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arched trellis deteriorated from age and had to be removed. In 2017, The Octagon House Board of Directors provided funds to replace the trellis and the group installed it and used Shadbush and Meadowbrook plant sale finds and MSUE Demo garden donations to fill in the new garden area. A white autumn Clematis was planted and now covers the trellis. Mums, daylilies, Echina-cea, liatris, heuchera, and bulbs were among the plants added. More wood chips were used to top off the whole gar-den and give it a finished look. Ongoing problems have not been too bad. Trash from pe-destrians, cart wipes from Mei-jers, and keeping the aggres-sive plants in check have topped the list. The group has found tremendous value in a thick layer of mulch. It keeps

Once upon a time there were two Advanced Master Gardeners, Jan Brink-man & Ellen Muzzin. It made them very sad to pass by the historic Octagon House and see the badly neglected gar-dens. They decided to see if they could beautify the South-west corner of the property. The area was overrun with garlic mustard, ditch lilies, mint, and motherwort. The first summer was spent remov-ing the worst of the weeds and rescuing the hidden gems such as peonies, Siberian iris, Oat grass, and Oxalis. They concentrated on the main por-tion of the garden, since they were told a sidewalk would destroy the chunk closest to

the road. They also enlisted another gardener to their team, Lynette Roy. Once the worst of the weeds were gone, the group met weekly to bring order to the corner. Stepping stones and a path were uncov-ered. Early on, the main com-plaint was that the vegetation was too tall and blocked the view of 1) the Octagon House sign and 2) the traffic. By the second year, the trio procured an unused bench, and some free wood chips. Those were a huge help to keep down the weeds. Some leftover grant money was used to buy a few annuals and perennials. Plants were pared back to

form clumps, with care given to keep he tallest ones away from Van Dyke. That year, the sen-ior member of the group, Jan, relocated to Florida, and Norene Elledge took her place. The end of 2016 finally brought the sidewalk along Van Dyke. The pavement however did not follow the gravel path, but cut around the end of the small neglected corner. This brought new challenges. They included an overgrown rosebush and some more peonies. The pub-lic had to be convinced to fol-low the pavement; and the for-mer path, which was low, rocky, and compressed had to be rehabilitated. The team used large sheets of cardboard and a large amount of compost from SOCRA to cover the area for the winter.

The other problem was that the

FEATURED GARDEN STORY: THE CORNER GARDEN (SUBMITTED BY LYNETTE ROY)

Please mark your calendar for our next general meeting. It is scheduled for Tuesday February 26 at 6:30 PM at the Octagon House. This will be an opportunity for us to list our priorities for 2019 and plan our projects and plant sale. This will also be an opportunity to meet some our new mas-ter gardeners in-training from the fall 2018 Macomb Master Gardener Course.

The Newsletter of the Octagon House Gardeners

THE

OCTAGARDENER NUMBER 2

WINTER 2018 -2019

(Pictured at left: Norene Elledge, Lynette Roy and Ellen Muzzin in their corner garden)

the weeds down as well as helps with water conserva-tion. They continue to eval-uate the road appeal each season. And they have made important discoveries, such as the need to cut down the Oat Grass before winter to avoid massive re-seeding. The location of this corner garden means it sees a large amount of pedestrian traffic and generates a healthy amount of conversa-tion. Earlier this fall, the trio’s efforts were rewarded with a small present of flow-ers left on the bench for them to find. (see photo below) It doesn’t take much to make it all worthwhile.

(See the last page of the newsletter for more pho-tos of the Corner Garden)

Next Octagardener Meeting is Tuesday February 26 @ 6:30PM

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branches which have almost hit several of our gardeners, so be careful in the area. The Tree of Heaven is very difficult to eradi-cate. If you cut down a tree, it immediately re-sprouts from the stump. If you burn the area, the tree continues to re-sprout and sends out root suckers; sometimes at quite a distance from the main tree. If the tree is a seedling, you can pull it out by the roots. But if even a small piece of root is left in the ground, it will re-sprout. If you spray herbicides, it may kill the above-ground portion of the tree, but it’s not generally effective in limiting or eliminating suckers and sprouts. Actually,the tree’s re-sponse is to send out suckers at a faster rate. The most effective method of eradication is to make a series of cuts around the base of the tree. Then, apply a small amount of concen-trated herbicide into each cut. This method usually kills the tree and minimizes suckers and sprouts.

FEATURED PLANT: TREE OF HEAVEN (Ailanthus altissima)

Family: Simaroubaceae (Dawn Piper will feature a different plant in every newsletter)

In keeping with this issue’s focus on invasive plants, this article describes Ailanthus altissima, most com-monly known as the Tree of Heaven. It is native to northern China and an exotic invasive in North America, Britain and Australia. It was first introduced to the Unit-ed States in 1784 and quickly became a popular street plant, as well as a food source for the silkworm caterpil-lar-raising industry… for a while. The Tree of Heaven is very rapidly growing; possibly the fastest growing tree in North America, and can reach heights of 60-80 feet. It has several derogatory nick-names including “Tree from Hell”, due to its prolific invasiveness and the difficulty in eradicating it,"Ghetto Palm” because of its ability to grow in polluted urban areas, and “Stink Tree” due to its foul odor, described as smelling like rotten peanuts. However, it is still sold by nurseries as an ornamental tree, mainly because of its rate of growth and ability to grow where few other trees can survive. This deciduous tree prefers full sun and moist, loamy soils, but is adaptable to a very wide range of soil con-ditions and pH levels. It can withstand very low phos-phorus levels and high salinity levels. It grows in zones 4-8, is drought-hardy, but not tolerant of flooding. The drought-tolerance of the tree is strong due to its ability to effectively store water in its root system. The roots are also aggressive enough to cause significant dam-age to blacktop surfaces, sewers, and pipes. Along highways, it often forms dense thickets in which few other tree species are present, largely due to the toxic chemical ailanthone it produces, in order to prevent competition. It is the main host plant of the Ailanthus silk moth (Samia cynthia), sometimes called the Tree of Heaven moth. The larval stage of this moth can do severe dam-age to smaller trees by defoliating and causing stem tissue damage, but large trees, like the ones at the Oc-tagon House, usually survive. In addition, the Tree of Heaven is the preferred host for spotted lanternfly egg-laying adults. A newly introduced (2014) invasive, the spotted lanternfly poses a signifi-cant threat to agricultural and forest health. Thus, the Tree of Heaven is considered to be a sentinel plant and a focal point for close monitoring by the USDA. At the Octagon House, we have several Trees of Heav-en on the south side of the property, near the shade and rock gardens. They do frequently drop large

Left: Young Bark. Right: Fruit (September)

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T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E O C T A G O N H O U S E G A R D E N E R S

Besides considering native alternatives, a sterile cultivar was recently developed at the University of Connecticut and is slowly being introduced into nurseries. Japanese barberry (Berberis thun-bergii) Fig 3. Native to China and Japan this common ornamental plant has easily escape cultivation through seed dispersal by birds and other wildlife. Plants are not browsed by livestock or wildlife due to thorns, giving it a competitive advantage over native plants. . Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) Fig 4. Introduced from China around 1900 it is starting to become a serious invader of roadside and riparian zones. Seeds are dispersed by wind and water. Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) Fig 5. Introduced in 1866 as a rootstock for or-namental roses and as a living fence. Has escaped to form impenetrable mass-es. Mainly spread by birds. Privets (Ligustrum obtusifolium) Fig 6. Most privets were introduced into the US from China, Japan and Europe in the 1950s where they became popular bor-der shrubs. They are prolific seed pro-ducers which are dispersed by birds. Bush honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.) Fig 7 Many non-native bush honeysuckles were introduced from Asia and Turkey. They have become a serious problem in our open areas.

SC IENCE CORNER:

USING NATIVE PLANTS IN PLACE OF INVAS IVE GARDEN SHRUBS

Invasive Shrub Native Alternatives

Eleagnus spp. Autumn and Russian Olive (Fig 1)

Eleagnus commutate (Silverberry) Shepherdia argentea (Silver buffaloberry)

Euonymus alatus Burning bush, Winged Euonymus (Fig 2)

Aronia melanocarpa (Black chokeberry) Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush blueberry) Rhus aromatica (Fragrant Sumac)

Berberis thunbergii Japanese barberry (Fig 3)

Fothergilla gardenia (Witch alder) Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey Tea)

Buddleja davidii Butterfly bush (Fig 4.)

Cephalanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush) Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet)

Rosa multiflora Multiflora rosa (Fig 5)

Rosa setigera (Climbing prairie rose) Prunus virginiana (choke cherry)

Ligustrum obtusifolium Border privet (Fig 6)

Viburnum prunifolium (Black haw)

Lonicera mackeii Amur honeysuckle (Fig 7) Lonicera tatarica Tartarian honeysuckle

Ilex verticillata (Winterberry) Lindera benzoin (Spicebush) Cornus sericea (Red osier dogwood) Lonicera involucrate (Twinberry)

Pop Quiz: Name a once widely planted ornamental and wildlife food shrub that has become a major invasive plant in Michigan? Is your answer Autumn or Rus-sian olive, (Eleagnus spp.)? Of course, you’d be correct if you did. However, some other possible correct responses might surprise you. I’m referring to such popular garden shrubs as Burning bush or winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus ), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) , Border privet (Ligustrum obtusifolium), Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) and many bush Honey-suckles (Lonicera spp.) as examples.

Surprised to see these common decidu-ous shrubs in the list below? Let’s explore the introduction of these exotic shrubs to North America, their mode of dispersal and some native plant alternatives. Autumn and Russian Olive (Eleagnus spp.). Fig 1. Both were introduced into North America in the early 1900s. They are native to Europe and western and eastern Asia. They are prolific seed producers which are spread by birds. Both shrubs are capa-ble of forming impenetrable thickets. Winged Euonymus / Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus). Fig 2. A native of northeast Asia, this popular foundation shrub was introduced in the 1860s. The slow grower is becoming firmly estab-lished in our forests. Seeds are spread by birds.

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AROUND MACOMB COUNTY

January 17 MCMGA Meeting “ Starting

dahlias indoors”.

Mt. Clemens Library, 150

Cass Ave

6:30-7:30

PM

February 9 MCMGA Meeting “Orchard

restoration and pruning pro-

gram”.

SS John and Paul Catholic

Church, 7777 28 Mile Rd.,

Washington Twp.

1:00 –

3:00 PM

March 26 MCMGA Meeting “ Wild

Flowers in Michigan gardens”.

Mt. Clemens Library, 150

Cass

6:30-7:30

PM

2019 International

Master Gardener

Conference

June 17-21, 2019

Valley Forge PA

Now Open for registration

Classes, Tours, Workshops www.internationalmastergardener.com/

about/conference-schedule/

More Photos of the

Corner Garden

Below: Ellen Muzzin and

Jan Brinkman

Right: Before (top) and

after (bottom) pictures of

the corner garden

You’ve worked hard this past year so don’t forget to log in all of your master gardener hours on the Mas-ter Gardener Volunteer Management System at

https://michigan.volunteersystem.org. The dead-line to enter 2018 hours is midnight December 31.

How do I become certified as an Extension Master Gar-dener (EMG) volunteer? Within one year of completing the Extension Master Gar-dener Training Program, complete a minimum of 40 ap-proved volunteer hours. Check with your local program coordinator or VMS Ambassador for complete details about the types of activities that qualify as approved hours. Do I need to complete any other education to earn my initial certification? No, you do not need additional hours beyond the success-ful completion of the Extension Master Gardener Training Program to become certified as an Extension Master Gar-dener volunteer.

After that first year, how many annual volunteer hours do I need to maintain my certification? You will need to complete a minimum of 20 approved vol-unteer hours and enter them into the Extension Master Gardener Program Volunteer Management System (VMS) prior to Dec. 31 each year.

After that first year, how many annual hours of education do I need to complete to maintain my EMG certification? You need to complete at least 10 hours of approved educa-tion programming and enter the hours into the Extension Master Gardeners Volunteer Management System (VMS) prior to Dec. 31 each year. Check with your local program coordinator or VMS Ambassador for details about approved projects.

Interested in submitting an article or photos for the next issue of the Octagardener newsletter? Please send your information to Dave Putt (dputt5@yahoo.com). The dead-line for the next issue of the Octagardener is March 15.

Newsletter Information

Don’t Forget to Enter Your 2018

MG Hours