LOOSELEAF
A Publication of the University of Maryland Extension
Howard County Master Gardeners
3300 NORTH RIDGE ROAD, SUITE 240 • ELLICOTT CITY, MD 21043
(410)313-2707 • FAX (410)313-2712
http://www.extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/howard-county-master-gardeners
MAY 2016
PROGRAM UPDATE FROM GEORGIA
The GreenFest data is in (mostly)! Our exhibits included
Bay-Wise, GIEI, Ask a MG, Composting and MGs were
outside with the native plant sale and fundraising items.
A total of 445 people received information from the MGs
staffing these exhibits. The fundraising committee brought
in $440, which greatly increases funds for materials and
supplies etc. used to carry out the MG program. Fifty
compost bins were distributed so that's less waste going to
the landfill.
To accomplish all of the above, the following MGs helped
with staffing:
Composting, Richard Freas, Bob Kiwak, Elaine Kielman,
Kathy Rosendale, Sue Aldape, Margaret Mauro, Betty Rice
and Barbara Schuster with coordinator, Janine Grossman.
Fundraising support was provided by Rene Loeb, Helena
Zozulak, Fran Murray, and coordinated by Loren S Muhr.
The GIEI group included Helena Zozulak, Kathy
Rosendale, Susan Bishop, Sharon Smith, Pam Peters,
Lenore Studt, and Ann Hackling, coordinated by Jerry
Kissel. Jerry did a Grow Great Tomatoes talk, which was
attended by 32 people!
The Bay-Wise exhibitors were Sylvia Huestis, Ahmed
Siddiqui, Betty Rice and Richard Freas.
The plant sale and display areas were staffed by Pat
Hooker, Dot Rockstroh, Anne Cottle, Cecilia Pao, Sherry
Conklin, Sharon Smith, Sue Stevens, Gaye Holcomb,
Cathy Latham, Sue Polise, Pat Harrington, Ron and Gayle
Mason Anderson, Judy Fulton and Aylene Gard—all
coordinated by Linda Decker!
Ask a MG, organized by Greg Jones, was a first time
exhibit for this year's GreenFest.
My count is 36 MGs organized and supported this event
with the usual dedication and enthusiasm for providing
educational information. The community and I thank you
for your help—hope you enjoyed the event as well!
Looking ahead to fall programs: The Woods in Your
Backyard workshop will be given Thursdays, September 29
and October 6, 6:30-9:00pm at UME. The cost is $25.00
per individual and $30.00 per couple. The theme is
Learning to Create and Enhance Natural Areas around
your Home—the focus is on small lots—possibly like the
one you own! There will be more information forthcoming
but mark the dates if you are interested.
Happy planting!
—Georgia Eacker, MG Coordinator, WSA Liaison
410-313-1913, geacker@umd.edu
INSIDE—
2 Whipps News
3 Good Gardening Tools
4 Calendar Highlights & Mt. Pleasant News
5 Alpha Ridge & MPEA
6 Continuing Education & MG Day at Miller
7 Herb Gardening & Email Protocols
8 Patuxent Research Refuge
9 Latin for Gardeners
PLEASE REMEMBER…
1) A mention of specific products or businesses in LooseLeaf
does not imply or constitute endorsement by UME.
2) You’ll want to earn 10 continuing education hours during
2016 to remain certified. Ideas: Go to an MG presentation at
the library, attend a UME workshop, read a book on your
favorite gardening topic or go to the Continuing Education
sessions.
3) In print (on presentation slides, fliers, posters, brochures,
signs, news releases, etc.) always use our full name:
University of Maryland Extension Howard County Master
Gardeners. This request comes from the University to
support branding efforts of the MG program
.
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.
PLANT SALE TO SUPPORT WHIPPS
Donate your extra garden perennials and small shrubs!
You may drop them off anytime at the Whipps Garden
Cemetery, 3651 St. John’s Lane, Ellicott City. Just place them
behind the acuba near the parking pad. Please pot and label
whatever healthy plants you have just a few too many of in
your gardens! Remember to use a permanent marker to
indicate Sun or Shade, Native or Non-native.
If you have plants to share and do not have time to dig and
pot, let me know and we’ll arrange to help you if you give us
advance notice! Your plants will happily be bought by other
gardeners at reasonable, even, we've been told, LOW prices.
We want to share plants with others, and make a little money
to keep the Whipps Garden Cemetery growing and glowing.
Advance Sale to Master Gardeners on Thursday evening!
Visit the sale site to get first choice of the array of plants. The sale officially begins on Friday, May 13 at 9:00 am and
runs through Saturday, May 14. Location is the First Lutheran Church at the corner of Frederick and Chatham Roads.
Ample parking space.
We’ll have unusual natives and hard-to-find perennials for both shade and sun gardens. Herbs, butterfly-attracting
plants and deer resistant plants will be included. Again this year we will offer more than 75 certified day lilies, donated
by an Ellicott City daylily grower. And there will be cuttings of hydrangea oakleaf, hosta, and celandine poppies from
the Whipps garden.
Talks will be held on Herb Gardening (10:30 am) and Gardening for the Butterfly Effect (11:45 am). Proceeds from
the sale will benefit the Whipps Garden Cemetery. For more information or to volunteer, call MG Aleta Gravelle at
410-465-2398 or 410-274-7795 or email agravelle@verizon.net.
Other News From Whipps …
Daffodil Day. It was touch-and-go when we checked the weather forecast. Plants were set out during a drizzling
rain thanks to many cold-hardy volunteers. Before we knew it, visitors arrived to tour the garden and purchase
plants. Thanks to those MGs who donated tasty treats.
Some of the daffodils in the garden were fading but the celandine poppies were blooming. Bright blue Virginia
bluebells added color to help make the garden beautiful. We ended early when sleet began to fall! Nevertheless, it
was successful effort with only a few plants left. Many thanks to everyone.
GreenFest. Whipps Garden Cemetery was well represented thanks to the following volunteers:
Pam Peters, Molly McElwee, Robin Crosby, Aleta Gravelle and David Dower. The exhibit featured photos and
promoted the upcoming Plant Sale.
—Aleta Gravelle, MG 2009, agravelle@verizon.net
LooseLeaf • May 2016 • page 2
GOOD TOOLS MAKE GARDENING EASIER
Home gardeners often ask: What are
process thanks to its 54-inch handle.
some good tools I can use to make
Rather than repeated bending and
gardening easier?
crawling, one remains comfortably
All of us want to garden successfully
upright and is able to cover a lot of
and efficiently with the most economy
territory in a short time. Another back-
of effort and the least amount of pain.
saver is a good garden spade with a
Good tools are essential to that end.
long, sharp blade. This instrument
A few well-chosen ones can make the
facilitates fast, deep digging, while not
difference between a beautiful,
allowing the gardener, because of the
relatively weed-free garden and a
narrowness of the blade, to pick up too
tangled mess. Also, they can prevent
heavy a load of dirt at once, saving
injury and undue stress on the body
one from straining back muscles.
as well as save countless hours of
To save your knees
hard work. Some general principles in
selecting tools are: understand their
use, be sure they are built to last, and
Sometimes we have to do close work
L-R: Cobra Hand Hoe, Cape Cod Weeder,
Garden Spade, Action Hoe, West Country
Landscaping Gloves, Dry Touch Gloves
make certain they are comfortable to
use. Some suggestions for tools high
use. Another possibility is West
in utility, quality, and effectiveness
Country landscaping gloves
follow:
ingeniously fabricated from recycled
To save your hands
water bottles. They are tough and
designed to handle even the most
It is impossible to work in the garden
arduous gardening tasks, such as
with hands full of blisters, cuts,
working with stones and pavers, yet
abrasions, all prone to infection, nor
manage not to compromise dexterity
does one want unsightly calluses, the
for more delicate jobs. Virtually
culprits for making a bad impression
indestructible, they are padded at
when shaking hands. Good gloves will
pressure points to minimize wear and
save you these difficulties. Ones to
increase grip.
consider are Dry Touch, manufactured
in the garden that requires kneeling
and crawling, repetitive motions that
can leave one stiff in the joints and
sore for days. A goal for this kind of
work is to do it thoroughly so you won’t
have to do it often. Two tools to help
with this are the Cape Cod Weeder,
equipped with a short, sharp cutting
blade to get weeds out by the root. It is
designed for either right or left-handers
and comes with a 13 or 24-inch
handle. Use it with caution for it can be
quite dangerous. Another effective tool
for hands-and-knees work is the Cobra
Hand Hoe. It makes weeding,
To save your back
cultivating, furrowing, and edging
supple leather. Although expensive,
No one wants a sore back, and
comparatively easy. By all means,
they are unmatched for avoiding pricks
weeding and digging are two ways to
when engaged in garden activities that
and scratches and are indispensable
easily end up with this malady. Good
require kneeling and crawling, be sure
for the rosarian or cactus gardener.
tools help prevent such an unfortunate
to use a good thick kneepad.
Waterproof, they are comfortable in all
occurrence. The Action Hoe, a double-
temperatures and weather conditions
edged weeder, cultivator and edger,
and do not stiffen up after prolonged
makes these activities relatively
in the United Kingdom, of high quality,
effortless for one stands during the
LooseLeaf • May 2016 • page 3
—Greg Jones, MG 2014,
jones6063@verizon.net
(Disclaimer: Any mention of specific products or
businesses in LooseLeaf does not imply or
constitute endorsement by UME.)
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
View the MG electronic calendar in your preferred format: Month, Week or Agenda.
Click here for the calendar.
You will find times, locations, and contact info.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR MAY:
2 Bay-Wise meeting
5 Alpha Ridge Demo Garden
10 Continuing Education
13, 14 Whipps Plant Sale
20 LooseLeaf Deadline!
21 Alpha Ridge Demo Garden
24 Conservation Stewardship
25 Kids Container Gardening
WORK DAYS— Enchanted Garden (MIller Library) on Tuesdays
Whipps on Thursdays • HC Conservancy on Fridays
ASK A MASTER GARDENER—Volunteer for a session or two!
GARDENING & GIVING AT MT PLEASANT
May is one of our busiest months in the garden. From now until the end of October our
regular workdays are every Friday from 9 am to 11 am, weather permitting. We do not
work in the rain.
This month we will harvest cool season crops and plant warm season plants such as
th
peppers, squash and eggplants. Also, we will have a second plant sale on May 7 as
part of the Mother's Day Tea. Come join us in the garden whenever you can!
There will be one more middle school service learning program this month. MGs will
help supervise small groups of students in removing invasives, planting trees and doing
trail maintenance. Task instructions for each group will be given a half-hour before
students arrive. Plan now to volunteer:
May 9 and 10 from 9:15 am - 12:15 pm • Thomas Viaduct Middle School
Also coming up in late May is our major fundraiser event, the proceeds of which benefit
the Conservancy's environmental education and preservation programs held throughout
the year. Stroll through the garden tasting fine wine and craft beer, sample food
from local restaurants/caterers, listen to bluegrass music and browse our large silent
auction filled with unique items such as artwork, getaways and more. This event will
move inside in the event of inclement weather.
May 26th, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm • "Wine in the Garden/Beer in the Barn"
Visit the Conservancy website at www.hcconservancy.org to get tickets for this major
fundraiser event.
Come out to Mt. Pleasant to hike the trails and see the farm in full bloom!
To Volunteer for the May school programs, please contact MG Jo Ann Russo by phone
(410-549-8403) or by email.
—Jo Ann Russo, MG 1997, jrusso1104@comcast.net
LooseLeaf • May 2016 • page 4
CONSERVATION RAIN GARDEN AT ALPHA RIDGE
Bring your garden gloves and hand tools to help weed,
plant, trim, mulch and move a few small rocks! We’ll be
working on the garden at Alpha Ridge to make it more
attractive to pollinators. Join your MG friends and learn
about all of the plants that we care for in this garden. It’s
right near the entrance, close to the gazebo. And there’s
plenty of parking right next to the garden.
May 5 from 10 am to 12 noon
May 21 from 9 am to 12 noon
June 2 from 10 am to 12 noon
Remember to bring water, sunscreen and probably a hat
as the weather warms up. Please let Linda Olson (410404-4187) or LJ Mauceri (410-442-8201) know you’re
coming.
Note: It would be great to have lots of folks on Saturday,
May 21. That’s the same date for a compost demo and
rain barrel giveaway, so we should be able to attract the
attention of many Howard County residents!
—LJ Mauceri, MG 2015, ljmauceri@aol.com
BARBERRY BUSTIN' AT THE MPEA
Join us on May 24 from 9:00 to 11:30 am for our
monthly Conservation Stewardship activity. This time
we’ll be working on removing Japanese barberry, a
formidable foe in the environmental area. Controlling
this nuisance plant will require continued action over
many years. Luckily our steadfast helpers are adept at
removing it! On this day we’ll dig, yank and wrench
these spiny shrubs from the ground. We might even
remove some invasive basketgrass, too. Long pants
and shirt sleeves are recommended but spine-proof
gloves are a must. We’ll gather at the Trotter Road
entrance.
MPEA (Middle Patuxent Environmental Area) includes
a diversity of habitat types, including upland and
bottomland hardwood forest, fields, wetlands, ponds
and riparian habitats. MGs partner with Howard County
Recreation & Parks for the Conservation Stewardship
program from March to November. Note: We skip July
and August!
—Aylene Gard, MG 1998, kgmerger@verizon.net
LooseLeaf • May 2016 • page 5
2016 CONTINUING EDUCATION SPEAKER SERIES
MGs, Watershed Stewards, Master Naturalists and their guests are welcome to attend. All sessions will be held
at the UME office, except for the field trip on September 13. Check the MG electronic calendar for updates.
For questions, contact: Karin DeLaitsch kdlaitsch@gmail.com or Joanna Cumbie rladywalking@msn.com
M AY 10
9:30 - 11:00 am
JUNE 14
9:30 - 11:00 am
AUGUST 9
9:30 - 11:00 am
This workshop focuses on conservation landscaping practices,
woodland aesthetic design
considerations, forest botanical
enterprise opportunities, and
forest bathing (shinrin-yoku).
Wildflowers: Fact and
Folklore
Irvine Nature Center
representative
The Pollinator Observation
Survey
Olivia Bernauer, Masters
Student at University of MD
Woodland Gardening
Workshop
Lyle Almond, Forest Stewardship Educator at Wye Research
and Education Center
Learn about ecology, legends, and
folklore of Maryland's wildflowers.
Olivia is from the Dept of Entomology
A $35 registration fee includes a fullcolor 130 page manual, The Woods in
Your Backyard, as well as Chesapeake
Conservation Landscaping Council’s
Conservation Landscaping Guidelines,
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and
Conservation Landscaping.
SECOND ANNUAL MG DAY AT MILLER LIBRARY GARDEN
Saturday, June 18 is MG Day in the Enchanted Garden at Miller Library. Plan now to join your colleagues from
10:30 am to 1:00 pm. We’ll learn from each other about composting, vegetable gardening, plants for pollinators,
pruning, herbs, rain gardens and more!
This event exemplifies our mission: To educate Howard County residents about safe, effective and sustainable
horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes and communities.
The objectives is to have MGs at different locations around the garden available to answer questions from
visitors. The Miller Branch has lots of customer traffic, especially on Saturday mornings. The library will promote
the event between now and June 18, and we’ll have a notice in the kiosk just outside the garden gate. We
currently have a small poster as part of the MG window display near the indoor café at the library.
If you would like to volunteer, please let Ann Hackeling or Janine Grossman know. Hope to see you there!
—Ann Hackeling, MG 2013, ann.hackeling@hclibrary.org
—Janine Grossman, MG 2012, janinegrossman@gmail.com
LooseLeaf • May 2016 • page 6
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO HERB GARDENING
What is an herb? Here’s a definition given in the tried
and true Rodale Herb Book (1972, rodaleinstitute.org):
An herb is a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal,
savory, or aromatic qualities. To this day, herbs
continue to be basics for the apothecary and medical
tool bag. Herbs add delicious flavors to cooking;
extraordinary, subtle, sharp, sweet, or tangy. The
fragrance of herbs perfumes homes and gardens alike.
Herbs can be tender annuals, such as basil or
borage. Chamomile is a good example of a hardy
annual. Tender perennials include rosemary and
curry plant. Hardy perennial include my favorites,
lavender and sage.
With the right know-how, you can create and maintain an
herb garden, from a pot of basil on the windowsill to a
formal English knot garden. Let’s start with the basics.
Herbs are the old souls of a garden. They carry ancient
knowledge and lore about soothing, scenting, healing,
tasting. They are our kindred spirits; there is at least
some piece of an herb that can delight us, feed us, or
comfort us. Herbs have been a way of human life for
centuries, offering great and varied utility, as well as
beauty.
Herbs are known as simple plants with simple requirements and resilient qualities.
Growing your own herbs boils down to having:
 climate natural for your herbs,
 mostly sandy soil,
 good drainage,
 6-8 hours a day of sunlight*, and
 a healthy gift of compost and mulch.
You can start your herb garden with seeds, cuttings,
divisions, or with healthy plants from your local garden
shop. The best propagation method will depend on the
herb you want to grow. Do your homework first. A
reliable source of further detailed information can be
found at The Herb Society of America, which also has
a useful Facebook page. Check out the Maryland.gov
site for a brief list of native and invasive herbs in our
state. And an excellent resource for seminars on herbs
can be found at our own Maryland Master Gardeners
extension page.
*more on sun and partial shade herbs next issue.
—Pattee Fletcher, MG 2014, patteefletcher@yahoo.com
MG EMAIL PROTOCOLS
Guidelines and protocols for emails sent via the Howard County MG Yahoo group listserv were
created in 2015. They are posted on our web page. Here’s a link. Below is an excerpt. Be sure to
review the protocols when you have a few minutes. Your fellow MGs will thank you!
Email protocols excerpt: “We are a reflection of the University of Maryland and should not post
controversial information with no research-based sources. Our members have widely diverging
viewpoints, especially on hot-button issues. We encourage thoughtful and respectful discussion
on all relevant gardening topics. When you post, state whether you are expressing your own
opinion or what sources you are referencing, and keep your tone and content professional and
respectful. Do not engage in confrontational back-and-forth emails. Take those discussions offline
or limit them to the specific individuals engaged in the discussion.”
LooseLeaf • May 2016 • page 7
PATUXENT RESEARCH REFUGE SCHOOLYARD HABITAT
I love the unfolding seasons! It’s mid-spring now and everyday there are new delights to discover
in the garden.
By the time you read this, the
delightful Redbud, Cercis Canadensis,
gracing the unrestored lower end of
the Schoolyard Habitat will have
finished blooming and new colors will
take it’s place. This tree will look even
prettier when we have the manpower
(hint) to restore this section of the
garden, surrounding it with other
native plants.
Watch your step though, as tiny
surprises grace the grass below your
feet, such as this unidentified violet.
Inside the Schoolyard Habitat (SYH) other colors unfold, some
unwelcome. By the pathway in the restored pollinator garden, we
have two native plant species and one exotic. Can you identify the
exotic? It surprised us in this section which has been restored for 2
years now. (Answer below)
Restoring the ecosystem includes
leaving the leaf litter in place. It is
fabulous mulch, rich in nutrients for
the plants, and protects the soil
from erosion. It sheltered our
insect friends over the winter
including this tiny moth near an
open oak gall on a leaf where
another critter had overwintered.
Our workdays are companionable fun in the sun.
We’d love to have you join us!
Upcoming workdays and planning days:
Wednesday, May 4, 9 am-noon: workday
Wednesday, May 4, noon-1 pm: Planning Meeting
Wednesday, May 11, 9 am-noon: workday
Sunday,
May 15, 9 am-noon: workday
Wednesday, May 18, 9 am-noon: workday
Sunday,
May 22, 9 am-noon: workday
Wednesday, May 25, 9 am-noon: workday
Sunday,
May 29, 9 am-noon: workday
Wednesday, June 1, 9 am-noon: workday
Wednesday, June 1, noon-1 pm: Planning Meeting
To volunteer please contact:
Ann Coren, Master Gardener (MG 2013) coordinating
the project, anncoren@hotmail.com or
Diana Ogilvie, Ranger and Volunteer Coordinator at
the PRR, Diana_Ogilvie@fws.gov, 301-497-5565.
(Mystery plant answer: The purple flower, an exotic phlox, is
unwelcome. The two species of white flowers are Plantain-leaved
Pussytoes, Antennaria plantaginifolia, and Field Chickweed,
Cerastium arvense.) All photos by Ann Coren.
LooseLeaf • May 2016 • page 8
LATIN FOR GARDENERS
May’s Native Maryland Plant: Lindera benzoin (lin-DEER-ruh ben-ZOE-in)
Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume (Northern Spicebush) is a woodland shrub that can be found blooming in Maryland from
March through May. It is strongly aromatic with a citrusy scent and provides high wildlife value. In spring its small
yellow flowers appear in clusters close to the stem. It provides multiple season interest as its green obovate leaves
turn a brilliant yellow in the fall. Lindera benzoin is a dioecious plant; the female will develop bright red fruits
(drupes) if a male plant is nearby. This makes the plant a real “star” in the late summer and fall landscape when the
red berries appear against the green and then bright yellow leaves—if they are not first eaten by the birds!
The genus Lindera commemorates Johann Linder (1626-1724) a Swedish botanist. The specific epithet benzoin
means “fragrant resin” and refers to the aromatic scent of the bark, leaf, twig and flower of this plant.
The unique spring flowers, bright red drupes and fall color make this a very attractive native shrub, but the value of
this plant doesn’t stop there. Lindera benzoin is also the larval host plant for the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly
(Papilio Troilus).
Observe Lindera benzoin in the landscape and you too may feel compelled to feature it in a poem as the famous
poet Sara Teasdale did.
—Alison Milligan, MG 2013, ali_milligan@yahoo.com
LooseLeaf • May 2016 • page 9
THE SPICEBUSH IN MARCH
by Sara Teasdale, 1884-1933
Spicebush, yellow spicebush, tell me
Where you found so much clear gold?
Every branch and every twig
Has as much as it can hold,
Flaunting before tattered winter
Your new dress the wind whips round–
Color, color! You were first,
You dredged and drew it from the ground!
FREE
GARDEN LECTURES
Free garden lectures are
being offered at Behnke’s
Nursery in Beltsville. These
informative lectures include
PowerPoint presentations,
live plants, and hands-on
demonstrations. Preregistration is requested.
RHODODENDRON AND AZALEA SALE
The Mason-Dixon Chapter of the American Rhododendron
Society will have two shows this spring. The first will be at
Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Ave, Baltimore, on
Saturday, May 14, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The second
show will be at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, 2205 Old
Liberty Road, Eldersburg. MD, from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm on
Saturday, May 28.
A variety of rhododendrons and azaleas will be on display
and for sale. Companion plants such as hostas, hollies,
For a list of upcoming
various native plants, and perennials will also be available.
lectures and access to their
pre-registration forms,
visit Behnke’s Upcoming
Events Page:
For more information, call 717-420-5464 or 410-321-6822,
or e-mail mdrhodies@hotmail.com
—Corliss Glennon, MG 2003, tilycog@comcast.net
http://behnkes.com/upcoming-events/
LooseLeaf • May 2016 • page 10