Several Master Gardeners and Intern Class members enjoyed a trip today to the Tulip Festival at the American Village in Montevallo . The weather was perfect! Everyone also toured the American Village and stepped back to colonial days. Great reminder as to how thankful we should be to our forefathers for our independence! Thanks so much to our V. President and Program Chairperson, Charla Doucet for arranging this trip. If you’ve never been, plan now to go!
Photos by Susan Cleckler and Charla Doucet.
Front row, , L to R MGs Harriett Jackson, Susan Cleckler, Wally Walters, Joan Barber, Intern Ruby Moberg and daughter Back row, L to R – MGs Rick Miller, Charla Doucet, Interns Peggy McGraw, Patty Frye, Kathryn Martin, Julie Garris, MG Lee Walters, Intern Patricia Agee.
Master Gardener Lanell Baker did a short program February 26 on starting plants from seeds at the 2020 Intern Class. She did a hands on demonstration of transplanting tomato plants grown from seeds. She explained how to get them ready to plant outdoors. ‘Hardening off‘ is the process of gradually acclimatizing indoor-sown plants to outdoor conditions. For most plants, begin hardening off a week before the final frost date for your area. Water plants before they go outside.
Bethany O’Rear was the main speaker, teaching “Plant Care and Management Pruning.
Thanks, Gay West for these photos.
Master Gardener Lanell Baker Bethany O’Rear teaches Plant Care and Management Pruning
Brian Smith with the National Forestry Commission and members of the Chilton Natural Resources Council held the annual tree giveaway Tuesday in the City Hall parking lot. There to help and provide information on planting the trees was Chilton County Master Gardener Lamar Giles. Retired Director of Chilton Research and Extension Center Jim Pitts was also there. This event is one of the ways that Clanton keeps its certification as a Tree City USA. Photos by Gay West.
Our Feb. 19th speaker was Dr. Charles Mitchell, retired Ph.D., CCA, Professor Emeritus, Dep. Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University. Dr. Mitchell taught “Soils and Plant Nutrition” to our Master Gardener interns. His program is always very interesting and most informative. Thanks, Dr. Mitchell!!
Our Chilton County Master Gardener February meeting is our Awards Meeting. Our Master Gardener of 2019 went to the duo of Wally and Lee Walters, two very active MGs who rarely say no to any Master Gardener event. The Demo Garden addition of reused monkey bars for growing climbing plants was selected as the Project of 2019. Top hours volunteer was Sondra Henley (1155), second place was Alice Broome (549.5) and third place was Pat Farmer (538). Top Continuing Education Hours were earned by Betsy Smith (100.7). Stars * for hours were presented and badge earners were announced. Helpline pins were awarded to Lyn Webb and Benita Cahalane for working 3 or more days.
Gary Gray, Regional Commercial Horticulture Agent, presented a program on the easiest fruits we can grow as home gardeners. He discussed several varieties of fruits, their culture and pest problems. Some of the easiest fruits for home gardens are muscadines, blueberries, figs, apples, blackberries, and Japanese persimmons. Several unusual native fruits were discussed such as pawpaws, mulberries and passion fruit (Maypops).
*Stars and Badges Bronze Star (100-299): Joan Barber, Clem Clapp, Cheryl Herbster, Ron Herbster, John Higginbotham, Sarah Justiss, Karen Mims Silver Star (300-499): Debbie Housner, Betsy Smith Gold Star (500-999): Lyn Webb, Elizabeth York Gold Badge (1000-1999): Treasia Bennett, Susan Cleckler, Linda Hand, Jane Mason Platinum Badge (2000-3999): Alice Broome, Jerry Farmer Ruby Star (4000-5999): Audrey Giles Diamond Star (8000-9999) Sondra Henley
Click Here for a slideshow of photos from the awards program.
Our Master Gardener class on January 29 was a good one, with the morning session by Taylor Hatchett of Boozer Farms in Thorsby on “Home Lawns” and the afternoon session by Extension Agent Sallie Lee from Jefferson County on “Woody Ornamentals and Invasive Plants”. Thanks to both of these ladies for two very interesting classes!
Taylor Hatchett from Boozer Farms teaching “Home Lawns”The class was taking it all in!Sallie Lee, Regional Extension Agent, Jefferson County, teaches “Woody Ornamentals and Invasive Plants”. Photo by Gay West.
Our 2020 MG Class got started yesterday with 20 enrollees! We are so excited about the vitality and interest of this group. I’m sure we will learn as much from them as they do from us. Stay tuned!
Mother-Daughter Interns from Wilsonville and Mountain Brook areas.Intern Gail Brooks has been attending meetings and waiting on a MG Class since last year.
Well…We made it through another year! Before getting into 2020, I would like to thank the 2019 Officers and the Board for their service, you are very much appreciated!
As we start this new year, let’s not forget who we are… As it states in our MG Handbook, we are trained volunteers serving as educators in our communities. Ask yourself “where can I be of service?” So, let’s look around and see what community projects we can find. That will be our challenge for the year.
So…moving forward we have a lot to be excited about. Now that we have established a relationship with Thorsby Elementary School we will continue participating in a Spring and Fall planting with the 3rd grade classes. As with any new relationship there have been growing pains, but with each year that relationship will grow stronger. We will be having our plant sale in April, and plan on this being an annual fundraiser for us. With any new event it will take time to establish in the community and, again, we will feel some growing pains but I’m sure in no time Chilton County will look forward to this event every year. Once again, it will take all of us to participate and make this a success. I want to thank you now for your help, your patience and your plants that you have donated to make this happen.
I will end by saying we may not all agree all the time, but one thing we can agree on, we are all dedicated to the success of CCMGA, and it takes ALL of us to make this Association successful.
Susan M Cleckler President Chilton County Master Gardeners
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