Share
Menu
Search
It is time to make plans to attend the 2017 AMGA Conference, Gardening Heritage, in Huntsville, AL May 1-3. The events will be held at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens on Monday and the Jackson Center on Tuesday and Wednesday. You will not want to miss the great speakers, workshops, Silent Auction, vendors, seed saver exchange or the door prizes! Find a friend to travel with and make your reservations now. Anyone registered before February 28 will be in a drawing for a refund of your registration! All MGs should have received the conference brochure by mail but the brochure and online registration can be found at Alabama Master Gardener Association . Those of us that have attended before can assure you that it will be fun and educational as well.
Announcements
January Meeting
Our first meeting of the year was a very interesting and informative one. Tracy Britnell, owner of Creative Elements Landscape & Garden Design, presented the program on “Sustainable Landscaping”. Tracy has degrees in Design & Merchandising, Interior Design, and Landscape Design. She completed her certification in Permaculture Design at Spiral Ridge Permaculture with Cliff Davis in 2013. When time permits, Tracy offers consultations as well as detailed design plans. She specializes in outdoor rooms, foundation plans, cottage garden designs, edible landscape design, and practicing permaculture design principles. Her passion is organic and sustainable gardening and living. Oh, and not to forget, she is also a Master Gardener, since 2004! Thank you, Tracy, for a great program!
CCMGA Partners with Habitat for Humanity
Chilton County Master Gardeners partnered with Habitat for Humanity to rehabilitate the landscape of a recent Habitat for Humanity home in Clanton. Kimberly Lyn, master gardener and Habitat Board member coordinated the landscape project. The existing landscape was evaluated and a low maintenance update was planned. Over several weeks several CCMGA members raked leaves, prepared beds, and pruned trees and shrubs. They planted tea olives, knockout roses, and daylilies, spread mulch and even laid sod. This project fits perfectly with the mission of Chilton County Master Gardeners.
Crazy Chocolate Cake
Crazy Chocolate Cake is a quick and easy handed down recipe that Trisha William’s mother used to make for an after school snack. When cool, frost with Crazy Chocolate Icing or top with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Serve from the pan! There are no eggs or milk in the cake. After school snacks have really changed over the years!
Crazy Chocolate Cake
Mix the cake right in an 8×8 pan (It may be easier to use a mixing bowl and then pour into the ungreased or lightly greased pan). Combine the dry ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
4 T. cocoa
Make 4 dents in the dry ingredient mixture for the following:
4 T. salad oil
1 t. vanilla
1 T. vinegar
1 c. water
Mix until well blended and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Crazy Chocolate Icing
2 T. butter
1/4 c. cocoa
1c. confectioner’s sugar
1 T. milk (more if needed)
1/4 t. vanilla
Melt butter and stir in cocoa, place in mixing bowl. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat on medium for approximately 5 minutes or until smooth. Spread on cool cake.
Recipe provided by Trisha Williams.
December Meeting
Our December Christmas meeting was a change from the norm, we had soup, salad, and different kinds of cornbread. The dessert was homemade cookies and rainbow sherbet. We had several guests in attendance and a few of the members played Dirty Santa afterwards.
Christmas Home Tour 2016
Our 4th Annual Christmas Home Tour was held this year on December 11th and was a big success. The homeowners were Gene and Peggy Martin, Randy and Judy Rockett, and Aaron and Amber Shelnutt. We are looking forward to the 2017 Christmas Home Tour! Here is a Smilebox slideshow of more photos from the tour.
December Lunch and Learn
Our Lunch and Learn was presented this month by Master Gardener Ann Baker on December 7th. The program was about decorating with items from nature, how to make a beautiful bow, and also everyone there made a “Make and Take” decoration. The Lunch and Learn programs are held at the Extension Office from 12-1 p.m. These are free and all you do is bring a sack Lunch, drinks are provided! Future Lunch and Learn programs will be announced.
Planting Jemison City Hall
Several of the Chilton County Master Gardeners showed up at Jemison City Hall on November 22nd to plant all the flower planters that are around the building. Pansies and ornamental kale were planted that will be beautiful all winter long, as long as we don’t have an extremely cold winter. Not pictured, Sondra Henley and Audrey Giles.
Planting Downtown Clanton
Some of the Chilton County Master Gardeners helped plant all the large planters in downtown Clanton on November 15th. This is always a fun event that we look forward to every year. The city buys the plants, the workers place them in the planters where they want them, we plant them and give them our loving touch, then the workers come back and water them in. This year we planted pansies and ornamental kale, so keep an eye on downtown Clanton, it’s going to be pretty!
November CCMGA Meeting
At the November CCMGA meeting Master Gardeners enjoyed learning about Habitat for Humanity. Lisa Green, Executive Director for Chilton/Autauga Habitat for Humanity, presented information about how families qualify to become homeowners. She also explained how community organizations help through providing volunteers or donations. CCMGA Secretary Kimberly Lyn has coordinated landscaping and Master Gardener volunteers for the current Chilton Habitat for Humanity home.
