Frederic
F
ck Coun
nty Mastter Gard
deners
Support
S
t Local Commu
C
unity Gaardens
Susan
n Trice, Freederick Cou
unty Masterr Gardener Coordinatoor
In responnse to the nu
umerous com
mmunity gardden establishhments and requests
r
to help
h with them,
the Fredeerick County
y Master Garrdeners (FCM
MG) particippated in a staate-wide traiining under the
t
new interrest area callled, ‘Grow It
I Eat It’. Once
O
these foolks were traained, they began
b
to givee
talks relaated to food gardening,
g
m
made
and solld salad boxees, and gavee numerous demonstratio
d
ons
around thhe county. This
T year, reepresentativees from the various
v
comm
munity garddens were invvited
to attend a meeting whereby
w
resoources and a demonstratiion were givven and a surrvey was
conducteed. The gard
dens that weere representted include: Frederick News
N
Post Coommunity
Garden, Frederick
F
Co
ommunity Garden,
G
Fredderick PAL Center,
C
Midddletown Prim
mary School
Garden, Middletown
M
n Valley Com
mmunity Garrden Associaation, Stonebbridge Comm
munity Gardden,
Willowbrrook Comm
munity Garden, Monocacyy Valley Eleementary Coommunity Gaarden, Foxfiield
Garden, Community
C
Garden at Fox
F Haven Farms, as welll as folks from Brunswiick. If yourr
group waas unable to attend and would
w
like too receive these materials, please conttact us.
A resourcce book wass compiled by
b Susan Tricce, Horticultture Educatoor/ FCMG Coordinator,
C
a
and
was preseented to each
h garden reppresentative. It consists of informattion in the foollowing areaas:
Universitty of Marylaand Home annd Garden Innformation Center,
C
Grow
w It Eat It Prrogram, Caleendar
includingg the ‘Plantin
ng Dates forr Vegetable Crops
C
in Maaryland HG16’, Vegetablle Informatioon,
Soils (Teests, Fertilizeers, and Com
mposting), Inntegrated Pesst Managem
ment. Websittes, includingg
www.em
mmitsburg.neet, and inform
mation on crreating a com
mmunity garden. A ‘pesst’ section will
w
be addedd later.
Susan showed the gro
oup how to use
u the HGIC website (w
www.hgic.um
md.edu). She went intoo
t home paage which inccludes: “Tim
mely tips’ forr various areeas that are
each of thhe areas on the
updated monthly,
m
‘Pu
ublications’ which has many
m
free facct sheets listed that can be
b downloadded,
‘Plant Diiagnostic’ wh
hereby you can
c look at vegetable
v
siggns and determine the caauses, ‘Master
Gardenerr’ which inclludes inform
mation about the master gardener
g
proogram, ‘Linkks’ consistingg of
reputablee links for vaarious areas, ‘Invasive Species’ whereby you cann read all abbout the
stinkbugss, ‘What’s New’
N
for upddated information and thhe ability to search or sennd in a questtion
to the cennter. There is also a GIEI link on thhe home pagge that will taake you to thhat section which
w
includes educational videos. Tw
wo of the poppular ones arre ‘Starting a Garden’ annd ‘Tomato Late
Blight’.
Represenntatives mark
ked the locattion of their gardens on a map and well
w as comppleted a surveey to
give us a chance to gain
g contact information
i
and give theem a chance to let us knoow how we can
c
best helpp them. It iss our hope annd objective to match a master
m
gardeener volunteer with eachh
communiity garden to
o serve as a liaison
l
between the gardden and Exteension.
EQUAL AC
CCESS PROGR
RAMS
EQUAL OPPO
ORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Lois Royer, Chair of the GIEI Committee, relayed to the group a little about the history of this
committee and some of the other activities available to the public. Many thanks to Meryl
Benenati for creating the map display and working along with Susan to develop the whole
evening’s program.
L‐R: Meryl Benenati, Fred. Co. MG; Chris Bransome and Debbie Clark of Garden I‐ Willowbrook; Susan Trice, MG Coordinator For more information about horticulture or the Master Gardener Program in Frederick County, call the
Frederick County Office, University of Maryland Extension, (301) 600-1596, or visit
http://www.frederick.umd.edu/. Our mission is to educate Maryland residents about safe, effective and
sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes and communities. Equal
Opportunity Employer/Equal Access Programs.