Franklin County (PA) Gardeners: berries

Showing posts with label berries. Show all posts

Friday, February 6, 2015

4-H Strawberry Plant Sale

Support Franklin County 4-H clubs in a very tasty way. Order these high quality plants at very reasonable prices. No strawberry bed? At $7 for 25 we bet you can have two nice STRAWBERRY POTS to greet visitors at a sunny spot or provide a few sweet bites after dinner.

4-H will be taking orders for high quality strawberry plants. Proceeds from the Strawberry Plant Sale will assist Franklin County 4-H youth through scholarships for district and state events. These plants come from virus indexed, tissue cultured mother plants.

Plants come in bundles of 25; each bundle contains a single variety. The cost per bundle is $7.00. Orders and payment are due by Wednesday, March 18, 2015. See the strawberry order form below. You may contact Lori Clopper with any questions 717-263-9226 or lac19@psu.edu.

Did you know Franklin County 4-H has over 22 4-H clubs? Some clubs are for those as young as 5 years old. Check these sheets for more information. From sewing, gardening & crafting to horses, tractors and seeing-eye puppies, there's something for everyone.

Visit the 4-H Franklin County Facebook Page to learn more about their programs.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Upcoming Master Gardener Workshops and Events

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

We've pruned little plants at the Bonsai program and big ones at the pruning workshop. We've sowed our winter seeds and built indoor seed starting set-ups. We've found out how to lure and keep both birds and bees. Now what?

Master Gardener Workshops & Events March, April & May

These are held at the Agriculture Center, 181 Franklin Farm Road, Chambersburg. For more information, to register, or to be added to the e-mail event schedule list, please call 717-263-9226.

Sat, March 15- Backyard Fruits-Small Fruits & Brambles: 9-11 am

Thu, March 20—Deadline to order strawberry plants to support 4-H Gardening Club- call the office -$7 for a bundle of 25

Thu, March 27 - First meeting of 4-H Gardening Club: 6:30 pm - Youths 8-18 welcome w/parents

Sat, March 29- Miniature Landscaping (Fairy Gardens) Make & Take Workshop: 9 -11 am - all materials included $50 - Limited number

Tue, April 8 - Repeat of March 29 Workshop: 6:30-8:30 pm - Limited number

Thu, April 3- Intro to Growing Vegetables (Growing Vegetables series): 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Weds-Thurs Apr 9 & 10: Strawberry plant pickup

Thu, April 24- Gardening w/Fewer Pesticides: 6:30- 8:30 pm

Sat, April 26- Starting an Herb Garden (#1 Herb Series): 9 -Noon

Sat, April 26- Native Woodland Plants: 1-3 pm (off-site in Blue Ridge Summit)

Thu, May 1- All About Tomatoes (Growing Vegetables series): 6:30-8:30 pm

Sat, May 3- Container Gardening-Kid friendly! (Good Garden Practices Series): 9-11 am

Fri, May 9- Vegetable Plant Sale: 10 am - 2 pm

Sat, May 10- Backyard Water Features: 9-11 am

Sat, May 17- Plant Sale: 9 am- 1 pm

Visit our Blog ( franklincountymgs.blogspot.com )

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

2013 Herb of the Year™ Elderberry

Tree/shrub
Perennial
Growth: 4-12 ft.
Culture: Sun to partial shade; moist area w/good drainage
Flowers: White, May blooms
Fruits: Dark purple/black berries early September
Hardy: Zones 3-9 (Franklin County is Zone 6)
Native - Wildlife
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Selected by the International Herb Association, Sambucus spp. [SAM-boo-cus], or Elderberry, is the Herb of the Year™ for 2013. This is a description of Sambucus nigra L. ssp. Canadensis – the American Black Elderberry. The common name "elder" is from the Anglo-Saxon "ellen," meaning fire-kindler, most likely referring to the dry, pithy stems.

This perennial shrub or tree is native to the lower 48 states as well as Canada and is hardy across all zones in North America.

The shrub grows 4-12 ft. with fragrant white flowers in spring and blue to black-purple berries in late summer. This is a good, mid-size plant and excellent as a hedgerow or in a property border. This plant is often used in riparian (stream or river bank or pond edges) restoration.

It tolerates poor soil, likes sun to partial sun and does well in moist areas but with good drainage. It is shallow rooted and gardeners should use care when weeding under it. Propagation is best through seed germination but grafting and layering are also used.

Elderberry’s wildlife habit value includes food for over 50 species of songbirds and upland game birds. It provides nesting cover for small birds and the flowers provide nectar for pollinators.

Squirrels, bears and other browsers eat the berries while deer, elk and moose will browse the stem and foliage. However, the USDA notes that new growth of American elder contains a glucoside that can be fatal to livestock.

Elderberry is used in over-the-counter medicines, primarily to boost the immune system and it is a significant source of both vitamins A and C. The berries are also used as dye and food colorants.

Elderberry is cultivated commercially for the fruit. The berries are used in cooking with the most popular uses being elderberry wine, juice and syrup along with pies and candy.

Berries are harvested in late August and early September when they are dark purple. The red berries of other species are toxic and should not be eaten. Full clusters of berries are harvested and removed from the stems. If not used immediately, they should be stored in a cool dry area.

The wood from the elder plant is hard and has been used for combs, spindles and wooden pegs. The hollow stems are used for flutes and arrow shafts while the pith makes good fire tinder.

Elderberry is an excellent native plant to add to your landscape. Examples can be seen in the Native Plant demonstration garden at the Franklin County Extension Service.