NEWSLETTER
TALBOT COUNTY • 28577 MARY’S COURT, SUITE 1 • EASTON, MD 21601 • (410) 822-1244 • FAX
IN THE GARDEN
Talbot County Master Gardener Newsletter
Winter 2016
Volume XI, Issue I
IN THIS ISSUE:
2— Good Eats; Recipes
3— “Planting in a PostWild World”; Review
4—5 ’Shroom in the
Room
6— Winter Interest
From the Desk of Mikaela Boley
Sometimes you need a new look for a new year. Just like a good haircut, small changes
can make you feel a little more fresh, a little more modern. I feel the same way about
January– it’s a time for a fresh beginning and new thoughts. I’m not just talking about
New Year’s resolutions (although there are plenty of those as well). There are three
questions I like to ask every January:
1. What has worked in the last year?
2. What did not work last year?
3. What would I like to do differently this year?
7— Ask Mikaela
These questions might apply to gardening, but I think they transcend many practices. I
hope you will share with me what you, as Master Gardeners or members of the
8—9 MG Events and An- community, would like to see from the Master Gardener program in 2016.
nouncements
I am so pleased to continue being part of the program for another year, and I look
“Anyone who thinks
forward to the new challenges and opportunities of 2016. Happy New Year everyone!
gardening begins in the
spring and ends in the fall is
missing the best part of the
whole year; for gardening
begins in January with the
dream.”
-Josephine Nuese
CheersMikaela Boley
HELLEBORES– A welcome relief of color and interest in the winter months.
Check out page 6 for more winter interest information.
Photo Credit: Caroline Jeffra
Educating People to Help Themselves
Local Governments • U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating
The University of Maryland is equal opportunity. The University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources programs are open to all and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or national origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity and
expression. Inquiries regarding compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the
Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990; or related legal requirements should be directed to the Director of Human Resources Management, Office of the Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural
Resources, Symons Hall, College Park, MD 20742.
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2
Good Eats;
“Recipes that will keep you satisfied”
White Bean and Ham Soup
“A good recipe from leftover
Christmas meat.”
1 lbs dried cannellini beans
8 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 ham hock
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp mustard powder
2 bay leaves
2 cups chopped ham
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Mushroom and Leek Frittata
“Leeks are a good winter vegetable, and
you can grow your own mushrooms at
home (check out pages 4-5).”
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium leeks, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
12 large eggs
1/2 cup crème fraiche (or sour cream)
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
3/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Rinse beans, sorting out any discolored or
broken ones. In a large pot over high heat,
bring water to boil. Add salt and the beans,
and remove from heat. Let beans sit in hot
water for at least 1 hour.
After soaking beans, return pot to high heat
and place ham bone, carrots, celery, onion,
garlic, mustard, and bay leaves into pot.
Stir well, bring to boil, reduce heat to low
and simmer for 1 more hour.
Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in
chopped ham and simmer for 30 min.
Season with ground pepper to taste.
*Adapted from AllRecipes.com
Whisk eggs, crème fraiche, and parsley in
a large bowl; mix in 1/2 cup cheese.
Season with salt and pepper.
Increase heat to medium-high and add
remaining Tbsp oil to skillet. Pour egg
mixture over mushrooms, shaking pan to
evenly distribute. Cook the frittata, without
stirring, until edges begin to set (about 5
min).
Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over
eggs and transfer skillet to oven. Bake
frittata until golden brown and center is set
Preheat oven to 350. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a (25-30 min).
10-inch non-stick ovenproof skillet over
medium heat. Add leeks; cook, stirring, for Can be served warm or at room
5 min. Add mushrooms and cook until temperature– a perfect do-ahead dish for
softened and liquid is evaporated (8-10 brunch.
*Recipe from Bon Appetit
min).
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Book Review:
“Planting in a Post-Wild World”
Review by: Melinda Hudson
Thomas Rainer and Claudia West were the headliners at the
Adkins Arboretum Annual Symposium cohosted by the Garden
Club of Oxford. Their new book, Planting in a Post-Wild World
– Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes.
gives us a fresh look at the ‘tension in which nature still exists
– its continued disappearance in the world, its expanding
potential in the urban and suburban areas’.
Rather than lamenting paved parking lots, monocultures, and
closely cropped lawns, Rainer and West offer a hopeful view of
the resilience of nature and encourage us to take another look
at the possibilities all around us. The authors remind us the
salvation of nature in our developed communities is in our own
hands, our yards, alleys, schools, even those ‘hell strips’ along
the curb.
Rainer and West were both interested in sustainability and in beautiful design. They studied how
plants ‘fit’ together to create a more resilient – and less high maintenance - garden. There are
additional layers and dimensions in nature of which we do not fully take advantage when we’re
designing our gardens. The result is less beauty, less resilience, more work. We need consider
every little space as an opportunity for biodiversity and plant performance and take advantage of
how plants behave together, from their roots to their reach.
It’s also a profoundly practical book. The mantra is management not maintenance. Think about a
‘green mulch’ of plants that suppress weeds while adding to the diversity of your garden. Tote up
all the hours we spend pulling weeds out of our mulch. Other than the excellent hamstring stretch
and plenty of blood rushing to the brain, I think I could find another more satisfying way to be out
in nature.
Also, I now know what’s been bugging me about our garden. We love these Eastern Shore
meadows, forests and wetlands, their mighty sweeps and seasonal statements. Who doesn’t? We
have a little patch of each and over the years we’ve tried to create more of them. We’ve put in lots
of natives, battled acres of invasives, and reduced runoff. It’s a much ‘healthier’ landscape now
and we have enjoyed the abundant pollinators and the company of those who eat them. But the
tended areas ‘don’t look right’. In their descriptive language, I see they’re either ‘over curated’ or
just plain ‘illegible’. With the concepts of dominant species, seasonal drama, repetition, orderly
frames and particularly what’s underneath the plants at the ground level, I can why the garden
feels discordant. And with the concept of ‘plant sociability’, I can see what is destined to fail.
If your goal is a stylized version of the wild, as is mine, race out to buy this book. As for me, I’ll be
moving plants this fall and filling the spaces beneath them with compatible, practical and natural
green mulch, dreaming of a weed free spring.
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4
A ‘Shroom in the Room
I’m completely guilty of the impulse purchase. There’s a reason stores stash candy,
magazines, and chapstick at the checkout line— it works. It’s like the business
understands my inherent need for Haribo gummy bears. Even in the “health” stores, I
find myself faced with the wall of last-minute goods as I’m waiting to make my
purchase.
But this time, it was different.
On a table at the end of my very long checkout line was a display of products for
growing herbs in cans that sit on the windowsill in the kitchen, or shallow pans of
instant-grow wheat grass for your cat. Intrigued by this new wave of small-space
gardening (no matter how small), I wanted to try one of these products. After all,
Master Gardeners have done countless projects with container gardening. Not having
any experience with growing mushrooms (at least not on purpose), I chose the box for
a Mushroom Mini Farm.
It seemed too easy– the box has many claims, like “Just Add Water!” or “Harvest in
10 Days!” I was sceptical. But following the instructions on the box, and there aren’t
very many, I have been pleasantly surprised by this experiment. I dutifully
documented the process, and continue to be pleased with the progress made.
Bonus: when I shared a photo with the manufacturer of my mushrooms and I,
they donated a mushroom mini-farm to an elementary school classroom/teacher of
my choice! We’ll see if they follow through.
A fairly unassuming product. The box is roughly 8
inches high by 4 inches wide by 4 inches deep.
There is a flimsy cardboard handle on top, just in
case you wanted to carry it around and show it off
like a new purse.
It comes with pre-packaged growing media made
of corn cob and saw dust, covered in mycelium.
You punch out a window in this box, and cut
through the pre-packaged material underneath to
get started.
Once you cut an “X” in the plastic underneath, you
have to scrape the white mycelium with a knife or
fork to start the growth.
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(continued from page 4)
Once you have made your cuts, the package must be
removed from the cardboard box and soaked in a bucket
of water for 8 hours. It is recommended you place the cut
surface face-down in the water, since they package will
not sink or fill up with water. This exposes the surface to
moisture you will need to get started.
After the package has been soaked, you can place it
back in the cardboard box with the cut surface facing out
the window. It is recommended you place the box on a
windowsill near sunlight, but not in direct sunlight. This
concludes the setup for your mushroom farm.
Above: Cut surface of the package with
“scraped” mycelium to get started.
Below: Bucket of water and soaking
package
Bottom: Day 6 of mushroom growth.
After that, every day you must mist or spray water on the
surface of the growing media so that it will continue to stay
moist. You will notice the beginnings of mushrooms on the
surface after only a few days.
The company suggests that you may start harvesting
mushrooms after 10-14 days. Since I am only 7 days in
at the time of writing this article, I cannot comment on the
taste or harvesting of the Oyster mushrooms (which is
the only kind available in the Mushroom Mini Farm kit).
However, I am pleasantly surprised by the ease and
novelty of the project, and have been thoroughly
entertained. Since mushrooms have a very short shelflife, it is an ingenious way to get fresh resources. It is
also a very easy and low-maintenance project to do with
children (or if you are an enthusiastic adult).
There is an important message in this experiment;
growing fresh foods is obtainable in even the smallest of
spaces. It is a small step towards exploring what can be
done in the average home, or even if you have a black
thumb. What sort of healthy steps can you take in your
home today?
Disclaimer: Mikaela Boley and the University of
Maryland Extension Service does not endorse any brand
or company. This article is merely a reflection of a
personal experiment, and does not advocate for the
purchase of this product.
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Adding Winter Interest
in the Garden
By: Pam Keeton
As we face the bleak days of January and February, I wanted to share an interesting read from
last winter -- “The Layered Garden” by David Culp. The book is at the Easton Library and
contains a wealth of information on creating winter interest in the garden.
I have always incorporated plants into my garden that bloom or have color at various times of
the year – from spring bulbs to fall mums to evergreens that stay green through winter. As many
people do, I accepted the traditional view that winter is a time for gardens to rest. But through
David’s book and other research, I’ve discovered plants that offer a wide range of color in winter
- from berries and stems to grasses and bark. And there are even a few plants that bloom in
winter, which I thought too good to be true.
According to Culp, Snowdrops will bloom October through April in our region. I’ve never tried
them, but the thought of a blossom peaking through the snow is fun. I am intrigued with
Hellebores and Witch Hazel, which also bloom in February. I added Hellebores to my wooded
gardens last spring because they are tolerate of shade and are said to be “deer proof.”
Common names of Hellebores include Lenten rose and Christmas rose. They eventually
disappeared over the summer and were replaced by Hostas planted nearby, but they are
blooming now.
In addition to adding visual impact in the garden during winter, some plants also provide food for
birds and other wildlife, such as winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), American Beautyberry
(Callicarpa Americana) and Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia). Last spring I planted two
beautyberries and, over the summer, added several more graciously given to me by Lynn
Freeburger. I am now enjoying the splash of color from the bright purple berries. We also have
holly bushes that produce bright red berries against dark green leaves and black stems. They
were here when we purchased our home three years ago and are stunning in the snow. The
bushes sit outside my dining room windows and provide lots of entertainment when the birds
begin diving into them for berries.
Grasses are often over-looked when it comes to gardens. Three years ago we constructed a
rain garden that contains three different grasses, each of which provides different colors
throughout the seasons. The Tussock Sedge (Carex stricta) remained beautiful through much
of last winter.
While reading Culp’s book I began assembling a list of the plants I’d like to try for winter interest.
I guess one could call it the curse and another could call it the beauty of gardening – there’s
always something new to try and now I don’t have to feel constrained by winter.
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Ask Your Horticulturist:
Dear Mikaela,
The squirrels are incorrigible. They constantly go after my
bird feeders. What can I do to discourage or get rid of them?
-Squirrel Summit
Dear Squirrel Summit,
Tree squirrels are very voracious this time of year, and you
can hardly blame them for going after free food! There might
be a couple of modifications or options depending on where
you live, and how badly you would like the squirrels to leave.
There are several non-lethal measures to take with your bird
feeders. You can modify the feeder with a baffle (dome) that
will block squirrel access to the feeder.
You can also add baffles to the wires of
suspended feeders. Baffles can be
home-made with a soda bottle, or
bought commercially. You may also
install a 2-inch diameter plastic pipe
(several feet long) over the wires to
discourage travel. Milo and millet seed
is also less attractive to squirrels.
Mikaela
Boley
is
the
Horticulturist
and
Master
Gardener
Coordinator
for
University
of
Maryland
Extension in Talbot County.
The Extension Office often has
questions from homeowners
and members of the public
regarding home gardening,
soil testing, plant and insect
identification, plus much more.
Do you have a question that
needs answering? Want to talk
gardening or get advice for
environmentally
friendly
practices in the residential
landscape?
Please contact Mikaela Boley,
My favorite option is to provide an
alternative food source in a convenient
location. Wiring or nailing a corn cob to
a post will do the trick. There are
several spinning squirrel feeders that
would entertain you, as well as occupy
the squirrel.
If you take more extreme measures, be sure trapping and
shooting is legal for your property. Check with your local
county/city/town ordinances prior to taking action.
-Mikaela
Home
Horticulturist
and
Master Gardener Coordinator
at (410) 822-1244 ext. 12, or
by email mboley@umd.edu.
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8
Upcoming Events
and Dates– 2016
Cabin Fever Relievers
Horticulture Therapy
Calling all Master Gardeners! We ar e looking for
speakers, presenters, or demonstrations for our 2016
Cabin Fever Reliever series at Brooklett’s Senior
Center the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of February and
March, 10:30-11:30AM.
We are continuing to do horticulture therapy
at The Pines in Easton.
It can be any topic of your interest– as long as it
pertains to horticulture, environment, or landscape (or
beyond). Feel free to partner with a friend.
Visits are every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the
month– visits are 30-45 minutes. Gatherings
are at 2:30pm. Grab a partner and sign up for
the following dates:



January 14th & 28th
February 11th & 25th
March 10th & 24th
I.A.L Lecture Series
Speakers needed– Fridays, May 6– 27th, 10:30AMNOON. Located at the Higher Education Center .
Contact Mikaela at mboley@umd.edu to
sign up.
Talbot County Master Gardener
Monthly Meetings
January 20th- Easton Library
Happy New Year! For our January meeting, we will
be discussing 2016 programming, as well as
presenting pins for volunteer service and Bay-Wise
signage for our designated volunteers.
Time: 9:30AM-11:00AM
February 17th- TBA
Speaker and location TBA.
Time: 9:30AM-11:00AM
DID YOU KNOW...
Master Gardeners have a Facebook
page? You can find us online at by
clicking here. Or, search “Talbot County
Master Gardeners” and follow our page!
We include photos from recent activities,
advice, and recent news items.
Remember to “Like” us!
March 16th– TBA
Speaker Mike Rajacich from Delmarva Nesting Foundation. Location TBA
Time: 9:30AM-11:00AM
Please contact Mikaela Boley, Master Gardener Coordinator with any question or to volunteer to help
with a program at mboley@umd.edu or 410-822-1244.
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Do you have newsletter item?
We accept news items, poems, gardening advice,
recipes, book reviews, and everything gardening!
Please send to Mikaela Boley at mboley@umd.edu.
PAGE
9
ASK YOUR HORTICULTURIST:
Is there a garden
bothering you?
“Ask Mikaela”
mboley@umd.edu
question
that
is
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.
If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener, call our University of Maryland
Extension Office at 410-822-1244
You can also visit the Maryland Master Gardeners website at: http:/extension.umd.edu/mg
and the Talbot County Extension website at: http:/extension.umd.edu/talbot-county
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