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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Chilton County Master Gardeners hosted a “Home for the Holidays” fundraiser this year for the first time. Vice President Sondra Henley held the event at her house October 15, 2016. CCMGA partnered with Butterfly Bridge and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center in Clanton. There were many days of preparation which included cleaning, decorating, and displaying vendor’s items in the home. There was also a tasting table with all dishes prepared by some of the members. This included cream cheese cigar rolls with peach salsa, mini cold skewers, turnip green soup, Lee’s cornbread, Arnold Palmer tea, and peach upside down cake. A candy table ( all you could put in the box for $5.00) and raffle basket with all proceeds from these two going solely to Butterfly Bridge was very popular. Door prizes were drawn for every 15 minutes. We think the event was a success and plan to have it again in the future. Also for your enjoyment is a SMILEBOX to watch for more photos.
October’s meeting was a celebration of all things German; food, decorations, stories, all depicting the life of Germany. CCMGA member Wally Walters presented an excellent description of what it’s like to visit Germany, and she should know, she was born in Germany! The food the many members brought was fabulous, with many of the items labeled with the English name and also the German name.
Our program was presented by CCMGA member Margie Robertson, who is a Master Beekeeper and a member of the Shelby County Beekeeper’s Association. She did an excellent job of describing the bee’s life cycle, and how they go about gathering nectar for the honey. Margie did this without the aid of a PowerPoint, which wasn’t really missed, as she did such a wonderful job of describing everything in vivid color!
Chilton County Master Gardener members Audrey Giles, Harriett Jackson, and Sarah Saunders attended and helped with the Fall Landowner Forestry Tour on October 10th. This event is hosted by the Chilton Natural Resources Council and covers various topics including land maintenance and rules and regulations. The tour was held on the property of Wade Connell in Clanton and included stops throughout the property. A representative from Plantation Pipeline spoke about the petroleum pipeline that runs through the property and the caution that must be taken before digging around them or starting a project close by. Other subjects discussed were wildlife food plots, a fungi pest that affects roots of trees, boundary lines and firebreak maintenance. The tour was concluded with lunch which was barbecue provided by Hickory Chip and served by the master gardeners and door prizes that were provided by local businesses that helped sponsor the tour.
Autumn is a beautiful time to tour our Demonstration Garden. The garden is located on the grounds of the Chilton Research and Extension Center which is located on 120 County Road 756, Clanton, AL 35046. The butterfly garden is really doing it’s job, attracting butterflies! The herb bed is also a magnet to the butterflies. There’s a shade garden with a small table and chairs and a pergola with a comfortable swing. So bring a book and a sack lunch and enjoy the garden during this pleasant time of year.
Chilton County Master Gardeners have a standing date with the Shelby County Fair to help judge the exhibits. This year several members helped out, as well as Jefferson County Master Gardeners, St. Clair County Master Gardeners, and Kiwanis members. Photos by Harriett Jackson.
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