Preschoolers Get Early Start on Growing Season

By Carol Kagan



On Saturday, led by Master Gardener Rebecca Keller, twelve young gardeners gathered with their fathers, mothers or grandparents for a Family-Friendly workshop to make mini-greenhouses for milkweed and sunflower seeds to start growing outdoors now.

The youngsters first learned about how a seed becomes a plant and then nestled lima bean seeds among damp cotton balls in a zip lock bag to germinate at home. Roots and leaves should soon appear and give them a real-life view of what they saw on their handout.

Keller showed pictures of Monarch butterflies and talked about how they need to have milkweed plants to lay their eggs.

She then guided them, and their grown-up assistants, in making two mini-greenhouses using recycled gallon plastic bottles.

During the process the children measured and marked the soil line on the bottle,

gleefully scooped the dampened soilless growing mix inside

 

 

and carefully added both milkweed and sunflower seeds.

Labels were added and the bottles were taped shut with duct tape, the most popular color among those offered was pink.

 

The little greenhouses will be put outside in a sunny spot and watered if there isn’t enough snow or rain.

Keller’s assistant, Master Gardener Cathy Campbell, told them the scientific name for the milkweed they planted - Asclepias tuberosa (Ass-KLEE-pee-us  too-bur-O-suh) – and had them practice a few times in hopes they would still remember when they got home.

 

The workshop ended with grown-ups carrying out armfuls of the plastic bottles. Workshop evaluations completed by the parents indicated this was a successful workshop and there were requests for more tailored to this age group.

 

More Family Friendly Workshops

 

The next Family Friendly Workshop on the schedule is Container Gardening on May 2, just in time to come and plant a pot with beautiful flowers for Mother's Day.

 

Two more Family Friendly programs are

 

Bug ID: What's Buggin' You? on June 13

 

and Cornhusk Wreaths and Dolls on October 17.

 

For information about or registration for any of our classes or workshops, please call 717-263-9226.

 

Also, visit the MG Facebook page for a current listing of classes and workshops as well as upcoming events. Of special note are the annual plant sales in May.

Fall in Our Gardens & Beyond

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

Here's a sampling of plants and more found in MG gardens at home and in the demonstration gardens. Also check out photos from our Fall into Gardening Day.

A Red Spotted Purple on Impatiens (N.Miller)

 Hermit Sphinx Moth: Caterpillars feed on bee balm (Monarda), mints (Mentha), sage (Salvia) and bugleweed (Lycopis). The caterpillars go underground to pupate.

When they emerge as moths, they have a wing span of about 2 1/2 x 3 inches. The moths like deep-throated flowers such as honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), petunia (Petunia spp.) and catalpa (Catalpa spp.). After dark, moths, as well as bats, take over the pollinating night shift.

Monarch Caterpillar on Milkweed (J.Kauffman)

Monarch Chrysalis (J.Kauffman)

Monarch at Memorial Park (N.Miller)

Sunflower (B.Petrucci)

Lots of Sunflowers (B.Petrucci)

Fields and fields of sunflowers off Springview Road in Chambersburg.

Sunflowers at Sunset (M.Bowman)

Black Swallowtail Caterpillars (C.Kagan)

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Wooly Bear Caterpillar

Here's a wooly bear caterpillar.  I am often asked what kind of butterfly they become. These caterpillars become a moth – Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella).

Isabella Tiger Moth (S.Bayard)

Legend cites these caterpillars as forecasters of winter weather. The wider the stripe the milder the winter, so goes the folklore. Several years ago local Master Gardeners photographed their caterpillars. Visit the Franklin County Master Gardener blog to see what happened. Has this been proven by scientific fact? See Check out the Michigan State University  page to find out.

Caterpillar (C.Kagan)/ Moth (B.Moul)

What's in your yard or garden?



Butterfly Weed Gets Results

Fellow MG Mary Crooks sends this picture of her butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa accomplishing the goal of attracting a Monarch Butterfy,  Danaus plexippus, to lay its eggs to hatch into this beautiful caterpillar.