Monthly Newsletter November 2016...1 Art Explosion Image Library The Garden Fence Monthly Newsletter – November 2016 Harford County Master Gardeners The 20th MG reunion was a big

1

Art Explosion Image Library

The Garden Fence Monthly Newsletter – November 2016

Harford County Master Gardeners

The 20th MG reunion was a big event in October. So many people worked to make this party a success. I want to thank Joan Parris and Eleanor Cone for chairing the committee that planned and launched our Reunion. There was so much more, though, that made this event a success. Thanks to the office staff, specifically Robin Wigley, for all of her assistance in many different capacities. Thanks to the people who helped serve on the Planning Committee, those who contacted and arranged for our speaker, and those who found a location and decorated the room so beautifully. Thanks to those who bought and bagged the bulbs, and those who decorated the bags so well. Thanks to the people who brought the food and drinks, those who decorated the tables, and those who set up the chairs. And thanks to those who made centerpieces and bouquets. Many thanks to those who tore down the chairs and tables afterwards, and to those who cleaned everything up! Thanks to those who made sure that everything at the Reunion flowed smoothly. In writing this, I realized that MG reunion was a product of many pairs of hands. Please accept my grateful thanks to everyone who helped with the event. And thanks to all who came, because it couldn’t have been a Reunion without you!

~Ellen Haas – 2013

Inside this Issue President’s Message 1 Greenhouse Tour 2 Wendell Berry 4 Green Tomatoes 5 Training 5 Calendar of Events 7 Officers Ellen Haas President Anne Spelman Vice President Nancy Cohen Secretary Jane Howe Secretary Kathy Ullrich Treasurer Quick Links Harford County Extension Office Home & Garden Info Center MG Hours Online

HCEO Closed Veterans Day November 11, 2016 Thanksgiving Day November 24, 2016

President’s Message

2

Last month I went on the Production Greenhouse Insider Tour at Longwood Gardens. I was very excited to get a peek behind the curtain and thought the opportunity would make for a great newsletter article. I arrived pen and reporter’s journal in hand, iPhone camera at the ready. Intensely listening, taking notes and photographs, I was not the average Longwood guest based on the fact that the tour guide asked my sister the question “what exactly is she doing?” At the end of the tour I had note pages filled with interesting facts but no solid newsletter article theme. Even after dwelling on how to present the diverse information that I absorbed, I was a victim of writer’s block. Then the idea came to me, I could take everyone along with me on a virtual tour. The tour begins in the Conservatory, which was built in 1919 by Pierre S. du Pont. Over the years it has been periodically expanded and currently houses 4.5 acres of growing space. Each year Longwood acquires about 250 new specimens. They are exposed to changes in growing conditions including light, growing medium, water, and fertilizer. The goal is to make the plant the most optimal. Of the 250 items only about 1/3 make it on display. The remaining 2/3 are divided, with half being discarded and the other half being reevaluated the following year. This strict evaluation process adheres to Mr. du Pont’s belief that each plant should be like a specimen that is on display. Current employees describe part of their mission as “showing ordinary plants in extraordinary ways.” This introduction begs the question, where do these extraordinary display plants come from? The answer lies at the back door of the Conservatory in the 30,000-square-foot production greenhouse facility, consisting of nine greenhouses.

The first stop is at the compost facility in the garage. Large in-ground bins are labeled and sorted by various brown and green inputs, with weeds and diseased plants removed from the compost stream. Once the appropriate amount of raw materials are collected they are moved to another location, mixed and piled into wind rows for frequent turning to aid in the

heating process. Based on the input ingredients, the compost facility produces five different types of compost. Now go down the steps and walk towards the head greenhouse. Just outside of the house stop and enjoy the trial bed. It is filled with various plants, in no particular order. What is striking is that it

Longwood Gardens - Production Greenhouse Insider Tour

3

appears as any run-of-the-mill home flowerbed and yet it resides aside of a state-of-the-art greenhouse facility. The head greenhouse contains the central operating utilities and is used as a potting shed. There is a basement or as described on the Longwood website, “a subterranean mechanical empire” that not

only is home to the vast system of steam and condensation pipes but also provides storage for bulbs and roots, such as the canna roots that are currently being used in research. Longwood is researching production of smaller canna lilies that can be grown easier by home growers, as well as, cannas that are self-cleaning, meaning that they drop their dead flower and do not need to be dead-headed. There is an IPM, integrated pest management, laboratory where they are responsible for knowing when and how many “bad” bugs will erupt. They are able to tell if there are more bugs then expected or if the bugs arrive at an unusual time. Choice IPM practices include hand picking bugs and the use of bio packs, containing good guy eggs that hatch and feed on the bad guys. In theory the good guys return to the bio packs to breed and repeat the process. The IPM laboratory also maintains a collection of bugs, growing bad bugs to feed to the good bugs in the Conservatory. One other interesting IPM practice is the use of cats.

Moving along into the long-light growing greenhouse several innovations are on display. First is the rolling table system that is used to maximize space. Greenhouse conditions are controlled by an Argus computerized system. The system controls lighting, watering, fertilizing, temperatures, bench and perimeter heat, roof snow melters, and shading systems. Lighting controls are specialized by cool light for plant foliage growth and warm light for bud production and blooming. Each winter the long-light growing greenhouse is home to the blue-poppy (Meconopsis “Lingholm”) which are native to the Himalayan Mountains. The Argus system turns the greenhouse into daytime in the wintertime. Every morning at 4:00 a.m. the system creates daytime until 8:00 p.m. at night. The greenhouse is so bright that the staff needs to wear sunglasses. A major danger for these elusive plants is snow on the roof of the greenhouse. The poppies do not like shade or heat. The staff must use a delicate balance of the roof snow melters and open windows to keep the poppies happy. Since the longer the snow sits on the roof the harder to remediate the problem there are a group of houses on the Longwood property that are rented to staff but can be used as a quick response alternative during weather emergencies. As we move to our next stop we pass the big green mixer. It is a computerized system were you can enter the Latin name of a plant and it will produce the optimal soil mixture. Down the hall from the big green mixer is the walk-in cooler. It is utilized to help stop plants from going into bloom and also for some bulb storage.

4

The propagation greenhouse uses an evaporated cooling system and is not equipped with air conditioning. It has shade curtains available on the roof of the greenhouse. It uses the same rolling tables as seen earlier but these are equipped with tubes under the table that provide heat via steam to the seedlings. Our last stop on the tour is a long beautiful row of basil, which will be used to create something delectable this year. I’ve been told that it can be found at Longwood this winter. Longwood also partners with a local chocolatier to blend their fresh grown herbs into delicious treats. To end the tour with a piece of trivia, when reading the brass acquisition tag numbers for trees on the property, those starting with an “L” indicate that they were on the property at the time of Mr. Pierre S. du Pont’s death.

~Ginny Zahner - 2012

Now constantly there is the sound, quieter than rain, of the leaves falling. Under their loosening bright gold, the sycamore limbs bleach whiter. Now the only flowers are beeweed and aster, spray of their white and lavender over the brown leaves. The calling of a crow sounds Loud - landmark - now that the life of summer falls silent, and the nights grow.

Wendell Berry

5

Don’t have the fried green tomato gene, why not try making some green tomato pickles.

Pickled Sweet Green Tomatoes

x 10 to 11 lbs of green tomatoes (16 cups sliced) x 2 cups sliced onions x 1/4 cup canning or pickling salt x 3 cups brown sugar x 4 cups vinegar (5 percent) x 1 tbsp mustard seed x 1 tbsp allspice x 1 tbsp celery seed x 1 tbsp whole cloves

Yield: About 9 pints

Procedure: Wash and slice tomatoes and onions. Place in bowl, sprinkle with 1/4 cup salt, and let stand 4 to 6 hours. Drain. Heat and stir sugar in vinegar until dissolved. Tie mustard seed, allspice, celery seed, and cloves in a spice bag. Add to vinegar with tomatoes and onions. If needed, add minimum water to cover pieces. Bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent burning. Tomatoes should be tender and transparent when properly cooked. Remove spice bag. Fill jar and cover with hot pickling solution, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Pickled Sweet Green Tomatoes in a boiling-water canner.

Process Time at Altitudes of

Style of Pack Jar Size 0 - 1,000 ft 1,001 - 6,000 ft Above 6,000 ft

Hot Pints 10 min 15 20

Quarts 15 20 25

Adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2009. Reviewed November 2009.

November 2, 2016 – 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Apple Butter Workshop, Baltimore City Extension Office, Baltimore, MD November 8, 2016 – 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Apple Butter Workshop, Harford County Extension Office, Forest Hill, MD For years, USDA approved canning techniques classes and workshops have been taught to our Maryland communities. With the growing demand in this area, these classes/workshops are now an integral part of Grow It Eat It program developed by University of Maryland Extension. The food preservation classes are intended to provide a hands on learning experience for beginners and advanced canners. This course is aimed at introducing the food science principles of high and/or low acid foods to be preserved, as well as the knowledge to safely can to prevent botulism. For our advanced canners this class provides them with the updated science, resources, and tools that may not have been available

Education Opportunities

What to do with those Green Tomatoes

6

when they first started canning. Class lecture, followed by participants going into the kitchen to make their own canned produce that they will bring home that day! The $35 fee includes So Easy to Preserve book, lecture/instruction, and all the equipment and produce to process your own preserved jar. https://extension.umd.edu/events/tue-2016-11-08-1800-apple-butter-hands-workshop-harford-county November 8, 2016 – 7:30 p.m. Horticultural Society of Maryland Lecture Series, Vollmer Center Auditorium Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD ANDREA WULF Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation This beautifully illustrated talk looks at the lives of the Founding Fathers and how their attitudes toward plants, gardens, nature and agriculture shaped the American nation. In a unique retelling of the creation of America, award-winning historian Andrea Wulf will show how plants, politics and personalities intertwined as never before. Andrea Wulf was born in India, moved to Germany as a child, and now lives in Britain. She is the author of several acclaimed books. ‘The Brother Gardeners’ won the American Horticultural Society 2010 Book Award and was long-listed for the Samuel Johnson Prize 2008. Her book ‘Founding Gardeners’ and ‘The Invention of Nature’ was on the New York Times Best Seller List. In 2014 she co-presented a four-part BBC TV garden series and she appears regularly on radio. Admission: $10 non-members at the door https://mdhorticulture.org/programs-events/lecture-series/ November 11, 2016 – 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Northern Saw-whet Owls: Enigmas of the Night, Mount Cuba Center, Hockenssin, DE

The smallest owl of the eastern seaboard is also the most mysterious of our Piedmont raptors. Scott Weidensaul, who has been studying saw-whets for almost 20 years, presents the ecology, behavior, and migration routes of the northern saw-whet owl. Join him as he lures migrating owls into nets then harmlessly bands and releases them. Scott will have copies of his latest book, Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean, available for sale and signing. Rain Date: November 12th Fee: $30. http://mtcubacenter.org/event/northern-sawwhet-owls/ November 12, 2016 – 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Smashing Pumpkin Arrangement, PHS Meadowbrook Farm, Jenkintown, PA Join Meadowbrook Farm grower and talented floral designer, Dee Thurner, as she teaches you how to make a beautiful fall arrangement inside a pumpkin. All materials and instruction are included. Everyone will take home a gorgeous arrangement to enjoy. Fee: $45 PHS Members; $55 Non-Members. http://meadowbrookfarm.org/calendar/event/planting-bulbs-for-spring-summer-bloom November 12, 2016 – 1:00 p.m. Second Saturdays Garden Walk – Late Fall Colors in the Garden Winterthur Museum, Wilmington, DE Members free. Included with admission. http://www.winterthur.org/?p=1192 November 30, 2016 – 6:30 p.m. Year-round Farming with Microgreens 2016, Baltimore County Center for Maryland Agriculture and Farm Park, Cockeysville, MD More than a sprout and younger than baby greens, microgreens are edible plants that can play a useful role in your garden and diet. Learn best practices for continuous harvests indoors and outdoors, and the many ways microgreens can add color, flavor, and nutrition to your kitchen table.; Fee: $15 http://extension.umd.edu/events/wed-2016-11-30-1830-year-round-farming-microgreens-2016

7

Harford County is leading the way in the recycling of agricultural plastics! If you have stacks of polystyrene greenhouse trays they can be dropped off to Melissa at the Scarboro Facility. First you have to arrange with Melissa to pick up the required Collection Supersack and receive instructions how to prepare your plastics for recycling. [email protected] or 240-755-9944

The Maryland Horticulture Youth Judging team traveled to Erie, Pennsylvania this fall for the Annual National competition. Seven 4-H High School students from four Maryland counties competed at the National Junior Horticulture Association judging contest. Cecil, Harford, Howard, and Frederick County were the four Maryland counties represented. The 4-person Maryland team won first place against teams from throughout the United States including their rivals, California and New York! Each of the four team members finished in the top eight of the plant identification contest! Three of the 4-H youth from Harford County are, Sarah Ortt, James Houck and Gianna Simmonetti. They are members of the Harford County 4-H Horticulture Club, where they have met and studied horticulture and plants for years. In the 4-H Individual Division James placed 3rd overall and Sarah placed 8th overall. Gianna was a returning national competitor having served on the 2015 MD team. Horticulture is a diversified field of agriculture including cultivated crops of vegetables, fruits & nuts, woody plants and flowers. The 4-Hers learn to identify various parts of 160 cultivated plants, including their seeds, pods, roots and flower heads. These students have studied plants throughout their teen years to gain the knowledge to compete nationally in this prestigious event. In addition to plant identification they take a written exam on basic horticulture. The youth are sponsored through a partnership with the following agencies: University of Maryland Extension-Harford County Office, Master Gardeners of Harford County, 4-H Leaders Association and the Maryland 4-H Foundation.

Maryland youth pictured from left to right: Gianna Simmonetti, Stephanie Welsh, James Houck, Seth Donnelly, Sarah Ortt, Aubrey Cole and Melissa Ward. William Donnelly pictured in the foreground competed as a junior sprout.

Agricultural Plastics Recycling

2016 Harford County 4-H Horticulture Judging

8

Hello and thank you all, What a wonderful celebration of Twenty Years of Harford County Master Gardeners! All of you work to educate residents to be more informed citizens regarding the environment. You them how to care for their landscape in ways that will improve the health of our Chesapeake Bay; you improve the health and beauty of your communities; and teach friends how to grow healthy food. You do great important work. Congratulations all. Thank you to ALL the members of the committee who put the 20th Anniversary Celebration event together. Joyce Browning, Robin Wigley, Joan Parris, JoAnn Monn, Bea Filburn, Maureen Carey, and Melody Karbley. Thank you also to Linda Masland and Mary Driver who helped with the lovely decorations. Thank you to Ennise Bloom for creating fancy bulb merchandise and manning the Bulb Sales. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped set up and take down all the chairs, tables and in general helped make the day a success. It was great to see so many Master Gardeners, both the interns and active MGs, and some MGs we haven't seen in quite a long time. We all had great fun! Eleanor Cone To link to all the MG photos taken at the MG Anniversary Celebration, by our photographer Jane Howe, please send an email request to link to Joyce’s dropbox. [email protected]

*Unless otherwise noted clip art by Dixie Allan www.about.com

Thank you from the class of 1998

9

Joyce Browning Urban Horticulturist

Master Gardener Coordinator Harford County Office

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, political affiliation, or gender identity and expression.

Calendar of Events November 1 1:30 p.m. Brightview Brightview November 3 10:00 a.m. MG Monthly Mtg HCEO November 5 12:00 p.m. Harvest Fest Eden Mill November 8 11:00 a.m. APG Health and Wellness Fair APG November 8 6:00 p.m. GIEI Preserve IT –Apple Butter HCEO November 11 Veterans Day HCEO CLOSED November 12 11:00 a.m. Foodies and Farmers Fair Whiteford Library November 12 2:00 p.m. Foodie Week Event – Taste of

Chocolate Whiteford Library

November 12 9:00 a.m. Interns Demonstrations HCEO November 13 9:00 a.m. Invasinators Anita Leight Estuary November 14 State GIEI Mtg Clyburn Arboretum November 15 12:00 p.m. Eden Mill MG Volunteer

Luncheon Eden Mill Classroom

November 16 10:00 a.m. Daytime Study Group HCEO November 16 7:00 p.m. Evening Study Group HCEO November 17 10:00 a.m. MG Steering Committee HCEO November 19 10:15 a.m. Planting for the Bees – Garden

Series Bel Air Library

November 24 Thanksgiving Day HCEO CLOSED November 28 9:00 a.m. Invasinators Anita Leight Estuary December 1 6:00 p.m. MG Holiday Party Liriodendon

10