New River Valley Master Gardener Association Newsletter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Wendy Words ......... 2

2020 Grants ........... 3

Community Project .. 4

Paige in December .. 6

Lyle’s Hike & Picnic .. 7

Houseplants ........... 8

Paige Gets Around .... 9

Smithfield .............. 11

Twelve on Twelve ..... 12

Edible Hahn ............ 13

Very Good Vinegar .. . 14

Be a Dear, Deer! ...... . 16

Heritage Park .......... . 18

MG Photos ............... . 19

June 2020

The Grapevine

Photo: Ruth Ann Whitener

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Wow, have things changed in just a few months! The one thing I have noticed is how flexible

and resilient Master Gardeners are during this COVID crisis. Our rules on how what projects

can remain active has been very limiting, yet we find ways to make our volunteer time

meaningful.

For the time being, we are only able to do projects that revolve around food access. This is

because our focus is to remain safe as possible and we do not want any of our volunteers to

unnecessarily expose themselves to COVID-19. However, we do recognize that many people

are out of work and food access has become a greater need than any time in recent history.

So, for those comfortable with volunteering, they can do so as long as it is related to food. We

are also not free laborers, but since we can not do training while we work due to restrictions

to gathering, for COVID emergency time only, if all we do is labor, then that is okay. Once all

of this passes, we will be back to our standard rules.

Our resiliency and flexibility have been shining through, despite these above restrictions.

Beth Umberger with the help of Margene Hirsh is adding vegetables to the Montgomery

Museum garden instead of annuals this year. Lisa Lloyd, David McEwen, Clifton Johnson,

and Maria Cucinotta have been helping at Smithfield Plantation. Andrew McMillen has been

volunteering at the Giles Community Garden. Carol Cox has been volunteering with the

garden at Indian Valley Elementary School (she works there as well). Carol Trutt and Maria

Cucinotta have been volunteering with the Glean Team. Pat Ferrell and Bonnie Walker have

been maintaining the Snowville Elementary Garden. Lisa Lloyd and Rosemary Hartman have

been volunteering at the Hahn in the edible garden plot. Erica Jones is adding vegetables to

the Triangle Garden in Craig County. Carol Trutt, Carol Kauffman and David McEwen have

been prepping and planting veggies with the Glean Team. Sarah Smiley has been providing

plants and seed for the residence of the Fairview Home. Debora Taylor and Annette Yearout

have been volunteering at PLENTY! Javad Torabinejad and Ben Schwartz have been helping

with the Helpdesk emails. Beth Kirby has been busy growing veggie starts for anyone who

needed it, and Emma Patterson and Diane Relf have been growing plants as well for

community donation. This is by no means a complete list of what we have been doing this

spring. Thank you for all that you do. You make a difference!

I am also amazed with the flexibility of our trainees. They did not expect an on-line only MG

training, yet that is what it has turned out to be (for now). We learned how to make zoom

trainings successful and slowed down the progression of the course in hopes for us to be able

to do some in-person training in the fall. Thank you,

trainees, for your flexibility as we navigate this together.

For those of you who ARE staying home, please let me

know if you need anything. Master Gardeners are like a

family, and we are here for one another.

Stay well and safe, everyone.

Wendy Silverman

WENDY WORDS

by Wendy Silverman

Master Gardener Association Community Grants by Sharon Eifried

The New River Valley Master Gardener Association annually welcomes grant

applications for gardening projects located in the New River Valley counties of Floyd,

Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski and the City of Radford. Grants are awarded based

on merit to any educational, care-giving, or community-based organization.

In the past, grants have been awarded to public and private schools, 4-H groups,

public libraries, other educational groups, as well as community gardens and nursing

homes. Funding has been provided for, but is not limited to, creating public gardens

(vegetable and flower), raising plants for sales (4-H), composting, purchasing plant

labels and gardening tools, to name a few. The grants are intended to support

programs seeking to educate, involve, and/or improve the quality of life for

participants through a gardening related project.

Community Grants are funded mainly from the proceeds from annual plant sales held

in the spring by Virginia Commonwealth Extension (VCE) master gardeners at the

Montgomery County Government Center in Christiansburg. Because of COVID-19,

the 2020 plant sale was cancelled, but there are hopes for a plant sale in the fall.

Please see below for a list of the grant recipients for 2020 garden projects. This year

the implementation of the projects may look different, but gardening projects in the

New River Valley continue to be alive and well.

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4-H Garden and Horticulture Programs (Pulaski County) $650

Adult Day Service and Fall Prevention Center (Pulaski) $400

Children’s Garden at Snowville Elementary School $150

Educational Rain Garden at Eastern Montgomery Elementary School $825

Garden Club and Garden at Indian Valley Elementary School $525

Gardening Club at Fairview Home (Dublin) $375

Horticulture Program Start-Up at Eastern Montgomery High School $1000

Interactive Learning Center at Ratcliffe Transportation Museum

(Pulaski)

$400

Medicinal Garden at Wilderness Road Regional Museum (Newbern) $175

Plenty! Small Space Demonstration Garden $200

Pulaski Community Youth Center (Fairlawn) $1250

Recovery Community Center (Pulaski) $250

Water Reclamation Project at Giles Community Garden $500

New River Valley Master Gardener Association Grant Recipients 2020

In September, the New River Valley Master Gardener Association (NRVMGA)

contributed a $100 mini-grant to the students of Indian Valley Elementary (IVE) School

who are participating in a newly established Gardening Club. The club began with six

members and used the grant to purchase hand tools and gardening gloves.

Years ago, the school established a school garden on construction landfill, and although

recently amended, it was not fertile or easy to work. Club members came up with the

idea to convert the area to a series of raised bed frames. Members priced out material

costs for raised beds and prepared the budget request for a NRVMGA Community Grant

application which was sent in by the school principal and club sponsors. NRVMGA

awarded $525 for the project.

So, you may be asking why the title, “Truly a ‘Community Project?’” Consider these

details:

And while the garden may not have students in it, and not a lot of plants will be

growing during the summer, it has seen quite a bit of activity and will be ready for

students to care for when they return in the fall. So we send out a BIG “Thank You” to

all involved in this project!

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Truly a “Community Project”

by Carol Cox, Liaison

A former student arranged for the purchase of bypass clippers and hand

diggers “at cost” from Miss Lily's Pad (a North Carolina garden center).

Garden Club members cleared the garden area of weeds, scraped the

wooden panel fence, prepped it to repaint, and painted it. The IVE

custodian pressure-washed the fence and will soon hang the garden

gate. Floyd County Schools Maintenance Dept. provided paint and

brushes and will provide gravel for the area outside the frames. A

student’s father selected the materials and built the frames. A student’s

grandparent tilled the area so that amended soil could be reclaimed. A

community member has offered plants that will grow during the

summer. A former parent delivered a load of compost and pledged

another. Beth Kirby has grown plants for us.

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The ‘BEFORE’ The ‘DURING’

The ‘AFTER’ — WOW!

All photos courtesy of justifiably proud project liaison Carol Cox.

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December Travels With Paige

by Erica Jones

I went to Morgantown, WV, over the holidays (long story) and took both Paige and the almost

-retired spouse along. I was panicking about finding something fun to do in Morgantown for a

couple of hours and then good old Google found it. I had totally forgotten that West Virginia

HAD a botanic garden.

The West Virginia Botanic Garden (WVBG) was started in 1999 from the land around what

used to be the drinking water reservoir for Morgantown. The reservoir was first used as a

water source in the early 1900’s. At that time, the population of the area was growing and

there was much discussion about the hardness of available water sources. The city stopped

using the reservoir for drinking water in 1969 and subsequently drained it in 1980 to avoid

maintenance of dams, spill ways, and pipes.

This is a walking garden. Dogs are requested to stay on their leashes and Paige cooperated.

We saw a surprising number of people there on a very foggy, wintery Saturday morning. If

you go, have a map in hand; this will cut down on inter-spouse discussions on ‘fastest way to

get back to the car’. We thought the Reservoir Loop had a water feature, but unfortunately it

did not. You can still see a number of structures built for the water reservoir along the Loop.

The vegetation growing in the reservoir are shrubs (a lot of alders) and other damp-feet type

vegetation.

One section of the loop trail was built on top of the very long, low, straight soil retaining wall

and was bordering private property with town houses. This stretch had been landscaped with

40” high containers, memorial benches, boxwoods, aucuba, dwarf mahonia, Japanese plum

yew, and some deciduous plants. The boxes were posted with “No Dogs” signs and were

excellent examples of what happens to lower branches of shrubs when they meet up with

canine urine.

Then we started exploring the loopy interconnecting trails in the woods above the streams

that used to feed the reservoir. This turned out to be gorgeous woods with a clump of the

oldest Canadian Hemlocks we have seen in 50 years. There are ravines lined with rock

outcroppings and a lot of good ‘barks’ – persimmon, black gum, shag bark hickory. There was

a meditation garden beside a bubbling creek and the hemlocks, and lots of Fagus grandifolia

leaves of that hard-to-describe orange-umber-yellow-brown-tan early winter shade.

This wooded hillside was a maze of little creeks, sudden rock outcroppings, hummocks, and

various sized ravines. There were pits in the forest floor and my guess is they were caused by

falling trees rather than tiny sinkholes, but I can’t be sure.

Since we had a hot date with my niece for lunch, we could not linger …. What we missed

were the more constructed areas on the other side of the swamp (aka reservoir). With more

than two hours of time, I hoped we could visit the shade garden, the rhododendron garden,

the Yagle garden, and some others. Unfortunately, we just didn’t have time. But we enjoyed

the time we spent there and perhaps will return to explore what we missed.

Admission is free but donations are accepted. For more information, you can check https://

www.wvbg.org/

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As he does most years, Lyle decided to take his Mom and Dad for a hike and picnic on

Mother’s Day. In deference to COVID-19, he took us into the mountains behind our three

acres in the Ellett Valley, where we have permission to hike, and where there is very little

likelihood of seeing another human or canine being.

Despite having hiked these mountains many times in the past 15 years, we always find

something that we haven’t seen before. This Mother’s Day, we hit the jackpot and found a

large stand of Addison’s Leatherflower on the dry rocky outcrop where we ate our lunch

and enjoyed a great view. We didn’t know what it was and sent an email with the picture

below to our three sons and their wives, telling them that whoever could ID it first would get

a gold star. Our youngest son actually recognized it from his AP Biology class, which is pretty

amazing considering he graduated in 2007!

Here’s what we’ve learned from our son Eric and from the internet (https://

virginiawildflowers.org/2015/05/08/leatherflower/):

It turns out that Addison’s Leatherflower (Clematis addisonii) is

“a threatened species that is native to the Ridge and Valley

Province in Virginia. Most of the remaining populations occur"

in Montgomery County. The author continues that “The plant

prefers dry, rocky, limestone hillsides, banks and ravines.” It is a

perennial vine that starts out as the erect plant that we

noticed, but it eventually arches over or climbs other plants.

The flower, located at the tip of the stem, “is firm (like leather!)

and shaped like an upside-down urn.”

According to http://

kentuckynativeplantandwildlife.blogspot.com/2012/05/

plant-of-week-addisons-leather-flower.html, Addison’s

Leatherflower grows primarily in four counties of western

Virginia, but also grows in Kentucky in the Elbrook formation

and is available for sale in limited quantities. Sunlight

Gardens (https://sunlightgardens.com/products/11633)

claims that it is “deer resistant,” for whatever that’s worth!

We hope that everyone had a great Mother’s Day, is

having fun gardening, and is staying safe!

A Mother’s Day Hike and Picnic with Lyle

by Nina & Lyle Templeton

Lyle with his dad Tom after our picnic

Photos: Nina Templeton Photos: Nina Templeton

Summer Houseplant Care

by Susan Perry

Spring and early summer are great times to perform annual houseplant maintenance. In addition, summer is a great time to put your houseplants outside in a location that’s sheltered. Your plants will benefit greatly from the brighter indirect outdoor light. Finally, when you re-introduce your plants indoors in the fall, there are a few simple steps for a smooth transition.

Now is a good time to inspect your houseplants and determine which, if any, could benefit from re-potting to a slightly larger pot. All houseplants need to be re-potted every few years. Re-potting helps prevent houseplants from becoming rootbound, and also allows you the opportunity to refresh your potting soil on a regular basis. Potting soil can easily become depleted of critical nutrients needed by plants. When re-potting, select a pot that is no more than two inches larger in diameter than the current pot. As you are re-potting, carefully brush soil from the plant’s roots so you can inspect them for insects or disease. You may gently spread out the roots to promote new growth, but once you do, be sure to completely fill the new pot with soil to avoid air gaps in the soil that could later cause problems. Once re-potted, be careful not to over-water and wait several weeks before fertilizing.

As you are re-potting your plant, you may notice a whitish crust on the soil. This is a build-up of soluble salts, and left unaddressed, can cause root damage, leaf wilt, or yellowing of the plant. The solution is easy. If you’re not re-potting the plant, just remove the white crust and the top two inches of soil. If you are re-potting, you’ve already removed as much of the old potting soil as possible (including the white crust). Before adding new potting mix, take your plant outside to a place where water can drain easily, remove the saucer, and rinse the remaining potting mix thoroughly with tepid water several times. Allow the soil to drain completely between rinses and check to be sure the drainage hole is not blocked. Once you have completed rinsing and have allowed the soil to drain for the final time, add new potting soil and water lightly. Then, wait to water the plant again until the soil is dry to the touch about three inches below the surface. To prevent salt buildup, place your pot on a layer of gravel in the saucer to improve drainage and be sure not to over fertilize.

Summer is a good time to find a protected location outside for your plants. You may also want a location that is screened, to avoid possible insects, such as scale – believe me, it’s really a pain to get rid of a scale infestation! As you search for a good outdoor location, keep in mind they will need protection from direct sunlight which can cause leaf scorch and from the potential damage of a surprise hailstorm. Be sure to wait to move your plants outside until nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees. If you’ve had salt build-up, when you bring your plants outside for the summer, don’t use saucers – just allow your plants to drain completely. Summer is also a good time to fertilize your houseplants regularly since it is their normal growth period. Be sure to follow instructions on the fertilizer so that it enhances their growth; too much fertilizer can actually cause problems. Finally, monitor water usage by the houseplants you’ve moved outside. They may need a little more water outdoors than they would have if you had kept them inside for the summer.

In the fall, plan to move your houseplants inside before temperatures fall below 50 degrees at night. If you located them completely outdoors, you’ll need to inspect your plants for insects so you can apply insecticide, if necessary, before bringing the plants back inside. Check the drainage holes of your pots for slugs or pill bugs, which can be removed by hand, and apply one last light fertilization. Your plants will look great during their winter rest period, thanks to their summer of outdoor fun.

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Travels With Paige—Early Spring

by Erica Jones

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Breaks Interstate Park in Virginia derives its name from a break in a northeast

to southwest running mountain range – in this case Pine Mountain – that

populates that part of the country. (If you look at aerial photos, it looks like

the NE end of the mountain is just a big pile of rubble). Pine Mountain is

technically the most western mountain range of the Appalachians – west of

that you get a lot of lumps, but nothing so organized, as you head to the

Mississippi. Russel Fork River runs through the park and has cut quite the

gorge, particularly as it goes through the “break.” This canyon is promoted

as the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi River. It is hard to get to and

sparsely populated, but canoeists have discovered the rapids on the Russel

Fork River and are flocking to the area. Getting there takes about four plus

hours from Roanoke, depending on how fast you are willing to drive winding

roads. Having Paige in the backseat puts a damper on doing any

aggressive curves. Breaks is also named “Interstate” because it runs into the

neighboring state of Kentucky.

As is the case with a lot of the Virginia parks, there is a lot of car parking

close to short hikes, highlighting some of the better features of the park.

Breaks has many types of lodging, with some ‘dog-friendly’ options. The park

seems to be catering to a variety of outdoor experiences with swimming,

mountain biking, canoeing, and zip lining getting top billing. Hiking is rather

an afterthought. The horseback riding option seems to be a “maybe” and

under development. Train buffs will be amused at the freight history of the

area. Coal is heavy and hard to transport, and usually leaves via railroad.

Three of the most spectacular trails run along one side of the ‘canyon’

giving hikers a decent workout. If the idea of hiking and not being able to

see any of the slope down to the river beneath you does not appeal, then

you might want to choose some of the other trails in the park or stick to the

overlooks. Even Paige was being careful on the first day, and stationed

herself between the two of us on some of the trails, perhaps maybe to be

better situated to grab someone’s ankle if they slipped. By the third day of

traversing such cliffy trails, Paige was starting to stand on the very edge at

the overlooks to see if she could spot the rock climbers below, while the

breeze ruffled her ears. Speaking of slippery, most of the wooden bridge

creek crossings were covered in chicken wire, which was fixed to the planks.

This was fabulous as an anti-slip measure to help counteract the wood-rain-

fungus-slick problems. Not sure how long that would last, but probably

through the winter at least.

When we were there in very early spring, some of the spring ephemerals were

just starting to come up on the mostly south facing side of the canyon. Given

the amount of ‘geologic feature’ on the southern slopes (large area of rocks

to help warm the soil), spring had arrived with gusto in a few spots of

particularly nice soil with spring beauty, red efts, and ginger starting to form its

very peculiar blossoms.

The one that threw me, though, has the common name of Pussytoes (family

Antennaria). Pussytoes look at lot like Anaphalis margaritacea (Pearly

Everlasting) which are a mid-summer, dry soil inhabitant. So when you come

up on a very similar flower in a damp spot in early spring, it can be confusing.

Confusion seems to reign in the Antennaria family, anyway. My favorite, albeit

lower-brow wildflower book, grumbles about ‘specialists’ not agreeing on how

many species there are. It talks about a range of 6 to 32 species depending

on where you read. Oh brother. And yes, the plants I saw did not match any

pictures or drawings in any of the wildflower books I have. Their solo blossoms

are held above narrower (but still linear) leaves.

We also came on a very large area of yellow trout lily starting to bloom –

smack in the middle of the trail (previously disturbed soil???), and a little bit of

blooming trailing arbutus. Trout lily always amuse me as there are very few

yellow bloomers that early in the year. And when you find them, you see a LOT

of them. The Virginia Native Plant Society calls their ‘herds’ colonies. (https://

vnps.org/wildflowers-of-the-year/2003-yellow-trout-lily-erythronium-

americanum/). They are worth trying to find if you have not seen them; the

mottled foliage tends to be an easy identifying trait. Trout lily will transplant,

given that they produce corms.

Trailing arbutus has a history of being protected from collection in many

eastern states. Apparently, they just do not move well (they need mycorrhizal

associations). The rumors of fragrance are overrated. I did not note any

fragrance, even when my nose got down to plant level (and Paige had to

check out what I was doing down there).

There are also a lot of longer hikes to take in the park, if you do a little planning.

On the southeast end of the park ,the trails are more ‘normal’ wooded trails,

which head towards several lakes. Happy travels (well, soon we hope).

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In the fall of 2018, Smithfield Plantation applied for a grant through the NRV Master Gardener

Association. The grant was approved to provide identification signs in what was to be the

renovated Kitchen and Perennial Gardens. In addition, a request was made for help with the

renovation project. Two Master Gardeners, Carol Trutt and I, volunteered for the work as part of our

annual requirement for volunteer hours.

Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Smithfield decided to partner

with expert Landscape Designer Deb Miller. Carol and I began to help in the spring of 2019, after

the beds were prepared and most plants in place. Our role was to help ensure that the plants

thrived throughout the season. On a weekly basis, Carol and I spent a couple of hours doing

whatever was necessary, such as watering, weeding, and taming back the gourd vines from

engulfing the rest of the garden!

Another fun event was a workshop we presented at the Smithfield Yuletide in December.

Participants were eager to learn how to make a traditional colonial kissing ball from boxwood

clippings. Both young and old alike enjoyed the workshop as well as Carol and I. This spring, we

have been busy with clean up, adding additional perennials as well as planting cold crops such as

peas, broccoli, and cauliflower. We have also added an additional Master Gardener to the team -

David McEwen – as well as Master Naturalist, Curt LeVan. We look forward to the addition of

educational tours of the gardens at Smithfield this season.

It’s been a pleasure to form a partnership with Ryan and Kenna, our liaisons at Smithfield. They are

most appreciative of the help and receptive to suggestions. I give them much credit for keeping a

positive vibe during this stressful time. We are all excited about future opportunities to help

continue to develop the grounds at the plantation. It is a beautiful, relaxing space to hold a

special event or learn about life in the New River Valley during colonial times.

Master Gardeners and Smithfield Plantation

by Lisa Lloyd

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Carol Trutt: Spring cleaning and planting in

the Kitchen Garden. Photo: Lisa Lloyd.

Plant id signs for the kitchen and

perennial gardens. Photo: Lisa Lloyd.

I am certain people have pondered this before, but I came across my fake Jasmine

blooming during a warm spell in January, and was reminded of the 12-months-of-

blossoms challenge/approach to gardening. A Jasmine (sort of) (Jasminum

nudiflorumis maybe?) is a viney, aggressively growing mound that used to be very

marginally hardy in my back yard until the last five years or so. It has bright well-

formed trumpet shaped blossoms with no fragrance (therefore the ‘fake’). I would

recommend planting it carefully, since you have to really yank it up when it layers

vigorously.

February can be rough too, but with warm spells I can have crocus and dandelions.

When retailers came out with steady and almost affordable supplies of hellebores I

thought I’d died and gone to heaven because hellebores make the 12-month

challenge easier. The Missouri Botanic Garden website says the time of blooming

can vary ‘considerably’ based on the weather. Helleborus niger, odorus and

argutifolius are perhaps the earliest of this genus with orientalis being later; plant

breeding has confused the demarcations a bit.

November can be tricky, too. We had an unusually (record) cold November here

and a lot of the wildflowers that usually hang around that late packed up and left.

So plan(t) carefully.

December can almost be as difficult as January to have something in bloom, but

my witch hazel saves the day here. But remember, there are a lot of species and

hybrids that can vary bloom time if put off by a cold snap.

Blooming season really should be carefully considered when choosing landscaping

plants. If you are worried about pollinators, aim towards the edges of the season.

If you want cut flowers, don’t forget that funny gap just past spring bulbs. If you

want consistency, annuals are good. This is the reason annuals were so popular

before an anti-annual slur campaign started. Some growers are breeding shorter

plants because they are easier to ship and display. I will admit, if we could

communicate with plant breeders and growers that shorter is not always better,

consumer perceptions of annuals might improve. I saw a quote the other day – ‘if

annuals get any shorter they are going to disappear’. Growing annuals from seed

can counter a lot of the too-short problem.

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Twelve Month Blossoms by Erica Jones

Master Gardeners at the Hahn by Lisa Lloyd

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it to myself and others on numerous occasions during the pandemic, “Boy, am I glad I don’t live in New York City right now. I don’t know how residents are coping with staying inside their apartments and condos.” I am someone who loves fresh air and sunshine. That is why I consider myself very fortunate to be a Master Gardener, especially right now.

In addition to attending to my neglected raised bed gardens and flower beds, I have been volunteering at the Hahn Horticulture Garden and Smithfield Plantation. Over the past couple of years, I joined a group of Master Gardeners and hobby gardeners on Monday evenings at the Hahn to weed, plant and help with whatever tasks the horticulturists had a need for us to do. Of course, with COVID-19 this year, the Monday nights are off.

By chance, a discussion one Monday evening last year with Hahn horticulturist Lisa Lipsey and Director Scott Douglas about expanding the volunteer base led to an idea that groups could “adopt" a section of the garden to care for and maintain. So as a trial, NRV Master Gardeners (MGs) have adopted the edible landscape area at the Hahn. Luckily, it’s been a big help overall, since the number of volunteers has decreased due to the pandemic.

As usually happens, since I had suggested to Lisa and Scott that master gardeners might be able to act as guinea pigs for this trial volunteer program, I am leading the effort! I’ve been pleasantly surprised to have four other MGs join me on Mondays and Thursdays for a couple of hours each day to weed, prune, and plant the edible landscape plants. Polly Ashelman, Linda Davis, Rosemary Hartman, and Carol Trutt each arrive with their supply of tools and weed buckets and then we get down to business!

Lisa and Scott stop by while we are there to answer our questions, identify a plant, or just say “Hi” and thank us for our help. When restrictions are eased, the plan is to offer an educational tour of the area to inform garden enthusiasts how they can incorporate edibles into their general landscape plantings. I’m in love with edible flowers, so we are also in the process of finding and planting a few to add additional color.

If you are not already a member of the garden, I would encourage you to join. The garden only receives enough funds from Virginia Tech to cover most of the cost of staff salaries. Any additional funds, such as those to cover annual operating costs, must be raised by the Hahn. Memberships are one way these additional funds are raised. Membership is $35 per year. Benefits include reduced cost of workshops (when available) and a reciprocal garden program that provides reduced or free admission to over 300 gardens and arboreta nationwide. Plus, what a better place to have Master Gardener classes than at the Hahn Pavilion? (Sorry current MG trainees, that you’ve missed out on this.)

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Loaned sculpture “The Gardener” on display at the Hahn. Photo: Lisa Lloyd

MGs Linda Davis and Polly Ashelman. Photo: Lisa Lloyd

We have all probably been using this social distancing and isolation time tending to our gardens, realizing the value of growing and preserving our own food, and trying new things. Since one useful element for preserving produce is vinegar, I have been having some sweet fun during this sour time and thought I would share. As long as vinegar has been around, so has grown the list of its uses and benefits. I was doing some research on the history of vinegar for this article and wanted to share the origin of the word “vinaigrette.” In the 17th and 18th centuries, European aristocrats had small silver boxes, called vinaigrettes, on top of their walking canes. The boxes contained vinegar-soaked sponges that the aristocrats would open and sniff to ward off noxious outdoor odors. Vinegar has been a part of human history as long as humans have been drinking fermented beverages. Any alcoholic beverage, whether it is made from apples, grapes, dates, rice, or plain white sugar, once exposed to air, will turn naturally to vinegar. Ever-present bacteria in the air converts the alcohol into acetic acid, which gives vinegar its characteristic sharp, sour taste. There are many recipes for making your own vinegar, such as this one: https://www.mountainfeed.com/blogs/learn/41176641-understanding-and-making-your-own-vinegar But if you don’t have the time, there are many readily available options – just ensure the white vinegar isn’t wood pulp based, which is popular in the cheaper brands. There are so many interesting vinegars: champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine, and rice wine. Experiment with a few variations. You can bring character and complexity to vinegar with infusions. For example, chives are blooming now and you can use them in so many dishes. They also make a lovely infusion for vinegar that you can then use in salad dressings, for example. It will take you 10 minutes or less to pull this together. Think about the gift giving possibilities! Ingredients 1 cup chive blossoms (fresh) 1 1/2 cups vinegar (of choice) Optional: 1/4 cup chopped chive leaves Trim the entire heads off the stems. Open and not faded blossoms are optimal. Rinse several times to dislodge any soil or stowaways. Gently crush the blossoms to release their scent and flavor. Loosely pack them into a clean glass pint jar (not necessary to sterilize the jar). Pour the vinegar over the chive blossoms until they are completely immersed in the liquid. Stir the chives into the vinegar. Tightly cover the jar and label it with the date.

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It Has Been a Sour Couple of Months, Let’s Embrace the Vinegar by Sarah Smiley

Smiley Farm Organic Chive Blossom Infused

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Store at room temperature away from direct light or heat for 2 weeks. Strain the vinegar into an attractive, clean glass bottle. Compost or discard the spent blossoms. Cork or tightly cover the bottle. The vinegar will take on the delicate color and subtle onion flavor of the chives. Keep the vinegar stored away from heat and light for up to 6 months. I am also currently infusing a fresh strawberry-orange vinegar, and a fresh strawberry-basil vinegar, making use of those North Carolina strawberries now in season. I also decided to try an herbal blend with everything I found in the herb bed last week. It could be quite delightful or quite terrible. We’ll see in few more days, but that is fun part of just trying something new. How about a tasty vinegar drink? Switchel, or Haymaker’s Punch, is an apple cider-based drink that has a long US history, especially as a refreshment for farmers working in the field. We are always looking for healthy hydration during hay making season on the Smiley Farm. Last year, we tried Switchel after we read about it in the Old Farmer’s Almanac and we heard it mentioned in an old episode of Little House on the Prairie (seemed like a sign we should try it). Here is the classic recipe from the archives of The Old Farmer’s Almanac: Ingredients 1 gallon water 1 ½ cups molasses ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger Mix in clean glass container and serve chilled/cool The reason this is useful for hydration is that the ingredients are sources of potassium (an electrolyte and mineral) and provide an energizing electrolyte boost. Switchel is known as a health tonic that boosts the immune system and is supposed to help to detoxify your organs. Since the Almanac recipe told us to “think of it as Nature’s Gatorade,” we added lemon juice and a bit of salt to our recipe. It was a surprising hit in the field! As our gardens start producing, and many social activities are cancelled, vinegar may just be a companion we learn to appreciate a bit more. Stay healthy!

Switchel: Old Fashion Summer Drink July 7, 2016 Old Farmer's Almanac

Co-existing With Deer in Shade and Sun

By Emma Patterson

In January 2020, Lisa Lloyd and other MGA leaders presented a very informative

workshop session on deer-proofing the garden. The Christiansburg library community

room was packed that morning, and many chuckles and understanding nods were

exchanged as we all acknowledged the woes of co-existing with deer. In our

neighborhood, we have a herd that wanders through regularly. As shown in the first

photo, this particular doe was blowing me a raspberry as I photographed her in

February. Adding insult to injury, that was after a

season where the deer herd pretty much ate their

way through our yard (and hundreds of dollars of

perennials in the garden beds) whenever they felt

like it. Pretty much the only things that survived

were Rheum rhabarbarum (rhubarb), whose

leaves are toxic to animals, and a Celastrus

scandens (bittersweet vine), whose leaves were all

eaten, but came back miraculously this spring.

Not to be outdone, I spent much time over the

winter sifting through the information from the

workshop materials, especially the factsheet

“Resistance of Ornamentals to Deer

Damage” (Maryland Cooperative Extension). As

most avid gardeners do, I pored through catalogues

and clicked on websites, determined to order as

many perennials and bushes that would deter deer

as I could find. This was a battle for co-existence.

At the same time, a few other needs popped up as I

did the plant selection research. My husband and I

live on a ridge, which is known for a sometimes-harsh

microclimate. Our property is also covered with giant

trees, some nearly 40 years old and 100 feet tall (think

shade, lots of shade). Then we have other areas of

bright sun, close to the pavement, that get pretty hot

and dry in summer. All of a sudden the planning got

pretty complex.

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Where did it all end up? For the sunny areas, we planted Digitalis spp. and a close

cousin hybrid, Foxglove, near the street where the dog could not go (they are toxic to

all animals). We also planted Lavendula spp. (lavender), Salvia spp. (sage), and

Hyacinthoides non-scripta (bluebells) in the sunny areas (see photos). For the shady

areas under the trees, we added Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley). All of these

perennials were on the “rarely damaged” (by deer) list. Other shade plants, from the

seldom damaged (by deer) list, were Astilbe spp., Helleborus orientalis (hellebore). We

threw in Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s mantle), also recommended as deer resistant

(though not on the MCE list) for good measure.

So far, the plants are not only surviving but growing and blooming (which is saying a

lot since winter has just barely left us). The herd of does are keeping their distance. I

am imagining many gardeners reading this article who are shrugging and saying,

“Time will tell….” I couldn’t agree more. I hope to keep everyone posted on who wins

the battle of co-existence next year… with any luck all the creatures in the garden will

win.

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All Photos: Emma Patterson

Heritage Park Pollinator Garden by Sharon Eifried

On a recent walk near Peak Creek and Heritage Park in Pulaski, I

decided to take a look at the Pollinator Garden near the gazebo.

It was a pleasure to see that many plants were shooting up,

showing their green, and some even blooming. There were no

weeds and there was evidence of mulch being applied. Care of

the garden fits right in with the need for social distancing.

This garden is planted and maintained by the Friends of Peak

Creek (FOPC) which is a nonprofit organization in Pulaski County.

Cathy Hanks, President of FOPC, describes the mission of the

organization as one that is committed to improving water quality

and the ecological habitat of Peak Creek which has a drainage

area of over 60 square miles and meanders over 26 miles from its

source in Jefferson National Forest into Claytor Lake. The work of

FOPC also fosters environmental awareness and provides

education.

In the past, FOPC have received funding from the Master Gardener Association (MGA) to establish the

Pollinator Garden for the purpose of habitat enhancement and

public education. The FOPC were awarded a 2018 MGA

Community Grant for the purpose of establishing a fence around

the new garden. By May 2018, the fence was up and planting had

begun. The MGA also awarded a 2018 mini-grant to the FOPC for

the purchase of native plants for the garden.

This spring I was happy to see several of my favorite plants

blooming: Heart-leaved Golden Alexanders (Zizia aptera), coral

honeysuckle, and columbine with lovely blue blossoms.

Interpretive signage has been added to help visitors identify the

plants and learn more about the plant’s role in the garden as a

nectar or host plant. Nectar-rich plants attract butterflies to stop

and feed for a while, but the host plants attract butterflies to a

plant where they can start laying eggs. Host plants also attract the

male butterflies for mating.

Signage is in the form of both

traditional plant signs and digital

labels attached to the railings of

the fence.

Though this garden is small, I am impressed with how well it has been

maintained over the years. It is clear that the members of FOPC who

care for this garden are dedicated and knowledgeable. If you are ever

in Pulaski, take a detour along Dora Highway, and make a stop at the

Heritage Park Pollinator Garden.

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All photos: Sharon Eifried

NRVMGA Executive Board

President: Lisa Lloyd

Vice President: Liz Sw infen

Secretary: Carol Cox

Treasurer: Dianne Blount

Members at Large

Steve Hale

Sarah Smiley

Carol Trutt

MG Coordinator: Wendy Silverman, wss@vt.edu

Website: www.nrvmastergardeners.com

VCE Montgomery County Office: 540-382-5790

A special thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue of the newsletter.

You know who you are!

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MASTER GARDENER PHOTOS

Comments, questions, and submissions can be sent to co-editors: Sharon Eifried

(seifried@towson.edu) or Susan Perry (susan_perry@peacenlove.org)

Sharon Eifried Emma Patterson

Ruth Ann Whitener

Ruth Ann Whitener