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LOOSELEAF

A publication of the University of Maryland Extension

Howard County Master Gardeners.

3300 NORTH RIDGE ROAD, SUITE 240 ELLICOTT CITY, MD 21043

(410)313-2707 FAX (410)313-2712

http://www.extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/howard-county-master-gardener June 2017

INSIDE — 2—Barberry Bonanza at the

MPEA

2—Continuing Education

3—Latin for Gardeners

5—The Garden Awakening

Book Review

6—Learn the Basics of Water

Gardening

6—Howard County

Conservancy at Mt. Pleasant

Spring is really here! And summer will be arriving soon. The warmer weather is certainly evident in our Master Gardener outdoor activities and busy schedules. I see that our compost demonstrations and rain barrel distributions have begun, Ask a MG sessions are underway at the libraries, and Whipps Daffodil Days and plant sales have drawn many gardeners. Thank you for helping Howard County residents learn more about maintaining sustainable landscapes and growing vegetables. It’s wonderful to see so many MGs active and involved. Administrative tasks continue as Susan Bishop, Elaine Kielman and Carol Spencer prepare the MG display for the Howard County Fair as well as and a new, comprehensive exhibit about all of the MG activities within Howard County. The future of our planet is in the hands of our youth so it was important, rewarding and fun to be a part of the 4th grade field experience, Our Environment in Our Hands. This program, conducted at the Howard County Living Farm Heritage Museum in West Friendship, incorporated hands-on experience with soil, compost and aquatic habitats. Thanks to all of the MGs and Interns who volunteered their time and expertise. Many of our MGs are also helping with Days of Taste, a program conducted at some of our Howard County elementary schools, which provides hands-on experience with food preparation and a farm visit to see where all those good salad ingredients are grown. With a better understanding of the value of our natural resources, our youth will be more aware and responsive to the need to safeguard our environment and resources. Youth education is indeed a worthwhile volunteer effort. Be sure to check the electronic MG calendar for upcoming activities. It’s a great way to stay connected during the summer months…and to add to your volunteer hour requirement! I read an appropriate quote recently: "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." Maybe we need to add and "a computer.” Happy gardening! Georgia Georgia Eacker MG Coordinator

Program Update from Georgia —

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2017 Continuing Education Speaker Series

MGs, Watershed Stewards, Master Naturalists and their guests are welcome to attend.

All sessions will be held at the UME office, except for the field trip on September 12.

Check the MG electronic calendar for updates.

For questions, contact: Karin DeLaitsch kdlaitsch@gmail.com; or, Joanna Cumbie rladywalking@msn.com

JUNE 13

9:30 - 11:00 am

Small Fruits for Maryland Gardens

Kent Phillips, MG

Learn about growing small fruits well-suited for Maryland’s growing conditions

AUGUST 8

9:30 - 11:00 am

Basket of Colorful Flowers

Marilyn Rogers, MG

SEPTEMBER 12

9:30 - 11:00 am

Field Trip to Howard County

Conservancy Gardens

Explore the Honors Garden, Master Gar-deners Demonstration Garden, and sur-rounding trails and natural spaces.

OCTOBER 10

9:30 - 11:00 am

Diagnostics for Annuals and

Perennials

Stanton Gill, Principal Agent, Central MD Research and Edu-cation Center

Learn the diagnostic skills in recognizing the good and bad insects that visit herba-ceous plants and the least toxic control measures for the problematic insects.

November 14

9:30 - 11:00 am

More Than a Pretty Gar-den, Using Citizen Sci-ence to Guide Your Gar-dening Practices

Ann Coren, MG

There are dozens of Citizen Science pro-jects begging for your data. How can you use the data you collect to improve your garden, as well as benefit science. We will discuss programs such as Project Bud Burst, Project Feeder Watch, Monarch Watch, and Million Pollinator Gardens, among others.

BARBERRY BONANZA AT THE MPEA

Tuesday, June 27, Southwind Circle Trailhead

Japanese Barberry has long been a formidable foe of the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA). Controlling this nuisance plant requires continued effort over many years. Come join us as we dig, yank, and wrench these spiny shrubs from the ground! We might even remove some invasive basketgrass too. Long pants and shirt sleeves are a must; gloves and tools provided.

We start at 9:00 am at the South Wind Circle trailhead. Take Route 29 to Route 108 west toward Clarksville, or Route 32 to Route 108 east. Turn onto Trotter Road, go about one mile to South Wind Circle. Enter the circle and proceed to trailhead on left, opposite Misty Top Path. — Clare Openshaw, MG2012, helloclare@comcast.net

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Latin for Gardeners

June’s Native Maryland Plant

Chionanthus virginicus L. (kee-oh-NAN-thuss ver-JIN-ih-kus)

Common name: White Fringetree

As some of you know, I have been removing and replacing most of the non-native plants in my yard for the past

4 years – first to go was the burning bush and the English ivy. Two years ago I planted two Chionanthus

virginicus where ivy once grew (in partial shade) and I planted a third tree in my front yard (in full sun). I

wasn’t sure what to expect with this tree, it was highly recommended by a friend but I had never seen one in

nature and hadn’t really heard it mentioned by other gardeners. I can now say that it doesn’t appear (yet) as

elegant as the Cornus florida in my yard and it doesn’t have bright colored flowers like some spring

bloomers. However, what this tree does have going for it is lovely white clusters of pendulant blooms that

dangle from its branches in the spring; they can grow from 4”-9” long! When a slight breeze blows through my

yard they send a lovely fragrance, similar to lilac, through the air – in my case, across my entire yard.

(Continued on page 4)

LooseLeaf June 2017 Page 4

Chionanthus virginicus is dioecious, the female will bear .5”-1” long purple drupes in late summer to

mid-fall that will feed the birds in my yard – another reason I planted it. The top photo was taken at a

home I visited on the Baltimore Historic Homes and Garden tour in May. In the side yard one of the

homes had 3 Chionanthus virginicus all in bloom – they were stunning and people were drawn to

them, most of them asking, “What is that tree?” I was happy to inform people of this native tree that

can be a large multi-stemmed shrub or pruned to be a single trunk tree. I’m anxious to see my three

trees reach this size but for now I’m enjoying their fragrance and I look forward to seeing birds visit

them in the fall.

The Genus name Chionanthus is Latinized Greek and means snow flower. The specific epithet

virginicus means of Virginia.

NOTE: In researching this article I learned that Chionanthus virginicus has recently been found to be subject to

attack by the emerald ash borer. The article is entitled: White Fringetree as a Novel Larval Host for Emerald

Ash Borer by Don Cipollini.

~ Alison Milligan – MG 2013

ali_milligan@yahoo.com

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Book Review

Book Review: The Garden Awakening. Mary Reynolds

(2016).

This delightful book, subtitled “Designs to Nurture Our Land and Ourselves,” is a refreshing and

inspirational approach to those who see themselves as custodians to the earth. It is a captivating yet

serious call to reconnect to Earth in a nurturing manner. Reynolds offers a timely look at gardens; not one for maintaining or recreating a garden better

suited to past centuries, she gives a new eye to creating gardens suited to today’s climate and environmental needs with vibrant and magical ways

to garden.

The chapters in her book reflect this approach. Section 1 is about “restoring wellness” and health to the land. Sacred spaces are reified in approaching the earth as a sacred

space holding all our roots. Section 2 brings our attention to the design of gardens as expressions of beauty. These designs partner with nature, unlocking the magic, power,

and eternal shapes of nature. These can be reflected in the modern garden.

In Section 3 the author focuses on “forest gardens” -- plots of neglected or unused land which can be nurtured to replicate a woodland as a method of producing foods.

Reynolds calls the creation of forest gardens our responsibility to the land. She urges us to garden with an eye to facilitating the maturity, independence, and strength of

where we call home by planting a sustainable network of beneficial relationships among the plants, trees, and environment that becomes self-supporting.

The final section is dedicated to maintaining the garden with sustainable management

practices. Here, the passion and love for all things garden is made evident in the author’s sacred approach to keeping balance and beauty in our gardens. Along with practical advice on fertilization, tonics, natural insecticides and fungicides, and the

like, she shares personal lifelong accounts of her interactions with nature.

Interspersed throughout the book, told as if it were a story and not a ‘how-to,’ are poems, musings, and drawings reflecting Reynold’s attachment to nature. As she

states in her introduction: everything becomes simple when you immerse yourself in nature. The author maintains the wildflower gardens at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.

Pattee Fletcher, MG2014, patteefletcher@gmail.com

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View the MG electronic calendar in your preferred format: Month, Week or Agenda. Click here for the calendar. You’ll find times, locations, and contact info for events. Please note: There are multiple dates for AAMG. Enchanted Garden work every Tues & Wed plus alternating Fri and Saturdays. Whipps Garden work every Thursday. Conservancy garden every Friday.

June

5 Bay-wise meeting

13 Continuing Education

15 Water Gardening

20 LooseLeaf deadline 27 Conservation Stewardship

Learn the Basics of

Water Gardening

MG Michelle Bryden will explain how to develop a water feature in your garden at the Savage Branch of the HC library system on Thurs., June 15. The presentation will begin at 7:00 pm. Gardening with trees, shrubs and perennials are the basis of most gardens while water brings a new element to the design. Learn how to incorporate a water garden into your landscape. Michelle will discuss the benefits of installing a pond on your property. She’ll also cover planning and construction, maintenance, and recommended plants and fish for your water garden. Registration is required. Contact the Savage Branch on-line at www.hclibrary.org or call 410-313-0760. The Savage Branch is located at 9525 Durness Lane in Laurel.

Mark Your Calendar

Spring in Maryland continues with our usual roller coaster of hot and cool days. The historic vegetable garden is doing well. Thanks to Paul DiCrispino and his crew of MG volunteers, 9 of the 10 raised beds are finished and largely planted. On our first trip to the newly expanded Howard County Food Bank we took 8 pounds of kale that had wintered over in the garden. Now that the weather is warmer we will have regular workdays from 8:00 am until 10:00 am every Friday. Come out and see our new refined look in the garden.

Jo Ann Russo, MG1997, jrusso1104@comcast.net

Howard County Conservancy at Mt. Pleasant