DIY Garden Trellis plus Fall Conference Registration Form

Posted on July 31, 2015August 12, 2015 by ampil2010

Click here for information and to register for the TCMG Fall Conference 2015 . This link is also located on our HOME page and will remain there until registration is closed.

“Make your Own” Backyard Trellis

by Melissa Weatherly

Do you have any gardening DIYs that you’d like to share with us? We would love to feature your projects here, too. Send your ideas, specifications and pictures to us at ampil2010@gmail.com.

Any questions or comments? Click on Leave a Reply.

Euonymus growing…

Cut wire four inches wider than width of T Post spacing.

Wrap two inches of each edge of wire around standing T Post.

Growing…

Cut desired length of wire with wire cutters then secure

the “wrapped wire” to the T Post.

Honeysuckle grown!

TCMG July Meeting and Southeast Gardener: July Checklist

Posted on July 9, 2015 by ampil2010

The Tuscaloosa County Master Gardeners will have it’s regular meeting on Tuesday, July 14 at 5:30 P.M. at the Tuscaloosa County Extension Office. Dr. Brian Keener, University of West Alabama, will speak to us about The Alabama Plant Atlas, an online plant database.

The Alabama Plant Atlas is a joint effort by the Alabama Herbarium Consortium (AHC) and The University of West Alabama to provide users with a comprehensive searchable database of plants that occur in the state of Alabama.

Alabama, with over 4,000 species of native or naturalized pteridophytes and seed plants, is the fifth most floristically diverse state in the United States. The Alabama Plant Atlas provides a source of information for each species including the distribution within the state using historical and recent data.

Click here to check out The Alabama Plant Atlas

As always, the public is invited to attend.

Update on TCMG Fall Conference

Please mark your calendar to attend the TCMG Annual Fall Conference to be held, Saturday, October 17th from 8:30-2:30 in the County Extension Auditorium. All members are asked to volunteer for one of the following committees so that our guests will enjoy the date. Committees include:

Program Formation-includes speakers, room setup/clean up, technology needs, other logistics as needed-Octavia Miles, Ann Hewitt

Registration and Distribution of Registration Packets-Linda Bagget, Harold Phillips

Table Decorations-Jeanie Gray

Conference Publicity-Pam Sloan, Judith Rives, Amelia Pilsch, Kay Smith

Refreshments and Lunch-Sybil Phillips, Gypsy Kee, Elaine Elmore, Jeanie Gray

Door Prizes-Laurie Reinwald, Brenda Kilgore, Susan Lynch

Preparation of Registration Packets-All executive board and all members as available.

From https://www.houzz.com

Southeast Gardener July Checklist

by Helen Yoest

July is your prize after many months of gardening — from fall prep to spring planning — and you now get to reap your rewards with fresh fruits, vegetables and fragrant flowers. It is a time of abundance.

July is not the best planting month for Southeast gardens, but it’s a good time to plan and prepare. The weeds will not let you rest, but they might slow down to a manageable pace during the dog days of summer. Rainfall will best determine how much time you’ll spend weeding. Little rain, fewer weeds. More rain, more weeds.

Cut back annuals: Cut back summer annuals so they don’t get leggy. A good time to do this is right before you go on vacation; this way, you will be gone as the plants get a fresh start. Petunias benefit from this kind of summer pinch. This cutback from the ends of the stems encourages branching, resulting in a bushier plant.

Practice wise watering methods: July can be a month with limited rainfall. When nature stops providing regular rain, you may need to supplement. Here are some tips to help your garden during a dry season:

Chances are your container plants will need to be watered every day. Check by doing the finger test. If the top inch of soil is dry, it’s time to water. Water thoroughly. Small pots will dry out faster than larger pots, and containers in the sun will dry out faster than those in the shade.

Add mulch. A layer of mulch, 3 to 4 inches deep, will moderate soil temperature and reduce evaporation. Organic mulches include: composted leaves, shredded pine or hardwoods, and even nuggets. Mulches will also reduce weed production and keep the garden looking tidy.

First season plants — those fall and spring additions — will need more frequent watering than established ones. Water new additions two or three times per week until the plants are established. Established plants typically require watering once a week.

Conserve water by running a sprinkler during cooler hours, typically early in the morning. This will help reduce water loss due to evaporation. If possible, set up a drip irrigation system or a soaker hose to minimize waste. Watering in the morning hours also allows the water to dry on the foliage, minimizing fungal formation.

Deadhead and deadleaf spent flowers:Remove hosta flowers after the bloom is spent. They’re primarily decorative and not an energy source for the plant, so they don’t need to die back completely before removing. Deadhead the spent flowers of daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.), Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum spp.), black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.) and bee balm (Monarda spp.) to extend the bloom time.

Divide irises: Did you have success with your new iris planted this year or in the fall? If not, it could be due to several factors: too much shade, too much fertilizer, too deep a planting, or crowding. July is a good time to correct any of these problems by lifting and relocating or repositioning to a more favorable location.

Plant the iris high with the rhizomes along the surface of the dirt. They will be covered finely and lightly with mulch, but not soil. Make sure you can either see the rhizomes or have the ability to brush away the mulch exposing the bulb.

With the exception of Louisiana variety, irises need six to eight hours of sunlight to bloom and require good drainage. If you have a damp, partial sun location in your garden, plant a Louisiana iris.Harvest summer edibles: Harvest tomatoes when they are ripe. There is nothing better than sinking your teeth into a ripe tomato, warmed from the summer sun. Didn’t plant tomatoes? Visit your local farmers market for a selection of fresh, field-grown varieties.

In your home garden, keep an eye out for early blight. Blight is a fungal disease that will cause spots to develop on the foliage. The leaves begin to yellow and then drop. Pinch off foliage at first indication. If too severe, there are several fungicides that can be used to reduce the symptoms.

Manage pests: Do yourself a favor and never look into the “eye” of a bagworm. Bagworms have got to be the most disgusting looking thing ever — to me anyway.

Bagworms can be treated by removing them by hand and dropping into a bucket of soapy water. If the bagworm infestation isn’t within easy reach, they can be sprayed with Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt.

Bt is a microbial insecticide that’s commonly used to control various caterpillars such as the red-headed azalea caterpillar along with many others, as well as bagworms.

A Garden Make-Over

Posted on July 2, 2015 by ampil2010

by Anita Smelley

Earlier this spring I decided it was time for a refresher for my yard. I’ve lived in this house for ten years now and did all the original work myself. In those ten years came retirement, a little arthritis and a lot of back-breaking digging in the dirt. Don’t get me wrong, I love digging in the dirt (even though mine is mostly clay) I’ve always said it was my therapy, garden therapy and good for the soul. I have a small plaque in my garden with the saying “You’re nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth” and I do believe that.

The first thing that had to happen was to clear out the over-grown mess of umbrella palms, Asiatic jasmine, elephant ears, wood ferns and mint that had taken over. Enter Teresa and Darrel Johnson otherwise known as The Plant Lady and Johnson Horticultural Services. This project would not have happened without them and their crew! At this point in life I am just not able to spend the hours needed kneeling in the sun to do the job. Never again will I plant invasive species and spend countless hours pulling them up when they spread to literally every square inch of my garden. There is nothing at all wrong with any of these plants, if you keep them contained… which I did not do.

Now I am all about keeping it simple, not over-planting and selecting hardy plants that will give me years of enjoyment rather than require constant attention. I still love annuals, but will use them in pots and containers for seasonal color. At least I can sit on a stool at my potting bench and not sacrifice my back in the process. I am even using some potted plants in the garden beds to add interest and color.

We extended my front flower bed and while I kept my Shasta daisies and drift roses, we included three micron hollies, a crimson fire lorapetalum and a sunshine ligustrum. Right now it looks a little bare, but as they grow they will fill in the spaces and not be over-crowed when they do. We also did a mailbox make-over with a red mandevilla, two more lorapetalums and a ligustrum. I must say I am very pleased with the front yard’s new look.

In the back yard two flower beds were completely cleaned out and got new plantings. I have a lion’s head fountain there and on either side we planted a camellia sasanqua October magic and in front of those we planted bloom-a-thon pink azaleas. This is where I improvised with some potted plants. Along the back privacy fence I have a large, concrete celtic cross. Now sweet olive trees, blue plumbagos and yes another sunshine ligustrum. I think that may be one of my favorite shrubs. It is a light green shrub and very airy-looking. It just makes me happy to look at it!

Now that the transformation is complete I patrol daily looking for sprouts of the before-mentioned invasive plants and either pull them up by the roots or spay with a herbicide. I hope the next ten years (and beyond) I will enjoy my beautiful landscaping. It is the first place I go every morning. I have my breakfast along with my cats each morning on my patio and just soak in how lovely everything looks. I have another plaque on my sun porch that says “All gardeners live in beautiful places because they make them so.” Can I get an amen?

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

We love feedback! Click on Leave a Reply to share your thoughts.

Here is the direct link to the on-line registration form for the Alabama Master Gardener Fall Conference 2015.

TCMG site statistics for today: We’ve had 1,619 unique visitors in the last 30 days! Thank you for visiting Tuscaloosa County Master Gardeners!

Ferns, Ferns, Ferns

Posted on June 11, 2015 by ampil2010

Check out the new look on our TCMG Home Page here . The annoying pop-up, “join our user base” is gone! Now, you should see a Follow button on the right side of the screen for visitors to subscribe. Also discovered, a new plug-in that allows us to customize our email notifications. What do you think? FYI…We’ve had 1,353 unique visitors to our TCMG website in the last 30 days.

So enjoyed Eleanor Craig from Fern Ridge Farms, a small specialty nursery located at 6254 Hwy 273 Cedar Bluff, AL 23939. Ferns remind us of the earliest forms of life, like an ancient, primeval forest which has never been touched by man. I purchased a Tassel Fern and a Japanese Beech. Did you add a fern to your garden? Leave a reply to share.

Visit Eleanor’s website here .

Ran across an amazing video from a drone’s perspective of Shawna Coronado’s urban garden here .

Snagged a Begonia Rex Escargot at The Plant Lady Nursery last week. I saw this plant featured on the Martha Stewart Show a few years back, but I’ve never met one “in person.” I love the silver bands and how the leaf curls in on itself, creating a spiral effect. Apparently, it’s supposed to have rosy-pink flowers, but it is so unique and beautiful, who cares!

Click here to view information about Blount County MGs Fall Conference.

Blount County MG FALL CONFERENCE

FALL AMGA CONFERENCE SCHEDULED

TCMG Reminders and Info about AMGPA conference

Posted on May 30, 2015 by ampil2010

TCMG local news:

Please mark your calendar for TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Tuscaloosa Extension Office for TCMG’s monthly meeting.

Our speaker will be ELEANOR CRAIG of FERN RIDGE FARMS. She will enlighten, highlight, and broaden our knowledge about the wonderful varities of those luscious green plants. She may even have some for sale.

The theme for our social delight table is “YOUR BEST SUMMER SALAD, YET“, so let’s plan a tasty sea of our best summer salads!

@DruidCityLiving follows Tuscaloosa County Master Gardeners on Twitter, do you? Follow us @TuscCoGardeners

TCMG website stats: 1,699 visitors in the last 30 days. You can visit us, too at mg.aces.edu/tuscaloosa/

June garden tips for the Southeast:

Water―Pay attention to hanging baskets and containers, because they dry out more quickly with the warmer temperatures. Irrigate plants at dawn and dusk to reduce water loss from evaporation. As you make additions to your garden, you will need to water them more than established areas.
Houseplants―Place houseplants outside in a shady location to enjoy the fresh air and rejuvenate. Water regularly, and feed with an all-purpose (20-20-20) water-soluble fertilizer to encourage growth.
Mulch―Apply extra pine straw or shredded bark mulch around newly planted trees and shrubs to better transition these plants into your garden. The extra mulch will reduce water loss and heat stress to the new roots.

Do you have a summer gardening tip to pass along? Leave us a reply.

B’ham Rose Show, Planting Herbs for Pollinators and Reminders

Posted on May 7, 2015 by ampil2010

REMINDER: TCMG will meet Tuesday, May 12 at 5:30 in the auditorium of the Extension Service Office. The theme for our hospitality table is “Mexican Jubilee”, so bring your favorite Mexican food dish of treats to tickle our tongues! The CEU speaker will be Gary Gray, Hale County Extension Service Agent who will share his expertise regarding growing fruit trees in Alabama.

The Birmingham Rose Society presents its annual Rose Show on Mother’s day weekend at the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

The judging is Saturday morning, but the festivities are all weekend! There are all sorts of categories ranging from “novice” to “experienced exhibitor” and also “artistic arrangements” and, a photography division.

Open Saturday 1-5 and Sunday 1-4.

By Bethany A. O’Rear

From The Jefferson County Extension Service

Q. I want to include herbs in my garden and need to know more about requirements for growing them. I’m also interested in attracting pollinators, especially honeybees. Which herbs will provide food or habitat for them?

A. With spring in full swing, honeybee populations in decline, and herbs gaining status with a variety of gardeners, this is a very pertinent question. Let’s break the answer into two parts, one to address the herbs, one for the honeybees.

Herbs have many attributes that contribute to their increasing popularity in gardens and landscapes. Their historic use, from primarily culinary and medicinal, to the 21st century has expanded the role of herbs. Today, we grow herbs (or “‘erbs”) for aesthetic reasons, for use in cooking (culinary), as medicinal, aromatics, ornamentals, household/industrial, and wildlife habitat.

Herbs are considered one of the easiest groups of plants to grow, and once established, most are considered low maintenance; they do very well with little water or fertilizer.

Requirements for growing herbs, regardless of reason, need to be considered before planting them in the ground. And, while herbs are adaptable to a range of soil and growing conditions, most don’t do well in poorly drained soil. Another limiting factor is the amount of sun available to them; if the site receives less than 6-8 hours of sun a day, look for another site or consider herbs that can handle light shade. The sun/shade factor is especially important for pollinators, including honeybees, since most of them are attracted to plants that flower in full sun conditions.

One other point to consider is soil; heavy clay is a challenging environment for most herbs. Make their life easier and more productive by planting herbs in raised beds or amending existing soil with well-composted organic matter to improve its porosity.

Herbs are a solution to the need expressed by many beekeepers; to increase nectar availability in an area. Herbs are versatile, blooming the same year they’re planted in many cases. With sufficient variety, an herb garden can have plants in bloom 10 months of the year, providing nectar and pollen sources for honeybees. However, not all herbs attract honeybees, so gardeners should pay attention to variety. Herbs such as basil, bee balm, hyssop (anise), mints, sage, and thyme are examples of bee favorites.

Southeast gardens May checklist

Posted on May 1, 2015 by ampil2010

Happy May, lots to do this month!

by Helen Yoest, author of Gardening with Confidence www.houzz.com

May brings the end of pine pollen and the unofficial start of summer with the long Memorial Day weekend. Let the prime gardening season begin. Here’s what you can do in the Southeast garden this month.

Admire blooming trees and shrubs. May is bloom time for southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). These flowers give so much, and we need to do so little for them in return. I like to pluck a magnolia bloom and float it in a bowl of water near where I read or enjoy the garden at the end of the day. It lasts but a day, but what a day it is.

The Endless Summer hydrangea is the first hydrangea to bloom on old and new growth, with the ability to rebloom all summer long. I planted my Endless Summer in 2005. To encourage reblooming, cut the blooms for drying or to put in vases for a fresh arrangement. This will also encourage the plant to set new buds.

Prune rhododendrons and azaleas right after flowering.

Enjoy abundant rose blooms. Roses are in full swing right now. Let your roses flesh out; prune less in May so they grow taller. This is usually good advice for the first couple of cuttings. Then you can prune at will, remembering to cut the next five leaflets at an angle.

Roses are heavy feeders — in terms of both food and water. Fertilize once a month and give each rose about 5 gallons of water each week (or about 1 inch per week). Water in the morning, at the base of the plant to help discourage black spot.

Cherish blooming iris. Oh, the irises are blooming their little heads off. After they bloom, cut the flower stalks to tidy up the plant. Recently I cut some for a friend. She took a whiff and realized, for the first time, that bearded irises have a lovely scent — making them enjoyable indoors too.

Cut the flower stalks of daffodils. Try to ignore the leaves as the plants naturally die back.

Plant annuals. With frosts behind us, you can plant

annuals with abandonment. Visit public gardens to see the

variety available for planting in our area.

The JC Raulston Arboretum is an All-American Selection

(AAS) display garden, exhibiting the most recent selection winners.

Direct sow zinnia seed at intervals to have cut flowers through frost.

Plant tender summer bulbs. It’s now safe to transplant the amaryllis you grew during the

winter. It will not likely bloom again this year but should do so next year.

Now that the soil has warmed (make sure it’s at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit), plant caladium

bulbs or caladium potted and already in leaf. They like it warm and can be damaged by cool

weather, not just a frost. They are also big feeders, so you’ll need to water and fertilize them

consistently during the growing season.Actually, any tender summer bulb, such

as cannas, dahlias, ginger lilies and tuberoses,can be planted now.

Grow edibles. With the last frost of the season behind us, it’s now time to plant tomatoes,

basil, peppers, cucumbers and other tender annuals.

Plant an herb garden. If not for you, then for your garden friends. Black Tiger Swallowtail

butterfly larvae love parsley and fennel. Let those green worms eat it all.

Fertilize sustainably. To encourage flowering, use a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in

phosphorus.Fertilizer’s three main ingredients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or NPK.

10-10-10 means there is an equal proportion N, P and K.
Hydrangeas like a low N and a high P; thus a combination of 10-40-10 would be ideal.

A general rule of thumb to remember what the numbers mean is to start with the first number

and apply from the top of the plant to the bottom. As such, N is for the green, P is for the bloom

and K is for the root or up and down and all around.To refresh your understanding of pH, it refers to the acidity of the soil and is measured by the

number of hydrogen ions present in the soil. It’s a logarithmic scale based on the power of 10.

As such, a pH of 6 is 10 times more acidic than pH of 7. Thus, even a little change in pH can

make a big difference.

A pH of 7 is neutral.
A pH lower than than 7 is acidic.
A ph higher than 7 is alkaline.

Most plants like a pH between 6.5 and 7. Hydrangeas like it more acidic than most plants.

Free gardening books, GMOs, and more!

Posted on April 29, 2015 by ampil2010

Congratulations Sybil Phillips on another successful plant sale earning over $800.00 for our annual scholarship!

In the last 30 days, our website has had 1,727 visitors. A web presence can be a powerful communication tool to promote events and public awareness. Take advantage of this resource by sharing information with us: ampil2010@gmail.com

Curated from The Skimm

“GMOs: for or against? Yesterday, Chipotle announced it’s getting rid of all genetically modified ingredients from its food – aka GMOs. Hint: many US crops are genetically modified to resist things like pesticides and plant diseases. The FDA says this is perfectly safe, and lots of people agree. And lots of other people don’t. Chipotle says it would rather remind you the guac is still extra than deal with the ongoing debate, making it the first major US chain to say no to GMOs.”

Click here to read ACES Volunteer Opps Bulletin May2015

FREE from the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service and iTunes/iBooks; Click HERE to download.

Gardening in the South: Getting Started – Welcome to Gardening in the South! Before you buy the first packet of seed, we’ll tell you about the South’s unique soils and how to make the most of them. We’ll help you navigate fertilizer labels and select the ones that are right for your soil. From botany to plant propagation, you can understand how to grow strong plants and maximize the productive potential of your garden. Most importantly, we can help you create a vision, season it with inspiration, apply science and experience, and realize your dream of a beautiful garden. And for those special questions that reach beyond this book, we’ll help you connect to the deeper information resources of Cooperative Extension.

Now Available for FREE Download from Amazon.Com

Gardening 101: Friendship Gardens – Kindle edition by Henry Owen, Katherine Metzo. Crafts, Hobbies & Home Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com

In this book you will learn organic and sustainable growing practices on a range of gardening topics: Garden bed preparations, soil life, spring gardening, summer gardening, fall gardening, watering, composting, planting, and more. This book has great general gardening information that will be helpful to any gardener new or experiences, and it includes some specific information about gardening in our climate and clay heavy soil here in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.

May Garden Opportunities

Posted on April 17, 2015April 17, 2015 by ampil2010

Join The Plant Lady Nursery and master gardeners from the area as they open their beautiful gardens to the public, Saturday, May 2nd from 9 until 5, and again on Sunday, May 3rd from 1 until 5. Tour them at your leisure, and/or discuss with master gardeners.

Tickets are $10 each and will be donated to The DCH Help and Hope Patient Assistance Fund in memory of Hugo Johnson. You can purchase your ticket at the nursery or on our website. Directions to the gardens are on the tickets.

100% of the profits collected from these tickets goes towards the “DCH Help & Hope Fund”, which assists current Lewis & Faye Manderson Cancer Center patients with financial difficulties while undergoing treatment. These needs include household bills, medications, transportation to and from treatment, wigs, etc.

Beautiful gardens for a beautiful cause! Come out and walk the gardens with us and ENJOY SPRING!

Click here to reserve your tickets.

www.ThePlantLadyNursery.com

www.JHSLandscapes.com

The Alabama Cooperative Extension Service is sponsoring a seminar entitled “Making a Difference in the Lives of Others on Friday May 8 from 9 am until 12 to be held at the County Extension Office Auditorium. To learn more click on Leadership Flyer

The Druid City Gardening Project needs summer volunteers to keep up a school garden during regular volunteer times (Wednesdays from 5-7 p.m.). They require an orientation for regular volunteers and the next Volunteer Orientation will be on May 6 at University Place Elementary School from 5-7p.m. For more information and to sign up, visit: www.druidcitygardenproject.org/volunteer.

Information