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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, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.
LOOSELEAF | FEBRUARY 2019
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-gardeners
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FROM GEORGIA'S DESK ...
Regrettably, our annual recognition event was snowed out on our original date. Please note this event has
been re-scheduled for Sunday, February 3, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. We’ll be in the meeting rooms at Miller
Branch of the Howard County Library System at 9421 Frederick Road, Ellicott City. Letters were sent to
those being acknowledged (Class of 2018, significant year milestones, and those with 100+ volunteer hours).
I hope you will join us. Remember, the Super Bowl game isn’t scheduled to start until 6:00 pm!
The 2019 Howard County MG training classes began with an orientation on January 16. Classes so far
have covered soil, botany and entomology. Pathology is the topic planned for Monday, February 4. Check
our electronic calendar for class topics through March.
Welcome to our trainees: Nancy Bowers, Gaye Burpee, Sherwood Githens, Stephanie Hamel, Janice
Kneeland, Ana Maria Layton, Vicki Leonard, Lynn Moorhead, Diane Mumford, Ting (Mary) Ong, Kathleen
Reilly, Andrea Rogers, Mary Roy, Patricia Scully, Susan Tucker and Pamela Wilterdink. Certified MGs are
welcome to attend any classes to earn continuing education hours…and to greet our trainees.
MG Kathy Hartley will review the new VMS (to log your volunteer and continuing education hours) on
Tuesday, February 5 from 9:30 to 11:30 am. Stephanie Mathias, the new MG State Coordinator, plans to
attend our meeting, so here's a chance to meet Stephanie and learn about her ideas and plans for the
program. We’ll meet in the conference room at UME.
Stay warm! — Georgia Eacker, MG Coordinator, WSA Liaison, 410-313-1913, [email protected]
INSIDE —
2 Volunteer Fair & Volunteer Opportunity
3 New MG Logos Refresher & Bee Keeping
4 Calendar Highlights & Bay-Wise News
5 Continuing Education Update
6 Latin for Gardeners: American Beech
8 Whipps Garden Activities
9 Grow It Eat It News
10 Why I Plant Natives
11 Book Review: Songs of Trees
LooseLeaf • February 2019 • page 2
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY FAIR
Wednesday, March 6 • 10:00 am to Noon
Meet, Greet and Learn by attending the annual MG Volunteer Opportunity Fair!
Plan now to attend! Meet the Class of 2019
trainees. Chat with your MG colleagues
and refresh your memory about all of the
awesome MG activities and committees.
The Fair will be held at the Howard
County Conservancy located at 10520
Old Frederick Rd, Woodstock, MD. It’s on
Route 99. The event begins at 10:00 am.
As always, there will be coffee and
morning snacks! Be sure to bring your
favorite coffee cake, muffins, fruit, etc.
to share.
This annual event is a wonderful
opportunity to get ready for the gardening
season, and to check out all of the
volunteer opportunities. There will be sign-
up sheets for many of our events in
Howard County. Try something new this
year by volunteering for an event you
haven’t tried yet.
Looking forward to seeing everyone on
Wednesday, March 6 at the Conservancy!
— Lois Savar-Rock, MG 2017, [email protected],
— LOOSELEAF LAYOUT ASSISTANT NEEDED — A New Volunteer Opportunity!
Want to be involved in the production of our monthly LooseLeaf newsletter while earning MG Volunteer hours from the comfort of your home? If so, this opportunity is for you!
The LooseLeaf Team is looking for a layout assistant for 3 or 4 issues per year.
Responsibilities include collecting articles from the LooseLeaf editors, arranging in a visually
appealing and cohesive format, and forwarding to webmaster for posting. Word processing
capability with MS Word or Publisher is required. The time is now to join this dynamic team with
your new ideas! For more information, please contact Clare or Kathy.
— Kathy Hartley, MG 2012, [email protected] — Clare Openshaw, MG 2012, [email protected]
LooseLeaf • February 2019 • page 3
REFRESHER NOTES FOR USING THE NEW MG LOGOS —
It’s been a year since the updated logo was unveiled. This is a reminder to double-check old printed pieces and presentations to make certain you have inserted our new logo. Here’s a link to the MG logo page on the UME MG website. It’s the one-stop shop for everything you need: logos in black and white or full color, logos for horizontal or vertical shape, and all six of the subset logos. The subset logos are the ones to use for Bay-wise, Composting, Grow It Eat It, Plant Clinics, Pollinators and Natives.
Printed pieces: For most printed pieces you’ll want to use the jpg files. You can choose the black and white logo from the jpg files for the majority of your needs. For colorful, printed pieces (tri-folds, fliers, posters, etc.) you should choose the color version (RGB) of a jpg file. Remember, when you are adjusting the logo to make it smaller, always pull from a corner so you don’t skew the logo. Slide presentations: Beginning and ending slides for PowerPoint are available online. Just use the link above to arrive at the MG logo page. It’s imperative that all of us insert these slides in our presentations. It will reinforce MG branding efforts by the University of Maryland Extension. Note: the ending slide includes a space to fill in “Howard.” Please remove the underline! It’s there just to indicate where to type in our county. There are a total of five slides to incorporate into your existing and new presentations. The first three (slides 1 to 3) should be inserted at the start of your presentation. The last two (slides 4 and 5) should end of your presentation.
— Janine Grossman, MG 2012, [email protected]
BE A BEE KEEPER IN 2019
If you have ever thought about setting up a bee hive, or want to add to your continuing education hours, here is an opportunity in Howard County. Registration is open for the “2019 Beginning Beekeeping Course,” hosted by the Howard County Beekeeper's Association (HCBA).
This six-session course starts on February 13 and will be held on consecutive Wednesday evenings. The location is the Howard County Fairgrounds Dining Hall. Time is from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm.
Topics include: getting started with beekeeping, zoning laws in Howard County, honey bee biology and behavior, management of new colonies, feeding bees, and more. Sessions will also feature demonstrations and hands-on opportunities.
Click this link to learn more and to sign up: https://hocoba.com/2019-beginners-course/
— Doris Walsh, HCBA Bee Ambassador, [email protected]
(stacked logo)
(horizontal logo)
LooseLeaf • February 2019 • page 4
The Bay-Wise team has made a change to their monthly meetings. Bored with the usual business meetings, we’ve curtailed the administrative items and incorporated presentations and discussions on relevant topics.
In January, Sylvia Huestis and Carolyn Cradler shared information they learned about climate change. They were mentored by Dr. Sara Via, and are sharing their knowledge. The presentation morphed into a lively discussion about things we could do as individuals to lessen our impact on the environment.
In February, Ann Coren will lead a session on over-wintering gardens with a mind to protecting the insect life so valuable to bird life.
In March, we’re talking native plants, specifically those suitable for wet areas. After this past year, there is an increased interest in finding plants adapted to areas inundated by storm water and Alison Milligan will share her palate of plants.
If these topics interest you, please join us. The Bay-Wise team meets the first Monday of the month at 1:00 pm at UME.
REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT IN THE GARDEN
Here are a few suggestions. Got some other ideas? Please share.
• Downsize your lawn: it will reduce maintenance, water use, fertilizer use, etc.
• Reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides in the landscape.
• Choose plants that naturally repel mosquitos instead of using sprays.
• Create a compost pile and use the nutritious ‘black gold’ to improve your soil.
• Grow your own vegetables to reduce use of plastics from grocery produce.
• Use a push mower rather than gas-engine mower.
• Rake leaves instead of using a gas-engine leaf blower.
— Linda Decker, MG 2006, [email protected]
CHECK THE MG CALENDAR FOR MEETINGS, EVENTS, VOLUNTEER OPTIONS!
The calendar is on the Howard County page of the Maryland MG website. A link is in the upper right-hand column under the link to LooseLeaf. Check it often for dates, times, locations and contact information of all things related to our program. Just scroll over a specific listing for details. Click here for the MG Calendar. Note: Trainee classes and topics are listed on Mondays and Wednesdays in February and March.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR FEBRUARY 3 Annual Recognition Event at Miller Library
4 Bay-Wise Meeting at UME
5 VMS Training at UME & Warmer Climate Gardening
20 LooseLeaf Deadline!
24 GIEI committee meeting at Savage Library
LooseLeaf • February 2019 • page 5
2019 CONTINUING EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT
At a recent meeting of the LooseLeaf editorial board, we discussed a problem that has come to our attention and even affects some of us. The issue is the demise of the annual training conference and how it has made it somewhat difficult for some members to attain the required annual 10 hours of continuing education (CE). The annual conference, besides offering excellent education and socialization benefits, allowed members to attain more than half of their required hours. For many members, particularly those working, it is not easy to rack up those hours. Part of the problem is that some members are not aware they can count certain activities such as reading or research and visiting gardens, as CE hours. Another is that members are not aware of the full range of educational opportunities that are out there that involve classes or seminars, such as the superb Montgomery County Master Gardener annual spring conference. Members can access continuing education information sites in various places. Some of that information is pushed to members in newsletters and public awareness announcements via email. Another good source, however, is fellow Master Gardeners who are aware of good opportunities and pass them along to friends through email, social media, or word of mouth. We would like to encourage all members to share information about CE opportunities so that as many MGs as possible can benefit. Send a notice to LooseLeaf, post it on Yahoo groups, etc. If you need assistance with these just-mentioned notifications, you can contact me or other members of the editorial board: Janine Grossman at [email protected], or Darcy Bellido de Luna at [email protected]. Finally, if you are not sure whether a particular activity qualifies as "continuing education," contact Georgia ([email protected]).
— Roy Heath, MG 2011, [email protected]
A REMINDER …
> Any mention of specific products or businesses in LooseLeaf does not imply or constitute endorsement by UME.
> You’ll want to earn 10 continuing education hours during 2019 to remain certified. Ideas: Go to an MG presentation at the library, attend a UME workshop,
read a book on your favorite gardening topic, or visit a nearby garden such as Whipps.
> On presentation slides, fliers, posters, brochures, signs, news releases, etc., always use our full name: University of Maryland Extension Howard County Master Gardeners. This request comes from the University to support branding efforts of the MG program.
LooseLeaf • February 2019 • page 6
LATIN FOR GARDENERS
February’s Native Maryland Plant
Fagus grandifolia Ehrh (FAY-gus gran-dih-FOLE-ee-uh)
Common Name: American Beech
Fagus sp. are imposing trees, slow-growing but long-lived. Their naturally long and low, horizontal branches create dense shade where no ground cover or grass is needed. The beech growing in my yard was pruned as a young tree, preventing its lower limbs from reaching cars passing by, thereby allowing me to walk beneath its lovely branches. This hardwood tree has a shallow root system that makes it susceptible to root zone disturbance and drought. It prefers a loamy, moist, acidic soil and during colonial times its sighting was used as an indicator of fertile soil—many beech forests were cleared to make way for farming. Although it is rated as a full sun tree, Fagus grandifolia is known as one of the most shade “tolerant” northern hardwood species. Beech nuts are a valuable food source for many mammals and its foliage is host to 125 caterpillar species1. Rick Darke2 has said of this tree, “it is worth watching year-round just for the pageantry of its foliage.”
LooseLeaf • February 2019 • page 7
Fagus sp. spread by seed dispersal and root sprouts and are considerably deer resistant. Due to climate change and Fagus’ adaptability, these trees are having a resurgence and are out competing other important tree species—including in my yard. The next time you’re out walking in one of Maryland’s forests, look for Fagus grandifolia; its distinct bark and buds will help you identify it. With spring just around the corner, I encourage you to ‘think big’ and consider planting a large shade tree. Shade trees improve air quality and help cool the planet, including the storm water runoff that is flowing to our rivers and the Bay.
______________________ 1Doug Tallamy, Living Landscapes
2Author – The American Woodland Garden
NOTE: Visit the HoCo State Champion Fagus grandifolia at HCCC, http://www.mdbigtrees.com/view_tree.aspx
— Alison Milligan, MG 2013, [email protected]
MG’S FAVORITE SEED CATALOGS
Rosemary Noble: I ordered various daffodil bulbs from Brent and Becky’s in Glouster, VA. They do not emphasize native plants but their bulbs are great. There are two catalogs each year for fall/winter planting and summer flowering bulbs (just arrived). This is a family-owned business open for tours in the spring starting March 13 ending April 13. Reservations are required. Brentandbeckysbulbs.com.
Linda Decker: My favorite seed catalog is from Bakers Creek, https://www.rareseeds.com/. It's a great source for unusual tomatoes. My favorite tomato for last season is called Pink Berkely Tie-Dye.
Erica Jones: I purchase frequently from MIGardener. Their packets are $0.99 each and they have beautiful varieties of vegetables. https://migardener.com/category/99-seeds-by-category/
Anne Cottle: I got a new one called Sow True Seed out of Asheville, NC. The website is www.sowtrueseed.com. Another one I like is Pinetree Garden Seeds from New Gloucester ME. Website is www.SUPERSEEDS.com. Also, Territorial Seed Company from Cottage Grove OR. TerritorialSeed.com.
Roy Heath: We buy our spring bulbs from John Scheepers Beauty from Bulbs catalog. https://www.johnscheepers.com/
LooseLeaf • February 2019 • page 8
WHIPPS DAFFODIL DAY AND ANNUAL PLANT SALE
Two Whipps Garden Fundraisers are Coming!
Our spring planning meeting and appreciation luncheon will be held on February 14 at the Miller Library. Plans will be discussed for our annual Daffodil Day to be held at the Whipps Cemetery Garden on Saturday, April 6.
The Whipps team will also participate at Greenfest on April 13 at Howard Community College. Volunteers are needed for hours 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Please let me know if you are available.
Our Annual MG Plant Sale is scheduled for Thursday to Saturday, May 9 to 11 at the First Lutheran Church, corner of Chatham and Frederick Roads. We plan to purchase many native perennials, butterfly, shade, ferns, hostas and much more. We invite you to share extra garden perennials and small shrubs (no invasives, please) you are dividing for the sale. The proceeds will be used to maintain and keep the gardens growing and glowing.
SPECIAL REQUEST! Prior to Daffodil Day we’ll need volunteer help to replenish the chips along our pathways and for mulching.
If you are interested in volunteering for Daffodil Day, Greenfest or the May plant sale with plant donations or the sale itself, please contact me. More information will be forthcoming on the listserv. Thank you and Happy Gardening to all! — Aleta Gravelle, MG 2009, [email protected] 410-274-7795
A CALL FOR PLANTS FOR THE PLANT SALE!
We invite you to share your extra garden perennials
and small shrubs (no invasives, please) you are
dividing. They can be delivered to Whipps Cemetery
Garden at 3651 St. John’s Lane starting in May. The
sale is May 9 to 11.
Please have the plants potted up nicely and labeled.
We have large wooden craft sticks available, if needed.
It would also be nice to indicate “Native" and "Sun" or
"Shade.”
If you have plants and cannot pot them, please call
me. We’ll need time to pot them so they get well
established before the sale.
— Aleta Gravelle, MG 2009, [email protected] 410-274-7795 (cell) or 410-465-2398
LooseLeaf • February 2019 • page 9
Tips on How to Start Your Vegetable Garden Now!
Vegetable (and annual flower) transplants
should be started this month. For those of
us who don’t have greenhouses, it’s time
to check our fluorescent light fixtures,
timers and seed-starting pads to make
sure they function properly. If you’re new
to the process, watch this great tutorial on
the HGIC website. Directions to make a
stand for light fixtures is at this link.
Fluorescent tubes need to be changed
every several years, depending on the number of hours operated. Tubes are rated by a number of lumens
(light intensity) for a certain number of hours. After that number, the lumens produced start to drop. Your
eyes won’t detect it, but your transplants will. If your transplants look leggy and your lights are no more than
1.5” above the plants, you probably need to replace your tubes. LED technology is a light source comparable
to fluorescent bulbs, and more energy efficient. LED lights are readily available. Choose bulbs with a
minimum Kelvin rating of 5000 and a minimum Lumens rating of 2000. This will ensure young seedlings have
ample light to thrive while growing indoors.
To start transplants, I use at least two seeds (depending on seed age) in plastic cell pack that are 2.25 by
2.25” (larger transplants like broccoli, 4 cells per pack) or 1.5 by 2.5 inch (6 cells per pack for smaller
transplants like lettuce). If all seeds germinate, leave only the strongest seedling. Annual flowers can be
started the same way.
Native plant seeds may require stratification to germinate. The stratification process is controlled, the
pretreatment amounts to subjecting the seeds to storage in a cool (ideally +1° to +3°C; not freezing) and
moist environment for a period sufficient for the species. Time may vary from one to three months. A simple
method is to place seeds in a seed flat and keep it outdoors during the winter.
To determine when to plant seeds indoors, calculate the plant-out date from Planting Dates for Vegetable
Crops in Maryland or the last frost date for your home. Calendar information is on this link. The chart shows
approximate start dates for vegetables. I prefer to use plant-out dates from the tabular form and subtract from
that date the number of weeks suggested on seed packets. Example: the plant-out date for broccoli is April 1,
and the seed packet suggests starting seeds six weeks prior, so I start my broccoli around Feb 15.
While I still have snow on the ground, it’s never too early to peruse seed catalogs, order seeds and get
ready for spring planting!
— Kent Phillips, MG 2009, [email protected] — Erica Jones, MG 2018, [email protected]
LooseLeaf • February 2019 • page 10
WHY I PLANT NATIVES: BACKYARD BIRDS
When someone asks the question ‘why should we use
native plants in our yards’, there are many possible
answers, from the practical fact that they require less water
and fertilizer, to the idea of a moral responsibility to restore
the plant species that were present before Europeans
arrived. For me however, the reason is to support wildlife in
all its shapes and sizes. Having moved here from England,
I am particularly enthralled by the spectacular bird species
present in Maryland. My deepest wish is that when they
grow up, my children and maybe future grandchildren, will
still be able to see the amazing diversity of their colors and
behaviors. I want to do my part in preventing extinctions
but, just as importantly, I want to help keep common birds
common so people continue to see and appreciate them in
their yards and not just within remote wildlife refuges. For
‘we will only conserve what we love and we will only love
what we know’.
I would like to introduce to you some of the birds that
visit my 1/3 acre lot and the plants that help draw them
there. ‘To help birds’ is one of the best arguments to
encourage the general public to plant natives. Just think of
the impact if all the people who already hang out bird
feeders could be encouraged to grow native plants to
produce the food and habitat that birds truly need (and
thereby support less charismatic wildlife, particularly
insects, that are so vital to birds and to our ecosystems).
Each month I would like to share with you a bird that has
captured my imagination, starting with the white-throated
sparrow (WTS). After all, if we can be interested in a
sparrow, known even by birders as LBJ’s (little brown
jobs), think of the joys to come when the spring migrants
arrive! White-Throated Sparrows:
Pushy Whites and Caring Tans
At this time of year, WTS gather in small flocks usually of
only 5-10 birds, scratching on the ground near shrubs or
other cover or cleaning up under bird feeders. They are
easily identified by their namesake white bibs and yellow
lores - the area between eyes and beak. Soon their clear
whistles of ‘Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody’ will
sing joyfully through yards and woods reminding all that
spring is around the corner. Enjoy their bright song now
though, as these winter visitors soon find Maryland too
warm and head to the conifer forests of Northern Canada.
Strangely their song is then identified as ‘O sweet Canada,
Canada, Canada’. Take a listen and see which you hear!
https://www.xeno-canto.org/White-throated sparrow
WTS come in two color morphs with either a white and
black stripe on their head or a brown and tan stripe
(pictures). The male ‘whites’ spend more time singing and
aggressively defend their territory, to such an extent that
they are bad dads and bring less food to their brood.
Females of both colors therefore prefer the more caring
‘tans’ for mates. However white males push both other
males and white striped females (which unusually for
females also sing) from their territories. As a result, all
pairs end up as white and tan combos and the population
is maintained as a perfect 50-50 split of the two morphs.
Black and White Striped WTS Brown and Tan Striped WHS
How to attract WTS—Shrubs and low branches are important to provide cover. Leave leaf litter and dead flower heads such as goldenrods and asters standing through the winter. Many native grasses including bluestem, Indiangrass and switchgrass will provide seeds. WTS are one of the few sparrows to also enjoy berries from dogwood to poison ivy. In return WTS help gardeners to control weeds as up to 25% of their diet are ragweed and smartweed seeds.
— Clare Walker, MG 2015, [email protected]
Photo Yanketch Gary CC BY-ND 2.0
Photo budgora CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
LooseLeaf • February 2019 • page 11
BOOK REVIEW: THE SONGS OF TREES
The Songs of Trees: Stories from Nature’s Great
Connectors (David George Haskell, 2017) is engaging
and fluid. It weaves the music of individual trees into a
symphony of voices telling of their history, lives, and
feelings. This award-winning book is a wonder of
listening to, and uniting, the songs of trees into a living
history. Each chapter centers on the song of a particular
tree; different natures and environments all.
The book proceeds like a musical score sharing the
singing life of each tree over a 1-year time period. The
trees reside in cities, forests, and in areas of rapid
environmental change.
Haskell visits 10 trees overall including the Ceibo of
Ecuador, the Balsam fir in Kakabeka, Ontario, a Sabal
Palm on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, a Green Ash of
the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee, the Olive in
Jerusalem, and the White Pine of Miyajima Island,
Japan.
Each tree is lyrically described in its exact environment. The history of tree and place is
recorded along with conversations of people Haskell meets while studying the trees. He defines
all the strands of relationship contributing to each tree’s song. He likens each tree as the holder
of common life of an area, “a being that is a multiplicity of conversation.” This book is a love
song to trees and a cry for help for these necessary beings being destroyed without thought of
consequence. It reads like a narrative poem; an epic work by Whitman or Homer.
A website, www.dghaskell.com, presents the songs and milieu of each tree. Go and hear the
music of the hazel in Scotland or a maple in Chicago. The web site provides a thoughtful
accompaniment to the text, with photos and musical translations of the trees’ surroundings.
The maple is brought to life by a recording of one twig over 3 weeks’ time depicting the passing
of the hours of the day and the spring melody of new growth . A violin is pictured as a beautiful
example of form taken by the tree. The songs are lush, lovely, and evocative. This book
deserves a special place on your bookshelf.
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In case you missed it —
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