June Gardening Activities

Posted on June 1, 2026June 4, 2026 by trisha

June is the month to enjoy daylilies, hydrangeas and other perennials and annuals in our flower gardens.

Fruits and nuts–Continue spray programs. Thin apple and peach trees.
Shrubs–Fertilize now. Keep long shoots from developing by pinching off tips.
Annuals and Perennials–Remove old flower heads to promote continued flowering. Watch for insects and diseases.
Bulbs–Foliage may be removed from spring flowering bulbs if it has yellowed and is becoming dry.
Vegetable Seed–Plant beans, field peas, pumpkins, squash, corn, cantaloupes and watermelons.
Vegetable plants–Plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and sweet potato vine cuttings.

Source: Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Alabama Gardening Calendar

June is the month to enjoy daylilies, hydrangeas and other perennials and annuals in our flower gardens.

Fruits and nuts–Continue spray programs. Thin apple and peach trees.
Shrubs–Fertilize now. Keep long shoots from developing by pinching off tips.
Annuals and Perennials–Remove old flower heads to promote continued flowering. Watch for insects and diseases.
Bulbs–Foliage may be removed from spring flowering bulbs if it has yellowed and is becoming dry.
Vegetable Seed–Plant beans, field peas, pumpkins, squash, corn, cantaloupes and watermelons.
Vegetable plants–Plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and sweet potato vine cuttings.

Source: Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Alabama Gardening Calendar

October Obligations

Posted on November 29, 2025November 29, 2025 by audrey

Our October meeting was an ad lib meeting as our speaker had to cancel because of obligations to her elderly parents. So as a fill in, our V.P. Hugh Nichols asked members to tell about their summer gardens and their successes and failures. Beverly Williamson told about getting a soil test before she planted her garden and lime was recommended so she added lime and told about everything in her garden being bigger than normal, especially her egg plants. Skip Coulter told about placing a tall ladder in the middle of his garden and growing morning glories on it. Amy Baker planted gourds and made an arbor out of them. But on the other end of the scale, there were many who complained of deer getting into their gardens, eating vegetables, flowers, and everything else in their path!
We had one guest, Pat Myers from New Jersey.
Our Peach Award for October went to Judy Cobb for her doing such a fine job as Treasurer and for opening up her home and farm each May for our Plant Swap.
Our Hospitality Chairman, Diane Clapp, always does a good job with getting all the supplies to our meetings, bringing baked goods from her own kitchen, supplying decorations for the food tables, and getting others signed up to bring snacks. Thank you, Diane!

September Meeting

Posted on October 6, 2025October 6, 2025 by trisha

The September Chilton County Master Gardener program was presented by Jefferson County Master Gardener, Mrs. Phyllis Clay. After becoming a MG she volunteered with the Birmingham Botanical Garden’s Herb Army and discovered a love of all types of basil. Her garden contains 40 cultivars of basil. She taught us that basil originated in Asia and Africa and according to folklore was a symbol of love. Basil was used medicinally in the American colonies for headaches and colds. Basil has great variation in leaf color and texture. Some popular cultivars are Tulsi, Sweet Basil, Genovese, Cinnamon and Purple Ruffles. Although they are annuals in our climate they are easily grown from seeds or cuttings.

Congratulations to Sonja Johnson who was awarded the Peach award this month for being involved in many MG activities.

Jacob Turner, REA, reported that 2600 people participated the Pollinator count on August 22 and 24. That was a great number for Alabama’s first year of participation.

Aquaponics for August

Posted on September 7, 2025September 7, 2025 by audrey

Our speaker for August was Mr. David Cline. David works for Alabama Cooperative Extension System in Aquaponics. He explained that Aquaponics is growing fish and plants in the same water. You can grow almost anything in water as long as you have the correct pH balance. The three systems for growing them are 1. The NFT (nutrient film technique) 2. Ebb and flow system and 3. Deep water raft system. The fish and plants you are growing have to be compatible with each other, such as temperature and the type of pH each needs as well as the proper lighting.

We also heard from Krystal Vaith. Krystal is the 4-H Club coordinator with the Chilton County Extension Office. Pat Farmer is our liaison that has volunteered to get a Junior Master Gardener program started. All members seemed to agree that this is something we want to be involved with.

We had 28 members present and 8 guests. The meeting was adjourned at 12:05.

Japanese Maples in July

Posted on August 3, 2025August 3, 2025 by audrey

Our monthly meeting for July was presented by Mr. David Doggett, a Jefferson County Advanced Master Gardener specializing in Japanese Maple Trees. At Aldridge Gardens David gives guided tours to adult groups. He also has created the Aldridge Gardens Japanese Maple Trail which consists of over 50 different cultivars of Japanese maples. He says they come in all shapes and sizes, all colors, and many different kinds of leaf formations. Some can reach 10 feet, some can grow in containers like the pygmy, and others scan the scale all in between. Japanese maples cannot be grown from seed or from cuttings, they have to be grafted, and this accounts for so many varieties. Thanks, Mr. Doggett, for a very informative program about Japanese maple trees!
Betsy Smith and Jacob Turner presented 7 of our interns with their Master Gardener Certificate and name badges. These interns were Callen Alred, Sam Blackmon, Diane Handley, Kimberly Hudson, Sonja Johnson. Donald Jones, and Becky Roper.
Amy Bakes presented Beverly Williamson with this month’s Peach Award for her being such a vivacious, enthusiastic, and hard working volunteer!
Diane Clapp, our Hospitality Team Leader, had the table decorated for 4th of July which included some Chilton County Peach dishes. Thanks to whomever prepared these dishes!
Our audience included 25 members, 2 Honorary members, and 5 guests!
Thank you to all that attended!

V. P. Hugh Nichols presents a speaker’s gift to Mr. David Doggett

Back, L-R Betsy Smith, Sam Blackmon, Callen Alred, and Donald Jones. Front, L-R Sonja Johnson, Kimberly Hudson, Diane Handley, and Becky Roper

Amy Baker presents the Peach Award to Beverly Williamson

Hospitality Team Leader Diane Clapp did a good job decorating for July 4th!

Honoring Jerry in June

Posted on July 8, 2025September 7, 2025 by audrey

Our speaker for our June meeting was Dr. Edgar Vinson, Assistant Extension Professor at Chilton Research and Extension Center.

He explained how they get their research projects, where the research questions came from, how they design a research project, conducting the research project, how they use the results of the research data and how they get the funding for these projects. The plants he listed from some of their research projects were strawberries, figs and peaches. He said these studies usually take about two years to complete. This was a very interesting and in depth program on how they keep our farmers and growers informed on the most current information for their crops.

Hugh Nichols and other leaders of the Demonstration Garden(@ 120 C.R. 756, Clanton 35045) made the decision to name the Shade Garden there in honor of one of our former members, Jerry Farmer. Jerry passed away in December of 2024. He was very instrumental in getting money for the structure, getting it set up, and getting it put to very good use by suggesting it be used as an outdoor classroom for children and adults. He was married to one of our sweet members, Pat Farmer. Pat also helped in all ways with the Shade Garden.

Our meetings are the second Tuesday of every month at 9 am and we meet at the Clanton Recreation Building @ 305 1st Street N, Clanton, AL 35045. The public is always invited. For more information you may call the Chilton County Extension Office @ 205-280-6268. Our website is

https://mg.aces.edu/Chilton

Photo credits: Kerry Rush and Donald Jones

Magic in May!

Posted on May 22, 2025May 22, 2025 by audrey

We had a great Plant Swap May meeting at Judy Cobb’s “The Old Place” yesterday in Coosa County! We can’t thank you enough for opening up your home and beautiful yards and lake to all of us Again this year! You and your husband go to great lengths to accommodate us and see that we all have a good time! Some came early and fished, and afterwards some tried their hand at Hatchet 🪓 Throwing, myself included, which I had never done and was terrible at🤣🤣. Beverly Williamson was my teacher and she was very good! We also had some visitors this year; ACES retirees Gay West and Elaine Densmore, ACES Chilton County’s Lucy Ellington and Jason Turner; spouses Lamar Giles, Anthony Baker, and Ellie Nichols, Shelby County members Elizabeth York and Susan Arvin, Lanell Baker’s son, David, and a couple of member’s friends/family members that I didn’t get their names, sorry 😢. Lots of pretty flowers were there for the picking and the Stealing! Again, thank you Judy and Mr. Cobb for all your hospitality❗️

May Gardening Activities

Posted on May 15, 2025May 20, 2026 by trisha

This month many flowers and perennials are looking their best. Enjoy the flowers and get those annuals and vegetables planted. Many iris varieties are blooming this month and come in a variety of colors including a peachy pink.

Shrubs–Newly planted shrubs need extra care now and in coming weeks. Don’t forget to water them.
Roses–Spray for insects and diseases. Fertilize monthly based on soil test. Container-grown plants in flower may be planted now. Prune climbing roses after the first big flush of flowering.
Bulbs–Summer bulbs started in containers can be planted now. Don’t remove foliage from spring flowering bulbs. Do not let seedheads form on tulips and other spring flowering bulbs.
Vegetables–Plant seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, sweet potatoes, vegetable seeds.

Source: Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Alabama Gardening Calendar

April Azaleas

Posted on May 4, 2025May 4, 2025 by audrey

The speaker for our April meeting was Dr. Chip East, who is a Regional Extension Agent at Auburn. He is a Commercial Horticulture Coordinator over several counties in the east central part of Alabama. He grew up working on his uncle’s vegetable, cattle and hog farm as well as a nursery and landscaping business. In learning how to propagate plants for the nursery, the native azalea became his favorite plant to propagate.

Dr. East presented a very in depth program on the many ways you can propagate an azalea. He told us that the native azalea is the hardest to root and explained the many ways to root an azalea, from air layering, collecting seeds to stem cuttings. It was a very interesting program.

Lanell Baker, Secretary, told us about the thank you note she received from the 4-H Club thanking us for the $100.00 donation we gave in Jerry Farmer’s memory.

The Extension Office bed was weeded by the intern class. Doug Jones and Callen Alred have volunteered to oversee these beds. They have set the 2nd and 4th Mondays as work days. Thanks Doug and Callen for taking this position, we know you will do a great job.

Amy Baker presented the Peach Award to Kerry Rush for all her hard work at the Demonstration Garden, serving a 2 year term as secretary, and always being ready to help where needed.

Hugh Nichols and Kerry Rush wrote a grant for $533.00 for tools to use in the Demonstration Garden. The grant “Work smarter, Not harder” has been awarded to the Association.

CCMGA members that attended the AMGA conference in Prattville, AL gave us a report on the conference. Harriett Jackson was appointed as a AMGA Member at Large, Betsy Smith spoke at the conference on “Open the herbs for kids”, and Beverly Williamson was nominated for “Intern of the Year”.

March Tour-Wright’s Nursery

Posted on March 14, 2025March 14, 2025 by audrey

Several of the CCMGA members made a trip on February 7th to tour Wright’s Nursery in Plantersville, AL. They are a family-owned and family-operated wholesale business that grows annual spring and fall bedding plants, herbs, perennials and vegetable plants. They sell to independent retail garden centers in and around central and north Alabama. Their plants can be identified by the ‘Alabama Grown’ logo (that they have trademarked)on most of their tags.
The process of growing and getting bedding plants ready for the market is much more complicated than we know, but technology has made it much more efficient and profitable.
We saw all the trays and all the machinery involved in growing plants from seeds and cuttings from their own plants. Wright’s uses non-GMO seeds and many are organic certified. Their plants are grown using mostly OMRI, organic certified, listed materials while a few are non-organic.
We saw rows and rows of very uniform plants in the many greenhouses we toured. It was one of the most fascinating tours we’ve been on! Many thanks to our “Honorary Members” David and Martha Wright! After the tour we all went to Valley Grande in Maplesville for a great lunch!
Photos by Audrey Giles and Hugh Nichols