Get Ready for Spring Gardening

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

The Master Garden March classes and workshop schedule has just been released. Call 717-263-9226 to register now. Classes are held at 181 Franklin Farm Road unless otherwise noted.

Hands-On Pruning Workshop: Sat., March 7, 9-11 am $10
This workshop is unique as Franklin County Master Gardener Elmer Greey presents this at his home in Shippensburg. He will discuss pruning techniques and considerations plus review equipment used for pruning. Participants will do hands-on pruning practice throughout his garden. This is also an opportunity to see some of his 700 different plants on his property. Bring bypass hand pruners, gloves and dress for the weather. Directions provided when registering.

Edible Landscape Classes ( $10 each )
The Edible Landscape classes are one of our most popular each year and fill quickly. Each one reviews site selection, plant and cultivar choices, planting techniques and maintenance. Soil tests available $9 cash or check

Sat., Feb. 28, 9-11 am  Grapes and Nuts $10

Sat., Mar. 14, 9-11 am Tree Fruit   $10

Sat., Mar. 21, 9-11 am Small Fruits and Brambles (Blueberries, raspberries & more)  $10



Starting a Vegetable Garden Class: Tues., March 17, 6:30-8:30 pm  $10
Learn about what to plant and where plus what varieties do best in our area. Soil tests available $9 cash or check

Pollinators: Secret Agents of Life Class: Sat., March 28, 9-noon  $10
Do you like foods such as chocolate, blueberries, apples, almonds?
Without pollinators these and many other food sources would disappear; which would adversely impact life as we know it.  Pollinators are in serious decline and need your help.  Join us as Master Gardener Laurie Collins helps raise awareness by guiding you through identifying pollinators in our area, why they are in decline and what individuals can do to help.  She will discuss easy basic design principles, plant selections and gardening practices for creating a successful pollinator garden.

Fall into Gardening: A Day at the Demonstration Gardens

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

Saturday, September 6th, the Penn State Master Gardeners, Franklin County, hosted the Fall into Gardening event. The weather gods held the rain off until 2 pm, the end of the event, but the price was heat and humidity. Nevertheless, lots of visitors came and discovered the demonstration gardens as they transition into autumn.

Sedum in the Drought-Tolerant Garden (C. Kagan)

The day included a self-guided tour of the demonstration gardens, with docents available to provide more information about the gardens and answer questions. Laurie Collins and her team freshened up the Pollinator Garden and greeted many visitors.


Laurie Collins (L) with visitors in the Pollinator Garden (C. Kagan)

More pollinator plants and pollinators below.



Barbara Petrucci answered questions and talked about herbs with visitors.

Barb Petrucci (L) showing off pineapple sage (C. Kagan)

Corn, tomatoes & more in the Victory Garden (C. Kagan)

Visitors were allowed to stroll through the Victory Garden along the brick path. Ruth Young, Linda Horst and Maria Giles were the main docents for this area.

Denise Lucas identified lots of the plants in the Perennial Garden for visitors eager to know what is blooming this time of year. More perennial plant photos below.

Denise Lucas (R) with visitors in the Perennial Garden (C. Kagan)

Linda Secrist gave a bulb planting demonstration at the pergola in the Native Plant while Cindy Fair helped visitors identify various plants such as the northern oat grass.

Northern Oat Grass in the Native Garden

The plant sale did a brisk business and many of the collectible daylilies were purchased. Billy Morningstar sold some of the garden décor items MG's made earlier this year.

Local Boy Scout, Avery, helped at the Welcome Table, giving out tour maps and scavenger hunt items for the kids. Cathy Campbell also had a pollinator activity and some giveaways for the kids as well.

Visitors could glean information from many of the exhibits in the Clubhouse. The 4-H Garden Club shared some of their Round-Up exhibits along with the pollinator display and herb garden renovation exhibit.

At the end of the day most Master Gardeners felt that they had introduced the gardens to a lot of new visitors and were able to both show off their hard work in the gardens and share their gardening knowledge.

 

More plants from the Pollinator Garden:

Caterpillar on a dill plant (C. Kagan)

Bee on cosmos (C. Kagan)

More bees - well, it is a pollinator garden!

More plants from the Perennial Garden:





Autumn Clematis, Phlox, Black-eyed Susan and some interesting seed pods (C. Kagan)

Beautiful bright orange flowers (C. Kagan)

A cleome (C. Kagan)

Beautiful seed head of Purple Coneflower (C. Kagan)

It's beautiful, n'est-ce pas?

BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES

by Carol Kagan

Red Spotted Purple Butterfly  (Laurie Collins)

There's still time to sign up for the "Attracting Butterflies" workshop Sat., June 21 (9-11am).

Join Master Gardener Laurie Collins and learn about the basic design principles and important requirements to maintain a successful butterfly garden. The class will review the basic life cycle of butterflies and review some found in our area.

Monarch on tithonia (a great flower for  butterflies)

The workshop will end with a walk through the demonstration gardens to observe and identify visiting butterflies.

Pollinator Garden July 2013

All course and events are held at the Agriculture Heritage Center, 181 Franklin Farm Road, Chambersburg, unless noted.

Our programs are growing in popularity and now require pre-registration. Call 717-263-9226 for more information and to register. You may also request to be added to our regular emailing of our events.

Today in the Pollinator Garden

by Carol Kagan, Franklin County Master Gardener

Stopping by to check on the herb garden I strolled through the pollinator garden today. Here's what's happening there this lovely morning. Lots of blooms and nectar sources surround the water fountain.

July 31, 2013 Pollinator Garden

Bees working happily on a variety of flowers. Some can be seen with their scopa (think saddlebags) full of pollen.

 

Bee carrying pollen in the scopa on the legs





Bee in the blossom tentatively ID'd as a squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa)

Also seen was an eastern blue-tailed butterfly. My photo is with wings closed as they rarely rest with them open. A reference photo shows the beautiful blue seen as they flit about.

Some plants are set to send out the next set of blooms to provide nectar in the near future.

Giant chives and sedum ready to bloom

 "The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others.” ~  Saint John Chrysostom

 

Thanks to Laurie Collins and to all who help with the Pollinator Garden.

2013 Growing Season Kickoff

MG Nancy Miller pots up some Iris

Busy day on Monday, April 22.  The Victory Garden had its first day, with introductions, a preview of what we'll be doing, and we then jumped right in and planted potatoes and onions.

The Greenhouse Team started potting up seedlings.

And a whole group of folks joined Laurie Collins in a "Dig, Divide, and Multiply" effort in the pollinator garden - removing some specimens left when the area was used as an ornamental entranceway to the vegetable garden plot, dividing other perennials for the Plant Sale and Herb Garden refurbishment, and doing our best to manage Canada thistle (a life-time project, it seems) and some mugwort that had blown in.

Helianthus - 'Lemon Queen'  - A, native, sterile (won't spread by seed) hybrid cultivar of H. pauciflorus var. subrhomboideus (Stiff Sunflower)  x H. tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke)

Multiplying!  It may be sterile, in regards to seed production, but Lemon Queen's vegetative growth is still pretty prolific, so should be managed if you have limited space.

MG Paul Luka Digs a Clump for Dividing

Digging.





Digging and Weeding



Dividing

More dividing.

The Beauty of Pollination

MG Mary Crooks sent me a link to this wonderful video by director and cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg. Here's his Wikipedia page, and Personal Biography.

You can view more of his work via his Video Website, Moving Art.

Learn more about Pollination by visiting our Pollinator Friendly Demonstration Garden or attending one of our annual workshops on the subject.  Penn State Extension also has created a Pollinator Friendly Certification Process where you can join an ever-growing number of people who have taken the steps to certify their landscapes as "Pollinator Friendly" and help to protect our pollinator friends in need.

There are lots of great pictures and information about pollinators elsewhere on the blog from Jenn Wetzel and Laurie Collins, our Pollinator Friendly Demonstration Garden MG Team Captain, that you can view by clicking on the links below:

What's in Bloom - June 2012, Pollinator Garden
Look What's Blooming - July 2011
What's Blooming - August 2011
The Last Hoo-Ra - September 2010
Uncommonly Beautiful Milkweek
Titillating Tithonia

Here are all our posts on butterflies, including a great series by MG Kathy Engle on "Gardens with Wings."

2013 Notable Native Herb: Wild Beebalm

Wild Beebalm (Monarda fistulosa)

Flower/herb
Perennial
Height: 2-4 ft.
Culture: Sun, tolerates partial shade; good drainage
Flowers: Lavendar or pink in
Leaves: Herbal uses such as tea
Fruits: None
Hardy: Zones 3-9 (Franklin County is Zone 6)
Native - deer resistant - attracts pollinators

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Selected by the Herb Society of America, Monarda fistulosa [Mo-NAR-da  fist-yoo-LOW-suh], or Wild Bergamot, is the Notable Native Herb for 2013.

This perennial plant is native to the lower 48 states as well as Canada and is hardy in zones 3-9, although it is a self-seeding annual in the higher zones.

The plant grows 2-4 ft. with lavender or pink flowers atop the stems. Excellent in the middle of a perennial border, its lower green foliage provides attractive background for lower flowers in front. A member of the mint family, it can be aggressive so keep this in mind when picking a site.

It tolerates poor soil, likes sun to partial sun and good drainage plus it’s deer-resistant.  Propagate it through diving clumps in spring or fall, doing root stem cuttings or saving and germinating the seed.




This plant attracts pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds who are drawn to the tubular flower petals. The cut flowers are long lasting in arrangements and the dried leaves and petals are used crafting wreaths, making potpourris and tussie-mussie nosegays.



Unlike the Monarda didyma, or Oswego Tea, plant with its citrus aroma and taste, M. fistulosa tastes like thyme and can be used as a thyme substitute. As a tea, or added to tea, expect a tangy flavor.

Consider adding this Notable Native to your yard or garden this year.

What's in Bloom - Pollinator Garden - June 2012

More pictures by Jenn Wetzel of the Demonstration Gardens, this time highlighting the Pollinator Garden.  Enjoy!

Pollinator Garden



Heliopsis helianthoides - False Sunflower



Salvia X sylvestris ‘May Night’

Salvia X sylvestris ‘May Night’ with Bombus spp.

Pollinator plant attracts pollinator.  Looks like a bumblebee (Bombus spp.)

 

Cranesbill - Perennial Geranium



Fountain

Buckeyes in Lion Country

No, not the Ohio State folks, the common butterfly, Junonia coenia, otherwise known as the Buckeye Butterfly.  MG Mary Crooks sends these pictures taken from the Penn State Extension Pollinator Garden showcasing several specimens.

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is a terrific plant for the pollinator friendly garden.  The specimens in our Demonstration Gardens consistently have a large, diverse number of insects sipping their nectar.

UPDATE: 9/14/11 Mary informs me that the pictures were taken in her gardens, not at the Extension Office.  Sorry about that.  There are several plantings of Sedum 'Autumn Joy' in the Pollinator, Perennial, and Wildlife Area Demonstration Gardens.