Education Outreach

2017 Intern Class Update

Posted on by audrey

2017 interns for CCMGA classWe have just finished up our  6th class for our 2017 Intern Class this year. Boy, time flies! We have had Nelson Wynn on Vegetable Gardens; Bethany O’Rear on Plant Care and Management, and Pruning; Dr. Charles Ray on Insect Management; Sallie Lee on Woody Ornamentals, and Invasive Plants; Dr. Charles Mitchell on Soils and Plant Nutrition; our own Trisha Williams on Indoor Plants, and Carol Beard on Annuals and Perennial Bedding Plants. It has been a fast paced, cram a lot in a short period of time! And we still have 6 classes to go. We will meet at Petals from the Past March 22nd, and the association will be providing the lunch for that day. We have a great class this year, with 19 in attendance. We look forward to having them in our association and being a part of all our activities in the coming years! Here’s an updated Smilebox slideshow of our class photos up through this week.

MG Trisha teaching indoor plants

2017 MG Intern Class

Posted on by audrey

Nelson Wynn, ACES Agent III, welcomes everyone to the 2017 Master Gardener Intern Class. We are so excited to have 20 participants signed up this year to take the class! Sometimes for our small county, it’s difficult to have the minimum 15 people sign up. We look forward to working with each and every one of them and them becoming members as soon as they get certified! Of course, they’ll hopefully be coming to our regular monthly meetings, the second Tuesday of each month, held at the Jemison Municipal Complex building in Jemison. Here’s a Smilebox of a few more photos from the 1st day.

 

2017 mg class

CCMGA Partners with Habitat for Humanity

Posted on by trisha

Chilton County Master Gardeners partnered with Habitat for Humanity to rehabilitate the landscape of a recent Habitat for Humanity home in Clanton. Kimberly Lyn, master gardener and Habitat Board member coordinated the landscape project. The existing landscape was evaluated and a low maintenance update was planned. Over several weeks several CCMGA members raked leaves, prepared beds, and pruned trees and shrubs. They planted tea olives, knockout roses, and daylilies, spread mulch and even laid sod. This project fits perfectly with the mission of Chilton County Master Gardeners.

MGs working at Habitat House

 

December Lunch and Learn

Posted on by audrey

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.

Members attend Seminar

Posted on by audrey

Several members attended the 2016 AMGA Fall Seminar on September 29th, held at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Some of the programs included “Japanese Maples: Aristocrat of Trees” by David Doggett, JCMG; “Beauty in Her Own Backyard” by Sally Price, JCMG; “The Aging Gardener” by Fletcher Harvey, JCMG; and  “Tree I.D.” by Mallory Kelley, ACES just to name a few. The weather was absolutely gorgeous at the gardens and lunch and breaks was enjoyed on the outdoor patio just outside the Hodges Room. Pictured left to right: Sondra Henley, Trisha Williams, Audrey Giles, Pat Farmer, & Margaret Goolsby.

Master Gardeners attend 2016 Fall Seminar

Lunch and Learn

Posted on by audrey

September’s Lunch and Learn was presented by Chilton County Master Gardener Lanell Baker. Lanell demonstrated how to start and grow plants from seeds. She told what type of potting mix to use, what kind of heat they need, how long it takes them to germinate, and how to repot them and harden them off for the outdoor garden. Participants were able to plant seeds in provided pots to take home for their own use.

 

 

September 28th Lunch and Learn

Posted on by audrey

 

Lunch and Learn Starting Plants from SeedCCMGA and Chilton County Extension Office will host a Lunch and Learn program on September 28, 2016 at the Extension Office. Master Gardener Lanell Baker will be presenting a program on starting plants from seed. It will be from 12 to 1 p.m.  Drinks will be provided by the Extension Office. All you need to do is bring yourself and a sack lunch!

Lunch and Learn program presented by Lanell Baker

Demo Garden Grand Opening

Posted on by audrey

Rock Garden in Demo Garden

The Chilton County Master Gardeners Association’s newly designed Demonstration Garden will have its Grand Opening on August 6, 2016 at 11:30 at the Chilton Research and Extension Center off of Highway 29.

Afterwards the Farm, Home and Wildlife EXPO will start with free tastes of fruit, ice creams, peach salsa and other culinary delights. Many presentations are offered for home and farm, along with exhibits for all ages.
Everyone is invited to attend!

(Photos by Sondra Henley)

 

 

 

 

2016 AMGA Conference

Posted on by audrey

The Chilton County Master Gardeners Association was well represented this year at the 2016 AMGA Conference held in Dothan, AL on May 12-14. To name just a few of the topics covered: Pros and Cons of Biochar by Dr. Yucheng Feng; Backyard Aquaponics by Ext. Horticulturist Jeremy Pickens, and Southern Wreaths Throughout the Season by author and artist Mark Ballard. Our web team was also very glad to finally meet Tyler Weldon from Auburn IT department after many emails back and forth about transferring our website to the Auburn server. He did a roundtable discussion on “WordPress-Managing Your Association’s Website” We also had 6 very nice gifts for the Silent Auction, which the AMGA said was the best this year ever in their conference’s history.

Having fun at AMGA conference