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Several of the members and one intern attended the 25th Alabama Master Gardener Association’s annual conference this year. It was held in Cullman on March 23rd through 25th and the theme was “Gardening…WOW!!” There were many workshops to attend with very informative speakers and this year, the price of the banquet held on Tuesday night was included in the registration fee. Everyone said they had a great time. All members should plan to attend next year!
Author: audrey
Redesigning The Demo Garden
Redesigning the Demo Garden
Progress is being made! Walls are going up! CCMGA members helped transport donated stones to the Demo Garden at CREC on Monday July 8th. This material will be incorporated into the new garden design as garden edging, path edging capstones and flooring for the shade garden. Master Gardeners who helped were: Lanell Baker, Lee Walters, Ira Jones, Steve McAnally, Harriett Jackson, Jerry Farmer and Sondra Henley. Spouses of Master Gardeners that helped were Treasia Bennett’s husband, Dennis and Sondra Henley’s husband, Gary. Gary saved us many trips by bringing his company’s 20 foot box truck with a pallet jack. All materials were transported and stacked by 10:00 a.m. The next week Dennis Bennett was in charge of the digging and pouring the cement for footings for the quadrant walls and now the walls are going up! Click here for a an updated slideshow of the progress being made.
We’re Official!!
This summer has been a busy time for our interns and they are almost 100 % certified! Robert Lee Watley was the first of our interns to earn his membership badge and get certified. In July we had Michele Thomas, Ira Jones, Katie Moon, Karen Giles, Jerry Giles, & Don Burdette receiving their badges. In September, we had Anne Moore, Willie Valentine, Kimberly Lynn, and Janis Wilson receive theirs. They have been very active in helping with the redesign of the demonstration garden, helping with preparing for the Fall Seminar, attending meetings, and working the Help Line. We are proud of all our new members!
AMGA Fall Seminar 2015
Chilton County Master Gardeners were given the honor this year of hosting the Alabama Master Gardener Association’s Fall Conference. It was held September 9th at Clanton Conference & Performing Arts Center at Jefferson State Community College. It was well attended, with 255 registrations. We were told that was about 75-100 more than normally attends. Everything went smoothly, and we got so many compliments about how well it was organized and how pretty all the decorations were! We had wonderful speakers, good food, and lots of folks, what more can you ask for? Click HERE for a slideshow of all photos.
Farm, Home, and Wildlife EXPO 2015
August 8, 2015 was the day this year for the annual Chilton Research & Extension Center’s FARM, HOME, & WILDLIFE EXPO, and what a day it was! There was a great crowd this year with many exhibits, cooking demonstrations, and fruit and ice cream samples. The EXPO is all about educating people in the skills of farming, raising animals, growing vegetables and fruits and then preserving and canning the bounty. There was a goat show, farm dogs, a miniature heifer, chickens, honeybees, and an eagle display. We had our plant sale there and did very well with it. As always, our members were a big help with the registration process, the sampling of fruit at the fruit tent, and the serving of the ice cream samples in the Little House. Click here for a slideshow of photos.
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A “One-Of-A-Kind” Arbor
By Sondra Henley
A “One of a Kind Arbor” is being constructed at the Chilton County Master Gardener Association’s Demonstration Garden located on the Chilton Research and Extension Center site. The arbor sides are 2 ft. wide and it is about 8 ft. tall. We plan to cover the rebar and chicken wire structure with as many rusty farm and garden tools as we possibly can.
If you would like to donate your rusty discarded tools to be included on the arbor, items are being accepted at two locations:
The Chilton County Extension Office located at 504 1st Ave, Clanton, Alabama
The Chilton Research and Extension Center located off of Highway 29. Place items in the garbage can located on the carport of little red brick house. The can is marked “GARDEN ITEMS”.
Please do not donate anything that you want returned.
A Master Gardener’s Vision
Chilton County Master Gardener Sondra Henley had a vision for a new Demonstration Garden. So she formed a committee, set the wheels to rolling, and started making changes. It’s now well under way and going to be something that the Demo Garden Committee, workers, and all Master Gardeners can be proud of! She has it planned well with it being completed in 4 phases. The 1st phase is almost done. Much of the material is being donated and the committee has applied for and gotten 2 grants. It will truly be a teaching garden with the capability of an outdoor classroom. It will also have a shade garden, a water feature, a pergola, and the last phase, a working green house. Volunteer work days are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings with some evenings in the hottest months. Dates and times are listed on the Event Calendar.
Meet Don Burdette
Don was in the 2015 MG Class and he recently received his Master Gardener certification. He has been a big help in developing the new CCMGA Demonstration Garden.
After 17 years at the Alabama Forestry Commission and 18 years at the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, he retired as the State Parks Forester in 2014.
He lives in the Verbena countryside on 80 acres of family woodland and pastures. One of his favorite places is a stand of scattered mature oak and hickory trees on the top of a hill. He says he can always find a breeze and a pleasant 360 degree view of the property from there. He has plans to build a house and workshop near that location.
Don has had a love of gardening most of his adult life. His mother has been a great influence on him by the way she makes her home and landscape welcoming. He says he also paid attention to other private and public landscapes and incorporated some of those ideas into his own space. He especially likes to experiment with new ideas and improve on old ones to make the landscape flow in connection with a home, other structures and the terrain.
Don moved around a lot in his career, pursuing promotions, and has always tried to improve the landscape at every residence. He created a couple of vegetable gardens that incorporated raised beds and companion flowers. One of his fondest memories was going into the vegetable garden early in the morning with his two young daughters. There they feasted on fresh silver queen corn and okra right off the stalk for breakfast.
The best work anyone can find is something they love to do. Don loved the forestry, wildlife management and outdoor recreation projects he “had to do.” This included travel to and within state parks, other state-owned forest lands, Forever Wild tracts and private lands; as well as brief fire campaign assignments to National Forests, Parks and an Apache Reservation out West. Since his retirement, he likes occasional day trips to change his routine and scenery. You might spot him at a restaurant, movie theater, attraction or special event. He would like to add new hobbies that would improve physical fitness: square dancing, fossil hunting, woodworking and carving or perhaps return to making reproductions of Alabama artifacts.
I have always wondered at his knowledge of rocks in the Chilton area and now I know why he has this information. He used to visit the Alabama Department of Archives and History and other museums around the state to study interesting and attractive Indian artifacts. Then he would use state geologic maps to find original flint, soapstone and greenstone to reproduce stone arrowheads, bowls, pipes and axes. He would then sell pieces through Moundville Archeological Park, Fort Toulouse, the State Capitol gift shop and the Porch Band of the Creek Indians.
Don’s favorite words to live by are: Trust in God, Love your Family and Treat Everyone with Respect.
When asked, “What is your favorite thing about CCMGA? Don replied, “I love the fellowship of being around good people who are interested in at least one thing that I enjoy: landscaping and gardening. “
By Sondra Henley
Chilton-Clanton Library Landscape
Members recently reworked the landscaping in the patio area of the Chilton-Clanton Public Library. Old roses were remoMembersved, old landscaping cloth removed, the soil was tilled, and the cement borders were straightened. They then planted 3 drift rose bushes, 2 Indian hawthorn shrubs, 4 autumn ferns, and planted and hung 2 baskets filled with red geraniums and lime green creeping Jenny. A donated outdoor water fountain was also hung on the longest wall. Then vinca, dusty miller, and Setcreasea (better known as Purple Heart) was added for color. The annuals were donated by members. Mini pine bark mulch was put down to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. All that needs to be done now is add the CCMGA sign and go back in a couple of weeks to see if any more mulch is needed.
May Plant Swap
The Chilton County Master Gardeners met this month at the Lake Mitchell Pavilion for their annual Plant Swap. Rick Miller presented the program on tool sharpening. He not only demonstrated this fine art that he learned as a Boy Scout, he also sharpened many tools brought by members. As usual, there was lots of good food and everyone that brought a nice plant was able to participate in the plant swap. There were also plants to share. Click HERE to see slideshow of photos.
