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Our 2015 Master Gardener class is well under way. We have had soil samples turned in, intern shirts ordered and distributed, friends made, Demo Garden slideshow shown, a great composting class, AND lots of scrumptious food! This could be one of our best classes yet! Click HERE for a slideshow of photos.
Author: trisha
1st Certified Member Of 2015 MG Class
Our first provisional member of the 2015 Master Gardener Class to be certified was Robert Lee Whatley. Regional Extension Agent Nelson Wynn and Membership Chairman Trisha Williams awarded his badge and certificate to him at the June meeting. Congratulations, Robert, and WELCOME!
Meet Pat and Jerry Farmer
Pat Farmer is the newly elected President of Chilton County Master Gardener Association for 2015. CCMGA appreciates Pat for stepping up to fill the President’s position. So let’s get to know Pat and Jerry…..
Pat and Jerry Farmer have been married for 30+ years, have a blended family of 4 children plus lots of grandchildren and share a love of gardening and Master Gardeners.
Both Pat and Jerry have been valuable additions to CCMGA since 2010. Not ones to sit around, they chaired and co-chaired the CCMGA Demonstration Garden in 2011, after helping with it the year before under Audrey and Lamar Giles’ leadership. Jerry co-chaired the Demo Garden in 2013-14 with Alan Reed. Pat held the office of Secretary in 2011-12 and then Vice President in 2013-14. She also chaired the Helpline Committee in 2014. Pat retired from a management position with a magazine distributing company and brings lots of experience to her new position as President.
Growing up, Jerry helped with his father’s vegetable garden and his mother’s flowers. He continues each year to have a vegetable garden. Pat enjoys house plants and growing patio tomatoes in large pots. While Pat favors sitting outside on the back porch watching the change of seasons, Jerry likes piddling in his workshop and potting area.
Pat likes to watch things grow such as avocado pits that she sprouts and roots. Jerry likes to enjoy his vegetable garden all year long by canning and preserving his garden bounty. When they are not gardening, Pat enjoys reading and baking. Jerry enjoys reading and working puzzles.
The Farmers’ landscape is planted with plants like Forsythia and Wisteria, fruit trees and low maintenance flowers. Or as Pat says, “the yard is constantly a work in progress…we grow outstanding weeds!” Pat takes care of the inside plants and Jerry spends an average of 20 hours caring and maintaining the garden and yard in the growing seasons.
Something you might not know about Jerry; he was in the United States Marines and worked as a air traffic controller. He also had a remodeling business while living in Chattanooga and enjoys the projects he and Pat complete around their home. There was a time during Pat’s youth when she was very shy and was terrified of speaking in public. Well, we know she overcame that problem! She also flew a 2 engine plane from Pensacola to Tallahassee not long after her very first flight in her twenties.
Jerry’s words to live by are: “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken”
Pat’s words to live by are: “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” Alexander Graham Bell
Jerry and Pat enjoy the fellowship and sharing between CCMGA members and volunteer opportunities that include children.
Congratulations, Sarah Saunders!
Third Place Winner in the 2014 Peach Cook Off, Sarah Saunders won this honor with her Upside Down Peach Cake. Recipe follows at end of article.
Being new to this area and all its horticultural programs, Sarah has immersed herself into the Chilton County life. She attended the Master Gardener Class in 2014 in Coosa County. She has been an active member of the Chilton County Master Gardener Association while an intern and continues to contribute her time and talents to many of its service projects. She has helped with 4-H and other extension office activities. Sarah has been asked to be the liaison from CCMGA to the developing Thorsby Community Park committee. Sarah resides Thorsby with husband, Jerome and daughter, Kate. They are remodeling a house in the Jemison area.
She is well versed in computer skills and developmental aspects of planning and carrying out projects. Poised and an excellent speaker, Sarah represented Chilton County at the National County Agents Conference in Mobile, July 19-20.
Peach Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients:
4 medium fresh ripe peaches (approx. 1 ½ lb.) peeled and cut into 1/3 inch-thick wedges
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 cup cake flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar divided
¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature and divided
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss peaches with lemon juice. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
2. Cook ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup of butter in a 9-inch cake pan (make sure it is stove top safe) over low heat, stirring frequently with wooden spoon, 10 minutes or until sugar and butter melt. Remove from heat. Spread the mixture to coat the bottom of the skillet evenly, sprinkle with brown sugar. Arrange peach edges in concentric circles over sugar mixture, overlapping as needed.
3. In electric stand mixer, beat vanilla, ¾ granulated sugar and ½ cup butter at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add sour cream, beating until blended. Gradually add sifted flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended and stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Spoon batter over peaches in skillet, and spread to cover.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in skillet on wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen.
5. Carefully pour out any excess liquid from skillet into a measure cup, and reserve. (It’s ok if you don’t have any excess liquid – it all depends on how juicy your fruit is.) Carefully invert cake onto a serving plate, and drizzled with any reserved liquid. Cut cake into wedges using a serrated knife and serve immediately.
Adapted from Virginia Willis, Southern Living
June 2012
Meet Jane Mason
Jane is what I call a beautiful person. She is not only attractive on the outside with her graciousness and poise but she is pretty on the inside as well. Always a lady that exhibits care for others, her niche in CCMGA is Card Chairman. Jane and her husband of 49 years, Ralph, live on Lake Mitchell outside of Verbena. They have three children, two live in Birmingham and one in Virginia. They also have two grandchildren.
Jane was new in the community and wanted to meet people so like many of us, she chose to attend the Master Gardener Program. She became certified in 2007. Jane is currently the Chairman of the Card Committee. Many of us have been a recipient of her encouraging words and timely cards. She has often said how much she enjoys this job and was glad to step up again in 2014.
She first began gardening in 1990. She likes being outside raking and watering and making things look nice. Jane said she and Ralph really had to be creative with their landscaping when they moved into their lake house. Once the construction was completed, the budget did not leave much to work with for landscaping. So after they experienced spring rains and then mud, they went to work planting evergreens, azaleas, nandinas, pyacanthas, day lilies and they spread lots of mulch. Next they planted crepe myrtles and centipede. Spring annuals completed their lovely landscaped area.
Jane’s favorite spot is at the top of the front lawn where her Iris bed resides. She has collected many colors from MG friends and enjoys tending to this bed. Geraniums also vie for her attention. When she is not tending to the flowers she likes to sit in a chair reading or watching the birds.
People may not know that Jane was an elementary teacher with a teaching career of 25+ years. She loved teaching children how to read and write. Jane told me when applying to the University of Florida she was not good at testing. Having failed to make the acceptable score, the college told her that she was not college material. Jane enrolled in a private girl’s school and then later transferred to the university where she graduated with honors. Just shows that test scores don’t always indicate the ending results!
Jane still loves to read and spends time in bookstores finding literary treasures. She is getting serious about cooking these days and likes recipes from Martha Stewart. She loves time in the kitchen with her grandchildren best of all.
Jane believes we should all cover each other in prayer. She enjoys the friendships she has made in CCMGA and being a Master Gardener. What she looks forward to the most are the variety of projects and programs that are presented in our meetings.
Meet Diane Clapp
Diane Clapp is a native of Maplesville and has been married for 40 years to Clem Clapp, a banker and chairman of the Maplesville Historic Society. They have two daughters, Hannah and Mary Margaret who have given them three granddaughters. Diane enjoys being a Nana to them.
Diane became a certified Master Gardener in 2012. She chose the Chilton County class because of the close proximity to her home. Diane was one of the quieter classmates; however, she is creative, energetic and fun to work with. In 2012 she went to the Maplesville City Council and received permission to plant a city corner. The Town Council gave her funds for the project and she also secured donations of materials and plants. In 2013 she served as CCMGA Co-Chairman of Membership and Volunteer Hours, along with working on the Christmas Home Tour. In 2014, she has also joined the Fund Raising and Demonstration Garden Committees. She is the Plant Sale Coordinator for the Maplesville Plant Sale scheduled for the Maplesville Heritage Day Celebration on April 12.
Diane first started vegetable gardening in her thirties. She said, “Even though I grew up eating from a vegetable garden, I contribute my gardening interest to my father-in-law. He taught me the “how-to” of a low maintenance block vegetable garden. He avidly studied the Ladies Birthday Almanac for planting schedules and kept journals for planting, growth, and blooming. Seeing the enthusiasm he had for his gardening motivated me.”
Her yard is mostly shaded and the gardens are always in progress and constantly changing. Her favorite spot outside is the “Sanctuary”. It is nestled under a tree canopy overlooking the back yard with a fire pit for all year enjoyment. There she and Clem enjoy having their morning coffee and quiet time. In the evenings, they enjoy watching deer and turkey graze across the field below and as night falls they can gaze at the stars and fireflies and savor the gentle breezes.
Diane prefers plants, flowers and shrubs that have long blooming periods and that attract butterflies. Her favorites are lantana, gardenia, hydrangea, ginger lilies and ferns. She likes oak, dogwood, crape myrtle and maple trees especially for their fall color. Diane plans to put in a butterfly garden this year.
Asked if she grows fruits and vegetables, she said, “Mainly vegetables but I plan to branch out and try blueberries and blackberries in the near future.”
Besides gardening, Diane enjoys sewing and reading. Having had a previous nursing career, she also takes yearly medical mission trips to Guatemala.
Diane believes that we all should be kind, compassionate, and forgiving; having the same attitude as that of Christ. She shares a quote by George Washington Carver that she believes is worth considering, “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.”
Her favorite thing about CCMGA is the people! The association is more of a family than just an organization.
Audrey Giles
Audrey Giles – She is much more than her camera!
Good photography is a precise and challenging responsibility, and is often taken for granted. Much of the real work is done behind the scenes, after the actual picture is taken. Audrey has accepted this responsibility and does not take her job lightly. She is great at remembering to record the various activities of the Master gardeners through pictures.
She handled the project of the membership pictorial directory with expertise and patience. But even more so; she showed a willingness to grow in learning new computer software techniques. Additionally, she helped with the Intern Class by organizing and setting up the luncheons for new members.
Although we have listed her qualities on paper, it is hard to do her justice. She is the epitome of all that is good about Master Gardeners, always involved which underscores her love for CCMGA and its members. She is gracious, kind and humble, always willing to help. I believe she is worthy of being recognized and encouraged by this nomination of Outstanding Service and Dedication to CCMGA.
County Planters
This project meets the criteria of Demonstration Garden, although not a garden; it is a demonstration of some of the things MG do. It is also affects the communities of Chilton County through Community Service.
The preparation of the County Planters by the teams that service them should be recognized. Through this activity the towns of Clanton and Jemison have come to rely on Master Gardeners to help beautify their cities. The benefits are many. I have heard numerous comments from family, close friends and people I hardly knew who live outside this county comment on the attractive planters and how much they add to the atmosphere of the town. It also gives us, as an association a chance to work with some of the officials of the towns. Additionally, for everyone interested in decorative plants, a wide variety of seasonal plants are displayed. These planters greatly increase the exposure of Master Gardeners and help to serve as our advertisement. I believe this project has become one of the signatures of the Chilton County Master Gardener Association.
ACES Activities
Many times thoughtout the year, Master Gardeners will be called on to help the extension office with various activities, such as working at registration for ACES affiliated groups, Chilton County Extension Office Open House, Lunch and Learn, judging at other county fairs along with working at the Chilton County fair.
