the grapevine - new river valley master gardeners€¦ · 6/6/2020 · in the spring by virginia...
TRANSCRIPT
New River Valley Master Gardener Association Newsletter
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Wendy Words ......... 2
2020 Grants ........... 3
Community Project .. 4
Paige in December .. 6
Lyle’s Hike & Picnic .. 7
Houseplants ........... 8
Paige Gets Around .... 9
Smithfield .............. 11
Twelve on Twelve ..... 12
Edible Hahn ............ 13
Very Good Vinegar .. . 14
Be a Dear, Deer! ...... . 16
Heritage Park .......... . 18
MG Photos ............... . 19
June 2020
The Grapevine
Photo: Ruth Ann Whitener
2
Wow, have things changed in just a few months! The one thing I have noticed is how flexible
and resilient Master Gardeners are during this COVID crisis. Our rules on how what projects
can remain active has been very limiting, yet we find ways to make our volunteer time
meaningful.
For the time being, we are only able to do projects that revolve around food access. This is
because our focus is to remain safe as possible and we do not want any of our volunteers to
unnecessarily expose themselves to COVID-19. However, we do recognize that many people
are out of work and food access has become a greater need than any time in recent history.
So, for those comfortable with volunteering, they can do so as long as it is related to food. We
are also not free laborers, but since we can not do training while we work due to restrictions
to gathering, for COVID emergency time only, if all we do is labor, then that is okay. Once all
of this passes, we will be back to our standard rules.
Our resiliency and flexibility have been shining through, despite these above restrictions.
Beth Umberger with the help of Margene Hirsh is adding vegetables to the Montgomery
Museum garden instead of annuals this year. Lisa Lloyd, David McEwen, Clifton Johnson,
and Maria Cucinotta have been helping at Smithfield Plantation. Andrew McMillen has been
volunteering at the Giles Community Garden. Carol Cox has been volunteering with the
garden at Indian Valley Elementary School (she works there as well). Carol Trutt and Maria
Cucinotta have been volunteering with the Glean Team. Pat Ferrell and Bonnie Walker have
been maintaining the Snowville Elementary Garden. Lisa Lloyd and Rosemary Hartman have
been volunteering at the Hahn in the edible garden plot. Erica Jones is adding vegetables to
the Triangle Garden in Craig County. Carol Trutt, Carol Kauffman and David McEwen have
been prepping and planting veggies with the Glean Team. Sarah Smiley has been providing
plants and seed for the residence of the Fairview Home. Debora Taylor and Annette Yearout
have been volunteering at PLENTY! Javad Torabinejad and Ben Schwartz have been helping
with the Helpdesk emails. Beth Kirby has been busy growing veggie starts for anyone who
needed it, and Emma Patterson and Diane Relf have been growing plants as well for
community donation. This is by no means a complete list of what we have been doing this
spring. Thank you for all that you do. You make a difference!
I am also amazed with the flexibility of our trainees. They did not expect an on-line only MG
training, yet that is what it has turned out to be (for now). We learned how to make zoom
trainings successful and slowed down the progression of the course in hopes for us to be able
to do some in-person training in the fall. Thank you,
trainees, for your flexibility as we navigate this together.
For those of you who ARE staying home, please let me
know if you need anything. Master Gardeners are like a
family, and we are here for one another.
Stay well and safe, everyone.
Wendy Silverman
WENDY WORDS
by Wendy Silverman
Master Gardener Association Community Grants by Sharon Eifried
The New River Valley Master Gardener Association annually welcomes grant
applications for gardening projects located in the New River Valley counties of Floyd,
Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski and the City of Radford. Grants are awarded based
on merit to any educational, care-giving, or community-based organization.
In the past, grants have been awarded to public and private schools, 4-H groups,
public libraries, other educational groups, as well as community gardens and nursing
homes. Funding has been provided for, but is not limited to, creating public gardens
(vegetable and flower), raising plants for sales (4-H), composting, purchasing plant
labels and gardening tools, to name a few. The grants are intended to support
programs seeking to educate, involve, and/or improve the quality of life for
participants through a gardening related project.
Community Grants are funded mainly from the proceeds from annual plant sales held
in the spring by Virginia Commonwealth Extension (VCE) master gardeners at the
Montgomery County Government Center in Christiansburg. Because of COVID-19,
the 2020 plant sale was cancelled, but there are hopes for a plant sale in the fall.
Please see below for a list of the grant recipients for 2020 garden projects. This year
the implementation of the projects may look different, but gardening projects in the
New River Valley continue to be alive and well.
3
4-H Garden and Horticulture Programs (Pulaski County) $650
Adult Day Service and Fall Prevention Center (Pulaski) $400
Children’s Garden at Snowville Elementary School $150
Educational Rain Garden at Eastern Montgomery Elementary School $825
Garden Club and Garden at Indian Valley Elementary School $525
Gardening Club at Fairview Home (Dublin) $375
Horticulture Program Start-Up at Eastern Montgomery High School $1000
Interactive Learning Center at Ratcliffe Transportation Museum
(Pulaski)
$400
Medicinal Garden at Wilderness Road Regional Museum (Newbern) $175
Plenty! Small Space Demonstration Garden $200
Pulaski Community Youth Center (Fairlawn) $1250
Recovery Community Center (Pulaski) $250
Water Reclamation Project at Giles Community Garden $500
New River Valley Master Gardener Association Grant Recipients 2020
In September, the New River Valley Master Gardener Association (NRVMGA)
contributed a $100 mini-grant to the students of Indian Valley Elementary (IVE) School
who are participating in a newly established Gardening Club. The club began with six
members and used the grant to purchase hand tools and gardening gloves.
Years ago, the school established a school garden on construction landfill, and although
recently amended, it was not fertile or easy to work. Club members came up with the
idea to convert the area to a series of raised bed frames. Members priced out material
costs for raised beds and prepared the budget request for a NRVMGA Community Grant
application which was sent in by the school principal and club sponsors. NRVMGA
awarded $525 for the project.
So, you may be asking why the title, “Truly a ‘Community Project?’” Consider these
details:
And while the garden may not have students in it, and not a lot of plants will be
growing during the summer, it has seen quite a bit of activity and will be ready for
students to care for when they return in the fall. So we send out a BIG “Thank You” to
all involved in this project!
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Truly a “Community Project”
by Carol Cox, Liaison
A former student arranged for the purchase of bypass clippers and hand
diggers “at cost” from Miss Lily's Pad (a North Carolina garden center).
Garden Club members cleared the garden area of weeds, scraped the
wooden panel fence, prepped it to repaint, and painted it. The IVE
custodian pressure-washed the fence and will soon hang the garden
gate. Floyd County Schools Maintenance Dept. provided paint and
brushes and will provide gravel for the area outside the frames. A
student’s father selected the materials and built the frames. A student’s
grandparent tilled the area so that amended soil could be reclaimed. A
community member has offered plants that will grow during the
summer. A former parent delivered a load of compost and pledged
another. Beth Kirby has grown plants for us.
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The ‘BEFORE’ The ‘DURING’
The ‘AFTER’ — WOW!
All photos courtesy of justifiably proud project liaison Carol Cox.
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December Travels With Paige
by Erica Jones
I went to Morgantown, WV, over the holidays (long story) and took both Paige and the almost
-retired spouse along. I was panicking about finding something fun to do in Morgantown for a
couple of hours and then good old Google found it. I had totally forgotten that West Virginia
HAD a botanic garden.
The West Virginia Botanic Garden (WVBG) was started in 1999 from the land around what
used to be the drinking water reservoir for Morgantown. The reservoir was first used as a
water source in the early 1900’s. At that time, the population of the area was growing and
there was much discussion about the hardness of available water sources. The city stopped
using the reservoir for drinking water in 1969 and subsequently drained it in 1980 to avoid
maintenance of dams, spill ways, and pipes.
This is a walking garden. Dogs are requested to stay on their leashes and Paige cooperated.
We saw a surprising number of people there on a very foggy, wintery Saturday morning. If
you go, have a map in hand; this will cut down on inter-spouse discussions on ‘fastest way to
get back to the car’. We thought the Reservoir Loop had a water feature, but unfortunately it
did not. You can still see a number of structures built for the water reservoir along the Loop.
The vegetation growing in the reservoir are shrubs (a lot of alders) and other damp-feet type
vegetation.
One section of the loop trail was built on top of the very long, low, straight soil retaining wall
and was bordering private property with town houses. This stretch had been landscaped with
40” high containers, memorial benches, boxwoods, aucuba, dwarf mahonia, Japanese plum
yew, and some deciduous plants. The boxes were posted with “No Dogs” signs and were
excellent examples of what happens to lower branches of shrubs when they meet up with
canine urine.
Then we started exploring the loopy interconnecting trails in the woods above the streams
that used to feed the reservoir. This turned out to be gorgeous woods with a clump of the
oldest Canadian Hemlocks we have seen in 50 years. There are ravines lined with rock
outcroppings and a lot of good ‘barks’ – persimmon, black gum, shag bark hickory. There was
a meditation garden beside a bubbling creek and the hemlocks, and lots of Fagus grandifolia
leaves of that hard-to-describe orange-umber-yellow-brown-tan early winter shade.
This wooded hillside was a maze of little creeks, sudden rock outcroppings, hummocks, and
various sized ravines. There were pits in the forest floor and my guess is they were caused by
falling trees rather than tiny sinkholes, but I can’t be sure.
Since we had a hot date with my niece for lunch, we could not linger …. What we missed
were the more constructed areas on the other side of the swamp (aka reservoir). With more
than two hours of time, I hoped we could visit the shade garden, the rhododendron garden,
the Yagle garden, and some others. Unfortunately, we just didn’t have time. But we enjoyed
the time we spent there and perhaps will return to explore what we missed.
Admission is free but donations are accepted. For more information, you can check https://
www.wvbg.org/
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As he does most years, Lyle decided to take his Mom and Dad for a hike and picnic on
Mother’s Day. In deference to COVID-19, he took us into the mountains behind our three
acres in the Ellett Valley, where we have permission to hike, and where there is very little
likelihood of seeing another human or canine being.
Despite having hiked these mountains many times in the past 15 years, we always find
something that we haven’t seen before. This Mother’s Day, we hit the jackpot and found a
large stand of Addison’s Leatherflower on the dry rocky outcrop where we ate our lunch
and enjoyed a great view. We didn’t know what it was and sent an email with the picture
below to our three sons and their wives, telling them that whoever could ID it first would get
a gold star. Our youngest son actually recognized it from his AP Biology class, which is pretty
amazing considering he graduated in 2007!
Here’s what we’ve learned from our son Eric and from the internet (https://
virginiawildflowers.org/2015/05/08/leatherflower/):
It turns out that Addison’s Leatherflower (Clematis addisonii) is
“a threatened species that is native to the Ridge and Valley
Province in Virginia. Most of the remaining populations occur"
in Montgomery County. The author continues that “The plant
prefers dry, rocky, limestone hillsides, banks and ravines.” It is a
perennial vine that starts out as the erect plant that we
noticed, but it eventually arches over or climbs other plants.
The flower, located at the tip of the stem, “is firm (like leather!)
and shaped like an upside-down urn.”
According to http://
kentuckynativeplantandwildlife.blogspot.com/2012/05/
plant-of-week-addisons-leather-flower.html, Addison’s
Leatherflower grows primarily in four counties of western
Virginia, but also grows in Kentucky in the Elbrook formation
and is available for sale in limited quantities. Sunlight
Gardens (https://sunlightgardens.com/products/11633)
claims that it is “deer resistant,” for whatever that’s worth!
We hope that everyone had a great Mother’s Day, is
having fun gardening, and is staying safe!
A Mother’s Day Hike and Picnic with Lyle
by Nina & Lyle Templeton
Lyle with his dad Tom after our picnic
Photos: Nina Templeton Photos: Nina Templeton
Summer Houseplant Care
by Susan Perry
Spring and early summer are great times to perform annual houseplant maintenance. In addition, summer is a great time to put your houseplants outside in a location that’s sheltered. Your plants will benefit greatly from the brighter indirect outdoor light. Finally, when you re-introduce your plants indoors in the fall, there are a few simple steps for a smooth transition.
Now is a good time to inspect your houseplants and determine which, if any, could benefit from re-potting to a slightly larger pot. All houseplants need to be re-potted every few years. Re-potting helps prevent houseplants from becoming rootbound, and also allows you the opportunity to refresh your potting soil on a regular basis. Potting soil can easily become depleted of critical nutrients needed by plants. When re-potting, select a pot that is no more than two inches larger in diameter than the current pot. As you are re-potting, carefully brush soil from the plant’s roots so you can inspect them for insects or disease. You may gently spread out the roots to promote new growth, but once you do, be sure to completely fill the new pot with soil to avoid air gaps in the soil that could later cause problems. Once re-potted, be careful not to over-water and wait several weeks before fertilizing.
As you are re-potting your plant, you may notice a whitish crust on the soil. This is a build-up of soluble salts, and left unaddressed, can cause root damage, leaf wilt, or yellowing of the plant. The solution is easy. If you’re not re-potting the plant, just remove the white crust and the top two inches of soil. If you are re-potting, you’ve already removed as much of the old potting soil as possible (including the white crust). Before adding new potting mix, take your plant outside to a place where water can drain easily, remove the saucer, and rinse the remaining potting mix thoroughly with tepid water several times. Allow the soil to drain completely between rinses and check to be sure the drainage hole is not blocked. Once you have completed rinsing and have allowed the soil to drain for the final time, add new potting soil and water lightly. Then, wait to water the plant again until the soil is dry to the touch about three inches below the surface. To prevent salt buildup, place your pot on a layer of gravel in the saucer to improve drainage and be sure not to over fertilize.
Summer is a good time to find a protected location outside for your plants. You may also want a location that is screened, to avoid possible insects, such as scale – believe me, it’s really a pain to get rid of a scale infestation! As you search for a good outdoor location, keep in mind they will need protection from direct sunlight which can cause leaf scorch and from the potential damage of a surprise hailstorm. Be sure to wait to move your plants outside until nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees. If you’ve had salt build-up, when you bring your plants outside for the summer, don’t use saucers – just allow your plants to drain completely. Summer is also a good time to fertilize your houseplants regularly since it is their normal growth period. Be sure to follow instructions on the fertilizer so that it enhances their growth; too much fertilizer can actually cause problems. Finally, monitor water usage by the houseplants you’ve moved outside. They may need a little more water outdoors than they would have if you had kept them inside for the summer.
In the fall, plan to move your houseplants inside before temperatures fall below 50 degrees at night. If you located them completely outdoors, you’ll need to inspect your plants for insects so you can apply insecticide, if necessary, before bringing the plants back inside. Check the drainage holes of your pots for slugs or pill bugs, which can be removed by hand, and apply one last light fertilization. Your plants will look great during their winter rest period, thanks to their summer of outdoor fun.
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Travels With Paige—Early Spring
by Erica Jones
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Breaks Interstate Park in Virginia derives its name from a break in a northeast
to southwest running mountain range – in this case Pine Mountain – that
populates that part of the country. (If you look at aerial photos, it looks like
the NE end of the mountain is just a big pile of rubble). Pine Mountain is
technically the most western mountain range of the Appalachians – west of
that you get a lot of lumps, but nothing so organized, as you head to the
Mississippi. Russel Fork River runs through the park and has cut quite the
gorge, particularly as it goes through the “break.” This canyon is promoted
as the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi River. It is hard to get to and
sparsely populated, but canoeists have discovered the rapids on the Russel
Fork River and are flocking to the area. Getting there takes about four plus
hours from Roanoke, depending on how fast you are willing to drive winding
roads. Having Paige in the backseat puts a damper on doing any
aggressive curves. Breaks is also named “Interstate” because it runs into the
neighboring state of Kentucky.
As is the case with a lot of the Virginia parks, there is a lot of car parking
close to short hikes, highlighting some of the better features of the park.
Breaks has many types of lodging, with some ‘dog-friendly’ options. The park
seems to be catering to a variety of outdoor experiences with swimming,
mountain biking, canoeing, and zip lining getting top billing. Hiking is rather
an afterthought. The horseback riding option seems to be a “maybe” and
under development. Train buffs will be amused at the freight history of the
area. Coal is heavy and hard to transport, and usually leaves via railroad.
Three of the most spectacular trails run along one side of the ‘canyon’
giving hikers a decent workout. If the idea of hiking and not being able to
see any of the slope down to the river beneath you does not appeal, then
you might want to choose some of the other trails in the park or stick to the
overlooks. Even Paige was being careful on the first day, and stationed
herself between the two of us on some of the trails, perhaps maybe to be
better situated to grab someone’s ankle if they slipped. By the third day of
traversing such cliffy trails, Paige was starting to stand on the very edge at
the overlooks to see if she could spot the rock climbers below, while the
breeze ruffled her ears. Speaking of slippery, most of the wooden bridge
creek crossings were covered in chicken wire, which was fixed to the planks.
This was fabulous as an anti-slip measure to help counteract the wood-rain-
fungus-slick problems. Not sure how long that would last, but probably
through the winter at least.
When we were there in very early spring, some of the spring ephemerals were
just starting to come up on the mostly south facing side of the canyon. Given
the amount of ‘geologic feature’ on the southern slopes (large area of rocks
to help warm the soil), spring had arrived with gusto in a few spots of
particularly nice soil with spring beauty, red efts, and ginger starting to form its
very peculiar blossoms.
The one that threw me, though, has the common name of Pussytoes (family
Antennaria). Pussytoes look at lot like Anaphalis margaritacea (Pearly
Everlasting) which are a mid-summer, dry soil inhabitant. So when you come
up on a very similar flower in a damp spot in early spring, it can be confusing.
Confusion seems to reign in the Antennaria family, anyway. My favorite, albeit
lower-brow wildflower book, grumbles about ‘specialists’ not agreeing on how
many species there are. It talks about a range of 6 to 32 species depending
on where you read. Oh brother. And yes, the plants I saw did not match any
pictures or drawings in any of the wildflower books I have. Their solo blossoms
are held above narrower (but still linear) leaves.
We also came on a very large area of yellow trout lily starting to bloom –
smack in the middle of the trail (previously disturbed soil???), and a little bit of
blooming trailing arbutus. Trout lily always amuse me as there are very few
yellow bloomers that early in the year. And when you find them, you see a LOT
of them. The Virginia Native Plant Society calls their ‘herds’ colonies. (https://
vnps.org/wildflowers-of-the-year/2003-yellow-trout-lily-erythronium-
americanum/). They are worth trying to find if you have not seen them; the
mottled foliage tends to be an easy identifying trait. Trout lily will transplant,
given that they produce corms.
Trailing arbutus has a history of being protected from collection in many
eastern states. Apparently, they just do not move well (they need mycorrhizal
associations). The rumors of fragrance are overrated. I did not note any
fragrance, even when my nose got down to plant level (and Paige had to
check out what I was doing down there).
There are also a lot of longer hikes to take in the park, if you do a little planning.
On the southeast end of the park ,the trails are more ‘normal’ wooded trails,
which head towards several lakes. Happy travels (well, soon we hope).
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In the fall of 2018, Smithfield Plantation applied for a grant through the NRV Master Gardener
Association. The grant was approved to provide identification signs in what was to be the
renovated Kitchen and Perennial Gardens. In addition, a request was made for help with the
renovation project. Two Master Gardeners, Carol Trutt and I, volunteered for the work as part of our
annual requirement for volunteer hours.
Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Smithfield decided to partner
with expert Landscape Designer Deb Miller. Carol and I began to help in the spring of 2019, after
the beds were prepared and most plants in place. Our role was to help ensure that the plants
thrived throughout the season. On a weekly basis, Carol and I spent a couple of hours doing
whatever was necessary, such as watering, weeding, and taming back the gourd vines from
engulfing the rest of the garden!
Another fun event was a workshop we presented at the Smithfield Yuletide in December.
Participants were eager to learn how to make a traditional colonial kissing ball from boxwood
clippings. Both young and old alike enjoyed the workshop as well as Carol and I. This spring, we
have been busy with clean up, adding additional perennials as well as planting cold crops such as
peas, broccoli, and cauliflower. We have also added an additional Master Gardener to the team -
David McEwen – as well as Master Naturalist, Curt LeVan. We look forward to the addition of
educational tours of the gardens at Smithfield this season.
It’s been a pleasure to form a partnership with Ryan and Kenna, our liaisons at Smithfield. They are
most appreciative of the help and receptive to suggestions. I give them much credit for keeping a
positive vibe during this stressful time. We are all excited about future opportunities to help
continue to develop the grounds at the plantation. It is a beautiful, relaxing space to hold a
special event or learn about life in the New River Valley during colonial times.
Master Gardeners and Smithfield Plantation
by Lisa Lloyd
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Carol Trutt: Spring cleaning and planting in
the Kitchen Garden. Photo: Lisa Lloyd.
Plant id signs for the kitchen and
perennial gardens. Photo: Lisa Lloyd.
I am certain people have pondered this before, but I came across my fake Jasmine
blooming during a warm spell in January, and was reminded of the 12-months-of-
blossoms challenge/approach to gardening. A Jasmine (sort of) (Jasminum
nudiflorumis maybe?) is a viney, aggressively growing mound that used to be very
marginally hardy in my back yard until the last five years or so. It has bright well-
formed trumpet shaped blossoms with no fragrance (therefore the ‘fake’). I would
recommend planting it carefully, since you have to really yank it up when it layers
vigorously.
February can be rough too, but with warm spells I can have crocus and dandelions.
When retailers came out with steady and almost affordable supplies of hellebores I
thought I’d died and gone to heaven because hellebores make the 12-month
challenge easier. The Missouri Botanic Garden website says the time of blooming
can vary ‘considerably’ based on the weather. Helleborus niger, odorus and
argutifolius are perhaps the earliest of this genus with orientalis being later; plant
breeding has confused the demarcations a bit.
November can be tricky, too. We had an unusually (record) cold November here
and a lot of the wildflowers that usually hang around that late packed up and left.
So plan(t) carefully.
December can almost be as difficult as January to have something in bloom, but
my witch hazel saves the day here. But remember, there are a lot of species and
hybrids that can vary bloom time if put off by a cold snap.
Blooming season really should be carefully considered when choosing landscaping
plants. If you are worried about pollinators, aim towards the edges of the season.
If you want cut flowers, don’t forget that funny gap just past spring bulbs. If you
want consistency, annuals are good. This is the reason annuals were so popular
before an anti-annual slur campaign started. Some growers are breeding shorter
plants because they are easier to ship and display. I will admit, if we could
communicate with plant breeders and growers that shorter is not always better,
consumer perceptions of annuals might improve. I saw a quote the other day – ‘if
annuals get any shorter they are going to disappear’. Growing annuals from seed
can counter a lot of the too-short problem.
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Twelve Month Blossoms by Erica Jones
Master Gardeners at the Hahn by Lisa Lloyd
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it to myself and others on numerous occasions during the pandemic, “Boy, am I glad I don’t live in New York City right now. I don’t know how residents are coping with staying inside their apartments and condos.” I am someone who loves fresh air and sunshine. That is why I consider myself very fortunate to be a Master Gardener, especially right now.
In addition to attending to my neglected raised bed gardens and flower beds, I have been volunteering at the Hahn Horticulture Garden and Smithfield Plantation. Over the past couple of years, I joined a group of Master Gardeners and hobby gardeners on Monday evenings at the Hahn to weed, plant and help with whatever tasks the horticulturists had a need for us to do. Of course, with COVID-19 this year, the Monday nights are off.
By chance, a discussion one Monday evening last year with Hahn horticulturist Lisa Lipsey and Director Scott Douglas about expanding the volunteer base led to an idea that groups could “adopt" a section of the garden to care for and maintain. So as a trial, NRV Master Gardeners (MGs) have adopted the edible landscape area at the Hahn. Luckily, it’s been a big help overall, since the number of volunteers has decreased due to the pandemic.
As usually happens, since I had suggested to Lisa and Scott that master gardeners might be able to act as guinea pigs for this trial volunteer program, I am leading the effort! I’ve been pleasantly surprised to have four other MGs join me on Mondays and Thursdays for a couple of hours each day to weed, prune, and plant the edible landscape plants. Polly Ashelman, Linda Davis, Rosemary Hartman, and Carol Trutt each arrive with their supply of tools and weed buckets and then we get down to business!
Lisa and Scott stop by while we are there to answer our questions, identify a plant, or just say “Hi” and thank us for our help. When restrictions are eased, the plan is to offer an educational tour of the area to inform garden enthusiasts how they can incorporate edibles into their general landscape plantings. I’m in love with edible flowers, so we are also in the process of finding and planting a few to add additional color.
If you are not already a member of the garden, I would encourage you to join. The garden only receives enough funds from Virginia Tech to cover most of the cost of staff salaries. Any additional funds, such as those to cover annual operating costs, must be raised by the Hahn. Memberships are one way these additional funds are raised. Membership is $35 per year. Benefits include reduced cost of workshops (when available) and a reciprocal garden program that provides reduced or free admission to over 300 gardens and arboreta nationwide. Plus, what a better place to have Master Gardener classes than at the Hahn Pavilion? (Sorry current MG trainees, that you’ve missed out on this.)
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Loaned sculpture “The Gardener” on display at the Hahn. Photo: Lisa Lloyd
MGs Linda Davis and Polly Ashelman. Photo: Lisa Lloyd
We have all probably been using this social distancing and isolation time tending to our gardens, realizing the value of growing and preserving our own food, and trying new things. Since one useful element for preserving produce is vinegar, I have been having some sweet fun during this sour time and thought I would share. As long as vinegar has been around, so has grown the list of its uses and benefits. I was doing some research on the history of vinegar for this article and wanted to share the origin of the word “vinaigrette.” In the 17th and 18th centuries, European aristocrats had small silver boxes, called vinaigrettes, on top of their walking canes. The boxes contained vinegar-soaked sponges that the aristocrats would open and sniff to ward off noxious outdoor odors. Vinegar has been a part of human history as long as humans have been drinking fermented beverages. Any alcoholic beverage, whether it is made from apples, grapes, dates, rice, or plain white sugar, once exposed to air, will turn naturally to vinegar. Ever-present bacteria in the air converts the alcohol into acetic acid, which gives vinegar its characteristic sharp, sour taste. There are many recipes for making your own vinegar, such as this one: https://www.mountainfeed.com/blogs/learn/41176641-understanding-and-making-your-own-vinegar But if you don’t have the time, there are many readily available options – just ensure the white vinegar isn’t wood pulp based, which is popular in the cheaper brands. There are so many interesting vinegars: champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine, and rice wine. Experiment with a few variations. You can bring character and complexity to vinegar with infusions. For example, chives are blooming now and you can use them in so many dishes. They also make a lovely infusion for vinegar that you can then use in salad dressings, for example. It will take you 10 minutes or less to pull this together. Think about the gift giving possibilities! Ingredients 1 cup chive blossoms (fresh) 1 1/2 cups vinegar (of choice) Optional: 1/4 cup chopped chive leaves Trim the entire heads off the stems. Open and not faded blossoms are optimal. Rinse several times to dislodge any soil or stowaways. Gently crush the blossoms to release their scent and flavor. Loosely pack them into a clean glass pint jar (not necessary to sterilize the jar). Pour the vinegar over the chive blossoms until they are completely immersed in the liquid. Stir the chives into the vinegar. Tightly cover the jar and label it with the date.
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It Has Been a Sour Couple of Months, Let’s Embrace the Vinegar by Sarah Smiley
Smiley Farm Organic Chive Blossom Infused
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Store at room temperature away from direct light or heat for 2 weeks. Strain the vinegar into an attractive, clean glass bottle. Compost or discard the spent blossoms. Cork or tightly cover the bottle. The vinegar will take on the delicate color and subtle onion flavor of the chives. Keep the vinegar stored away from heat and light for up to 6 months. I am also currently infusing a fresh strawberry-orange vinegar, and a fresh strawberry-basil vinegar, making use of those North Carolina strawberries now in season. I also decided to try an herbal blend with everything I found in the herb bed last week. It could be quite delightful or quite terrible. We’ll see in few more days, but that is fun part of just trying something new. How about a tasty vinegar drink? Switchel, or Haymaker’s Punch, is an apple cider-based drink that has a long US history, especially as a refreshment for farmers working in the field. We are always looking for healthy hydration during hay making season on the Smiley Farm. Last year, we tried Switchel after we read about it in the Old Farmer’s Almanac and we heard it mentioned in an old episode of Little House on the Prairie (seemed like a sign we should try it). Here is the classic recipe from the archives of The Old Farmer’s Almanac: Ingredients 1 gallon water 1 ½ cups molasses ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger Mix in clean glass container and serve chilled/cool The reason this is useful for hydration is that the ingredients are sources of potassium (an electrolyte and mineral) and provide an energizing electrolyte boost. Switchel is known as a health tonic that boosts the immune system and is supposed to help to detoxify your organs. Since the Almanac recipe told us to “think of it as Nature’s Gatorade,” we added lemon juice and a bit of salt to our recipe. It was a surprising hit in the field! As our gardens start producing, and many social activities are cancelled, vinegar may just be a companion we learn to appreciate a bit more. Stay healthy!
Switchel: Old Fashion Summer Drink July 7, 2016 Old Farmer's Almanac
Co-existing With Deer in Shade and Sun
By Emma Patterson
In January 2020, Lisa Lloyd and other MGA leaders presented a very informative
workshop session on deer-proofing the garden. The Christiansburg library community
room was packed that morning, and many chuckles and understanding nods were
exchanged as we all acknowledged the woes of co-existing with deer. In our
neighborhood, we have a herd that wanders through regularly. As shown in the first
photo, this particular doe was blowing me a raspberry as I photographed her in
February. Adding insult to injury, that was after a
season where the deer herd pretty much ate their
way through our yard (and hundreds of dollars of
perennials in the garden beds) whenever they felt
like it. Pretty much the only things that survived
were Rheum rhabarbarum (rhubarb), whose
leaves are toxic to animals, and a Celastrus
scandens (bittersweet vine), whose leaves were all
eaten, but came back miraculously this spring.
Not to be outdone, I spent much time over the
winter sifting through the information from the
workshop materials, especially the factsheet
“Resistance of Ornamentals to Deer
Damage” (Maryland Cooperative Extension). As
most avid gardeners do, I pored through catalogues
and clicked on websites, determined to order as
many perennials and bushes that would deter deer
as I could find. This was a battle for co-existence.
At the same time, a few other needs popped up as I
did the plant selection research. My husband and I
live on a ridge, which is known for a sometimes-harsh
microclimate. Our property is also covered with giant
trees, some nearly 40 years old and 100 feet tall (think
shade, lots of shade). Then we have other areas of
bright sun, close to the pavement, that get pretty hot
and dry in summer. All of a sudden the planning got
pretty complex.
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Where did it all end up? For the sunny areas, we planted Digitalis spp. and a close
cousin hybrid, Foxglove, near the street where the dog could not go (they are toxic to
all animals). We also planted Lavendula spp. (lavender), Salvia spp. (sage), and
Hyacinthoides non-scripta (bluebells) in the sunny areas (see photos). For the shady
areas under the trees, we added Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley). All of these
perennials were on the “rarely damaged” (by deer) list. Other shade plants, from the
seldom damaged (by deer) list, were Astilbe spp., Helleborus orientalis (hellebore). We
threw in Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s mantle), also recommended as deer resistant
(though not on the MCE list) for good measure.
So far, the plants are not only surviving but growing and blooming (which is saying a
lot since winter has just barely left us). The herd of does are keeping their distance. I
am imagining many gardeners reading this article who are shrugging and saying,
“Time will tell….” I couldn’t agree more. I hope to keep everyone posted on who wins
the battle of co-existence next year… with any luck all the creatures in the garden will
win.
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All Photos: Emma Patterson
Heritage Park Pollinator Garden by Sharon Eifried
On a recent walk near Peak Creek and Heritage Park in Pulaski, I
decided to take a look at the Pollinator Garden near the gazebo.
It was a pleasure to see that many plants were shooting up,
showing their green, and some even blooming. There were no
weeds and there was evidence of mulch being applied. Care of
the garden fits right in with the need for social distancing.
This garden is planted and maintained by the Friends of Peak
Creek (FOPC) which is a nonprofit organization in Pulaski County.
Cathy Hanks, President of FOPC, describes the mission of the
organization as one that is committed to improving water quality
and the ecological habitat of Peak Creek which has a drainage
area of over 60 square miles and meanders over 26 miles from its
source in Jefferson National Forest into Claytor Lake. The work of
FOPC also fosters environmental awareness and provides
education.
In the past, FOPC have received funding from the Master Gardener Association (MGA) to establish the
Pollinator Garden for the purpose of habitat enhancement and
public education. The FOPC were awarded a 2018 MGA
Community Grant for the purpose of establishing a fence around
the new garden. By May 2018, the fence was up and planting had
begun. The MGA also awarded a 2018 mini-grant to the FOPC for
the purchase of native plants for the garden.
This spring I was happy to see several of my favorite plants
blooming: Heart-leaved Golden Alexanders (Zizia aptera), coral
honeysuckle, and columbine with lovely blue blossoms.
Interpretive signage has been added to help visitors identify the
plants and learn more about the plant’s role in the garden as a
nectar or host plant. Nectar-rich plants attract butterflies to stop
and feed for a while, but the host plants attract butterflies to a
plant where they can start laying eggs. Host plants also attract the
male butterflies for mating.
Signage is in the form of both
traditional plant signs and digital
labels attached to the railings of
the fence.
Though this garden is small, I am impressed with how well it has been
maintained over the years. It is clear that the members of FOPC who
care for this garden are dedicated and knowledgeable. If you are ever
in Pulaski, take a detour along Dora Highway, and make a stop at the
Heritage Park Pollinator Garden.
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All photos: Sharon Eifried
NRVMGA Executive Board
President: Lisa Lloyd
Vice President: Liz Sw infen
Secretary: Carol Cox
Treasurer: Dianne Blount
Members at Large
Steve Hale
Sarah Smiley
Carol Trutt
MG Coordinator: Wendy Silverman, [email protected]
Website: www.nrvmastergardeners.com
VCE Montgomery County Office: 540-382-5790
A special thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue of the newsletter.
You know who you are!
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MASTER GARDENER PHOTOS
Comments, questions, and submissions can be sent to co-editors: Sharon Eifried
([email protected]) or Susan Perry ([email protected])
Sharon Eifried Emma Patterson
Ruth Ann Whitener
Ruth Ann Whitener