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Wiregrass Walk-About

Hello My Gardening Friends,

How did you like those April storms coming in last week? The rain was nice and the

cooler temperatures were even better. The weather was quite pleasant for our Spring

Plant Sale. Our 21st Spring Plant Sale was amazing! Our members came together to get

the plants outside, priced and freshened up when the last of the storms rolled on. I am es-

pecially thankful for those helping get annuals ready on Thursday since I went on television and radio to pro-

mote the sale. I believe word of our sale reached quite a few more people. Our newest interns were out in full

force at the Plant Sale. We could not have accomplished so much without them.

Yes, our interns have finished their classes and graduated. So proud of all of them. Three of them, Joyce McMil-

len, Judy Grant and Lisa Lopez have their hours to become Certified Master Gardeners. There are even more

who acquired their hours during our Plant Sale! All of them are great to work with and an asset to our associa-

tion. Our April Monthly Meeting is a great opportunity to become acquainted with our newest Master Gardeners.

Be sure to come and welcome them to our association.

Not only were our interns helping this year during the sale we had Junior Master Gardeners involved also. They

were having a class during the sale. A few students helped sell some houseplants and were very good at it. We

had Charon Hodges’ two grandsons, Ethan and Elijah, moving vegetables out as fast as their legs would go. I

saw no mishaps!

If you missed the sale, please give me a call if you would like some plants. We are donating some plants to Cof-

fee County Master Gardeners' Plant Sale this week. The good part about having so many plants is we give to ar-

ea associations for their sales and gardens. We did donate to Claybank Master Gardeners’ Plant Sale, Aunt

Katie's Community Garden, Landmark Park's Kitchen Garden and Glen East.

Since we had a wonderful Plant Sale some of our areas are in need of plants, trees and shrubs in preparation for

our Fall Sale! If you have any you would like us to dig or you have

some to donate please give me a call and we will schedule a time to

get those plants before it gets too hot.

April 2017

Spring Plant Sale

Ladybugs...Ladybugs

Home Remedies for Sunburn

Girl Scouts Earn Their Badge

Intern Class of 2017

Know Your Numbers

Caring for Coneflowers

Continued on next page . . .

INSIDE . . .

. . . in honor of Evelyn Isbell WMGA Newsletter

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Wiregrass Walk About (continued)

Our Master Gardeners have been very busy since the last newsletter. We were selling plants during The Home &

Garden Expo. We helped children plant vegetables and flowers in flower pots at Selma Street Elementary

School. Some Master Gardeners helped Girl Scouts get their Gardening Badge. Other Master Gardeners helped

with the intern class. We are nearing the close of another successful time for Junior Master Gardeners. For all

we have accomplished I am very thankful for each of you!

Our AMGA 2017 Conference is next month in Huntsville, Alabama. If you haven't registered, you have until the

15th of April to do so. Please come to this Conference. It is going to be quite the experience. I visited the Bo-

tanical Gardens in October. It is a beautiful place to see. Don't forget bring your walking shoes.

The weather is much nicer. I hope to see you all at our next meeting! Please remember those who are sick and

not able to come! Keep them in your prayers.

Life is a garden, dig it!

Devonne

WMGA @ the Home & Garden Show

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Learn why you want this charming insect in your backyard.

They can have as many as 16 spots, but some ladybugs have no spots at all.

While most ladybugs are good, there is one nonnative species that people

don’t like. The Asian lady beetle was introduced in California in 1916. Today it’s more common in the

East.

A ladybug can eat up to 50 aphids a day.

One of the most common ladybugs is the seven-spotted lady beetle. It has seven black spots on its back.

Females will lay up to 1,000 eggs within a few months, generally from spring to early summer.

You might hear ladybugs go by a few different names, including: Ladybirds, Ladybugs, Lady beetles and

Lady cows.

Ladybugs usually protect themselves from predators in one of two ways: They either play dead or se-

crete a fluid from their legs to make themselves taste bad.

One common belief about ladybugs is that you can tell their age by their number of spots, but this is a myth.

You can find out about 6,000 different species of ladybugs around the world. There are about 500 spe-

cies in the United States alone.

Ladybugs are great garden predators. Here are six “bad bugs” they’ll eat:

Aphids Mites Whiteflies

Scale insects Mealybugs Thrips

Let me tell you all about lady-

bugs...We are not just your

ordinary bug!

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Girl Scouts In Action

Last month, Girl Scout Troop 9195 visited Dothan Area Botanical Gardens to work on their Gardener Badge.

Master Gardeners who worked with the group included Helen-Sue, Cheryl, Faye, Devonne, Anita and Glenda.

The troop visited on two different days in order to meet all of the requirements.

The first day they took a tour of the

gardens and learned to design a gar-

den. Their next visit included planting

seeds, up-potting seedlings and weed-

ing the perennial beds.

Of course, harvesting a tasty carrot

from the garden was ‘icing on the

cake.’

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MAY

Fruits and Nuts

Continue spray program.

Keep grass from around trees and strawberries.

Peaches and apples can still be budded.

Shrubs

Newly planted shrubs need extra care now and in coming weeks.

Don’t spray with oil emulsions when temperature is above 85 degrees F.

Roses

Spray or dust for insects and diseases.

Fertilize monthly according to a soil test.

Container-grown plants in flower may be planted.

Prune climbing roses after the first big flush of flowering.

Annuals and Perennials

Late plantings of bedding plants still have time to produce.

Watch for insects on day lilies.

Bulbs

Summer bulbs started in containers may still be planted.

Do not remove foliage from spring flowering bulbs.

Do not let seedheads form on tulips another spring flowering bulbs.

Miscellaneous

Mulch new shrub plantings if not already done.

Avoid drying out new shrub, tree, and lawn plant-ings.

Vegetable Seed

Plant heat-loving and tender vegetables.

Start cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and celery in cold frames for the fall garden.

Vegetable Plants

Plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and sweet potatoes.

Lawns Now is the best time to start lawns from seed.

Water new lawns as needed to prevent drying.

Keep established lawns actively growing by water-ing, fertilizing, and mowing.

Spray weeds in lawns with proper herbicide.

Garden Checklist Spring

APRIL

Fruits and Nuts

Season for strawberry planting continues.

Start spray program for all fruits.

Plant raspberries and blackberries and continue bud-ding apples and peaches

Shrubs

Prune spring flowering shrubs after flowering.

Fertilize azaleas and camellias.

When new growth is half completed, spray all shrubs with a fungicide.

Roses

Watch for insects and diseases.

Keep old flower heads removed.

Plant container-grown plants from nurseries or gar-den centers.

Annuals and Perennials

Plant early started annuals or bedding plants from nurseries or garden centers.

Divide mums or root cuttings. Dig and divide dahlias.

Bulbs

Plant gladiolus, fancy-leaved caladiums, milk and wine lilies, and ginger and gloriosa lilies.

Feed bearded iris with superphosphate and spray for borers.

Avoid cutting foliage of narcissus or other bulbs until it has turned brown naturally.

Miscellaneous

Spray camellias, hollies, etc. for scale insects.

Carefully water new plantings of shrubs and trees.

Pinching out tips of new shoots promotes more com-pact shrubs.

Vegetable Seeds

Plant tender vegetables such as beans, corn, squash, melons, and cucumbers.

Plant heat-loving vegetables in lower south Alabama.

Vegetable Plants

Plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, sweet potatoes, and parsley

Lawns Planting continues.

New lawns may need supplementary watering.

Also, fertilize at 3- to 6-week intervals.

Keep ryegrass cut low, particularly if overplanted on bermuda lawns.

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Know Your Numbers

Before you head outside for a day in the sun—whether working in the garden

or enjoying time at the beach—check EPA’s website to find out about today’s

UVA index forecast. Go to:

https://www.epa.gov/sunsafety/uv-index-1

The chart below gives you guidance based on the UVA Exposure Index. Stay

safe and enjoy your time outdoors! This chart is not a replacement for advice

you’ve been given by your doctor.

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Ouch — That Sunburn Hurts!

Did you forget your sunscreen and end up with a sunburn? Sunburns can be itchy, painful, and simply irritating.

Sunburn relief is an important part of life during the summer, and these home remedies for sunburns should help

to get rid of your sunburn fast. No guarantees but unless you’re allergic to any of them, trying them beats the

pain. These are in no way intended to replace your doctor’s advice.

Wash gently with soap and water and then apply the gel of an

older aloe leaf, splitting the leaf open lengthwise for the quan-tity required.

Apply a mild infusion of purple coneflower to destroy bacteria

and soothe the skin.

Grate potatoes and apply to sunburned skin. The starch will cool

and soothe the burn.

Apply peppermint oil to sunburned skin, as long as the skin isn’t

blistered. Use a peppermint infusion as a milder wash to help cool a sunburn.

Use apple cider vinegar, plain or diluted, to ease a sunburn.

Make an ointment or salve with the essential oil of Saint Johns wort to promote the healing of burns that

haven’t broken the skin. It is not only anti-inflammatory but also antiviral and antibacterial.

Apply ice or cold water.

Dissolve Epson salts or baking soda in water, apply to a clean cloth, and drape the cloth over the affected

skin. Explore more unexpected household uses for baking soda.

Take a cool bath, adding lavender or bergamot oil to the bath water.

Add some black or green tea to your bathwater to soothe sunburned skin. Or pat sunburned skin with wet

tea bags.

Mix 1 cup water and 20 to 25 drops lavender oil and use to bathe the sunburned area. Or, apply the solu-

tion with a spray bottle.

Make an infusion of cooling peppermint or spearmint tea. Drink it and use it to bathe the affected area.

Apply a poultice of dock leaves and water.

Bathe the sunburn with an infusion of stinging nettles, chamomile, or calendula.

Apply aloe, or plain yogurt with live cultures, or coconut oil for your sunburn.

Native Americans infused ground yarrow in water and used it as a wash.

Wash with an infusion of elder flowers or chickweed.

Apply a compress of decocted witch hazel.

If your sunburn is itchy instead of painful, try oatmeal to ease

the itch.

As always, prevention is the best medicine. See our UV Index

page and sun safety tips for advice on preventing overexposure.

SOURCE: www.almanac.com

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Congratulations Intern Class of 2017

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2017 Interns

Pictured from left to right:

Jim Watson, Linda Watson, Paul Eidam,

Jessica Moore, Yvonne Love, Lakme

Shah, Steve Jacobson, Lisa Lopez, Mau-

rice Tinkler, Joyce McMillen, Judy

Grant, Jerald Payne and Edmond Nelson

(Not pictured: Jeff Crawford, Moriama

Acosta and Sergio Acosta)

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April 1 ............. DABG Plant Sale 8am – 1 pm

April 2 ............. Lunch and Learn

April 6 ............. WMGA Plant Sale Setup

April 7 ............. WMGA Plant Sale, 9 – 5 pm

April 7 ............. JMG assist with the Plant Sale, 8:30 - noon

April 8 ............. WMGA Plant Sale, 8 – noon

April 12 ........... BOD Meeting, 9:30 @ DABG

April 18 ........... WMGA Monthly meeting, 6:00 pm @ HPUMC

April 29 ........... Spirit of Service Day

Do you have an event you’d like added to our monthly calendar? If so, send it to Jane Klosky (jane.klosky@icloud.com)

Caring for Coneflowers

Were you one of the lucky ones who bought coneflowers at our Plant Sale? Or do

you have them growing in your garden? Below are just a few tips on caring for

these beautiful plants.

Apply a thin layer of compost each spring, followed by a 2-inch layer of mulch to retain moisture and control weeds.

Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.

Deadhead spent flowers to extend flower period, but leave late-season flowers on the plants to mature; the seed heads will attract birds.

Divide plants every 3 to 4 years as new growth begins in the spring, lifting plants and dividing them into clumps.

TO register go to http://www.planetreg.com/E812145243129950

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It Takes a Village to Put on a Plant Sale

Gone...but never forgotten

Spring is nature’s way of saying, "Let’s party!" ~Robin Williams

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Helen-Sue rounds up our Jun-ior Master Gardeners

We have many repeat customers

at our annual plant sale, but

Katie (on the left with Devonne)

is one of our favorites.

She arrived last year so excited

to look for “Bunny Tails.” This

year she was ‘over the moon’

with excitement that we remem-

bered her. When Kimberly Hyde (a

WTVY reporter) showed up to in-

terview Devonne and Katie real-

ized she would be on TV, her en-

thusiasm doubled. If we could all

have Katie’s energy and enthusi-

asm—WOW! She’s definitely a fu-

ture Master Gardener and possi-

bly a TV star.

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MG’s

@

work

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout

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Our Mailing

Address: Wiregrass Master Gardeners Association

P.O. Box 9376

Dothan, AL 36304

ACES

Lucy Edwards

Home Grounds Regional Agent

Dale County Extension

Office: (334) 774- 2329

Mobile: (334) 329-1672

lee0003@auburn.edu

Plant Parent Directory

Annuals: Devonne Ellis............................... 205-739-9865

Bulbs: Judy Clardy ................................ 334-797-9580

Pat Smith...................................... 404-702-3392

Perennials: Cheryl Hatcher ........................ 334-798-1034

Faye Carnley ........................... 803-270-8757

GrCovers/Vines/Grasses:

Beth Arnold .................................... 334-692-3172

Tami Ziglar ..................................... 334-701-0069

Herbs: Linda Westphal ............................. 334-299-0388

House Plants/Tropicals/Succulents:

Connie Ford .................................... 334-406-9559

Barbara Knight ................................ 334-446-8846

Shrubs: Phyllis Poole ................................ 334-790-7685

Trees: Ralph Byram ................................. 334-618-6691

Vegetables: Helen-Sue Kemp ...................... 334-671-9879

2016 WMGA Board of Directors

https://www.facebook.com/#!/WiregrassMGA

WMGA Contacts

DISCLAIMER: The Wiregrass Master Gardener Association (WMGA) believes this information to be correct and accurate. Neither the Associat ion nor its members accept responsibility for errors or omissions that may be made. The WMGA makes no warranty expressed or implied with respect to the material within.

Officers: President: ............................. Devonne Ellis ............205-739-9865 .......... devoellis@msn.com

Vice President ........................ POSITION IS VACANT

Secretary .............................. Tami Ziglar ...............334-701-0069 .......... theziglars@gmail.com

Treasurer: ............................ Connie Ford .............334-406-9559 .......... srvtpc@gmail.com

Board Members: Board Member at Large: ............ Anita Gibson .............334-792-5063 .......... agibson5141@gmail.com

Membership Chair:................... Tom Boyle ................334-794-2094 .......... BoyleT@graceba.net

Ways & Means Chair: ................ Helen-Sue Kemp .........334-671-9879 .......... hsdekemp1@juno.com

Communications Chair .............. Cheryl Hatcher ..........334-798-1034 .......... jhatcher@graceba.net

Programs Chair ....................... Janice Egolf ..............334-714-1785 .......... pamckees@aol.com

Projects Co-Chairs ................... Faye Carnley .............803-270-8757 .......... fmcarnley@gmail.com

Lisa Enfinger .............334-792-8018 .......... theenfingers@graceba.net

Immediate Past President .......... Beth Arnold ..............334-692-3172 .......... arnold.eb80@gmail.com

Newsletter Editor/Webmaster ..... Jane Klosky ..............804-514-9498 .......... jane.klosky@icloud.com

Visit our website @

www.wiregrassmga.org