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Art Explosion Image Library

The Garden Fence Monthly Newsletter –March 2017

Harford County Master Gardeners

A few days ago, I was introduced to the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Because bird populations are always shifting and changing, scientific organizations throughout the world are trying to keep track of these changes. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a free event that asks bird watchers (no age limit) to count birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes per day (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event, and report their sightings online at birdcount.org. This year’s GBBC ran from February 17th through Monday, February 20th. Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world. After joining at birdcount.org and then reading a short introduction on how to submit my count, I found that submitting my bird count data was easy. Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are doing. Last year, more than 160,000 participants throughout the world submitted their bird observations online, creating the largest instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations ever recorded. Please consider participating in next year’s event – you can help protect the birds and the environment that we share!

~Ellen Haas – 2013

Inside this Issue

President’s Message 1

So Many Cultivars 2

Woods in Backyard 3

Eating Around Harvest 3

Training 3

Calendar of Events 12

Officers

Ellen Haas

President

Anne Spelman

Vice President

Lisa Scowden

Secretary

Jane Howe

Secretary

Greg Murray

Treasurer

Quick Links Harford County Extension

Office

Home & Garden Info

Center

MG Hours Online

President’s Message

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Photos from Mt Cuba website

There are plenty of cultivars of various perennials that can be acquired. Deciding on which ones to obtain can be a challenge. There are a couple of good websites that can be used to aid in the selection. The first is the Mt. Cuba Center that has some evaluations of different perennial cultivars. Mt. Cuba Center conducts trials of various perennials. These evaluations are located at the following website: http://mtcubacenter.org/research/trial-garden/

These evaluations are very relevant to our area as Mt. Cuba center is located in northern Delaware and shares similar growing conditions as in Maryland. Mt. Cuba Center has just completed a three-year study on Monarda which provide nectar and pollen for multiple pollinators. The plants were evaluated for floral display, powdery mildew, habit, and vigor. The top ten cultivar performers were: M. stulosa ‘Claire Grace’, M. ‘Dark Ponticum’, M. ‘Violet Queen’, M. ‘AChall’ (Grand MarshallTM), M. ‘Judith’s Fancy Fuchsia’, M. ‘Colrain Red’, M. ‘Raspberry Wine’, M. ‘Purple Rooster’, M. ‘On Parade’, and M. ‘Gardenview Scarlet’. The study also included a compilation of pollinator visitors to the various cultivars. Hummingbirds tended to visit large-flowered, red cultivars. The ‘Jacob Cline’ was by far the most visited cultivar for hummingbirds. From personal experience, I rarely go by my ‘Jacob Cline’ when in bloom and not see a hummingbird visiting. While ‘Jacob Cline’ may not by the best choice for a vigorous healthy plant, it is probably one of the best for attracting hummingbirds. Another website for cultivar evaluation is the Chicago Botanical Garden website. While not the same climate as the Mid-Atlantic Region, I don’t believe their climate is that drastically different. Their evaluations are located at the following website:

https://www.chicagobotanic.org/research/ornamental_plant_research/plant_evaluation The Chicago Botanical Garden evaluations are four-year studies. They had done a Monarda evaluation in 1998 with an emphasis on mildew resistance. The top ten in their study were: ‘Blue Wreath’, ‘Colrain Red’, ‘Falls of Hill’s Creek”, ‘Gardenview Scarlet’, ‘Marshalls Delight’, ‘Ohio Glow”, ‘ Raspberry Wine’, ‘Rose Queen’, ‘Rosy-Purple’, and ‘Violet Queen’. ‘Colrain Red’, ‘Violet Queen’, ‘Gardenview Scarlet’, and ‘Rasberry Wine’ are four common top ten performers from the lists, but there was a disparity in the age of the two studies and new cultivars are always coming out. No study will absolutely determine how well the cultivars will perform in your garden conditions, but these studies should help in selecting cultivars to meet your need.

~Bill Fritch 2014

So Many Cultivars, Which Ones to Buy

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~Andrew Kness Extension Educator, Agriculture

Harford County "The University of Maryland Extension is offering the online version of its popular "The Woods in Your Backyard" workshop. The non-credit course is built on a cross-platform, cloud-based learning management system so it is equally accessible to users of Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. It is also mobile-friendly for use on tablets and smartphones. The course promotes the stewardship of small parcels of land for the personal enjoyment of the owners, and improved environmental quality for society. If you own 1 to 10 acres in the Eastern United States that is forested or has unmowed natural areas, this course is for you. It is also for you if you have a mowed lawn area that you want to turn into a woodland. Participants will learn why they should manage their land; the basics of tree identification, forestry, and wildlife habitat management; how to choose land management projects to meet their goals; and how to set a timetable and record their progress. With a paid enrollment, each participant receives a printed copy of The Woods in Your Backyard (2nd edition), The Woods in Your Backyard Workbook, and Common Native Trees of Virginia Tree Identification Guide. The course is $85 and runs from March 1 to June 4, 2017. Registration is open online. For more information, contact Andrew Kling by phone at (301) 432-2767 ext. 307; or email akling1@umd.edu. We invite you to preview the course here."

Extracted from Andrew Kling's news release.

Maple Crème Brulee Lucie Snodgrass – Dishing Up Maryland (Lucie resides in Street, MD)

Serves 6

1 quart heavy cream 1 cup milk 1 vanilla bean ½ cup maple syrup 6 egg yolks Maple sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Pour the heavy cream and milk into a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean open, scrape the seeds into the pan, and add the vanilla bean pod. Heat the cream mixture and bring just to the boiling point. Remove from the heat. Remove the vanilla bean.

2. Whisk together the maple syrup and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture. Divide the custard among 6 ramekins. Set the ramekins into a roasting pan and fill the pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with foil. Bake the custards until set in the center, about 1 hour. Refrigerate the custards, uncovered, until cold. Before serving, top the custard with maple sugar and burnish with a blowtorch or put under a broiler until the sugar melts and forms a crust. Cool slightly and then serve.

Woods in Your Backyard Holiday Party

Eating Around the Harvest

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Small Fruits Pruning – March 4, 2017, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

MacBridge and Fill Falcon Ridge Farm, Westminster, MD

Are you interested growing your own small fruits and educating others to do the same? Would you like to learn and then share pruning techniques that will increase fruit yield?

This is an opportunity to learn from experts who own and operate their own productive fruit farm. The class will begin with a lecture on fruit varieties that are good for home production. You will then be able to watch an indoor demo that covers the techniques of pruning thornless blackberries, raspberries, grapes, and currents. The second half of the class will involve a trip out into the field for a demonstration of infield pruning. You may be able to practice your new skills in the field as well!

This class will count as 3 hours of UME MG continuing education and also towards the Advanced Training: Vegetable Gardening Certificate

Cost: $25

Fruit Tree Pruning – March 4, 2017, 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

MacBridge and Fill Falcon Ridge Farm, Westminster, MD

We all know that the best way to learn is to practice. This class is a hands-on pruning session in which you will receive guidance and help to hone your fruit tree pruning skills. All of the trees are on dwarf or semi-dwarf understocks. In addition, the trees available for this demonstration are in all stages of growth, from young to mature trees.

You will learn basic training and pruning methods for apple trees, Asian pears, Oriental persimmons, plums, sweet cherries, tart cherries, and peaches. Note: If you have well-maintained, sharp pruning equipment you are welcome to bring it to class. On site will be 10 pairs of loppers, hand shears and pruning saws.

Please be aware that this is a hands-on class that may be physically demanding. You will be asked to walk/move about the farm and practice pruning. In the process, you may find yourself getting in a good workout for the day!

Tentative Schedule Note: This class will be held outdoors. 12:00-12:30 | Arrive and check-in at MacBride and Gill Falcon Ridge Farm | 3811 Back Woods Road, Westminster, MD 21158 12:30-2:30 | Demonstration and practice of fruit tree pruning

Remember to Bring MG name badge Warm clothing appropriate for whatever weather the day will bring Boots that will protect you while walking through an open field If you have them: high quality, sharp pruners; Equipment will be provided to those who come without

Continuing Education Credits

This class will count as 2 hours of UME MG continuing education and also towards the Advanced Training: Vegetable Gardening Certificate.

Cost - $10

Master Gardener Advanced Training

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Bay-Wise Advanced Training - 2 Saturdays (You must attend both.)

April 1 @ Baltimore County Ag Center & April 8 @ Cylburn Arboretum – 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Most Maryland residents live within a half-mile of a storm drain, stream or river. Most of those waterways eventually drain into the Chesapeake Bay. What we do to maintain our own landscapes can affect the health of our local waterways (drainage ditches, streams, and rivers), the Chesapeake Bay and our environment. We all need to do our part to take care of our waterways and environment. By changing a few simple landscape practices, you and your family can help keep Maryland communities healthy.

The MD Bay-Wise Program focuses on water quality. It comprises a comprehensive set of environmental topics that affect the quality and quantity of water here in Maryland. Most of these topics relate to landscape management, however, a few, like hydrology, wells & septic systems, hazardous household products and water conservation, address household issues.

The cost will be $50 for those taking the class for the first time. Those who have previously taken the class may attend for free. Contact Dorothy Wells for information and to register

wellsdorothyj@gmail.com

March 3, 2017 – 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Longwood Graduate Program Symposium. Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA

Pretty. Peaceful. Savvy. Smart. Can gardens have both beauty and brains? Long valued for their aesthetics, public gardens also contribute to tourism, employment, and development in their region. As economic engines, gardens can use their influence to improve the community while advancing their organization. Longwood Graduate Program’s 2017 Symposium, Growing Together: Cultivating Change in the Economic Landscape, explores research on the economic impact of gardens, advocacy for nonprofit organizations, effects of urban revitalization, and public gardens as economic drivers. Join us to investigate the ways public gardens contribute to our local and regional economies.

Fee $119. https://www.longwoodgardens.org/events-and-performances/events/longwood-graduate-symposium

March 7, 2017 – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Garden Series: Fruits and Vegetables of Monticello: Past & Present Baltimore County Master Gardeners, Cockeysville, MD Pat Brodowski & Jessica Byars - Monticello Gardeners

Fee: $25. https://extension.umd.edu/baltimore-county/home-gardening/2017-gardening-series

Training Opportunities

The Maryland Master Gardener Mission Statement

The Maryland Master Gardener mission is to support the University of Maryland Extension by educating Maryland residents about safe effective and sustainable horticultural practices that

build healthy gardens, landscapes and communities.

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March 8, 2017 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Lecture: The Greater Atlanta Pollinator Partnership United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC

Jennifer M. Cruse-Sanders, State Botanical Garden of Georgia, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Global pollinator populations are in decline for many reasons including habitat loss and overuse of pesticides. The Greater Atlanta Pollinator Partnership (GAPP) was initiated in 2009 due to the housing boom of the 1990s and early 2000s. Over a 20 year period, approximately 162,000 ha of pollinator-friendly native green space/ tree canopy were lost with an increase of 81,000 ha of impervious surface. Join Jennifer as she discusses the goals of the GAPP, including encouraging restoration, development, and registration of pollinator habitat at an ecologically significant landscape scale, restoring pollinator-friendly habitat, and educating the public through formal and informal programs.

Fee: Free - Pre-registration Required.

https://www.usbg.gov/events/2017/02/17/lecture-greater-atlanta-pollinator-partnership March 10, 2017 –12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Lecture: Plants with an Attitude United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC Bruce Crawford, Director Rutgers Gardens

Within numerous cultures throughout history, there has long been a fascination for poisonous plants. Often, they served the very functional purpose of eliminating unwanted animals from home and garden or eliminating an unwanted foe! Bruce will look at a number of these very attractive and garden worthy plants and how they impart their dire consequences upon living creatures!

Fee: Free - Pre-registration Required. https://www.usbg.gov/events/2016/12/19/lecture-plants-attitude March 11, 2017 – 10:00 am tours start

Special Event, USBG Production Facility Open House United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC

**Not to be Missed!** Rarely does the public get to see our growing facility, the largest greenhouse complex supporting a public garden in the United States. The site, completed in 1994, includes 85,000 square feet under glass, divided into 34 greenhouse bays and 17 environmental zones. In addition to foliage and nursery crops, you'll see all of the USBG collection not currently on display, including orchids, medicinal plants, carnivorous plants, and rare and endangered species. Register for one of the open house times to get a brief orientation to the facility, meet the gardeners, ask questions, and wander through this working wonderland of plants. Please note: Limit of 50 people per entry time. Light snacks and beverages will be provided. No registrations will be taken at the door. Doors open 15 minutes prior to entry time. The Open House ends at 2:30 p.m.

Fee: $10 - Pre-registration Required.

https://www.usbg.gov/events/2016/12/19/special-event-usbg-production-facility-open-house

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March 11, 2017, 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Bank to Bend, Celebrating the Year’s First Flowers, Winterthur, Wilmington, DE

Celebrate the first flowers of the year and be part of a longstanding Winterthur tradition! Every year Henry Francis du Pont took an early spring walk from the March Bank to Magnolia Bend (Bank to Bend) in search of the year's first blooms—snowdrops, crocuses, and myriad other awakening bulbs. This year's featured speaker, Charles Cresson, a well-known horticulturist and plantsman from Swarthmore, will explore the wonder of the winter garden, drawing upon his rich gardening experience and long association with Winterthur. Come be inspired with new ideas for your own garden, enjoy a guided or self-guided garden tour, and shop our specialty sale of rare and unusual plants from Carolyn's Shade Garden. Lecture: $10 per Member, $20 per nonmember, free for Garden and Landscape Society and Garden Associate members. Pre-registration required. Garden tours and plant sale are free for Members and included with admission.

Lecture by Charles Cresson, "Winter Flowers: Inspiration for Your Garden," – 11:00 am, Copeland Guided walking tour of the garden led by Director of Garden & Estate Chris Strand – 1:00 pm, begins at

the Visitor Center Patio Self-guided tour – all day, begins at the Visitor Center Patio

http://www.winterthur.org/?p=1317 March 11, 2017, 1:00 p.m.

Director’s Garden Walks, Snowdrops and Other Minor Bulbs Winterthur, Wilmington, DE

Formerly known as the Second Saturdays Garden Walk, these walks are on the second Saturday of each month, year-round at 1:00 pm (unless otherwise noted). All walks begin and end at the Visitor Center and are free for Members and included with admission.

Join Winterthur’s Director of Garden & Estate Chris Strand on a special walk highlighting interesting and seldom seen parts of the Winterthur landscape! Walks last about 90 minutes. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, an update message will be left at 302.888.4915 approximately 3 hours before the walk.

http://www.winterthur.org/?p=1192 March 14, 2017 – 7:30 p.m.

The Best of Flavor and Fragrance, Horticultural Society of Maryland, Baltimore, MD

Have you ever wondered which oregano has the best flavor or which lavender would be the best for a small hedge? It can be quite confusing since oregano refers to a flavor and not an actual plant, as well as the fact that many herbs hybridize and produce offspring with all kinds of variations. This talk will focus on the superior selections/varieties/cultivars of herbs and fragrant plants to grow for specific uses, whether for harvest or garden beauty.

Holly Shimizu is a nationally recognized horticulturist with a rich background in public gardens. After working in numerous gardens in England, Germany, Holland and Belgium, Holly was the first Curator of the National Herb Garden at the US National Arboretum in Washington, DC. Most recently, Holly was the Executive Director of the US Botanic Garden, on the National Mall, where she was responsible for all aspects of running the Garden which experienced a renaissance during her leadership.

She has degrees in horticulture from Temple University, Ambler Campus, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Maryland where she conducted research in the area of plant roots. In 2009, Holly received the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from Washington College, Chestertown, MD. Throughout her career, Holly has received many awards including the prestigious Thomas Roland Medal for outstanding contributions to horticultural education from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, as well as the Professional Award for Outstanding Public Garden Director from the American Horticultural Society. She has

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written for numerous publications, books, and has been an international flower show judge. Holly is an Honorary Member of the Garden Club of America and has served with a range of organizations including Longwood Gardens, American Public Garden Association, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, and many more — she is dedicated to heightening an awareness and love of plants through her work.

Currently, Holly is on the Advisory Council for Las Cruces Biological Station/Wilson Botanical Garden, part of the Organization for Tropical Studies in Costa Rica, is on the American Botanical Council Advisory Board as well as the Advisory Board of the Southern Delaware Botanical Garden, and is lecturing, writing, and leading horticultural trips internationally. Her husband Osamu is a Garden Designer that she met while working in Europe. They live in Glen Echo, Maryland with their naughty dog where they enjoy their sanctuary garden near the Potomac River. In addition, they are creating a series of gardens around their 1730 house in Lewes, DE.

Fee: $10. http://mdhorticulture.org/programs-events/lecture-series/

March 15, 2017, 10:30 a.m.

Vegetable Gardening in the Home Landscape, with Harold Taylor Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, MD

Learn about preparing a vegetable garden for spring planting and eventual summer dining. Hear about seed vs. plant options, soil, watering and timing of crops. Get ideas for bed and container design that take advantage of small spaces. Harold Taylor is the Section Gardener in the Horticulture Display division at Longwood Gardens and oversees daily operations in the Idea Garden and surrounding areas. A member of the Longwood Gardens family for more than 30 years, he is a graduate and current instructor in the Professional Gardener Program at Longwood and has extensive experience in working with vegetables, herbs, fruits and the compost demonstration site at Longwood

Fee: $25 Members, $30 Non-Members

http://www.ladewgardens.com/EDUCATION/Adult-Education/Lecture-Series March 17, 2017 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Lecture: Everything Orchids, United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC

Barbara Schmidt, Author

Join Barbara for this fun and informative presentation that delves into the origins of our love for orchids, how orchids grow in their native environments, and how to care for orchids in our homes. Featuring fun facts and orchid care tips, this lecture is sure to pique the interest of experienced and beginner orchid collectors alike.

Fee: Free - Pre-registration Required. https://www.usbg.gov/events/2017/02/17/lecture-everything-orchids

March 18, 2017– 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Liberate Your Home Landscape Plants, Mount Cuba Center, Hockenssin, DE

All too often we design our gardens and landscapes with static compositions of carefully placed and managed plants. But our approach can be more dynamic—and arguably more rewarding—by building upon ecological processes as well as plants’ innate tendencies to reproduce and proliferate. Using examples from client projects and his property, Larry Weaner illustrates how this organic, give-and-take approach to design can result in low-maintenance, beautiful landscapes that marry human intent with the patterns and processes of nature.

Copies of Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change,which Larry coauthored with Thomas Christopher, will be available for purchase and signing after the lecture.

Larry Weaner has been creating native landscapes since 1977. His firm, Larry Weaner Landscape Associates, has a nation-wide reputation for combining ecological restoration with fine garden design. The firm’s work has received numerous awards and been featured in Garden Design, American Gardener, and Landscape

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Architecture Magazine. Larry founded the New Directions in the American Landscape conference and recently coauthored Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change (Timber Press, 2016).

Fee: $20. http://mtcubacenter.org/event/liberate-your-home-landscape-plants/

March 19, 2017 – 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. OR 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Branches All Around, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA

Find a new use for those willow and dogwood branches that you cut back or used for winter decorations. We’ll provide bright red, yellow, and orange branch stems to weave into a beautiful hanging basket. Plant your new basket with cool weather annuals and leafy greens. The colorful twig basket will persist until the plants eventually cascade over it. The technique can also be applied to any wire frame baskets you have at home.

Fee $79. https://longwoodgardens.org/events-and-performances/events/branches-all-around-class-morning

March 19, 2017– 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Getting Started, Mount Cuba Center, Hockenssin, DE

Explore ways to create diverse, attractive, and functional landscapes using basic principles of naturalistic garden design. Learn how to work with your site to solve problems and maximize its use. Sun, shade, and wind patterns, microclimates, existing conditions, and other factors will be discussed.

Fee: $30. https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=171GAR102A

March 21, 2017, 9:00 a.m.

In the Garden Series, Hydrangea Paniculata Pruning Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, MD

Learn advanced gardening skills directly from the professional gardeners who keep Ladew looking beautiful in these “behind the scenes” gardening demonstrations.

Fee: $10 Members, $25 Non-Members

March 22, 2017, 10:30 a.m.

British Art at Yale from Reformation to Brexit with Matthew Hargraves, Ph.D., Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, MD

Join us for a behind the scenes look at the newly reopened Yale Center for British Art. Speaker, Matthew Hargraves will present the story of art in Britain between two seismic events in the nation's history: the Protestant Reformation in the 1530s and the 2016 Brexit vote to leave the European Union. He will also reveal how curators at Yale have used over 500 objects that put British art in a global context and show how British art defined a nation that shaped the modern world. Matthew specializes in the history of British art, especially the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and is the author a variety of publications. Matthew is the Chief Curator of Art Collections and helped oversee the

complete reinstallation of the Center’s art collections.

Fee: $25 Members, $30 Non-Members.

http://www.ladewgardens.com/EDUCATION/Adult-Education/Lecture-Series

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March 24, 2017– 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Resilient Rain Garden Plants, Mount Cuba Center, Hockenssin, DE

Rain gardens do double duty in our landscapes: they clean and infiltrate storm water and become an oasis for butterflies, songbirds, and pollinators. Proper plant selection and placement are vital to a well-designed, functional rain garden. Learn how to select and plant colorful, hardy plants for these specialized gardens based on sun/shade patterns, wet/dry conditions, and seasonal flowering habits.

Fee: $30. https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=171GAR187 March 24, 2017 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Lecture: Coping with Deer, United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC Ruth Rogers Clausen, Free-lance Author, Speaker, Teacher

Deer have become the bane of countless gardeners across the country. Is it possible to have a lovely garden without expensive fencing the deer out--or is that fencing the gardener in? This illustrated talk addresses this question and focuses on plants that deer find mostly unpalatable, as well as tips for gardening in deer country

Fee: Free Pre-registration Required. https://www.usbg.gov/events/2017/02/17/lecture-coping-deer

March 25, 2017 – 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Enhance Your Natural Environment, Baltimore County Forestry Board, Cockeysville, MD

Join the Baltimore County Forestry Board for the workshop, "Enhancing Your Natural Environment," at the Baltimore County Ag Center in Hunt Valley. Expert speakers will help you understand:

why pollinators are so important the benefits of bats which native plants are appropriate in different landscapes the threats of non-native invasive species how you should properly prune your trees

Attendees will also learn how to go about having their property certified as a BayWise landscape. The answers to these questions and more will be provided during this workshop sponsored by the Baltimore County Forestry Board along with a tour of the winter BayWise garden at the Ag Center. Breakfast snacks, lunch, and all materials are included in the $40 registration fee (or $70 per couple). Contact Glenn Ferenschak at 410-428-4748 or sciencegf@msn.com(link sends e-mail) for more information.

Registrations will be accepted through March 14, 2017.

Fee: $40. https://extension.umd.edu/events/sat-2017-03-25-0900-enhancing-your-natural-environment

March 25, 2017 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Lecture: Stories of Medicinal Plants from the Past

United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC

Prof. Alain Touwaide, Scientific Director, Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions Medicinal plants come to us loaded with a long and often unknown history, and sometimes also with curious and unexpected stories. This presentation will investigate the intriguing history of some such plants, tracing their long journey from far countries through the West, identifying the facts beyond the legends, and also throwing light on the narrative of their alleged discovery

Fee: Free - Pre-registration Required

https://www.usbg.gov/events/2017/02/18/lecture-stories-medicinal-plants-past

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March 25, 2017 – 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Lecture: Braiding Sweetgrass

United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC Robin Kimmerer, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, Director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment

Understanding of plants and our relationships to them is shaped by worldview and culture. Robin explores the potential complementarity between scientific and indigenous ways of knowing and highlights how indigenous philosophy and practice of plant stewardship may guide us toward sustainability solutions.

Fee: Free - Pre-registration Required. https://www.usbg.gov/events/2017/02/18/lecture-braiding-sweetgrass

March 26, 2017 – 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Lecture: The Buzz about Bees United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC

Sam Droege, U.S. Geological Survey Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Program Approximately 30% of the roughly 450 species of bees native to the Mid- Atlantic and Northeastern United States are pollen specialists that have evolved certain associations with flowering host plants. Join Sam as he discusses potential, plight, and pairings between native plants and their pollinators, focusing on native bees and flowers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. Please note: This lecture is being offered in conjunction with the Botanical Arts Society of the National Capital Region. Limited seating available. Doors will open at 1:15 p.m.

Fee: Free - Pre-registration Required https://www.usbg.gov/events/2017/02/18/lecture-buzz-about-bees

March 29, 2017, 10:30 a.m.

Locally Grown Flowers: Why Use Them, Where to Get Them and How to Design with Them with Ellen Frost, Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, MD

Learn how the global flower industry works and why buying local is important for the environment and communities. Ellen Frost will share resources for the best places to buy local flowers in our region and will create seasonal designs using locally grown flowers and foliage. Ellen is the founder and owner of Local Color Flowers, a design studio in Baltimore, which sources all of its flowers, foliage, branches and plants from farms within 100 miles. Ellen has an MBA from Loyola University and is a Baltimore Master Gardener. She is a national leader in the Local Flowers movement and is an active member of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.

Fee: $25 Members, $30 Non-Members

http://www.ladewgardens.com/EDUCATION/Adult-Education/Lecture-Series March 29, 2017 –1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Caring for Trees in a Changing Climate, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear US Forestry Service Climate Change Specialist Leslie Brandt. She will provide information on the current and anticipated effects of climate change on trees and forests in the Delaware Valley. Discuss which trees may be more adaptable or vulnerable, along with projected changes in hardiness zones in the coming decades. Participants will learn methods and approaches for adjusting to these anticipated changes. The session will also highlight real-world examples of climate change adaptation in forest management and tree care in the region.

Fee $99. https://longwoodgardens.org/events-and-performances/events/caring-trees-changing-climate-class

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March 31, 2017 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Lecture: Edible Flowers: Culinary Flower Power in America and Beyond

United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC Constance L. Kirker and Mary Newman, Authors, Edible Flowers: A Global History We like to look at them, they make us truly smile, but why on earth would anyone want to eat them? Join Constance and Mary as they share examples of flowers that have a long history as a tasty ingredient in a variety of cuisines, from ancient Greek dishes to today's molecular gastronomy and farm-to-table restaurants, with special reference to the amazing edible flowers in the U.S. Looking at flowers' natural qualities: their unique and beautiful appearance, their pungent fragrance, and their surprisingly good taste, the authors will tie this culinary history into a larger cultural one, showing how flowers' cultural, symbolic, and religious connotations have added value and meaning to dishes in daily life and special occasions. In this season of the famous cherry blossom celebration in Washington D.C., learn some surprising ways that even cherry blossoms are edible.-

Fee: Free - Pre-registration Required

https://www.usbg.gov/events/2017/02/18/lecture-edible-flowers-culinary-flower-power-america-and-beyond

Calendar of Events March 2 10:00 a.m. MG Monthly Meeting HCEO

March 4 10:00 a.m. Seed Starting HdG Library

March 7 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Brightview Brightview

March 9 6:30 p.m. Seed Starting Whiteford Library

March 11 8:00 a.m. GardenWise- PA MG’s York, PA

March 12 Daylight Savings Time

March 15 10:00 – Noon Daytime Study Group HCEO

March 15 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Evening Study Group HCEO

March 18 10:15 a.m. Garden Series – Basic Vegetable Gardening Bel Air Library

March 18 10:00 – Noon Ask A MG Plant Clinic Abingdon Library

March 29 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Planting for Honey Bees Jarrettsville Library

March 30 10:00 a.m. MG Steering Committee HCEO

March 29 6:30-8 pm Planting for the Honey Bees Jarrettsville Library

March 1- May 5 Master Gardener Training Class at the Extension Office, 9am-1 pm; Training calendar will be sent soon.

Joyce Browning Urban Horticulturist

Master Gardener Coordinator Harford County Office

The University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources programs are open to all and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion,

ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, or gender identity and expression.