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.
Several Chilton County Master Gardeners recently attended the Alabama Master Gardener Association Annual Conference in Prattville, AL. The theme was “Fountains of Knowledge: Learn, Share, Grow.” The opening day featured self guided tours of the Autauga County Demo Garden; PrattVillage (Old Prattvillage is a collection of structures from the 1800’s, one features a beautiful garden maintained by the Autauga County Master Gardeners); Lanark (The Alabama Nature Center at Lanark offers 350 acres of forests, fields, streams, wetlands and ponds with five miles of boardwalks), and a visit to Petals from the Past Nursery. Garden related craft workshops were offered including Whimsical Garden Art, Floral Design, and more. The speakers were outstanding and their presentations covered several gardening areas. The first afternoon featured Joe Lamp’l (aka Joe the Gardener), who gave a presentation on the “Ecological Gardening Blueprint: 10 Essential Steps”. “Bluebirds and their Habitat” was presented by Wesley Anderson, Ph.D, Assistant Professor in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment at Auburn University; Betsy Smith, Chilton County MGA member and the President of the Herb Society of America, presented “Opening the Gifts of Herbs with Kids.”; Jason Reeves, Research Horticulturist and Curator at West Tennessee Research And Education Center in Jackson, MS, gave a talk on ”Friends in the Shade: Keeping Your Hostas Company” and another on “The Making of a Garden.”
Kudos to Chilton County Master Gardener Harriett Jackson, who was elected to the AMGA Board as Member at Large. Our association also received an AMGA Project Funding Grant to ”Work Smarter Not Harder” which will provide tools for our Demonstration Garden. Hugh Nichols was there to receive the check.
We learned so much and enjoyed visiting with Master Gardeners from across Alabama and sharing ideas. Congratulations to Autauga County Master Gardeners for all their hard work that went into the planning and carrying out of a Great conference! Photos by Trisha Williams and Amy Baker Post by Trisha Williams and Audrey Giles
L-R Amy Baker, Harriett Jackson, Diane Clapp, Judy Cobb, Hugh Nichols, Trisha Williams, Beverly Williamson, Sharon Hosch, and Betsy Smith at 2024 AMGA Conference Betsy Smith, Chilton County MGA member and the President of the Herb Society of America, presents “Opening the Gifts of Herbs with Kids.”Hugh Nichols, V.P. of Chilton County MGA, receiving the grant check for Project Funding Grant ”Work Smarter, Not Harder” for tools for our Demonstration Garden, Congratulations!New Board Members being sworn in; our Harriett Jackson, on right side, was elected as Board Member at Large.L-R Trisha Williams and Judy Cobb taking a rest at one of the old houses at PrattVillage Sharon Hosch, not tired or asleep, but practicing some of Betsy Smith’s visualization relaxation exercises.
April is the time to take a drive and enjoy the azaleas that will be blooming throughout the month. With the wonderful spring weather we are all ready to get outside and work in our flower gardens and get the vegetable gardens started. Just be sure to wait until after the last average frost for your area to set out those summer annuals and tender vegetables.
Fruits and Nuts–Start spray program for all fruits. Plant raspberries and blackberries.
Shrubs–Fertilize azaleas and camellias. When new growth is half-completed, spray all shrubs with a fungicide.
Roses–Watch for insects and diseases. Remove old flower heads. Plant container-grown plants.
Bulbs–Plant gladiolus, fancy-leaved caladiums, milk and wine lilies and ginger and gloriosa lilies.
Miscellaneous–On camellias and hollies look for scale insects and spray if necessary. Carefully water newly planted of shrubs and trees.
Summer annuals may be set out late this month in central and southern parts of Alabama.
Vegetable seed–Plant tender vegetables such as beans, corn, squash, melons and cucumbers.
Vegetable plants–Plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, sweet potatoes and parsley.
Our CCMGA November meeting featured programs given by two of our very own Master Gardeners, Beverly Williamson and Amy Baker.
Beverly Williamson’s program was All About African Violets. Beverly has been growing award-winning violets for many years. There is great variety in African violets: sizes, leaf shapes, leaf edges, bloom color and some are even trailing. Blooms can be smooth edged or ruffled and can be double. Violets should be kept moist but not soggy wet; they can be set on a tray of rocks with water to increase humidity. They need indirect light and morning light is best. The pot should be 1/3 the size of the width of the plant from leaf tip to leaf tip. To propagate: select a healthy leaf, cut the stem at an angle, place in a mixture of 1/3 each soiless potting mix, vermiculite and perlite, place under florescent or grow lights and keep damp. For more information go to Ball State University or the African Violet Society of America.
Amy’s topic was Soil Blocking for Seed Starting. What is soil blocking?
To do soil blocking you will need soil blocking tools and Amy uses the 3/4 inch 12 cell size to start seeds and then moves the seedlings up to the 2 inch 4 cell size. Amy sets the soil blocks in shallow trays, adds water as needed to the tray to keep the soil moist and places them under grow lights until the seedlings have their first true leaves and are ready to move to the large soil block.
Soil Mixtures: A general mixture has 1/3 part each of coconut coir or peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite. For acid loving plants the mixture is 1 1/4 parts peat moss, 1 part perlite and 1/4 part vermiculite. Amy has had great success with this method and all of her seeds germinated this year.
Both programs were very well presented and so very interesting!
CCMGA elected officers for 2025. Thanks to each for agreeing to serve our group. We will have photos next month.
On a beautiful October day, several Chilton County Master Gardeners toured Recreative Natives, a native plant nursery in Cropwell, Alabama. Jessica Thompson, the owner of this one woman nursery, has a background in landscape design and used many natives in her designs. When she moved to Alabama 15 years ago she discovered there were no nurseries in Alabama that grew only native plants. She began to propagate natives for her own landscape and this led to a full time nursery and a passion. In 2024, she grew over 15,000 native plants mostly from seeds. She focuses on native plants of Alabama and the Southeast.
article by Trisha Williams; photos by Audrey Giles
Jessica Thompson tells about how she got started with her nursery, Recreative Natives in Cropwell, ALLanell Baker, Harriett Jackson, Harriett Jackso , Hugh Nichols, Skip Coulter, and Betsy Smith L-R Harriett Jackson, Hugh Nichols, Trisha Williams, Lanell Baker, Audrey Giles, hostess, Jessica Thompson, V.P. Betsy Smith and Pres. Skip CoultedJust browsing😊 learning from the best!Our Pres. Skip Coulter, loves to present each hostess with a small gift, this time, a $2.00 Bill?!!L-Right Betsy Smith, Harriett Jackson, Trisha Williams, Lanell Bakes, Hugh Nichols, and Skip Counter. Not pictured, Audtey Giles Eating lunch at the old Rexall Drug store, which is now a Mexican Resturant.Enjoying lunch at El Cazador restaurant in downtown Pell City
The speaker for the October Chilton County Master Gardener meeting, Alisha Millican, spoke on Fungus Among Us-About Mushrooms. Alisha is an Advanced Master Gardener and her area of expertise is mushrooms. She is active in the Alabama Mushroom Society. Her program was an introduction to types of mushrooms, not an ID COURSE! Alisha recommends training with knowledgable experts, such as members of the Alabama Mushroom Society if you want to forage for wild mushrooms. Identification apps on your phone are not reliable sources. Never eat wild mushrooms unless you are positive of the identification! Alisha said all edible mushrooms should be cooked as some people cannot tolerate them raw.
Many photos of various mushrooms were shared including puffballs, lobster, chanterelles, oyster, cauliflower, lion’s mane, chicken of the woods, shoehorn, bird’s nest and more. We learned that mushrooms can be spicy, sweet, bitter, earthy, or licorice flavored, among other flavors.
The announcements for one upcoming tour and 2 volunteer opportunities are: Oct 14 Tour to Recreative Natives Nursery Oct 26 MG table at Humane Society Family Day at Ollie Park 2-6pm Oct 30 MG table with Shelby County MGs at Alabama Power Stewardship Event Beeswax Park, 245 Beeswax Park Road Columbiana, AL 35051 – 2-5pm
V. Pres. Betsy Smith presents speaker Alisha Millican with handmade pen made by one of our MG’s!Speaker Alisha MillicanWally Walters, Sharon Hosch, and Pres. Skip CoulterHospitality Chairman Judy Cobb does a great job!Halloween goodiesWe are ready for Halloween!BOOOO❗️❗️
The June Chilton County Master Gardener meeting was a time to celebrate and remember. We celebrated Betsy Smith for earning her Advanced Master Gardener degree. Betsy’s specialty area is Herb Gardening. Regional Extension Agent Jacob Turner presented her with her certificate and pin.
Jason Turner and Betsy Smith
Our President Skip Coulter, lead the association in a time of remembrance for three of our recently passed members, Joan Barber, Rick Miller and Alan Reed. Members shared stories and special recollections during a slide show of photos.
Alan ReedJoan BarberRick Miller
Special guests were Kerry Smith, Master Gardener State Coordinator; Devonne Ellis, AMGA President; and Debbie Boutelier, AMGA Vice President. They are visiting MG Associations around the state. It was a treat for members who have never met them.
Kerry Smith and Devonne EllisDebbie Boutelier, and Devonne Ellis
This month’s program was presented by three of our association’s Conservation Group members, Hugh Nichols, Betsy Smith and Trisha Williams. Our Conservation Group was officially formed in May 2023 and one of the CG’s mission statements is, “To promote education and awareness of native plant species growing in, or around, Chilton County”. To fulfill that mission, the CG has created a presentation template for use in community educational and awareness settings. The presentation identifies the coordinating partners (Alabama Plant Conservation Alliance, U.S. Forest Service, Auburn University Davis Arboretum, to name a few) and begins with the relevance of biodiversity in Alabama. Complete with corresponding photos, topics include native, non-native, and invasive plants. Endangered or at-risk plants are discussed, and the three focus plants of our CG (Mohr’s Barbara Button, Alabama Canebrake Pitcher Plant, and Owls Eye Ginger) are detailed along with accompanying photos of the group on field trip locations. An extensive list of resources that support the group’s goals is provided within the presentation.
Hugh NicholsBetsy SmithTrisha Williams
Byline: Trisha Williams and Kerry Rush Photos by Audrey Giles
Our February Master Gardener Meeting featured the presentation of an American flag to our association by Ocie DeVaughn, President of Lodge 322 of Woodmen of the World. Thanks to Hugh Nichols for contacting them about how we needed a large flag for our meeting place. We’ve went from a little bitty hand held flag to a nice large flag and a stand alone pole! Thank you, Woodmen of the World Life Insurance for such a nice donation!
Mr. Ocie DeVaughnPresident of Woodmen of the WorldLodge #322
Elizabeth York, current Shelby County MGA President and a former Chilton County MGA member, taught us about growing cool season vegetables. Elizabeth told us that in Alabama we can have select vegetables growing nearly the entire year. The main concern for growing from seeds is the correct soil temperature for germination. For more information on growing vegetables check the Alabama Cooperative Extension System website: www.aces.edu.
V. President Betsy Smith presents the speakers gift to Elizabeth York
FEBRUARY is the time of year for our annual awards presentations and there were many honored this year!
This year we had the privilege of presenting Perfect Attendance certificates to Harriett Jackson and Judy Cobb. Congratulations ladies for attending every meeting in 2023!!
L-R Harriett Jackson and Judy Cobb
Pins for working the MG HELPLINE were presented by the Chairman, Hugh Nichols. Diane Clapp earned a pin for 3 days. Amy Baker, Amelia Bloomfield (absent) Pat Farmer, and Lynn Webb (absent) earned pins for 4 or more days.
L-R Pat Farmer, Amy Baker, Diane Clapp, Hugh Nichols
Trisha Williams presented the STARS awards for volunteer service
BRONZE STARS 100-299 hours) Bobby Atkinson, Amy Baker, Margariette Hoomes(absent)
The Chilton County Master Gardeners celebrated Christmas at their December 12 meeting. After a brief business meeting, Master Gardener certificates and badges were presented to our new certified Master Gardeners. Congratulations to Bobby Atkinson, April Oakes and Kathy Oakes for completing the requirements for MG certification.
In addition to our members we had many guests including several spouses, Chilton Extension retirees Gay West and Elaine Densmore, CEC Lucy Edwards and our Chilton Extension agents and staff. We enjoyed a wonderful covered dish dinner with all the traditional Christmas casseroles, turkey, dressing, ham, salads and desserts. Thanks to our Hospitality team for the Christmas Village decorations and to all our set up and cleanup volunteers.
Then the fun started with a spirited Dirty Santa gift exchange! photos by Audrey Giles and Lyn Webb
Bobby Atkinson, April Oakes, and Kathy Oakes receiving their MG certificates2024 President Skip Coulter and wife Carol Coulter2023 President Jerry Farmer slicing the turkey he cooked for the dinner. Thank you, Jerry!!L – R Master Gardeners Imogene Bresse, Mildred and Jimmy Knowles and Lamar GilesAmy Baker sports her Christmas Ugly Sweater! Her words, not mine!Staff of Chilton County Extension OfficeL-R Trisha Williams watching Gail Brooks open her Dirty Santa giftTrisha Williams says to Kathy Oakes, ” Here, let me help you😊❗️”Christmas Village
Our own Dr. Betsy Smith, current Vice President of the Herb Society of America, presented Open the Gift of Herbs…for use and Delight. Betsy taught us that herbs are plants that are valued for flavor, fragrance, economic or industrial use, medicinal or insecticidal qualities. We learned that there are five herb families: mint, aster, carrot, amaryllis and laurel. Did you know that various parts of the plants are used? This incudes leaves, sap, bark, flowers, bulbs, roots and even seeds. Betsy also discussed growing, harvesting, cooking and preserving herbs.
November is officer election month for CCMGA. Our 2024 officers are: President, Skip Coulter; Vice President, Betsy Smith; Secretary, Kerry Rush; and Treasurer, Judy Cobb. Congratulations to our new group of officers!
Post by Trisha Williams; Photos by Lynn Webb and Trisha Williams
Betsy Smith presents November program.Herbs That Grow in the South.L-R Secretary Kerry Rush, President Skip Coulter, Treasurer Judy Cobb, V. President Betsy SmithV. President Leslie Durham (Right) presents Betsy Smith with presenters gift.
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