategies. They are determined to grow, are very forgiving. You can plant them when the ground is frozen, plant them on their sides or upside down, and up they'll come. Judy Petersen, 1998, [email protected]
Perennializing Narcissus, Part II
Volunteers Welcome at
Mt. Pleasant Demo Garden
Our demonstration garden at the Howard County Conservancy produced a bounty of squash, pep-pers, cucumbers, tomatoes and a variety of greens and herbs this month while we continued to have an ongoing battle with the groundhogs for the ripe produce! We’re pleased that we were we were able to donate nearly 500 pounds of produce to the Howard County Food Bank, which included produce from the Fairhaven retirement community garden.
Now that school is back in session we will return to working from 9:00 am until 11:00 am each Friday (weather permitting). If you need a few extra hours, we’re looking for a volunteer who could come once or twice a week to water our salad ta-ble.
Join us on Friday mornings whenever you can. We always welcome occasional volunteers even if you can't come every week. The temperatures should be moderating during September so drop by to see our garden!
SAVE SOME SEEDS. We are planning to have a seed swap in January 2017 and would like you to start saving seeds to share and swap. The event will be at Miller Library, and will be open to the public. We will recruit volunteers later this year to help organize and coordinate. Contact me if you would like further information or to volunteer.
Jo Ann Russo, 1997, [email protected]
Drop by Whipps on Thursday morning to add a few volunteer hours. Or go to the Enchanted Gar-den at Miller Library on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:00 to assist with a variety of projects. Mark your calendar to join the Conservation Stewardship team at MPEA on Sept 27.
There are upcoming Continuing Education ses-sions that you may want to attend. Or read a book on your favorite gardening activity. Think about writing a book review for the next issue of LooseLeaf to share what you learn with your MG colleagues.
Remember to electronically submit your volunteer and continuing education hours.
Need a Few More Hours?
Here are some Ideas!
LooseLeaf September 2016 Page 5
Latin for Gardeners
September’s Native Maryland Plant
Schizachyrium scoparium (skiz-ah-KEER-ee-um sko-PAR-ee-um)
Schizachyrium scoparium is a grass with an extensive root system – the vertical root can reach 5’! It is drought-tolerant once established and is great for sunny slopes that need stabilizing. In late summer the lower leaves are tinged pur-plish-blue and in winter they change to a golden color with tufted seed heads. This sun-loving grass provides cover and nesting material for birds and in winter the tiny seed heads are readily eaten by small birds.
LooseLeaf September 2016 Page 6
The Genus name comes from the Latin schizein meaning to split and achyron meaning chaff. The specific epithet means “broomlike”. The common name, Little Bluestem, is in reference to the purplish-blue color on the stem bases.
As a Master Watershed Steward I have used this plant to prevent erosion on a bare and exposed slope. In April my com-munity planted 30 Schizachyrium scoparium plugs on a heavily sloped hill in poor soil. In August the plants had grown to 2’ and were holding the slope very nicely.
~ Alison Milligan, 2013 [email protected]
LooseLeaf September 2016 Page 7
An Update: Maryland’s New Invasive Plant Regulations
Invasive plants threaten native plant health and biodiversity in both agricultural and natural systems in Maryland. Many of
these problematic plants are imported, bred, distributed and promoted for sale in the landscape and nursery industries.
Maryland’s Invasive Plant Advisory Committee (IPAC) was established by legislative mandate in October 2011.
The IPAC’s primary responsibility is to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on regulating the sale of invasive plants, and
preventing them from entering Maryland or from spreading further in the state. Using a scientific weed risk assessment
protocol, IPAC will classify invasive plants as Tier 1 or Tier 2 and recommend regulations to reduce the risk of invasive
plants in Maryland.
Tier 1 plants may not be sold in Maryland after April 12, 2017. They include Ficaria verna (fig buttercup), Geranium lucidum
(shining cranesbill) and Iris pseudarcorus (yellow flag iris).
Effective now (as of July 12, 2016), Tier 2 plants can only be sold if the “plant with caution” sign is posted near them. Tier 2
plants include:
Euonymus alatus (burning bush)
Ligustrum obtusifolium (blunt-leaved or border privet)
Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria)
Wisteria floribunda (Japanese wisteria)
Wisteria x formosa (floribunda x sinensis hybrids)
To review details of these regulations you may want to visit www.mda.marylad.gov/invasiveplants.
LooseLeaf September 2016 Page 8
As someone who provides free landscape consultation and design for friends, family, and neighbors (hereinafter "clients"), I am frequently informed by the folks I'm working with that they want a "low maintenance" landscape. I've come to dread those words because over the years I've learned that they mean very different things to people, including me. This article, and a follow-on one, will explore the possible meanings of this phrase and whether or not there is anything out there that actually fits whatever reasonable definition might exist.
Many of the people with whom I work are shockingly uninformed about plants and their growth hab-its. I get blank stares when I ask clients whether they want annuals, perennials, or both. Let's not even get into deciduous versus evergreens (“Those things with berries?” one client asked).
Many clients define low maintenance as NO maintenance, meaning you stick the stuff in the ground and that's the end of it...except maybe you need to shear them once in awhile. Others accept that they might actually have to do something to maintain the plants but hope it's so minimal that if they forget nothing bad will happen. Then there are the clients who are okay with coming out and water-ing, shearing, and even fertilizing but they don't want the plants to ever get much bigger than they are when planted. They look puzzled when they see the large space I schedule on the design for a par-ticular shrub, not understanding I am allowing for ten years growth.
I suspect many clients mentally stick their fingers in their ears when I start talking about snow dam-age, insects, drought, etc. as possible causes for occasional maintenance. Some will be quite hon-est, however, and tell me they will be using contractors to maintain their property. This actually helps because I can then schedule plantings that can survive that kind of (usually) brutal treatment.
Next month we will continue the discussion and I will share my own definition as well as the plants I now work into landscape designs for folks who sign up to my concept of "easy" maintenance. Stay tuned.
Roy Heath, 2011, [email protected]
Landscape Lessons
Low Maintenance in the Garden: What Does It Mean?
LooseLeaf September 2016 Page 9
MGs, Watershed Stewards, Master Naturalists and their guests are welcome to attend.
All sessions will be held at the UME office, except for the field trip on September 13.
Check the MG electronic calendar for updates.
For questions, contact: Karin DeLaitsch [email protected]; or, Joanna Cumbie [email protected]
You are invited to the Patuxent Research Refuge Field Trip on September 13 from 10:00am-12:00pm. The address, directions, and schedule of events are listed below. To help give us an idea of the size of the group, please sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/field-trip-to-south-tract-patuxent-research-refuge-tickets-27227038806. You do not need to bring the confirmation ticket to attend. As always, carpooling is encouraged.
South Tract Patuxent Research Refuge – National Wildlife Visitor Center 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop Laurel, MD 20708-4027 Phone: 301 497-5760
Allow 45 minutes commute time from the Howard County Extension office.
From Baltimore, MD: Take Baltimore/Washington Parkway (Route 295) south to Powder Mill Road-Beltsville Exit. Turn left onto Powder Mill Road (East). Go 2.0 miles and turn right into Visitor Center entrance (Scarlet Tanager Loop). Go 1.4 miles to Visitor Center Parking area.
Traffic work-around to avoid the frequent traffic back-ups on the Baltimore/Washington Parkway: Take Route 1 south. Turn left at Gorman Rd./Ft. Meade Rd.(name changes at this intersection) Turn right just over the overpass onto Laurel Bowie Rd., MD 197. Stay on this a couple of miles, you will pass under the Baltimore/Washington Park-way. Continue to a right turn at a light onto Powder Mill Rd. In less than 1/4 mile turn left into the Refuge onto Scarlet Tanager Loop. This is a one-way road, please drive slowly to avoid hitting wildlife, including turtles, birds and butter-flies. Park in the main parking lot at the end of the Road. Welcome to the National Wildlife Visitor Center.
SEPTEMBER 13
Time 10:00am – 12:00pm
Field trip to Patuxent Research Refuge (PRR)
Anne Cottle, MG
10:00am Video about the Mission and History of the Patuxent Research Refuge
10:30 Tram tour of the South Tract of the Patuxent Research Refuge
11:00 Tour of the Schoolyard Habitat Pollina-tor garden restorations (restoration in pro-gress)
11:45 Free time to explore the National Wild-life Visitor Center museum and gift shop
12:00pm (You may leave to return to Howard County, or stay and enjoy hiking the refuge trails on your own.)
OCTOBER 11
9:30 - 11:00 am
Bringing It Together
Ann Coren, MG
Ann teaches how to garden for pollinators, birds, and water quality. She brings concepts from soil science, insect life cycles, songbird life cycles, native plant ecosystems, food gardening, along with simple "how to’s."
NOVEMBER 8
9:30 - 11:00 am
Upcoming Advanced MG Training, plus Overview of Other State MG Programs, Activities, & Training
Alicia Bembeneck, University of Maryland Extension State Training Coordinator
2016 Continuing Education Speaker Series
LooseLeaf September 2016 Page 10
Do You Love Butterflies?
How about the other pollinators; bees, flies, hummingbirds…?
Maryland Day to Serve
You are invited to help plant a section of the Pollinator Garden in the
School Yard Habitat at the National Wildlife Visitor Center, Patuxent Research Refuge.
When: September 10 and 11, 2016, 8:30 am – 4 pm
You may sign up for as many sessions as you would like:
Session I September 10 8:30 am – noon
Session II September 10 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Session III September 11 8:30 – noon
Session IV September 11 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: Patuxent Research Refuge
10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel, MD 20708
Registration: 301 497-5887
Learn how to garden with plants native to the Maryland Coastal Plain eco-region that provide
habitat for butterflies, bees, dragonflies and hummingbirds, and to become an Environmental Steward on your own property.
Native pollinator populations are collapsing due to habitat loss. The Pollinator Garden at the Patuxent Research Refuge is a demonstration garden to show how every yard can become a
pollinator refuge. Come ‘bee’ part of the solution by helping us establish this important demonstration site.
Each session will include a lecture on how to choose native plants for your yard that will sup-port pollinators.
Please bring a bag lunch if you plan to stay all day.
Register by calling: 301-497-5887
(Can’t help on September 10th or September 11th? That’s ok.
Volunteers are welcome year round.
Contact Diana 301 497-5565 for more opportunities.)
*More information at: https://www.facebook.com/PatuxentResearchRefuge/ https://www.fws.gov/refuge/patuxent/ http://daytoserve.org/maryland
#MDdaytoserve
LooseLeaf September 2016 Page 11
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