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The Garden Fence

Harford County

Master Gardeners Monthly Newsletter

December 2018

Chrysanthemum Bonsai at Longwood Gardens

I attended a Longwood Gardens class in oriental gardening a few weeks ago. The day-long class on Asian Gardens covered Japanese and Chinese gardens with lectures on Ikebana, kokodama, and bonsai. After lunch, we toured the Longwood bonsai collection. Imagine my surprise when we saw several chrysanthemum bonsai sitting beside the traditional bonsai trees! Each of the nine chrysanthemum, we viewed, are gnome bonsai cultivars bred for their small leaves and flowers, ranging in size from 1-1 ½”. I asked our tour guide how these herbaceous plants, which we often grow as annuals in this part of the country, become bonsai. Timing is critical to have them peak bloom for the Longwood Chrysanthemum Festival. An accelerated growth schedule is the bonsai method for chrysanthemums! In mid-January, future bonsai mums are propagated from tiny 1”cuttings by the Longwood nursery team. They grow the cuttings in 5-inch terra cotta pots or tubes 3” x12” which forces the roots to extend. Extended roots are ideal for bonsai training with root-over-rock or exposed-root plantings. In mid-May, their favorite cultivars with potential are selected and the initial wiring and pruning is completed. At this growth stage the bonsai are pliable and can be effectively shaped. Their growth habits evolve tremendously throughout the season while being maintained at the proper temperature and meticulously pruned and trained. A specific, traditional bonsai style is forefront in the designer’s mind.

Inside this Issue President’s Message

Our Garden is a Museum

The Vital Attraction of Trees

Advice from a Tree

How Sweet It Is!

UMD’s First Apple Patent: ‘Antietam Blush’

Where Do Maryland’s Butterflies Overwinter?

Milestone Years

Daytime Study Group Books

Continuing Education Opportunities

AG Center Closings

Calendar of Events

Officers Ellen Haas President

Anne Spelman Vice President

Kim Poehling Carol Linthicum Secretary

Greg Murray Treasurer

Steve O’Brien Newsletter Editor

Ginny Smith Newsletter Continuing Ed

Quick Links

Harford County Extension Office

Home & Garden Info Center

MG Hours Online

President’s Message

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In August, Longwood gardeners complete final pinching and are moved to a light-controlled area for inducing flowers. In early October, they choose bonsai plants with buds of similar size and evenly spaced. A week before the Chrysanthemum Festival, Longwood gardeners pot up selected plants into small bonsai display containers that complement their form. Now they are ready for their Chrysanthemum Festival debut! Information & photos for this article was also taken from the Longwood blog, “Tiny Flowers, Big Hit; Chrysanthemum Bonsai,” https://longwoodgardens.org/blog

A Siegi style chrysanthemum bonsai, grown in a “root

over rock” style. Photo by Kevin Bielicki Ellen Haas ‘16

http://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/en/

“Your garden must be a Museum to you.” (Charles Wilson

Peale to Thomas Jefferson). The Eden Mill gardeners decided this would be our goal for 2018. In January, ten garden volunteers met to discuss the book, A Rich Spot of Earth, which is about Thomas Jefferson’s gardens at Monticello. We thought we would take the historical route with the gardens this year and follow some of Jefferson’s advice in the plants we chose to put in the garden. By the end of the evening we had a list of future plants to try such as peanuts

A “chidori” bonsai grown in the bonsai raft style. Photo by Kevin Bielicki

Our Garden is a Museum

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and salsify. Jefferson was an experimenter; we wanted to forge new paths, also. Our main goal this year was to reach as many children as we could and instill in them the love of gardening and respect for the environment. The Jeffersonian garden at Monticello would be our guide. We would be working with the preschoolers and homeschoolers at Eden Mill as well as the summer campers and one high schooler, Sam Meisel, earning credit for her SAE project. We also taught one class to adults.

In late March the volunteers met for the first garden lesson with the preschoolers. That morning the preschoolers would be

visiting the garden to learn about composting. Laura, the preschool teacher, and I had met the week before and planned the spring lessons - composting in March, planting seeds in April, and transplanting seedlings in May. Because it was pouring rain on compost lesson morning, the children could not meet in the gardens. Instead they made miniature compost containers from 2 liter bottles. Volunteers supplied compost items for the preschoolers to go along with the children’s book Compost Stew. A for apple peels, B for banana peels, C for carrots, etc…

In April, 12 little preschoolers showed up for a lesson in how to plant seeds in a seed tray. After explaining their job to them, I noticed that the kids enjoyed touching the moist seed mix in the trays. Sarah and I watched the little fingers touch the mix and rub it between their fingertips. Sensory learning! Then we divided the children into two groups of six. One group ventured outside with Sarah and their parents to plant jiffy cups with marigold seeds to take home. The other group stayed inside with me and Laura, their teacher, to plant peas, beans, corn, tomatoes, dill, parsley, and nasturtiums. Then we switched groups. Later we hiked up to the gardens to plant marigold seeds in the perimeter of the vegetable gardens. Sarah and I spread short lengths of toilet paper in the garden so that the kids could see where they were to plant the seeds. They grabbed fistfuls of seeds from the seed box and dumped them onto the paper. We couldn’t help but laugh. Later we sprinkled the seeds a little more evenly. Also that morning the children walked to the meadow, grabbed handfuls of milkweed seeds from our seed collection, and then opened up their little hands and watched the wind carry the seeds away. They loved it. It was a great lesson in learning how seeds are spread.

Soon Ronnie Grevey, Nancy Gladden, and I transplanted “thousands" of seedlings planted by the students into larger jiffy pots The corn, beans, peas, parsley, and tomatoes were doing so well. The preschoolers were scheduled to plant their crops in the garden on May 22nd. The homeschoolers would be planting their crops on May 23rd. I cultivated the preschooler garden for planting and then Kim and I planted the four cherry tomato plants in the garden. The four plants were tucked inside colorful tomato cages, red, yellow, blue, green - primary colors for a primary class of kids. Soon the children arrived and began to plant the bean and pea seedlings. After they completed that job, the highlight of their day was to play in the compost pile with their shovels.

On June 16th, 8 Master Gardeners and Eden Mill volunteers were on hand for the adult Vegetable Gardening class at Eden Mill. We introduced our class to the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly area, the pollinator gardens, and the vegetable gardens. Class members learned first-hand what companion planting was all about. We answered many questions about raised garden beds, planting vegetable companions and the need for flowers in a garden to attract pollinators. After a day in the gardens, we all sat down to lunch and brownies.

Later in June, 14 campers from 6 to 8 years of age also learned a little about companion planting and pollinators. The kids learned all about the 3 Sisters, searched for companion planting examples in the garden, harvested garlic from the garden plots, and planted the 3 Sisters (squash, corn, and bean seeds) in milk jugs.

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One July morning was full of companionship. Sarah, Anne, and I taught the summer campers all about companion planting. Lettuce is a friend to all! At that time the Three Sisters plot was an excellent example of plants getting along together. The squash vines were spreading along the bottom of the garden patch; the bean vines were winding around the cornstalks; and the cornstalks were reaching towards the sun. The children also learned all about composting from Ann, and they enjoyed the scavenger hunt searching for such things as bean bug larvae. All of the campers helped to harvest the onions.

Later in July, Sam, our high school mentee, picked her first tomato from her project plants. I was surprised to learn that after working with tomatoes for half a school year and now part of the summer that Sam did not care for tomatoes. So her first tomato went to her Dad who loves them. From then on whenever anyone harvested a tomato from Sam’s plants, the harvester recorded the information on a chart kept in a sealed plastic box located in the garden bed.

Anne and Nancy C., and Ellen hosted 16 summer campers in the pollinator gardens in August teaching them all about the monarch butterfly. The campers then visited the vegetable garden for a little while to learn about the 3 Sisters.

The volunteers also worked with the preschoolers in the fall. We decided to help out with the following lessons: Busy Bees on September 4th, Monarchs on the Move on September 18th, and Night Owls along with trick-or-treating on October 30th.

On Busy Bee Day, we covered paper with several pieces of tape so that the preschoolers could wander through the gardens to search for items that a Busy Bee would find attractive. Then the children stuck the flowers onto the chart along with some tiny bee stickers. The results were colorful and creative.

On Monarch Day, Maureen and Anne set up "Monarchs on the Move” activities in the pavilion. Class members flew their butterflies to Mexico with stops for nectar, sleep, puddling, then woke up in the morning to travel to their next stop. They visited Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, and finally Mexico. Each night the butterflies gathered on a pine branch for sleeping. Butterflies had very tasty juice box nectar at their stops.

It was an enchanting day in the garden on October 30th. Minnie Mouse, Cookie Monster, two dinosaurs, two cowboys, a princess, Superman, and others led by the Cat in the Hat showed up for trick or treating in the gardens. The gardeners were not to be outdone. Jamie was a minion, Anne wore a witch hat, Maureen wore a Native American dress, and Kim, Taryn, and I posed as Master Gardeners. The children collected their bags and then wandered from station to station to collect candy, chips, popcorn, taffy, stickers, marigold seeds and more. After the arduous task of collecting the goodies, the children sowed rye grass in some of the beds as the cover crop. Learning had come full circle from planting seeds to sowing a cover crop.

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Thank you to all of the Eden Mill garden volunteers who

made our gardens a museum this year: Ann Blocher, Anne Bredlow, Jamie Healey, Kay O’Hara, Kim Poehling, Nancy Cohen, Nancy Gladden, Maureen North, Taryn Gray, Ronnie Grevey, Sarah Burgess, Sam Meisel, Jodi Meisel, Barbara DeRose, Betty Sneed, and Ellen Haas.

Submitted on behalf of the Master Gardeners’ Eden Mill Committee:

Ginger (Virginia) Huller, ‘14

My relationship with trees began in 1954 when I was 7 years old and living in Germany at 39

Mississippi Strasse. In between each of the apartment complexes grew groups of large fruit trees large enough for us children to climb. I remember pear, apple, and plum trees that served as bases for kickball, harbored nests of baby birds, provided shelter for camping out, and offered fruit that we often ate before it was fully ripe.

When I lived on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. at the age of 12, I fell in love with the three gigantic willow trees that grew in the yard of our rented house. I had visions of reading in a tree so I gave it a try. Not comfortable, not comfortable at all. In the 8th grade when I was 14 and attending a Catholic grammar school, I remember having to memorize the famous Joyce Kilmer poem “Trees”. The poem begins like this: “I think that I shall never see/ A poem lovely as a tree./ A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed/ Against the earth’s sweet flowing BREAST…!!!??” What were those nuns thinking?

When I attended college at Frostburg, trees surrounded the campus. White pines protested loudly in the wind that blew fiercely through the quadrangle. My future husband and I took many hikes through the fields and woods near the college. One of the first trees we planted at our home in Whiteford was a white pine, which we lost this past March in the windstorms that hit Maryland. We have a small wooded area on our property that we have now been living on for 45 years. Many of the trees are oaks and among them is my favorite the 130-year-old white oak. In the many years that we have been living there, the tree has grown limbs that hang over the garage and the house giving wonderful shade in the summertime and serving as a rapid transit for the squirrels that travel from tree to garage roof to backyard. One of the limbs held a wooden swing with yellow nylon rope for a long time. My son Chris enjoyed that swing along with his mom and dad and friends.

Our first year in the house, an oriole built a nest at the end of one of the limbs. That was the only time. Some branches have housed the leafy nests of squirrels and many mornings a murder of crows gossip with one another. A pair of red-tailed hawks use the tree for scouting purposes. In the fall numerous grackles and blackbirds gather in the leafless branches. Cacophony! There is no other word for the racket they make. Every autumn the driveway is covered with acorns, those cute little seeds with caps.

Sometimes I think of the age of this tree. It began its life around the time Benjamin Harrison became president. It was a young tree by the time my father was born in 1921. It was growing branches and spreading roots all through WWI while Europe was suffering and WWII while my dad was flying bombers over China. When I think of the history this oak has lived through, I

The Vital Attraction of Trees

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am amazed…space travel, several wars, women obtaining the right to vote, the resignation of a president, Civil Rights marches, climate change, the rise and fall of communism, and more. The oak kept to its appointed task, watched over corn crop after corn crop growing nearby, and probably gave shade to the farmer who plowed the field. It provided shade for many family picnics and inspired my first shade garden full of hostas and ferns.

In September, a tree service advised us to cut some of the branches. It was wise advice. Some branches had already crashed through the upper story of the tree to the driveway. The tree is missing several limbs now. She - I always think of trees as moms now after reading The Hidden Life of Trees. She is not as elegant as she once was, but she is a little trimmer, a little more fit. She is easing into old age with a healthier attitude. I imagine her sending out messages through her leaves, acorns, and roots preparing the rest of the woods for the future.

Ginger (Virginia) Huller, ‘14

Dear friend Stand tall and proud

Sink your roots deeply into the Earth Reflect the light of your true nature

Think long term Go out on a limb

Remember your place among all living beings Embrace with joy the changing seasons

For each yields its own abundance The Energy and Birth of Spring

The Growth and Contentment of Summer The Wisdom to let go like leaves in the Fall

The Rest and Quiet Renewal in Winter Feel the wind and the sun

And delight in their presence Look up at the moon that shines down upon you

And the mystery of stars at night Seek nourishment from the good things in life

Simple pleasures Earth, fresh air, light

Be content with your natural beauty Drink plenty of water

Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes Be flexible

Remember your roots Enjoy the view!

Ilan Shamir Submitted by Ginger (Virginia) Huller ’14 in closing Master Gardener’s 2018 Tree book series

My husband goes to battle once a week. He is an avid believer of a well-kept and tidy yard. His

weapons of choice are the weed Wacker, lawn mower and edger. Prior to going into battle he shrieks his war cry, “I take no prisoners”! This is my cue to run outside and remove any Leaning Tower of Pisa plants, perennials, creeping vines and most of all my beloved butternut squash. I’ve learned the

How Sweet It Is!!!

Advice From a Tree

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hard way, because he has single handedly wiped out Clematis vines, perennial beds, whole tomato plants, grow bags and butternut squash with the dreaded weed Wacker! But it gets much worse, because this devious soldier often times will choose to cut the lawn when I am nowhere to be found. Yet I too can occasionally outwit this Soldier of Death/plant life. It took me two years to put my foot down and give him his comeuppance! I purchased stones from our local garden center and drew my battle lines around each of my beds. For a couple of years this worked but then he decided that my four raised beds were out of control. Much to my chagrin, he was after all the Leaning Towers. However, I wasn’t going to let this happen again! I’d never successfully grown butternut squash and I was determined that 2018 was going to be my year. The insects, rain or even my husband would NOT take me down this year!

It’s taken me countless hours of research. I’ve attended Master Garden Workshops, read a myriad of books, searched the Web and listened to too many You Tube Gardening tutorials, for my problematic limited space. Finally, I had an epiphany while volunteering at Eden Mill. My solution was I had to build tepees. So off I went in search of bamboo, stakes and rubber coated poles. I prepared my soil with 1/3 compost/organic matter, 1/3 peat moss and 1/3 vermiculite and filled my well-drained wooden and plastic wine barrels. I planted regular and pickling cucumbers as well as my all-time favorite, butternut squash. I carefully planted my seeds and impatiently waited for the trailing vines. Once they arose I carefully assisted by wrapping the vines around my tepee. Little by little, they climbed the poles until they reached the very top. Woohoo, the delicate flowers appeared one by one and then the little itty-bitty fruits of my labor appeared.

Little by little my babies grew all summer long. As the butternut squash grew larger I carefully attached onion netted bags around my eight little beauties for support. I carefully picked off bugs and prayed they would survive the petulance and rain of our unforgiving Maryland summer. One by one, the butternut squash shriveled up and died until there were just five. Each evening after returning home from work I walked out to see if the stems would turn brown and hoping and praying I would not lose another squash. It seemed that I was losing several squash a week until there were just two.

Finally the stems turned brown and I reverently harvested my long awaited butternut squash.

The fruits of my labor were peeled, cored, sliced, and cut into bite sized pieces. Then, I tossed them with just a smidge of extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper, topped it off with some fresh thyme, and popped them in the oven. I prepared the rest of our meal and impatiently awaited my orange gems. The moment of truth had finally come. I plated the chicken, roasted potatoes and my lovely butternut squash. I was begging my husband to take it easy and hurry up to the dinner table so we could try the squash. He finally arrived, we took one bite, and we were in Heaven. I have made Butternut squash in every different way imaginable but never before

had I tasted anything so delectable in all my life. The countless hours of prepping the soil, time, money, cajoling, threatening and praying was so worth it! I turned to my husband and said, “I’ve won the battle and how sweet it is!”

Melanie Aponte, ‘16

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Article taken from Maryland Today a Univ of MD News Blast Wednesday, November 7, 2018

How do you like them apples? As the harvest season comes to a close, UMD is releasing its

first of seven varieties developed specifically for the climate and growing culture of the mid-Atlantic region.

Christopher Walsh, professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, received the university’s first apple patent for Antietam Blush. This and six more varieties of elite dwarf apple trees coming out of the Maryland Apple Tree Architecture Project represent the culmination of 27 years of research and breeding.

Those trees are more resistant to disease, shorter and stronger, so they’re easier to maintain and harvest. Their small size also makes them cost-effective, as more can be planted in a small area. These advances create potential for broad adoption and use, while improving orchard and farm viability and strengthening the apple industry.

“In Maryland, we have a very good climate for apple production, but we also have a couple of limitations because of our hot summers and rainy weather,” Walsh said. “One day they're green. The next day they fall on the ground. We needed [varieties] that were heat-tolerant.”

Beyond being adapted to this region, the tree architecture makes Antietam Blush and the upcoming new varieties highly marketable. Apple trees are traditionally thought of as large and robust, requiring ladders to pluck all the apples at harvest, but Antietam Blush provides an alternative for popular pick-your-own markets. More trees can be grown, more apples can be produced, and expensive trellises and support systems can be replaced with stepladders—the trees support themselves and need very little pruning.

“It’s an advantage for this apple to be ready when lots of folks are picking apples and pumpkins,” said Bob Black, owner of Catoctin Mountain Orchard, who has been unofficially growing Antietam Blush for a few seasons solely for grower taste testing.

Walsh got started back in 1991, when he realized that the main university apple breeding programs were at Cornell, Washington State and the University of Minnesota—all located in the

University of Maryland’s First Apple Patent: ‘Antietam Blush’

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North. He imagined a new, grower-friendly tree for the mid-Atlantic, one that was precocious (meaning it bears fruit early in its life), small and resistant to a destructive bacterial disease known as fire blight. The Maryland Apple Tree Architecture Project sprung forward in 2007 when graduate student Julia Harshman ’09, M.S. ’12 enrolled in the horticulture program and got involved.

As they worked their way to creating Antietam Blush, Harshman and Walsh removed trees from the breeding program that weren’t fruiting and didn’t have the desired disease resistance or tree architecture.

“The mid-Atlantic apple region has a need for new varieties,” Harshman said. “It's a fairly large region, and most apple varieties do not fit well for several reasons. It's my hope that our work here can fill that void.”

The program is now seeing the fruits of its labors with multiple apple patents, and Walsh expects to have a commercial nursery selling trees for commercial growers in two years. “I think it's going to go a long way for a lot of folks,” Black said. “It just puts Maryland on a map as one of the states to watch and see what's next, because I know Chris has some other apples in the pipeline, and that's what it's all about—producing an apple that'll do well here in this region.”

Posted on December 29, 2017 by Maryland Grows

Who doesn’t love butterflies? It’s always a lift to see a butterfly or neat-looking moth flutter by on warm sunny days. At this time of year, butterflies are but a memory. Where do they go and how do they survive our winters?

Most people are probably aware of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and their incredible migration to the warmth of Mexico each year. There has been much discussion of their falling populations due to overwintering habitat destruction and their singular need for milkweed (Asclepias sp.) for egg laying and caterpillar food in our area during the growing season. With good habitat and plenty of milkweed, they can grow into the beautiful adults which make that long trek of 3,000 (!) miles to more sunshine. (Sounds pretty good right now, doesn’t it?)

Not all butterflies migrate outside of the U.S. to survive. In fact, most of our common visitors do not. Let’s take a look and find out how some of our other “flying flowers” manage to reappear each season. To do this, it’s important to know about the life cycle of the butterfly. They go through four distinct phases: egg, larva, pupa and adult, for a complete metamorphosis. Eggs are laid on a host plant, which is the food that the larvae (caterpillars) need. Different species of butterflies have different host plants. Caterpillars are eating (and pooping) machines, which grow so fast that they periodically shed their outer skin. The period between molts is called an instar. There are usually several instars before the caterpillar is full-grown and ready to enter the resting pupal stage, or chrysalis, where their incredible transformation to the adult stage takes place.

Where Do Maryland’s Butterflies Overwinter?

Variegated fritillary butterflies overwinter as adults in warmer states such as Florida and the Carolinas. Photo: Bugwood.org

Variegated fritillary (caterpilllar). Photo: Bugwood.org

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Like the monarchs, some butterflies overwinter as adults, but they don’t go as far — stopping in the warmer Carolinas or Florida. Variegated fritillary butterflies are examples of this. No passport needed! The lovely swallowtails overwinter in their chrysalis, which is attached to bark, twigs, or other nearby structures. With its head up, a swallowtail caterpillar leans back supported by a girdle of silk and pupates, forming the protective chrysalis in which it will remain until spring. Keeping parsley,

fennel, rue, or Queen Ann’s lace in your yard

welcomes these beauties. Allowing wild cherry, poplars, and aspen to grow will encourage the lovely red-spotted purple, which overwinters as a caterpillar tucked into a refuge of rolled leaves and silk. Three species of hairstreak butterflies overwinter as eggs on various oaks, wild cherry, blueberry, and hawthorn. As always, what you plant and how you manage your landscape will conserve and encourage the magical presence of butterflies when warmer days return.

By Christine McComas, CPH, Horticulture Consultant, University of Maryland Extension, Home & Garden Information Center

As social secretary, I started tracking years of service in 2018. As 2018 draws to an end there are many Master Gardeners who have reached milestone years as a volunteer. Their knowledge, talents and time committed to our program is astonishing! You all have enriched the lives of many adults and children in Harford County. Job well done ladies and gentlemen! Congratulations and thank you!!!

Ronnie Grevey ‘16

*5 Years* *10 Years* *15 Years* *20 Years* Noreen Anderson Lee Ann Anderson Melody Karbley Eleanor Cone

Nancy Cohen Joyce Browning Marianne Mathews Mary Gerlach Ann Dec Wally Chaillou Regina Hart

Bea Filburn Becky Cody Anne Lee Ellen Hass Mary Driver Maxine Lynch Paul Hardy Helene Klair Germaine Vadas

Carol Lancaster Ruth Ann Luebecker Julia Melka Ellen Post Fred Ritzel Mary Trotta

Anne Spelman Kathy Ulrich Kathy Wheeler

Milestone Years

Variegated fritillary (pupa) Photo: Bugwood.org

Red-spotted purples overwinter as caterpillars. Photo: Bugwood.org

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The books for 2019’s Master Gardener Daytime Study Group are listed below with corresponding discussion dates. Ginger Huller will be notifying the Harford County Public Library of our plans with hopes that extra copies of the books could be made available.

x The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman. FEBRUARY 20, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

x An Obsession with Butterflies by Sharman Apt Russell. APRIL 17, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

x The History of Bees by Maja Lunde. JUNE 19, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.

x Speaker lecture (TBD) AUGUST 21, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.

x The Humane Gardener by Nancy Lawson. SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. Ginger (Virginia) Huller, ‘14

Beginner Farmer Training Program (BFTP) applications due The BFTP offers 12 – month immersive training experience that combines a comprehensive classroom curriculum with hands-on learning at some of the region’s leading sustainable farms. Contact Sarah Sohn, Program Director, for more information: sarah@futureharvesstcasa.org December 3 & 4 Christmas Workshops – Ladew Gardens Volunteer to create holiday decorations to sell during the Christmas Open House. Materials and instruction provided. Contact Sophie Wittelsberger at 410-557-9570 x216 or swittelsberger@ladewgardens.com December 1 9:00 am – 11:00 am Class: Goose Busters! - Mt. Cuba Center Every spring Canada geese choose grassy areas near water, such as your yard, parks, and golf courses, to nest and raise their young. They feed on grasses and sedges, stripping vegetation from an entire area, and produce high volumes of excrement. Learn various land management techniques to discourage geese from occupying your land, and experience a demonstration by John Walls, a three-time World Goose Calling Champion. Each student receives a duck call to take home. $30 Register: https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=184CON301 December 2 12:00 – 1:00 pm Name That Tree – Winter Edition - Anita C. Leight Estuary Center When is a "pine" tree really a spruce? Is it a fir tree or a cedar? Bring a twig from your Christmas tree and/or several other needled shrubs or trees to learn how to identify conifers in a hands-on lecture lab. Ages 8-Adult. Under 13 with Adult. FREE. To register: https://otterpointcreek.visionproregistration.com/families/login

Daytime Study Group Books

Continuing Education Opportunities

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December 7 & 8 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Ladew Open House and Greens – Ladew Gardens; Decorated Manor House in celebration of the holiday season; Tickets may be purchased in advance at www.LadewGardens.com December 13 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Soil Health – Unlock Your Garden’s Potential - Cecil County Extension Office Keeping your soil healthy is of paramount importance. Understand the systems and principles for high-performing, productive soil. Learn how to maintain your soils’ health for maximum yields and future safeguards. Register for the free presentation by calling the UME Cecil County office at 410-996-5280 or registering at https://extension.umd.edu/cecil-county/gardening/mg-upcoming-programs-thursday-lectures-registration-form December 15 10:00 am – 11:30 am Kissing Balls Workshop - Cecil County Extension Office Learn how to make seasonal decorated balls of evergreens, holly and herbs. Registration is required. Fee $15. Call 410-966-5280 or register at https://extension.umd.edu/cecil-county/gardening/mg-upcoming-programs-saturday-workshops-registration-form January 12 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Grand Tropicals: Tall and Proud - Longwood Gardens Acer Room Create an impressive show of grand tropical flowers and foliage using wire structure to support large stems. Fee: $129 To register online go to longwoodgardens,org or call 610-388-5454 January 16 – Feb. 19 6:00 – 7:00 pm; longwoodgardens.org Plant Science: Math for the Garden and Landscape - Longwood Gardens Visitor Center Designed for home gardeners and professionals, this course helps you determine the proper rates and quantities of fertilizers, pesticides and compost that will elevate your garden. Fee: $179 January 17 – 19, 2019 Growing Our Future Harvest 20th Anniversary Conference - College Park, Hyattsville, MD Three days of workshops, farm fresh meals, speakers, and farmer and foodpreneur learning and networking.; Contact: agatha@futureharvestcasa.org February 6 – March 13 6:30 – 8:30 pm (6 sessions) Plant Science: Soils - Longwood Gardens Visitor Center Auditorium; longwoodgardens,org Understanding and caring for a garden’s soil is essential for plants to thrive. $179 by Jan.31 February 9 9am – 4pm Idea for Impact: The World of Mushrooms - Longwood Gardens;longwoodgardens.org Enjoy an immersive experience into the world of mushrooms. AM session features speakers sharing insight into – culture, history, and composting – LUNCH – PM features a tour of a local mushroom farm and grower. Fee: $89 (includes lunch) March 9 8:30 am – 4:00 pm Garden Wise Event; Central York Middle School, York, Pa. Kick off gardening season by joining the Penn State Extension of Master Gardeners of York County for Garden Wise, a one day garden school. Garden Wise is filled with informative sessions for new and experienced gardeners. Goal is to share research based information about sustainable gardening and environmental stewardship. Fee: $75.00 or discounted to $60.00 if registered by February 8. Register online at www.cvent.com/events/com/gardenwise or call 877-345-0691

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Joyce Browning | Urban Horticulturist

Master Gardener Coordinator | Harford County Office

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.

Dec 2018 -Jan Calendar of Events

Dec 4 1:30-2:30 pm Brightview Assisted Living Bel Air Brightview

Dec 5 10 - noon Make Holiday Centerpiece Workshop Bring supplies with you! Liriodendron basement

Dec 6 6-8 pm Holiday Party Liriodendron Dec 12 10-noon Hanging Plants Class Kauffman Center Dec 14 The data base for Online Tracking closes at midnight Dec 15 10:15-noon Garden Series: Holiday Centerpiece

Class by Linda Masland Bel Air Library Branch

Dec 25 Happy Holiday

Dec 27 10 am -noon Steering Committee Extension Office Jan 3 10 am -noon Monthly MG Meeting Extension Office

AG Center Closings

Christmas: Ag Center will be closed 12/24 & 25

New Year’s Day: Ag Center will be closed 01/01.