Busy this month? August can be a busy month for avid and Extension Master Gardeners as they are often spending time watering, weeding, managing insects and disease, planning a fall garden, and perhaps visiting farmers’ markets or answering questions at local fairs.
Through this monthly update, we’ve tried to make it easy to catch up. Below you can scan or read an overview of what went on in our August blog posts, check out opportunities for upcoming or on-demand online courses and Webinars, or perhaps you’d like to get connected with other EMGs by pressing ‘Like’ on our Extension Master Gardener Facebook page.
What did we learn or share in August?
Lee Co Ala MG Demonstration Garden
Master Gardener Fruits of Labor
After all that hard work, it’s nice to see plans and sweat equity come together. This month Lee County, Alabama, Master Gardeners shared with us the fruits of their labor in their Wordless Wednesday: Changing Face of Master Gardener Demonstration Garden located in Auburn’s Kiesel Park.
Whatcom County Master Gardener, Doug Bascom also shared with us how the results of his gardening labor provide opportunities to delight in the details.
Farmers’ Markets
Words from August 2012 blog posts (Wordle.net)
This month we plugged our blog’s web address (actually the blog’s feed address, for the technologically curious) into Wordle.net and out came this tag cloud image to the right. This word cloud made it abundantly clear — in August, food and farmers’ markets were on our mind!
Connie Schulz, Extension Master Gardener from Johnson County, North Carolina contacted the Larimer County, Colorado Extension office to find out more about how Master Gardeners were involved with the Larimer County Farmer’s Market.
This conversation sparked three farmers’ markets blogs posts, capturing the spirit of farmer’s markets and why they can be both productive and fun places to volunteer. You may like to check them out:
- Wordless Wednesday: The Bounty of Summer Farmers’ Markets
- About Master Gardener Programs and Farmers’ Markets – Do You Volunteer?
- Farmer’s Market Week August 5th – 11th
Fairs
We have great entries here!
Sharing New Ideas in Horticulture
Drip Irrigations Systems…for Grass? When horticulture agent, Cheryl Kent posted the blog posts with the title , “Drip Irrigation Systems…for Grass?” I had to laugh, because the title was the perfect hook to get my attention. It said just what I was thinking….”How does this work?” If you think drip irrigation systems for grass would be something you’d be interested in knowing more about, be sure to read the post and contact Cheryl for more information!
Volunteers working hard to dig trenches for dripline installation during a turfgrass subsurface drip irrigation workshop. Photo taken by Bernd Leinauer, NMSU.
Upcoming and On-Demand Online Webinars and Courses
Looking to gain new knowledge on gardening, horticulture, or technology from home? Below are online Webinar events and courses available to you and the public. Check these Webinars out or share them with a friend!
Upcoming Webinars:
Online privacy and security tune-up Webinar , Tuesday 9/18/12, 2PM EDT.- This is a good opportunity for you if you like getting information online, but want to know more about how to protect your online privacy. This webinar will be presented by Extension professionals for many audiences, including Extension Master Gardener volunteers and the general public. Come listen, ask questions, voice concerns, or share the link with a friend you know is interested.
Webinar Recordings and Online Courses You Can Take Anytime:
View the Tomato IPM Webinar recording @https://learn.extension.org/events/580
The Tomato IPM Webinar was presented August 14, 2012 by Extension Educators from several North Central states to Master Gardeners in over 130 locations throughout Wisconsin, South Dakota, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan and Iowa.
This Webinar was recorded and can now be viewed @ https://learn.extension.org/events/580. Click on the green recording button to watch the recording at your convenience. (Note the recording was delayed one minute so the introduction or welcome slide is not in the recording).
These two resources have been a hit for the last several months and have been viewed by hundreds of EMGs across the country. Perhaps they may be of interest to you too?
What About You?
We know that this was a busy month for many enthusiastic Extension Master Gardeners this past month. We’d love to hear from you. What was your most memorable August gardening moment? What do you anticipate September will bring for you?
-Karen Jeannette
eXtension Consumer Horticulture Content Coordinator
Tags: monthlyupdate
Living in northern Nevada where there’s plenty of space meant that we invested in a lot of landscaping. As a Master Gardener, I wanted to have a garden that was attractive but also economical – that meant not using a lot of water-needy plants. When our Western Area Horticulture Specialist, Heidi Kratsch, suggested we form a Native Plant Club I was excited to join. So, our group started growing from donated seed some native plants. And they are doing well. This fall we’ll be collecting native seeds to continue our project.
In addition to that, one of the professors from the University of Nevada, Reno was asking for some help in providing various plants for a botany class she was giving. The great “ah ha” moment came when we realized we could help the UNR Agriculture program and, at the same time, grow our native plants in the University’s new greenhouse facility.
This gives our group an opportunity to help the University and promote native plants for northern Nevada. We will be growing annuals for the UNR class and our native perennials for our annual Master Gardener plant sale next spring. I love the idea of being of service to three groups at the same time; the University professor and her students, the Master Gardener group and the Reno community in general.
Judi Kleidon, Master Gardener
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
HI Judi, Thank you for sharing your story. It’s really interesting to hear how you are involved with these three groups, and how you are all working to help others find native plants that can survive and thrive in northern Nevada.