Newsletters

Our January speaker has graciously agreed to be with us in February. Fingers crossed that we will be able to have our meeting. Our awards banquet is going to be postponed until later in the year. We wanted to make sure we could gather together and have a meal to celebrate our new graduates and fellow master gardeners’ achievements. We have something very special in the works, so stay tuned. It will be a lovely event.

February is a tough gardening month, but it doesn’t stop the true gardener from working in the garden. February is a time for planning and for seeing the first signs that spring is around the corner. Take advantage of those rare sunny days.

Charlotte Jaquet, President

We are going to try this again! Tyler will meet with us (hopefully) for our February meeting either by zoom or in person. We are moving our membership and awards banquet to a little later date so hopefully we can have a large crowd and be together safely again. You will be hearing more about that in next month’s newsletter and on our FB page.

Meet Tyler Taylor at our February membership meeting. Tyler is currently the greenhouse manager at Memphis Botanic Garden. He will be discussing the care and maintenance of house plants and topicals. He comes to us with a plethora of knowledge and says he’s looking forward to meeting some new plant people.
Tyler is a Memphis native growing up in the gardens of his grandpap, picking blackberries, and peepaw’s giant tomato patches. He continued to cultivate a passion for plants throughout college and spearheaded a 2acre urban farm and community garden in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis. In 2017 Tyler moved to Oregon and worked with his cousin who is a Master Grower in a medicinal cannabis operation. There he learned about growing in sealed off growing environments and the role of “playing nature”. He fine-tuned his understanding of creating a growing environment beyond the rhizosphere and developed what he calls an annoying tag line “don’t cultivate plants, cultivate an environment for plants”.

January/ February Tasks

Fruit and Vegetable tasks

Prepare garden plan, rotate crop families, research new cultivars and check UT garden trial data at uthort.com.
Review cultivars and crops that performed well last year
Prepare seed order if not already completed
Start gathering seed plantingmaterials
Start to prepare garden soilwhen dry enough
Dormant prune blueberries,remove 10-20% canes
Mustard, kale, collards can bedirectly down in February
Prune fruit trees to reducedisease pressure and increase production

Ornamentals and Lawn tasks

Poinsettias may be ready for the compost
Brush wet snow from evergreens as it accumulates. Brush upwardwith a broom to prevent heavy wet snow damage
Don’t forget to water succulents. Heated homes tend to dry plantsmore than you think.
As long as the grown is not frozen, you can continue to plant newtrees and shrubs. Tuck in a couple inches of mulch
Pansies will benefit from pinching withered and cold-damagedblooms
Mid-February cut back old growth from hellebores.

Ihope everyone had a wonderful and safe Christmas and a Happy New Year! Our gardens are anxiously awaiting our attention, and hopefully you’ve placed your seed orders by now. Even though we’re not able to do much now except dream about springtime and watch the birds at our feeders, we can start marking our calendars for upcoming gardening events. During the month of January, Memphis Area Master Gardeners will partner with Bartlett Public Library to present in-person and Zoom gardening seminars weekly. I have attended the last several years, and these seminars are very informative.

The last two years of dealing with COVID have been tough on all of us, but maybe this year we can get back to a feeling of normalcy and spend time working on MCMG projects and enjoying the company of fellow gardeners.

Charlotte Jaquet, President

January Speaker: Tyler Taylor, Memphis Botanical Garden

In 2017 Tyler moved to Oregon and worked with his cousin who is a Master Grower in a medicinal cannabis operation. There he learned about growing in sealed off growing environments and the role of “playing nature”. He fine-tuned his understanding of creating a growing environment beyond the rhizosphere and developed what he calls an annoying tag line “don’t cultivate plants, cultivate an environment for plants”.

Meet Tyler Taylor at our January membership meeting. Tyler is currently the greenhouse manager at Memphis Botanical Garden. He will be discussing the care and maintenance of house plants and tropicals. He comes to us with a plethora of knowledge and says he’s looking forward to meeting some new plant people. Tyler is a Memphis native growing up in the gardens of his grandpap picking blackberries and peepaw’s giant tomato patches. He continued to cultivate a passion for plants throughout college and spearheaded a 2acre urban farm and community garden in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis

Care and Maintenance of House Plants and Tropicals
So the general theme for the entire discussion is going to be "Nuance." If there's anything I've learned about caring for such a wide variety of plants it's that there are very few "General Rules of Thumb" that run through all the various species. -I'm going to break down the various classifications of what we consider "Tropicals." The differing pseudo-subcategories like "Arid Tropicals" and "Humidity Tropicals." -I'm going to expound upon the very broad strokes that we paint with on plant care tags like "Low, Medium, Bright Light" and "Dry between waterings, consistently moist, moderate water, wet" and what those mean for various plants [some of them will have the same info on the tag "Moderate Water" but what that actually looks like can be pretty different between two different plants with the same care info." -I'll cover a broad range of houseplants, the care that they require, how that care differs based off of your grow environment [on the patio during summer, or in a sunroom in the winter, or dry-dormant in an attic/garage]. -I'll cover the various fertilization techniques for houseplants. I'll bring samples of the soils and also a few different plants. -I'll cover the things to consider when a plant transitions from the greenhouse that it was produced in to your home, and the major differences between those environments and how that change affects a lot of different plants. -I will briefly touch on pests, insecticides/miticides/fungicides.

-And I will try to leave a 10-15min window for questions at the end, and I will happily linger and 'nerd-out' with anyone who wants to pick my brain for botanical info.

History Clubs Do Service Project at Liberty Garden Park

Nov 2, 2021 - The history department’s Delta-Psi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta and Rutledge Honorary History Club co-sponsored a community service project at Liberty Garden Park and Arboretum on November 2, 2021, as part of Union University’s Campus and Community: A Day of Remembrance and Service. Dr. Stephen Carls organized the activity at Union, while Tammy Buchanan-Anderson and Jack Baudo served as coordinators for the Jackson community. Members of the Madison County Master Gardeners and City of Jackson park employees also participated in the cleanup event.

The Union University team at the park consisted of both faculty and students. In addition to Carls, history department faculty members who worked were Drs. Henry Allen, Keith Bates, and David Thomas. The student participants included Anne Adams, Sandra Allen, Elizabeth Blevins, Joe Gee, Abigail Gilbert, Anna Guelcher, Noah Kea, Logan Sherrod, and Nick Terra.

There were several projects that occupied the Union volunteers. Some put mulch around trees and shrubs. Others trimmed tree branches with anvil loppers and pole saws or picked up broken branches and twigs. Another group swept sidewalk areas and raked. A couple of students were also tasked with putting loose bricks in piles for city workers to pick up and repurpose.

Homemade chocolate chip cookies, candy, and bottled water made up the refreshments for the occasion.

Union University's history department work volunteers join with project coordinators for a photo at the beginning of their community service project at Liberty Garden Park on November 2, 2021. They are: (front row, left to right) Dr. David Thomas, Elizabeth Blevins, Joe Gee, Anna Guelcher, Anne Adams, Logan Sherrod, and Noah Kea; (second row, left to right) Dr. Henry Allen, Abigail Gilbert, Sandra Allen, Nicholas Terra, and Dr. Keith Bates; (back row, left to right) project coordinators Tammy Buchanan-Anderson, Dr. Stephen Carls, and Jack Baudo.

As the year winds down, I would like to say a personal thank-you to the project leaders and all the volunteers who gave their time for Madison County Master Gardener projects during 2021. Even though we continued to deal with the pandemic, our members went the extra mile. Transitioning between in-person and virtual meetings wasn’t always easy for everyone, but attendance was good and our program presentations were outstanding. Nancy Blair, our vice president of programs, already has several speakers lined up for 2022, and they will be excellent. An outstanding slate of board members will be serving our organization in 2022, and it will be my honor to serve as president for one more year. Fingers crossed that we will be able to resume in-person meetings and our popular add-a-dish in January. There will be a presentation on house plants by Tyler Taylor with Memphis Botanic Garden that you won’t want to miss. In February, we will celebrate accomplishments of members for 2021 and will welcome new certified members who are graduating interns.

Charlotte Jaquet, President

Knocking around Nacogdoches
....Carol Reese

I may have known more than the average Joan because of my farm background and family’s love of plants, but still, I am a relative newcomer to the world of plant geeks. I formally took up the study of horticulture in my mid-thirties and had a lot of catching up to do. Luckily, plant folks love to share plants and knowledge and I was greedy.

Around the circles of welcoming hard-core enthusiasts floated the names of horticultural giants that have moved the needle of plant collecting/sharing, and of striving always to educate anyone with an interest. Dr. David Creech is one of those giants. Even a brief summary of his lifetime would swallow this page, but Google him up and gawk! His impressive career at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas started in September, 1978 and he “ain’t done yet”! (My colloquialism, not his!)

Though I’ve met him a few times at conferences around the country and had a little correspondence with him over the years, I didn’t know the half of his contributions until my recent good fortune to be invited to the SFA Gardens to lecture to its enthusiastic and diverse supporters.

He is the noted woody ornamental guru I expected, but I had no idea of his work in fruits. He is THE blueberry expert in Texas, and maintains a collection of varieties at the SFA gardens along with a beautiful muscadine vineyard, a field of seventy different cultivars of figs, and an extensive planting of kiwi that has successfully cropped for several years now - with just a couple of weather-related missed years.

I expected to see an overwhelming number of rare plants from his many collecting trips overseas and in Mexico over the years, but somehow had missed that he had amassed an enormous repository of Taxodiums (bald cypress). Hundreds lined the waterways that drained through the campus, serving both as bank stabilization anchors, but also as a place to evaluate and select interesting variants on this genetically diverse plant for growth habit, foliage density and color, or general vigor and tolerance of challenging weather.

I was shocked at the number of Japanese maple cultivars that were prospering in the shadier regions of the extensive and varied SFA gardens. Did they not know that Zone 8b should have restricted their numbers to very few? I realized that this assumption of mine had to be reconsidered and now consider this to be a goldmine of information for those hoping to expand their collections in the deep south.

The plants were interesting enough, but their backstories created many entertaining moments of awe, humor, or even dismay about who profited when they were successfully introduced to the commercial trade. I am not known for being quiet, but on this occasion, I struggled to have the good sense to be quiet and listen. Dr. Jared Barnes gave me two hours of precious time that day, as he was just finishing classes and preparing for a horticulture student party/bonfire at his home that evening. He is one of our own, and the youngest of the master gardener interns ever to turn up in the classes I taught in west Tennessee over the years. At age 15, he begged his mother to take him, and she decided to sign them both up. All these years, I thought the reverse. After Jared finished his doctorate at the prestigious horticultural mecca of North Carolina State University (home of the Raulston Arboretum) he accepted a position at SFA and rapidly shot into the ranks of rising horticultural stars and has already assembled many prestigious awards. His high-energy, creative presentations have put him in deservedly high demand across the nation.

His leadership and the work of his enthusiastic students have led to his development of the Plantery, and the Sprout Garden. Foodscaping is a focal point they have created a deliciously beautiful vegetable garden. The immaculate state of these gardens and greenhouses reflect the beauty of the students ‘energy and passion. I smile yet when I think of their glow, and bold, clever questions.

The town of Nacogdoches is small and picturesque, easy to navigate, and has plenty of diverse food and entertainment options because of the sprawling university. The gardens are in its midst and many of its citizens were seen walking or having lunch at outdoor seating scattered through throughout, taking in the art and beauty provided as freely as air. https://www.visitnacogdoches.org/things-to-do/

There was much left unexplored, especially for the different seasons of interests that would spotlight different collections in the gardens, so I do hope this visit won’t be my last.

https://www.sfasu.edu/academics/colleges/forestry-agriculture/research-outreach/sfa-gardens

This and That

➢ According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the frost date is the average date of the last light freeze in the spring or the first light freeze in the fall. The classification of freeze temperatures is based on the effect on plants:
Light freeze 29o to 32 o F – tender garden plants are killed

Moderate freeze 25 o to 28 o F – widely destructive to most vegetation Severe freeze 24 o and colder – heavy damage to most garden plants
➢ There is still time to plant spring bulbs for them to get the winter chilling they need.
➢ In the event of wet snow, brush it off evergreens as it accumulates, or as soon as possible after the storm. Use a broom in an upward, sweeping motion. Serious damage can be caused by heavy wet snow.

➢ Avoid using salt to melt snow and ice from your walks and driveway, as it can be harmful to your plants and pets. Several environmentally friendly products are available at home improvement stores.

➢ As long as the ground is not frozen, you can continue to plant new trees and shrubs, just tuck them in with a 2- or 3-inch layer of mulch. Remember to keep the mulch away from the trunk.
➢ Pansies will benefit if you pinch off their withered and cold-damaged blooms.

Recipes

Apple Coleslaw (a Southern Living Recipe)
1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 (10 oz. ) pkg of coleslaw mix
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 4 green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp. honey 2 celery ribs, sliced
1⁄4 teasp. Salt 2 small Gala apples, chopped
1⁄4 teasp. Black pepper Garnishes: Dried Cranberries
1⁄4 cup canola oil almonds
Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Gradually add canola oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly until blended. Stir together shredded coleslaw mix and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Add vinegar mixture, tossing to

coat. Makes 8 servings. We also like it the next day

Roasted Sweet Potato Dip
3 cups chopped, peeled sweet potato (about 1 lb.) 21⁄2 cups chopped onion
11⁄2 cups chopped carrot
1 tbsp. olive oil

1⁄4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1⁄4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Place mixture on a jelly- roll pan. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until sweet potatoes are tender. Combine sweet potato mixture, tahini, salt, and pepper in a food

Cranberry Balsamic Chicken
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs 2 T. butter
1⁄2 cup fresh cranberries
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced 6 sprigs rosemary
2 tsp. thyme leaves
1 tbsp. brown sugar Zest of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 325° F. In a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat, heat olive oil. Add chicken skin side-down and cook until the skin is golden and crispy, about 4 minutes. Remove chicken from heat and place on plate, skin side-up. Melt butter in the same skillet then add cranberries, vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, and orange zest.

Return chicken to skillet and scatter herbs all around. Simmer until the liquid begins to thicken and the cranberries start to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to oven and cook until the chicken thighs are cooked through, 18 to 25 minutes more. Makes 6 servings.

Cranberry Fruit Tea (2 quarts water)
1 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup lemon juice 1⁄2 quart apple juice

1 quart cranberry juice 2 cups orange juice
2 cups strong tea

Boil water and sugar into a medium syrup. Mix all ingredients and chill. Makes 16 (8 oz) glasses.

President’s Message

It was great to see a lot of you at the fall plant sale and Bicentennial Heritage Festival last month. The plant sale spanned over three days and was extremely successful. A special thanks to the many volunteers who worked the sale. It wouldn’t be a success without your help.

After the plant sale ended on Thursday, we enjoyed a beautiful evening outdoors for our monthly meeting. Celeste and Jason provided a twilight tour of the UT Garden, and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. The Heritage Festival the following Saturday celebrated 200 years of history, culture, and community. Madison County was established by the Tennessee Legislature on November 7, 1821, and was named after founding father and fourth president of the United States, James Madison. Our fellow Master Gardener, Elaine Christian, serves as the Bicentennial Celebration Committee
Chair.

As a final reminder, the deadline for posting volunteer and education hours into the database is Friday, November 12.

Our November meeting will feature a plant and seed swap. See you there!

Charlotte Jaquet,
President

PROGRAM NOTES
from Nancy Blair

Our November program will be an informal seed and plant swap and election of officers for 2022.

Seed and plant swap: bring any collected seed ready to distribute with basic label of plant name, planting and growing conditions. Several members have expressed wanting to give away plants rather than overwinter. If you have plants you would like to part with, this is your opportunity. Again, label with plant name and any instructions for basic care.

Officer election: A slate of officers will be presented and nominations will be accepted from the floor. If you know someone or if you would like to serve the club in an officer role, consider nominating at the November meeting.

No December meeting, we hope to resume a more normal meeting schedule in January.

Nancy Blair Vice President,
Programming

Impact survey 2021

It is that time of year when I ask y’all to provide me with honest feedback concerning Horticulture Programs from the current year. I ask that EVERYONE (no matter how active/inactive) take 5-7 minutes to answer these 10 questions for me. I can not impress upon you how important it is that we get as many responses as possible. This information is used to PROVE the value of Extension programs in our county (including the TEMG Program). I also use these responses to guide my planning for NEXT year. I want to know your thoughts and suggestions. This survey is open to ALL who have participated in any type of horticulture related education provided by Madison County Extension.

This includes but is not limited to: Website Use, Gardeners Toolshed Classes, Master Gardener Programs/Meetings/Classes, Facebook LIVE sessions, Zoom Classes, In-person classes/workshops, Plant Sales, Community Events, ect.....

Follow this link to continue on to the survey:
https://utk.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_81WbxxLR8nZ2LaJ

Reporting for 2021

It’s time to round up those service & education hours and get them into the TEMG Reporting Database. I realize that it has been more than a year since we have done this, but I think it’s going to be like riding a bike (you’ll remember how to do it when you get in there!) We are shooting for a reporting deadline date of Friday Nov. 12. I know that seems far away, but it will be here before you know it!! The FAQ below are from our MCMG Guidelines, and I think they will answer many of your questions about reporting. You will also find instructional steps to the 3 Major parts of using the TEMG Database. These are straight from the reporting ‘Cheat Sheet’ that I sent everyone in late October. If you still have questions, please contact one of the Tech Team members (contact information below). Please Please Please report ALL hours...even those beyond your requirements for service & education as they are ALL positive reflections of our work within the community!!

Hour Requirements

Interns pursuing certification: 40hr Service & 8hr Continued Education
Certified Members: 25hr Service & 8hr Continued Education
Certified Members 10yr Service & Above: 15 hours any combination of Service &/or Education
Emeritus Members: No Reporting

Deadlines

Year-end reporting of volunteer service and continued education hours will be due on the second Friday of November each year (November 12, 2021). You may guesstimate what time will be spent on volunteer service and education for the months of November and December, and INCLUDE those in the report. *In the past, we have reported in mid-December. However, deadlines for agents to report IMPACT have been moved forward, and I need to include the Master Gardener information in this program report. The only way to accomplish this is to move up the Master Gardener reporting deadline.

Volunteer Service: What Counts?

Any time spent working on Official MCMG Projects count towards service hours. In addition to Official Projects, members may contribute time to Civic/Community/Non-profit organizations on their own. These may include but are not limited to: City or County Government Buildings and Properties, Schools, Community Centers, Boys & Girls Clubs, Other Youth Organizations, Parks, Churches, etc...
*Participating in project work days is the BEST way to get to know one another, and I encourage everyone to pick at least 1 project that is close to your heart and support it. As long as our main projects are receiving adequate attention, we will not institute specific hour requirements spent on Official Projects as suggested by TEMG Guidelines.

Continued Education: What Counts?

Any event, class, lecture, tour, or trip that you participate in and contributes to your knowledge of horticulture is acceptable for continued education units. Research and study of an area of new interest to you as a gardener would also qualify. Please do not include watching TV Gardening shows that are not educational in nature. Gardening in the Mid-South with Chris Cooper is an excellent example of a TV Show that promotes education. Each monthly Master Gardener meeting that you attend also counts as 1 CEU hour.

Reporting Step-By-Step

Sign-In:

https://temg.tennessee.edu/
Click Sign In
Enter email
Enter password
Click Log-in
CEU Tab Navigation: Report Education Hours
Click CEU icon at the top of the menu bar
Click Log CEU Hours
Enter Program Name ex: Monthly MG Meeting
Enter Description ex: Carol Reese Native Plants
Select a Category from the drop down box. Doesn’t have to be exact.
Enter Hours spent learning
Select Program Date
Click Submit

*If the hours were successfully submitted, a message saying “CEU Report Saved” will appear on screen in green.

Project Tab Navigation: Report Service Hours

Click Project icon at the top menu bar
click Log Project Hours
select project from drop down list
click the green magnifying glass to open project
enter Hours, Miles, Project Date
click Submit

*If the hours were successfully submitted, a message saying “Report saved for the project titled: ____________” will appear on your screen in green!

Teach Team Members

Charlotte Jaquet (TEAM Chair)
731-394-6528
cjaquet@gmail.com

Jamie Boone
7312252991
Boonejc@hotmail.com

Susan Bosco
214 406-5952
sebosco@msn.com

Terri Bowling
3176036038
hogwash1954@sbcglobal.net

Don Cartwright
7314263763
doncartwright@live.com

Trish Dycus
7314991176
trishdycus@gmail.com

Don Jaquet
731-394-1243
djaquet@charter.net

Marie Kyper
731-414-8264
reeree@click1.net

Jane Anne Lane
731-686-8425
janeannlane98@gmail.com

Manuel McKnight
731-217-2740
a1saws@bellsouth.net

Anita Medley
9012625172
anitamedley@yahoo.com

David Nailing
(731) 499-2494
n4jdn1@gmail.com

Celeste Pope
731-300-0521
celpope@aol.com

Stephen Pope
7314154984
scpope53@gmail.com

Ken Stumpenhorst
731-225-1246
stumpenhorstk@bellsouth.net

Jane Ann Davis
731-988-6360
janeanndavis@charter.net

SIGN UP NOW FOR OUR SPECIAL FALL SMART YARD SERIES FOR EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS

Join Extension Master Gardeners from around the state for three Tuesday morning sessions all about the Tennessee Smart Yards Program. Tuesdays at 10 eastern/9 central on Nov. 2nd, 9th, and 16th.
On Nov. 2nd, we'll focus on Smart Landscapes - application in your own backyard
On. Nov. 9th, we'll focus on Smart Communities with insights and snapshots from Franklin, TN efforts
On. Nov. 16th, we'll dive into how the Smart Yards program can be used for EMG outreach and connect with new efforts in Knox County.
These sessions are all free and open to EMGs across TN- simply sign up here on this Google form: https://forms.gle/iFhusbusfTtoYFMn7

November MCMG Monthly Meeting
- Seed & Plant Swap!!
- This will be our last meeting of the year
- Announcements, Elections, and SEED & PLANT SWAP!!
-More information to come, but start collecting your seed NOW ☺

November Tasks

Fruits and Vegetables

Plant garlic
Harvest cool season plantings
Clean up remains from warm season plants
Note first killing frost date
If you haven’t already planted, consider a cover crop for your garden space
Late month is okay to prune dead or diseased fruit tree limbs
November is a good month to document varieties that did well, any pest ordisease issues, any other notes that will be useful for next year.

Flowers and Ornamentals

November is ideal for planting or transplanting trees, shrubs, and fruit crops
Keep heavy layers of leaves removed from the lawn. Mowing light layers will mulch and add nutrients to the lawn
November is time to apply herbicide to control wild onion if a problem in the lawn
Cut off asparagus tops and mulch
Spraying fruit trees with a dormant horticultural oil will help control wintering pests and diseases
Secure raspberry and blackberry canes
Force bulbs for indoor blooming. Start paperweights in late November for Christmas blooming
Ideal time to plant spring flowering bulbs
Clean up dormant perennials, mulch will stabilize soil temps and prevent winter plant injury.

Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

Prep Time 15 minutes | Cook Time 25 minutes | Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter
• 1/2 cup pumpkin butter
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Add the butter to a medium pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown, until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the pumpkin butter and brown sugar. Let cool 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, mixing until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the dough out into the prepared dish.
3. Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the dough (if desired), then add a handful more of chocolate chips. Bake for 25-30 minutes, just until set in the center. Let cool. Cut into bars…snack and enjoy!

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming fall plant sale and Bicentennial Heritage Festival. Make note that our monthly meeting on Thursday, October 7, will begin 30 minutes earlier than usual. We will start at 6:00 p.m. to be able to enjoy a tour of UT Gardens led by Celeste and Jason. Bring a chair to gather around and visit after the tour. The end of the year is almost here. As a reminder, all volunteer service and continued education hours should be entered into the TEMG database by November 12. Please guesstimate hours that will be achieved through the months of November and December and include those with your report. Annual minimums are 25 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of continued education. Those who have been certified as Madison County Master Gardeners for more than ten years require 15 hours of combined volunteer and/or continued education annually. The reporting deadline will be here before you know it, so be sure to log on

and update your information. https://temg.tennessee.edu

Charlotte Jaquet,
President

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair
October 7 - Meeting Announcement

Our plans have changed regarding our October meeting. We had invited Susan Martin from Holland, Michigan to come, actually last October, but Covid happened and we rescheduled her for this October. Due to the recent surge in Covid cases locally, we made the decision to postpone her once again and look forward to seeing her next year. Because of the surge in cases, we will be meeting October 7 at 6pm, and outside. We want to encourage folks to distance while our own Celeste and Jason take us on a tour of our UT Garden at the WREC. Many of us will be there helping Jason and Carson with the plant sale. Feel free to bring your own food and a chair, maybe even a lantern, and we will have an opportunity to enjoy OUR garden and visit with each other.

We will tour first then do announcements and visit. Sunset is at 6:30 that night so we will start at 6. Pass the word along and plan to join everyone for a relaxed evening in the garden.

November meeting: Our November meeting will include a plant and seed swap. Now is prime seed gathering. Again, we will be aware of the situation with Covid and plan accordingly

Nancy Blair Vice President, Programming

---

OCTOBER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Tuesdays at 9 a.m.: Facebook Live with Celeste and Jason. View on UT Gardens Jackson page.

SIGN UP NOW FOR OUR SPECIAL FALL SMART YARD SERIES FOR EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS
Join Extension Master Gardeners from around the state for three Tuesday morning sessions all about the Tennessee Smart Yards Program. Tuesdays at 10 eastern/9 central on Nov. 2nd, 9th, and 16th.

On Nov. 2nd, we'll focus on Smart Landscapes - application in your own backyard
On. Nov. 9th, we'll focus on Smart Communities with insights and snapshots from Franklin, TN efforts
On. Nov. 16th, we'll dive into how the Smart Yards program can be used for EMG outreach and connect with new efforts in Knox County.

These sessions are all free and open to EMGs across TN- simply sign up here on this Google form: https://forms.gle/iFhusbusfTtoYFMn7

Talk of the Town
Celeste Scott, Horticulture Extension Agent

I wanted to go ahead and let everyone know that we have changes to our Oct. 7th MCMG Meeting schedule. The time is being moved UP to 6:00pm. We will be OUTSIDE in the garden at the WTREC and the sun will be fading quickly at that point, so be sure to bring a lantern or flashlight! We will take a short twilight tour of the annual trials, and then have association updates and fellowship.

Please bring a camp chair or blanket as well as a sack lunch or picnic. If you like! Come experience the garden in a new perspective during twilight and darkness ! ! I hope to see you there!

Gardeners ToolShed Series- This educational series will wrap up in September so don’t miss our final sessions!

- September 27th - Preserving Flowers
Join via ZOOM
- If you missed previous sessions, they can be found on our website http://madisoncountymg.org/ under the Videos tab.

Fall Plant Sale & Lecture Series
- UT Gardens Jackson @ West TN Research & Education Center
- Thursday October 7th
▪ Lectures tentatively at 10:30am & 6:30pm FREE and open to the public
▪ Plant Sale Noon-6pm o Friday October 8th
▪ Plant Sale Noon-6pm
Bicentennial Festival
- Saturday October 9th 10am-4pm
- West TN Research & Education Center o Plant Sale Continues 10am-4pm
November MCMG Monthly Meeting
     - Seed & Plant Swap!!
     - This will be our last meeting of the year
     - Announcements, Elections, and SEED & PLANT SWAP!!
     - More information to come, but start collecting your seed NOW☺

Gardening Tip - Allow plants to finish the summer growth cycle in a normal manner. Never encourage new growth with heavy applications of fertilizer or excessive pruning this late in the season. The plant will not properly harden off, and an early freeze can injure new growth

October Tasks

Vegetable and Fruits

• Early fall is the driest time of the year in Tn. Be prepared to meet crop water needs
• Most cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower should be transplanted by mid-month
• Row covers can reduce insects on your cool season crops
• It’s time to select fruit cultivars for fall or early spring planting
• September through November is time to plant garlic
• Remove warm season crops as they finish producing. If the plants were healthy, they can go into the compost pile
• Fast growing fall crops may need a side dressing of fertilizer after established

Lawn and Ornamentals

• Plan fall pot planting of ornamental cabbages, kale, pansies and violas • Keep dead-heading blooming flowers to ensure continued bloom
• Collect seed from annuals and perennials for sharing or next year sowing. Store in paper instead of plastic
• This is not a time to fertilize and encourage new growth. Allow plants to naturally harden off and prepare for colder weather
• watch for pest on pumpkins, gourds, squash, and melons. Cucumber beetles can be controlled with Sevin
• Harvest pumpkins when the color deepens and skin hardens. Wash fruits in a weak bleach solution and store in a cool dry location until ready for use
• Gourds are better left on the vine until the vine starts to die back
• Order and purchase bulbs before October 1. Store in cool, dry location until planting

A new Madison County Master Gardener training class started on August 17. The 19 interns are from different areas of West Tennessee and have varied backgrounds and interests. I’m excited for them to join us and be a part of our wonderful organization.

As always, a big thank you goes to the volunteers who have been diligently working on projects around town. Please check out the Madison County Master Gardener website for volunteer service opportunities.

Don’t miss this month’s meeting. Mark Carter from Carter’s Nursery, Pond and Patio will be discussing water features. Mark and his team have designed and built two water features for us, and they provide a peaceful and tranquil setting in our landscape. He will also give us details on their upcoming Moonlight Pond Tour scheduled for September 18.

Charlotte Jaquet, President

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

September Speaker: Mark Carter, Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio Program: Water Features
Mark Carter lives and gardens in Jackson. Mark is the owner/operator and lead designer of Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio, a 7-acre nursery/garden center and landscape design/build firm here in Jackson, Tennessee. Mark has been designing beautiful water features and landscapes all around the mid-south since 1989. Mark was one of the founding board members of the Certified Aquascape Contractors Program, is an accomplished writer and speaker, and does a live weekly radio garden segment on Fridays from 9-11 a.m. on WNWS 101.5 FM in Jackson. You can contact Mark at his nursery office by phone at 731-424-2206 or online at www.cartercountry.com

Nancy Blair Vice President, Programming

September Educational Opportunities

Tuesdays: 9:00 a.m. Facebook Live in the UT Garden with Jason and Celeste
9/3 9:00 a.m. Facebook Live with Celeste. Season Extension in the Veggie Garden. Madison County Master Gardener Facebook page
9/17-9/18 Western Region TEMG Conference, Clarksville, TN Register at https://secure.touchnet.com/C21610_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp? PRODUCTID=1671&SINGLESTORE=true
9/20 12:00 noon Gardener Toolshed with Celeste. Seed Collection and Storage. Register for Zoom or catch on Facebook
9/24 10:00 a.m. Friday Focus. Zoom tour Lebanon, OH Arboretums. Register https://extension.Tennessee.edu/MasterGardener/
9/27 12:00 noon Gardener Toolshed with Celeste. Pressing and Preserving Flowers. Register for Zoom or catch on Facebook

Talk of the Town - September 2021
Celeste Scott Horticulture Extension Agent

I hope everyone enjoyed the August MCMG Monthly Meeting. Jason and I had a blast and I could not be more impressed with the arrangements that you all put together that very next day at our Flower Arrangement Workshop. We incorporated flower material from the local wholesale florist with accents and fillers from here at the UT Gardens, and the results were truly stunning. We had enough supplies for participants to design an arrangement to take home, as well as one to donate. In total, we took 42 individual fresh flower arrangements to a local nursing home/rehabilitation facility, Maplewood Health Care Center, where they were distributed among the residents. This was truly a fun and rewarding effort!!

I keep looking forward to the arrival of Fall and all of the horticulture projects and activities that come along with the season, but Summer and its unrelenting heat just WILL NOT let go! Nevertheless, I want to share with you all of the plans that are in store.

• Fall Gardeners Festival
   - Tuesday August 31st @ 9am-3pm
   - UT Gardens Crossville at the Plateau AgResearch & Education Center
   - Free! More information HERE

Gardeners ToolShed Series- This educational series will wrap up in September so don’t miss our final sessions!
   - Friday September 3rd- Season Extension in Veggie Gardens
Join via Facebook Live from the Madison County Master Gardener group page
   - September 20th- Seed Collection & Storage
Join via ZOOM Register HERE
   - September 27th- Preserving Flowers
Join via ZOOM Register HERE
   - If you missed previous sessions, they can be found on our website http://madisoncountymg.org/ under the Videos tab

Western Region TEMG Conference
   - September 17th, & 18th
   - Clarksville, TN
   - Conference Schedule, Lodging, and Details Register HERE

Fall Plant Sale & Lecture Series
   - UT Gardens Jackson @ West TN Research & Education Center
   - Thursday October 7th
- Lectures tentatively at 10:30am & 6:30pm FREE and open to the public
- Plant Sale Noon-6pm
   - Friday October 8th
- Plant Sale Noon-6pm

Bicentennial Festival
   - Saturday October 9th 10am-4pm
   - West TN Research & Education Center
   - Plant Sale Continues 10am-4pm

November MCMG Monthly Meeting
   - Seed & Plant Swap!!
   - This will be our last meeting of the year
   - Announcements, Elections, and SEED & PLANT SWAP!!
   - More information to come, but start collecting your seed NOW ☺

Join EMGs from across the western region and the state on September
17th and 18th for our Western Region TEMG Conference. Our hosts, the
Montgomery County Master Gardeners, have planned a great Friday and
Saturday of horticulture content and local activities to educate and
entertain! We'll have an afternoon tour as well a s dinner and speaker on
Friday evening the 17th at Liberty Park Then, on Saturday the 18th, we'll
have a full day of horticulture tours and teaching sessions all from
beautiful Freedom Point at Liberty Park
Registration deadline September 13
https://secure.touchnet.com/C21610_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=1671&SINGLESTORE=true

September Tasks

Vegetable and Fruits
• Early fall is the driest time of the year in Tn. Be prepared to meet crop water needs
• Most cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower should be transplanted by mid-month
• Row covers can reduce insects on your cool season crops
• It’s time to select fruit cultivars for fall or early spring planting
• September through November is time to plant garlic
• Remove warm season crops as they finish producing. If the plants were healthy, they can go into the compost pile
• Fast growing fall crops may need a side dressing of fertilizer after established

Lawn and Ornamentals
• Plan fall pot planting of ornamental cabbages, kale, pansies and violas
• Keep dead-heading blooming flowers to ensure continued bloom
• Collect seed from annuals and perennials for sharing or next year sowing. Store in paper instead of plastic
• This is not a time to fertilize and encourage new growth. Allow plants to naturally harden off and prepare for colder weather
• watch for pest on pumpkins, gourds, squash, and melons. Cucumber beetles can be controlled with Sevin
• Harvest pumpkins when the color deepens and skin hardens. Wash fruits in a weak bleach solution and store in a cool dry location until ready for use
• Gourds are better left on the vine until the vine starts to die back
• Order and purchase bulbs before October 1. Store in cool, dry location until planting

Gardening Safety
Manuel McKnight

Avoiding or minimizing garden mishaps was the goal of this attempt at writing about garden safety. I have found that I need as much help being safe as anyone else. Maybe it helped you as well.

This final article will be about garden machinery.

Tillers are designed to rip and tear through soil. In the process, they can also damage our bodies. The shaking and jerking, especially when tilling virgin soil can cause soreness and pain in various parts of the body. The larger the tiller, the harder it can be to handle. Front tine tillers are the least desirable. Rear tine tillers are better. Rear tine tillers with counter rotating tines are the easiest to use on level ground. Adjustable handles will make the tiller fit you. High rear facing exhaust pipes could be a problem as the fumes could blow into the operator’s face on windy days.

Small tractors with mowers and PTO are extremely dangerous. The manufacturer adds many safety features to avoid injuries. Disabling or bypassing these features can cause harm or dismemberment or death. No man or woman is strong enough to counteract the forces of even the smallest tractor mower. The safety option most often bypassed is the seat switch. The seat switch will disengage the mower or kill the engine should the operator leave the seat. Getting a foot damaged by rotating blades is thus minimized. Making contact with a rotating shaft from the PTO is minimized because the engine cannot output power if it is not running. New tractor mowers are designed to be safer. Please read the operator’s manual.

Most manufacturers have developed battery operated versions of their tillers and garden tractors. These will be more prevalent in the market place as the reliability and run time increases. As of today, they can be purchased or researched online.

The board invites all Madison County Master Gardeners to submit articles to the newsletter. .
M. McKnight

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

August 5th
Cut Flower Harvest, Handling, & Arrangement with UT Extension Agent Celeste Scott, and UT Gardens- Jackson Curator Jason Reeves

You don’t want to miss this month’s CEU opportunity at the MCMGs August meeting! With Summer well under way and flower blooms abounding, this is the perfect time to talk about Harvesting, Handling, and Arrangement of cut flower from the garden. We will have examples of various arrangement styles to view, as well as live demonstrations. This session will hopefully get many of you ready for a HANDS-ON WORKSHOP that will take place on the following day, Friday August 6th at the WTREC. We have approximately 60 slots available to MCMG Members only. This workshop is being sponsored by the MCMG Board of Directors and comes at NO COST! Flowers, Vases, and supplies will be provided. If you are interested in putting concepts learned from our meeting into practice, make sure to SIGN-UP ASAP by clicking this link

https://signup.com/go/uCUNqPG

This month’s speaker Celeste Scott

I grew up on a production row crop and beef cattle farm in what used to be a very rural area of south Gibson County. I was pretty much a daddy’s farm girl. I went to work with my dad whenever my mom would let me, and I still remember her warning me not to go in the hog houses unless I wanted to get my hair washed when I got home. I loved horses, which I still do, and got one of my own when I was 10. Each year I raised and cared for chickens, hogs, and a steer that I showed and auctioned in our county fair until the year I graduated high school. Even though my mom wasn’t much of a gardener, I somehow decided that I loved flowers!! I planted my first cut flower bed after seeing my Sunday school teacher’s garden and realizing that people grew plants for fun not just to eat! My family also grew a truck crop patch of tomatoes and sweet corn that my siblings and I each had an opportunity to care for and use the money made to help us with college expenses, but I was the only one ever referred to by the locals as the ‘Tomato Girl.’ I also worked at a local plant nursery during high school. On a side note (no pun intended) I love music! I play the piano, flute, and was in high school marching band color guard. I loved band so much, that I joined the ‘Band of Blue’ at MTSU, and to be truthful, that is the real reason I decided to go to college in Murfreesboro. I LOVED their band!!

At MTSU I majored in Plant & Soil Science with a minor in Biology and was a leader in the School of Agriculture and College of Basic & Applied Sciences at MTSU. After graduation, I joined TN Farmers Co-op as a management trainee, and went on to work for First Farmers Co-op in Lexington, TN as their showroom manager. I have now been with UT Extension as a county horticulture agent for 7 years and have enjoyed helping Extension carry out their mission of providing “Real.Life.Solutions.” to the residents of TN in the area of horticulture through outreach & education. My husband and I live on my family’s farm in Gibson County with our two children Lane 6 and Ellie RaeLynn 3. Life is fun and full of surprises!!

August Tasks

Fruit and Vegetables

• Scout and manage weeds. It can help this year AND next • Select seed for fall seeding of cool-season crops
• Get those “best of show” crops ready for the county fair • Order seed for winter cover crops

• Winter squash is harvest ready when the rind hardens • Continue watering when drought conditions exist

Flowers and Ornamentals

• Collect seeds from annuals and perennials for next year’s garden. Place in paper bags and label • Cut the spent blooms from Vitex to encourage another flush of bloom
• Fertilize roses one last time. Avoid fertilizing most trees and shrubs from August to November • Mow at a higher level during dry spells

• Make photos of your garden to help remember what worked and what didn’t. During the winter, make decisions about making changes

• Gather herbs and flowers for drying and preserving

• Divide and transplant bearded Iris this month • Dig and divide day lilies during August

• Stop watering amaryllis late this month and place in a dry location. After leaves turn yellow, remove the foliage and store the bulb in a cool, dark, and dry place for about 2 months.

• Order spring flowering bulbs to plant in October and November.

August Educational Opportunities

o Tuesdays: Facebook Live with Celeste and Jason in the UT Gardens. 9am
o August 9: noon; Fall Gardens in the South Start NOW. REGISTER on madisoncountymg.org\August

20: 9am, Facebook Live; Indoor Plant Selection and Care
o August 23:noon;photographyintheGarden.REGISTERonmadisoncountymg.org

UT Gardens, Knoxville Garden Trip to Nashville Tuesday - Wednesday, September 14 - 15, 2021

Registration Deadline is Wednesday, August 11 (or until we reach 49 registrants) Strictly limited to 49 registrants, but we will have a waitlist.

Don’t miss this opportunity to join the UT Gardens as we visit the horticultural side of Music City! This overnight trip includes a night's stay in the horticultural gem Opryland Conservatory Hotel, visits to private and public gardens, the world's largest African violet grower, and several special nurseries and garden centers. We will even eat lunch at the famed Loveless Cafe where you can enjoy one of their legendary biscuits

For more info: https://ag.tennessee.edu/utg/Pages/nashville_trip_2021.aspx

Join EMGs from across the western region and the state on September 17th and 18th for our Western Region TEMG Conference.

Our hosts, the Montgomery County Master Gardeners, have planned a great Friday and Saturday of horticulture content and local activities to educate and entertain!

We'll have an afternoon tour as well as dinner and speaker on Friday evening the 17th at Liberty Park Then, on Saturday the 18th, we'll have a full day of horticulture tours and teaching sessions all from beautiful Freedom Point at Liberty Park

https://secure.touchnet.com/C21610_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=1671&SINGLESTORE=true

Union University Master Gardener project by Donald Collomp

I enrolled in the Madison County Master Gardener training in 2019 and was certified in the Spring of 2020 just before Covid Pandemic set in and many events ceased.

One day I was walking on the Union University campus in March 2021, (which I am an alumnus of (1993), and I noticed that there were two triangular shaped beds that were not really improved except a few flowers at the end corners and around the tree trunks. These few flowers were planted by a parent of a student from what I was told. They were not taken care of and many were dead or dying and got no more care for than what Mother Nature gave them. I wanted to really enhance and beautify these two triangular flower beds for the enjoyment of all who walked past them and hopefully inspire people.

That’s when the real work started, the planning and layout of creating a from scratch flowerbed. I asked Celeste Scott and Jason Reeves their opinions of design and types of flowers for the beds before starting but ultimately the project was all on me. The designing, all of the ground prep work, planting and caring for all plants and upkeep of the beds.

I first started on 14 April 2021 by spraying the odd and end grasses that had started taking over in both flowerbeds. I had to spray again two days later and then started tilling a day afterwards. There were a lot of weeds and grasses that I raked up and disposed of out of these two beds after the spraying. I purchased a load of compost and took a load of new dirt to both beds and mixed them together with my tiller. After tilling the compost and new dirt, I started shaping the contour of the beds. This gave it a tiered look for my various plants and raised the plants higher than the sidewalk levels. I planted some annuals (wide varieties) on the lower but also on the upper level according to the size of plants I choose to plant. I planted some perennials (Cannas, Irises and Spiraea bushes). I used a load of red colored mulch on one of the flowerbeds to differentiate an upper level of plants and also with some brown mulch to finish around the edges of the whole flowerbed. I also wanted to incorporate in one of the flowerbeds, the Union University initials which I planted using Red Leaf Wax Begonia’s with a white aluminum frame surrounding them.

I have thirty-five hours of prepping the soil, putting in new compost and dirt, tilling, contouring the beds, planting and mulching the two beds from start to finish. There are roughly 250 plants that I planted from April to late May. I encourage anyone to go take a walk along the Great Lawn Sidewalk and the two triangular beds that are located on the main walkway between the Logos Library, Jennings and Providence Halls. I already have plans on changing up the plantings of the beds for a different look next year!

Gardening Safety

Manuel McKnight
August 2021
Gardening Safety Slips, Trips and Falls

Although nothing can be done about some of the incidents that causes one to slip, trip or fall, we can limit the incidents that cause us to abandon our normal upright position. Using good shoes or boots that are designed to help prevent slipping is a good starting point. Footwear designed to help prevent slipping are now lightweight, cost less and are more reliable than in the past. They are not as comfortable as other footwear. Some of them combine too many features. The pair I have are also waterproof. They have no vents to let sweat out or cool air in. So, I rest a lot (with my shoes off) and wash them every week. So far, they have held up well over the two years that I have owned them. Washing them every week only occurs during the weeks that I actually use them. If you don’t have footwear that helps to prevent slipping, you may want to invest in a pair.

Trips can occur when who know what presents itself around our feet, ankles or legs without us being aware that a problem exists. In an instant, we are headed toward the ground looking for something to grab or hang on to. Often, we see what caused the trip as we are falling. If we survive without any damage, we promise ourselves never to make that mistake again. The main problem for gardeners is we have so many things we use that can cause serious trips. Tools with long handles that we or our helpers leave laying on the ground. Tools with short handles that can flip up or to the side when stepped on, that can trip us up and lacerate us. Even leaning against a wall, a tool can be a danger. I have found that it is best to voice my opinion about keeping tools out of the walkway. Sometimes my opinion is listened to and sometimes not. The sad reality is that it is my duty to make sure I know that my walkway is clear.

Slips and trips are included in falls. But so is losing balance when trying to maneuver over rough terrain, sideways on hillsides, up and down stairs and ladders and all the other things that make gardening a challenge. Here once again, the soil and our structures are our friends and our enemies. When I go to a strange location, I often wonder should I wear an indestructible body suit. Of course, I would never do that. But every location has its quirks that should be learned as the gardener repeatedly works it. We should not blindly go and assume that there are no irregularities. Holes hidden under grass where a tree was removed and not filled in. Loose concrete and bricks. Any sudden elevation change can cause an injury, especially if the gardener is carrying something and not expecting their next step to be different than the last one. During my life, I have had so many sprained ankles and sore butts from slips, trips and falls that it’s a wonder I’m not using a cane. Be careful, watch your step, make an extra trip, don’t try to carry it all at once if it’s too heavy or blocks your eyesight. Take your time, be mindful of your steps and be safe!

M. McKnight

It was so exciting to see everyone in person for our June monthly meeting. We had 112 in-person attendees and 14 Zoom attendees. I am glad we could offer virtual attendance for those who could not join us in person.

Jason Reeves took this picture as we were getting started with the meeting. Look at all those smiling faces!

Manuel McKnight, Vice President of Projects, has been working hard to make sure our projects are running smoothly. We will be adding new volunteer opportunities at various projects, both old and new, so please keep checking the Sign Up page on the Madison County Master Gardener website to sign up and participate in those events.

There will not be a July meeting, but we will see everyone on August 5th at 6:30 p.m. Celeste will make an announcement closer to the meeting date regarding the bring-a-dish portion of our meeting and whether the meeting will be offered virtually.

Charlotte Jaquet, President

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

No July Meeting

July is such a busy month and we are usually very busy getting ready for the Summer Celebration plant sale, so we don’t meet in July. Check out the Educational Opportunities for a list of many learning opportunities being offered in July and the registration for virtual Summer Celebration. Never fear, we are already making plans for August-November meeting programs. August program will be our own Celeste Scott and will include a day of workshops. Be watching for more information and signups for a hands-on workshop experience. More about that later! Let me know of any additional meeting ideas or suggestions for next year’s programs you might like to have. We are already making plans!

Nancy Blair Vice President, Programming

Summer Celebration 2021

Join Us Online for Summer Celebration 2021This year, Summer Celebration is coming to your home. Join us online for a LIVE TOUR of the UT Gardens-Jackson, followed by educational presentations covering a variety of landscaping, ornamental, and horticultural topics. Live Content Begins on Thursday July 8, 2021 at 9am.

Preview the program and register now (https://westtn.tennessee.edu/summer- celebration-2021/),then use this same link to attend!
•Presentations will cover landscaping for pollinators, moss lawns, mushrooms in the

yard, watering tips, medicinal herbs, and much, much more! •Special guests include UT Ag Research Dean Hongwei Xin, UT Extension Dean Ashley Stokes, and Mr. Morgan Adcock, TN Nursery and Landscape Association president.

July Tasks

• Pumpkins should be planted by early July
• Order seed for Fall-Cool season planting
• Keep weeding!
• Record your harvests and keep up with better producing varieties
• Late July, start seeding for fall cool-season transplants
• Remove blackberry floricanes after fruiting
• Monitor for diseases, lots of harvest if plants remain healthy

Grass and Ornamentals

• Propagation of many ornamentals by layering is an easy way to expand the garden. Hydrangea, viburnums, weigela, and climbing roses are a few ornamentals that layer easily. Fasten a limb to the ground with a brick or other heavy object and cover with soil
• Deadhead hydrangea arborescens for continued bloom
• Raise the height of the mower to reduce stress on your lawn
• Keep pinching chrysanthemum and asters till mid month
• Deadhead perennials to lengthen bloom time. Remove fading flowers to a leaf node or new bud Cut-back by 1/3 annuals that are getting leggy. Give them a shot of fertilizer to help them bloom into fall.
•Cut flowers for bouquets in the early morning and immediately place in water

Gardening Safety
Manuel McKnight
July 2021

It’s time to address the most dangerous safety issue that can affect gardeners. That issue is heat related illness. In the past, there were 5 issues. There are now seven. I will list them in order from the most serious to “you’ve probably had the symptoms already and you recovered”. All of the information for this article comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) website.

The most serious is Heat Stroke which can be fatal if not recognized and treated immediately. Symptoms: Confusion, altered mental status, slurred speech, loss of consciousness, hot dry skin, profuse sweating, seizures, very high body temperature (103F or higher) First aid: Call 911 and stay with gardener until EMS arrives, get the gardener to shade, fan to keep cool, DO NOT give them anything to drink.

Heat Exhaustion can occur when the gardener has an excessive loss of water and salt through sweating. Gardeners who are older with high blood pressure working in hot conditions are most prone. Symptoms: Headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability, thirst, heavy sweating, change in skin tone and decreased urine output. First Aid: Call 911 and stay with gardener until help arrives, move to cooler place, give frequent sips of cool water.

Heat Cramps can occur when the gardener sweats a lot during strenuous activities. Loss of salt causes painful cramps similar to heat exhaustion. Symptoms: Muscle cramps, pain or spasms in the abdomen, arms or legs. First Aid: Drink water, have a snack, drink a sports drink, avoid salt, get medical help if the gardener has heart problems or the symptoms do not go away in 1hour.

Rhabdomyolysis can occur when heat stress and prolonged physical exertion results in the rapid breakdown, rupture and death of muscle. When muscle tissue dies, electrolytes and large proteins are released and can cause irregular hear rhythm, seizures and kidney damage. Symptoms: Muscle cramps, weakness, abnormally dark urine, unable to exercise, symptoms may not present themselves immediately. First Aid: Stop activity, increase water intake, go to nearest medical facility and ask to be checked for rhabdomyolysis.

Heat Syncope is a fainting episode or dizziness that can occur with prolonged standing or sudden rising from a sitting or lying position. Symptoms: Dizziness, fainting, light-headedness. First Aid: Sit or lie down in a cool place. Slowly drink water, clear juice or a sports drink.

Heat Rash is a skin condition caused by excessive sweating during hot, humid weather. Symptoms: A red cluster of pimples or small blisters appears on the neck, upper chest, groin and/or elbow creases. First Aid: Go to a cooler, less humid location. Keep the area dry, Do not use ointments or creams .

Sunburn occurs when the skin becomes irritated from too much sun exposure. Symptoms: Blisters on any part of the exposed skin and/or painful, red warm skin. First Aid: Stay out of the sun, take a cool bath or shower, do not break blisters, apply moisturizing lotion to the sunburned area. This entire article was condensed from the cdc.govwebsite. At the website you can find a Heat Related Illnesses Poster to print or just save the website to your phone. Some of the illnesses are very similar and deal with specific body temperatures. If you have an emergency that you suspect is heat related and you don’t know how to classify it, call 911. Better safe than sorry!

Be safe, stay cool, garden during the early morning or late afternoon.
M. McKnight

June 2021

President’s Message

Another successful plant sale is in the books. Madison County Master Gardeners were able to see a net profit of $10,927.44 from this year’s sale. Thank you to everyone who helped make that happen. The plants donated by our members were healthy and beautiful and sold out quickly. The plant sale team once again made it look easy, but the work and planning that goes into the sale is amazing.

Our fundraising efforts allow us to give back to the community. We have awarded a $2,500 scholarship to this year’s winner, Nicole McRae, a senior from South Side High School in Jackson. Nicole has been active in her school’s agriculture programs and will be attending JSCC and then UT Martin to pursue a degree in agriculture.

Remember to check out volunteer and education opportunities at madisoncountymg.org. Interns who attended classes in the fall of 2019 and 2020 need to make sure they are making plans to complete their 40 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of continued education before the end of this year. Our Growth Team will be reaching out to interns to answer any questions they may have and to guide them along in their journey to become certified Master Gardeners.

Charlotte Jaquet, President

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

June Program: Flavor in the Fence Row

June Program Speaker, Carol Reese is the UT Extension Horticulture Specialist for the western region. She's spoken at many gardening symposia across the US, blending equal parts gardening knowledge, natural lore, and quirky humor. Her B.S. and M.S. in Horticulture are from Mississippi State University, and she could also add her PhD. if she “had ever written that damn dissertation!” There she taught classes in Plant Materials, and co-taught Landscape Design for non LA majors alongside a “real” landscape architect.

She is a prolific writer and has produced innumerable newspaper columns and magazine articles, and was the Q&A columnist for Horticulture Magazine “back in the day”. She attributes her love of horticulture to being raised on a farm by generations of opinionated plant nuts, including a grandfather who dynamited his garden spot each spring to “break up his hard pan”.

Carol’s very personal appreciation of natural lore is at least partially a result of her near daily rambles through the wild areas near her home with her motley collection of mutts, aka known as the strong-willed breed of “Amalgamations”. Yes, they are a hunting breed, mostly of newly planted bulbs.

June Program: Flavor in the Fence Row. Foraging for wild food may be seen as extreme, but if it is tasty as well as easy to gather and prepare, why wouldn’t you? Garnishing and flavoring cuisine with wild flowers and berries is a longstanding tradition in many cultures, and has largely been forgotten in today’s kitchens, yet can make your dish the talk of the potluck. Learn how to identify and harvest tasty edibles in the wild through stories of Carol’s own fence row foraging exploits.

June Educational Opportunities

Tuesday’s 9 am: Jason and Celeste FB Live In the Garden. Join live on the UT Gardens Jackson FB page

June 7 and 21: Gardeners Toolshed, Noon. June 7, Native Plants for Downspouts and Rain Gardens. June 21, Pollinator Party. Register from the link on madisoncountymg.org web page

June 18: Weekend Warrior 10 am. Rain Barrels Hosted from the Madison County Master Gardener FB page. No registration

June 24: TEMG 3rd Thursday with Plants, What is a Sustainable Landscape? Register from the TEMG web page

Continuing Education By Jenifer Trimble

It is getting that time of year when people start getting cabin fever. You are itching to get out and explore. How about attending a garden symposium of conference outside of Tennessee? Bonus is that you can also earn continuing education units. Here is what is found in happening in 2021

June 2021
American Public Garden Association Virtual Conference June 7-10. Registration begins in March. https://www.publicgardens.org/professional-development/events/2021- virtual-annual-conference

July 2021
National Children & Youth Garden Virtual Symposium July 7-9. Cost $80 for non members https://ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/youth-gardening/ncygs/ncygs- 2021/

Cultivate'21 July 10-13. Columbus, Ohio Cost $499 for Non American hort members.
Registration open in March. https://www.cultivateevent.org/registration#Packages

Hybrid National Virtual Symposium. July 27-29. https://perennialplant.org/page/attendees

September 2021
International Master Gardener Virtual conference September 12-17.
Registration opens in April. https://www.internationalmastergardener.com/

America in Bloom Virtual Conference & Award. September 29-October 1.
Registration opens in spring https://americainbloom.org/programs/symposium-awards-celebration/

November 2021
Northeast Greenhouse Conference & Expo. November 3-4. Cost $130. Boxborough, Massachusetts.
Registration open in July. https://www.negreenhouse.org/

Is a greenhouse or cold frame worth it?
by Jenifer Trimble

Last year I started volunteering at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (WTREC). I was so excited to work in the greenhouse because I am thinking about getting a greenhouse. The WTREC has a greenhouse and a cold frame. Here is what I have found out.

I did not realize that there is a difference between a greenhouse and a cold frame. I thought all structures that have a door to grow plants are a greenhouse. Well, there is a difference. Greenhouse is a structure that can be heated or cooled. A greenhouse is a micro climate. Cold frame is a structure that is not heated or cooled. A cold frame is used to extend a growing season by a few weeks. It also protects plants from adverse weather (usually excessive cold) or wetness.

The cost A greenhouse could be expensive. The cost depends on how big the greenhouse will be, the materials used, heating and cooling methods. How tall, how long, how wide will the greenhouse be? How many door and windows will your greenhouse have? What type of flooring will you have? Will you use gas, solar, or electricity to cool or heat the greenhouse? A cold frame usually cost less and require less maintenance. You will need to consider the size, material just as you do for the greenhouse.

What will you be growing You have to decide if you only want to grow plants from one zone different than where you live or to start or extend the growing season by a few weeks or to store potted plants over winter, a cold frame might work for you. Growing plants that are more than one growing zone from the zone you live in or you want to grow plants year-round or start seeds early, a greenhouse might be what you want.

Other considerations Since cold frames usually don't have power, you will need a way to release the heat: will you have windows or doors? Since a green house has power you can have automatic windows and fans to help control the temperature. What type of flooring will you have: concrete, pavers, dirt, or maybe landscape fabric? How will the water drain from when you water the plants? I have realized that a flat floor does not let the water run off. My recommendation is to have the floor slightly sloped to allow the water to run off. Standing water can also cause mold and other unwanted stuff growing on the floor. On a sunny, cold day, a greenhouse can get really hot. The sun makes a big difference on how it feels inside a structure where the ambient air temperature is raised from the sun’s radiation. I was shocked that on cold days and the sun was-shinning on the greenhouse, that I was sweating. On cold and overcast day, the greenhouse stayed comfortable.

Examples of cold frames

Examples of a greenhouse

Gardening Safety 3

Sometimes when I start to write this article, it is about something that I have thought about for almost a month. This month, it is about insects in the garden that are not necessarily pests, but they are. We usually think of pests as something that crawls, flies, is born or is wind blown into the garden. Something that will cause harm to our plants in one devastating way or another. Very rarely has anyone mentioned a threat to personal safety as a pest. The top contender on the list of living things found in the garden considered a threat is snakes. Not all snakes are a threat. But to some, any snake is a threat. “I don’t want to get close enough to tell if it is poisonous or not” is the most common reply. Another one is “Am I supposed to ask the snake if it’s eyes are cat-like or not”. And I can’t count the times I’ve heard “He has teeth and crawls on his belly, that’s all I need to know”. If we know how many snakes are in or have been in our gardens or yards, some of us would scream and not go outside until someone came over and checked the yard or garden all clear.

The thing we least suspect as a threat to personal safety is the ant. They come in all varieties and sizes. Most just want to take care of the queen and grow more ants. But some are very defensive. They will do whatever they can to defend their queens and eggs. The fire ant is the most defensive against all intruders.

The fire ant is ferocious. They have no middle ground. They are either one of the thousands of ants in their nest or they are attacking any and everything that disturbs them. These little things can attack by the thousands in a matter of seconds. They do not run from aggression, they attack it. If you encounter them in your garden and you do not have the means to eradicate them 100%, call a professional as soon as possible. I might also mention that their bite is not their sting. They bite to hold on and then they sting. Each fire ant will deliver two injuries. If a couple thousand of fire ants cause injuries over any part of your body, you will probably need medical attention.

Another small threat to safety might be a spider. Most of the spiders in our gardens will not hurt you, but help you, by eating other insects. The spiders that can hurt you hide in the dark inside of closets, storage sheds or under anything that hasn’t been moved for several months. You know them as the Brown Recluse and the Black Widow. But with the warming climate tread, we should be aware that some spiders that could not survive our winters might adapt enough to be able to survive. We have wood piles next to our houses, we put wood in raised beds. As the wood decays, it warms the surrounding area enough for eggs to survive enough to hatch young spiders. People are constantly releasing their caged-in or glassed-in pets into the civilized areas. Some of them could be poisonous spiders such as a trap door spider. Make sure you know what’s in that hole in the ground in your yard or garden. Be careful looking under your plants, the snake might slither away, but the ants and spiders

might not. There are many more things that can cause small injuries and bites. Alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or any number of specialized insect sting medicines will probably be able to reduce pain and swelling until your body’s defense mechanisms can take over. But if the pain and swelling does not reside over time, seek medical attention. Even if it is nothing more than a phone call to a medical professional, your well-being is worth it.

As always, we invite our members to share their garden experiences (good or bad) with us through the newsletter. Until the next time, Be Safe!

Garden Safety
Manuel McKnight
June 2021

Tree Trivia

How old is the oldest tree in the United states?
A 750 Years Old B. 1 Million C. 50 Million
How many people rely on forests for clean drinking water in the United States?
A 180 Million B. 1 Million C. 50 Million
How many species of trees are there in the United States?
A. 850 B. 375 C. 2,000
How many trees does the average American use each year in paper, wood, and other tree products ?
A. 1 B. 7 C. 15
Baseball bats are made out of wood from which species of tree?

A. Ash B. Oak C. Pine

How Many gallons of maple sap are needed to make one gallon of maple syrup?
A. 5-7 B. 10-15 C. 30-40
At what rate will most tree seedlings grow per year?
A. 6 inches B. 1 foot C. 2 feet

8. What is the biggest tree in the world in terms of overall height and circumference?
A. Giant Sequoia B. Douglas Fir C. White Oak

May 2021

President’s Message

It’s a wonderful time to be a gardener. Springtime is beautiful as the plants awaken, and we are blessed with warmer weather and longer days to enjoy the outdoors.

Plant sale time is upon us. Thank you to the members who have been readying their plants for our biggest fundraiser of the year. As always, our Plant Sale Team and their volunteer members are behind the scenes making sure the sale comes off without a hitch.

Our project leaders are busy organizing and scheduling work days, so be sure to check our website www.madisoncountymg.org for volunteer opportunities that are available.

Come Unity Café garden in downtown Jackson is the class project for the 2020 Master Gardener interns. The café recently received a donated greenhouse from Lowe’s and some of the interns were on hand to help with the construction.

Jack Baudo and Tammy Buchanan held a cleanup day at Liberty Park Garden on April 10. The event was well attended, and we appreciate everyone’s participation.

If you haven’t paid your $20 dues payment for this year, please send that to our treasurer, Mary Nenarella, 245 Henderson Road, Pinson, TN 38366. Make your check payable to MCMG. You will receive an email receipt unless you request a receipt by mail. REMEMBER: Interns and those who are working toward certification DO NOT pay dues.

Charlotte Jaquet, President

Program Notes
from Nancy Blair

Melody Rose is the Horticulture Extension Agent in Greene County and coordinator of the Big Spring Master Gardener Association. She has experience with Burly Tobacco Production, Fruits & Veggies Production, and Adult Leadership and Volunteer Development. A few of her many interests include Appalachian Natives, Woodland habitats, Viticulture and Oenology.

Melody will be sharing a presentation with us titled ‘The Power of Plants’ This discussion takes a deeper look at the chemical pathways that plants possess and how they have been put to use throughout history.

May Task Reminder

Home Vegetable Garden

* Harvest cool season crops

* Prepare beds for transplants

* Transplant warm season crops and plan for succession seeding of direct sown seed

* Peppers and eggplant like warmer soil they will be happier if planted a week or 2 ```behind tomatoes and other transplants

* Young transplants need water and a starter boost of fertilizer

* Set up stakes, trellises, cages or other supports now to be ready for future growth.

* Weed, weed, weed

Yard and Flowering Gardens

* Plant dill, parsley, fennel, butterfly weed and others to encourage butterflies and pollinators to your garden

* Plant vinca and caladiums after night temps are above 60. They like warm soil.

* Prune early flowering shrubs such as azalea, forsythia, flowering quince, and loropetalum. Only prune if needed and select branches down in the shrub rather than prune to look like meatballs

* Early May is a good time to cut back on rosemary, lavender, rue, artemisia, and Santolina.

April: Virginia Bluebells

Submitted by Jason Reeves, horticulturist, UT Gardens, Jackson

From the moment the blue green mouse-ear shaped leaves break the soil in the spring until they disappear in the summer, these plants provide immense pleasure," says Allan Armitage in his second edition of Herbaceous Perennial Plants. I could not agree more! I fell in love with Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) the first time I saw them more than 30 years ago. The gardener shared some plants with me, and I haven't been without since. My home garden would not be complete without Virginia bluebells or our native columbine, Aquilegia canadensis. These two wildflowers have become my favorites because they thrive and naturalize with little or no care while putting on a great spring show.

May Educational Opportunities

Every Tuesday at 9 a.m.,
Facebook Live with Celeste and Jason

UT Gardens Jackson | Facebook

May 10, 12:00 noon, Growing a Cut Flower Garden, Gardeners Toolshed Series with Celeste (Lunch & Learn) Register Here: Meeting Registration - Zoom

May 20, 10 a.m. Zoom: Heritage Vegetables.

May 21, 9 a.m. Facebook Live - Container Craze, Weekend Warrior Series with Celeste. Live on MCMG group Facebook page

Madison County Master Gardeners | Facebook

May 24, 12:00 noon, Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale, Gardeners Toolshed Series with Celeste (Lunch & Learn) Register Here: Meeting Registration - Zoom

May 7,14,21,28: Hit the Trails Series featuring Tennessee State Parks. Part of the

TEMG Friday Focus Series. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/bg6HaoSDSGHE5Dc4A

Garden Puzzle

Five friends have their gardens next to one another, where they grow three kinds of crops: fruits (apple, pear, nut, cherry), vegetables (carrot, parsley, gourd, onion) and flowers (aster, rose, tulip, lily).
1. They grow 12 different varieties.
2. Everybody grows exactly 4 different varieties
3. Each variety is at least in one garden.
4. Only one variety is in 4 gardens.
5. Only in one garden are all 3 kinds of crops.
6. Only in one garden are all 4 varieties of one kind of crops.
7. Pear is only in the two border gardens.
8. Paul's garden is in the middle with no lily.
9. Aster grower doesn't grow vegetables.
10. Rose growers don't grow parsley.
11. Nuts grower has also gourd and parsley.
12. In the first garden are apples and cherries.
13. Only in two gardens are cherries.
14. Sam has onions and cherries.
15. Luke grows exactly two kinds of fruit.
16. Tulip is only in two gardens.
17. Apple is in a single garden.
18. Only in one garden next to Zick's is parsley.
19. Sam's garden is not on the border.
20. Hank grows neither vegetables nor asters.
21. Paul has exactly three kinds of vegetable.

Who has which garden and what is grown where?

*Answer at the end of the May newsletter.

Garden Safety

To get into the aspects of being safe while gardening does not focus solely on the home garden.

As Master Gardeners, we should take into consideration gardening at public places. Our methods are tried and true. We can make things grow. We can make a garden space beautifuland neat. But are we thinking about the public’s use of the garden space and what that truly entails?

In reality, we probably should be wearing dish washing gloves in public gardens, especiallywhile working the soil. I am not going to use words that might offend or disgust anyone.

We’ll start with the animals that might traffic a public garden. Most of us will not touch a wild animal in a zoo. One that has been cared for and confirmed free of any problems that mightcross over to humans. We will however, readily stick our bare hands into soil that is not sterileand has been crossed and used many times by any number of wild animals. Probably within the last 12 hours.

Then we consider the possibilities of the human use factor. One scenario is the person who needs a cool place to sit down at 1am after a few too many at the local pub. There’s nothing wrong with a public location for resting. There might arise a need for one to rid oneself of some of things ingested from the pub that the body wants to eliminate. A possible place could be into the soil of the darkest area of the location. The soil is strong and quickly absorbs most of the things and the plants quickly use some of it. The rest resides in the soil. There is also the possibility that an animal might take it in and move it to another place in the same location.

When it comes to digging in the dirt, I’m going to be one of the first in line. But I’ll be there with my gardening protective gear and practices. As I’ve learned to garden in locations other than my own yard, there are certain things a gardener needs think about to protect the largest organ - the skin. My assessment today contains 3 elements - location, animal usage and human usage.

My protective gear is a good pair of gloves and plenty of hand sanitizer. My practices include keeping my hands away from my eyes, nose, mouth and ears. I hope this wasn’t to graphic and no one will be turned off from gardening. It’s like driving.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, we’re going to be ok. As long as we take a few precautions and be aware of some problems that could be introduced into the soil. Most of which, we can avoid with knowledge and preparation.

M. McKnight

APRIL 2021

President’s Message

Spring is here!! It won’t be long now until we will be putting annuals in the landscape and planting our vegetable gardens. Be on the lookout for plants from your garden to add to our plant sale. Thanks to David and Carol Sams for generously allowing a “dig day” at their house to provide plants for the sale.

Due to COVID restrictions, our sale will look different this year and will be held over the course of three days at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center. On Thursday and Friday, April 29th and 30th, the sale will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. On Saturday, May 1st, the sale will begin at 7:00 a.m. and go until 11:00 a.m. Please help spread the word by sharing the sale information with friends and neighbors. Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page for more information along the way.

Sign-ups are available through the Madison County Master Gardener website for upcoming projects, so check back often to see where you would like to help.

Charlotte Jaquet,
President

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

Garden Heroes
Let’s face it, some plants are just better than others! With his extensive experience in gardens and landscapes, Jason has identified proven performers. In the plant world, new is not always better. This talk will have you racing to our plant sale to try out these champions of the garden that include old standbys and newer established players. These annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees are sure to please.

Jason Reeves grew up on a farm near Huntingdon, where he fell in love with the plant world. He received his Master’s Degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 2002, he became a research horticulturist and curator of the University of Tennessee Gardens located at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee. Jason’s colorful plant combinations and unique garden art, made by recycling everyday objects, draws several thousand people each year to the Center's annual lawn and garden show, Summer Celebration. His past experiences include work at the Opryland Conservatories in Nashville, Missouri Botanical Garden, Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, and in private gardens in New Zealand. When he’s not bringing the grounds to life with his imaginative garden displays, he’s evaluating hundreds of new and unique plants for the state’s green industry; speaking at gardening symposiums or traveling the world leading gardening tours, and serving as a contributing editor to Fine Gardening magazine. He is also a landscape designer and consultant whose influence may be seen in landscapes across Tennessee in the form of distinct plant combinations and his signature garden art. You can follow him on Facebook at Jason Reeves – in the garden.

Talk of the Town

Celeste Scott April 2021

2020 Spring Plant Sale Plant Insights

Over the past several years, we have been taking note of plants that fly off the shelves, which ones sell after an intercom plant introduction, and which tend to be slow movers even though they are valuable landscape plants. We have compiled this information in the table below, and hope that you can use this as a guide when planning your Plant Sale contributions.

Overall, let’s make sure that the plants we contribute are of good quality, free of pests and disease, and are clearly labeled.

A good time to prune woody perennials, just before they put on new growth.

Prune early blooming shrubs such as azaleas, forsythias, flowering quince and loropetalum AFTER they bloom. Selectively cut old or unruly branches by reaching as deep as you can into the shrub.

Prevent azalea lace bug and spider mite infestations by applying a one-time dose of imidacloprid. This early application in liquid form should remain effective throughout the growing season.

Direct sow annuals and vegetables after danger of frost this month. Jackson's average frost date is around April 15. Look at the 10-day forecast. There could be cold weather predicted. We had an early May frost last year.

Time to freshen up mulch. Don't pile around tree trunks or shrubs. Better to form a bowl than a volcano. If using a pre-emergent herbicide, be sure to apply under the mulch to decrease breakdown by sun exposure.

April is a good time to fertilize with a balanced, granular fertilizer scattered on the soil surface.

Begin purchase of warm season vegetable garden transplants. Watch soil temps and for possible frost.

Beans and corn may be direct sowed before a frost-free date, but the soil temp needs to be warm.

Safety is one of the things in life that some of us take for granted. We don’t really take it seriously until something happens. For me, since I’ve been a certified gray-haired person, safety is a real thing, a thing that comes first and foremost in 90% of everything I do. I am striving for 100% and accidents still happen to me.

On a daily basis, I am reading warnings on bags of fertilizer, various chemicals that I use to control scale, mites and other infestations that could happen. Even though most things seem to be harmless at first site, when reading the cautions and warnings on the packages, it is clear

that most packaged gardening products should be handled with caution. I urge you to read the packaging. This should be done with any new product that you try and any old product that you might be familiar with that has a new redesigned package.

Gloves and masks are a dime-a-dozen and should be used. I am guilty of not wearing gloves and enjoying the feel of dirt and some gardening chemicals only to experience itching or minor swelling several hours later. I have also had nasal irritation after a day of gardening with no mask on windy days. I’ve got to do a better job of protecting myself. Sometimes, I wonder if the medicine I take could react with gardening chemicals or even insect repellent through the moisture and oil on my skin. Unfortunately, medicine interaction is not tested on any garden chemical that I am aware of. And if it was, we could not afford to buy it. It’s up to us to think ahead and take precautions.

We are at the beginning of the annual push to clear our yards of weeds and repair our gardens from the winter weather and early spring rains. Some of us will use chemicals. Some of us will use muscle along with hand tools and machines. Chemicals could influence our blood chemistry in ways that may take time to reveal the damage done. Machines, in my opinion, are the most hazardous and any injury is almost always immediately painful and could require a visit to a doctor. Hand tools can hurt also, but in most cases, they are not as painful or as long term as a machine injury. Machines and hand tools can cause overexertion of muscles and joints and can be very painful and also require a trip to the doctor. Pay close attention to the manufacturer’s warnings labels on hand tools and machinery. Check your tools for broken or cracked wood handles. Also check how secure the working end is to the handle.

Hopefully, this will serve as a reminder to my gardening friends and myself that we should be aware that a new year brings new successes. But also brings new challenges to be safe so that we garden in comfort and suffer no ill effects from it.

Our Board invites all of our members to share their gardening successes and product hit-or-miss experiences through the newsletter. I will explore more safety objectives in the future as I learn more to share with you. In the meantime - don’t rush, enjoy gardening and be safe.

M. McKnight

Organ and Tissue Donation Facts

. In 2020, 39,035 transplants brought renewed life to patients and their families and communities (from 12,588 decrease and 5,728 living donors).

. More than 107,000 men, women and children are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Over 3,000 are Tennesseans!

. Another person is added to the national organ transplant waiting list every 10 minutes.

. On average, 20 people will die each day because the organ they need are not donated in time.

. More than 80% of patients on the waiting list are waiting for a kidney. The average waiting time for a kidney from a decreased donor is 3 to 5 years.

. One organ donor may save up to 8 lives with their gift of organs: Heart, Lungs, Kidneys, Pancreas, Liver, and Intestines.

. One tissue donor could improve the lives of up to 75 people with their gift of tissue: Eye tissue, Skin Tissue, Heart Valves, Nerves, Pericardium, Veins and Blood Vessels, Bone and Connective Tissues.

. Each year, there are approximately 30,000 tissue donors and more than 1.75 million tissue transplants; the surgical need for donated tissue is steadily rising.

. More than 85,000 corneas are provided for sight-restoring corneal transplants each year.

. To register your decision to save and improve lives, visit:

DonateLifeTN.org
BeTheGift.com
Apple Health App/RegisterMe.org
Department of Safety/DMV
Advance Directives/Living Wills

William (Bill) Lee Bobbitt

Mr. William (Bill) Lee Bobbitt of Lexington, TN passed away on February 20, 2021, at the age of 85. He was born December 19, 1935 in Jackson, TN, to the late William Luther and Ione Thompson Bobbitt. He was married to Frances (Buck) Bobbitt on September 9, 1961 in Lexington, TN.

Bill graduated from Lexington High School in 1953 and graduated from the University of Memphis with a B.S. degree. He briefly taught school in Henderson County, and later moved to Memphis where he was employed by the National Bank of Commerce. He left banking to become an insurance adjustor for State Farm and then Ohio Casualty. As an employee of Ohio Casualty in 1969 he moved with his family back to his beloved hometown of Lexington. Later in his career he returned to teaching and was employed by Henderson County and the Lexington City Systems. He was an avid sports fan and a loyal supporter of the Memphis Tigers basketball and football teams. High school football was a passion. He officiated high school games throughout West Tennessee for 50 years. He loved baseball, particularly the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bill was a member of Lexington First United Methodist Church. He served in many leadership positions, volunteered at the food pantry, and traveled with the mission team for many years.

One of Bill’s hobbies was growing orchids. He enjoyed sharing the blooms from his plants with friends for numerous occasions. Upon retirement he, along with his wife Frances, became Master Gardeners with the Madison County group. Together they were selected as Master Gardeners of the Year in 2015. One of Bill’s greatest joys was traveling. He and Frances traveled extensively in the United States and all over the world.

Bill is survived by his wife Frances of Lexington; two sons William (Alla) Bobbitt, Jr. of Silver Spring, MD; Robert Bobbitt of Jackson, TN; two grandchildren, Arthur Bobbitt and Olivia Lemieux; and a brother John (Linda) Bobbitt of Lexington.

Our friend Bill was loved by all who knew him, and he will be missed by our entire Master Gardener community. Notes to Frances can be mailed to 125 Poplar Lane, Lexington, TN 38351.

Jenifer Trimble is a Retired Air Force Veteran with 20 years of logistics experience and working alongside other branches of the military. Jenifer was born at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana in March of 1972. So, you can say the military has always been in her blood from birth. Jenifer has a Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University and an Associate in Applied Science Logistics from the Community College of the Air Force. Jenifer and her husband, Richard, who is also retired military moved to Bells, Tennessee back in 2016. In her free time, Jenifer likes to garden with her three cats by her side. After years of only being able to grow weeds, she decided to continue her education and take the Master Gardener class to cut down on the weeds and increase the garden's crop yield. Besides gardening, Jenifer also volunteers at the Crockett County Senior Center. She also enjoys crocheting and quilting.

Marion Cone
I was born and raised in Middle Tennessee where I taught school for 30 years. We moved to Jackson 20 years ago for my husband's job. In the early 2000s, I went through MG training. Because life got in the way, I didn't complete the required service and education hours. Thank goodness I returned! I can't express my gratitude enough for everything I gained from Celeste's leadership!

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MG_Newsletter_11.15.pdf
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2015 MG Oct Newsletter.pdf
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2015 MG Sept Newsletter.pdf
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2015 MG August Newsletter.pdf
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2015 MG July A Newsletter(1).pdf
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2015 MG June Newsletter.pdf
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2015 MG May Newsletter.pdf
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2015 MG April Newsletter.pdf
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2015 MG March Newsletter.pdf
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2015 MG February Newsletter.pdf
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Union University Master Gardener project by Donald Collomp

I enrolled in the Madison County Master Gardener training in 2019 and was certified in the Spring of 2020 just before Covid Pandemic set in and many events ceased.

I contacted the Union University Maintenance dept and asked if I could improve the two specific triangular flower beds since I am a Master Gardener and alumni. The Union Maintenance supervisor asked a few questions and wanted to let the Administration know of my plans.
That’s when the real work started, the planning and layout of creating a from scratch flowerbed. I asked Celeste Scott and Jason Reeves their opinions of design and types of flowers for the beds before starting but ultimately the project was all on me. The designing, all of the ground prep work, planting and caring for all plants and upkeep of the beds.

MG_Newsletter_1_15.pdf
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TEMG Newsletter

MCMG Newsletter

February 2022

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

January/February Speaker: Tyler Taylor, Memphis Botanical Garden

January 2022

History Clubs Do Service Project at Liberty Garden Park

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES WANTED

December 2021

There will not be a December MG meeting

Knocking around Nacogdoches....Carol Reese

This and That

Recipes

November 2021

President’s Message

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

Master Gardeners at Bicentennial Heritage Festival

Talk of the Town Celeste Scott, Horticulture Extension Agent

Impact survey 2021

Reporting for 2021

Teach Team Members

SIGN UP NOW FOR OUR SPECIAL FALL SMART YARD SERIES FOR EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS

November Tasks

Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

October 2021

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair October 7 - Meeting Announcement

OCTOBER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Talk of the Town Celeste Scott, Horticulture Extension Agent

October Tasks

September 2021

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

Talk of the Town - September 2021 Celeste Scott Horticulture Extension Agent

Flower Arrangement Workshop

September Tasks

Gardening Safety Manuel McKnight

August 2021

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

August 5thCut Flower Harvest, Handling, & Arrangement with UT Extension Agent Celeste Scott, and UT Gardens- Jackson Curator Jason Reeves

This month’s speaker Celeste Scott

August Tasks

UT Gardens, Knoxville Garden Trip to Nashville Tuesday - Wednesday, September 14 - 15, 2021

Join EMGs from across the western region and the state on September 17th and 18th for our Western Region TEMG Conference.

Union University Master Gardener project by Donald Collomp

Gardening Safety

July 2021

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

No July Meeting

July Educational Opportunities

Summer Celebration 2021

July Tasks

Gardening Safety Manuel McKnight July 2021

June 2021

President’s Message

NOTE

The June meeting will be in person at the WTREC. No add a dish meal.

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

Is a greenhouse or cold frame worth it? by Jenifer Trimble

Gardening Safety 3

Tree Trivia

May 2021

President’s Message

Program Notesfrom Nancy Blair

May Task Reminder

May Educational Opportunities

Columbia's Largest Plant Sale

Garden Puzzle

Garden Safety

APRIL 2021

President’s Message

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair

Talk of the Town

2020 Spring Plant Sale Plant Insights

Gardener's Tool Shed Series

Monthly Task List

Garden Safety

Organ and Tissue Donation Facts

THANK YOU NOTES TO THE MADISON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS

In Memoriam

New Graduate Spotlight

Knocking around Nacogdoches
....Carol Reese

PROGRAM NOTES
from Nancy Blair

Talk of the Town
Celeste Scott, Horticulture Extension Agent

PROGRAM NOTES from Nancy Blair
October 7 - Meeting Announcement

Talk of the Town
Celeste Scott, Horticulture Extension Agent

Talk of the Town - September 2021
Celeste Scott Horticulture Extension Agent

Gardening Safety
Manuel McKnight

August 5th
Cut Flower Harvest, Handling, & Arrangement with UT Extension Agent Celeste Scott, and UT Gardens- Jackson Curator Jason Reeves

Gardening Safety
Manuel McKnight
July 2021

Is a greenhouse or cold frame worth it?
by Jenifer Trimble

Program Notes
from Nancy Blair