Lower Eastern Shore MG Program - 2013 Highlights · Lower Eastern Shore MG Program - 2013 Highlights • Master Gardens held ‘Ask a Master Gardener’ informational booths at the

Lower Eastern Shore MG Program - 2013 Highlights

• MasterGardensheld‘AskaMasterGardener’informationalboothsattheBetterLivingExpobytheSalisburyOptimistClub,theOceanCityHome,CondoandGardenshowandtheOceanPinesHomeandGardenshow.TheyhighlightedGrowIt,EatItwithadisplayoffreshgrownlettuceandpassedoutlet-tucepackagesplusHG16,plantingdatesforvegetablesandotherfactsheetsaswellasthenewFertiliz-erLawnlawandaccompanyingfactsheets.

• MasterGardenersheldPlantClinicattheOceanPinesLibraryfromMay–September,everyTuesdayfrom1-4pm.Therewasoftenalineofhomegardenerswaitingtoasktheirquestionsandhavetheirplantinsects,diseasesandproblemslookedat,identifiedandsuggestionsgivenforcontrol

• MasterGardenerscontinuetheirworkattheBerlinLibraryCommunityGardentoplant,carefor,harvestanddonatevegetablestoDiakonia,alocalcommunityshelterandStevensonUnitedMethodistChurchandusedinlibraryprograms.Theyhavebeenabletoexpandtheirsmallgardenareawithgrantstheywrote.Thisyeartheywereawardeda$300.00grantfromKitchenGardenersInternationalandtheCommunityFoundationoftheEasternShoretocreate2newraisedbeds,withsomeofthematerialsdonatedbyalocalcompanyEasternShoreForestProducts.http://kgi.org/blog/kmunson/berlin-library-garden-shares-knowledge-and-produce-support-kgi.TheprojectisbeingledbyLowerShoreWorcesterCountyMasterGardenersandLESSON(LocalEasternShoreSustainableOrganicNetwork)withsupportfromWorcesterCountyandMarylandCoastalBaysProgramandproducesbetween600-800poundsoffreshproduceannually.Theyhavealsoinstallednativebeeboxes!

• EveryMaytheMasterGardenersmanover5learningstationsforover3,000childrenand500chaper-onstoteachthemthatfoodcomesfromthefarmsandgardensbeforeitgetstoastore.

• MasterGardenershelpat2NativePlantDaysinMay,oneinWorcesterCountyandoneinWicomicoCounty,helpingcommunitygardenerswithnativeplantgrowingneeds,raingardenconceptsandplant-ingdirections.

• MasterGardenerscelebratePollinatorsWeekatthelocalSalisburyZoowithaninformationboothpackedwithfactsheetsonplantsforpollinatorsandinformationonthevarioustypesofpollinators.Samplesofplantsthatattractpollinatorsandbutterflygardensarealsoondisplay.

• MasterGardenershelpedoutattheDelmarvaChickenFestivalwithan“AskAMasterGardener”boothcompletewithmanyfactsheetsonvegetablegardeningandthenewFertilizerLawnLaw.

• 18newMasterGardenerInternsstartedtheirtrainingand16completedthecourseandpassedtheirMGexam

• TheAdvancedMasterGardenerstrainingtakesplacethefirstTuesdayofeachmonth,latemorningattheOceanPinesLibrary(sothereistimeforPlantClinic)andeveningattheWicomicoExtensionOfficetoaccommodateboththeMG’swhoareavailableduringthedayandthosethatstillworkandcanonlyattendintheevening.Continuingeducationhadmanyinterestinginvitedspeakers.

Blossom Harris and Linda Mazzaccaro have created a Pizza Garden to help children who come to the 3 day Farm Tour that food comes from farms and gardens. We have about 3000 children (ages 3-6) and over 500 chaperones during the 3 days and the Master Gardeners have created many wonderful learning stations like a butterfly garden, Pizza Garden, touch and Smell Garden and a vegetable relay game where the children race to pick up plastic food and then race back and place them in protein basket, vegetable basket, fruit basket, and dessert basket.

Mike Embry and Lisa Murphy set up for our annual Pollinators Day at Salisbury Zoo. We have a number of MGs who come to help visiters to the zoo learn about butterflies, bees and other pollinators, how to start a pollinators garden, etc.