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Garden Pathways

Spring 2016

Page 2

Advisory Council—Kathie

Bass

Kathie Bass—Fundraising

John Baker—Membership

Page 3

Brenda Tapp—Board High-

lights

Page 4—Kerry Smith

Page 5— Save the Date

Page 6— What’s Happening

Around Alabama?

Page 9—Board Members

www-alabamamg-org

AMGA Website

Look What’s

Inside:

Page 2: AMGA Annual

Conference

Page 3: Nominees,

Advisory Committee

Page 4: Records and

Retention, AMGA,

Awards, and AMGA

Highlights

Page 5: ACES

Page 6: Happenings

AMGA Website

alabamamg.org

Welcome spring! It is here…it is finally here! The garden is calling and there is work to be done. I know all of you hear that same call. Just take care of those tired, achy muscles at the end of the day. Take a

break, and visit alabamamg.org. If you’ve not registered for the 2016 Conference I urge you to do so today. Don’t delay. Early registration has been extended through April 15. You may still register after that date, for an additional fee. Once again, we have held registration fees as low as possible, hoping more of you will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to hear great speakers and join in fellowship with your fellow Master Gardeners. Remember those Master Gardener car tags? While at Conference, please stop by the AMGA table and take a look at the Fundraising Committees’ ideas for a repurposed tag. We still have a few tags

left…they are going fast. As in the past, all proceeds from the sale of the tags, and repurposed tags, will be split between the ACES Home Grounds team and the AMGA Endowment. Please help support our efforts. I am pleased to announce AMGA has a new Webmaster, Rita Forrest, (Shelby Co.) has taken over for us. All questions and postings should be sent to her at amgawebmaster@gmail.com. We appreciate her agreeing to take on this important function within AMGA. Last, but certainly not least, let me express my appreciation and gratitude to outgoing Board members Tom Boyle, (Wiregrass) and Jane Trawick, (Mobile) both members at large, and Pam Olson (Autauga) for the Nominating Committee. It has been my pleasure and honor to work with Tom, Jane and Pam during the last three years and I wish them happy gardening. Thank you all for your service and dedication. Till next time…keep on digging. See you in Dothan May 12, 13, and 14! Jeanon

AMGA MEMBERSHIP Mary Howe mary.howe67@gmail.com

As of March 2, 2016, AMGAs paid and lifetime membership stood at 1609. A few associations have not sent their dues payment to the AMGA Treasurer, and a few other associations have not recorded payments in the Dues Tracker

database. Completion of upgrades to the database was delayed, but hopefully the changes will be completed soon to allow reporting of payments that are missing at present. Please contact me by e-mail at mary.howe67@gmail.com, or by telephone at 256-534-4773, if you have membership or Dues Tracker questions.

“It is our wounds that create in us a desire to reach for miracles. The

fulfillment of such miracles depends on whether we let our wounds pull

us down or lift us up towards our dreams.” ― Jocelyn Soriano, Mend My Broken Heart

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Don’t forget to register for the

AMGA Annual Conference in

Dothan, AL. May 12—14 2015.

Registration has been extended

through April 15

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Nominees Are…

BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Michael Thomason, Shoals MGA

Michael was raised in Cherokee, Alabama, and now resides in Muscle Shoals. After a thirty-year

career as a Mechanical Engineer with the Tennessee Valley Authority, he pursued his passion for gardening and was certified as a Master Gardener, receiving the “Intern of the Year Award.” Among his various projects is the Florence Community Garden which received first place in state and third place in the International Search for Excellence award. He has conducted the Intern Helpline Class, is currently chair of the AMGA Records and Retention Committee, and is a member of the State Conference Committee.

Genie Schneider, Mobile CO MGA

Genie Schneider has lived in Mobile all her life. She has been an active MG since 2012 when she was

recognized as “Rookie of the Year.” Activities include the Educational Seminar and Farm to Table Committees, Harvest for Health Mentor, Bay Area Food Bank Adopt a Plot, and Class Coordinator for summer intern program for teachers. Before Master Gardeners she was a Legal Secretary and served as Financial Officer for two local churches. She now volunteers to coordinate a Hospitality Ministry and recruits, trains, schedules and oversees 100+ volunteers.

Myra Lassere , Baldwin CO MGA

Myra Lassere’s roles in BCMG have included: Coordinator of Hospitality 2011 and 2012, Vice-President 2013, President 2015,

volunteer at the 2014 State Conference and current Advisory Council alternate representative. She was the BCMG 2014 Fall Seminar Chairperson and is Project Coordinator for South Baldwin Center of Technology Greenhouse, volunteering there since 2010. Her list of skills includes computer, writing, speaking, financial, editor, grant writing, fundraising, beautification, and leadership. Myra taught classes on Organic Gardening and Pets & Poisonous Plants for BCMG. She has written articles for BCMG Grassroots, AMGA Garden Pathways and the Volunteer Ops Bulletin.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE Glenda Gower amgaacchair@gmail.com

At the February meeting of the Advisory Committee (AC), the representatives voted to have a steering committee to look into the possibility of submitting a motion to the AMGA BOD to allow Interns to attend the fall seminar at a reduced rate. We want to look at both the positive and the negative aspects. If you can think of reasons why

Interns should not have a reduced rate to attend, please send an email to AMGAACChair@gmail.com with your concerns. The next AC meeting will be on Tuesday, May 3 at 10 AM CDT at the Alabama Power conference room in Clanton, AL. Visitors are always welcome to attend.

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RECORDS AND RETENTION Michael Thomason michaelbthomason@att.net

The committee has completed the review of thirty five years of AMGA historical documents. Identified thirteen categories in preparation of going to a digital storage and retrieval application system. Those categories identified are: BOD meeting minutes, Tax (IRS/501(c) 3), Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, Audit Reports (Financial and

Endowment), Conference (Final report), Resolutions, Financial (year-end statement), Contracts, Insurance and Technology Software. We are in the process of aligning the documents within each category by date. A DRAFT Records and Retention Policy Document has been written and submitted to the AMGA Board for initial review.

AMGA AWARDS Jane Trawick boja7@yahoo.com

All of the submissions for the various AMGA Awards have been received, the Awards Committee has done their reviews and scoring, and the winning

nominees will be announced at the AMGA Conference in Dothan in May! Will you be there to experience the Conference and hear if your association’s nominee is a winner? Don’t miss the fun! Hope to see you all there!

AMGA BOARD HIGHLIGHTS Brenda Tapp, MGNA Communications Committee Chair tapp0729@gmail.com

The AMGA Board of Directors met on March 8, 2016, at the Shelby County Extension Office, Columbiana, AL. President Jeanon Massien called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. Minutes of the December Board Meeting were approved and the budget for 2016 was presented and accepted. ACES Report: Jefferson County MGA has agreed to host the 2016 AMGA Fall Seminar, and the 2018 Southern Regional MG Conference will be held in Birmingham. Details on both will be provided, as they are available. The new online store for items with the MG logo is “live now!” Be sure to check it out. The address is www.victorydesigns.com.

Conference Reports: Both 2016 and 2017 conferences reported that everything is proceeding on schedule. Chilton County MGA has agreed to host the 2019 Annual Conference and has asked Shelby, Autauga and Central Alabama MGAs to work with them. Advisory Council: The next Advisory Council meeting will be May 3, at 10:00 a.m. at Alabama Power in Clanton. Communications Committee: We have a new Webmaster, Rita Forrest from Shelby County. Membership Committee: AMGA membership is now at 1,535 plus 74-lifetime members for a total membership of 1,609.

“It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want—oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache,

you want it so!” ― Mark Twain

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Save The Date:

Southern Regional Master Gardeners

Conference…Birmingham,

October 9, 10, 11 and 12, 2018

Look for more info as plans develop

GO TEAM!

Thank you, Alabama Master Gardeners, for your dedication and tremendous giving heart to your communities around the state. You are a shining example!

1,699 MG volunteers reporting hours

344 new Interns

18 hosting classes served 24 counties

25+ tons of produce donated from personal, community and other gardens tended

by Master Gardeners.

By the way, if you help with something like this please make an effort to weigh the produce

you donate. I’d bet the bank that you all give much MORE than this.

MGs sharing educational info with public (contacts) = 869,193

Helpline contacts (additional to above) = 9,208

Dollar value of educational outreach hours = $2,155,824

WE HAVE AN ONLINE STORE!

As promised the new MG logo is ready for show. Every item you buy promotes MG statewide and locally when customized with your local MGA name. Your purchase also helps a deserving student at Auburn University working with me on all things Home Grounds. We need your help in promoting this effort.

http://www.victorydesigns.com/amg/ and alabamamg.org under “Resources”

Thank you so much for all that you do to support Master Gardener and Alabama Extension,

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HAPPENINGS Autauga CO MGA Nancy Waggoner gnwaggoner@charter.net

Days are warming and ACMGA members and Interns are digging, dividing and seed starting in preparation for our Plant Sale to be held in Prattvillage Garden on Saturday, April 30th. Faithful repeat customers will be on hand early to purchase trees, shrubs, herbs, and perennial flowering plants grown and donated by members. A popular country store will offer donated and homemade items such as bird houses and sculptures fashioned from old garden tools. Soil testing for pH will be available free of charge. Volunteers at the Autauga Interfaith Care Center (AICC) which is, in part, a local food bank, report to us that food insecure citizens who receive fresh vegetables from our Demonstration Garden are sincerely appreciative. All vegetables grown by ACMGA in these beds are dedicated to AICC; in 2015, 650 pounds were raised and donated! Gorgeous Prattvillage Garden is undergoing a major transformation under the leadership of co-chairpersons Shari McCandless and Linda Parrish. The focal point of the garden, a jewel tucked away in downtown Prattville, is an old chapel that was moved from an antebellum plantation. Heirloom roses, herbs and many beautiful

flowering perennials grace the garden, a romantic spot for weddings or a quiet place for relaxation and reflection. Our monthly Lunch and Learn sessions have been well attended and feedback from the public has been most positive! Varied interesting speakers are scheduled each month for the rest of the year.

Baldwin CO MGA Frieda Romanchuk friedanr@bellsouth.net

Gene Sellier received the 2015 Wayne de la Rua award, the highest BCMG honor bestowed annually. Gene [2001] worked quietly in the background but stepped up in recent years by having an unprecedented two-year term as president to ensure smooth leadership prior to and during the 2014 AMGA conference. Gene has many talents including gardening, photography, computers, and cooking. At the January meeting Gene presented a program on herbs. He invited MGs to participate by serving samples of anything cooked/tossed with herbs. YUMMMMMMY! Gene Sellier, BCMG’s Renaissance man! Providence Hospital Foundation’s 2016 Festival of Flowers involved ‘Taking a Flight to a World of

Gardens.’ Anita O’Connor and crew had festival visitors ‘land’ in Italy to enjoy an Italian Garden. Located just off the festival’s main entrance, the problem was getting people to enjoy the garden but move along! This partnered project is usually biennial with our ‘on’ years being Mobile MGs ‘off’ years. The Spring Plant Sale at Weeks Bay featured Paulette Haywood Ogard and Sara Cunningham Bright as the guest speakers. They produced the book, Butterflies of Alabama. Beside plants from commercial growers, BCMG has the use of one greenhouse at Daphne High School that is empty in September and overflowing with plants grown by BCMG volunteers for spring plant sale. Southern Baldwin Center for Technology has a horticulture program where BCMG volunteers work side-by-side with the students. SBCT is a vendor for the BCMG plant sale as well as their own annual plant sale!

Early 2016: Our beautiful cabbages, waiting to be picked and sent to the local food bank. Photo by Nancy Waggoner

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Calhoun CO MGA Sherry Blanton mssherryeb@aol.com

To begin the new year we had a program in January on one of our state’s treasures, the beautiful Cahaba lily, by a staff member from The Cahaba River Society. In February Hayes Jackson talked about carnivorous plants. Art Moore, nationally known orchid judge and grower, spoke in March about raising award winning orchids. Members provided delicious covered dish meals for our lunches. At our February meeting eighteen members received stars. Four members have earned gold badges and one has earned an emerald gemstone. Our Association is in the planning stages for an annual April event at Cane Creek Community Gardens, the celebration of Earth Day with visits by area fourth grade children. Almost a thousand visitors over a week’s time will participate in a field trip learning about the environment and having a great time. Master Gardeners are busy on various projects around the county. The Tree Amigos volunteers held their annual plant sale on April 9. Proceeds are used to fund their program at Coosa Valley Attention Home. The Green Team volunteers at Longleaf Botanical Gardens will hold a plant sale on April 22nd and 23rd. Volunteers at Cane Creek are working diligently to prepare the grounds for spring.

Repairing a building dedicated to the memory of MG Coke Williams has been ongoing. We are all looking forward to spring and warmer weather.

Master Gardeners greet our speaker at our March meeting. From left to right: Skeeter Sims, Joe Trawick, Doris Baucom; seated Art Moore. Photo taken by Sherry Blanton

Blount CO MGA Glynis Adams glynis1958@bellsouth.net

Several Blount County Master Gardeners were on hand February 5 at Wallace State Community College to help with the Blount County Water Festival. This program, sponsored by the Blount County Soil and Water Conservation District, is offered each year to all fourth-graders in the county school system. Approximately 700 students and teachers participated this year. This program gives the children an appreciation and understanding of our water resources. Last spring, several MG’s signed on as mentors in the Harvest for Health program sponsored by Auburn Extension Service. The program is designed to encourage cancer survivors to learn to garden as

well as introduce them to healthy foods. Being a mentor myself has been a rewarding experience as I have made a new friend and shared my knowledge of gardening. Hopefully, this experience will lead to a life-long change in good eating habits for the survivor. The first annual Home, Garden, and Farm show was held in Oneonta the weekend of March 12 and 13. Our Master Gardeners had a booth to distributed printed information and had an opportunity to talk with interested individuals about their gardening

needs. We also took this opportunity to promote the next MG class which will begin in September.

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Where flowers bloom so does hope.

—Lady Bird Johnson

Central AL MGA Linda Griebel lrgriebel@yahoo.com

The New Year brought in new officers and activity continues to buzz in CAMGA. There were numerous presentations to the public during the first quarter. Volunteers stay busy in the Community Learning Gardens with activities such as moving raised beds, refilling soil, picking established veggies, starting new varieties, and of course, weeding. We are experimenting with severe Knockout rose pruning on one side vs more careful cut-back on the other set to show a comparison as they develop later in the year. At Lanark, volunteers are helping Maria get ready for the annual AWF Floral Weekend scheduled for April 9th, and we continue to help at the Governor’s Mansion performing a variety of

landscape tasks. The helpline is now up and running with the current set of interns being ably assisted by experienced MG’s. We’ve had a great run of Lunch & Learns already: “Bluebird Happiness”, “Fall in Love with Roses”, and “How to Make a Succulent Wreath”. Our bluebird expert even built houses for members who agreed to monitor and report. Upcoming topics include “Goats from Start to Finish”, “Japanese Maples”, and “Organic Community Gardening”. Plans include a train-the-trainer session to create yard art from recycled bowling balls, public plant swap April 23, and “Ask the Master Gardener” table at Southern Homes & Gardens two weekends in April. Members journey via bus to tour Birmingham Botanical Gardens in April. Let’s not forget the amount of work propagating and nurturing items for our annual plant sale set for May 7th.

We recently held a meeting at the Cherokee County Museum. The museum has many artifacts displayed that tell the history of Cherokee County. Kathy Marko, Director of the Museum, is one of our members. After the meeting the picture was shot. Master Gardeners in the photo are left to right: 1st row: Sandra Ledbetter, Doug Ford, Emil Ankermiller. 2nd row: John Holbrook, Kathy Marko, Billy Tillery, Judy Hopper. 3rd row: Tillie Morgan, Charlotte Grimes, Janice McKinney. 4th row: Jenny Holland, Ruth Hall, Wanda Roe, Debra Funderburg. 5th row: Janice McKnight, Becky McMichen, Arbadella Arkermiller, Janette Barker. 6th row: Linda Kindom, Patti Ford, Kathy Fowler, and Kathy McDow.

Photo by Barbara Tillery

Cherokee CO MGA Billy Tillers btillery@tds.net

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Chilton CO MGA Pat Farmer jerrypatfarmer@hotmail.com Chilton County Master Gardeners have been busy the first few months of the new year. We are continuing to work on the redesign of our Demonstration Garden and have been pruning the Crepe Myrtles at the Chilton Research and Experiment Center. We have also had several “craft days” to make items for sale. Vegetable/Plant baskets, wreaths, chair planters and Hypertufa planters have been made! Several Lunch and Learn programs that are coming up: Day Lilies, Native Plants, Plant and Salad Garden and a canning class. Stay tuned to your Volunteer Ops Bulletin for the dates! A Steering Committee meeting for the 2019 AMGA Conference was held after our regular monthly meeting on March 8th. Rose McCauley, Paula Seaman and Anthony Yarbrough from Autauga County MG’s attended both meetings. We are happy to have members from Autauga and Shelby MG Associations partnering with us on the conference! Several of our members helped with the Chilton County Water Festival that was held in March. Five

hundred Chilton County fourth graders learned about water and its importance in our lives. Programs taught were Water Cycle Bracelets (the Water Cycle), Fantastic Filtration and Edible Aquifers. The event ended with a magic show. Chilton MGs that assisted were Jane Mason, Harriett Jackson, Don Burdette, Pat Farmer, Sondra Henley, Linda Hand, Linda Hays, Michele Thomas, Peggie Harris, Jackie Hickman, Diane Clapp, Margaret Ennis, Sarah Saunders, Ann Moore, Anita McGhee and Treasia Bennett.

Volunteers from the Chilton County Water Festival. Left to right: Diane Clapp, Jackie Hickman, Harriett Jackson, Pat Farmer and Ann Moore. Photo by Gay West

Cullman CO MGA Jennifer Underwood jenka72@gmail.com

…THE ANTS GO MARCHING ONE BY ONE, HURRAH, HUR-RAH… After being “at ease” over the winter months, the CCM-GAI reported for duty at the Demonstration Garden on March 1. After a good cleaning, the garden was made “at the ready” for this season’s planting and mulching. …THE ANTS GO MARCHING ONE BY ONE, HURRAH, HUR-RAH… On March 10, we paraded through the Bellingrath Gar-dens in Mobile, where bounties of beautiful flowers beck-oned around every bend. Among the flowering fanfare were over 250,000 azaleas in all their finery, making for quite the procession. …THE ANTS GO MARCHING ONE BY ONE, THE LITTLE ONE STOPS TO SUCK HIS THUMB… The following day, we presented ourselves at the Festival of Flowers, also in Mobile. Unfortunately, we were forced to change step when heavy rains brought the Festival to a halt. …AND THEY ALL GO MARCHING DOWN TO THE GROUND,

TO GET OUT OF THE RAIN… On March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) we had our annual Spring Picnic. As usual, the food and fellowship were top notch. This year’s theme was “The Luck of the Gardener.” Hopefully, luck will be on our side for our annual fundraiser, The Bloomin’ Festival, on April 15. Salute!

Spring Picnic held at the North Alabama Agriplex. Photo by

Jennifer Underwood

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DeKalb County MGA Dawn Earley earleydawn@hotmail.com

Hello, fellow Master Gardeners. It looks like spring is finally here and I, for one, am so glad. There is nothing like cold rainy weather to keep you indoors and unfortunately, house plants do not require enough care to keep me busy. The DeKalb County Master Gardeners have just held our first Lunch n Learn and in spite of the snow and slippery roads we had an extremely good turnout. Our guest speaker was Jay Clark, author of Wildflowers of Pigeon Mountain. He was so good; we can hardly wait for the wildflowers to start blooming. Our next LnL is

scheduled for April 14, at the Coal and Iron building in downtown Fort Payne at 11:30 a.m. We are currently working with Angie Shugart of One World Adventure and the students of Ft Payne Middle School, improving their native plant garden. Our annual plant sale will be held at the Fort Payne VFW fairgrounds. The doors will open at 7:30 a.m., on Saturday April 23, and run until around 1:00 pm. We have been busy preparing our plants and collecting plants from other sources. We will make a trip down to Auburn to collect plants remaining from their plant sale. Hope to see you there.

East Central Al MGA Sheila Bolen sheilabolen@hotmail.com FINALLY!!! Spring is here – well almost here. Here in East Central , Alabama, we want to believe spring is here but deep down we know better than to plant anything just yet. Our school gardens are back on the path to growing and we are in the middle of preparing for our Spring Plant Sale in April. We have an upcoming tour of the facilities and commercial

greenhouses at Rainbow Omega ”… a faith-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in Eastaboga, Alabama that provides residential and vocational programs for adults with developmental disabilities”, that we are all very excited about attending. The residents there are very eager to give tours of their exceptional greenhouses. On March 8, we held our first ever Lunch and Learn and have one scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month through August. After we got over our initial nerves it turned out to be a great experience – one that we look forward to continuing!

A Rainbow of Flowers!

Perhaps no flowers come in as many colors as the iris does, although pansies and primroses are surely close contenders.

Thus it is appropriate that the plant was named for Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow and

a member of Hera’s court. Iris’s role was to bring messages from the

gods to mortals, spreading a trail of colors behind her. As such, she represented the link between heaven and earth.

The Germinator Jan 03

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Jefferson CO MGA Fletcher Harvey twoharveys@aol.com

Jefferson County Master Gardeners took our show on the road in February when more than 30 Master Gardeners volunteered to man/woman the “Ask the Master Gardener” Booth at the Birmingham Home and Garden Show. In four days we covered over forty hours of face-to-face time with hundreds of eager, receptive people. Pollinators, mosquito control and soil samples were among the important topics. It’s no surprise that hydrangeas and everything tomato took top billing. Also in February, we held our annual “Reach for the Stars” potluck awards luncheon. Master Gardeners like to cook and eat as much they like to celebrate their Association’s accomplishments. This meeting addressed both areas in fine style. We awarded 19 bronze stars, three silver, and nine gold! Three gold and two platinum badges will be awarded at the state conference in Dothan. That’s a heap of community service and volunteer hours. Congratulations to us! With all our colleagues, we’re looking forward to the plant sale circuit, the conference in Dothan and Springtime…

which is trying hard to establish itself even as I type.

Master Gardeners Connie Bostany (left) and Su Reid-St. John

share their expertise with attendees at the Birmingham Home

and Garden Show. Photo by Bethany O'Rear

Etowah CO MGA Carol B. Link clink43@bellsouth.net

In October, Etowah County Master Gardeners, a few guests, and two extension agents took an educational trip, by bus, to Quail Hollow Gardens, in Notasulga, Alabama. The garden is owned and operated by former Auburn University head football coach, Pat Dye. The group had a great time meeting Coach Dye and touring the large garden that features several hundred varieties of Japanese Maples. Then, in mid-February, Etowah County MGs, spouses, friends, and two extension agents attended a grafting workshop in Auburn, at the home of Dr. Bill Shell. Attendees were taught the correct tools to use, how to make a grafting cut on a rootstock plant, to make a cut at the base of a scion, attach the scion to the rootstock, wrap the graft with budding tape, coat the union with sealant, and to cover the graft with a plastic sleeve. Along with other Association duties, a group of Etowah County Master Gardeners has been busy throughout the fall and winter, preparing for the Association’s annual greenhouse sale. The sale will be conducted on Friday, April 22nd and Saturday, April 23rd, at 3200 W. Meighan Blvd., Gadsden, Alabama. Trees, shrubs, perennials, roses, bulb plants, succulents, beautifully arranged

decorative Patio Pots, and an array of vegetables and other plants and garden items will be available. Throughout the sale, several Master Gardeners will conduct free mini-workshops, on an array of subjects. Everyone is welcome!

At the grafting party, in the foreground (L-R), Ricky Day and Wanda Bowen making a perfect graft. In background (facing forward), working on their grafts, (L-R) are Cynthia Tusher, Joyce Green, and Constance Sims. Photo by Janice Hatley

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Lee CO MGA Charlot Ritenbaugh cdritenbaugh@gmail.com

Spring is a busy time for all gardeners and it certainly is for the members of Lee County MGA. Plans for our 2016 Garden Tour, Walking Through Wondrous Gardens are in full “bloom”. Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15, begins our second decade of offering tours through beautiful private and public gardens in Lee County. Master Gardeners serve as hosts and hostesses during these dates to answer questions and provide references for additional information to the 100's of guests. These biennial tours provide a direct learning experience on design, plant selection, wildlife friendly environments, and edible landscapes to folks in our communities. The proceeds from this fundraiser support the maintenance of our three demonstration gardens. Also funded are programs on the benefit of planting native species, tree plantings with students from local schools in their own schoolyards, and scholarships supporting short-term programs and endeavors.

Additional LCMGA activities on Saturdays this spring include our annual Native Azalea Sale, booths at the Home and Garden Show, City Fest in Auburn’s Kiesel Park, and Opelika’s Garden in the Park. LCMGA members will answer gardening questions and share reference information at these events. Details for these activities can be found

at www.Leemg.org.

L to R Nancy Golson, , Susan Price, and Mayor Bill Ham. Photo by David Peterson

Limestone CO MGA Penley Rees Penley73@pclnet.net The Limestone County MGs met in a January planning session to review committee assignments and discuss ideas for further development of our club. A Recruitment/Membership Committee was formed to attract new members and stimulate more activity with the current members. Patricia Hatchett has agreed to be the chairperson of this committee and lead the effort to find new ways to grow our group. We also decided to begin our monthly meetings at 12:30 p.m., to allow time for refreshments and socializing before the regular business meeting at 1:00 p.m. At our February meeting, guest speaker Joan Sedgewick from Reseda Nursery spoke about "Seed

Germination in the Home Setting”. She explained the importance of shallow containers with good drainage, the need for constant moisture and the right soil mix. She also simulates the wind with a fan or she "pets" the leaves to make them stronger. All of this valuable information comes in handy as we start preparing for our annual plant sale in April. We are all looking forward to the day trip in May to the Alldredge Gardens in Birmingham and a June trip to Hurricane Valley Ornamentals. We are anticipating a good turnout from the new Interns and are currently creating a mentoring program to assist the Interns into full membership. Growing our group is especially important to us. We look forward to this task and anticipate an excellent outcome.

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout

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Master Gardeners of North Alabama Elouisa Stokes elouisastokes@att.net

Master Gardeners of North Alabama are working on a new initiative. We are developing an interest in children and adults in gardening for the future through family activities at local events. On April 2, early Earth Day, we participated in family activities at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center with ideas for gardening and suggestions for gardening in space. On Earth Day, we did family friendly activities at the Huntsville Botanical Garden to introduce easy gardening for children and adults. On June 11, we will participate in Family Fun Fest at the Von Braun

Center. Our goal is to provide gardening and wildlife habitat information and hands-on activities for children and adults to encourage them to embrace gardening right in their own yards. We started this with the Family Fun Fest in 2015. Brenda Myers has taken it on again this year. Of course, we are also working on our annual plant sale for the Huntsville Botanical Garden which will be held on April 14 to 17. We have volunteers to check pH for those who bring us soil to test. May 7 we will have our plant sale at Farmer's Market on Cook Avenue in Huntsville. We will have plants, folks to answer questions, and garden equipment available. We are expecting good things.

Marshall CO MGA Linda Widner widner@otelco.net

At our January Awards meeting JD Swartzlander was recognized for earning the ruby star for working 4,054 Lifetime Volunteer Hours. Then in February Michelle Reynolds gave a great talk on Native Plants. We are looking forward to spring and our Spring Plant Sale on April 16. We hope to have a successful sale to enable us to contribute more to the Endow-ment Fund. The sale will take place from 8-12 at the Wallace Pavilion on Lurleen B. Wallace Drive on Guntersville Lake. The CASA “Garden Masters” have planted cold weather vegetables and are looking forward to a good harvest. They submitted a grant application to AMGA for a drip irrigation system. In anticipation of receiving these funds, they set May 5th as the date to install the system. They will invite the Brindlee Mountain High School 4H class and Ag class along with other county Master Gardeners to join the fun and learn how to install a system. The Ag class is cur-rently growing seedlings/starter plants to help ex-pand our CASA garden. These same Master Gardeners are also working with the Brindlee Mountain Primary School children who are expanding their growing plots and will allow the public to tend and harvest the garden during summer vacation. It’s a way of giving back to the

community and keeping the garden growing. We are proud to call these folks Marshall County Master Gardeners. Enjoy your spring and everything green.

JD Swartzlander, He will receive his Ruby Star at the AMGA State Conference. Photo by Linda Widner

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Morgan CO MGA Sonja Hyatt sonja.hyatt50@gmail.com

"Every gardener knows under the cloak of winter lies a miracle... a seed waiting to sprout. A bulb opening to light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dreams." By Barbara Win-kler "On the Seed Farm". As spring begins and we walk around our gardens or our greenhouses we are delighted with the sharp contrast of new against old. The mood is right and the Morgan County Master Gardeners have gotten off to a good start in 2016. In February we had a booth at the Decatur Home and Garden Show sponsored by the Alabama Farm-ers’ Cooperative. Visitors registered for door prizes of Kokedamas made by one of our members. They received gardening information, contact information for MCMGA and ACES. They also spent time looking over the displays of community projects and Lunch and Learn programs. With new leaders come new ideas and we have some things to add interest to our Plant Sale this year. We will have Kokedamas for purchase made by one of our members. Hypertufas made by our green-

house volunteers will be available also. We are searching for unusual plants and are diligently pre-paring for our Plant Sale on April 30 & May 1.

Debra Kulaw teaching the art of making Kokedamas at Lunch and Learn Class. Photo taken by Linda Russell

Shelby CO MGA Rita Forrest ritabe@bellsouth.net

Our new officers and committee chairs are getting acquainted with their new jobs and are excited and enthusiastic about their new roles. We have many good suggestions of what is needed for the year and several volunteer opportunities in the months to come. Our Master Gardeners participated in several Arbor Day celebrations, including Montevallo, Hoo-ver, and Alabaster. Our February meeting was a ‘hands-on,’ making a milk jug greenhouse and getting seeds started for the upcoming spring weather. Michele Hill applied for a grant, which was approved, for the improvement and expansion of the Outdoor Learning Center located in back of The Extension Office.

Awards were presented at our March meeting. We had a great turnout and a great program on pruning roses, given by our own, Paul Saeger.

Edith Johnston and Sundra Smith Photo by Rita Forrest

15

St. Clair CO MGA Sharla Palmgren Sharla706@gmail.com

At last, spring is here to brighten our days! Hopefully, all of you gardeners are excited to see the new growth and ready to dig! In December, our new Regional Extension Agent, Bethany O’Rear, joined us and presented awards and badges to the interns who had completed their Master Gardener requirements. Also, at that same meeting we installed the new officers for 2016. We are so proud of our newly elected officers and their exciting plans for all of us! We also have two members of our group who earned their Gold Badges. They are Deborah Adams and Patricia Peoples who have contributed 1,000 – 1,999 hours since becoming Master Gardeners. January was the time for Committee Meetings in preparation for the upcoming year. We are looking forward to field trips and guest speakers. At our February meeting, our guest speaker was Michael Everson, who enlightened us on the Myths and Truths of GMOs. It was definitely a thought provoking program.

Our SCCMG group is ready to take on the new year with eager anticipation! First on the agenda is the Spring Plant Sale on May 7-8. Members are busy digging and potting carefully grown plants from our yards to sell. Last year’s sale was quite successful and we plan to make this year’s sale bigger and better. We are looking forward to a wonderful year of gardening!

2016 Officers: President - Jim Harris, Vice President - Cathy Bowman, Secretary - Donnie Olis, Asst. Secretary - Kathy Aiken, Treasurer - Pam Garrison, Asst. Treasurer - Adrienne Bourland

Tallapoosa CO MGA Judy Heinzen duchess10@charter.net

January’s meeting brought back retired Tallapoosa County Extension Agent Tommy Futral. Tommy was the agent who started the Master Gardener classes in Tallapoosa County. He reminisced about being badgered to death to start offering the classes by some of the same people who remain members today. Tommy graciously performed the installation ceremony. The 2016 officers are Ann Regnier, President; Judy Heinzen, Vice President; Jo-Anne Hawk, Secretary; and Sallie Mason, Treasurer. In February, Gail Bolt, a licensed landscaper and one of our own Master Gardeners, gave a presentation

– POTS The Heart of the Garden. After the presentation, Stars and Special Recognition Certificates were awarded. A work day was scheduled at the Girls Ranch to fertilize and mulch the blackberries and blueberries we bought for them. In March we had a field trip to visit Hornsby Farms in Lee County.

Dianna Porter Photo by JoAnne Hawk

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Tuscaloosa CO MGA Octavia Miles milesoj@att.net

Although the weather has been quite unpredictable as we entered 2016, TCMGA has not allowed that to dampen our spirits. Our master gardeners have maintained weekly volunteer projects at Hospice of West Alabama, Miss Emily’s Tomatoes, Eagles’ Wings, and other community programs. An excellent array of speakers has brought valuable information to our meetings. In January, Richard Carroll shared his expertise in honeybees and pollen. In February, Vince Wallace updated us on growing hydroponic tomatoes. In March, Holden McAllister presented insight into building and maintaining small

home greenhouses. TCMGA recognizes members who demonstrate exceptional effort in tasks related to Master Gardeners’ goals and objectives. Thus, each month a member is honored as “TCMGA’s Master Gardener of the Month”. February’s recipient, Ann Hewitt, won the award for her tireless efforts to secure quality speakers for our monthly meetings, and also for her service to several organizations throughout the community. March’s award went to Laurie Reinwald, who diligently keeps meticulous records of our members’ volunteer hours. Our annual plant sale will be April 30, 2016, 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., in the auditorium of the Tuscaloosa Extension Service Building. Our plants are grown and donated by TCMG. You are invited to come see us.

Walker CO MGA Ann Cook Acook344@bellsouth.net

A new certification class in Walker County began on February 16th. Our association hosted lunch March 15 for all

attendees. We enjoyed a most interesting program in February on spring preparation for our gardens and lawns by Mr. Cade Grace, farmer and horticulture major. We are presently waiting on our first Walker Master Gardener’s tee-shirts to be printed with the beautiful new logo.

Wiregrass CO MGA Jane Klosky jane.klosky@icloud.com Our master gardeners celebrated the Christmas season by enjoying dinner with all decorations and food provided by our talented members. We jumped into 2016 with our 5th Annual Seed Swap which was a great success—both in attendance and seed swapping. Our programs have been very educational, with us learning about Antique Roses (Jason Powell) and how to maintain our garden tools (Wayne VanLandingham.) Our demo garden at Dothan Area Botanical Gardens has been overhauled and the raised beds are ready for planting. Our interns will be partnering with master gardeners to maintain these beds throughout the growing season. We have also been busy pruning, weeding and doing other related tasks at Landmark Park. We are getting the kitchen garden, wildflower garden and shrubs ready for spring visitors, including Spring Farm Day at the park. By the time you read this, we will have completed our 20th Spring Plant Sale. Our plant parents, Interns and other Master Gardeners are busy seeding, rooting, up-potting and getting ready for the big day. Our website (wiregrassmga.org) has just undergone an overhaul including a new look. The 2016 AMGA Conference will be in Dothan in May and we are looking forward to providing a wonderful

conference for attendees. This effort has kept most of us very busy over the past year and will continue to provide us with plenty to do as we move forward. Wayne VanLandingham has led the charge and has enlisted the help of all the Master Gardeners throughout the area. Hope to see you in Dothan!

Highlights of the upcoming 2016 conference. Photo by Devonne Ellis

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Page 2

Advisory Council—Kathie

Bass

Kathie Bass—Fundraising

John Baker—Membership

Page 3

Brenda Tapp—Board High-

lights

Page 4—Kerry Smith

Page 5— Save the Date

Page 6— What’s Happening

Around Alabama?

Page 9—Board Members

www-alabamamg-org

AMGA Website

Pathways

DEADLINE FOR SUMMER ISSUE IS JUNE 15

Alabama Master Gardeners Association

Alabamamg.org

Editor: Patricia Peoples St. Clair CO. MGA H: 205-467-0281 C: 205-377-7760

amganewsletter@gmail.com

Copy Editor

Patricia Patty Calhoun CO. MGA

Proofreader Carolyn Wade—MGNA

State Advisor Kerry Smith

State Master Gardeners Program Coordinator

334-844-3036 Cell 334-329-1051

smithkp@auburn.edu

Got Questions

?

We’ve Got Answers

aces.edu/questions

AMGA OFFICERS PRESIDENT: Jeanon Massien —Shelby 205-991-3125 nauzer1@att.net

VICE PRESIDENT: John Baker—Shoals 256-764-5527 baker140@comcast.net

SECRETARY: Cathy Canant—Shelby 205-260-7748 ccanant@bellsouth.net

TREASURE: Roger Clarke—Jefferson 205-871-7470 Roger_clarke@bellsouth.net

BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE TERM 2013-2016 Tom Boyle—Wiregrass 334-794-2094 BoyleT@graceba.net Jane Trawick—Mobile 251-443-9175 boja7@yahoo.com

TERM 2014-2017 Ginny Holland—Cherokee 256-779-6908 hollandg@tds.net Brenda Tapp—MGNA 256-859-8703 tapp0729@gmail.com

TERM 2015-2018 Phil Gatlin—Cullman 256-339-1756 philgatlin@bellsouth.net

Dennis Pinkard – Lee 334-332-8773 pinkaardd@charter.net Wayne VanLandingham – Wiregrass 334-793-9143 waynepatty100@yahoo.com

NOMINATING COMMITTEE—ELECTED Term 2014—2016 Pam Olson—Autauga 334-462-1629 polsonhome@charter.net Term 2015-2017 Karin Carmichael—Capital City 334-271-3084 Jkcarmi@bellsouth.net

ADVISORY COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON Glenda Gower— Russell 334-855-4847 amgaacchair@gmail.com

NEWSLETTER EDITOR Patricia Peoples—St. Clair 205-467-0281 amganewsletter@gmail.com

WEBMASTER Rita Forrest—Shelby

205-620-1167 amgawebmaster@gmail.com

MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON Mary Howe— MGNA 256-535-4773 mary.howe67@gmail.com

FUNDRAISING CHAIRPERSON Ann Vaughn— Morgan 256-309-9246 fundraisingchairamga@gmail.com

RECORDS RETENTION CHAIRPERSON Michael Thomason— Shoals 256-349-4488 michaelbthomason@att.net

CONFERENCE CHAIRMEN

2016 WIREGRASS Wayne VanLandingham-Wiregrass 334-793-9143 waynepatty100@yahoo.com

2017 HUNTSVILLE Alice Tucker—MGNA 256-464-0091 sacoble@aol.com Diane Campen —MGNA 847-772-1058 diane.campen@gmail.com

2018 S.E. REGION BIRMINGHAM Kerry Smith

2019 CHILTON COUNTY Pat Farmer—CCMGA 205-755-2879 jerrypatfarmer@hotmail.com Sondra Henley—CCMGA 205-857-2077 sondrahenley@gmail.com