MASTER GARDENER SNIPPETS Friday August 13, 2010

Georgia MASTER GARDENER SNIPPETS Friday August 13, 2010

Fresh Clippings

ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN MELON FEST Saturday, August 21 noon – 3 p.m. Celebrate the juicy and sweet taste of fresh, ripe melons. Watch a demonstration in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen. Enjoy a laugh and participate in a melon seed-spitting contest or watermelon rolling on the Great Lawn. Taste a variety of European melons from locally-owned Phoenix Gardens and learn about pickling watermelon rinds. http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/events

WEST GA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY MEETING: A new chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society has formed in the West Georgia Area. You are invited to join them at a special celebration at the August 24^th meeting. Meeting is 7pm at the Carrollton Ag Center 900 Newnan Rd. Speaker Gail Woody will be talking about how she uses native plantings to attract wildlife, including many varieties of birds and butterflies. http://wgawildflowers.org/

LAGRANGE: GMGA FALL CONFERENCE August is flying by! The early registration discount deadline for the GMGA Fall Conference in LaGrange is September 1. GMGA and the Troup County Master Gardeners are working hard to make this a wonderful time for Master Gardeners from all over the state to come together for two days of horticultural education, fun and renewing friendships. http://www.georgiamastergardeners.org/conference

FT VALLEY “TASTE of AG” FIELD DAY AND SHOWCASE, Thursday, September 2, 2010. Visitors from across the state can literally taste some of the university’s food products while observing and learning through outdoor agricultural demonstrations on more than 20 topics, including bioenergy crops, fish farming, peach tree management, livestock grazing, and organic fruits and vegetable production practices. Cost: Free. Pre-registration: Participants are encouraged to pre-register by Aug. 30 to reserve a lunch box. http://www.ag.fvsu.edu/CES/agfielddayregistration.cfm for electronic pre-registration. When: On-site sign-in begins at 8:15 a.m. on Sept. 2. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Fort Valley State University, Agricultural Technology Conference Center, 46 Camp John Hope Road (off of Hwy. 341), Fort Valley, Ga.

UGA GRIFFIN CAMPUS: LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS

1. Cost Estimating and Job Bidding Workshops for Landscape Professionals November 18-19, 2010 Designed for landscape installers, landscape managers, or anyone involved in cost estimating for commercial, municipal or recreational landscapes. Two days- day one will focus on landscape installation cost estimating, and day two will focus on landscape maintenance cost estimating. You may choose to attend one day or both days. Instructors- Dr. Gary Wade & Dr. Cesar Escalante from the University of Georgia.$ 100/day or $150 for both days. http://www.hort.uga.edu/extension/programs/CEJBW/index.html

2. Two Landscape Design Workshops for Green Industry Professionals: one on November 11 and one on November 12, 2010. Instructors Dr. Richard Ludwig and Bill Slack Nov 11- Landscape Design Graphics - The Fundamentals $250 & Nov 12- Designing Sustainable Landscapes $250. Participants may choose to attend one day or both days. The $250 fee for each workshop includes all drafting supplies, handouts and refreshments. http://www.caes.uga.edu/campus/griffin/oce/cip/LandscapeIndustry.html

ATHENS: STATE BOTANICAL GARDEN CNP COURSE Certificate in Native Plants: Orientation for New Participants Sep 15, 2010 9-11AM The Certificate in Native Plants offers committed individuals a comprehensive series of short courses in identification, cultivation, propagation, ecology and conservation of native Georgia plants. With an emphasis on participatory learning, the short courses are designed to provide a supportive and challenging learning atmosphere. Participants will gain a greater appreciation and understanding of native plants in a broad context. http://uga.edu/botgarden/educnp.html

2011 INTERNATIONAL MASTER GARDENER CONFERENCE West Virginia University Extension Service and the West Virginia Master Gardener Association invite you to the 2011 International Master Gardener Conference, October 11 -14 in Charleston, West Virginia. http://imgc.ext.wvu.edu/

MIXED MEDIA

This week on YOUR SOUTHERN GARDEN WITH WALTER REEVES- YSG is back on Georgia Public Broadcasting Television this Saturday at 12:30 and 6:30 pm. (I’ve lost track of the schedule but this week’s episode may be #15: Lawn Mowing 101, Floating Plant Island with Tony Johnson, Plant Evaluation.)