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Master Gardener: Phyllis Clay
Master Gardener Series// Phyllis Clay
For this month's installment of our Master Gardener Series, we wanted to highlight, Phyllis Clay, a talented Master Gardener, and herbalist.
1. How did you get into gardening?
My story is too familiar. Every year, I would fall under the intoxication of Birmingham's spring. The idea of a last frost date was information for "others" and not for me. So thus began my cycle of failure as a gardener. I simply bought the plants that I thought were beautiful. I would find a home for them in the front, back, and side yards. I gave very little thought to their need for sun, water, etc. In 2017, after successive years of horticulture failure, I decided to visit the Birmingham Public Library at the Botanical Gardens. This was a tremendous resource because I ended up in the Extension Office where I met Annette Drummonds. She is the person who suggested that I take the Master Gardeners Course. I have to say she, along with the knowledgeable staff in the library, unknowingly set me on the path to success. I am grateful and have never looked back.
2. Favorite kind of gardening?
Beautiful indoor plants lift my spirits and are said to create a healthy environment. I am their caretaker and I must admit that I own far too many. However, I would consider myself an outdoor gardener. I love growing tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers from seeds. Cultivating herbs is my specialty and cultivating basil (both culinary and medical) is my passion. If you want to have access to fresh herbs year-round, you need to have a chat with me.
3. Important things you've learned from gardening?
Take some time in the morning to appreciate the space that you have created. Listen to the calls of the birds and the buzzing of the bees. Enjoy the frenzied activity of the little hummingbirds. You have to expect some failure. Now you can follow all of the planting date guides, water, and fertilize, but you cannot control nature. Learn to grow from your mistakes and you will see your horticultural expertise increase.
4. Any other valuable lessons?
Patience is one of the most valuable lessons. I have learned to cultivate the seed, give it warmth, light, and water. Just wait and watch one of the marvels of nature as a beautiful plant grows.
5. Advice to other gardeners?
Support the pollinators by including native species and pollinator-friendly plants.
6. Favorite varieties of vegetables and flowers to grow?
'Tuscan Baby Leaf' Kale, 'Gong Bao' Peppers, 'Little Prince' Eggplants, 'Amistad' Salvia, Pineapple Sage, 'Marie Pavie' Roses, and 'Blue Spice' Basil.
7. Favorite quote that inspires you about life/gardening?
The Humane Gardener by Nancy Lawson is testimony to the relationship of gardening and nature. The following is from a section entitled, "Zoom in on magnificence."
"Peer under flowers and leaves, and you'll see wasps wiping their faces, caterpillars nibbling away, and bees settling in upside down for a cool night's slumber. A magnifying glass, macro lens or home microscope reveals an exquisite world in miniature..."
Story by- Emily Bryce, Extension Home Grounds Student Worker
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Hunger Solutions Institute Director Offers Thoughts About Grow More, Give More
The Extension program, Grow More, Give More, has been instrumental in the past year, across the state, giving back to communities, food pantries, and shelters for those in need. We recently connected with Dr. Alicia Powers, Managing Director for the Hunger Solutions Institute, to offer her thoughts about Grow More, Give More.
"I think anytime you can get fresh produce into the hands of any resident, this is hugely important and beneficial, but particularly for those individuals that face limited resources or food insecurity. There are so many challenges - like finding places that sell local produce or offer accessibility, from a pricing perspective. Making produce available for free or as part of a charitable emergency food assistance is just incredible! It's almost like gleaning, but with a particular purpose in mind and even growing in order to give. Gleaning is a more reactive exercise, while Grow More, Give More, is more of a proactive program. It's like, "Let's plant a few extra plants in order to be able to have excess to give." - Dr. Alicia Powers
Story by- Emily Bryce, Extension Home Grounds Student Worker
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Alabama Smart Yards Collaborates With ALFA To Launch New Series
- Simply Southern -
In this video, Dani Carroll, Regional Extension Agent, will talk about how to choose the right soil for container gardening!
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Summer Magic
Fireflies in the Garden
- Robert Frost -
Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart)
Achieve at times a very star-like start,
Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.
~
The dog days of summer are in full swing and we are in the prime season for fireflies (or as they are so lovingly called in the south "lightning bugs") to deck the night in a flood of gorgeous technicolor. Did you know that the reason fireflies glow is for the males to attract females for mating purposes? The term for the glowing from fireflies is called bioluminescence. There are two chemicals that help achieve this wonder in nature - luciferin, and luciferase. The two chemicals are described as a "lock and key system." The luciferase unlocks the luciferin and that allows the oxygen to come in. The oxygen then combines with the luciferin and then boom - light is produced. A fun fact about the light produced is that it is cold, unlike the lightbulb, which glows with warm light. This means that the energy produced from fireflies is 100% light, 0% heat.
You might have noticed that in the last several years, firefly numbers have dwindled significantly. The main attributes to this drop are increased light pollution and their preference for woodlands and marshes - areas that are usually less likely to be disturbed habitats. According to researchers, there are still multitudes of fireflies in existence, especially in the nation's Firefly Belt. (This area encompasses the Big Bend area of North Florida to the Okefenokee Swamp in South Georgia.)
Story by- Emily Bryce, Extension Home Grounds Student Worker
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News
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Alabama Master Gardeners
Upcoming 40th Anniversary Celebration
As Aristotle once uttered, "What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good." This is truly what the Alabama Master Gardeners is all about. A person that is new to the program may have joined because they wished to become a better gardener and to make friends with like-minded individuals. These are both lovely elements of the program for sure, but there is so much giving back to your community that you are part of when you are an Alabama Master Gardener. Since the inception of this program, over $113 million dollars worth of volunteer hours have been spent bettering the state of Alabama. This is such a large number and because of all of you, Alabama is a better place to live.
Save a spot on your calendar because a big anniversary for the Alabama Master Gardeners is coming up soon - 40 years!!!! That's a long time and we want to celebrate this by honoring our achievements for both the state of Alabama, and ourselves by becoming better stewards of the earth. On August 30th, 1:30 p.m., we will gather and celebrate at our Auburn University location, in satellite viewing parties across the state, or from individual homes to recognize 40 years of Alabama Master Gardeners!
Story by- Emily Bryce, Extension Home Grounds Student Worker
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A Stroll About The Garden
As the heat ramped up and the humidity rose, a group of Marshall County Master Gardeners were treated to a garden tour at the home of Ms. Prissy. She is a local gardening enthusiast, who has collected and amassed a yard full of daylilies. Among her collection were also Hydrangeas, Hostas, Japanese Maple, as well as her humble vegetable garden. Ms. Prissy spends about three hours per week watering with a hose to supplement her irrigation - now that's dedication!
Story by- Jo Drueen, Marshall County MGA
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Let's Squash Hunger!
We have joined with the Lawrence County Indian Education Program, the Oakville Indian Mounds, and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Lawrence County) in conjunction with the Farm to School Program (http://alabamafarmtoschool.org/) to plant Butternut Squash seeds to celebrate Native American culture. We will be donating our excess squash to the Oakville Indian Mounds so that they can provide them to students to take home. It will be sent home in the child's backpack with a recipe book for easy cooking.
Butternut squash is a good choice because of its shelf life and its ability to take a beating in the child's backpack. Ann Mullican, the program coordinator, has a goal to provide one squash to every Pre-K through 4th grader in the Lawrence County School System. MCMGA distributed seeds to members as well as planted them in our greenhouse-raised beds. Grow More, Give More at its very best!
Story by- Norris Johnston, Morgan County MGA
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Looks Can Be Deceiving
Although Oleander is very eye-catching, be sure not to confuse it with edible plants. Originating in the Mediterranean area, it is not native to North America and is considered an invasive species in some states. Because of the Oleander's beauty and harmless appearance, many like to grow it in their yards, but we do not recommend this shrub if you have plant-curious children or pets. Oleander is extremely toxic and can cause serious illness or even death if ingested. The sap of Oleander should also be avoided as it can cause irritation to the skin. If this shrub is on fire, get away immediately because the smoke from it can be very dangerous too. It's a beauty, but beware.
Story by- Emily Bryce, Extension Home Grounds Student Worker
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Events |
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Extension-Master Gardener Monthly Update
A monthly Extension-MG Update webinar is the last Monday of every month,
at 1:00 p.m., https://auburn.zoom.us/j/93566762516
Meeting ID: 935.6676.2516.
All Master Gardeners are invited to attend!
July Update:
Here is a Panopto recording from our June webinar.
https://aub.ie/mgupdate-july2021
August 30!!!
We'll use this same Zoom space for our 40th Anniversary celebration. We hope everyone has plans to attend!
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Social Media Update
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to catch all of the latest gardening tips and tricks. Have something new or interesting to share? We'd love to have you on our team! Be sure to message or tag us on social media. Help promote your Extension Home Grounds team by sharing our posts with your family and friends.
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A Bloom Of Hope
Life can sometimes be quite difficult and wrong choices can be made. Fortunately, at Strickland Youth Detention Center, a place where teens are placed for their wrongdoings, there has been a bloom of hope in some of their lives recently. It has come in the form of gardening. Mobile Master Gardeners have played a key role in this hope as they have partnered with Strickland to assist the youth in their garden. Carol Dorsey, a Mobile Master Gardener, regularly goes to offer her assistance and gives a positive outlook to the teens. "We are here now in this moment. In that capacity, we don't have to dwell on the past or project to the future. We are here in this moment." The fresh vegetables and flowers are harvested twice a week by the youth and are then donated to local food pantries. It truly shows that joy can be found even in the darkest of circumstances.
Story by- Emily Bryce, Extension Home Grounds Student Worker
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Looking for Something to Do on a Rainy Day?
Remember our weekly Extension webinars, Garden Chat, Get Outside with Alabama Smart Yards, and others. We'd also like to have you join us as a speaker or to suggest an interesting topic. Support your team!
Please promote these to ANYONE interested to learn about gardening and the natural world around us. Extension programs are for everyone. As a Master Gardener, these earn you CEUs, one CEU per hour of the program. Tip: Facebook has a convenient search box from the Video library. Use it when visiting any of our pages.
The web pages:
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We Have A Promotion Campaign!
2021 is a fresh start! Our Facebook is flourishing with participation from gardeners. Be sure to become a member of our group and join in on the fun!
Our intent is to promote all Extension Home Grounds programming - Master Gardeners, of course - Grow More, Give More - various workshops and virtual programs - Lunch & Learn - Ask-a-MG - ETC! Contact us through the FB or IG pages and SHARE.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/690149008563385
https://www.instagram.com/zoomingzinnias/
Phyllis Clay, Jefferson County MG, and Amanda Redman, Blount County MG
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