|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Master Gardeners are community volunteers supporting the University of Maryland Extension mission of educating residents about safe, effective, and sustainable horticulture practices to build healthy gardens, landscapes, and communities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A frosty winter landscape can be beautiful; avoid cutting back perennials plants for both wildlife and winter interest. Photo Credit: M. Boley
|
|
|
While most people dread the doldrums of winter, I find the optimism that eludes me the rest of the year; what a great time to relax and do all my dreaming. This is bolstered by the arrival of my favorite kind of mail... seed catalogs!
Should you find yourself dreaming of greener days, here are some suggestions for getting through January (even on the coldest of days):
- Peruse the HGIC YouTube channel for short videos or webinar recordings; this is a treasure trove of information
- Find a new type of crop, variety, or color plant that you've never tried before- find seeds or plants to try at home
- Attend our Cabin Fever Reliever classees at the Brooklett's Place Talbot Senior Center on the 4th Tuesdays of the month at 10AM (January through March)
- Keep scrolling for more details!
- Try your hand at winter seed sowing; you can try native seeds, or use milk jugs for getting a start on annual flowers or greens
- Get planning/dreaming! Make a timeline for an upcoming project, or a list of plants you would like to add to your landscape, or research which native plants to replace those nandina/crepe myrtles/barberry!
- Or contact your local Extension professional (ahem) to get help with these questions :)
Your plants might be dormant, but your brain doesn't have to be; have fun thinking of all the possibilities and getting excited about the upcoming year.
-Mikaela Boley, Senior Agent Associate (Talbot Co)
|
|
|
|
Master Gardener Coordinator Joyce Browning instructs this short video on how to use milk jugs for seed sowing this winter; it's easy, economic, and can be used with many annual plants (such as greens or flowers).
|
|
Talbot Master Gardener
Program Updates
- Master Gardener Volunteers-
- We will be looking for hosts for our in-person Master Gardener training sessions; please look to the email announcements to sign up! These will run every other Friday from February 10th to May 5th.
- There are lots of administrative volunteer opportunities available, including creating Bay-Wise folders, Bay-Wise visit database, Talbot County Free Seed Library assistance, and many more; reach out to Mikaela for more details: mboley@umd.edu
- If you have any questions about volunteering opportunities, please contact Mikaela: mboley@umd.edu
- Important Links:
- Community Partners & Members: we continue to look for opportunities in partnership. Please reach out to Mikaela Boley (mboley@umd.edu) with any interest in collaboration and classes!
- Join us this winter to "beat the blues" with our Cabin Fever Reliever series at the Brooklett's Place Talbot Senior Center on the 4th Tuesdays of the month from January to March at 10AM.
- For more details, scroll for the flyer under "Updates & News"
- Looking forward to providing learning opportunities for local housing communities or partners! Let us know if you'd like to set up a workshop or class.
- We will be offering webinars and other digital learning opportunities; please follow our Talbot Master Gardener or Talbot County Free Seed Library Facebook page to stay up-to-date.
As always, please feel free to send questions and concerns to Mikaela: mboley@umd.edu.
|
|
|
|
Wetlands full of broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), woolgrass (Scirpus cyperinus), and bayberry (Morella pensylvanica) have many shades of copper, tan, and gold. Arguably more interesting than if plants were cut back, and certainly better for wildlife. Photo credit: K. Scott
|
|
The Case for Lazy Gardening
Written by Mikaela Boley- Talbot Co. Master Gardener Coordinator
Every winter, I look out at the front yard and cringe at all the plants I failed to get into the ground, or the mulch pile that was never spread (let's face it; that pile has been there since LAST winter). I'm usually struck with guilt, but there are several good reasons to be satisfied with a "messy" garden.
- Leaves- if you forgot to rake or bag your leaves... CONGRATULATIONS! You are supporting an essential overwintering habitat. Many of the larger lepidopterans (butterflies and moths) use leaves and twigs for their cocoons. Even bats will use the layer of leaf litter as a thermal refuge in winter.
- Leaves can be raked into existing beds, or left on the lawn. Most leaves will break down over the winter and into spring (except very thick oak leaves or very large sycamore leaves).
- Do not chop or mow the leaves if you can help it!
- The leaves will break down easily and become rich organic material that is good for both lawn and garden soils.
- Do not cut back your perennials- seed heads from native plants provide winter food for birds, as well as protective habitat. Even better, the hollow stems of perennial plants can house overwintering cavity-dwelling bees. Did I mention that it looks so much better to have the structure and color of plant material in winter?
- When it is time to cut back stems in the early spring, try to leave 10-24" of stubble, and leave cut material on-site if possible.
- You mean I can just cut everything back and leave my mess? WHY YES!
- No till- tilling the soil is disruptive to ground-nesting bees (70% of native bees), disturbs soil ecology, and brings weed seeds to the surface. For healthy soils, layer compost and other organic material that will decompose over time and create a rich upper layer for plants to grow in.
It's not "messy" gardening; it is ecological gardening. By doing less, you are actually doing more (and feel better about it).
For more information and resources:
Xerces Society- https://xerces.org/
UMN Bee Lab- https://beelab.umn.edu/
UMD- HGIC Climate Resiliency |
|
|
|
Look for the beauty in the structure and colors of winter- cutting back grasses and perennials will lead to a scalped landscape without ecological function.
|
|
The Hidden Dangers of Plants (to Pets)
Written by Pam Keeton, Talbot County Master Gardener
We recently adopted a puppy after losing our beloved dog of 10 years, and I have been looking forward to having a new helper in my gardens this summer. But like a toddler, he puts everything in his mouth. We haven’t had a puppy in more than 25 years and after he ran off with a tulip I had just pulled – tulips are poisonous to dogs – I realized I needed to get smart on which plants in my yard might be harmful to him. Cat owners and parents of young children should also become acquainted with the plants in their yards that may be toxic as well.
Internet searches turn up more than 100 common plants that are toxic to dogs (varying degrees) and I have a many of them in my yard! The number and types were shocking to read.
From aloe and begonias, to narcissus and yew... plants many of us have in our gardens can be harmful pets. Speaking of narcissus, our puppy routinely pulled the blooms off daffodils as I picked them this spring. I had no idea they were toxic for dogs, however, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals lists them as the eighth most poisonous plant to dogs. Ugh.
A complete list of common plants toxic to dogs can be found at www.aspca.org.
The ASPCA also has lists of plants toxic to cats and other animals. For instance, every part of Asiatic Lilies are toxic to cats, even the pollen. So be very careful when using them in bouquets in a home where cats live. English ivy and hostas, planted widely throughout the Eastern Shore, can also be toxic and even deadly to pets. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, drooling, and abdominal pain.
The severity of symptoms varies by type of plant, amount of plant material and which part of the plant is consumed, and the size of your pet. Should one of your pets consume a plant known to be toxic, call your vet. Help is also available online and by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week through www.petpoisonhelpline.com for a $75 fee.
According to the ASPCA, the top toxic plants to pets include:
- Tulips & daffodils (Tulipa/Narcissus spp.)
- Lilies (Lilium spp)
- Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
- Azaleas and rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.)
- English ivy (Helix hedera)
- Chysanthemum (Chrysanthemum spp.)
- Amaryllis (Amaryllis)
- Peace lily (Spathiphyllum spp.)
|
|
|
Above, left: Peace lily (Spathiphyllum spp.) is a common household plant that is easy to care for, but deadly to pets. Above, right: English ivy (Helix hedera) is widespread throughout the landscape, and is toxic to many animals.
|
|
|
|
|
Above: Orange butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) are wonderful for monarch caterpillars, but very toxic to dogs.
|
|
|
MASTER GARDENER MEETINGS:
3rd Wednesday of the month at 10AM for active Master Gardener Volunteers only.
January 18th- Virtual
February 15th- In-Person
March 15th- In-Person
Meeting details, agendas, and connection information will be released the week prior to the meeting date by email. Please contact: Mikaela Boley (mboley@umd.edu) with any questions or to contribute items to the meeting agenda.
|
|
|
|
Talbot County Free Seed Library:
|
|
|
|
You can find us on iTunes and Stitcher!
Ever wondered what spicy garden talk is like? Introducing The Garden Thyme Podcast, an all things comedy and garden related podcast with Extension Agent hosts Emily, Rachel, and Mikaela from University of Maryland Extension. You can stream episodes from the Buzzsprout website, or follow us on Facebook to keep up-to-date on released episodes.
Tune in monthly for topical items and conversation- please write in with questions to UMEGardenPodcast@gmail.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
