Master Gardener Clippings
A Newsletter for Columbia County Master Gardeners
June 2006
The Goode News –
Dr. Don is on vacation and the “Goode News” will return in July
Don Goode, Ed.D.
County Extension Director/Hort Agent/MG Coordinator
CHAIR CHAT
Welcome to all new Master Gardeners. Graduation was a wonderful event, thanks to all Master Gardener Alumni (contributing flowers, food, decorations and support). Our guest speakers, Representative Dwight Stansel and Multi-County Extension Agent Linda Landrum, were both entertaining and informative. Thank you to Jean Savage and Judee Swihart for suggesting these guests.
We are starting our new “Master Gardener“ year and looking forward to including our graduating class (19) in our next Alumni Meeting on June 15th at 9:00 a.m.
REMINDER:
- Turn in volunteer hours
- Bring your Working 2006 Calendar for updates
- Come prepared to learn propagation techniques from Judy Morelan during our educational hour.
After the meeting there will be two gatherings:
- Geoff Hart will meet with all Master Gardeners who are interested in volunteering answering questions from the public-returning calls-helping in the Master Gardener Office.
- The volunteers for the Jr. Master Gardener Day Camp(now scheduled for July 18,19)will meet to finalize activities and take an inventory of supplies New Master Gardeners are invited if interested in volunteering for this event.
Thank you to all who volunteered at the workday Thursday, June 1, 2006. Please take time to look at the entrance and the Educational Gardens when you come for the Alumni Meeting.
Boots Vassar is attending the Southern Region Master Gardener Conference in Chattanooga, TN., June 8-11 and will be reporting back to us at the June Meeting. Information on our 2006 Florida Master Gardener Continued Training Conference (scheduled for October 23-25 at the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel in Jacksonville) will be available at the June and July Alumni Meetings. It is our intention to offer two scholarships for this event (more info to come).
The response to the request for “Mission Statement” wording, ideas and objectives has been positive. Thank you to all who contributed. Wanda Toner has produced several drafts and Dr. Don will be sharing information on what other counties are using for a mission statement. We hope to be able to have a meeting with all Master Gardeners interested in this work(September or October) in order to have a final draft to present to all Master Gardeners for a vote.
NOTE: The poem ”The Garden”, read at the Graduation, will be available at June’s meeting.
Did you know??? Sunflowers, cosmos, dill, anise, fennel, alyssum, daisies, and coreopsis provide the nectar and pollen ladybird beetles love.
A closing thought…Although the act of thinning is a nasty little chore,
For every seedling weeded,
You’ll end up with much more.
Faith Alley
Master Gardener Chair
Calendar of Upcoming Events:
June 15th
MG Monthly Alumni Meeting (9:00 am Extension Office)
July 20th
MG Monthly Alumni Meeting (at Betsy’s House)
July 18th & 19th
Jr Master Gardener Day Camp
August
TBA – Advanced MG Training hosted by Alachua County
August 17th
MG Monthly Alumni Meeting At Earthscapes
Short Business Meeting followed by “Misting Presentation”
September 21st
MG Monthly Alumni Meeting
Linda Landrum, Multi-Culture Extension Agent
“Floral Design Using Materials from your Garden”
October 19th
MG Monthly Alumni Meeting
October 23rd – 25th
State MG Conference in Jacksonville, FL
The Mouse Pad
Ok – Let’s have a little fun this month and do something different.
For June I thought I would give you a link to a web site that has 10 different sites of useful information for you to choose from. If you find yourself wanting to take a break from the hot afternoon sun or just wanted some time to “surf the net” just type in the following:
http://gardening.about.com/od/toolschool/tp/Web_Diagnostics.html
and choose one of the top ten web sites they have listed.
Hope you are enjoying these featured sites!
General News Items:
READY FOR PICK-UP
If you recently ordered hats, shirts, etc. the order has finally arrived. Items will be handed out at the June 15th Alumni meeting.
ITEMS FOR SALE:
Garden Flags $12.00 Large $8.00 Small
(Many Different Styles and Colors to Choose From)
MG License Plates $8.50
MG Buttons $1.50
These items will be available at the June 15th Alumni meeting.
HATCHES BLUEBERRY FARM
Susan & Charles Hatch Elim Church Road ~ Phone # 386-497-2303
We were sorry that we had to cancel our Blueberry Farm tour last month, but listed below are directions to their farm, just in case you want to venture out by yourself or get a group together and go pick your own blueberries.
If you are headed on 47 South, go to 238 and turn left. Go about 4 miles and it will be on your right.
If you are headed on 41 South, turn right onto Highway 18 and go 2 miles to the first paved road. Go right on 131, then back to the left on 238 and go about ¼ mile. It will be the 2nd place on the right.
There is a big sign which says “Hatches Blueberries” and if you are still unsure about these directions, just give them a call.
Special Thank You To -
Our “Sunshine” person, Judee Swihart. What this means is - that she will be responsible for sending out a card to those Alumni that are in the hospital or going thru an illness, has a death in the immediate family, or is going thru a rough time. She will also report to the group at the monthly Alumni meetings.
What she needs is everyone's help to keep her informed. If you hear of an Alumni that has a serious illness or that may be going in the hospital, an Alumni that has recently experienced a death of an immediate family member or just an Alumni that may be going thru a very rough time - please email or call her and let her know. She has cards that she will sign from the Columbia County Master Gardeners and get it to that person. Judee's email address is jmunrswi@bellsouth.net or you can call her at 386-758-9558.
And To
Mary Kay Carte, Boots Vassar and Wanda Toner for volunteering to be on the Historian committee. This committee will document the progress of all MG ventures. Materials will be made available to these volunteers so that they will be able to sort and organize by year all the photos/CD’s and maintain the files for future reference.
Thank you ladies, for taking on these very important positions.
Other Volunteer Opportunities that are available:
Advanced MG Training Seminar – Date TBA – possibly August/September timeframe
The Seminar this year will be hosted by the Alachua County MG Alumni. Columbia County will host the Seminar next year (2007). Someone is needed to coordinate between the two counties and possibly take on a Co-Chair position for next year’s event when we host.
State Master Gardener Conference – October 23-25, 2006 (Jacksonville, FL)
Volunteers are needed to look into the possibility of submitting a project or gather items for a silent auction at this year’s event.
Columbia County Fair Booth – November 3-11, 2006
Last year, MG’s were scheduled at various times during the fair to pass out literature, seeds, and answer questions from the public. Co-chairs are needed this year to decide what they would like to do at this year’s fair and coordinate the schedule of volunteers that will be working during this fair.
Anyone can volunteer to Co-Chair and Event and remember
that the Executive Committee is here to help and assist with these events.
Please don’t feel like you are taking on any of these positions by yourself.
The Carrot, the Egg and the Coffee Bean
(Article submitted by Wanda Toner)
You know, carrots pulled from the garden are bright colored straight, firm, even inflexible. Eggs lying in the nest are fragile, and easily broken. Coffee beans are just brown buttons.
Take note of the metamorphoses of each, as they encounter boiling water. For the carrot, its very fiber becomes soft, pliable and even mushy. The egg becomes inflexible and even hard boiled. But only the coffee bean, which gives up its very essence and in the doing, changes the condition of the boiling water into wonderful delicious nectar to enjoy.
Life brings lots of hot water, even boiling water in the form of changes, illness, financial struggles, family problems, even death. (Euphemistically, we say we are in hot water, when we are really between a rock and a hard spot.)
Think about people. How do they react to difficult situations? Does adversity produce mashed carrot, someone who can’t standup for themselves? Or does it produce a hard boiled inflexible egg? Or, as the coffee bean, does the person change the situation for the better by their reaction. Are they able to take on life’s lemons and turn them into lemonade?
The parable and metaphors gives lots to think about, especially from a Gardener’s point of view.
* * * *
SURPRISE SURPRISE…SURPRISE
Come to the June 15th Alumni Meeting and have the opportunity to order daffodil bulbs from the Florida Daffodil Society 2006 Bulb Sale. Joyce (Ginger) Dennis will be bringing order forms from Linda VanBeck, our speaker in October on Daffodils for North Florida. Payment will not be due until the October Alumni Meeting (delivery of bulbs at this time).
NEXT ALUMNI MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, June 15TH STARTING AT 9:00 AM AT THE EXTENSION OFFICE.
* * * *
Our newsletter deadline is going to be the first of the month for publication. Any suggestions you may have for future features or other input is welcomed. If you would like to contribute or just have a comment, please email judyjaxfl@aol.com or put in the Clippings Blue Envelope at the Extension Office. Thank you and have a great Master Gardener Day !