1

The Garden Fence

Harford County

Master Gardeners Monthly Newsletter

December 2019

December, a month that means so much to all of us. The Winter Solstice (Sunday December 21, 2019), is the shortest day the sun will shine and our longest night. In our gardens, many things are dormant. However, in our homes, there are many “short day” blooming plants. And they have symbolic meanings! The Christmas cactus, not a cactus but a succulent, represents loyalty. Loyalty because it becomes a committed friend in your home for 20-30 years. The Poinsettia represents joy, love and hope. This brings me to a personal symbolic observation. Poinsettias are painfully underestimated as a ‘disposable plant’. I am guilty of not realizing how majestic and enormous this plant becomes with proper care. Symbolically, it reminds me to never overlook life’s magic – even when is seems insignificant. Let the poinsettia be a reminder to take care of life. You never know what a little love and proper care can produce! Hold tight and love the ones nearest you. Extend your hand and smile to a stranger. And don’t forget to take care of yourself.

Ronnie Grevey, ‘16

President’s Message

Inside this Issue President’s Message

Stinging Nettle

Eastern Redbud Tree

Why Are So Many Oak

Trees Dying This Year?

Surviving Spotted Latternfly

The Humane Gardener

2020 Book Titles and Dates

A Season Made for Children

Ginger Cookie recipe

Spiced Wild Grape Jelly

Maryland Master Gardener

Annual Training Day 2020

GardenWise MG Training

York, PA

Continuing Education

Opportunities

Harford County Master

Gardener Calendar

Officers Ronnie Grevey, President

Anne Bredlow, Vice President

Kim Poehling, Secretary

Carol Linthicum, Secretary

Greg Murray, Treasurer

Steve O’Brien, Newsletter

Editor

Ginny Smith, Newsletter &

Continuing Education

Quick Links

Harford County Extension

Office

Home & Garden Info Center

VMS Logon

Harford County Master

Gardener Calendar

Kindness is like snow; it beautifies everything it covers - Kahlil Gibran

2

Genus: Uritca

Family: Urticaceae

Scientific Name: Urtica dioica ssp. Gracilis

Common Name: Stinging Nettle

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Urticales

Native to North America; Herbaceous perennial.

Pollinated: Wind

Strong stems reach a height up to 6 ½ feet.

Grows by wind-dispersed seeds and vegetatively. Spreading underground rhizomes create large, dense, colonies in damp, nutrient-rich, sunny openings in the forest, meadows, and barnyards.

Leaves are opposite, serrated, coarsely toothed. Known for its unpleasant stinging hairs, trichromes.

The silica tips when broken off form a sharp shaft functioning like hypodermic needles. Injecting the toxin formic acid, histamine, acetylcholine, and 5-hydroxytrptamine into the wound.

Localized pain occurs rapidly, followed by a reddish swelling and prolonged itching and numbness.

Culinary Uses:

Eaten as a green, young shoots can be collected and sautéed, boiled or stir-fried and dehydrated thus deactivating the sting.

Try a cup of tea 140° infused for 10 minutes to get maximum amount of Vitamin C, 538 mg; compared to 1 orange 53 mg.

Good source of Vitamin A and C, protein and iron.

Medicinal Purposes: Treating Type-2 Diabetes Benign prostatic hyperplasia Seasonal allergies Recent Research Breast cancer Wound healing process

Many beneficial insects are attracted to the Stinging Nettle, including hoverflies, lacewings, and parasitic wasps.

References: Ohio Perennial & Biennial Weed Guide The Ohio State University Weeds of The Northeast, Richard H. UVA, Joseph C. Neal and Joseph M. Ditomaso Learn Your Land Video, Adam Haritan, President at Alleghany Natural Resources Stop and Smell the Fir Trees, Bikers Guide to Nature, Brian Gerow, author, biker Maryland Biodiversity – Checklist, maryland biodiversity.com E.Korsmos’ Illustration, Norwegian Agronomist and Botanist

Native Plants Committee, submitted by Ellen Kuriata ‘18

Stinging Nettle Information Sheet

Stinging Nettle Photo: gettyimages.com

Eatweeds .co.uk

3

Common Name (s): Redbud, Covey Tree, Lavender Twist, Judas Tree Genus Species: Cercis canadensis; Family: Fabaceae – the pea and bean family Popular Cultivars: Forest Pansy, Flame (Plena), Silver Cloud, Ruby Falls

Nativity/Origin: Native to eastern North America from southern Ontario, south to northern Florida but can thrive as far west as California. It is the Oklahoma state flower.

Climate/Hardiness: USA Zone 4 – 8/9

Growth Habit: Small rounded, deciduous tree; spreading (zigzagging) branches and small short often twisted trunk

Dimensions: On average, 20–35’ tall and 20–35’ wide at maturity. Annual growth rate is 13 -24 inches.

Foliage/Leaf Formation: Alternate, simple, heart shaped, or broadly ovate, two to five inches long, five to seven-nerved cordate or truncate at the base, entire, acute. Leaves come out of the bud folded along the line of the midrib. When leave is full grown, they become smooth, dark green above and paler beneath. In autumn they turn bright clear yellow. Cultivar leaf colors range from apricot, purple, lime green and yellow.

Bark & Wood: Bark is red brown with deep fissures and scaly surface. Branchlets at first lustrous brown, later become darker. Branchlets appear to have white spots and eventually disappear upon maturity. Wood is darker reddish brown, heavy, hard, coarse-grained and not strong. Branchlets are used as seasoning for wild game such as opossum

Flower Form: Clusters of tiny magenta buds appear to emerge right from the bark of twigs and branches and even on the trunk. Clusters appear from spring to early summer on bare branches before leave appear. Blossoms look very similar to pea blossoms. Blossoms are edible and add a bright, citrusy taste to salads. Flowers can be eaten fresh or fried. Native Americans are roasted seeds. Unopened blossoms can be pickled and used in place of capers. Flowers are pollinated by long-tongued bees such as blueberry bees and carpenter bees.

Fruit/Seed: The fruit are flattened, dry, brown, pea-like pods 2 – 4 inches long that contain flat, elliptical, brown seeds (1/4 inch) long maturing in August to October. Seeds can be made to germinate by first dipping in boiled water (99’C) for a minute then sowing in a pot. Do not boil the seeds.

Uses/Grown for: The Eastern Redbud tree is commonly used as an ornamental landscape tree for residential gardens. It works well as an understory tree – usually pines. Growing redbud tees in naturalized or woodland settings is popular as is using it for a shrub border or specimen. It also provides stability for streambanks. Many compact

Eastern Redbud Tree Information Sheet

‘Forest Pansy’ Photo: derwenwholesale.co.uk

4

varieties of redbuds. Songbirds, butterflies, small mammals and bees frequent the tree. It is a very adaptable, low maintenance, pretty tree.

Light and Soil Needs: Full sun to part shade. Pollution and drought tolerant. Does best when grown in a moist, well-drained location. Tolerates acidic or alkaline soils as well as heavy clays. Storm resistant to wind and ice with deep root system. Cannot withstand severe or prolonged frost.

Pruning: Needs fall pruning to maintain a natural growth habit. Trim off dead branches. Tends to produce suckers at its foot.

Propagation: Easily done from seeds or suckers. Begin to flower 5–6 years mature.

Pests and Diseases: Most diseases affecting the redbud are caused by fungal infections, including verticullium wilt, canker and dieback (most destructive), and leaf spots. Older trees are especially vulnerable. Most redbud trees do not live long and will usually die from disease within 20 years.

Sources: Home Depot and Lowes Online Sources: www.naturehills.com www.arborday.org References: www.treehelp.com www.gardeningknowhow.com www.gardendesign.com Simon & Schuster’s Guide to Trees MD Master Gardener Handbook, 2016

Native Plants Committee, submitted by Ginny Smith ‘18

Posted on October 1, 2019 by Maryland Grows By Dr. David L. Clement, Principal Agent, University of Maryland Extension (UME), Home & Garden Information Center and Dr. Karen Rane, Director, UM Plant Diagnostic Laboratory

This season the Home and Garden Information Center has received a tremendous number of questions on rapid browning and death of many of our oak trees in urban landscapes and forest situations. Even though it would be convenient to point to a single reason for this dieback it is most likely a combination of weather, disease, and insect factors. A logical starting place to look for an explanation would be the often-overlooked gradual health decline of our trees due to old age, restricted root zones, soil compaction in work zones, old trunk wounds, storm damage, poor pruning, urban stress such as reflected heat and drought, and opportunistic diseases and insects. These decline factors can extend over many years, leaving trees to try and cope with less than ideal growing conditions.

Last season these conditions were further worsened by the excessive rainfall that continued into this spring which resulted in standing water at many locations that had low spots, compacted soil, or water collection points. Flooded soils and saturated root zones further weakened trees by allowing root pathogens such as Phytophthora a chance to reduce the overall number of healthy roots.

Why Are So Many Oak Trees Dying This Year?

Rapid decline of an oak tree in an area with a restricted root zone. Photo: D.L. Clement, UME

Flooding near oak trees, Spring 2019. Photo: D.L. Clement, UME

Dying oaks in the same location as left, Fall 2019. Photo: D.L. Clement, UME

5

In general, red, black, chestnut and white oaks don’t tolerate poorly drained soils. Trees can tolerate some reduction in root health, if temperatures remain cool, water demands aren’t high, and adequate time is allowed for root regeneration. As a root system loses the ability to support the tree’s water needs, dieback will occur especially in the upper branches. When the high summer temperatures began this season in mid-July and the low rainfall extended into this fall these conditions accelerated the loss of tree vigor and resulted in sudden browning of tree leaves and canopy dieback. Compromised tree health often allows pathogens such Armillaria and Hypoxylon to invade, which further accelerates dieback and death. In addition, opportunistic insects such as Ambrosia Beetles and Two-lined Chestnut Borer, will attack tree trunks and continue tree demise. There are a few positive steps that may alleviate some tree stress. It is very difficult to reverse decline in stressed oaks so select trees that still have green foliage and irrigate near their bases during this period of high drought stress. Even minimal amounts of water can help recovery and prevent drought stress before winter dormancy. Practices that open up compacted soils to increase drainage and raise soil oxygen levels (e.g., vertical mulching) will often help as well. As we continue to receive information about dying oaks across the state, we still have many unanswered questions. We will continue to collect data on tree species, age, and pest occurrence, in coordination with other agencies across Maryland.

Evidence of a boring insect infestation. Photo: D.L. Clement, UME

6

Copied from Northeastern IPM Center Newsletter; IPM Insights October 2019 https://www.northeastipm.org/about-us/publications/ipm-

insights/surviving-spotted-lanternfly/ By Stephen Kloosterman, Associate Editor, Fruit Growers News; This article originally

appeared in the January 2019 issue of Fruit Growers News. Reprinted with permission and updates to quotes for timeliness.

Pennsylvania Winegrape Producers Take it on the Chin

The Mid-Atlantic and Midwest are better known for apple production than wine, but it is winegrape growers who perhaps have the most to lose from the latest pest threatening that region.

Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is in Pennsylvania and is likely to spread to New York and Michigan, extension agents say.

“We are hoping to delay this as much as possible with the current control program in place in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia,” said Heather Leach, an extension associate with the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) Department of Entomology. “Detections of adult SLF have been found in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and New York (currently, no population is verified in these states). (NOTE: As of 10/28/19 Quarantine for SLF in Maryland). This highlights that SLF is a good hitchhiker and spread is likely.”

New York State and Michigan are susceptible to SLF infestations.

“Based on modeling, we expect if it does hit these regions, it will likely be able to establish in them,” Leach said.

Pest Profile

SLF is an invasive planthopper that feeds on hardwood trees and hops as well as fruit trees, ornamentals, and grapevines. Host plants may ooze sap and wilt, may show leaf curling, and may even die.

“Grapevines are being hit hard by SLF, and this is the crop where we are seeing a significant economic loss,” Leach said. “After heavy populations of SLF, growers have experienced vines that could not survive the winter or vines that survived but did not produce fruit in the following year. Up to 100-percent yield loss and subsequent vine death have been observed in grapevine.”

She added that while SLF also feeds on apples, peaches, and other tree fruit, they’ve done this for only a few weeks in mid-late September before moving on to other hosts.

Pennsylvania has a growing local wine scene with more than 200 wineries that produce more than one million gallons of wine a year, according to the Pennsylvania Winery Association. Grape growers in the region are concerned about SLF.

Leach recently conducted a survey of growers in the region.

This immature spotted lanternfly nymph was photographed in the Boyertown area of Berks County, Pennsylvania. Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org.

“Grapevines are being hit hard by SLF, and this is the crop where we are seeing a significant economic

loss. Up to 100-percent yield loss and subsequent vine death have been

observed in grapevine.”

– Heather Leach, Extension Associate, Pennsylvania State

University

Surviving Spotted Latternfly

7

“We found that most of the grape growers were already aware of this pest and the threat it poses, but they are not knowledgeable on how to control it,” she said. “This, of course, is understandable, as we are still learning about how to control it ourselves! The priorities from these growers were to develop insecticide recommendations, develop biological control methods, and determine the impact of SLF on long-term vine health. These are key issues we plan to be addressing in our future research.”

Field Intel

There are already, however, a few recommendations for discouraging the bugs. Julianna Wilson, a tree fruit integrator for Michigan State University’s Department of Entomology, recently spoke about the bugs at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market EXPO in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She offered a few basic tips:

Stop the spread of SLF by keeping an eye out for adults, nymphs, and egg masses. Report sightings to extension agents or your state’s appropriate department. See neipmc.org/go/slfqri for detailed state-by-state information.

Scrape egg masses off tree trunks and other flat surfaces where they are laid—this will kill the eggs.

Band some trees to catch nymphs and monitor the population level.

Remove invasive tree of heaven, a.k.a. Chinese sumac or stinking sumac, as this is SLF’s favorite host.

Apply insecticides.

In 2018 and 2019, PSU conducted insecticide efficacy trials for adult SLF on potted grapevines. Five products were found to have killed more than 50 percent of SLF up to seven days after application,

and two products, Actara and Brigade, were effective up to 14 days after application.

“To be honest, SLF is really easy to kill compared to most other insect pests in these systems,” Leach said. “We’re finding that they’re susceptible to most classes of insecticides, including action with some organic products (i.e., neem oil, insecticidal soaps).”

“However, the problem is that SLF are feeding on so many things in the surrounding landscape that even after a grower treats their orchard/vineyard, they re-infest the trees/vines within a few days. SLF peak populations also coincide with harvest or just before harvest, limiting the options available to growers (to be compliant with preharvest intervals). This has been our biggest struggle,

and we are currently evaluating several different spray programs to determine the best sequence and products to be used.”

Other Strategies

Some encouraging discoveries have been that SLF seems to be susceptible to many of the same things that gypsy moths are.

An adult spotted lanternfly specimen. Photo by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org.

SLF is really easy to kill compared to most other insect pests in these systems. The problem is that SLF are feeding on so many things in the surrounding landscape that even after a grower treats their

orchard/vineyard, they re-infest the trees/vines within a few days.”

– Heather Leach, Extension Associate, Pennsylvania State

University

8

“We have identified two different fungal pathogens that attack SLF in the field,” Leach said. “One of these is closely related to the gypsy moth fungal pathogen, but it is not the same one. These appear promising, but we still need lots of lab and field research to understand if these are potential products to be used. Testing on Beauveria products against SLF is in its preliminary stage, but this appears promising as a control measure. Ann Hajek out of Cornell (University) is partnering with David Biddinger and Nina Jenkins at Penn State for this research.”

Generalist predators such as praying mantis are not thought to have much effect on SLF individually. Leach said there are several parasitoids identified in China that attack SLF.

“These are parasitoids not known to occur in the U.S., so they are currently held in a quarantine lab to undergo studies on SLF and other closely related insects,” she said. “Importing these species could be a very promising tactic to reduce SLF populations but requires lots of money and time to test for potential negative effects.”

For growers who don’t yet have SLF, Leach recommends scouting the farm (especially the wood edge) for tree of heaven.

“If you have it, either consider removing it, or use it as a monitoring tool to watch for SLF,” she said. “Other plants that appear to be preferred by SLF include grapes (wild and cultivated), maple (silver and red, mostly), river birch, willow, and others.”

The Northeastern IPM Center promotes integrated pest management for reducing risks to human health and the environment. If republishing our news, please acknowledge the source (“FromNortheast IPM Insights”) along with a link to our website.

The last of the book discussion meetings was September 18th. Nancy Lawson, the author of The Humane Gardener addressed a group of 43 people. Everyone agreed that she was a wonderful presenter and loved the slides and short movies she showed us especially the short film of the rabbit munching on a dandelion.

One of the points that Nancy stressed in her book was humankind’s attitude toward nature. We are constantly struggling against Mother Nature. “We mow down life just as

it’s getting off the ground. We build levees and walls to hold back water, earth, fire, and each other. We add fencing to separate ourselves from the unknown on the other side. In the process we become more disconnected from the species with whom our fates and the fate of the planet are intricately intertwined.”

Master Gardeners, in my opinion, are stewards of the earth. I am constantly reassured of the fate of the earth when I talk with and work with the members of our organization. We are definitely looking toward the future and not settling for the short-term answers to our problems in dealing with Mother Nature. We respect her.

Spotted lanternflies congregate in large groups as seen on the trunk of this cherry tree. Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org.

The Humane Gardener

9

After the presentation, we ate a wonderful lunch, and Nancy autographed copies of her book. The following is an excerpt from her note to me after the presentation.

“Thank you so much for a wonderful day last week. You guys are such a great group! I've spoken with a fair number of master gardeners and have enjoyed working with all of them, but the

Harford County MGs are pretty special -- obviously very caring and active.”

After visiting with us, it was obvious to Nancy Lawson, also. We are in touch with nature - the birds, bees, and butterflies - all the topics that we covered in our reading this year.

Ginger Huller, ‘14

All book discussions will take place at the Extension Office 1:00 p.m.

The Harford County Library has 5 copies of each book available.

Date Book Title 2/19/20 The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses and Pips Conquered the

Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History by Thor Hanson Note: A seed exchange will take place at this meeting after the book discussion.

4/15/20 Farmacology: Total Health from the Ground Up by Daphne Miller

6/17/20 The Fate of Food: What We’ll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World by Amanda Little

8/19/20 Bringing It to The Table: On Farming and Food by Wendell Berry

9/16/20 Speaker (To be decided) Ginger Huller, ‘14

Autumn was a season for children at Eden Mill this year. It all began on October 29th with the preschoolers hiking up to the gardens for trick or treating, dressed in their Halloween costumes. This year was an especially whimsical day in the gardens. A gnome, rainbow butterfly, duck, superhero, monkey, Dalmatian, and more showed up for trick or treating. Two of our most daring gardeners dressed up, also. Marlene Stamm was Gardener Barbie and Anne Bredlow wore her tried and true witch costume. The preschool kids and their parents thoroughly enjoyed garden trick or treating. One boy exclaimed, “Look at all the stuff I got.” Afterwards the children made seed bombs with Maureen North, Nancy Cohen, and Anne. When the preschoolers were ready to leave the gardens that morning, one little girl wanted to say goodbye to

2020 Book Titles and Discussions Schedule

A Season Made for Children

10

Barbie. Marlene knelt in front of her and engaged her in a conversation about her boots and costume. The child was delighted. It was a wonderful morning. Fall Fest at Eden Mill followed on November 2nd. Many children showed up with their parents or grandparents in tow. They came for the face painting, petting zoo, grinding corn, chucking pumpkins, finger painting trees, creating bird feeders, stuffing butterfly garden seed packets, and searching for that special gourd to take home. Thank you to Ann Blocher, Anne Bredlow, Nancy Cohen, Taryn Gray, Ronnie Grevey, Sam Meisel, Jodi Meisel, Marlene Stamm, Steve O’Brien, and Ginger Huller for the Master Gardener contributions during Fall Fast. Also thank you to Kay O’Hara, Kim Poehling, Maureen North, Betty Sneed, Nancy Gladden, and Greg Ledoux who were unable to attend, but nevertheless contributed to the efforts to make the gardens beautiful for such a child centered festival.

Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1 whole egg 1/4 cup molasses 2 1/2 cups sifted flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Granulated sugar for rolling chilled dough balls

Ginger Cookie recipe from MG Carolyn Chrismer

Ginger Huller, ‘14

11

Instructions: 1) Cream butter, shortening, and sugar. 2) Add egg, molasses to the creamed butter, shortening, and sugar. 3) Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves then add to the above mixture. 4) Saran wrap the dough for hours, even overnight. 5) Form the chilled dough into balls the size of a small walnut (e.g., approximately 2 tbsp or 1/8 of a

cup). 6) Roll in granulated sugar, place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. 7) Bake at 350° F, 10 to 12 minutes.

Adopted from The Settlement Cookbook Carolyn Chrismer, ‘12

Ingredients: 3 ½ cups of wild grape juice 1 box sure jell ½ teaspoon butter 6 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick broken Spice bag 4 ½ cups of sugar Instructions: 1. Place cloves and cinnamon stick in a spice bag with the wild

grape juice, sure jell and ½ teaspoon butter. 2. Stir once in a while to prevent sticking to bottom of pot. 3. Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. 4. Add sugar all at once. 5. Stir frequently. Boil for 1 minute. Remove spice bag. 6. Remove from heat and pour into ½ pint jars. 7. Seal and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. 8. Remove from hot water and let stand for 24 hours before storing. Alma Illian, ‘04

Master Gardener Annual Training Day will occur Saturday June 13, 2020 at the Towson There is sufficient space for a trade show and plenty of conference parking! Plans are to offer multiple focused educational tracks: GIEI, Native Plants, and Landscape Design. The main guest speaker, Allan Armitage, is the Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia. Herbaceous perennials are his passion. He loves teaching cut flower production utilizing annuals, perennials and bulbs in the garden.

Maryland Master Gardener Annual Training Day 2020

Spiced Wild Grape Jelly recipe from MG Alma Illian

Photo: Cold Stream Farm

12

Saturday March 14, 2020 8:30 am - 4 pm (Registration 7:30am)

Address: Central York Middle School,1950 N. Hills Rd. York, PA 17406

Kick off the gardening season by joining the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of York County for GardenWise, a one-day garden school. GardenWise is filled with informative sessions for new and experienced gardeners.

Cost is $65.00 by February 7, 2020; after $75.00. URL to register: GardenWise 2020 Registration

December 7 9:00 am Bonsai Winter Work Valley View Farms What sort of things can be done during the trees winter sleep? Can pruning be done? Should feeding be done? Join us to find out. December 4, 11, 18 9:00 am -12:00 pm Exploring the Small Farm Dream Penn State Extension – Beaver County This course is designed to help you decide whether starting a farm business is right for you. Farmer’s market vendors, farm stands, and u-pick fruit and vegetable farms are all agricultural business, but not sure how to get started? Cost: $175.00 To register call 1-877-345-0691. December 10 7:30 pm Nature Inspired Holiday Design Vollmer Center Auditorium Cylburn Arboretum The patterns of nature influence creativity in art, landscape and floral design. Noted floral designer Jane Godshalk’s program will include video presentation and part hands-on arranging presentation. Cost $10.00 non-member To register call 410 -821-5561 December 17 10:30 am – 12:30 pm Grow It, Eat It, Preserve It Harford County Agriculture Center Preserving fruit using the dehydration method. Cost: $20.00 To register: www.dec17dehydration.eventbrite.com January 16 7:00 pm Deer Resistant Gardening Good Shepherd Church, Joppatowne Giving enough time to plan your Spring strategy, Lisa Rainey, Master Gardener, will tell us what best we can do to dissuade deer from grazing in our yards. Free!

GardenWise MG Training York, PA

Continuing Education Opportunities

13

February 4 – 18 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Tuesdays (3 sessions) Creating a Blooming Winter Landscape Batula Room A succession of hardy flowers can adorn your garden and entertain you with color and fragrance throughout the colder months. Learn how these shrubs, perennials, and bulbs survive, thrive and bloom in our climate. Learn how to plant them ad how to design the winter garden for maximum affect in sun and shade. Cost is $89.00. To register go to www.longwoodgardens.org or call 610-388-5454. March 14, 2020 8:30 am – 4:00 pm GardenWise Central York Middle School Goal of GardenWise is to share research-based information about sustainable gardening and environmental stewardship. Speakers on pollinators, invasive plants, and the importance of bats. Additional breakout sessions on herbs, biopesticides, tree care, tree and shrub identification, native plants and more will be offered. Vendors and educational displays! Cost is $65.00 by February 7, 2020; after $75.00. To register https://www.cvent.com/events/gardenwise/event March 21 9:00 am – 3:00pm Native Species & the Web of Life Oregon Ridge Lodge Join environmental professionals and experts for a day of presentations and interactive lessons. They will discuss the relationships among native species and the go web of life. Lunch and refreshments; environmental product services and displays. Pre-registration required by March 6, 2020. Cost is $50.00 or $90.00 for two people. To register go to Baltimore County Forestry Board s website. March 26 7 - 8 pm Making Insects: A Guide to Restoring the Little Things that Run the World York College of PA, 441 Country Club Road, York, PA Wolf Hall 204 - DeMeester Recital Hall Dr. Doug Tallamy will describe simple changes to our landscape and our attitudes to support the insects that play an essential role in our lives.

Boys & Girls Green Thumb Club 2019

14

Enjoy the blessings of the season!

Tickets required. YCPTickets.com (Cost $0, but must register to obtain ticket(s)) Questions: Karl Kleiner kkleiner@ycp.edu https://www.ycp.edu/news-and-events/events/featured/#/?i=7

Joyce Browning |Urban Horticulturist| Master Gardener Coordinator | Harford County

The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic

information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.

December-January Harford County Master Gardener Calendar

The below Calendar entries are only a small sample of the scheduled Master Gardener events. Please refer to the following link to view the entire Harford County Master Gardener calendar https://calendar.google.com/calendar/b/3?cid=bWFzdGVyZ2FyZGVuZXJzaGNAZ21haWwuY29t MG Stephanie Flash is the contact for changes and additions to our new calendar. Please send calendar requests, changes or additions to mastergardenershc@gmail.com

December 5 6 - 8 pm MG Holiday Party Liriodendron

No Steering Committee Meeting in December

January 9 10 am Monthly MG Meeting Extension Office

January 7 1:30 pm Brightview Bel Air Assisted Living

January 8 10:30 Kaufman Center Upper Chesapeake Hospital

January 10 1 pm Epi Center Outreach Edgewood

January 20 Extension closed for Martin Luther King Jr Day

January 30 10 am Steering Committee Extension Office

February 6 7 pm Monthly Meeting Extension Office