The Vine Franklin County Master Gardeners

University of Missouri Extension in Franklin County 116 W Main, Union MO 63084 636-583-5141

Vol. 11, Issue 4, December 2013

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Rosalie Laune, Franklin County Master Gardener

O n my recent Maine

Coastal Cruise, one of

our ports of call was Boothbay,

home of the Coastal Maine

Botanical Gardens. This pro-

ject began in 1991 when a

group of Maine residents, who

believed that northern New

England, specifically Maine,

needed a botanical garden, formed a grassroots organiza-

tion for that purpose. In 1996, after a thorough search for

an appropriate site, the organization selected acreage

with 3,600 feet of tidal shore in Boothbay. Purchase of

this land was made possible through the willingness of

some of the directors to use their own homes as collateral.

Through the efforts of the directors and hundreds of vol-

unteers a foundation was formed, and after 16 years of

planning, building and planting, the gardens opened to the

public in 2007. However, expansion of the gardens and

land acquisition continues. It is one of very few waterfront

botanical gardens in the United States.

We began our tour with a volunteer docent who gave

us an overview of the various pocket theme gardens. Both

Maine landscape artists, as well as firms of international

renown, were instrumental in creating the designs. The

Giles Rhododendron and Perennial Garden was the first

area completed. I was mesmerized by a kinetic sculpture,

Wind Orchids, in that garden. The whimsical Bibby and

Harold Alfond Children’s Garden opened in 2010. Its

features were inspired by Maine children’s literature, but

it enchants both young and old. In addition to these two

gardens, the central area around the Visitor Center also

includes the Burpee Kitchen Garden and the Lerner

Garden of the Five Senses.

The Garden of the

Five Senses was one of

my favorites, while it is

designed with Braille

signage and wide paths

to accommodate wheel

-chairs, it has universal

appeal. I found the

Braille tactical map at the entrance especially interesting

and I couldn’t resist the sounding stones in another area of

the garden. The two stones, one “adult” size and the other

which could be enjoyed by toddlers with a little parental

assistance, were a major attraction.

After our guided tour, our docent led us to the Haney

Hillside Garden, which highlights hardy native trees, per-

ennial flowers and groundcovers. A well groomed walking

trail winds through the garden and along the tidal Black

River. It is dotted with stone benches offering peaceful

water views. Near the shorefront is the Vayo Meditation

Garden, another of my favorite theme gardens. It was

reopened in 2011 after extensive renovation. This garden

features stonework in five varieties of granite found in

Maine. The centerpiece is a sphere of Ellsworth Schist, the

undulating lines of which give a sense of the ocean and its

continuous ebb and flow.

Alas after our walk back to the Gift House and Garden

Center, it was time to leave. Our two hour visit only

touched the surface of the garden. One could easily spend

a day or more exploring all there is to see and enjoy.

2

O ne year has passed since the summer of 2012, yet

surely most of us will not soon forget the devastat-

ing drought and seemingly never-ending heat which that

summer brought. Having just completed a total reland-

scaping of my yard, I was not about to let anything die if

I could possibly avoid it. While the irrigation system did

help, I still spent six to eight hours a day dragging hoses

from one area to the next.

One day, hose in hand, wondering if this arduous task

would ever end and we would have rain and pleasant tem-

peratures once again, I happened to glance at my woods.

There to my surprise stood a doe, all alone. Quietly watch-

ing her I noticed how emaciated she was, realizing that the

weather and drought had taken its toll on her as well.

Hum, I wondered what had she found to eat in an area that

appeared pretty sparse from my observation point. Well, I

surmised, that’s where I had thrown the popcorn that I had

not completely eaten from the night before. Feeling so

sorry for her hunger and with no regular shelled corn on

hand, I decided the only thing I had to give her was more

popped corn. After quickly making another big batch, I

threw it in the same location where I had thrown the first.

She was gone, but I felt certain that she would eventually

return to the area. And indeed she did.

Early the next morning, I headed straight for MFA.

Trying to carry fifty pounds of shelled corn proved to be

somewhat challenging, but I managed. That poor animal

was not going to starve on my watch. Working quickly, I

soon had corn, water, and a salt block ready for her next

visit. She became a daily visitor, and shortly thereafter

friends of various ages and sizes accompanied her.

Great! Now I am feeding and caring for a dog, four

cats, a dozen or more hummingbirds, a variety of other

birds, the fish in my water garden, and now the deer,

several deer in fact. Well, I have unwittingly garnered

enough of God’s creatures to start a small zoo. Since I had

been feeding all of my animals each morning, adding the

deer was really not a problem. Many mornings, in fact, the

doe and her friends were patiently waiting for me by their

feeders.

As I approached with food in hand, they would back

away, not quite sure if I was totally trustworthy. Neverthe-

less, as I turned and walked away, they quickly approach-

ed and began eating. Some days, just one or two appeared;

yet other days five or six would be there waiting for their

breakfast.

Autumn finally appeared with the blessed relief of

cooler weather and some much needed rain. Of course, I

continued to feed my menagerie. How could I stop when

they all depended upon me? Soon winter would be

approaching and the food situation certainly wasn’t going

to improve for my friends. It did seem that I was at MFA

buying corn quite often. Relaying my story to one of my

friends, he remarked that soon when word got around to

the entire herd, I should just have a semi full of corn back

into my yard. I truly hoped it wouldn’t get that serious.

However, I did count twelve in my field one day. Well,

the hummingbirds were gone, and I stopped feeding my

fish during cold weather so all I had was the dog, the cats,

the birds and the deer. Dear God, please don’t send me

any more critters for a while.

As spring of 2013 arrived and with it a promise of

adequate rain, bountiful foilage became a reality. Often I

would observe a few of the deer leisurely walking through

the woods or sometimes through my yard. I stopped feed-

ing them routinely for I knew they had plenty at their

disposal. And now the summer is over, and I welcome

autumn. Soon I will start stockpiling corn, bird seed, etc.

For now, I know the deer have plenty to eat. How do I

know that? Well, as I continue to work in my yard, my

numerous hostas are little more than sticks, the leaves hav-

ing provided many tasty meals for my friends.

Oh, every year I try a variety of things to discourage

them, and some things do help. But by now, I just let them

eat. The hostas will soon be dried up anyway. Besides, I

have all winter to try to find something to thwart the insa-

tiable appetite of my furry friends for my hostas. Good

luck with that, I quietly whisper to myself.

A Dear, Deer Story Joyce Oberle, Franklin County Master Gardener

3

A n email hit my inbox today from the President of the University of Missouri letting us know

that there will be an announcement tomorrow about a new chancellor to be named for the

University of Missouri campus. By the time you read this you will likely have heard about this new

chancellor. The University of Missouri is also searching for a new provost for the campus. These

two positions arguably are the top two leadership positions serving the University of Missouri.

New people in these roles will chart the future of the University for many years to come.

Leadership is that quality that many of us have a hard time defining, but can appreciate when

we see it in someone. Leaders have vision, they “take hold and do”, they make personal sacrifices, they make difficult

decisions, they make people feel good about the things they are doing, and the list could go on. Each of the Franklin

County Master Gardeners have leadership qualities I have come to appreciate. I would like to recognize your leadership

team this past year. Sally Bocklage, Karen Geisert, Sharon Jenicek, Beth Kleekamp, Yvette Luedde, Debbie Marshaus

and Georgianne McClannahan have served on the Franklin County Master Gardener steering committee putting in lots

of hours developing monthly meetings, a plant sale and other activities. The Franklin County Master Gardener organiza-

tion is stronger as a result of the efforts of your steering committee.

A new class of 24 Master Gardener interns completed the training November 26. If you have an opportunity to

introduce yourself and welcome these new members please do so. I know I am looking forward to their efforts as

Master Gardeners.

Matt

From Matt’s Desk

M aybe you are planning to give an amaryllis plant

to a friend for Christmas or you would like to

have one for yourself, but you are not sure what to do with

the plant after its blooming season ends. This information

by Heleigh Bostwick, “My Garden Guide”, may be of

help:

Amaryllis flowers are traditionally given as gifts at

Christmas time. There’s no need to throw it away when

it’s finished blooming though. Here’s what you can do to

keep your amaryllis blooming year after year.

1. Cut the flower stalks.

After the flower has finished blooming, cut the flower

stalk just above the bulb. Be careful not to injure the bulb

itself and do not cut the leaves off. They’re needed to pro-

vide food for the growing bulb.

2. Move the plant to a sunny location.

During the growth phase, place the amaryllis plant in the

sunniest location possible, a south facing window, sun-

room, or greenhouse are ideal. Keep it watered, but not

waterlogged.

3. Move the amaryllis outside.

When weather allows, and there is

no more threat of frost, move the

amaryllis outdoors. Some of the

leaves may die down as it accli-

mates to its new climate.

4. Decide on the next blooming period.

Amaryllis, like other bulbs needs to go dormant in order

to flower again. If you want it to bloom for the holiday

season, mid to late August is when you need to make this

happen. Move the plant to a cool location and stop water-

ing it. Eventually the leaves will wither and die. Cut them

off. Move the pot to a dark, cool area like a closet or the

basement and keep it there for 8 to 10 weeks.

5. Watch it bloom.

After 8 to 10 weeks place the amaryllis back into a sunny

location. You should see some new shoots emerging and

within a matter of weeks your amaryllis should be bloom-

ing again—just in time for the holidays!

Amaryllis Care

Rosalie Laune, Franklin County Master Gardener excerpt from:

“My Garden Guide”, Written by: Heleigh Bostwick.

4

What a Party! Lynne Moll, Franklin County Master Gardener

I t’s a Garden Party, Missouri Master Gardener Con-

ference in Springfield on September 20-22 was a great

time and the biggest “party” yet with 400 participants!

Franklin County had a record number of eleven attendees.

What do you do at a party but have fun with your friends?

What could be more fun than to learn more about your

favorite hobby and ooh and ah over gardens and plants

with people who love it all as much as you do—and proba-

bly know a lot more?! And to top it off the weather was at

its very loveliest. It was a “blast!”

This year there were a number of advanced training

classes offered on Friday (and Saturday), as well as a field

trip to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Mansfield. We

enjoyed a very flavorful stir-fry meal in a delightful rustic

restaurant there. I was not expecting to see a little

“village” called Bakersville, but after an informative

presentation about seed collecting of heirlooms, we

enjoyed looking around at the display gardens and old-

fashioned shops. It was also an opportunity to buy some

unusual seeds to try in the garden next year.

Friday evening we all met at the new (2010) Spring-

field Botanical Center for music, food, getting to know

other Master Gardeners, and tram tours of this wonderful

place. The Master Gardeners have an extensive demon-

stration garden and at the kitchen garden we were served

delicious grilled vegetables. The tram tour guide explained

how each of the unique gardens in this public park is

developed cooperatively by local gardening groups. They

have banded together to form Friends of the Garden—

what an example for other communities! Three of these

gardens have recently received national recognition—the

Japanese Stroll Garden, the hosta garden, and the daylilies.

This is quite an accomplishment as these are only ten

years old.

The highlight is the garden tours on Saturday because

each one is so unique and strongly reflects the gardener.

As we know, a garden is always in progress, and Septem-

ber is a challenging time to show your garden. But there

had been a good rain and lots of planning and work that

made each one spectacular. At one garden that majored in

conifers, the gardener shared all the drainage work and

soil development he started to sustain such a wide variety

of pines, arborvitae, cypress, and even Daphne bushes.

Alta Birdsong was the name of a lovely shade garden that

boasted many “rooms, ” a huge hosta collection, and even

a collection of small bird baths. Besides city gardens, we

also visited a farm that had 7th generation family still

growing glorious peppers and vegetables, along with a

labeled hosta garden that was any hosta lover’s dream

come true. And guess what—we had an opportunity at the

next stop to buy some of them at Hilltop Farms. What’s

more fun than that??

The Saturday night banquet gave us more opportunity

to meet other Master Gardeners—we met an English cou-

ple who live in Arkansas. She had just visited Kew and

Sissinghurst Gardens in England that we are planning to

visit next summer! During the meal I particularly noted

the projected pictures in spring of the gardens we had vis-

ited on tour that day! It presented a totally different look

and a great idea. Our evening speaker was an innovative

young horticulturist who roamed the world looking for

exotic plants (definition: “excitingly unusual”). The hard

part was to find those who would do well in our Midwest-

ern climate. There were several really smelly ones and

some beautiful ones, too.

This conference was loaded with interesting vendors, a

large silent auction, and a raffle. You could see a lot of

community support. One booth was a fundraiser for the

Greene County Master Gardeners—it was selling specialty

bulbs. After an informative and inspiring class on the sub-

ject on Sunday morning, everyone wanted to try some

themselves. And now is the time to plant bulbs, of course.

The classes on Sunday morning were called “The Potting

Shed University” and all four I attended were excellent.

The one on the kitchen garden followed the development

of their garden I saw on Friday evening and also incorpo-

rated a lot about heirloom vegetables that I had seen at

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. It all came together!

At the final Sunday luncheon we sat at the table with

those planning next year’s conference in St. Louis. As I

am also working with them, it was a great time to evaluate

this conference and look forward to what’s ahead. I won’t

want to miss it and I hope you will join us then!

5

Brazil Nuts, (Enjoyable, Edible and Nutritious)

Rosalie Laune, Franklin County Master Gardener

I ’ve never met a nut I haven’t liked, well maybe filberts

aren’t my favorite and peanuts, but peanuts aren’t

nuts, right. They are legumes. And, I’m so delighted that

once again nuts are regarded as a “good” food and a

handful a day, everything in moderation, can be eaten

without guilt. One of my favorite nuts is the Brazil nut.

I was first introduced to them by my father who always

bought some at Christmas. Maybe my appetite for them is

genetic. Since they are always so few in the mixed nut can,

I sought and found a source in Texas from which they can

be ordered in bigger quantities.

Last winter I was delighted to see an article on Brazil

Nuts by Michele Warmund, State Fruit Extension Special-

ist, University of MO, Dept. of Agriculture, which appear-

ed in one of its newsletters.

While not one of the major nuts grown in the United

States, it is a fascinating plant with unusual fruits. As the

name would suggest the tree, Bertholletia excela, is found

in South America, along the banks of the Amazon and

other rivers. These majestic trees reach up to 160 feet tall

and may live for over 800 years. They are usually found in

natural stands of about 50 to 100 trees, but can be grown

in orchards. Nut production begins when trees are 10 to 30

years old. Trees bloom during late September to February

with flowers opening daily between 4:30 to 5:00 a.m. in

Brazil and fall later the same day. Creamy white flowers

are hooded and require only certain types of bees for

effective pollination. Following pollination, a large woody

fruit or capsule develops over a period of 14 months

(Figure 1). Each mature tree can produce as many as 300

fruits annually, with each one weighing up to 5 pounds.

Ten to 25 triangular nuts develop inside each fruit, like

segments of an orange. Fruits naturally drop from trees

and are harvested

from January to

June. Because nuts

are usually harvest-

ed from the ground

during the rainy

season, inadequate

drying procedures

can result in the

presence of aflatoxins on shells. However, with proper

post-harvest handling, aflatoxins are avoided.

Brazil nuts are a nutritious source of protein, carbohy-

drates, fat and some vitamins. Because selenium intake

was associated with a reduced risk of some types of can-

cer in a clinical trial, Brazil nuts are sometimes promoted

in advertisements as a healthy food to prevent breast and

prostate cancer. Brazil nut oil is also an important com-

modity. It is used in foods and as a cosmetic ingredient in

many popular brands of soap, shampoo, hair care prod-

ucts, lotions, deodorants, mouthwash, shaving lotions, and

sunscreens.

Throughout history indigenous people of the Brazilian

rainforest consumed the nuts raw or mixed them with oth-

er plants into gruel or mush. Empty fruits or “monkey

pods” were used as drinking cups, to collect rubber latex

from trees, or to carry around small fires to ward off black

flies. Tea was brewed from fruits or bark for medicinal

purposes, and oil was used for cooking, soap, and live-

stock feed.

Incidentally if anyone likes Brazil nuts as much as I,

I’ll share my source: Hines Nut Company, 990 S. St.

Paul, Dallas, Texas 75201 Phone: 800-561-6374 or 214-

939-0253 customerService@hihesnutcompany.com

I f you haven’t seen the Master Gardener Christmas

tree at the Festival of Trees at St. Peters United

Church of Christ in Washington, there is still time. The

display of 50 Christmas trees will be open on Saturdays

from 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M and Sundays from 11:00 A.M.

to 5:00 P.M. until Christmas. The theme of our tree is

“Nature In All Her Glory”. The event is a benefit for the

local food pantries and visitors can vote with non-

perishable food items for the tree of their choice. Thanks

to Sally Bocklage who organized our group of elves to

decorate our tree.

“Nature In All Her Glory”

Rosalie Laune, Franklin County Master Gardener

Figure. 1

6

Earth’s Classroom Prairie Habitat Yvette R. Luedde, Franklin County Master Gardener

O n September 12 Master Gardeners took a field trip

to Earths Classroom Prairie Habitat. Before begin-

ning our walk through the prairie lands, we gathered at a

shelter where we were greeted by our knowledgeable host

Jody. There she gave us a brief history of the farm and the

intense labor it took to restore the prairie, including mov-

ing cattle to another part of the farm to allow for the 15

acre prairie site. We also learned there is only 1% of prai-

rie remaining in Missouri today.

The soil in a prairie is soft and spongy and plant roots

grow several feet deep into the soil. As we hiked into the

prairie we immediately noticed the diverse array of grass-

es and native wildflower. We were met by tall grasses,

flowers and seed pods; a hummingbird even gave us a

swift visit. Jody pulled a seed pod and had us smell the

seed; the aroma was earthy and fresh.

We played with the seed of Indian Grass to see its

unique ability to work its way into the soil. Indian Grass

has a hair on the top of the seed and when moisture is

applied it begins to spin in a circular motion, this allows

the seed to move through the thick grasses and get down

to the soil.

We also learned about the Compass Plant, which is

related to the sunflower. The leaves of the Compass plant

face a North or South direction to avoid the heat of mid-

day sun. As we meandered our way through the trail we

saw Baptisia seed pods and a daisy plant that smells of

chocolate.

Upon our return to the shelter Jody began a demonstra-

tion on burning the prairie. Teresa McPherson set up the

drip torch and used it in a very small area. Debbie Mar-

shaus also got in on the action. She also discussed wildlife

that thrives in the prairies. She had pelts to display and

talked about bears, badgers and skunks.

Jody also stated that through last years drought in order

to save the cattle and avoid buying feed they turned the

herd loose in the prairie and the cattle ate in contentment,

enjoying the native tender vegetation. Her father was

amazed as he did not think they would eat any of it.

Prairies are interesting and delightful to explore as well

as being beneficial to the environment.