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Art Explosion Image Library

The Garden Fence Monthly Newsletter – December 2016

Harford County Master Gardeners

Thanksgiving has just ended, and I’m aware of all that I have to be thankful for. I’m thankful for our Master Gardener Interns – what a diverse group of individuals, with so many different strengths! And our Interns in turn must be very grateful that their classwork, and especially their test, is over with! I owe thanks to those who earned their Master Gardener badges this year. I’m also thankful for the Master Gardeners who taught classes and workshops, including those at the Bel Air Library and at Kaufman Cancer Center. And thanks to those who went out and conducted classes and programs themselves, and let me help. Thanks to the crew at Eden Mill Nature Center, who let me help with the gardening, and who themselves were the source of thanks when they delivered many pounds of garden vegetables to the Bel Air Methodist Church food bank. I owe thanks to Joyce Browning, who helped the Master Gardeners run so smoothly. And thanks to Ginny Zahner, our wonderful Newsletter Editor, who accepts my Presidents Columns even though I send them in late. A final thanks to Donna Bonnacorsi, our unseen MG who helps with our Facebook page. And thanks to all of you, Master Gardeners, who have spent almost one more year volunteering. Thanks so much for your service. Thank you Master Gardeners, and it is wonderful to serve among you.

~Ellen Haas – 2013

Inside this Issue President’s Message 1 World Soil Day 2 FAQ Holiday Party 3 Training 4 Calendar of Events 5 Officers Ellen Haas President Anne Spelman Vice President Nancy Cohen Secretary Jane Howe Secretary Kathy Ullrich Treasurer Quick Links Harford County Extension Office Home & Garden Info Center MG Hours Online

Harford County Extension

Office Closed Monday, December 26, 2016,

Monday, January 2, 2017.

President’s Message

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/world-soil-day/

“The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), in 2002, made a resolution proposing the 5th of December as World Soil Day to celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human wellbeing.

Under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand and within the framework of the "Global Soil Partnership", FAO has supported the formal establishment of the World Soil Day as a global awareness raising platform. The FAO Conference, in June 2013, unanimously endorsed World Soil Day and requested official adoption at the 68th UN General Assembly. In December 2013, the 68th UN General Assembly declared 5th of December as the World Soil Day.

Since 2012, the FAO-GSP has been organizing celebration events of this important day.”

World Soil Day – 5th December

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"From December to March, there are for many of us three gardens -

the garden outdoors, the garden of pots and bowls in the

house, and the garden of the mind's eye."

- Katherine S. White

FAQ – MG Holiday Party

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Setting up your 2017 calendar? Bay-Wise Advanced Training 2017 Class Schedule Anne Arundel County – March 4, 11, and 18 Queen Anne’s County – April 29 and May 6 19th Annual University of Maryland Master Gardener Training Conference Thursday, May 25, 2017 GardenWise – York County Master Gardeners March 11, 2017, 7:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Earns four hours of education!

December 2, 2016– 1:00 p.m. Yuletide Lecture: “One Flower at a Time: Creating Yuletide Magic at Winterthur Winterthur Museum, Wilmington, DE Join Meredith Graves, coordinator of the Winterthur Flower Program, for a behind-the-scenes look at Yuletide including the creation of the breathtaking dried-flower tree. Members: Free, Non-Members: $15 Reservations encouraged. December 3, 2016 – 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Fundamentals of Pruning Session A, Mount Cuba Center, Hockenssin, DE Proper pruning is the key to maintaining plant health, vigor, and the desired form. In this hands-on workshop, learn basic pruning principles such as how to make proper cuts, the best times of year to prune different species, and how to select and maintain tools. Gain the confidence to prune your plants in a more naturalistic, appealing, and professional way. Bring your lunch, work gloves, and hand pruners. Fee: $50 https://education.mtcubacenter.org/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=164GAR107A December 3, 2016– 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Mother & Daughter Dried Flower Tree Workshop, Winterthur Museum, Wilmington, DE Mothers and Daughters ages 8 and up are invited to engage in a little holiday crafting together as they decorate a small artificial tree with dried flowers. Member pairs: $40, Non-Members pairs: $45, $10 per each additional daughters

Education Opportunities

Save the Date 2017

“The gardening season officially begins on January 1st, and ends on December 31.” ~ Marie Huston

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December 13, 2016 – 7:30 p.m. Horticultural Society of Maryland Lecture Series Vollmer Center Auditorium Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD William Thomas, The Art of Gardening at Chanticleer Join Chanticleer’s executive director and head gardener William Thomas for a visual tour and behind-the-scenes look at what The Washington Post calls “one of the most interesting and edgy public gardens in America.” Chanticleer is a garden where the staff are the designers, competing with each other and with the horticultural world to make the garden fun, visually exciting and environmentally responsible. Admission: $10 non-members at the door https://mdhorticulture.org/programs-events/lecture-series/ December 16, 2016, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Advanced Integrated Pest Management Conference Howard Community College, Columbia, MD Keynote speakers will cover timely topics, including insect-borne diseases like Zika Virus and Oak diseases and pests. Hands-on workshops will cover plant problem diagnosis and pest identification. Educational seminars will cover applied topics including fruit tree disease and insect management, weeds of turf and landscaping, pond weed management, stream restoration, nutrient management planning, and more. Fee: $65 early-bird (before 12/7), $75 late registration http://extension.umd.edu/events/fri-2016-12-16-0730-advanced-integrated-pest-management-conference

Intern class of 2016 minus Jacqueline Cunningham and Melanie Kane, Dennis Perry

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The University of Maryland Extension is an Equal Opportunity Employer with Equal Access Programs.

Joyce Browning Urban Horticulturist Master Gardener Coordinator Harford County Office

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Calendar of Events December 1 6:00 p.m. MG Holiday Party Liriodendron December 6 1:30 p.m. Brightview Assisted Liv. Brightview December 10 10:15 am Garden Series- Pruning Class Bel Air Library December 26 Extension Office closed in observance of Christmas

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year December Steering Committee Canceled for the holiday January 2 Harford County office closed in observance of New Year’s January 5 10 am Monthly MG Meeting HCEO January 9 1:30 p.m. Brightview Assisted Liv. Brightview January 2 Office Closed for New Year’s Day January 16 Office closed for Martin Luther King Day

The Maryland Master Gardener Mission Statement The Maryland Master Gardener mission is to support the University of Maryland Extension by educating Maryland residents about safe effective

and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes and communities.

Reminder: Please get your volunteer hours entered for 2016!

http://www.agnr.umd.edu/mg/ If you need help get in touch with Grace or Joyce.