Georgia Master Gardener: Events

2011-09-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Georgia Master Gardener Snippets September 15, 2011

This weekend on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves: Bonsai 102, New Old & Robot lawn Mowers, Mulch Volcanoes, Lotus with Stephen Garton, now Forsyth County Extension Agent. YSG airs Saturdays at noon and 6:30 pm on GPB TV. http://yoursoutherngarden.com/

DULUTH: Atlanta Koi Club Annual Show of Koi and Goldfish on September 17-18 in the Gwinnett Convention Center Parking Lot. Saturday hours are 10-5PM and Sunday is 10-2P. Open and free to the public. Great opportunity to see and learn about beautiful koi and goldfish. http://atlantakoiclub.org/Club%20Bulletins/showdoc2011.htm (fyi- JapanFest is inside the GCC http://www.japanfest.org/ )

LAGRANGE: Hills and Dales Estate Workshop: Leaf Casting Saturday, September 17 10:00 a.m. - noon $25. Staff from the estate will lead this hands-on leaf casting workshop. Create a large leaf casting for your home or garden. Choose from Magnolia, hosta, castor bean, oakleaf hydrangea and elephant ear. All supplies will be provided. http://www.hillsanddales.org/

CONYERS: 6th Annual Rockdale County Master Gardener Plant Sale. Saturday, September 24 from 10am-4pm at 1400 Parker Road. Flowers, trees, shrubs. Also garden gift items, items from local artists and craftsmen and more. Scheduled Events: belly dancing demo (11am), azalea gardening (11:30), cooking demonstration (noon), endangered wildlife presentation (12:30 and 2:30), fall wildflower art (1:30). Chinese auction, crafts and fingerprinting for the kids, public safety vehicle display and k-9 demonstrations (2pm). Free. For information call the Rockdale County Extension office at 770-278-7373 or stop by the office and pick up a schedule of events.

GAINESVILLE: Hall County MG 2011 Fall Expo: Greatest Two-day Plant Sale in Georgia, with nearly 50 vendors selling plants, garden art and garden products. $2 admission at the gate. Friday, September 23 – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, September 24 – 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center, near I-985 at exit 20 in Gainesville
http://www.hcmgs.com/

GREENSBORO: The Lunchbag Landscape Series presents “Composting: Bins of Gold”, a free program on the simple steps and advantages of composting for the back yard garden, Tuesday, September 27, 2011 from 11:30 to 1 pm. Dr. George Boyhan, UGA Professor and horticulture expert, will speak at the Greene County Cooperative Extension Building, 1180 Weldon Smith Drive in Greensboro. Participants are invited to bring a lunch or buy one at the lecture. Lunch consists of a Sub sandwich (Publix), chips, a drink and a brownie. The cost is $6.00. The Lunchbag Landscape Series is a presentation of the Greene County Master Gardeners and the Greene County Cooperative Extension Service. For information: 706-453-2083.

ATHENS: “An Evening in the Gardens” presented by the UGA Trial Gardens. Thursday, September 29th, 2011 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the Trial Gardens will be hosting an evening of wine and hors d’oeuvres, featuring live jazz by “Dial Indicators,” guided tours by Dr. Allan Armitage, and a book sale and signing. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the entrances.
http://www.ugatrialgardens.com/

WATKINSVILLE: UGA Horticulture Field Day Oct. 7, 2011 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM $25 includes lunch. Register at www.areg.caes.uga.edu/#hortfieldday More information http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4217

PERRY: Master Gardeners at the Georgia National Fair. The “Ask a Master Gardener” booth in Heritage Hall is open each day of the fair, Oct. 7-16, from 10 AM until 4 PM. They will be available to answer questions about the home landscape and garden, and will have lawn calendars, information about classes, and various publications for sharing. There will be demonstrations on a variety of topics throughout the day. Fair website daily schedule includes demonstration times (click on the day) at http://www.georgianationalfair.com/category/events/upcoming

MG Snippets 8-26-11

2011-08-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

MG Snippets 8-26-11

This weekend on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves: Propagating camellias, repotting orchids, and sedums. YSG airs Saturdays at noon and 6:30 pm on GPB TV. http://yoursoutherngarden.com/

JONESBORO: Jonesboro Farmers Market is still open on Tuesdays from 11:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. and Saturdays from 8:00 A.M. until Noon. As long as the local growers keep producing we will be open. Did you know that most of the Farmers Market produce is picked ripe and sold that day, you can meet the farmers who grow your food, ask when it was picked, how it was grown, and ways to prepare it? Also, Farmers Markets put more money in the farmers pockets. Commercial farmers get only a percentage of every dollar’s worth of produce sold in supermarkets. At the Farmers’ market, they get the whole dollar. Buying locally grown produce encourages regional farming. For more information call 770-473-5434 or email hortpa@uga.edu .

ATHENS: Seed Saving Class. State Botanical Garden of Georgia. September 8, 2011 09:00 AM - 11:00 AM with Amanda Tedrow, Athens Clarke County Extension Agent. Are you interested in heirloom vegetables and saving your own seeds? Many gardeners are interested in this concept but unsure which seeds or plants to buy or where to start in the garden. Join Amanda for more information on saving your seeds from year to year. Members $14.00; Non-members $16.00 http://uga.edu/botgarden/edu or 706-542-6156

ATLANTA: Georgia Native Plant Society Meeting Tuesday, September 13, 2011 7:30 pm Day Hall, Atlanta Botanical Garden, at 1345 Piedmont Avenue, NE, Atlanta, GA. Mary Woehrel presents Introduction to Wild Mushrooming. Social Hour at 6:45. http://www.gnps.org

ATLANTA: Georgia Perennial Plant Association Meeting Tuesday, September 20, 2011 7:30 p.m. Atlanta History Center McElreath Hall Atlanta History Center. Linda Askey presents "Second Spring". Social hour 6:30-7:30 p.m. http://www.georgiaperennial.org

MADISON: Mark your calendars Morgan County Historical Society Home and Garden Tour September 23 - 24: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Earlybird Tickets purchased before 4pm September 22nd, $20;regular $25. 706-342-9627 http://www.friendsofheritagehall.org/ Email: madisonheritagehall@yahoo.com

MCDONOUGH: Beekeeping Short Course. Learn about how to become a beekeeper. Most beekeepers are in it for the honey, although others maintain colonies of bees to pollinate crops, or for the beeswax, propolis, pollen or royal jelly. But did you know it could be a Family Hobby? Join us on Saturday, October 15th, 8:00 A.M., Public Safety Building Community Room, 116 Zack Hinton Parkway South, McDonough, Georgia, when the Henry County Beekeepers will host a Beekeeping Short Course. To print out the registration application www.henrycountybeekeepers.org or for more information call 770-473-5434.

STATEWIDE: The Georgia Master Gardener Association needs your help in finding a Ways and Means Committee Chair. Please help them find the right volunteer for this important position. This committee is charged with exploring ways to ensure adequate resources for GMGA through membership, donations, gifts and sponsorships. Specifically, to develop a partnership or sponsors program to generate revenue to support educational programming and general operations, increase membership, develop a plan to fully fund the Georgia Master Gardener Scholarship, create a program of member benefits through relationships with retail outlets, public and private gardens, and other garden establishments, and promote sales of GMGA merchandise and attendance at the annual conference. Send your resume or a nomination to GMGA President WH Smith at gmgapresident@gmail.com or phone WH at 770-834-4266 (H) or 770-328-2773 (M) to discuss the position.

MG Snippets 7-22-11

2011-07-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

MG Snippets 7-22-11

This week on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves: How to have a pretty lawn, lawn mowing 101 and propagating figs. YSG airs Saturdays at noon and 6:30 pm on GPB TV.

THIS WEEKEND
JONESBORO: Saturday, July 23rd at 10:00 A.M. in the Old Fire Station on Mill Street the Jonesboro Farmers Market, in conjunction with the Clayton County Extension Office and Master Gardeners, are sponsoring a free Master Gardener Program about “Poisonous Plants”. We live side by side with common plants that are poisonous, which we use for decoration and to add value to the landscape. Master Gardener Cliff Pauling will identify and discuss these plants and categorize them together with remedies for misuse of them. Please let us know if you will be attending so enough handouts are available for the program. To reserve your free seat please call Tom Bonnell, Clayton County Extension at 770-473-5434.

THOMASVILLE, GA: Birdsong Nature Center presents Gardening for Butterflies Saturday, July 23 10AM to Noon. Janeen Langley has had a passion for butterflies and butterfly gardening since the early 90’s. Her own garden has been her classroom and she has learned how to attract butterflies with the kinds of plants needed by all stages of a butterfly’s life cycle. Join us for a hands-on workshop to get you started on creating your own butterfly garden. Janeen will show photographs of some of the best nectar and larval food plants and then we will visit the Birdsong Butterfly Garden for on-site instruction. Janeen will also teach you how to raise these beautiful and valuable pollinators from egg to adult. $8 Friends $12, non-members, children half-price. RESERVATIONS PLEASE. Call or e-mail by Friday, July 22nd. 800-953-2473 or birdsong@birdsongnaturecenter.org. Participants will receive a free purple coneflower that Janeen has raised herself, a list of butterfly species and their larval host plants and preferred nectar plants, and a butterfly bumper sticker. A continental breakfast is included in the cost. http://www.birdsongnaturecenter.org/
------------
UPCOMING
GREENSBORO: Lunchbag Lectures The Greene County Master Gardeners are proud to present Dr. George Boyhan, Vegetable Specialist for the UGA Department of Horticulture on July 28th @ 11:30 am. Dr. Boyhan will be discussing Organic Vegetable Gardening. Weed control, fertilization, disease control, insect control and tips for switching to organics are some of the topics on the agenda. Come and join us for the 4th in our “Lunchbag Lecture Series” at the Greene County Extension Office located at 1180 C. Weldon Smith Dr. (next to the Driver License office). Sandwich, chips and a drink are only $6.00 and are provided by the Master Gardeners. The seminar is free to all. While at the Extension Office check our demonstration vegetable garden. This garden shows 3 ways to grow veggies. Raised beds, container planting and in ground. If you have any questions or need directions contact Myra Stewart @ 706-453-2083.

JONESBORO: Saturday, July 30th at 10:00 A.M. in the Old Fire Station on Mill Street, the Jonesboro Farmers Market in conjunction with the Clayton County Extension Office, will offer a free Program about “Food Preservation - Preserving Summer”. Sandy Foster will talk about supplies, methods and correct up to date new information. Please let us know if you will be attending so enough handouts are available for the program. To reserve your free seat please call Tom Bonnell, Clayton County Extension at 770-473-5434.

CALHOUN: Three Sisters Dinner and Auction to benefit New Echota State Historic Site. Saturday, August 13, 2011 5pm at The Velo Vineyard 106 North Wall Street, Calhoun, GA. Social hour, dinner buffet based on the Three Sisters Garden, & auction. CALL 706-624-1321 FOR INFORMATION. http://friendsofgastateparks.org/newechota/events/110813.pdf

SUWANEE: Gwinnett Master Gardener Meeting August 15th- temporary location at the George Pierce Park's Senior Activity Center, 55 Hwy 23 NE, Suwanee, GA 30024 (770) 822-5414. There will be a covered dish dinner at 6:30, with the program following at 7 p.m. You are welcome to join us for dinner but please bring a dish to share; otherwise come for the program at 7 p.m. Speaker Aaron Poulsen will present a program on Tree Inventories – Why and How. He explains that Urban Forestry is the discipline of caring for the trees that we work, live, and play among every day and that our urban forests are becoming more and more valued and are receiving the attention they deserve. He will show us how to improve and grow the canopy of our trees starting with taking a proper inventory of what we have. Come find out what is going on statewide and what you can do on the scale of your own urban forest. Aaron Poulsen comes to us with a background in retail garden centers, public gardens, estate gardening, grounds management, and horticulture education. Aaron has been the Horticulture Program Director at Gwinnett Technical College since April of 2009. He is a Horticulturist, Georgia Certified Landscape Professional, Georgia Certified Plant Professional, and a Certified Irrigation Contractor. Come join us and learn more about our trees. Gwinnett Cooperative Extension. (678) 377-4010 .

BLAIRSVILLE: Union County Farmer’s Market Community Flower Show, August 18 – 20, 2011. Entries accepted August 18th, noon – 3:00 p.m., Haralson Memorial Civic Center. Open to the public August 19th, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and August 20th, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. No entry or admission fees. Email questions to ucflowershow@aol.com

PERRY: The Houston County Extension Office is offering a Fall Vegetable Gardening class to area homeowners who want to know how to double their growing season and enjoy fresh vegetables year round. The class will be taught August 18 from 6:30-8:30 PM in the Extension Office Multipurpose Room located on the top floor of the old courthouse in Perry. Cost for the class is $10 per person. Tim Flanders, UGA Extension agent, will be discussing cool weather crops, planting times, and pests. For a registration form, call 478-987-2028, email mg@uga.edu or download one from the Extension website at http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/houston/news.html
-----------------------
SAVE THE DATE

ATHENS: Gold in Your Garden II September 14, 2011 with featured Speakers Coach Vince Dooley, Dr. Wilf Nichols, Rita Randolph and Matthew Chappell with a Gold Medal Plant Sale and Raffle for Garden Supplies.
http://georgiagoldmedalplants.org/

MG Snippets July 14, 2011

2011-07-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

MG Snippets July 14, 2011
This week on "Your Southern Garden" with Walter Reeves: Pitcher plants, planters from recycled tires, and propagating coleus . YSG airs on GPB TV at noon and 6:30 Saturdays. http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/index.cfm?public=viewStory&pk_id=4172

The UGA Cooperative Extension website has been redesigned with a new look and better organization by topic. The new site which is more topic-oriented is now live at http://extension.uga.edu/

International Society of Arborculture Detective Dendro Podcasts are a fun and entertaining way to learn about tree health. http://www.isa-arbor.com/education/onlineLearning/PodcastDetail.aspx?ID=4 Podcasts are free to download. Isa certified members can take the associated quizzes for CEU credits for a fee.

DECATUR: Georgia Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden Special Plant Sale this Friday, July 15, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm with all sales at a 15% discount. The featured plant is Spigelia with sun plants and some ferns also available. The sun gardens are blooming so it's a great time to see the garden too. Don't forget the Xeric fern beds and the new raised bed close to the Meadow Garden. Garden Directions and info at http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/

ROSWELL: Chattahoochee Nature Center's Flying Colors Butterfly Festival Saturday and Sunday, July 16 – 17, 2011
$10 General Public/$8 CNC Members Children 2 and under FREE. http://www.chattnaturecenter.org./flying-colors-butterfly-festival.html

NATIONWIDE: Great Sunflower Project Great Bee Count and Bee-a-Thon July 16th! Join thousands of others nationwide to paticipate in The Great Bee Count Saturday July 16th. It's easy and it takes just 15 minutes of observation. Go to http://www.greatsunflower.org/ for information, instructions and data sheets. If you don't have the Lemon Queen Sunflower, don't worry; the data entry page allows for other flowering plants with pollen including Goldenrod, Lacy Phacelia, Coreopsis grandiflora, Rosemary, Purple Conflower and other Sunflowers. And, if you aren't able to get out in the garden on Saturday, you can tune in to the first ever “Bee-A-Thon” - a 12-hour, worldwide online webcast designed to bring you current information about bee conservation. Throughout the day, experts will talk about bee biology and changes in global bee populations and ways to take action. A live, online broadcast dedicated to bees and other pollinators has never been done before, and we know it will be fascinating and informative. Just go to www.yourgardenshow.com and join the fun. You can find more details and RSVP online for the Bee-a-Thon.

ATHENS: State Botanical Garden of Georgia Sunflower Music Series: Packway Handle Band (bluegrass/folk) Tuesday, July 26 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm on the Flower Garden lawn (Conservatory in inclement weather). Non-members $15 ($10 members, $5 children ages 6-12). This is a great way to spend summer evenings outdoors with family and friends. Bring a picnic basket, spread a blanket, kick off your shoes and enjoy! Ticket prices include light snacks and beverages. More events at your State Botanical Garden are at http://www.uga.edu/botgarden/eventcalendar.html

Snippets for July 1, 2011

2011-07-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

Georgia Master Gardener Snippets for July 1, 2011

This weekend on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves: Fertilizer-free waterway buffer zones, propagating agave pups and landscape design layout. YSG airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting July 2 at noon and 6:30 p.m. http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4138

PERRY: Junior Master Gardener Leadership Training offered by Houston County Cooperative Extension July 14, 2011, 9 AM-3 PM Cost: $20 per person, includes lunch. Houston County Extension Multipurpose Room, 801 Main Street, Perry, GA RSVP to Teddie Berry mg@uga.edu by July 11.
http://www.ugaextension.com/houston/documents/2011AdvertisingFlyer.pdf

GWINNETT: The Gwinnett Master Gardeners meeting will take place at a temporary location on July 18 at the George Pierce Park, 55 Hwy 23 NE, Suwanee, GA 30024 (770) 822-5414. There will be a covered dish dinner at 6:30, with the program following at 7 p.m. You are welcome to join us for dinner but please bring a dish to share; otherwise come for the program at 7 p.m. Colleen Dudley, Senior Horticulturist at Atlanta Botanical Garden, will be the speaker at the Gwinnett Master Gardeners Meeting July 18, 2011, talking on “Planning and Installing a Fall Garden.” During this excessive hot weather, it will be great to be reminded that cooler weather is not so far away. Learn which cool season crops work well for our Georgia gardens, and even some that will overwinter. Get seed starting, fertilization and maintenance tips that will help you grow a healthy pest-free fall (and early spring) garden. Colleen oversees and tends the Edible Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, growing unusual garden favorites and surprising food crops. A degree in Horticulture from UGA and 7 years of experience professionally farming at ABG's Children's Garden have given her practical experience to helm the new Edible Garden. Come and learn with us!

ATLANTA: Trees Atlanta TreeKeepers Certification Program. TreeKeepers is Trees Atlanta’s volunteer training and certification program that applies skill, appreciation, and pride to the stewardship of our urban forest. TreeKeepers consists of seven workshops, including indoor & outdoor activities, presentations, and engaging hands-on demonstrations. Each three-hour session takes place at the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center, and is taught by Trees Atlanta staff or community tree professionals. Upon completion of the program, which includes volunteering 24 hours to tree projects, graduates will receive an official TreeKeepers hat, a native tree, a training manual, and a signed TreeKeepers certificate, as well as opportunities to put their new knowledge into action. http://treesatlanta.org/TreeKeepers.aspx Event Dates: August 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th and September 10th, 17th, and 24th Time:9:00 am – 12 noon Location: Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center, 225 Chester Avenue, Atlanta GA, 30316 Contact: Susan Pierce 404-681-4896 Cost:$65 for full certification (or $30 if you would like to attend a single class)

MG Snippets June 22, 2011

2011-07-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

MG Snippets June 22, 2011

This week on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves- orchid breeding, low-tech ways of propagating hydrangeas. YSG airs on GPB TV noon & 6:30 pm Saturdays. http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/index.cfm?public=viewStory&pk_id=4137

Don't forget the UGA Trial Gardens Public Open House is this weekend! 8am-3pm $ 5 donation suggested. Plants for sale, book signings (Dooley 9-11 & Armitage) , Dr A's famous tours. Parking and directions http://www.ugatrialgardens.com/directions.html

While you're in Athens why not check out the State Botanical Garden of Georgia? Events http://www.uga.edu/botgarden/eventcalendar.html

ATLANTA: Serenity in the City Atlanta Koi Club 2011 Pond Tour Saturday. June 25, 2011 Tour 11 ponds around Atlanta 9am-5 pm $25 per carload. http://www.atlantakoiclub.org/Pond%20Tours/2011/2011.htm

COWETA: Georgia's newest state park opens July 1. Chattahoochee Bend is one of Georgia’s largest state parks, protecting seven miles of river frontage. http://gastateparks.org/ChattahoocheeBend

RUTLEDGE: The 10th Annual Sunflower Farm Festival July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th 2011 9AM -5PM. Sunflower Farm is opened for cut-your-own sunflowers, tours, Country Market and photography June 17th- July 18th, 2011 http://www.sunflowerfarmfestival.com

ATLANTA: The Georgia Native Plant Society would like to extend an invitation to members and friends of your group to attend our July meeting, to hear Patrick McMillan, host of the television show "Expeditions with Patrick McMillan" speak about "Nature On The Move -- Reclaiming Our Role In The Natural World."The presentation is free of charge, and will be held at the Atlanta Botanical Garden on Tuesday, July 12 at 7:00 PM. The meeting will be in Day Hall, on the courtyard level, past the main entrance and front desk. Patrick McMillan is an energetic and entertaining speaker with a compelling message, and the Georgia Native Plant Society would love to share this opportunity with you and your organization. And the program is rated PG: your teenagers and young adults should find this subject interesting, too. No need to RSVP. We'll look forward to seeing you there.http://www.gnps.org

HELEN, GA: Save Georgia’s Hemlocks will hold its Annual Meeting and Membership Picnic on Sunday, July 10 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Fishcamp Pavilion of Smithgall Woods. The entrance is via Joe Franklin Rd. off Hwy 75 near Helen, not the main entrance off Alt Hwy 75. Among other things, we'll be holding Board elections and sharing some updated information about the hemlocks vs. the adelgids. PLEASE COME and bring a friend, chairs, and your favorite pot luck dish to share. We'll provide hot dogs, hamburgers, a vegetarian option, and drinks. There's a $5 parking fee at Smithgall, so feel free to carpool if you like. Driving directions, a printable invitation, and an election ballot (for anyone who cannot attend in person) can be found at http://www.savegeorgiashemlocks.org

ATLANTA: The Perennial Plant Association Presents: Plants - Design - Pizzazz: A Potpourri of Perennials Monday, July 18, 2011 -- Hyatt Regency Atlanta 265 Peachtree Street, NE Atlanta, Georgia -- Regency Ballrooms The one-day seminar is designed specifically for the benefit of Master Gardeners,
homeowners and plant enthusiasts.$80/Person (Before July 8) $85/Person (After July 8) http://perennialplant.org/documents/mondayprogramonepager.pdf

East Lansing & Grand Rapids, Michigan: American Horticultural Society's 19th Annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium July 21- 23, 2011. 3 dynamic days of workshops, lectures, poster sessions and field trips; network with others in children's gardening; meet and learn from leading youth garden experts and more! Registration $350. Option pre and post symposium workshops and tours extra. http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/2011/registration.htm

SW GEORGIA: Plumleaf Azalea grows naturally only in a few counties in Georgia and Alabama. You can see the Plum Leaf Azalea in bloom Jul-Aug at Providence Canyon State Park in Lumpkin, GA http://www.gastateparks.org/ProvidenceCanyon ; at Callaway Gardens along the Scenic Drive, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Trail and Laurel Springs Trail, http://www.callawaygardens.com/gardens/woodland/garden.aspx

2011-07-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

MG Snippets 6/17/11
Your Southern Garden will be back on GPB on June 25.

UPDATE! ATHENS: UGA Trial Gardens Open House-- Hello all! This is a reminder about the upcoming Public Open House on Saturday, June 25, 2011 from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. Just when you thought this day couldn't get any better, we throw in another surprise for you! Georgia football legend, former UGA Athletic Director, and gardener extraordinaire Vince Dooley will be visiting The Gardens from 9 a.m.- 11 a.m. that same day! He will be signing his book and chatting with his many fans that have come out to see him. This is definitely an opportunity you do NOT want to miss! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email us, and as always, all the information is on our website (www.ugatrialgardens.com ). Can't wait to see everyone at The Gardens in just over a week!

GAINESVILLE: The North Georgia Daylily Society invites you to our annual show and plant sale on Saturday, June 18th at the Lakeshore Mall on Pearl Nix Parkway. Entries will be received from 9-11AM, judging begins at 11:30AM and the show is open to the public from 1-4PM. Admission is free and we'll have a huge assortment of daylilies you can buy to plant in your garden. Please come and join us ... see the wonderful advancements hybridizers have made to our favorite perennial Hemerocallis. http://www.northgeorgiadaylilysociety.com/

GMGA: The Georgia Master Gardener Association is seeking nominees for members to serve on the executive committee, board of directors, and various committees. Georgia Master Gardener Association, Inc. is an independent association of Master Gardeners formed in 1990 with the idea that a state-wide organization might help all Georgia Master Gardeners communicate, learn, and serve the public better. If you're interested in serving on the board or would like to nominate someone, contact Carol Teja, Nomination Committee Chair at membership4gmga@gmail.com
More information about GMGA is at http://georgiamastergardeners.org/

-----------------------------
While you are inside enjoying the air conditioning, here are some suggested sites for commonly asked questions this time of year:

What's the scoop on insect repellents?
http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/InsectRepel.shtml

When can I water my lawn or wash my car?
http://www.gaepd.org/Documents/outdoorwater.html

What's wrong with my tomatoes?
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02949.html

Why isn't my plant blooming?
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/bloomfailure.html

Help! I have ants in my kitchen...
http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/index.cfm?public=viewStory&pk_id=4143

My lawn is turning brown...
http://www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo/diagnostics/turf/index.html

Does my lawn have a disease?
http://www.caes.uga.edu/applications/publications/files/pdf/C%20891_2.PDF

There are bugs in my vegetable garden; are they bad?
http://vegipm.tamu.edu/imageindex.html

My grandkids are spending the summer with me; what are some things I can do with them?
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/pubs/chfd/CHFD-E-59-12.pdf

MG Snippets 6-10-11

2011-06-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

MG Snippets 6-10-11

CORRECTION from last week AUGUSTA: Basic Horticulture Workshops from last week's Snippets, class registrar Ginny Allen's corrected e-mail address should be vallenotr@aol.com

Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves returns to regular GPB schedule June 25th. Saturdays at noon & 6:30 pm

THIS WEEKEND
DECATUR: (This information is not available on the GPC Native Plant Garden website due to technical issues) A Reminder of the Discount Plant Sales and Fern Garden Walks. Fern Garden Walks The British Pteridological (Fern) Society will visit the gardens the week of June 12. The garden has been prepared over the past weeks and months for this tour and the garden, especially the fern areas, are at their peak with over 355 taxa of ferns. This is a great opportunity and time to see the gardens and have a guided tour of the largest collection of ferns in the US and perhaps the world. We have both native and non-native species. Three beds also display xeric ferns. Garden walks of the fern areas will be given on Saturday, June 11 at 10:00am and Sunday, June 12 at 2:30pm. Each walk will last about an hour followed by a Discount Plant Sale. We are offering three Discount (10% - 25%) Plant Sales on the three dates noted above at special times. Details are given below. We only accept cash and personal checks for payment.
Schedule Summary
Friday, June 10, Discount Plant Sale - 11:00 - 1:00
Saturday, June 11, Fern Garden Walk - 10:00 - 11:00, Discount Plant Sale - 11:00 - 1:30
Sunday, June 12, Fern Garden Walk - 2:30 - 3:30, Discount Plant Sale - 3:30 - 4:30
We hope you get a chance to enjoy the garden and visit our Plant Sale area. This year we also have a new raised (~2' high, 10' x 20') garden bed which we believe you will enjoy. (Directions http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/map.htm )

ATHENS: UGA Trial Gardens Public Open House is Saturday, June 25th, 2011 from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. featuring walk-abouts by Dr. Armitage, a plant sale, Heirloom Tomato tasting and a book sale/signing. A $5 donation is requested upon entry (make checks out to "The Gardens"). More information can be found on our website www.ugatrialgardens.com .

MG Snippets 6-3-11

2011-06-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

MG Snippets Friday, June 3, 2011

This weekend
ATLANTA: GPPA Garden Tour http://www.georgiaperennial.org/events/2011_tour_1/index.htm
DOUGLASVILLE: Penny Mc Henry Hydrangea Festival http://www.pennymchenryhydrangeafestival.com/
GAINESVILLE AREA: Hall County MG, Garden Walk http://www.hcmgs.com/garden_walk.html
HIAWASSEE-YOUNG HARRIS: Tour of Mountain Gardens Towns Co. Chamber of Commerce 800-984-4153

This week Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves-Orchids, non-blooming container plant combinations for texture, curly-leaf kale and identifying common insects. YSG airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting stations Saturdays at noon and 6:30 pm.
http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4129

Corrections
CANCELLED: Art in the Garden: Plein Air Paint Out Presented by The State Botanical Garden of Georgia & The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation. Sunday, June 12, 2011 from 1:00-4:00 pm (To be rescheduled for spring 2012)

Upcoming
MANSFIELD: Advanced Training for Environmental Educators in Georgia (ATEEG), a professional certification program offered by the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia, will offer Core Courses 1, 2, and 3 at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield, GA. The programs will begin at 1 p.m. on each Friday and adjourn at noon the following Sunday. 2011 Course Offerings: Core Course 1 (Foundations of Environmental Education) - June 24-26, 2011; Core Course 2 (Fostering Learning) - July 15-17, 2011; Core Course 3 (Assessment and Evaluation) - September 9-11, 2011 Participants have three years to complete the program and can earn two professional learning units (2 PLUs) for each Core Course completed. ATEEG is a certification program for formal and non-formal environmental educators. Admission: $210 per course for EEA members or $260 per course for non-members, plus lodging if needed.
http://www.eealliance.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=25:initiatives&id=37:ateeg

AUGUSTA: Basic Horticulture Workshops presented by Augusta Council of Garden Clubs, Inc. beginning September 10, 2011. Morning classroom sessions will be at Aldersgate Methodist Church, 3185 Wheeler Road, Augusta, Georgia; and afternoon sessions will include a tour of a private garden or greenhouse. Workshops are open to any interested person, and preregistration deadlines are 10 days prior to each workshop. Maximum registration for each workshop is 35. Deadline for registration is 10 days prior to each session so lunch can be arranged. Cost is $24 per session which includes lunch and snacks. Workshop Dates and Topics: September 10, 2011 -- Native Plants; -October 8 - Annuals, Biennials, and Perennials; January 14 – Trees and Shrubs; February 11 – Food Gardening and Soil Preparation. To register contact Ginny Allen, 706-736-6793 or vallenotre@aol.com Contact Judy Kirkland 706-556-3417, jukirkland@cobridge.tv for additional information. Remaining sessions: Herbs, Improved Cultivars, and Indoor Gardens- dates tbd.

(MG Snippets is a weekly e-newsletter of events of interest to Master Gardeners and the gardening public. A service of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program.)

MG Snippets May 27, 2011

2011-05-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Master Gardener Snippets

This Saturday on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves, breeding fragrance into roses, adjusting irrigation systems, oak leaf blister. YSG airs at noon and 6:30 on Georgia Public Broadcasting stations. http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4126

NEWNAN: June Backyard Association Meeting guest speaker will be Mr. Scott McMahan, owner of McMahans Nursery and part-owner of Garden*Hood in Atlanta. The Backyard Association is an educational program sponsored by the Coweta County Extension Master Gardeners. The presentations are free to the public and are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Please note that this month’s meeting June 14 will be held at the Asa M. Powell Sr. EXPO Center at 197 Temple Avenue in Newnan. Please call the Extension Office at (770) 254-2620 for reservations and to register for door prizes. Plants will be available for sale at this meeting; all major credit cards, checks or cash accepted.

BLAIRSVILLE: GMRE Center Ethnobotanic Garden Tour Friday, June 3, 2011 Self Guided Tours from 10:00 to 11:45 am No registration necessary. The Ethnobotanic Garden and Woodland Medicine Trail at The Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center, 3 miles south of the Blairsville Square, on the east side of Hwy 19/129. Come spend the morning in the gardens, and learn more about native plants through live demonstrations and displays. Local artisans will demonstrate the cultural uses of plants. Tour guides will be available throughout the gardens to provide information about our plants. Sponsored by: The Outreach and Preservation Committees of the Community Council of the Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center. For info contact: Clare Johnston at 706-745-2655, ext. 23, or gmrec@uga.edu ww.gmrec.uga.edu

ATLANTA: It's the last weekend of Gourmet in May at The Atlanta Botanical Garden. A month long celebration in the edible garden and outdoor kitchen featuring demonstrations, activities, classes and festivities. (Though the garden chef demonstrations continue throughout the growing season) http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/events/gourmet-may

2011-05-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

THIS WEEKEND

Lumpkin Co MG Plant Expo at the Mountain Flower Festival of the Arts—Dahlonega http://www.dahlonegamerchants.org/mountain-flower-art-festival

Gwinnett MG Garden Tour http://www.gwinnettmastergardeners.org/

Saturday on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves, sharpening your mower blades, breeding sun coleus, selecting good trees at the nursery. YSG airs at noon and 6:30 on Georgia Public Broadcasting stations.

http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4120

UPCOMING

HIAWASSEE-YOUNG HARRIS (TOWNS COUNTY): Tour of Mountain Gardens. June 4th and 5th. The 1st Annual Spring Garden Tour in Hiawassee and Young Harris, Ga. Tour eight beautiful and unique gardens in the North GA mountains. Special tours of Crane Creek Vineyards and the Anderson-Paris Park at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. Stroll the beautiful Hamilton Rhododendron Gardens at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds and the campus of Young Harris College and Cupid Falls. Refreshment stops along theway. Enjoy the self guided tour while “Rambling thru the Gardens”. $10.00 per person. Contact Towns County Chamber of Commerce. 800-984-4153, or email: info@mountaintopga.com .

GAINESVILLE: HCMG Garden Walk Go behind the fences of private gardens at “In Our Own Back Yards” Saturday, June 4, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The one-day event (rain or shine) is presented by the Hall County Master Gardeners and the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension/Hall County. Tickets are $10 and include visits to five private gardens and one public garden. Tickets will be $15 per person on the day of the event, available at each garden. http://www.hcmgs.com/garden_walk.html

ATLANTA: Georgia Perennial Plant Association 2011 Annual Garden Tour: an intimate tour of Atlanta gardens. Gardens open Saturday, June 4 - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 5 - 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain or Shine Tickets $20 (Tour is free with a paid 2011 GPPA Membership) Buy tickets online, at various garden centers around Atlanta or at any garden on the tour. http://www.georgiaperennial.org/events/2011_tour_1/index.htm

NEWNAN: Coweta County Master Gardeners' “Propagating Shrubs, Trees and Plants from Softwood Cuttings”workshop. June 11 from 9:00am - 11:00am at the Coweta County Extension Greenhouse (located beside the Horse Arena at the Coweta County Fairgrounds). A workshop fee of $15.00 includes instruction by experienced Master Gardeners, all plant materials and supplies, and 12 newly propagated plants to take home. Master Gardeners will also provide one month of aftercare for the plants at the Greenhouse as an option. To register for the workshop, please call the County Extension Office at (770) 254-2620 by June 6. The workshop fee will be collected on the day of the workshop.

BLACKSBURG, VA: Master Gardeners are invited to the 24th Annual Master Gardener College in VA. June 23-26, 2011. A few days of great learning, great fellowship, and great fun! For details about the conference, please visit www.hort.vt.edu/mastergardener and click on the MG College link. Information about registration including a list of preconference tours and workshops, keynote speakers, and concurrent session topics, details about room and board, and an MG College FAQ here- http://www.hort.vt.edu/mastergardener/newsletter/InSeason_MGCollege2011.pdf

and for on-campus housing here:

https://regstg.com/Registration/RegForm.aspx?rid=0a964a13-a187-402d-ad50-3885cdc0b78d&action=add

CULLOWHEE, NC: Cullowhee Native Plant Conference July 27-30, 2011 lectures, fieldtrips, vendors, and workshops. Registration $125, optional fieldtrips extra. Registration for Saturday Home Gardening Session only, $25. On-campus lodging available. http://www.wcu.edu/5033.asp

Mg Snippets 5-13-11

2011-05-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

THIS WEEKEND

Coweta Master Gardener Spring Garden Gate Tour-Newnan

South Metro Rose Show-Fayetteville

Art in the Garden UGA Research and Education Garden- Griffin

This week on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves airing Saturdays at noon & 6:30 pm on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Tomato transplants and tips, germinating okra seeds, smilax vine. http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4115

DALTON: Southeast Garden Railroad Show Friday, May 13 through Saturday, May 14. 2211 NW GA Trade and Convention Center, Dug Gap Battle Road, 30720Tickets – Adults $10 each ($18 two-day), available at the door kids under 12 free with paid adult. Garden tours, train theme art show, vendors, RR collectibles and memorabilia. http://www.segrs.com/

BUCHANAN: Haralson County Master Gardeners Plant Sale Saturday, May 14, 2011 9 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Little Creek one-room school house located at 159 Van Wert St. in downtown Buchanan.

STATHAM: The Georgia Club Foundation Inaugural Spring Tour of Homes and Outdoor Living Sunday, May 15. Tour depart times 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.Tickets $20 in advance; $25 at the door. Private homes, gardens, pools, courtyards. Posh Pots, Orchid Ladies, Garden Magik and local artist Lana Mitchell will be on hand for demonstrations and advice. Brunch at the club available. 10 miles west of Athens. Proceeds benefit local charities. Tickets and info http://www.thegeorgiaclub.com or 770-725-8100.

UPCOMING EVENTS

DOUGLASVILLE: 4th Annual Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival June 3,4,& 5, 2011 New Courthouse Lawn, 8700 Hospital Drive 30134. Garden tours, festival market, display gardens, tea, standard flower show, progressive dinner http://www.pennymchenryhydrangeafestival.com/ or 770-949-4090

GREENWOOD, SC: Annual Festival of Flowers. Main Festival Weekend June 24-26, 2011 Events include garden tours, sporting events, musical performances and the Park Seed Trial Gardens Open House on June 25th http://www.scfestivalofflowers.org/

Milledgeville:Composting Workshop

2011-05-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

Composting Workshop

with “The Compost Lady”, Prof. Heather Bowman Cutway

Free of Charge

Learn how to turn table scraps into “Black Gold!”

Snippets May 6, 2011

2011-05-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Georgia Master Gardener Program Snippets May 6, 2011

GEORGIA MASTER GARDENERS SCHOLARSHIP at UGA: The Georgia Master Gardener Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization has initiated the establishment of a scholarship on behalf of all Georgia Master Gardeners as part of its commitment to education and in support of the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and Cooperative Extension. Read more here http://georgiamastergardeners.org/master-gardener-scholarship-fund

There are 2 ways to give to the scholarship- 1) Through GMGA, Inc http://georgiamastergardeners.org/master-gardener-scholarship-fund or 2) Through the Georgia Fund, go to the CAES Master Gardener Program http://www.gamastergardener.org and click the 'Donate Now' button or shortcut http://tinyurl.com/44rdd6n

GMGA PROJECT FUNDING GRANTS: Do you have a garden project or activity that educates or serves your community that you would like to initiate? Are there hort projects or ideas that you would like to support? The Georgia Master Gardener Association has set this money aside specifically to fund projects with Georgia Master Gardeners and communities throughout Georgia. For information about the criteria and processes and necessary forms go the GMGA website www.georgiamastergardeners.org, contact your GMGA District Director or Judy Mitchell at judithandcompany@comcast.net . Haste is in order, as the applications must be postmarked June 15, 2011.

THIS WEEKEND (see http://georgiamgevents.blogspot.com for more info)

Carroll Co Mother's Day Plant Sale

Cobb MG Garden Tour

Your Southern Garden Saturday at noon and 6:30 on GPB.

http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4112

JONESBORO: Clayton County Master Gardener Plant Sale Saturday, May 7, 2011 8:00 A.M to 2:00 PM Jonesboro First United Methodist Church, 142 South Main Street, Jonesboro, Georgia 30236. Healthy, beautiful plants at great prices; Plants of all kinds offered by Master Gardeners themselves; Advice on your purchases provided by Clayton County Master Gardeners; Plenty of free parking at the sale. This annual plant sale is a fund-raising activity of the Clayton County Master Gardener’s. Proceeds from the annual plant sale are used to support Master Gardener clinics, Youth Education and other Master Gardener programs. Info 770-473-5434

GRIFFIN: Mother’s Day Tea in the Garden UGA Research and Education Garden 121 Ellis Rd, Sunday May 8, 2011 1-4 pm. Free. Bring Mom for a stroll through the garden. This event marks the opening of the Sundays in the Garden. The Demonstration Garden will be open, weather permitting, 1-4 pm Sunday afternoons through October 23.

http://www.caes.uga.edu/campus/griffin/garden/VisitGarden.cfm

UPCOMING

NEWNAN: The Backyard Association May 10, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Coweta County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall 275 Pine Road in Newnan. Speaker Cheryle Turner presents “Cuttin' Up and Showin' Out”, the art of creating centerpieces and decorations with fruits and vegetables . The Backyard Association is an educational program sponsored by the Coweta County Master Gardeners. The presentations are free to the public and are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Please call the Extension Office at (770) 254-2620 for reservations and to register for door prizes. http://www.ugaextension.com/coweta/anr/index.html

DECATUR: Georgia Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden Spring 2011 Lunch and Wildflower Series continues Wednesday, May 11,2011 11:30 am. Jim Rogers of Nearly Native Nursery on "Seed Collection, Storage, and Sowing". Lectures-Building SH, room SH-1500, beyond the greenhouses. Directions will be posted at the garden. Wednesday Plant Sales in May from 10:00 to 2:00 pm. Cash and personal checks only. GPC 3251 Panthersville Road Decatur, GA Phone: 678-891-2668 http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/

GRIFFIN: Art in the Garden UGA Research and Education Garden 121 Ellis Rd, Sunday May 15, 2011 1-4 pm. Free. Artists, Art and Music displayed in a lovely garden setting including photography, pottery, plein air painters, wood carvings, watercolors, oils, charcoals, pen and ink, gourds, textile arts and more. Rain date May 22. http://www.caes.uga.edu/campus/griffin/garden/VisitGarden.cfm

GWINNETT: Master Gardeners – Garden Tour Saturday, May 21st, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Proceeds from the garden tour benefit the community projects of the Gwinnett Master Gardeners. Master Gardeners will be available at each site to answer your questions. General Information: Tickets are $10.00 per person. Tickets may be purchased at any of the tour gardens on the day of the tour. Garden tour will be held rain or shine. For additional information, please contact the Gwinnett Extension Office at 678-377-4010 or Genia Ryan at 404-583-1261 or www.gwinnettmastergardeners.org

CHARLESTON, WV 2011 International Master Gardener Conference. Early bird registration ends June 9 for the October 11 -14 conference in Charleston, West Virginia. After 6/9 the price of the conference will increase to $300, all pre- and post-tours will increase by $40 and all day tours will increase by $10. It's a lovely 8-hour drive or 2-hour flight. For flyers, Charleston Yeager Airport is served several airlines with Delta Connection (non-stop) and US Airways (connecting through Charlotte) being the ones with shortest routes. http://imgc.ext.wvu.edu/

ATHENS: UGA Trial Gardens Public Open House June 25, 2011 8 am-3pm Gardeners who participate in the 2011 Open House will be able to chat with horticulturists as well as have a selection of plants for purchase. All the plants sold will do well in any Southeastern garden. Dr. A. will have his portable mic and he'll be signing books. For more information on the Open House and information on plant performance at the Trial Gardens at UGA http://ugatrial.hort.uga.edu/

MG Snippets April 28

2011-04-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

THIS WEEKEND

GMGA CONFERENCE IN ROME--Georgia Master Gardener Association Conference hosted by Floyd County Master Gardeners is ON for this weekend. W.H. Smith, GMGA President spoke with conference organizer, Ginny Word this morning and it seems that all of the facilities at the EcoCenter are fine and power is on. All of the conference hotels seem to be fine as well.

http://www.georgiamastergardeners.org

Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves is on the GPB Schedule for noon and 6:30 pm Saturday. Following the schedule for this week's show: Newspaper Pots, Italian Arum, Growing Deck Tomatoes, Bluebird Boxes. http://yoursoutherngarden.com

LAGRANGE: Troup County Master Gardener Association Annual Plant Sale Saturday, April 30 9:00 am - 3:00 p.m. at the Troup County Agricultural Building on Vulcan Road (off Hwy 27- Hamilton Road.) The sale will include "tried and true favorites" from the gardens of master gardeners as well as roses, hydrangeas, native azaleas, blooming annuals and rain barrels from local vendors. Live auctions will be held throughout the day.

DECATUR: Georgia Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Gardens Fern Walk Saturday, April 30, from 11:00 to 12:00. George Sanko's Top 15 Ferns for the Southeastern Garden. ALSO- Wednesday Wildflower Walks May 4 "Native Woody Species and Improved Cultivars for the Urban Landscape" with Derrick Catlett. Plant sales to support the Garden Wednesday and Saturday 10 am - 2 pm Decatur Campus Georgia Perimeter College 3251 Panthersville Road, Decatur, GA Phone: 678-891-2668 http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/

MACON: Gardens, Mansions & Moonlight. Enjoy enchanting secret garden tour, delightful moonlight tour, or combination. All tickets include complimentary admission to Hay House Historic Home Museum, garden market and seminars. http://www.georgiatrust.org/historic_sites/hayhouse/home_garden.php#tours

ATLANTA: DMGA Spring Plant Sale Northlake Mall parking lot on Saturday, April 30, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Rain or shine! Hundreds of perennials available, for sun and shade, plus a small section f trees and shrubs. The plant sale will be set up on the Macy's side of the mall parking lot near the intersection of LaVista Rd. and Briarcliff Rd. That's to the right of the main mall entrance on Briarcliff Rd. (Northlake Mall address: 4800 Briarcliff Rd., NE, Atlanta 30345) Cash and check only. Information about the sale and this independent organization which is not part of the DeKalb Cooperative Extension is available at www.dmga.org call: 404 248-1027

Also this weekend:

Fayette County Master Gardeners Garden Tour & Plant Sale

http://www.ugaextension.com/fayette/mg/documents/FMGA/2011GTPoster.pdf

UPCOMING

3rd Annual Edible Plant Sale!Wednesday, May 4th and Thursday, May 5th from 9am-3pmCome to the greenhouse!Gwinnett Technical College 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 600, Lawrenceville, GA 30043 678-226-6298 rtrimbl8855_at_student.gwinnetttech.edu Strawberries, vegetables, herbs and more!

MACON: Let it Rot Composting Workshop Thursday, May 5 7:00 – 8:30 p.m Presented by Heather Bowman Cutway, covers everything you always wanted to know about composting- the basics, materials that can be composted, types of composters and how to use compost in your garden. $5 – workshop only or $55 – Includes workshop and a large wire compost bin,two small compost containers for the kitchen and a compost turning tool ($80 value) Advanced registration is required. Please call 478-477-3232. Registration deadline is April 29. Museum of Arts and Sciences Auditorium 4182 Forsyth Road Macon, GA 31210 478-477-3232 www.masmacon.com Presented jointly by the Master Gardeners of Central Georgia and the Museum of Arts and Sciences.

ATLANTA:Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour Saturday - Sunday, May 7 - 8, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

From tranquil woodland settings to intimate urban spaces, explore exquisite design and enchanting planting ideas by talented landscape designers and homeowners. The Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour includes eight private gardens and a special bonus garden. Ticket holders also receive free admission to the Atlanta Botanical Garden on tour days from 5 - 7 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Atlanta Botanical Garden. $25 Advance Tickets $30 Day of Tour $10 Individual

Garden Admission Children under 12 Free http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

GWINNETT: Master Gardeners Meeting MAY 16, 2011 Paula Refi on "Out-of-the-Ordinary Plants for Shade"She will take a fresh look at shade gardening and see what’s new beyond the traditional azaleas, camellias and hostas. A Lifetime Georgia Master Gardener, she has lectured at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and the Southeastern Flower Show. She is past president of the Georgia Perennial Plant Association and has published articles in American Gardener, Fine Gardening, Wildflower, and Landscape Architecture. Covered dish dinner at 6:30, please bring a dish to share. Otherwise, come and hear Paula at 7:00. Gwinnett Senior Center at 225 Bethesda Church Road in Lawrenceville off of Ronald Reagan Parkway.

MG SNIPPETS April 21, 2011

2011-04-21T10:33:00.001-07:00

MG SNIPPETS April 21, 2011

More exciting events in Rome just in time for the GMGA Spring Conference.

http://georgiamgevents.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-gmga-conference-additional.html

This week's Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves. Saturday on GPB Stations at noon & 6:30 pm.

http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4094

June, July & August: Summer Events at State Botanical Garden in Athens. Tons of great classes, camps and events going on all summer! http://georgiamgevents.blogspot.com/2011/04/summer-events-at-sbg.html

DECATUR: Saturday, April 23, 10:30AM. Join George Sanko for a Sun Garden Walk through GPC Native Plant Sun Garden beds from 10:30 to 11:30 am. George will highlight some of the outstanding sun loving natives we have in the garden. A portion of the walk will also include the Shade gardens. After the walk, the Plant Sale will be open from 11:30 to 12:30. Sun Natives ,Trilliums and Native Azaleas and many other native plants. Wednesday, April 27, Don Jacobs speaks at Lunch & Wildflower Series "Plants for changing times".This year talks are being held in a new campus building SH, room SH-1500, just beyond the greenhouses. A link to the entire series is provided below. Wednesday Walks: 10:30 - 11:15 Talks: 11:30 - 12:30 - Classroom SH-1500 Plant Sales: 10:00 - 2:00 Georgia Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/sales11spring.html

LAGRANGE: CSI in The Garden: Hills and Dales Estate. Saturday, April 30, 2011. 10:00 a.m. - noon Join Alabama Horticultural Extension Agent, Kerry Smith, as she takes you on a detective journey through the garden. During your tour you will encounter aphids, mites, powdery mildew, nematodes and other garden criminals. Careful study of all the clues will lead you to the culprit so you can solve the crime. $20. Registration required. http://www.hillsanddales.org/ or 706-882-3242

CARROLLTON: Carroll County Master Gardener Mother's Day plant sale. May 7 from 9:00am til 2:00 pm at the Carroll County Ag Center located at 900 Newnan Rd. Carrollton. http://www.ugaextension.com/carroll/

COBB: Cobb County Master Gardeners present “Through the Garden Gate 2011” You are invited to stroll through the private gardens of the Cobb County Master Gardeners as well as other featured local gardens, Master Gardening projects, and the Plant Sale and Fair. This rain or shine event is Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Advance Tickets are $10.00 per person and may be purchased through the Cobb Extension office beginning in March. Tour Day tickets are $15.00 at any of the gardens or at the plant sale location. For more information visit www.cobbmastergardeners.org or call 770-528-4070.

ATHENS: Friends of the State Botanical Garden Spring Trip to South Carolina, May 19-20, 2011 On this overnight trip we will visit Pearl Fryar’s Topiary Garden in Bishopville (www.pearlfryar.com) and Kalmia Gardens at Coker College in Hartsville (www.kalmiagardens.org). There will also be a surprise or two along the way. The motor coach will leave the State Botanical Garden at 7:30am on Thursday, May 19 and return by 6:30pm on Friday, May 20. May 19 – Leave the Athens at 7:30am, lunch at Charlene’s Taste of Country in Bishopville (a favorite of Pearl’s),afternoon visit to Pearl Fryar’s Topiary Garden, check in at the Comfort Inn in Hartsville, dinner at B&B Restaurant in Darlington. May 20 – Continental breakfast at the hotel, guided tour of Kalmia Gardens after breakfast, lunch at Mr. B’s Seafood Restaurant in Hartsville (another favorite of Pearl’s), return to Athens. Cost is $149/person Double Occupancy; $179/person Single Occupancy. Price includes transportation, entrance fees, meals and lodging. For more information or to make your reservation, please call Beverly Morton at 706-542-6138. Deadline for registration is May 5. Please make checks payable to Friends of the Garden. We also accept Visa, MasterCard, AMEX and Discover.

ROSWELL: Roswell Lavender Festival June 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Barrington Hall. Inspired by Evelyn Simpson, descendant of Roswell co-founder Barrington King, the event honors and commemorates the beauty and various uses of this ancient herb in a lively family-friendly festival setting. The site's gardens and grounds will feature a variety of demonstration booths, vendors, hands-on crafts and performances. Information: 770-640-3855.

http://www.experienceroswellgeorgia.com/2011/04/experience-roswell%E2%80%99s-1st-lavender-festival/

ATLANTA: Perennial Plant Association National Conference, Hyatt Regency Atlanta July 18-23, 2011

Schedule http://www.perennialplant.org/documents/resourcefiles/2011Program.pdf

Registration form http://www.perennialplant.org/documents/resourcefiles/Registat-Memforms2011.pdf

NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI: Mark Your Calendars! Southeastern Regional Master Gardener Conference hosted by Mississippi Master Gardeners & MSU Cooperative Extension. May 1-4, 2012 http://msucares.com/lawn/master_gardener/2012conference/index.html

Summer Events at SBG

2011-04-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Summer 2011 – June, July, August

Calendar of Classes, Symposia and Events

In chronological order
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia
2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, Georgia 30605

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Call 706-542-6156 or register online at www.uga.edu/botgarden

Zumba® at the Garden

Every Wednesday 5:30 – 6:30 pm

Cora Keber, Certified Zumba Instructor, SBG Education Staff

Michelle Vaught, Certified Zumba Instructor

Visitor Center, Great Room (unless otherwise specified)

members $60; non-members $80 – OR—one time walk in members $8; non-members $10

What is Zumba? Zumba® fuses hypnotic latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic fitness program. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Add some Latin flavor and international zest into the mix and you've got Zumba®! Zumba® and Zumba® Fitness are registered trademarks of Zumba Fitness, LLC. The Garden will be offering this as a continual program. The registration fee includes a 10 visit punch card.

Friends First Friday: What’s in a Name?: An Irreverent but Relevant Look at Plant Names

Wilf Nicholls, Director

Friday, June 3 9:00 am

Visitor Center, lower level Members $10; non-members $12

Gather at a made-from-scratch breakfast to meet other folks who enjoy the Garden. Each month a staff member speaks about a different subject during the breakfast get-together.

Cool-Season Grasses (A Certificate in Native Plants elective course)

Saturday, June 4 8:30 am – 12:30 pm

Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $40; non-members $45

Elaine Nash, Naturalist, Conyers, Georgia

The economic and ecosystem functions of grasses will be reviewed, and basic terminology useful in grass identification will be presented. Students will work with fresh specimens to learn the parts of the grass plant, with an emphasis on vegetative characteristics that are useful in field identification, then examine native and exotic grasses in the field.

Garden Geology

Saturday, June 4 10:00 am

Meet at Visitor Center front patio free

Dan Williams, Forest Resources Manager, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources

Join Dan on a morning exploration of the Georgia Piedmont rock types found at the Botanical Garden and discover how they formed.

Mason Bee House Building Extravaganza

Tuesday, June 7 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $24; non-members $27

Shelly Prescott, Flower Garden Curator, SBG & Cora Keber, Education Coordinator, SBG

The Orchard Mason Bee is a wonderful beneficial insect that pollinates apple, cherry and other fruit trees. The biology of this bee does not allow for them to be destructive to wooden features but to nest in pre-existing holes in wooden forms. During this class we will show various types of mason bee homes and then supply materials to create a “home” to take home.

Art in the Garden: Plein Air Paint Out

Presented by The State Botanical Garden of Georgia & The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation

Free reception: Sunday, June 12, 2011 1:00-4:00 pm

Art on exhibit: Saturday, June 11and Sunday, June 12, 2011

Paint Out dates: Saturday, June 4 -Thursday, June 9, 2011

We are excited to announce that we have joined together with The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation to create Art in the Garden: Plein Air Paint Out! For 5 days in June, seventy professional and amateur artists will be painting 8”x10” canvases in the Garden, then each artist will submit up to three paintings. The judges will select 144 paintings to be displayed June 11^th and 12^th in The Alice Hand Callaway Visitor Center & Conservatory. On Sunday, June 12, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., each painting will be for sale in a free reception in the Conservatory. Each artist will set the price of their paintings, with 25% of each sale benefitting The State Botanical Garden of Georgia (SBG) conservation and education programs and 15% helping to promote The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF) art initiatives. Each painting you purchase will be inspired by the State Botanical Garden. Acquire an original work of art for your home or office, listen to live jazz music, chat with people who enjoy art and gardens, and meet the painters during this afternoon reception. Vote for your favorite painting too; a people’s choice award will be announced that afternoon. The painters will be in the Garden from Saturday, June 4 through Thursday June 9^th.

To help celebrate Art in the Garden June 11-12, Andrew Crawford will give an artist’s tour of Forged from Nature: an Exhibition of Garden Gates.

Artist Walk of Forged from Nature: An Exhibition of Garden Gates

Saturday, June 11 11:00 a.m.

Meet inside the Conservatory free

You will enjoy a stroll through the display gardens with sculptor Andrew T. Crawford as he leads a tour to each of the six metal sculpted gates of Forged from Nature: an Exhibition of Garden Gates. You’ll be captivated by Andrew’s charm and talent and the detail of each gate as Andrew explains the design, installation and construction of this art exhibition.

Digital Plant Photography: Flower Portraits and Plants in the Landscape

(A Certificate in Native Plants elective course)

Saturday, June 11 8:30 am – 12:30 pm

Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $40; non-members $45

Hugh and Carol Nourse, Nature Photographers/Authors

For flower portraits, the class will cover defining the subject, choosing a lens focal length, focusing, metering, isolating the subject, and lighting. For plants in the landscape, we will discuss how photographing in a larger setting differs from making plant portraits. Working through several examples, we will pay particular attention to how light affects the larger scene, and to composing the image to emphasize what you want to show the viewer. A portion of the class will be spent photographing in the Garden’s wildflower meadow (weather permitting) or the Conservatory.

Pollinator Madness

Saturday, June 11 9:30 – 11:30am

Visitor Center, Classroom 1 members $10; non-members $12

Kim Sutherland, Education Staff, SBG This program is designed for children ages 6- 10

What is a pollinator? Why are they important? How can we help them? We will answer these questions and more as we discover the important role butterflies, bees and other pollinators play in our life. Hands-on activities include a pollination relay race, a discovery hunt, a flower dissection and more! We will also ‘capture and release’ butterflies with insect nets and eat a snack provided by pollinators. The session will end as we plant seeds to help our pollinator friends

Summer Tree Identification (A Certificate in Native Plants elective course)

Saturday, June 18 8:30 am – 12:30 pm

Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $40; non-members $45

Linda Chafin, Conservation Botanist, State Botanical Garden of Georgia

Learn to identify common trees of the Georgia Piedmont by their leaves, bark, branching patterns, and tree form. Students will use a hand lens and a simple dichotomous key for woody plants to identify species. Class time will be divided between classroom exercises and a field trip to the woods at the Botanical Garden.

Plants, Pollinators and People

Monday, June 20 Session I: 2:00–4:00 pm/Session II: 6:00–8:00 pm

Meet in Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $15; non-member $18

Athena Anderson, Institute of Ecology, UGA, Doctoral Candidate

Anderson introduces the diversity, importance and natural history of pollinating animals then participants will hike through the Flower Garden to observe, photograph and identify pollinators. The program concludes with a session on gardening for pollinators and what you can do to aid in their conservation.

Sunflower Music Series: Modern Skirts (pop rock)

Tuesday, June 21 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Flower Garden lawn (Conservatory in inclement weather)

$15 ($10 members, $5 children ages 6-12)

This is a great way to spend summer evenings outdoors with family and friends. Bring a picnic basket, spread a blanket, kick off your shoes and enjoy! Ticket prices include light snacks and beverages.

In Search of Pollinators! Flower Garden Ramble

Thursday, June 23 7:00 pm

Meet at Visitor Center back patio Free

Shelly Prescott, Flower Garden Curator

Join Shelly as he introduces you to the pollinator–friendly plants as well as the pollinators that visit and make their homes in the Flower Garden.

Invasive Non-Native Pest Plants of the Southeast

(A Certificate in Native Plants elective course)

Saturday, June 25 8:30 am – 1:30 pm (bring sack lunch)

Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $40; non-members $45

Connie Gray, M.L.A., Consultant in natural area restoration and management

This class is an introduction to the problem of invasive, non-native pest plants in Georgia. Students will learn to identify the major offenders, their current ranges and habitats, and how these plants impact natural plant communities. Basic management and control strategies will be discussed. Most of the class will be indoors; after an early lunch, there will be field identification exercises, management strategy discussions, and control demonstrations. Please note the extended class time and bring a sack lunch.

Friends First Friday: Flea Market Finds

Beverly Morton, Friends Membership Coordinator, and Friends member BJ Garrett

Friday, July 1 9:00 am

Visitor Center, lower level Members $10; non-members $12

Gather at a made-from-scratch breakfast to meet other folks who enjoy the Garden. Each month a staff member speaks about a different subject during the breakfast get-together.

Classic City Band Concert

Sunday, July 3, 2011 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Free Visitor Center & Conservatory

The Classic City Band has been performing their annual Fourth of July concert inside the Visitor Center & Conservatory for many years – always to a full house! Enjoy lively popular, classical and patriotic music, talented musicians, chairs and air conditioning – surrounded by a large, lovely garden.

Fairy House Workshop

Friday, July 15 6:00 – 8:30 pm

Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $40; non-members $45 (all supplies included)

Lorena Gay-Griffin and Aline Griffin, mother and daughter craft team of The Green Griffin

We’ll begin by viewing fairy houses created by others. We’ll reflect on what type of fairy we’re building for. Then we’ll take a walk through the gardens, foraging the ground for things she would like. Back in the classroom, you’ll be shown how to create our original fairy hammock, river rock furniture and acorn light fixtures, among other objects. You’ll pick a base for your scene, arrange the elements, sew, paint, glue, and share ideas. Materials provided include a small wooden house or cabinet, paint, moss, river rocks, wooden discs and plugs, dried flowers, fabric, antique lace, acorns, pine cones, pine nuts, glue, beads, marbles, floral wire, silk flowers, balsa wood, ribbons, sticks of all kinds, lots of ideas, and much much more.

Basic Orienteering

Saturday, July 23 10:00 – 11:00 am

Meet at Visitor Center back patio Free but limited to 15 participants

Wade Seymour, Grounds Foreman, SBG

Join Wade for an orienteering program on the trails of the Garden. He will introduce basic map and compass skills through a short mapped course.

Sunflower Music Series: Packway Handle Band (bluegrass/folk)

Tuesday, July 26 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Flower Garden lawn (Conservatory in inclement weather)

$15 ($10 members, $5 children ages 6-12)

Cooking in the Garden: Summer Salads and Pickling

Tuesday, August 2 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $24; non-members $27

Dean Neff, Sous Chef from Five and Ten, Athens

Join Chef Neff for an evening of learning how to use the summer garden for yourself and guests you may want to impress. We will create a simple pickling solution that works for a wide range of veggies. Feel free to bring produce from your own garden and watch it transform to pickled form. Planning a summer gathering and looking for new ideas? Chef Neff will provide new ways to bring your garden to the table in a simple summer salad fare. Neff graduated from the Atlanta based School of Culinary Arts in 2000. Neff currently resides as a Sous Chef at Five and Ten in Athens and a student of the Terry College of Business at UGA.

Friends First Friday: Planting to Support Winter Migrants

Jeannette Coplin, Director of Horticulture and Grounds

Friday, August 5 9:00 am

Visitor Center, lower level Members $10; non-members $12

Gather at a made-from-scratch breakfast to meet other folks who enjoy the Garden. Each month a staff member speaks about a different subject during the breakfast get-together.

Athens Brass Choir Concert

Sunday, August 7, 2011 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Free Visitor Center & Conservatory

An August afternoon in Georgia – the perfect time to come inside the air-conditioned Conservatory and listen to the very talented Athens Brass Choir. Expect marches, popular tunes and classical pieces during this free instrumental brass concert.

Concrete Leaf-casting

Thursday, August 11 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

SBG Greenhouse, Maintenance Center members $24; nonmembers $27

Pre-registration required

Lauren Zeichner, UGA Landscape Architecture Professor, Local Athens Artist

Garden décor with a large effect! We will use large leaves such as elephant ears to cast concrete forms. These forms can be used for bird baths or creative garden accents. Please wear something you do not mind getting wet.

Planning and Planting the Fall Vegetable Garden

Thursday, August 18 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $18; non-member $22

Jeremy Friedman, Sunrise Farm, Athens, Georgia

The Fall garden is an opportunity to have vegetables on your table, not only in the Fall but throughout the Winter and Spring. Topics will include but are not limited to: plant selection, crop rotation, cover crops, planting beneficial natives, composting, and drip irrigation set-up. Learn some tricks to get more out of your garden during the cooler months.

Earth Skills Series—Friction Fire

Saturday, August 20 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (bring a sack lunch)

Meet in Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $60; non-members $66

Limited to 12 participants ages 16 and up. Most of the time will be spent outdoors.

Tommy Tye, Assistant Director, Institute of Wild Intelligence, Athens

Our new Earth Skills series offers the opportunity to rekindle your ancestral relationship with nature by experiencing ancient earth living skills! Topics will include Friction Fire, Natural Fiber and Cordage, Shelter, Lost Proofing and Aidless Navigation, and more. It’s not about surviving; it’s about thriving!

Fire! The ability to create and use fire is one of the most fundamental primitive skills. This class will help you develop the skill to create fire from materials found in the wild. Methods will include flint & steel, bow drill, and hand drills. You will hold in your hands the power to stay warm, purify water, make tools, light up the darkness, and to cook and preserve food. This is an outdoor class a list of recommendations will be sent to participants. Learn more about Tye’s work at www.tommytye.com.

Sunflower Music Series: Grogus (Latin/world music)

Tuesday, August 23 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Flower Garden lawn (Conservatory in inclement weather)

$15 ($10 members, $5 children ages 6-12)

Plant Conservation: Protecting Plant Diversity in the Garden and in the Wild

(A Certificate in Native Plants core course)

Saturday, August 27 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Visitor Center, Classroom 2 members $90; non-members $100

Jennifer Ceska, Conservation Coordinator, and Jim Affolter, Dir. of Research, SBG

Plant conservation is an applied science that draws upon many fields of knowledge from ecology to horticulture, to ethics and politics. This course surveys threats to biodiversity in Georgia and worldwide, examples of rare plant research, techniques for restoration and reintroduction, and ways individuals and organizations are making a difference in protecting the rare plants of Georgia. Class will include demonstrations, hands-on activities, group discussions, tours of threatened species collections, and visits to the conservation research lab and the Outdoor Propagation Area for Rare Plants at the State Botanical Garden.

Advanced Beekeeping

Saturday, August 27 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Meet at Shade Garden Arbor members $14; non-members $16, pre-registration required

Dan Harris, Beekeeper, UGA Bee Lab, and Owner, Booger Hill Bee Farm, Danielsville, GA

Advance your beekeeping knowledge and skills with Dan as you perform a 24 hour Varroa mite count and apply a variety of fall treatments for Varroa and other pests. He will also discuss fall and over-wintering preparations for your hive. Completion of the Beekeeping for Beginners Series required.

Sunflower Music Series: Arvin Scott Quartet (jazz)

Tuesday, September 27 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Flower Garden lawn (Conservatory in inclement weather)

$15 ($10 members, $5 children ages 6-12)

SUMMER CAMPS

GARDEN EARTH NATURE CAMP: AGES 5-8

Each session runs Monday – Friday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

members $105; non-members $115

Earth is a garden that we all share! During these weeklong adventures, children learn about garden earth while exploring the natural and cultivated areas of the Garden. Outdoor experiments, games, and garden walks highlight each day. Camp registration forms can be found on the Garden Website at www.uga.edu/botgarden or register in person at the Garden’s education office in the Visitor Center. Campers can attend one week from Garden Earth I and one week from Garden Earth II.

Garden Earth 1

Week I: June 6-10

Week II: June 13-17

In Garden Earth I, campers explore pollinators, soil critters and food chains in the gardens and forest of the Garden. Children meet puppets including Suga Magnolia who is in charge of the flowers, Oli Earthworm who takes care of the soil, and Madame Squirrel who runs a woodland restaurant for all the creatures who live at the Garden! Indoor gardening projects, solar cooking treats and crafts projects complement the exciting outdoor adventures!

Garden Earth II

Week I: June 20 - 24

Week II: June 27 – July 1

In Garden Earth II, campers investigate water, insects and trees. Visits to the Middle Oconee River and Orange Trail stream (both on the grounds of the Garden) bring the world of the water critters to life. Children explore insects in carnivorous pitcherplants, pitfall traps, and through fun discovery hunts. To top off the week children meet Old Man Spruce who takes campers on a tour of his Air Cleaning Factory though puppet shows, interactive games and forest investigations. Craft projects complement each day’s activities.

SWEET PEA CLUB CAMP: AGES 3 - 4

Tuesday through Friday: July 12 - 15

9:00 – 11:00 am

Visitor Center, Children’s Classroom

members $85 (fee for parent and child); non-members $95

Additional child fee members $35; non-members $45

Developed specially for young nature lovers and their parent or grandparent helpers, Sweet Pea Club offers a marvelous introduction to the natural world. Each day focuses on a different "earthy" topic. Sample daily topics include, A Visit with Old Man Spruce Tree! Adventures with Oli Earthworm in the Soil and Who’s Eating at Madame Squirrel’s Restaurant! Programs involve puppet shows, storytelling, indoor and outdoor learning games, nature crafts and garden explorations.

GARDEN EXPLORER’S CAMP: Rising 4^th to rising 7^th

Monday – Friday: July 18 - 22

9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Visitor Center, Children’s Classroom

members $140; non-members $155

Garden Explorers will spend mornings hiking the trails and gardens as teams of ‘citizen scientists’ collecting data about pollinators, plants, birds, earthworms and more while also participating in fun discovery hunts and games. In the afternoons campers will participate in nature lore activities and make an Explorer’s kit including a nature journal, plant press and more.

JUNIOR CAMP COUNSELORS: Looking for a volunteer summer job? The State Botanical Garden is pleased to offer summer camp counselor positions. These positions afford adolescents opportunities to build confidence, serve as a role model for younger children, and learn new skills. If you have a child between the ages of 15 and 18 would like to apply to be a Botanical Garden Summer Camp Counselor, please contact Cora Keber at (706) 542-6156 for an application.

ALL CLASSES REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Call 706-542-6156 or register online at www.uga.edu/botgarden

Spring GMGA Conference Additional Events

2011-04-19T05:17:00.000-07:00

Gardening Enthusiast!

While you are in town for the 2011 GMGA Spring Conference being held on April 29^th and 30^th, there are a ton of activities going on in Rome. On Friday, there is the Clocktower Classic Handcycling Race all around town, Rome Braves have a home game at the State Mutual Stadium, Rome Art Coterie National Juried Show at River City Bank, Voice from the Trail at the Chieftains Museum, Dance Gala at Berry College, Relay for Life at Ridge Ferry Park and DeSoto Nights comedy show at the Historic DeSoto Theater in downtown Rome. That’s just Friday!

On Saturday, along with the GMGA conference, downtown Rome will become a street festival with all sorts of fun activities, the Clocktower Classic Handcycling Race will continue, the Tri for Kids Olympic Triathlon will start, the Rome Braves have another home game, and the Rome Symphony will perform a concert later in the evening. If the GMGA Conference wasn’t reason enough to spend a day or two in Rome, all these great activities certainly add to the excitement.

Check out the times and locations for these entertaining events at: http://romegeorgia.org. And while you’re online, take a look at all the conference information at: http://georgiamastergardeners.org. If you haven’t registered yet, there is still plenty of time. You can register by mail or online. See you at the conference.

Ginny Word,

GMGA Vice-President Elect

2011 Spring Conference Chair

MG Snippets 4/15/11

2011-04-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

ROME: Georgia Master Gardener Association Spring 2011 Conference on April 29 and 30 in Rome, Georgia. When in Rome….Green Gardening for the Future. Floyd Master Gardeners invite you to come to Rome, Georgia for the Spring 2011 Georgia Master Gardener Association Conference. There’s more information at

http://georgiamgevents.blogspot.com/2011/04/gmga-spring-conference.html

CALLLING ALL CICADA AFFICIANADOS! UGA Entomologist Nancy Hinkle would like your help statewide in documenting where the Brood XIX Periodical Cicadas emerge in Georgia.

http://georgiamgevents.blogspot.com/2011/04/calling-all-cicada-seekers.html

FARMERS AND CONSUMERS MARKET BULLETIN: Arty Schronce, Director of Public Affairs for Georgia Department of Agriculture talks about how much the Market Bulletin means to folks around Georgia in this plea to help save the bulletin. http://georgiamgevents.blogspot.com/2011/04/save-piece-of-georgia-history.html

DALLAS: Paulding County Master Gardener Plant Sale, Saturday, April 30, 8 am – 2 pm. Great plants and garden décor for your yard and garden at great prices: Annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, vegetable plants, and hanging baskets and “Second Hand Rose” garden shop. ***Cash or checks only. Paulding County University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Office, 530 West Memorial Drive, Dallas, Georgia 30132. Flyer here: http://www.accesspaulding.com/images/Plant_Sale.pdf

WINTERVILLE: Farm Fete Feast, Around the Maypole, Sunday, May 1 at 3 p.m. a family-style farm supper at Woodland Gardens. Enjoy Farm Tour, Farm Cocktails, Farm-style Musical Entertainment, a dance around the Maypole and delectable vittles cooked by talented chefs! Proceeds benefit Georgia Organics. Woodlands Garden is located near Athens in Winterville, GA Contributions are:$200 per person; $185 for Georgia Organics members

Seats are limited to 100. For more information contact Sandy Layton at 678-702-0400 or email sandy@georgiaorganics.org

The South Metro Rose Society 26th Annual Rose Show Kiwanis Center at 936 Redwine Rd, Fayetteville

Saturday& Sunday, May 14 & 15, 2011. Over 500 exhibition roses of all varieties. Get answers to your rose questions from our A.R.S. Consulting Rosarians. Rose bouquets will be sold. Raffle prizes include: a 24k. gold plated rose pin, a variety of large and miniature rose bushes, Bionic gardening gloves, and other rose items! Free admission

Tell the parking attendants you’re there for the rose show and parking is also FREE! For more information call 770-631-3885

YOUR SOUTHERN GARDEN with Walter Reeves is on the GPB Schedule for noon and 6:30 pm Saturday.

GMGA Spring Conference

2011-04-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Georgia Master Gardener Association Spring 2011 Conference on April 29 and 30 in Rome, Georgia. When in Rome….Green Gardening for the Future

Floyd Master Gardeners invite you to come to Rome, Georgia for the Spring 2011 Georgia Master Gardener Association Conference. Located in beautiful northwest Georgia in an enchanted land where the rivers meet the mountains, there is something here for everyone to enjoy. On Friday, you can register early to get into the Forum to sneak and peek at all the goodies the venders have for sale. A tour of the majestic Oakhill Museum and Gardens is planned for the afternoon. Then, join in the fun at the ECO Center for an evening of wine and hors d’oeuvres. You also will have opportunity to meet the speakers for the conference. And, best of all, you can take a ride on the Roman Holiday Riverboat. If you still have the energy, the conference continues bright and early on Saturday at the Forum. The focus of this conference is on ecologically sound practices that go beyond gardening. The agenda is jam packed with all sorts of interesting things to do and see. There’s more information at http://georgiamastergardeners.org/

Friday April 29, 2011

2:30 - 6:00 Early Registration/Check-in at the Forum

3:00 - 4:30 Tour Oakhill Gardens

4:00 - 6:00 Sneak-a-Peek at what the Venders have for sale at The Forum

5:30 - 7:30 Meet and Greet Fellow Master Gardeners at the ECO Center

Meet Dr. Scott Angle – Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia

Listen to Eric Lindberg, ECO Center Director, talk about the ECO Center’s mission and LEED remodeling.

Learn what Malcolm Hodges of the Georgia Chapter of the Nature Conservancy knows about the unique and endangered species of Blacks Bluff Preserve, Marshall Forest, and Braille Trail located in Floyd County

Ride the Roman Holiday Riverboat on the Oostanaula and Coosa Rivers

Ride a shuttle from/to Forum and Eco Center -or-

Take a walking tour on the Riverwalk to the Eco Center

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres with wine and other beverages

Meet the conference speakers

Saturday, April 30, 2011

8:30 – 9:30 Registration and Check-in

8:50 – 9:00 Welcome and Greeting

9:00 –10:00 Tara Dillard - Gardens of Italy Politics, Religion and Sex

10:00-10:05 First Door Prize Drawings

10:05-10:30 Visit Venders

10:30-11:30 Dr. William Welch - Southern Heirloom Gardens Rediscovering Our Green Connections

11:30-11:35 Second Door Prize Drawings

11:35 - 1:30 Lunch Break

12:00–12:30 Munchin’ Meeting - Joe Cook –Tour the Coosa River Watershed

12:45 –1:15 Munchin’ Meeting – Dr. Martin Cipollini –American Chestnut and Longleaf Pin Restoration

1:15 – 1:30 GMGA Update

1:30 – 1:35Third Door Prize Drawings

1:35 - 2:35 Jim Rodgers – Build Your Own National Park

2:35 – 2:40 Fourth Door Prize Drawings

2:40 – 3:00 Visit Venders

3:00 – 4:00 Terry Kay - Hungrier by the Dozen

4:00 – 4:10 Final Door Prize Drawings and Grand Prize Drawing

4:10 - 4:15 Thank You and Farewell

Calling All Cicada Seekers

2011-04-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

Nancy C. Hinkle, Ph.D.

Dept. of Entomology

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

Brood XIX of our 13-year cicadas is scheduled to emerge here in Georgia starting in late spring and running through June. They will come out, sing their "song of summer," mate, lay eggs, and die within just a couple of months. And we won't see this species again until 2024.

Periodical cicadas are smaller than the cicadas that emerge mid-summer – but they sing just as loudly. Periodical cicadas emerge in the spring, have bright red eyes and orange-veined wings, while dog-day cicadas emerge in summer (the “dog days”), are larger, and have green bodies and black eyes. Cicada nymphs emerge from the ground, crawl up trees, shed their skins, and fly to the treetops from which the males call for mates. Females reply with wing clicks, luring in the males.

Cicadas are not pests, so there is nothing to be concerned about. This is just a great opportunity to see one of nature’s novelties. We can explain to children that they will not see this group of cicadas again until they themselves are adults.

Parents of this brood were around back in 1998, when this year’s senior class was in kindergarten. Popular movies that spring included "Titanic" and "Deep Impact." For 13 years these cicada nymphs have been living below ground, in the dark, waiting for 2011.

Brood XIX is Georgia's only 13-year cicada.

Cicadas are not locusts (locusts eat all plants – cicadas sip plant sap and don't damage plants).

Female cicadas lay their eggs in slits in twig tips; this can cause the end of the branch to die and fall off, which is nature's pruning service to prevent breakage in next winter's snowstorm.

This is an adult emergence – the eggs hatched 13 years ago, so these insects just became teenagers and are demonstrating their independence by emerging from the ground.

The shells found on trees are the shed skins of these nymphs that have been underground for 13 years (insects shed their skin to grow just as snakes do).

Only male cicadas sing -- and they sing only during the day. Their song is referred to as "the song of summer," because the droning sound is the background music to summer activities. Periodical cicadas, such as the 13-year cicadas that will emerge next month, are only an inch and a half long – about 2/3 the size of the dog day cicadas that we see every August.

As nymphs come out of the ground, they produce little mud “chimneys,” through which they emerge aboveground. Nymphs emerge at night, climb up tree trunks or other objects, split their skin and emerge as adults. Within hours their wings have dried and they are able to fly up into the treetops.

Immature cicadas, called nymphs, live underground for 13 years, sucking juice from tree roots and growing very slowly. This means that they will be found only in areas that have had hardwood trees for at least 13 years. So you won’t find cicadas emerging in parking lots or empty fields. Highest numbers likely will be found in mature hardwood forests.

Periodical cicadas are rare south of Macon. In central Georgia, they may start emerging in April. North Georgia probably won’t start seeing them until May.

UGA is interested in mapping this year's cicada emergence. We're asking people to take photos of cicadas and shed cicada skins that they find and e-mail them to Insects@uga.edu.

Save a Piece of Georgia History

2011-04-14T05:29:00.000-07:00

Subscribe to the Market Bulletin

Save a Piece of Georgia History

When I travel around the state and tell people I work for the Georgia Department of Agriculture, often the first thing out of their mouth is “Do you work for the Market Bulletin?”

The second thing is “I just love the Market Bulletin.” Then they will tell a story about something they bought or read or how they remember seeing their parents or grandparents reading it.

The Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin is a valuable source of news and information as well as a marketplace for Georgians to buy, sell and look for a wide range of products and services. That is as true today as when the Market Bulletin began in 1917.

Georgians place free advertisements for what they are selling or what they want to buy. In a recent issue I found ads for fresh worm castings, lucky buckeyes, martin gourds, alpaca raw fleece, green emu eggs, peacock feathers (and both India blue peacocks and Java green peahens), free-range chicken eggs, silver-laced Cochins, Barred Rocks, Domineckers, saddles, balers, tillers, tractors, troughs, farmland, firewood and windmills.

Among the want ads were “Responsible person needed for horse care early morning and late afternoon.” And “Tall bamboo wanted; will thin out your grove for canes over 20 feet.” And “Looking for old-fashioned white English peach trees and red Indian peach seeds.”

Some of the most popular ads are ones for old-fashioned or pass-along plants and seeds of vegetables and flowers that are sometimes hard to find in the nursery trade. Looking at the common names of some of these plants is like taking a course in Georgia folklore. Consider these: fever tree, hummingbird vine, money plant, four-o’clocks, running okra, white half-runner beans, grancy graybeard, balsam, milk-and-wine lily, Job’s tears, yellow rose of Texas, touch-me-nots, multiplying onion, maypop and “old-timey daffodils.” (I’m always curious to find out what is meant by something like “old-timey daffodils” just as I am always touched to read a “heaping teaspoon full” of a particular seed offered.

The economic benefits of the Market Bulletin are broad-based: from the ads that make a few dollars for the elderly woman selling “re-seeding petunia seeds” by the teaspoon or thousands of dollars for those selling larger items. Among those seeking or offering employment or services in a recent issue were a man in Monroe “able to clean out chicken houses,” someone who will “Bushhog your land or haul your horses” in Dallas, and a “Lady on fixed income needs someone to plow a small garden plot in the Toccoa area, reasonable.”

Beyond the positive economic impact that comes from products sold and services rendered, the Market Bulletin has performed another important service throughout the years of bringing people together from across our vast state. When I think about all the people who have come together and benefitted from the Market Bulletin in its long history, I get goose bumps.

At the Southeastern Flower Show I spoke with a lady who had ordered numerous items out of the Market Bulletin over the years. She was clear in her assessment: “Oh, the plants are wonderful. We’ve found a lot of good things, but it is the PEOPLE we’ve met and the FRIENDS we’ve made that have really made it worthwhile.”

Out of curiosity, I looked at an issue of the Market Bulletin from 1933 – the depth of the Great Depression and the year my parents were born. I came across “19 yr. old young man wants job on farm. Honest, truthful, without bad habits. Prefer dairy or poultry. For home and small salary. Chester Loyd, Folkston.” There were ads for people selling seed varieties I hadn’t heard of: ‘Nancy Hanks’ watermelon and ‘Whatley’s Prolific’ seed corn. There were ads for comfrey, horseradish and sugar figs. I don’t know if Mr. Loyd found his job. I hope so. So many people were leaving the farm in the 30’s that it was encouraging to see someone wanting to stay. I don’t know how many descendants of those horseradish and comfrey plants and fig trees are growing across Georgia. I hope some still are.

I hope that people of a new generation will get to continue the tradition of making money, friends and connections through the Market Bulletin. However, that may not happen if the Market Bulletin cannot get enough paid subscriptions.

To keep the Market Bulletin alive, paid subscriptions have become essential. If it does not garner enough subscriptions to pay its publication costs, the Market Bulletin will cease to exist.

Subscriptions are available to Georgia residents at a cost of only $10 per year (26 issues); out-of-state-subscriptions are available for $20 per year. Out-of-state subscriptions must be within the United States or its territories.

To start or renew a subscription, send a check or money order payable to Market Bulletin, along with your name, complete mailing address and daytime phone number (in the event the Market Bulletin office needs to contact you concerning your subscription) to the following address: Market Bulletin, Georgia Department of Agriculture, 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30334-4250. New subscribers may also pay online with a credit card at www.thegamarketbulletin.com Please note there is a $1 convenience fee added for online subscriptions.

Please don’t let this beloved publication die. Please rally behind the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin by becoming a subscriber and encouraging your friends and family to join with you in preserving this Georgia tradition.

-- Arty Schronce

Arty Schronce is Director of Public Affairs for the Georgia Department of Agriculture

MG Snippets 4/8/2011

2011-04-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

UGA Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program

Weekly Snippets, April 8, 2011

PLANTAPALOOZA is in Athens tomorrow 4/9, 8am-2pm. Directions and parking information can be found here http://www.ugatrialgardens.com/directions.html Please come out and support UGA Horticulture, Trial Gardens and the State Botanical Garden!

MILLEDGEVILLE: Lockerly Arboretum Annual Spring Plant Sale April 15 & 16. Friday (3 – 6 PM) & Saturday (9 AM – 2 PM), A wide variety of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs will be available, including 20 varieties of antique roses. In case of sellouts, orders may be placed for later delivery. For more information, visit www.lockerly.org or contact Bradley Roberts at 478-452-2112.

Lawrenceville: 17th Annual Spring Plant Sale April 20 & 21 9am - 4pm Presented by Gwinnett Technical CollegeEnvironmental Horticulture Department Hanging Baskets , Bedding Plants, Herbs, Vegetables,Coleus, Begonias, Petunias, Heuchera, Geraniums, Night Blooming Cereus & more. Meet the AuthorsOn April 20th during the plant sale, Gwinnett County Public Libraries will present Coach Vince Dooley, Erica Glasener, Jim Wilson and Jane Bath. Bring your books and get them signed while picking up something for the garden.Gwinnett Technical College Greenhouse, 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 600,Lawrenceville, GA 30043 For more information: 678.226.6298, rtrimbl8855_at_student.gwinnetttech.edu

AUGUSTA: Pendleton King Park Plant Swap and Sale. Saturday, May 7, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.Pendleton King Park Franke PavilionMaster Gardeners will be selling plants to fund improvement projects at Pendleton King Park. People wishing to donate plants for the fund-raising sale to benefit the park are invited to bring their plants to the PKP Franke Pavilion Friday, May 6 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Individuals or groups wishing to sell their own plants or garden related items provide their own set up and are required to donate 10 per cent of their sales to the park. Contact Kay Mills at 706 738-4321 (tkmills_at_knology.net) for more information.

DAHLONEGA: Georgia Mountains Master Gardeners (GMMG) Annual Garden Expo. May 21 and 22, 2011, 9 am - 4 pm Saturday and Sunday in conjunction with the Mountain Flower Arts Festival. Plant sale, children's activity, plant clinics, demonstrations, instructional programs, and wildflower walks and hypertufa container workshop. Hancock Park ,one block from the Dahlonega town square. The Art Festival will be held on the Square with a large number of juried artists displaying and selling their works of art. More information on the Festival and EXPO can be found at:http://www.dahlonegaarts.org/fm/events/detail/id/13/ or

http://www.dahlonega.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=151&Itemid=207

Contact: Larry Krull, 706-216-6747, "Larry Krull" LDKrull_at_AOL.com.

This week on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves: Growing Blueberries in Containers, Transplanting Azaleas w/Hank Bruno, Dir. of Horticulture at Callaway Gardens, Butterflies in Your Garden, Azalea Leaf Gall. Airing Saturdays at noon & 6:30 pm on Georgia Public Broadcasting stations, YSG is a co-production of the University of Florida/IFAS and the University of Georgia, with sponsorship from the Scotts Company. http://www.yoursoutherngarden.com/

SuperSnippets 4.1.2011

2011-04-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Georgia Master Gardener

Snippets April 1. 2011

YOUR SOUTHERN GARDEN, the regional gardening show hosted by Walter Reeves 2011 season premieres April 2, airs Saturdays at noon and repeats at 6:30 p.m. on Georgia Public Broadcasting stations. Check local listing for times on Alabama Public Television, South Carolina’s ETV and select northern and central Florida public television stations. This week's show: Hank Bruno on using Korean dogwoods, UGA horticulturist Paul Thomas on why burying seeds might not be the best way to get them to sprout. Also, how to transplant a small fig tree and how properly prune trees. http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4078

PERRY: Annual Spring Home & Garden Show April 2 & 3, 2011, in Perry, Georgia. Vendors from throughout the southeastern region offering a wide variety of plants, garden tools, pottery, home accents and outdoor living accessories. Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions, help with plant selections, provide information to guide your landscape planning, and conduct demonstrations. Our many children's activities include painting projects and creating special garden keepsakes. McGill Building at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry. Tickets are only $4.00 if purchased before the show and $5.00 at the door. Children under 12 are admitted free. For more information on location and advance ticket purchase, http://www.mgcg.org/shgsflyer.jpg

PINE MOUNTAIN: Vegetable Gardening A to Z Friday, April 8, 2011 Join gardening guru Walter Reeves and Callaway Gardens Vegetable Garden Manager, David Chambers for a day chock full of gardening. Basics and timely tips to make your own vegetable patch perform to its full potential. No matter if you are a beginner or a seasoned gardener, you'll get lots of take-home information - and plants - to ensure that your garden will be the envy of friends and neighbors. 10m-2pm Fee: $55 (includes lunch)Space is limited. Preregistration is required. To preregister, call 706-663-5153 or email education@callawaygardens.com

KENNESAW: Outdoor Dinner and a Movie. Saturday April 9th from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.The Gardens at Kennesaw Mountain “GROW!” tells the story of Georgia’s new generation of young farmers. Hard-working, passionate, often college-educated and rarely landowners, these young people have chosen the life of farmers—for inspiring, and sometimes surprising—reasons. In their 50-minute documentary, filmmaking duo Christine Anthony and Owen Masterson explore these reasons, while tracking the progress of 20 farmers on 12 Georgia farms throughout a growing season. Proceeds from the event will be used to offset costs of distributing and marketing the film at festivals and screenings across the country and in Europe. The cost is $50 per person. Seating is limited to 100. Tickets are available through Georgia Organics by clicking here and must be purchased no later than Tuesday, April 4th.The Gardens at Kennesaw Mountain 1127 White Circle NW Marietta, GA http://tinyurl.com/4by3dtv

GWINNETT: Gwinnett Master Gardener Meeting April 11, featured speaker AJC environmental writer Charles Seabrook: "When the Birds Return -- Spring in Georgia"covered dish dinner at 6:30. If you would like to eat with us, please bring a dish to share. Otherwise, come and hear Charles at 7:00. We meet at the Gwinnett Senior Center at 225 Bethesda Church Road in Lawrenceville off of Ronald Reagan Parkway." http://www.ugaextension.com/gwinnett/index.html

Southeastern Horticultural Society membership. SHS thanks all of the Georgia Master Gardeners for their thousands of hours of selfless community volunteering. In celebration of Georgia Master Gardener Day, the Southeastern Horticultural Society would like to extend all Georgia Master Gardeners a 1-year membership for $25. To take advantage of the offer, go to www.sehort.org click on membership, choose the student membership level and put "Master Gardener" in the Company or Business name box above the membership level. The Southeastern Horticultural Society (SHS) is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to promoting the knowledge, art and enjoyment of horticulture throughout the Southeastern United States. The SHS is the organization presents the Southeastern Flower Show, and supports community learning gardens in inner-city neighborhoods.

CONCORD: Concord Garden Club Lunch and Learn program. Sherri Castle will be the Harriette Beckham lecturer and present her new book, The New Southern Cookbook, “Enjoying the best from Homegrown Gardens, Farmers’ Markets, Roadside Stands, and CSA Farm Boxes.” Thursday April 14 at Strickland Store in Concord, GA (highway 18 west of Zebulon and east of Molena). Lunch and Learn starts at 11:30 with a social time and an opportunity to shop with proceeds to support local scholarship projects. Presentation at 12:00. Please bring a sandwich and Concord Garden Club will provide the beverage and finger desserts. There is no charge for the program…just come and enjoy a good program in peaceful Concord. If you have any questions please contact Gail Berthe at glberthe@aol.com or 770 228 8849.

STATESBORO: Wine Moonlight and Magnolias to benefit the Georgia Southern University Botanical Garden. April 21, 2011 7-9pm. GSU Botanical Garden 1505 Bland Ave Statesboro, GA $45 http://welcome.georgiasouthern.edu/garden/WineMoonlight&Magnolia2011.pdf

GRIFFIN: Workshop Hypertufa Containers-Beginnner and Advanced UGA Research and Education Garden Saturday April 23, 10 am- 1pm. $35 Create your own hypertufa trough container. Beginner-each participant will mix, pour, and mold a trough container or stepping stone to take home. Advanced-participants of previous basic hypertufa will construct a multi-part hypertufa birdbath. Participants should wear old clothes and bring one pair of heavy rubber dishwashing gloves. Registration fee includes all supplies and materials to make one rectangular trough container, stepping stone or birdbath. Class is limited to 15 participants. Registration form http://tinyurl.com/4dzg9gg

-------------------

MG & UGA AFFILLIATED PLANT SALES AND GARDEN TOURS IN ONE LIST

ATHENS PlantaPalooza Saturday, April 9th, 2011 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. State Botanical Garden, Trial Gardens at UGA & UGA Hort Club Sale http://www.ugatrialgardens.com/

CHEROKEE Cherokee County Master Gardeners Plant Sale Saturday, April 9, 2011, 10:00a.m.- 2:00p.m. Cherokee County Senior Services Center & CCMG Demo Gardens 1001 Univeter Road, Canton, GA http://www.ugaextension.com/cherokee/documents/2011FLYERPLANTSALE.pdf

CLARKE Athens Area Master Gardener Plant Sale April 23 8 am-2 pm Clarke County Extension Office. http://www.ugaextension.com/clarke/

COBB Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County through the Garden Gate The 2011 Tour of the Private Gardens of Cobb County Master Gardeners Saturday, May 7, 2011 10 AM until 5 PM http://www.cobbmastergardeners.org/

COWETA Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale: Saturday, April 9, 2011 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m Coweta County Fairgrounds-275 Pine Road, Newnan Coweta County Master Gardeners’ 2011 Spring Garden Gate Tour Saturday, May 14th 9 a.m. - 3p.m. http://www.ugaextension.com/coweta

FORSYTH: Forsyth County Master Gardeners Annual Spring Plant Sale Saturday, May 7, 2011, from 9:30am-2:30pm, The Avenue Forsyth, in the lot between Furniture Express and Hwy. 141. GA 400 Exit 13, Bethelview Road and Hwy. 141. http://fcmgardener.web.officelive.com/Sale.aspx

FAYETTE: Fayette Master Gardeners Annual Plant Sale and Demonstrations on Saturday, April 30, 2011. 8:00 am – 2:00 pm Fayette County Administration Complex parking lot, 140 Stonewall Ave., Fayetteville, GA 30214 Same Day Spring Garden Tour 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m Both events are Rain or shine. http://www.ugaextension.com/fayette/mg/index.html

GRIFFIN: Friends of the Garden Annual Plant Sale Saturday April 16 8am-4pm 21 Ellis Road, Griffin http://www.caes.uga.edu/campus/griffin/garden/grifmap.cfm

GWINNETT: Gwinnett County MG's Plant Sale Saturday, May 7th, 2011 – 9:30 a.m to while supplies last Cool-Ray Field Parking Lot, 2500 Buford Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30043 http://www.gwinnettmastergardeners.com

FULTON: NFMG Garden Faire 2011 Saturday, April 16 - 9:00am until 3:00pm Historic Bulloch Hall, Roswell Activities include Pass-A-Long plant sale, Fleatique market, bake sale, garden vendors, and demonstrations in the garden. http://www.nfmg.net/pdfFiles/branching%20Front%20and%20back2011.jpg

HALL: Hall County Master Gardeners Spring Garden Expo April 8- 9, 2011Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.& Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center. Garden Walk “In Our Own Back Yards”Saturday, June 4, 2011 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain or Shine $10 - Advance Purchase, $15 - Day of The Tour http://www.hcmgs.com

HART: The Northeast Georgia Master Gardeners Plant Sale April 15, 10:00-5:00 and April 16, 9:00-2:00 at the Hart Botanical Garden on Hwy 77 just past Hart EMC. Perennials, annuals, shrubs, vegetables, herbs, ferns, and more. http://www.ugaextension.com/hart/

PAULDING: Paulding County Master Gardener Plant Sale April 30, 8 am - 2 pm, Paulding County Extension Office http://www.ugaextension.com/paulding/

More events (if this isn’t enough to keep you busy)

Walter Reeves Gardening Events http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-events/

Georgia Organics Events http://www.georgiaorganics.org/EventList.aspx

MG SNIPPETS 3/25/11

2011-03-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

MG SNIPPETS 3/25/11

GRIFFIN: Pesticide Use, Safety, and Handling Training Earn five hours of Commercial Pesticide Credit in multiple categories! Categories 21,22,23,24,25,26,27,31,32,35,36,37,38,39, or 41 For registration information contact Karen Atkins, 478-987-2028, atkinsk@uga.edu or find a registration form at http://www.ugaextension.com/houston/news.html Tuesday April 19th, 2011- 8:30 am to 4 pm. $45 includes materials. Lunch on your own. UGA Cooperative Extension is committed to providing access for people with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations if notified in advance. Call 478-987-2028

LAGRANGE: Heirloom Plants for Garden Fragrance Hills and Dales Estate 10:00 am Saturday, March 26 Horticulture Manager, Jo Phillips will present an informative workshop on fragrant heirlooms suitable for southern gardens. The program will cover fragrant plants for all seasons and various site conditions. Participants will be able to experience the scented plants blooming at Hills & Dales and receive a fragrance plant to take home. $20/person, pre-registration required. http://www.hillsanddales.org

DECATUR: GPC Native Plant Botanical Garden Native Azalea and Trillium Madness Sales. Saturday, March 26, we start our Native Plant Sales. We are featuring native Azaleas and 8-10 year old Trilliums which were grown from seed. This is a great opportunity to purchase for planting this spring. Sales continue on Wednesday, March 30, with the start of our Spring 2011 Lunch and Wildflower Series. We also have a great selection of other native plants available. Come see us this Saturday, March 26, 10am to 2pm, and enjoy the garden while you are here. 3251 Panthersville Road, Decatur, GA 678-891-2668 http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/

GAINESVILLE: 2011 Spring Garden Expo “Greatest Two-Day Plant Sale in Georgia” More than 60 vendors selling plants, garden art and garden products free admission, free parking Friday, April 8 – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 9 – 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center, near I-985 at exit 20 in Gainesville and follow the signs. Free Gardening workshops and special guest speakers, Saturday April 9: 10 a.m. -- Scott McMahan Noon -- Rosealie Jensen 2 p.m. -- Sam Faulkner .“Ask a Master Gardener” information booth Purchase “hold and load” service. www.hcmgs.org or 770-535-8293

EVANS: Riverwood Local Fest, Saturday, April 30, 9:AM-3:00PM, On the grounds behind Riverwood Plaza (Publix) corner of Washington Rd & William Few Pkwy in Evans. There will be a Farmer's Market, Plant Sale & Swap, Foods by local chefs, Art, Farm Animals, Games, Live Music, Demonstrations of Cooking, Wood Turning, Soap Making, Backyard Poultry, Bee Keeping Talk and Information, Gardening Advice from Master Gardeners, and Lots More. Admission is Free to both the public and participants. To participate as a farmer, gardener, artist, or restaurant please contact Kim Hines at augustalocallygrown@gmail.com.

NEWNAN: Coweta County Master Gardeners’ 2011 Spring Garden Gate Tour Saturday, May 14th 9 a.m. - 3p.m. 5 lovely gardens and lunch (Lunch: 11a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Shade Garden at Andy’s Nursery,915 Highway 16 East, Newnan 770.252.3030) Ticket Price: $20.00 lunch included. Single Garden Tour Tickets may be purchased at the individual gardens for $5.00 each; lunch is not included.Ticket Purchase Locations: All Andy’s Nursery locations, Country Gardens, Scott’s Book Store and Coweta County Extension Office.Tour Transportation: A shuttle will be provided for easy access and traffic flow. Persons with limited mobility are encouraged to go directly to the garden on tour. For Additional Information: Contact Cindy Bruce, Garden Tour Chairperson by calling the Coweta County Extension Office at 770.254.2620 Updates and additional information will be accessible at the Coweta County Extension website at: http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/coweta/index.html The tour proceeds support Coweta County Extension educational programs including scholarships and 4-H

2011-03-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

MACON: Master Gardeners of Central Georgia Spring Plant Sale. Friday, March 18th and Saturday, March 19 8 am to 5 pm. State Farmers Market, 2055 Eisenhower Parkway, Macon, Georgia 31206.

ROCKDALE: Master Gardener Advanced Gold Level Urban Tree Training. Presented by Rockdale County Cooperative Extension. Mondays, April 18-May 16, 2011. Open only to active certified Master Gardeners. This training will consist of five one-half day training sessions. 100% attendance of the training sessions is required. Additional outside work will also be required to complete the gold level training. $60.00 covers all books, nametag, materials, field trips, luncheon and breaks. Contact Jule-Lynne Macie, County Extension Agent at the Rockdale County Extension Office – (770) 278-7373. Registration flyer and information

Http://www.caes.uga.edu/departments/hort/extension/mastergardener/documents/2011Flyer-UrbanTree.pdf

DECATUR: 2011 Annual Plant Sale and Flower Show. Azalea Chapter of The American Rhododendron Society. Saturday, April 16th 9a.m. - 4p.m. Oak Grove United Methodist Church, 1722 Oak Grove Road, Decatur GA 30033. Rain or Shine – Cash and checks accepted. Regionally grown native azaleas, evergreen azaleas, rhododendrons, native companion plants,(These are plants not typically found in local Garden Centers).Flower show and planting demonstrations, membership opportunities. New joining members and existing members receive 25% discount. www.azaleachapter.com

GRIFFIN: Rainwater Harvesting Workshop. April 22, 2011 from 8:30 A.M.-3:30 P.M UGA Griffin Campus Research and Education Garden. Drs. Sheryl Wells, Frank Henning, and Bodie Pennisi from UGA Cooperative Extension Service, and students from CAES Environmental Resource Science, are offering a rainwater harvesting workshop that will teach you how the different systems work and also allow you to participate in a HANDS ON workshop to truly show you how it is done. We will demonstrate how to build your own rainwater harvesting system from materials available at your local hardware store! Learn about: Cistern sizing, siting, installation, maintenance. Lunch will be provided. Class limited to 40. $30.00 Pre-Registration is required. Register by April 15, 2011.For more information please contact Val Schott at (770) 233-5598 email vschott@uga.edu FAX: (770) 228-7287

ATHENS: State Botanical Garden of Georgia class Nature Journaling with Nancy Lowe, Local Botanical Artist. April 23, 2011 10am-4pm. Learn to make your own nature journal, draw accurately from nature, write observations. You will become a better observer of the dramas in your own backyard, on hikes, field trips and travel. No experience necessary, all levels welcome! SBG Members $60.00; Non-members $66.00 www.uga.edu/botgarden

BLAIRSVILLE: Blairsville Garden Club 2011 Annual Plant Sale. Union County Farmer’s Market, now located on Old Smokey Road, about a block east of Home Depot in Blairsville, Georgia. Friday, April 29th, 9am to 5pm/Saturday. April 30th, 10am to 2pm. Perennials, Annuals, Herbs, Ground Covers/Vines, Shrubs Exhibits www.blairsvillegardenclub.com

Georgia MG Snippets 03/10/2011

2011-03-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal recognizes Master Gardener Day in Georgia March 19.

http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/index.cfm?public=viewStory&pk_id=4062

2010 State Annual Reports are available online at

http://www.caes.uga.edu/departments/hort/extension/mastergardener/news.html

STATEWIDE: Help Save the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin-Excerpted from a message from the Georgia Agriculture Commissioner: Per the recommendation of the General Assembly last year, we are currently working on instituting a $10 a year subscription for the Market Bulletin. We currently have 20,000 paid subscriptions to the Market Bulletin, but we need 38,000 more to break even by April 30. If we do not get 38,000 more subscriptions, we will have to strongly consider ending the Market Bulletin. This would be a huge loss to Georgia, especially since the paper has been around since 1907. So I am coming to you today, like I did growing up, asking you to buy a subscription to our newspaper. Will you do your part to save Georgia History and preserve this valuable resource for future generations? For more information or to subscribe, go to http://www.thegamarketbulletin.com

ATLANTA: Atlanta Orchid Society Show and Sale March 11-13 Day Hall, Atlanta Botanical Garden. Free with Garden admission http://www.atlantaorchidsociety.org/ directions and garden admission info http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/

GRIFFIN: UGA Research and Education Garden Upcoming Events: Kite Flying in the Garden Sunday March 13, 2011 1-4 pm. Free. Bring your kite and we’ll supply the wind! If Mother Nature cooperates, we’ll launch our kites on the hill north of the garden pergola. Kite flying demonstrations by stunt kite flyers Gary Crenshaw and Kenny Lamarca. Kite flying contest at 2:30 with prizes for biggest, most unusual, highest flying, most colorful and best homemade kites. Rain date is March 20. Directions at http://www.caes.uga.edu/campus/griffin/garden/grifmap.cfm

Floral Magic! Flower Arranging Saturday April 2, 10 am – 1 pm. $35 Floral designer David Brown shares basic arranging techniques, plus his unique and creative ideas for using flowers to decorate your home. Bring your own scissors or shears. Each participant will create a fresh arrangement to take home. Class is limited to 15 participants. Floral Class Registration form at: http://tinyurl.com/6afka4b

ATHENS: Topiary Artist Pearl Fryar at The State Botanical Garden of Georgia Friday, March 18, 2011. 6:30pm – Reception honoring Pearl Fryar. 7:30pm – Program by Pearl Fryar Friends of the Garden members - $10; Non-members - $15 Pearl Fryar transformed his 3 acre yard into a living sculpture garden that hosts over 5,000 visitors a year from around the world, has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines and books, and is the subject of an award winning documentary: A Man Named Pearl. Each tree and shrub was planted by Pearl, some rescued from dumpters, some pruned after Pearl worked a 12 hour shift in a local factory. Without formal training, Pearl Fryar created a topiary garden that is now a Preservation Project of the Garden Conservancy, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving America’s exceptional gardens. By working with neighbors and his home of Bishopville, Pearl helped to change one of the most economically depressed counties in South Carolina into a tourist destination with community pride and a unique sense of identity. Pearl is also working with at-risk students whose talents are not reflected in their grades and with art students at Coker College in Hartsville, inspiring them with his philosophy, life story, patience and creativity. These traits will come through in his presentation as part of The Friends of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia Annual Meeting. After a reception, Pearl will not only speak, but demonstrate his topiary skills on living plants on stage. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For information or to make reservations, please call Beverly Morton at 706-542-6138 or email beverly@uga.edu . Deadline for registration is March 14.

ALBANY: Away We Grow! a spring gardening expo Southwest Georgia Master Gardeners will celebrate Master Gardener Day with exhibits and interactive displays in the Albany Mall from 11:00 to 4:00 on March 19, 2011. Table displays will include tufa pots, bonsai, wilt-resistant tomatoes, school gardens, butterfly conservation, beekeeping, rain barrels, children's art, daylilies and more. http://www.swgamastergardeners.com/

ATHENS: Native Medicinal Plant Walk and Talk State Botanical Garden. Mar 26, 2011 10:AM-Noon. An instructional walk through the State Botanical Garden trails and gardens with clinical herbalist and plant enthusiast Holli Richey, enjoy the native spring ephemerals in bloom while hearing stories of how people have used Solomon’s seal, bloodroot, trillium, spiderwort, as well as common trees and other perennials, for food and medicine. Cost: Members $15.00; Non-members $18.00 http://www.uga.edu/botgarden

COLUMBUS: Columbus Botanical Garden—Spring Plant Sale Friday, April 15, 2011: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Saturday, April 16, 2011: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm All proceeds raised by the plant sale benefit the Columbus Botanical Garden. http://columbusbotanicalgarden.com/

DECATUR: Native Plant Garden Spring Lunch and Wildflower Series at Georgia Perimeter College starts Wednesday, March 30, with Ernest Koone, who will talk on "Native Azaleas". The following Wednesday, April 6, Karen Lindauer and John Little will conduct a special garden walk on "Spring Ephemerals". As noted walks generally start at 10:30 except for Karen's and John's walk which will start at 11:30. This year talks will be held in a new campus building SH, room SH-1500. This building is beyond the greenhouses. Directions will be posted at the garden. 3251 Panthersville Road Decatur, GA http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/ GPC spring plant sales begin March 26

CANTON: Group Visits to Cox Arboretum A special invitation has been extended to Georgia Master Gardener groups to visit Cox Arboretum , one of the largest private collections of temperate flora in the U.S. Located on 13 acres outside Canton, Ga. (40 miles north of Atlanta), the collection numbers more than 4,000 diverse specimens. To schedule a field trip, Master Gardener groups should email Tom Cox , providing brief information about the group and a preferred date with several alternates. Tom and his wife Evelyn, who created the arboretum two decades ago, travel globally to acquire additional rare and endangered specimens and in support of the garden's educational and scientific mission. They welcome visits of Master Gardener groups, with whom they look forward to sharing their impressive plant collection on informal walking tours.

Snippets 3/04/2011

2011-03-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

UGA Cooperative Extension Master Gardener

Snippets 3/04/2011

LAWRENCEVILLE: Gwinnett County Master Gardeners Meeting. Dawn Hines, DeKalb Master Gardener Trees of Our Lives: Small Native Trees for the Landscape PowerPoint presentation including many photographs about all aspects of tree care: choosing, planting, pruning, and the danger of non-native invasives (or exotics) to our landscapes and native areas. March 21, 2011. Covered dish dinner at 6:30. If you would like to eat with us, please bring a dish to share. Otherwise, come and hear Dawn at 7:00. We meet at the Gwinnett Senior Center at 225 Bethesda Church Road in Lawrenceville off of Ronald Reagan Parkway. Gwinnett Extension 678-377-4010.

TIFTON: South Georgia Native Plant & Wildflower Symposium, March 23, 2011. Tifton Campus Conference Center $30 + $10 buffet lunch. Great speakers, exhibits, plant & book sale, networking, and a guided tour of the Coastal Plain Research Arboretum. www.nespal.org/wildflower for more information.

GRIFFIN:Landscape Management Update Friday, April 1, 2011, 9am 12:30pm UGAGriffin Campus, Research Education Garden Classroom This program is designed for the commercial landscaper who wants to increase his or her knowledge of landscape management including: site analysis and bed preparation, plant selection -both woody and herbaceous, fertilization and irrigation, water-wise landscape tips, as well as creating outstanding design curb appeal. All refreshments and handouts are included in the program. Bob Westerfield and Bodie Pennisi will be the primary program speakers and are with the University of Georgia Horticulture Department. $30.00 Registration is required. Pre-registration is required. For more information or a registration form contact Val Schott at (770) 233-5598 email vschott@uga.edu Fax: (770) 228-7287

ROSWELL: Garden Faire The 8th Annual Garden Faire is a wonderful family event for gardeners, collectors, bargain hunters that takes place April 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m (rain or shine) at historic Bulloch Hall in Roswell, GA. Large selections of "homegrown" and specialty plants in our Pass Along Plant Sale will be available for purchase. In addition, this Metro Atlanta Event sponsored by the North Fulton County Master Gardeners features an abundance of garden tools, yard art, handmade crafts, bake sale, food and much, much more. Everything to make your yard and garden more beautiful, healthy and productive. Directions- http://www.bullochhall.org/

Snippets 2/24/11

2011-02-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

Georgia Master Gardener Program Snippets February 24, 2011

Starts tomorrow-

COBB: 2011 Southeastern Flower Show February 25-27 In Tune With Blooms-presented by the Southeastern Horticultural Society. The 24th annual Southeastern Flower Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre, In Tune with Blooms, celebrates music in the garden. Experience professionally-designed Landscaped Gardens, Artistic Floral Design and Horticulture Divisions, Discovery, Photography and Bonsai Exhibitions within the Show, and garden shopping in the Marketplace, Bookstore and Raffle. Celebrity speakers, Vignettes by foremost southeastern Event Designers, informal demos, live musical performances and children's workshops are presented daily. Friday - Saturday, Feb. 25-26, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday Feb. 27, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. General Admission: $18 Cobb Galleria Centre, Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30339 (free parking).For more information, hotel packages or tickets visit http://www.sehort.org. or www.flowershow.org Telephone: 404-351-1704

------------------

Fresh Clippings

GAINESVILLE: Apple Grafting Class Come join the fun! Saturday, March 19, 2011 2 sessions: 9-11:30am & 1-3:30pm $25.00 includes 5 trees to take home. Learn to graft apple trees in this hands-on workshop led by Dr. Stephen Garton, Forsyth County Extension Coordinator and Charlie Whittle from the Master Gardeners of the Blue Ridge. Choose from over 15 apple varieties including many heirloom varieties from the orchards on the Blue Ridge. Ashmead’s Kernel, Cox’s Orange Pippin and Thomas Jefferson’s favorite Esopus Spitzenberg will offer delicious fruit in your back yard garden. Your investment includes five trees of your very own plus a sampling of delightful local apple snacks. TO REGISTER: Call 770-887-0051 or on-line at info@discovercedarhill.org Cedar Hill Enrichment Center, Located at 5735 Dawsonville Highway, Gainesville

VIRGINIA: Historic Garden Week in Virginia. This spring, visitors will step through the gates of more than 250 of Virginia’s most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks during “America’s Largest Open House,” April 16-23, 2011. Three dozen Historic Garden Week tours present a rich mosaic of some of the country’s finest properties at the peak of Virginia’s springtime color. Sponsored by The Garden Club of Virginia, local events are scheduled from the Atlantic Ocean to the Allegheny Mountains and will span the centuries from the early 17th through the early 21st. http://www.vagardenweek.org/

MACON: Hay Day: Gardening and Going Green at Hay House, Saturday, April 16, 2011,10 a.m. - 3 p.m. FREE - No reservations required. Springtime activities for the whole family will highlight the theme of gardening. Take a tour of the Hay House historic gardens and grounds, make a potted plant holder to take-home, visit 'green' special exhibits, and enjoy music and lemonade on the lawn. Sponsored by Georgia Power, Ficking Family Foundation, Virgil P. Warren Family Foundation, and the Medical Center of Central Georgia. http://www.georgiatrust.org/historic_sites/hayhouse/

ATHENS: Plantapalooza now includes 3 plant sales! 8:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, April 9, 2011 Gardeners who participate in the 2011 Plantapalooza will be able to see two gardens, chat with horticulturists, and choose from a large selection of plants in three venues. All the plants are selected to thrive in Southeastern gardens. Plant lists, directions, and more information are available online at http://www.ugatrialgardens.com/

Coffee and light snacks will be sold at the two gardens. Admission is free for all plant sales. Information on Athens hotels and attractions can be found at www.VisitAthensGA.com Site Locations: 1. State Botanical Garden of Georgia, www.uga.edu/botgarden 2450 S. Milledge Avenue, Athens 2. The Trial Gardens at UGA

www.ugatrial.hort.uga.edu behind Snelling Dining Hall and next to the Pharmacy building on the UGA Campus, Athens 3. The UGA Horticulture Club www.hortclub.uga.edu near the intersection of Riverbend Road and College Station Road

ATHENS: Starting a New Food Business in Georgia seminar Friday, April 15th, at the Food Science Bldg., UGA Campus, in Athens. The cost is $100.00, which includes lunch, workshop materials and notebook. This one-day seminar is co-sponsored by the UGA Food Science Extension Outreach Program and the UGA Center for AgriBusiness Development, and features speakers from the food industry as well as entrepreneurs who have started their own food businesses. The deadline to register for this workshop is Monday, April 4th - to register online with a credit card, go to the CALENDAR link at www.EFSonline.uga.edu and look for the Starting a New Food Business brochure and online registration links. The brochure has important information about parking and directions. Space is limited to 40, so register early!

ATHENS: Athens Area Master Naturalist Program 2011. The Athens Area Master Naturalist program will be held in April and May on Fridays from 9-4pm in Athens. The classes cover many environmental topics including native plants, birding, human impact, urban forestry, mammals and wildlife, local agriculture, entomology, herpetology, water issues and stream monitoring. The majority of the classes will be held in Athens at Flinchum’s Phoenix but some will be in the Athens area in topic specific locations. The cost of the program is $185 and includes name badge, polo shirt, weekly refreshments, reference materials, certificate and a graduation lunch. The first class is April 2nd and registration is due no later than March 15th. Class size is limited to 25 participants and registration is on a first come, first served basis. For more information or to register http://www.ugaextension.com/clarke/anr/documents/MasterNaturalist2011.pdf or contact Amanda Tedrow at 706-613-3640 or atedrow@uga.edu

STATEWIDE: Registration is now open for Walk Georgia through March 9. Walk Georgia is a program designed to encourage citizens of Georgia to be healthy and active. Other physical activities including gardening can be counted toward mileage as you "walk across Georgia." Individuals or four person teams can participate. Note: this is the only session offered for 2011. http://www.walkgeorgia.org

COBB: Cobb County Master Gardeners present “Through the Garden Gate 2011” You are invited to stroll through the private gardens of the Cobb County Master Gardeners as well as other featured local gardens, Master Gardening projects, and the Plant Sale and Fair. This rain or shine event is Saturday May 7 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Advance Tickets are $10.00 per person and may be purchased through the Cobb Extension office beginning in March. Tour Day tickets are $15.00 at any of the gardens or at the plant sale location. For more information visit www.cobbmastergardeners.org or call 770-528-4070.

MG Snippets 2/17/11

2011-02-17T11:02:00.000-08:00

Event Reminders

Registration is open for_

*ROME: Georgia Master Gardener Association Spring 2011 Conference on April 29 and 30 in Rome, Georgia. When in Rome….Green Gardening for the Future. Floyd Master Gardeners invite you to come to Rome, Georgia for the Spring 2011 Georgia Master Gardener Association Conference. Located in beautiful northwest Georgia in an enchanted land where the rivers meet the mountains, there is something here for everyone to enjoy. On Friday, you can register early to get into the Forum to sneak and peek at all the goodies the vendors have for sale. A tour of the majestic Oakhill Museum and Gardens is planned for the afternoon. Then, join in the fun at the ECO Center for an evening of wine and hors d’oeuvres. You also will have opportunity to meet the speakers for the conference. And, best of all, you can take a ride on the Roman Holiday Riverboat. If you still have the energy, the conference continues bright and early on Saturday at the Forum. The focus of this conference is on ecologically sound practices that go beyond gardening. The agenda is jam packed with all sorts of interesting things to do and see. There’s more information at http://georgiamastergardeners.org/ Master Gardeners, County Agents and the public are welcome.

*Master Gardener Day in Georgia is Saturday March 19. Sample County proclamations are available at the Master Gardener Website at: http://www.caes.uga.edu/departments/hort/extension/mastergardener/news.html

New Clippings

DECATUR: Winter Talk: Spring's Miracle with Karen Lindauer Sunday, February 20 2:00 - 3:30 pm Georgia Perimeter College Decatur Campus, Auditorium SB - 1190 After our harsh winter spring is fast approaching. Karen's presentation will feature many spring flowering herbaceous and woody plants easily grown in Atlanta gardens. After the talk, join Karen for a visit to the woodland gardens to see what's emerging. Please follow signs at the garden to the auditorium for the talk. 3251 Panthersville Road Decatur, GA Phone: 678-891-2668 http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/

*GREENSBORO: Greene County Master Gardeners announce the 6-part Lunchbag Landscape Series, starting February 22 with “Grow Your Own Groceries” by UGA’s Dr. George Boyhan. Lecture is 11:30 am to 1 pm at Greene County Extension Office, 1180 Weldon Smith Dr., Greensboro, GA. Bring a lunch or buy one. For more information, call 706-453-2083.

MACON: Georgia Urban Forest Council Program "Show Me the Money! Funding and Other Resources for Urban Forestry Projects," February 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wesleyan College, 4760 Forsyth Road, Macon. Included in this program: Applying for grants to philanthropic foundations, some basic "dos and don'ts" of grant-writing; approaching businesses for funding; A training and equipment loan program for accomplishing tree inventories; The Wesleyan Arboretum http://pierce.wesleyancollege.edu/faculty/arboretum/index.html; 100 acres of mixed pine and hardwood forest lying within the boundaries of Wesleyan's suburban Rivoli campus and site of numerous ecological projects, including a carbon sequestration study, using the Urban Forest Effects Model (UFORE), under a grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission. Bring your walking shoes! Registration is $35 for members and $45 for non-members. Lunch is included. Http://www.eventbrite.com/event/831646477?ref=ebtn

ATLANTA: The Atlanta Branch of the American Begonia Society will meet from 2:00-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 26 at Hastings Nursery. Charles Jaros, former President of the American Begonia Society will present a program on the various types of begonias. For directions to Hastings: 404-869-7447

ATHENS: Leopold Discussion and Greenfest Kick-Off. Saturday, March 12, 9:00 – 10:30 am State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Aldo Leopold(1887-1948), author of A Sand County Almanac, is considered the father of wildlife ecology. Join us for a morning of learning Aldo Leopold’s sustainability concepts through the eyes of local heroes. Among the guests speaker will be Walt Cook and Nancy Lindbloom. This event will also serve as a kick-off event for 2011 Greenfest. There will be representatives present from organizations involved in Greenfest. Following this event will be “An Aldo Leopold Tour through the Garden”, a Saturday stroll and discussion of the "integrity, stability, and beauty" of the Garden's natural communities, with Linda Chafin, Conservation Botanist, starting at 10:30 am.

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, 2450 S. Milledge Avenue, Athens, Georgia 30605, phone: 706-542-1244 http://uga.edu/botgarden/

LAGRANGE: Hills and Dales Estate Garden Photography for Beginners Workshop: Saturday, March 19, 2011, 10 am to noon $25/person Bring your camera and join photographer Lee Cathey in the gardens. He will give basic photography tips and you will have the opportunity to spend some time in the gardens creating personal art. Reservations Required. Call 706-882-3242 or e-mail info@hillsanddales.org for more information.

*Master Gardener Events

MG Snippets 2-11-11

2011-02-11T13:22:00.001-08:00

MG Snippets 2-11-11

(If you know someone who’s starting a landscape business, please pass this info along.)

ATHENS: Cost Estimating and Job Bidding Hands-on Workshops for Landscape Professionals March 17-18, 2011, UGA Athens Campus. Hands-on cost estimating and bidding workshops for landscape professionals on the Athens campus of UGA. Participants will learn how to use Excel-based cost-estimating and bidding spreadsheets developed by UGA faculty. Day 1 will focus on installation cost estimating; Day 2 will concentrate on landscape maintenance cost estimating and job bidding. Participants may choose to attend one day or both days. Registration includes hand-outs, refreshments, lunch each day, and take-home copies of the computer programs. Registration is limited to 40 participants each day, so early registration is encouraged. For additional information and to register, see the following web site: http://www.hort.uga.edu/extension/programs/CEJBW/index.html

Persons interested in receiving registration information by mail or FAX can phone 706/542-0808 or 706/542-2861.

DECATUR: GPC Plant Sales start Saturday, March 26, 2011 Georgia Perimeter College Decatur Campus, 3251 Panthersville Road. 678-891-2668 Hours: 10am - 2pm Wednesdays: March 30, April 6, 13, 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18, 25; Saturdays: March 26, April 2, 9, 30, May 7, 21 http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/

NEWNAN: Coweta County Master Gardeners’ Spring Plant Sale April 9th 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Coweta County Fairgrounds, 275 Pine Road, Newnan. Vegetable plants, annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, hand-crafted stone garden art including bird baths, planters and statues .For information contact the Coweta County Extension Office at (770) 254-2620.

ATLANTA: Chattahoochee Unit of The Herb Society of America hosts its Annual Plant Sale April 9 and 10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. Rare and unusual herbs and specialty crafts will be available for purchase and members will be on hand to answer questions. Admission to the Garden is $19 for adults and $13 for children. For more information call 404-633-0078, email SRBailey1000@aol.com or visit www.cuhsa.org

MG Snippets February 4, 2010

2011-02-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

MG Snippets February 4, 2010

LAWRENCEVILLE: Gwinnett County Master Gardener Meeting February 21st 7pm, speaker Dr. Allan M. Armitage presents Tales from the Garden. Book sale and signing at 5:45: Armitage’s Vines and Climbers and Armitage’s Garden Perennials. Checks and cash accepted-no credit cards. Covered dish dinner at 6:30, bring a dish or dessert to share. Otherwise, come and hear Allan at 7:00 p.m. Join the master story teller for a short tour though the garden where history, fact and fable meet. Gwinnett Sr. Center at 225 Bethesda Church Road in Lawrenceville off of Ronald Reagan Parkway.

JASPER: Pickens County 4-H and Master Gardeners 2011 Plant Sale. 36 different varieties of berries, 17 special/unique feature plants for the landscape and over 75 varieties of favorite landscape plants. Orders will be taken through Feb 25th. Plants will be available for pick up on March 12^th in Jasper, GA. Contact Pickens 4-H and Master Gardeners at 706-253-8840 or uge1227@uga.edu for sale information or go to www.pickensmg.com and click on Plant Sale 2011.

GRIFFIN: University of Georgia Horticulture presents: two sessions of How to Prune Your Landscape Like a Pro. February 25, 2011 OR March 4, 2011, 9am - 3pm. Griffin Campus Research Education Garden. $39 check only, no credit cards. Program speakers: UGA Horticulturists Bob Westerfield and Bodie Pennisi. Covered: proper pruning techniques for ornamentals; pruning fruit trees in brief; equipment selection and care in detail; when, where, and how’s of pruning specific plants; techniques for creating a professional looking landscape; pest prevention through proper pruning procedures. Indoor lectures and outside hands-on demonstrations; dress warmly for the outside portion. Pesticide credit in category 21 and 24 applied for. Refreshments and lunch are included in program. Registration required, for more information call Val Schott, at 770-233-5598.

ATHENS: State Botanical Garden: Organic Gardening: A Primer on Growing Herbs and Vegetables. Sunday, March 6, 2011 2 – 4pm. Members $18; non-members $20. Barbara Baker, The Gourmet Gardener and author of Gardening for Health: The 12 Most Important Fruits and Vegetable for Your Organic Garden. Participants will learn the basics of organic soil building, how to propagate herbs and make newspaper pots. Each participant will receive a copy of Container Gardening for Health: the 12 Most Important Fruits and Vegetable for Your Organic Garden. Bring a pair pruning shears and a cup to take home a few cuttings. Call 706-542-6156 or register online at www.uga.edu/botgarden

NATIONWIDE: Mantis Awards. In partnership with Mantis, the National Gardening Association (NGA) will select 25 programs to each receive a Mantis Tiller/Cultivator with border/edger and kickstand, and their choice of gas-powered, 2-cycle engine or electric motor (a value of $349). Mantis and NGA welcome applications from all nonprofits. Past winners include community gardens, schools, ministries, colleges, master gardening groups, and hospices. In addition to the application, candidates are asked to send a photo of the garden and a diagram of garden layout and dimensions. Application deadline is March 1, 2011. http://www.kidsgardening.com/grants/mantis-criteria.asp

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESOURCES: For more grants, teaching resources, educational opportunities and to sign up for the eeingeorgia newsletter, visit http://eeingeorgia.org/

Save the Date:
ATHENS: ‘Plantapalooza’! Friends of the State Botanical Garden Spring Plant Sale & Trial Gardens Plant sales Saturday, April 9, 8am - 2pm. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia and The Trial Gardens at UGA combine spring plant sales in Athens. A different assortment of garden plants will be available at each of these locations at the same time, but both will have many horticulturists, volunteers and Master Gardeners on hand to help people with their plant selections. Georgia Gold Medal Plants, native plants, as well as an assortment of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, herbs and more. The Garden Gift Shop, with many books and locally crafted items, will be open. www.uga.edu/botgarden

GRIFFIN: Friends of the UGA Research and Education Garden Annual Spring Plant Sale. Saturday April 16, 8am-3pm. At the garden on West Ellis Rd across the expressway from UGA Griffin Campus. Woody ornamentals, native plants, annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, and garden pottery. http://www.caes.uga.edu/campus/griffin/garden/calendar.cfm

FAYETTEVILLE: The Fayette Master Gardener Association 3rd Annual Plant Sale and Demonstrations Saturday, April 30, 2011. 8:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Fayette County Administration Complex. Also, Spring Garden Tour Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 10am - 4 pm (rain or shine). Tour passes ($15.00 per person) will be available at local businesses beginning in April. http://www.ugaextension.com/fayette/

CUMMING: Forsyth County Master Gardeners will hold their Annual Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, May 7, 2011, from 9:30am-2:30pm, at The Avenue Forsyth. A wide selection of high-quality garden plants grown expressly for the sale. http://www.ugaextension.com/forsyth/

MG SNIPPETS 1-28-2011

2011-01-28T09:42:00.000-08:00

MG SNIPPETS 1-28-2011

Please note the corrected room location for this Sunday's Winter Talk at Georgia Perimeter College Botanical Gardens. Sunday, January 30 2:00 - 3:30 pm GPC Decatur Campus Auditorium Room SB - 1190 Topic: Fire & Ice: A comparison of the natural gardens of Hawaii and Alaska. - Two very diverse natural gardens with some surprising similarities. http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/

JOHNS CREEK: Workshop Series on Creating a Wildlife Sanctuary Garden. Saturday, January 29, 2011 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and/or Sunday, January 30, 2011 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Chattahoochee River Environmental Education Center; 8615 Barnwell Road; Johns Creek, Georgia, 30022. Fun, informative, and exciting workshop with nationally recognized naturalist and environmental educator, Jerry Hightower, that will assist residents in creating, improving, and enjoying wildlife sanctuary gardens at homes and schools. Participants can attend one or all classes. Classes will be held at the. The program is FREE to the public, but registration is required. Please call 678-538-1201 to make reservations.

CUMMING: Forsyth County Master Gardeners Winter & Spring 2011 Library Lecture Series Forsyth County Public Library, Cumming Branch, 585 Dahlonega Highway, Select Saturdays from 10:30-11:45 a.m.Everyone is Welcome! Saturday, February 5-Much Ado About Mulching: How to Apply Mulch to Promote Health and Vigor in Landscape Plants, presented by Dr. Stephen Garton. Info 770-887-2418 or http://www.ugaextension.com/forsyth/

ON THE WEB: Water Conservation Series Webinar February 8 from 10:30 am to Noon. titled: Water-efficient irrigation technologies: Florida, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. Free. Visit the Water Conservation Learning Center to register and learn more about this program: http://www.fred.ifas.ufl.edu/conservation-webinars/Irrigation.htm

FAYETTEVILLE: Fayette County Master Gardeners present: Everything You Need to Know for a Successful Garden! with Mr. Lester Bray. This class is suited for the backyard farmer and for the general homeowner. Based on Mr. Bray’s 35 years of farming and teaching, his presentation will include information on seed selection, planting dates, when and how to tie tomatoes properly for the best yield, plus fertilization and pesticide applications and sources for seeds and equipment. (If you are interested in learning about plasticulture in the vegetable garden-you should attend one of these sessions.) Mr. Bray welcomes gardening questions and comments at the summation of his presentation. Two sessions will be offered. Saturday, February 19, 2011,1pm – 3pm or Saturday, March 5, 2011,1pm – 3pm. Fayette County Administrative Complex Public Meeting Room. RSVP by phoning Fayette Co Extension at 770.305.5412 ext 7.

MCDONOUGH: Henry County Beekeepers (HCB) presents “How to become a Beekeeper” short course. Saturday, February 19, 2011, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. (1 hour you-are-on-your-own lunch break) Public Safety Building Community Room, 116 Zack Hinton Parkway South, McDonough, GA 30252. Cost: $25 pre-registration ($30 at the door). Children under 18 years of age free with paying adult. Covered: Beekeeping Vocabulary, Meet the Honey Bee Colony, Equipment Assembly, Where do I get my Bees, Hive Manipulation, Extracting your Honey, Issues facing the Beekeeper, Smoker Lighting plus a Question & Answer session. All full fee applicants includes a 2011HCB family membership. For an application, brochure or more information call Tom Bonnell 770-473-5434 or view our website at www.henrycountybeekeepers.org

MACON: Spring Garden Symposium sponsored by Waddell Barnes Botanical Gardens at Macon State College, Saturday February 26th from 8:30am – 4:00pm. Keynote speaker, Ms Dorinda Dallmeyer, author of Bartram’s Living Legacy: The Travels and Nature of the South, will discuss her book; Tom Patrick, Georgia DNR Natural Heritage Program, will discuss the importance of the recent Oaky Woods acquisition; Mike Sikes, Horticulturist and Marketing Coordinator for McCorkle Nurseries, will tell the attendees, ‘What’s New from the Plant World at McCorkle’; and a concurrent session featuring Hal Massie on butterfly gardening, Dr Tim Smalley (UGA) on propagation, and Ian Campbell (Bartlett) on ornamental pruning. A continental breakfast and buffet lunch will be served. See www.maconstate.edu/botanical for the registration form and additional information. Click on the Symposium link on the right side of the page.

ATHENS: State Botanical Garden. Two Events Celebrating the opening of the new Outdoor Art Exhibition-Forged From Nature. Opening Reception Friday, March 4, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Visitor Center & Conservatory. Members $15;non-members $18. Be among the first to view our first outdoor art exhibition and meet artist Andrew T. Crawford for this very special event. The vine gate will be located within the Alice Hand Callaway Visitor Center and Conservatory, as will a gallery display illustrating the design and construction process and sculpted works. Five more gates will be outdoors within the display gardens, placed to complement the setting and the theme. Enjoy live jazz music, hors d’oeuvres, and wine and beer in our tropical conservatory. This opening reception for the exhibition is sponsored by Athens First Bank and Trust. Wine selections from Five Points Bottle Shop. 706-542-1244 http://uga.edu/botgarden/

Saturday, March 5 12:00 pm Artist Walk and Gallery Tour. Sculptor Andrew T. Crawford will lead a tour through Forged From Nature: an Exhibition of Garden Gates, explaining the design, installation and construction of the six metal sculpted gates in this exhibit. Visitor Center. free.

COLUMBUS: Chattahoochee Valley Camellia Society Show Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13 from 1:00 – 5:00 at the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Georgia. American Camellia Society sanctioned show will have 30 judges, led by well known Camellia enthusiast John Newsome. There will be categories for growers of all levels, including novices, and cash prizes. This will be the first Camellia Show for Columbus since 1951. It is open to the public free of charge and it welcomes spectators as well as competitors. There is no preregistration and no deadline for entry or attending. All blooms must conform to the American Camellia Society rules and may be brought to the museum between 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, March 12. Camellia society members will be available to help those entering a show for the first time. You do not need to be a society member to enter or to attend. ACS Rules http://www.camellias-acs.com/assets/Rules%20and%20Regulations-Amended.pdf

CLARKSTON: Georgia Hosta Society’s Twenty Second Annual Cut Leaf Show Plus Hosta & Companion Plant Sale! Saturday, May 7th 2011 at DeKalb Technical College Conference Center, 495 North Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston, Georgia 30021. Love Hosta? Join us and see hundreds of Hosta cultivars on display and for sale. Learn about these great plants and add beauty to your garden. Georgia Hosta Society members will be on hand to answer questions. Show open to the public 10 am to 3:30 pm. Hosta & Companion Plant Sale 9am to 4 pm http://www.gahosta.org

FMG BRANDYWINE VALLEY TOUR May 10-20, 2011- Florida Master Gardeners have graciously invited Georgia Master Gardeners to join them as they tour and learn in the gardens of the beautiful Brandywine Valley area of Pennsylvania and Delaware. This tour is scheduled to begin at Philadelphia International Airport; stated tour price does not include airfare, but the tour planner can make air arrangements for GA travelers. Also, if there is a largeenough group from Georgia, it is possible that they could ride the motorcoach leaving from Macon. There would be an additional charge as this would involve overnight stays both ways. Tour highlights -Bartram Gardens, Morris Arboretum, Temple University Arboretum, Hershey Gardens, Hagley Museum and Library, Mt Cuba, Dutch House and Gardens, Rockwood Gardens, Nemours Mansion and Gardens, Tyler Arboretum, Chanticleer, Longwood Gardens and more. RATE: Single-$2645.00 per person, Double-$1985.00 per person. For information contact Tavia Henderson at sttours@mylink.net or 478-737-6310.

CAES ALUMNI TOUR: Plans are under way for the 2011 trip to the beautiful and historic formal gardens of Italy. Join Dean Angle, Tim Smalley and CAES alumni and friends for a tour of the "Holy Land of Garden Design," including visits to the world's best-known Renaissance fountain garden, Villa D’Este, and one of the world's finest botanical gardens, Villa Taranto on Lake Maggiore. The group will also join the CAES viticulture class in Cortona for a tour of the vineyards, olive groves and winery at the Falconeri winery in Tuscany. If you are interested in traveling to Italy with CAES June 2-11, 2011, contact Juli Fields at jfields@uga.edu or (706) 542-3390.

MG Snippets 1/21/11

2011-01-21T11:18:00.000-08:00

KENNESAW: Low Maintenance Plants Saturday presentation at Smith Gilbert Gardens. Saturday January 22, 10 am $15. See the entire calendar of events and garden information at: http://www.smithgilbertgardens.com/events-calendar/

DECATUR: Aesthetic Pruning Presentation. Tuesday, January 25 at 6 PM in the Northlake Library, 3772 LaVista Road, Tucker, GA 30084. Norm Mittleider is an aesthetic pruner living in Marietta, GA who specializes in pruning Japanese maples and specimen conifers. He has over twelve years of experience and a core foundation in aesthetic pruning gleaned from studying at Merritt College in Oakland, CA. Norm teaches classes at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and volunteers in local public gardens. He will offer basic pruning instruction as well as timely tips for aesthetically pruning plants for beauty in all seasons.

ATLANTA: Pruning Trees and Shrubs Workshop Atlanta Botanical Garden Saturday, January 29 OR Saturday, February 12, 10 a.m. - noon A detailed discussion of pruning guidelines and principles will be followed by a demonstration in the Garden. Early registration is recommended for this popular class. Fee: $29 (Members $24) Instructor: Jamie Blackburn, Atlanta Botanical Garden curator of woodland collections. Registration Deadline: January 23 or February 10 http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/classes

DECATUR: GPC Native Plant Botanical Gardens Winter Talks at GPC Decatur Campus. Sundays 2:00 - 3:30 pm Auditorium B - 1190. Sunday, January 30 - Fire & Ice: A comparison of the natural gardens of Hawaii and Alaska. - Two very diverse natural gardens with some surprising similarities. Sunday, February 6-Hell’s Garden: Plant Gems of the Arizona Desert. - A plant primer in the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix sets the stage for sojourns into the surrounding desert. Sunday, February 20 To be announced. Please follow signs at the garden to the auditorium for the talk. 3251 Panthersville Rd. Decatur, GA 30034 (678) 891-2668 http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/

GREENSBORO: Landscape Safety Workshop. February 8, 2011 9:30 am -3:30 pm and repeated again on Feb 9. Objective is to provide landscape laborers with safety knowledge on how to prevent accidents and potential hazards. Free, but participants must register by 5:00 pm January 29. General safety, pesticide handling and management and equipment safety considerations conducted in Spanish and English simultaneously. Commercial pesticide or private pesticide credit available. Greene County Extension Office 1180 C. Weldon Smith Dr. Suite 110 Greensboro, GA 30642. For registration call the Greene County Extension office at 706-453-2083 or email uge3133@uga.edu

STATEWIDE:Registration for Flavor of Georgia contest- deadline February 18, 2011. Categories include barbecue and hot sauces, confections, dairy products, meat products, snack foods, and jams, jellies and sauces. Entries are judged based on flavor, best use of Georgia ingredients, Georgia theme, unique or innovative qualities, commercial appeal and originality. Final judging will be held March 21-22, 2011 at the Georgia Freight Depot in Atlanta.http://www.flavorofgeorgia.caes.uga.edu/

COBB GALLERIA: SEFS Preview Party. Preview the 24th annual Southeastern Flower Show "In Tune with Blooms" before the Show opens to the public at the Opening Night Party Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $125. Sponsored by Brown & Co. Jewelers and the Maier Family and benefits the Southeastern Horticultural Society. http://www.sehort.org/events/2011_flower_show_opening_night_party1/

MORROW: Tara Beekeepers Spring Short Course Saturday, 26-Feb-11, 8AM - 4 PM Reynolds Nature Preserve, 5665 Reynolds Road, Morrow, GA 30260Cost: $50 pre-registration ($55 @ the door) Covered:The honeybee as an individual and colony;Beekeeping equipment and the Langstroth Hive; Ordering bees and installing them from packages & nucleus hives ("nucs");Apiary (bee farm) location, etiquette and safety; Smoker lighting workshop; Honey extraction demonstration; Current issues facing beekeepers; Foraging nectar plants.The fee includes all of the day's presentations, demonstrations and workshops. It covers food & drinks at lunch and breaks, as well as all handouts and a copy of the full-color textbook, "First Lessons in Beekeeping."and a one-year membership in the Tara Beekeepers Association. http://www.tarabeekeepers.org/Events.html

NEWNAN: Beginning Beekeeping Course offered by Coweta Beekeepers Association March 12, 2011, at 8:00 AM, at the Asa M. Powell, Sr. Expo Center, 197 Temple Avenue, Newnan, Georgia. Topics include honeybee biology; the functions of the colony; equipment; assembling a beehive; lighting a smoker; best location for a beehive; honeybee installation; hive inspection; a year in the beehive; potential problems and how to harvest honey. $50.00 in advance or $55.00 at the door, includes instruction, snacks and lunch, a copy of First Lessons in Beekeeping and 2011 membership in the Coweta Beekeepers Association. Early registration deadline is March 5, 2011. Registration will be accepted on the day of the class but space is limited. http://www.cowetabeekeepers.org/

OTHER AREAS: Find information about other beekeeping courses and associations throughout the state from the Georgia Beekeepers Association http://www.gabeekeeping.com

ROME: Georgia Master Gardener Association Spring 2011 Conference on April 29 and 30 in Rome, Georgia. When in Rome….Green Gardening for the Future. Floyd Master Gardeners invite you to come to Rome, Georgia for the Spring 2011 Georgia Master Gardener Association Conference. Located in beautiful northwest Georgia in an enchanted land where the rivers meet the mountains, there is something here for everyone to enjoy. On Friday, you can register early to get into the Forum to sneak and peek at all the goodies the vendors have for sale. A tour of the majestic Oakhill Museum and Gardens is planned for the afternoon. Then, join in the fun at the ECO Center for an evening of wine and hors d’oeuvres. You also will have opportunity to meet the speakers for the conference. And, best of all, you can take a ride on the Roman Holiday Riverboat. If you still have the energy, the conference continues bright and early on Saturday at the Forum. The focus of this conference is on ecologically sound practices that go beyond gardening. The agenda is jam packed with all sorts of interesting things to do and see. There’s more information at http://georgiamastergardeners.org/

Help keep Snippets fresh! ( Despite what you all think, the Snippets lady is not omnicient!) Please help by sending contributions about garden-related events in your area, even if it's just a date and a link for more info. (Non-profit garden & MG events only; programs at nurseries, etc. may be posted on the MG Facebook page) Also, please try to send contributions in the Snippet format: short with links and info.

MG Snippets 1/14/2010

2011-01-14T07:20:00.000-08:00

January is National Radon Action Month. Radon is a silent killer; it’s the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the United States. UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, with its cooperating partners, has an excellent radon education and affordable testing program. http://www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/housing/radon/radon_kits.php

• Radon test kits are $6.50 if you order by mail or $5 if you pick up from a participating Extension Office.

• The link to order a test kit is http://www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/housing/radon/radon_test.html

Print and mail the form with a check for $6.50 to the Radon Educator for your area. Map showing RE regions and addresses is here. http://www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/housing/radon/images/radon_kit_distribution_map.pdf

ATLANTA: Just a few days left to preorder your fruit plants online for The IEGIY Fruit Tree, Vine & Berry Bush Sale to benefit Atlanta Local Food Initiative. Pre-sale runs through Jan 17. Walk-up sale event is Saturday, January 22, 2011 9am-noon. http://www.atlantalocalfood.org/fruit.htm

CUMMING: Saturday Library Lecture Series: Sculpture Design in the Garden presented by Forsyth County Cooperative Extension and Forsyth County Master Gardeners. To introduce gardeners to the process of designing and creating functional and non-functional sculpture for their own landscape. Free but you must register. Saturdays 10:30-11:45 at Cumming Library. Part 1- Jan 22; Part 2-Feb. 26; Part 3-Hypertufa workshop TBA. To register call Forsyth County Extension Office at 770-887-2418. Info at http://www.ugaextension.com/forsyth/documents/SculptureDesignintheGarden.doc

LAGRANGE: Bluebird Home Workshop at Hills and Dales Estate. Saturday, January 29, 2011, 10 am $15/person Come to this workshop, led by Chris Smith, and learn how to create your own bluebird house and sanctuary. All materials provided. For adults and children age 10 and up. Call 706-882-3242 or e-mail info@hillsanddales.org for more information. www.hillsanddales.org

WAYCROSS: Southeast Georgia Landscape Training Thursday, February 3, 2011 8:50 AM – 4:00 PM Okefenokee Technical College, 1701 Carswell Avenue, Waycross, GA 31503. Turf & Lawn ~ Landscapes ~ Color ~ Tree Care ~ Irrigation. Pesticide Credit Available. Register for only $45 until January 27! Registration after this date is $55. Lunch is provided for all attendees! Presented by: Okefenokee Technical College, UGA Extension & the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture. Space is limited - Register Today! For registration info contact OTC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - CONTINUING EDUCATION (912) 287-5854 or (912)285-6361 or jrubenbauer@okefenokeetech.edu or visit www.ugaextension.org/houston/news.html

STATESBORO: Georgia Southern Botanical Garden Lunch & Learn Series, Parts 3 and 4. February 3-Edible Landscaping, March 10-Gardens to Go. $20 per session. Space is limited. 912.871.1149 or http://welcome.georgiasouthern.edu/garden/calendar.htm

CARROLLTON: Gardening Workshops sponsored by Carroll County Master Gardeners. "Growing Healthy Turf" with Kevin Livingston Feb. 12, 9:30-12:30 and "Grow Your Own Vegetables" with Bryan Hager Feb. 19, 9:40-12:30. Both events are free and held at the Ag Center 900 Newnan Rd. Pre-registration is required @ 770-836-8546 or uge2045@uga.edu.

ATLANTA: Georgia Native Plant Society 16th Native Plant Symposium Saturday, February 19, 2011. The event this year will return to Mercer University Atlanta Campus near I-85 and I-285. The all day event includes lunch and several vendors in addition to a variety of topics: Gardens Inspired by Nature, When Plants are Affected by Transportation Projects, Showy Native Trees and Shrubs, The Soil Food Web, Invasives: Making a Difference in Your Back Yard. Please visit the website to get the details and register online: http://gnps.org/shortterm/Symposium_Announcement.php

The coming of spring means that thousands of students across the state are preparing for 4-H Project Achievement. Please consider volunteering to help a student succeed. Ask your 4-H Agent or PA how you can help. Often what’s most needed is an encouraging and constructive audience for the students to practice in front of. View the video about Georgia 4-H Project Achievement at: http://georgia4h.org/public/coreprograms/projectachievement/PA_080409.wmv

MG Snippets January 6, 2011

2011-01-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Master Gardener Snippets January 6, 2011

Welcome new Master Gardener interns from the 2011 spring classes! If you haven't visited our Facebook page, be sure to 'Like' the Georgia Master Gardener Program to get updates and share experiences.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgia-Master-Gardener-Program/87188358352

Reminder: you do not have to pay dues to any association in order to volunteer as a Master Gardener in Georgia and being 'paid up' is not the same as active status as a Georgia Master Gardener volunteer. Active status comes from active participation with a UGA CAES Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program and submitting an Individual Annual Summary Report with that program at the end of each year documenting the required minimum hours.( 50 hours in the first year after training completion and 25 hours each year thereafter. ) That said, state and local associations provide many benefits including avenues of communication, networking, fieldtrips and wonderful opportunities for learning, fellowship, and sharing with other passionate gardeners.

GMGA Membership: If you haven't renewed your Georgia Master Gardener Assn membership for 2011, you can renew online. Member dues are used to support Project Funding Grants and to help offset conference costs. http://georgiamastergardeners.org/

If you would prefer to mail your dues in or have questions about membership, contact Carole Teja, GMGA Membership Chair at membership4gmga@gmail.com

UPCOMING EVENTS -There will be more to come in future Snippets but you might get your calendar started early J

GWINNETT: Gwinnett Master Gardeners Meeting January 17, 2011. Camellias (& possible misconceptions about them) with Douglas Ruhren, Horticulturist at the American Camellia Society (ACS) in Fort Valley, GA. Covered dish dinner at 6:30. If you would like to eat with us, please bring a dish to share. Otherwise, come and hear Mr. Ruhren at 7:00 p.m. We meet at the Gwinnett Sr. Center at 225 Bethesda Church Road in Lawrenceville off of Ronald Reagan Parkway. (You may also want to mark your calendar for next month as well. February 21st Dr. Allan Armitage “Tales from the Garden.” He will have copies of his books to sign and sell too.)

ATHENS: Native Plant Symposium at the State Botanical Garden. Wednesday January 19, 2011 8:45 am - 3:30 pm. A day-long program that considers gardening with wildflowers, medicinals and other native plants along with related conservation issues. Learn how to incorporate your appreciation of these plants into your home landscape plan during this day long series of presentations. Members $55.00; Non-members $62.00

http://www.uga.edu/botgarden/eduregister.html 706-542-6156

ATHENS: Certificate in Native Plants: Orientation for New Participants. January 25, 2011 9:00 - 10:30 AM. State Botanical Garden Visitor Center, Classroom 2. SBG education staff will introduce the overall CNP program. Learn about the variety of volunteer opportunities available to CNP participants. Information on field trips will also be provided. This orientation is free and optional for CNP participants. http://uga.edu/botgarden/educnp.html

GWINNETT: GGIA Georgia Green Industry Association Wintergreen Conference January 26-28, 2011 – Gwinnett Civic Center, Duluth, GA. (EDUCATIONAL EVENTS ARE OPEN TO EVERYONE!!!!) Prices are before/after January 11. After Jan 17th, register onsite only. Full and half day seminar registration includes same day admission for trade show. WWW.GGIA.ORG

Schedule of educational events at GGIA Wintergreen:

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Multifunctional Landscapes – Planting Beautiful Food (8:00AM – 5:00PM Workshop) $75/ $95

Get the most out of a landscape and learn how to design, plant, and take care of vegetables, blueberries, fruit trees, herbs and medicinal plants. Featuring Dr. Scott Nesmith, Bob Westerfield, Karen Rawlins, Dr. Will Hudson, Paul Pugliese, Dr. Bodie Pennisi, David Berle (MLA), and Sheryl Wells.

Propagation and Grafting (9:00AM – 5:00PM Workshop) $75/$95

Propagation and grafting is as much an art as a science. We will walk you through both sides of the equation as we discuss seed propagation, propagation by cuttings, and summer grafting. There will be hands on activities, so bring your gloves and ‘dirty shirt’. Featuring Dr. Matthew Chappell, Dr. Tim Smalley, Michael Martin, and David Freed.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

New Plants Session (10:00AM – 3:30PM) $40/$60

What are the latest trends in natives, trees, shrubs, and perennials? This all-star lineup will walk you through the latest and greatest plant material for the southeastern U.S. Featuring Dr. Jim Affolter, Ted Stevens, Dr. John Ruter, and Dr. Mike Dirr.

Pest Control Session (10:30AM – 12:30PM) $20/$30

Learn more about cool season landscape diseases and some new (and old) landscape insect pest problems and solutions while earning 2 GA Pesticide License recertification credits. Featuring Dr. Jean Williams-Woodward and Dr. Kris Braman.

For more detailed information and registration information, visit: WWW.GGIA.ORG and click on the brochure.

PINE MOUNTAIN: 25th Annual Southern Gardening Symposium at Callaway Gardens. January 28, 29, and 30, 2011. Three-day symposium devoted to gardening in the South. In-depth workshops; garden tour; a silent auction and garden marketplace, and topics including Scott Burrell's Dwarf Conifers for the South, Rick Darke's The New Wild Garden, Dr. Michael Dirr's Thirty Years of Gardening in Georgia, Bobby Green's Camellias, Joe Lamp'l's Greening Your Garden, Lucinda Mays' Growing Your Own Food, Erin Weston's Winter Garden, and Kari Whitley's Southern Gardening. $245 Preconference events $79

http://www.callawaygardens.com/info/calendar/calendar.southern_gardening_symposium.event.aspx

ATLANTA: Georgia Perennial Association 2011 Symposium & Silent Auction: The Pleasure Garden. Saturday, February 5, 2011 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM Atlanta Botanical Garden $57 GPPA and ABG Members / $67 Non-members. $5 Pre-paid parking / $10 Boxed Lunch(register by January 19, 2011 for discounted parking)Registration Deadline: January 31, 2011 http://www.georgiaperennial.org/events/2011/index.htm

FORSYTH COUNTY: Intro to Organic Farming and Gardening Course presented by Georgia Organics, join Lynn Pugh at Cane Creek Farm near Cumming to learn beginning from the soil up. The fundamentals of organic growing including: soils, plant biology, insect types, disease and weed management, composting, marketing and certification will be explained in a lively, interactive fashion. In order to receive the most benefit from this educational course, participants should be in good physical condition and willing to learn by doing. No prior knowledge or experience in growing is required. $450 for members of Georgia Organics and $475 for non-members. Meeting dates for the class are: Feb. 5 & Feb. 19; March 5 & March 19; April 2, April 16 & April 30. Time: 9 a.m - 4 p.m.

http://www.georgiaorganics.org/EventDetail/10-12-16/Introduction_to_Organic_Farming_and_Gardening_Course.aspx

MACON: Green Up Landscape Update 2011 Sponsored by UGA Extension, Tuesday February 15, 2011 Macon State College. Management track for business issues, Basic and Review for your crews, Green Landscaping for environmental practices, New Ideas to introduce the latest trends. Four hours of commercial pesticide credits from the GA Dept of AG in Category 24- Ornamental and Turf or private pesticide applicator. For more information, contact Karen Atkins Houston County Cooperative Extension 478-987-2028, atkinsk@uga.edu or http://www.ugaextension.com/houston/

FT VALLEY: Massee Lane Gardens Camellia Garden peak bloom time is Feb-March. Massee Lane Gardens is a 100+ acre botanical garden in Middle Georgia. The gardens are the historic home of the American Camellia Society and is home to their camellia collection. Massee Lane Gardens has been designated as "A Garden of Excellence" by the International Camellia Society. Gardens hours Tuesday thru Saturday: 10:00 a. m. - 4:30 pm

Sunday: 1:00 p. m. - 4:30 p. m. Closed on Monday

http://www.camellias-acs.com/display.aspx?catid=7,138

ATHENS: Southern Garden Heritage Conference. Friday February 18, 2011. $110, $95 members (lunch included). 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Callaway Building Auditorium, State Botanical Garden. http://www.uga.edu/botgarden/eduregister.html

Contact: 706-542-6156

MILLEDGEVILLE: 2011 Lockerly Arboretum Arbor Day Program. Saturday, February 19th. This Arbor Day, Lockerly Arboretum will be hosting an exciting program for gardeners and all interested in Southern landscaping! "21st Century Trees" Jim Garner;"Gone cone Crazy: A Craving for Conifers" Flo Chaffin; Tour through Conifer Reference Garden with Flo Chaffin; "Tree Planting 101: Location and Sustainability"workshop with Bradley Roberts; Conifer Sale at Lockerly Hall. For information, contact Bradley Roberts at (478) 452-2112 or bradleyroberts@lockerly.org www.lockerly.org

TIFTON:Southeast Lawn and Garden Expo February 25-26, 2011 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center More Info: 229-382-0505 or visit www.selawnandgarden.org

METRO ATLANTA: 2011 Southeastern Flower Show: In Tune With Blooms. Cobb Galleria Centre. February 25-27, 2011. Friday Saturday and Sunday. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Advance Tickets (before Feb. 24, 2011): $15; General Admission Tickets: $18. Discounted tickets for Youth, seniors & groups. http://www.sehort.org/news/2011_southeastern_flower_show/

COLUMBUS: Gardening with the Masters at Columbus Botanical Garden. Weekly March 3-April 28. $12 per session $10 for Master Gardeners. Full series $80.

http://www.columbusbotanicalgarden.com/forms/Gardening%20with%20the%20Masters%202011.pdf

Historic CHARLESTON Glorious Gardens Tours. Thursdays March 17 - April 16, 2011. Tickets are $45 and can be ordered online or by calling 843-722-3405.

http://www.historiccharleston.org/news_events/festival_glorious_gardens.html

STATEWIDE: Master Gardener Day in Georgia Saturday, March 19, 2011. Local groups celebrate by conducting plant clinics, tree plantings, and other educational events. Share your events and photos on the Georgia Master Gardener Program page on Facebook.

ROSWELL: Georgia Daffodil Society Show at Chattahoochee Nature Center. The CNC ‘s Kingfisher Hall will bask in the gold, yellow, white and pink glow of hundreds of daffodils Saturday, March 19th and Sunday March 20th, 2011 as The Georgia Daffodil Society presents its annual show. Spreading the joy of growing daffodils and educating the public has been the core of this Society’s mission since it’s founding in 1954. Many past year entries have topped more than 500 blooms. Every year sees outstanding blooms from a range of climates. Exhibitors come from Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama. Many exhibitors grow hundreds of varieties, while others grow just a few. And a bloom from a first-time exhibitor is just as likely to be a ribbon winner as one from a veteran. The GDS encourages newcomers, regardless of age, to join and enter their blooms. Daffodil Society membership is $10. Chattahoochee Nature Center Admission is $8, ($6 for 65+ and $6 those days for GDS members). For more information contact GDS President Darrin Ellis-May at darrinsdaffs@gmail.com . http://www.gadaffsoc.org/

LITHIA SPRINGS: Early Spring Wildflower Hikes at Sweetwater Creek State Park. Sundays 2-4pm March 20, 27, April 3.2-mile ranger-led hike will be moderately strenuous and will pass through a variety of wildflower habitats and beautiful areas. Meet in the Interpretive Center. $5 plus $5 parking. 770-732-5876. www.gastateparks.org/

ATLANTA Blooms: 200,000 Watts of Flower Power March 22 - May 1. Springtime explodes in a colorful extravaganza of tens of thousands of tulips and other bulbs when the Atlanta Botanical Garden unveils Atlanta Blooms: 200,000 Watts of Flower Power! http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

TIFTON: South Georgia Native Plant and Wildflower Symposium. March 23, 2011UGA's Tifton Campus Conference Center. $30, Lunch $10. http://www.nespal.org/wildflower/

76th Annual SAVANNAH Tour of Homes & Gardens - March 24-27, 2011

http://www.savannahtourofhomes.org/ Ticket price range is $25-$40.

PINE MOUNTAIN: Callway Gardens Garden School & Plant Fair and Sale March 24 -- 25, 2011. Featuring horticulturist, author, and design expert Erica Glasener, Thursday, March 24th day-long Landscape Design workshop. Friday, March 25th, garden school lecture by Erica followed by an extensive Question and Answer Session with Erica and other gardening experts from Callaway Gardens and plant vendors. Thursday and Friday - $110.00; Thursday Only - $79.00; Friday Only - $45.00 . Callaway Gardens Annual Plant Fair & Sale March 24, 25, 26, and 27, 2011

http://www.callawaygardens.com/info/gardens/education/events.callaway-gardening-school.aspx

SAVANNAH: Bamboo Farm & Coastal Gardens Spring Festival March 26, 2011 9am-4pm. Family-friendly fundraising event for the BFC Garden includes educational lectures, activities for children, plant vendors, arts and crafts vendors, and demonstrations. http://www.ugaextension.com/bamboo/AboutUs.html

LAGRANGE: Heirloom Plants for Garden Fragrance at Hills and Dales Estate. March 26th, 10 am to Noon $20.00 per person. $16.00 per person for annual passholders. Jo Phillips, Horticulture Manager at Hills & Dales, will present a workshop to inspire you to create a more fragrant garden. http://www.hillsanddales.org/

ROSWELL: Garden Faire at Historic Bulloch Hall presented by N Fulton Master Gardeners. April 16, 2011 9-3. http://www.bullochhall.org

ROME: 2011 GMGA Spring Conference- When in Rome, Green Gardening for the Future. April 29th 2:30-7:30 and April 30th 8:30-4:30. Proudly hosted by the Floyd County Master Gardeners. Speakers: Tara Dillard, Dr. Wiliam Welch, Joe Cook, Dr. Martin Cipollini, Paula Refi, Terry Kay, Malcolm Hodges. Friday activities include Oak Hill Gardens tours, ECO Center reception & Riverwalk tours, Roman Holiday Riverboat. Register online or download and mail registration form. GMGA Members early Registration before April 1 $65. Guest, public and member registration after April 1, $75. Friday events are additional $7.50. http://georgiamastergardeners.org/featured/spring-conference-in-rome

AUGUSTA: Sacred Heart Garden Festival April 29-May 1, 2011 Tickets for exhibits, vendors & tour $25 Other event tickets vary. http://www.sacredheartgardenfestival.com/

Don't forget to check these for more events:

State Botanical Garden of Georgia

Walter Reeves' garden calendar http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-events/

Explore Georgia http://www.exploregeorgia.org/

Georgia Organics http://www.georgiaorganics.org/

Atlanta Botanical Garden http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/

Media & Books

Coming March 15, 2011 from University of Georgia Press:

Vanished Gardens Finding Nature in Philadelphia by Sharon White http://www.ugapress.org/index.php/books/index/vanished_gardens

----------------

MG Snippets 12/09/10

2010-12-09T13:10:00.001-08:00

Gwinnett Technical College Horticulture Poinsettia Sale- Monday December 13th 9am-4pm Tuesday December 14th 10 am-2pm Come to the greenhouse! Gwinnett Technical College, 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville, GA 30043. $3 each or $2 each for quantities of 10 or more. Mars White, Silverstar Red, Cortez Burgundy, Novia Red, Mars Marble.

LAGRANGE: Christmas at Hills and Dales Estate. Experience tinsel laden Christmas trees, poinsettia topiaries and fresh garland decorations during the holiday season. The Fuller E. Callaway home and the visitor center will be decorated for Christmas from Friday, December 3, through Thursday, December 23. Regular tour prices apply. Saturday, December 11, 10 am - 2 pm All children are invited to the Hills & Dales Estate visitor center to participate in our third annual Christmas Celebration. All children's activities are free. 10 am - 12 pm Meet Santa, 10 am - 2 pm make a gingerbread house and create holiday crafts. 11 am - 12 pm Joanna Baxter will share Christmas stories while Robin Treadwell plays Christmas songs. For Reservations or Information (706) 882-3242 1916 Hills & Dales Drive LaGrange GA 30240 http://www.hillsanddales.org/

ATLANTA: Horticultural Entries at the SEFS 2011-Have you ever thought about entering some Horticulture in the Southeastern Flower Show? Now is the time to start planning. Plants must be in your possession by November 26, 2010. If you are planting winter flowering or fruiting shrubs this year (maybe a new camellia) then you may have a great specimen to enter. Have a begonia or African violet or ivy plant that you think is just super? Enter it in the Horticulture Division. This year we have added a class for Herbs. We have also added a class for propagated plants, things that may have been passed down to you by friends or family from seed or cutting that you have nurtured. Share it with us and you may even win a blue ribbon! Interested in forcing bulbs? We have a forcing schedule for the bulbs so they are blooming in late February. The bulbs need to be started in November or early December. Contact Chris Adams at cadams30041@yahoo.com to get a copy of the forcing schedule and forcing instructions. The 2011 Southeastern Flower Show will be held February 25-27, 2011 at the Cobb Galleria. Chris Adams and Kathy Mullen are the co-chairs of the Horticulture Division. We have many NFMG members on the Horticulture Committee. We would love to have your participation as an exhibitor. For details on what plants to enter and how to enter your plants, go to www.sehort.org, click on the Flower Show menu and choose Exhibitor Guide to download a PDF copy of the Exhibitor Guide. Hope to see you at the 2011 Southeastern Flower Show!

2^nd Annual Incredible Edible Fruit Tree, Vine & Berry Bush Sale Saturday, January 22, 2011, 9-Noon. Atlanta Community Food Bank sponsored by Georgia Organics and Atlanta Community Food bank. http://www.atlantalocalfood.org/events.htm

TIFTON: Southeast Lawn & Garden Expo February 25-26, 2011 at the UGA Tifton Conference Center. Featuring Garden Writer/Author Steve Bender, vendors, workshops, demonstrations and doorprizes. Sponsored by Literacy Volunteers of Tifton & Tift County. www.selawnandgarden.org

2011 Southeastern Flower Show February 25-27 In Tune with Blooms presented by the Southeastern Horticultural Society. The 24th annual Southeastern Flower Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre, In Tune with Blooms, celebrates music in the garden. Experience professionally-designed Landscaped Gardens, Artistic Floral Design and Horticulture Divisions, Discovery, Photography and Bonsai Exhibitions within the Show, and garden shopping in the Marketplace, Bookstore and Raffle. Celebrity speakers, Display Vignettes by foremost southeastern Event Designers, informal demos, live musical performances and children’s workshops and family activities are presented daily. Friday - Saturday, Feb. 25-26, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sunday Feb. 27, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. General Admission: $18; Advance and Group Discounts. Cobb Galleria Centre, Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30339 (free parking). For more information, hotel packages or tickets visit http://www.sehort.org

The Environmental Education Alliance (EEA) of Georgia's "Sustaining a Changing World: Environment, Economy, Community" conference, Friday, March 11 at Kennesaw State University Continuing Education Center in Kennesaw, GA. Discounted registration price is available until February 11 http://eeingeorgia.org/resource/about.aspx?s=93625.0.0.4863

Go Grow! Georgia Organics 14th Annual Conference & Expo will be held March 11-12, 2011 in Savannah. http://www.georgiaorganics.org

East Lansing & Grand Rapids, Michigan: 19th Annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium July 21-23, 2011 Hosted by 4-H Children’s Garden at Michigan State University and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/national_youth_garden_symposium.htm

Don’t forget that you can Find the Georgia Master Gardener Program on Facebook. Connect and share at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgia-Master-Gardener-Program/87188358352

MG Snippets 11/19/10

2010-11-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

Art at the Rock THIS WEEKEND November 20 & 21 Art @ the Rock at Rock Eagle 4-H Center. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday and 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sunday. Join us for Sunday Lunch then spend the afternoon enjoying local artists! Musicians will play center stage while marketplace vendors, featuring home grown and hand made items, will occupy adjacent buildings. For more information visit http://www.rockeagle4h.org/ART/

GRIFFIN: Landscape Management Update There are some seats available for this training and Master Gardeners are welcome. Site analysis and bed preparation, plant selection both woody and herbaceous, fertilization and irrigation, troubleshooting, as well as landscape equipment selection. Commercial and private pesticide credit has been applied for in category twenty four and will be offered. Lunch is provided in the program. Bob Westerfield and Bodie Pennisi will be the program speakers and are with the University of Georgia Horticulture Department. Registration is required. Registration form available at: http://tinyurl.com/29ux462

Date: Friday December 3, 2010 9:00a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Griffin Campus, Research Education Garden Classroom, Griffin, GA 30223 $40.00 Pre-registration is required. For more information please contact Val Schott at (770) 233-5598 email vschott@uga.edu. FAX: (770) 228-7287

ATHENS: State Botanical Garden Holiday Open House. Live music, holiday decor and puppet shows. Sunday Dec 5, 2010 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-1244

http://uga.edu/botgarden/

ROSWELL: The Colors of Christmas at the Archibald Smith Plantation. November 19, 2010 – January 3, 2011 Archibald Smith Plantation Home has been decorated for the holidays by the Roswell Garden Club. They will decorate multiple trees using different sizes, techniques, and colors in the old and new colors of Christmas. Floral designs will be incorporated in the decorations. $8 adults; $7 seniors, $6 children. Tours Mon. – Sat. from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on the hour. Sundays on the hour from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. For information please call 770-641-3978. http://www.archibaldsmithplantation.org/

COLUMBUS: GARDENING WITH THE MASTERS You’re Invited to Come Watch Our Garden Grow…..

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned gardener, Gardening with the Masters can teach you how to start becoming a more effective gardener and get the results you desire from your gardening experiences. The Valley Master Gardeners, University of Georgia Extension and Columbus Botanical Garden are proud to present the first Gardening with the Masters Series beginning March 3, 2010. $ 12 per session ($10 MG or CBG member) or full series of 9 classes is $80. Class topics are...

March 3 Let’s Get Started: Get the Dirt on Dirt!

March 10 Let’s Get Started: Worms Eat My Garbage

March 17 Let’s Get Started: Plant Selection

March 24 Let’s Get Started: Veggies 101

March 31 Let’s Get Started: Organics 101

April 7 Container Veggies

April 14 Happening Herbs

April 21 Watchable Wildlife: When, Where, and How

April 28 Heavenly Hydrangeas

For more information or to register, call CBG at 706 327 8400.

Even though there are fewer garden-related events, there's still plenty going on around Georgia. Explore Georgia, Georgia's official tourism site has plenty to keep you busy http://www.exploregeorgia.org/

Since Thanksgiving celebrates the harvest, we'd like to express how thankful we are for all of you Georgia Master Gardeners and the work you have done this year. Whether you were organizing farmer's markets, teaching at school gardens, tending Plant A Row Gardens, or providing gardening advice at the Extension office you have contributed to building a healthier Georgia. Thank you!

Georgia Master Gardener Snippets November 5, 2010

2010-11-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Georgia Master Gardener Snippets Friday November 5, 2010

Washington, GA Fall Art Fest Sponsored by the Washington-Wilkes Arts Foundation. World-renowned topiary artist Pearl Fryar will demonstrate his art at 10 am and 11:30 am on the town square green this Saturday, Nov 6th. Demonstration is free. Friday’s events include 6-9 pm screening of a 'Man Named Pearl' and wine reception $20. (If you haven’t seen the documentary film, it’s available on DVD from Video rental sources or re-sellers.) http://www.washingtonwilkesarts.org/Events.php

Atlanta Botanical Garden: Holidays in the Garden November 2 – January 2 Enjoy the Garden at its merriest! Discover an 18-foot-tall poinsettia tree towering inside the Fuqua Orchid Center and quaint G-scale trains chugging through a beautifully planted landscape in outdoor courtyards. Dogs dressed in holiday finery have their day during the third annual Reindog Parade – the only day of the year man's best friend is allowed in the Garden. Enter your pooch in the contest or just come out to watch the fun. http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/events/holidays-garden

LaGrange: Holiday Decorating Workshops at Hills and Dales Estate Workshop space is limited and pre-registration is required. Nov 6^th Dried Flower Wreaths $45, Dec 4^th Christmas Wreaths$35, Dec 11^th Christmas Swag $35. Info- 706-882-3242 http://www.hillsanddales.org/index.php/educational_programs/workshops_lectures

Columbus Botanical Garden: Great Gourds! Gifts from the Garden November 13, 2010 9:30 am Cost: $25 per person / $20 CBG members http://www.columbusbotanicalgarden.com

Thomas County: Cotton Gin Tour in Boston, GA @ "Boston Gin" November 17th. Sign up online at http://2010mgcotton.eventbrite.com to register and the password is 'pigweed' without the quotations. It is free and it will be a fun tour! Boston, GA is about 45 minutes due west of Valdosta.

Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners Conference: Growing Health, Wealth, & Justice in Our Communities November 19-21, 2010 Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY. The Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference is for anyone interested in the food-related issues concerning urban Black communities, especially those involved in the food and health professions: gardeners, growers, educators, farmers, cooks, developers, nutritionists among others. http://www.blackfarmersconf.org

UGA Griffin Campus: Landscape Update Friday December 3, 2010 9:00a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Research Education Garden Classroom. $40. Lunch is provided in the program. Designed for the commercial landscaper who wants to increase his or her knowledge of landscape management including site analysis and bed preparation, plant selection both woody and herbaceous, fertilization and irrigation, troubleshooting, as well as landscape equipment selection. Commercial and private pesticide credit has been applied for in category 24 and will be offered. Bob Westerfield and Bodie Pennisi will be the program speakers and are with the University of Georgia Horticulture Department. Registration is required. Registration form available at: http://tinyurl.com/29ux462 For more information please contact Val Schott at (770) 233-5598 email vschott@uga.edu.

Mark Your Calendar! February 18, 2011 Southern Garden Heritage Conference 9am-4pm State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens $95 members, $110 non-members. http://www.uga.edu/botgarden/eduregister.html

November is American Diabetes Month In 2007, approximately 700,000 adults aged 18 years and older (10.1% of the Georgia adult population) had been diagnosed with diabetes. For every two persons with diabetes who have been diagnosed, another has not yet been diagnosed. Thus, approximately 350,000 additional adult Georgians are estimated to have undiagnosed diabetes, either type 1 or type 2. Thousands more are at increased risk of getting diabetes because of advancing age, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, and insufficient physical activity; many of these behavioral risk factors are modifiable. (GA Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health) As Master Gardeners you can help yourself and others in your community be more healthy. Encouraging people to garden can help contribute to a healthier lifestyle and may help reduce diabetes in your community. The UGA Cooperative Extension College of Family and Consumer Sciences has developed an online learning program called Focus on Diabetes that you can use to become more aware of this disease. http://www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/food/focus.php .

New from The University of Georgia Press: The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook edited by Sara Roahen and John T. Edge. Spiral-bound with hardcover $24.95 Published in association with the Southern Foodways Alliance at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. http://www.ugapress.org

Climate and weather calculators are among the tools available at the Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network. To find out when the first and last frosts have occurred, expand “calculators” in the left menu bar, choose first or last frost and enter your nearest station from the drop down list. Or, use the map icons for the station nearest you and choose ‘First Frost Date’ or ‘Last Frost Date’ on the far right column. http://www.griffin.uga.edu/aemn/

Master Gardener Snippets 10/22/10

2010-10-22T10:52:00.001-07:00

Master Gardener Snippets 10/22/10

STATEWIDE: 2010 Georgia/ Florida Green Industry Update. Up-to-date information on new production and cultural practices, new plants, new pests, and new products. Learn what’s new in the industry right from your own home. 4 weekly sessions offered in a Webinar format via Internet. $ 25 per weekly session or $80 for all 4 paid by the first session. Mondays 2-4 pm 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, and 11/15. Pesticide re-certification and ISA credits will be offered to paid participants from Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. Register online at:
http://www.areg.caes.uga.edu/#hortwebinars ( IMPORTANT NOTE: Registration for this Monday’s session on Weeds & Weed Control closes at 5 pm today) (Other sessions are 11/1- Diseases & Disease Control, 11/8- Insects & Insect Control, 11/15- New and Hot Plants)

DECATUR: Georgia Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden Plant Sales and Lunch and Wildflower Series. Plant Sales with discounts of 10% to 25% continue on Wednesdays and for the next two Saturdays in October, Oct. 23 and 30. Hours are 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Fall Lunch and Wildflower Series October 27, speaker will be George Sanko, who will speak on "Sex in the Garden Part 2". Plant Sales are held from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Guided Garden Walks start at 10:30 am and Talks start at 11:30 am. Please follow signs at the garden to the classroom for the talk. 3251 Panthersville Rd, Decatur Ga. http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/

TIFTON: LOCAL FOOD CONFERENCE Georgia Organics hosts South Georgia Growing Local Food Conference Nov. 12 and 13 in Tifton, Georgia. Friday afternoon with a self-guided farm tour, followed by an Okravore Potluck and Bonfire, and a screening of the movie "Fresh" at the Tift Theatre in downtown Tifton. Concurrent workshops will be held all day Saturday in two different tracks. The Homesteading track will offer such topics as cheesemaking, canning, and bread baking. The Growing Local track will offer workshops on growing, animal husbandry, policy, and the local food community. Cost for the event is sliding scale $10-$30. Lunch is included. Cost of the movie is not included ($5 adults and $3 students). Registration is limited to 50. For registration questions contact Donna Toepfer at Georgia Organics, by emailing donna@georgiaorganics.org or by calling 678.702.0400. Registration is not necessary for the farm-tour, potluck, or Friday night movie--all Friday events are open to the general public. But please give us your contact info. so we can send updates and directions. Register and pay only if you plan to attend the Saturday workshops. http://www.georgiaorganics.org/events/event.php?id=1340

Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves airs this Saturday at 12:30 and 6:30PM on Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Wondering what are all of those beautifully colored trees and shrubs that were just green blobs along your road all summer? The UGA publication, Native Plants for Georgia Part I: Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines B 987 is online in full color. The HTML version provides for quick viewing or the pdf version is printable (it’s 108 pages make sure your ink cartridge is full) http://www.caes.uga.edu/Publications/pubDetail.cfm?pk_id=7763&pg=dl&ak=Horticulture

Next Snippets - Thursday October 28^th.

MASTER GARDENER SNIPPETS Friday October 15, 2010

2010-10-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

PERRY, GA, The 21^st Georgia National Fair. It’s wrap-up weekend! October 16 & 17 Master Gardener Demonstrations, Dahlia show, Camellia Show. Plus: 4-H Exhibits, Midway, Entertainment, Food, Livestock & Horse Shows. Gates open 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Admission $8 adults, $7 Seniors-60+. Free parking. http://www.georgianationalfair.com

MILLEDGEVILLE: LOCKERLY ARBORETUM Heritage Days &, Plant Sale. Saturday, October 30th on the lawns surrounding Lockerly Hall. 9 am. – 4 pm. Numerous arts & crafts vendors, Civil War re-enactors, storytelling, horse-drawn wagon rides, mansion tours, food, musical entertainment, and much more. Entrance fee of $5.00 for adults, $2.00 for children ages 6-12. Kids 5 and under free. Fall Plant Sale 9am -4 pm Superior tree selections, shrubs, perennials, winter annuals, and unusual plants, including heirloom varieties available for purchase. Author Dorinda Dallmeyer from the University of Georgia will be presenting a lecture on William Bartram at 11 a.m. in Lockerly Hall. A costumed portrayer of William Bartram will guide visitors on a journey through the native flora of the region. www.lockerly.org

ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN Alston Lecture Thursday November 4, 7pm. “Exotic and Edible: Unusual Plants and Fungi for Home Gardens" Dr. Jeanine Davis Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University. Admission is free and no reservations are required. Garden daily admission is $15, Seniors $12. ABG members-free. Parking @ SAGE facility adjacent to the garden is by the hour with a $15 max daily rate. (Yes- ABG participates in the American Horticultural Society’s Reciprocal Admission Program www.ahs.org ) http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

ATHENS: STATE BOTANICAL GARDEN Weekend Sustainability Workshop November 12, 13, &14. “Sustainability: Bring It Home!” is a weekend workshop for people who want to transform their home into a fun and practical part of a more ecological world. This comprehensive workshop is filled with interactive presentations and hands-on sessions that educate and inspire participants to create home systems to meet their needs for food, water, and energy as locally, sustainably, and economically as possible. Topics will include: Home Energy Alternatives; Home Orchards and Forest Gardens; Annual and Perennial Vegetable Gardens; Soil Health and Composting; Raising Animals at Home; Natural Building; Creative Erosion Control; Rainwater Catchment; and Creating an Ecological Neighborhood. $175 members, $200 non-members http://uga.edu/botgarden/eduregister.html

ATLANTA: Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association Short Course 2011 is now taking registrations online. Saturday, January 22, 2010 8:30 am -4:30 pm at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Cost: 95.00 includes continental breakfast, lunch, parking, admission to the garden, and presentations from educators and urban beekeepers. Participants are limited to 100. MABA Short Course web site for the agenda and registration. http://www.beekeepingshortcourse.com/

PINE MOUNTAIN: Callaway Gardens’ 25th Anniversary Southern Gardening Symposium scheduled for January 28 – 30, 2011. Headline speakers are Dr. Michael Dirr (Thirty Years of Gardening in Georgia), Rick Darke (The New Wild Garden) and Joe Lamp’l (Greening Your Garden). Other speakers and topics include Scott Burrell, Conifers for the South; Bobby Green, Camellias; Lucinda Mays, Growing Your Own Food; Erin Weston, Winter Garden; and Kari Whitley Southern Gardening. Master Gardeners receive the discounted program registration rate of $220. If you register by October 31, 2010 you can take advantage of the Early-Bird Discount on overnight accommodation rates. To register for the Symposium or for more information, please contact the Callaway Gardens' Education Department at education@callawaygardens.com or 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292), option 5, option 2 or 706-663-5153. More details will also be available on our website. http://www.callawaygardens.com/info/gardens/education/events.southern-gardening-symposium.aspx

ATLANTA: Emory University’s Evening at Emory Certificate in Landscape Design. Intended for hobbyists and amateur landscape designers alike, this program will provide both foundational and cutting-edge concepts and techniques for creating functional, crowd-pleasing landscape plans for any type of budget. Flexible open enrollment allows 18 months to complete all required classes. Approximate total costs are $4,000 and 224 hours including classes and project. http://cll.emory.edu/eate/certificates/landscapedesign/

This week on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves, propagating leaves, robot mowers, repotting carnivorous plants. YSG airs on GPB Saturday at 12:30 & 6:30 pm.

New Publication on the nuisance pest Megacopta cribraria –Kudzu bug. http://www.caes.uga.edu/Publications/displayHTML.cfm?pk_id=7891

MG Snippets 10/08/10

2010-10-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

COWETA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER PLANT SALE Saturday, October 9, 2010 (Rain or Shine) 1:00- 4:00 PM Greenhouse at the County Fairgrounds 255 Pine Road, Newnan, Ga 30263 We have a limited selection of beautiful ornamental shrubs and perennials -- perfect for fall planting. Located behind the County Extension Office and next to the Horse Arena. Look for the Plant Sale signs Great plants at great prices - Checks or cash accepted. For additional Information, please contact the County Extension Office at 770-254-2620

GRIFFIN: SCARECROWS IN THE GARDEN at the UGA Research and Education garden. Visit the garden and the scarecrows weekdays 8 am-4:30 pm and Sundays 1-4 pm October 11th through October 24^th. Don’t miss the Scarecrow Celebration Sunday, Oct 24^th 1-4pm. You can get the latest RE Garden event information at http://www.facebook.com/REGARDENEVENTS

ATLANTA: “LUNCH LINE” MOVIE SCREENING & PANEL DISCUSSION There will be a free screening on of "Lunch Line" on Oct. 13 at the Midtown Atlanta Art Cinema, with organic concessions available at 6:30 p.m. Please arrive no later than 6:45 p.m. to reserve your seat. Movie starts promptly at 7 p.m. In the film, six kids from one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago set out to fix school lunch and end up at the White House. Their unlikely journey parallels the dramatic transformation of school lunch from a weak patchwork of local anti-hunger efforts to a robust national feeding program. The film tracks key moments in school food and child nutrition from 1940s, 1960s, and 1980s to the present - revealing political twists, surprising alliances, and more common ground than people realize. Along the way, Senators, Secretaries of Agriculture, entrepreneurs, and activists from across the political spectrum add top-down perspective to a bottom-up film about the American political process, the health and welfare of its future, and the realities of feeding more than 31 million children a day. A panel discussion will follow the movie with the filmmakers and special guests from Georgia Organics, City Schools of Decatur Nutrition Director, Joe Reynolds of Love is Love Farm, and nutrition expert Diane Harris, Ph. D, MPH, CHES. The panel will be moderated by CNN's Natalie Snedden. RSVP is required, seating is limited. Please email RSVP@prcollaborative.com or call (202)339-9598 to reserve your seat.

DECATUR NATIVE PLANT BOTANICAL GARDEN LUNCH AND WILDFLOWER SERIES at Georgia Perimeter College. Just a few weeks of these left until spring. Next week is Oct 13 "Rare plants of Georgia with emphasis on Floyd County” Richard and Teresa Ware. Free native plant talks and guided garden walks. Plant Sales with Discounts: 10:00 - 2:00 Walks: 10:30 - 11:15. Talks: 11:30 - 12:30 - Please follow signs at garden to the classroom. 3251 Panthersville Road Decatur, GA Phone: 678-891-2668 http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/

GWINNETT TECHNICAL COLLEGE FALL PLANT SALE Friday October 15 9am-4pm at the Greenhouses GTC 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville, GA 30043 August Beauty Gardenias, Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’, Frost Proof Gardenias, Indigofera decora, Pansies, Vitex agnus-castus ‘Shoal Creek’, Ferns Heucherella ‘Bridget Bloom’, Hydrangeas, Echinacea Big Sky ‘Twilight’, Golden Globe, Thuja, Amsonia hubrechtii. Remember if you plant to go to the Vince Dooley book signing on campus at 10 am that day, it’s free but you must register at https://aceweb.gwinnetttech.edu/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?~~112SEM2001

GWINNETT MASTER GARDENERS MEETING Want to learn how to be a better environmental steward and also how to get a reduction on your water bill? Come and hear a very informative Stormwater program at the Gwinnett County Master Gardeners meeting on Monday, October 18th. We will have a covered dish dinner at 6:30. If you would like to eat with us, please bring a dish to share. Otherwise, come and learn about using rain barrels, rain gardens, etc. at 7:00 p.m. We meet at the Gwinnett Sr. Center at 225 Bethesda Church Road in Lawrenceville off of Ronald Reagan Parkway.

ATLANTA OUTDOOR CLASSROOM SYMPOSIUM Georgia’s 14^th Annual Outdoor Classroom Symposium Friday November 5 at Zoo Atlanta. The theme of "Get Outdoors! Teaching Locally, Connecting Globally" will feature hands-on sessions on how to create outdoor teaching spaces, how to how to teach outdoors, and how to use local resources to make connections to the larger world. New this year, three speakers will give presentations in Zoo Atlanta’s auditorium: Daron Joffe AKA "Farmer D" of Farmer D Organics, Jerry Hightower, Outdoor Educator Extraordinaire from the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Dr. Joe Mendelson, Curator of Herpetology at Zoo Atlanta. Other highlights will include "make and take" classes, informative exhibits prepared by program providers and outdoor classroom experts, presentation of the Outdoor Classroom Service Award, and endless opportunities for networking and inspiration! Complete Details/Registration: http://eealliance.org/net/content/go.aspx?s=60146.0.0.7182

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE Fred Dyer, editor of the Georgia Master Gardener Association, Inc. newsletter, The Scoop, reminds you that October 15th is the normal deadline for inputs for the Winter issue of the SCOOP. If you have anything for him, please send it along soon. You may send those items along to Fred at fbdyer@windstream.net And, speaking of GMGA, if you have questions about your membership, please contact the GMGA membership chair Carole Teja at membership4gmga@gmail.com Dues are $15 annually and paid-up members have access to The Scoop Newsletter online and receive notification when a new issue is available for viewing.

Kudos to the Troup County Master Gardeners and GMGA for a terrific conference last weekend! Rome and Floyd County Master Gardeners are up next so make plans to attend another great weekend April 29 & 30, 2011.

MG LOGO Please remember that the Georgia Master Gardener Program logo is trademarked by the USG Board of Regents and permission to use must be granted by the University of Georgia through its Division of External Affairs. While this mostly pertains to use on merchandise, and similar uses, it also includes personal use on social networking sites, blogs. etc. Ms. Mary Beth Crumley in the External Affairs Service Office at 706-542-4583 can assist with any questions. http://www.externalaffairs.uga.edu/policies/nodes/view/203/Logos-and-Trademarks

YOUR SOUTHERN GARDEN WITH WALTER REEVES is on the GeorgiaPublic Broadcasting schedule this week for Saturday at 12:30 and 6:30 pm.

2010-09-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

Georgia Master Gardener Snippets September 30, 2010

COVINGTON AREA: Field of Greens Festival Sunday, October 3, 11am-5pm Sustainable Farming Fair Whippoorwill Hollow Farm in Walnut Grove. Farmer’s market and educational expo, chef cooking demo’s, live music, food tastings and kids activities. $20 at gate or $15 Advance Tickets available at selected Whole Foods Markets. http://www.fieldofgreensfestival.com/pressrelease2_2010.pdf Proceeds benefit Georgia’s organic and sustainable farmers, in partnership with nonprofit Slow Food Atlanta. http://www.fieldofgreensfestival.com/

LAGRANGE: Hills and Dales Estates presents Historic Gardens and Landscapes of the American South: Tuesday, October 5, 6:30 pm Noted author and garden historian James (Jim) R. Cothran will highlight the most historically important gardens from Louisiana to Virginia, including gardens from Charleston, South Carolina. Jim will sign copies of Gardens and Historic Plants of the Antebellum South, Gardens of Historic Charleston and his latest book Charleston Gardens and the Legacy of Loutrel Briggs.

A 6:30 reception will be followed by a lecture and book signing at 7:00 pm. World renowned, award-winning harpist Merry Miller will also be performing during the reception. Admission is FREE but reservations are required. Call 706-882-3242 or e-mail info@hillsanddales.org to register.

Athens: State Botanical Garden of Georgia Perennial Symposium Wednesday, October 13, from 8:45 am – 3:00 pm in the Callaway Building Auditorium. Members $55; non-members $60 (includes lunch buffet). In this information-packed program, perennial experts will discuss a variety of topics from specific plants to maintaining a sustainable landscape to designs that make our gardens our own. Dr. A’s Perennials for Everyone – Allan M. Armitage, Professor of Horticulture, UGA ; Easy Fruits and Berries in the Garden – Steve Brady, Cobb County Extension Agent; “Hot" Plants & New Trends for the Georgia Gardener – Matthew Chappell, Extension Specialist & Assistant Professor Horticulture Department; An Almanac for Garden Management – Mary Attaway, Attaway Gardening, Athens, Georgia; Strategies for Sustainable Gardening – Kevin Kirsche, Director of Sustainability, UGA.. http://www.uga.edu/botgarden/eduregister.html

P.S. SBG will have a plant sale that day and you don’t have to be registered for the Symposium to come shop the sale.

DECATUR: Lasagna Gardening- Layer Your Garden Bed Like you would Layer Lasagna. October 17, 2010, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Oakhurst Community Garden 435 Oakview Rd Decatur. Prepare your fall and 2011 Garden now with a special technique resembling the layers of lasagna. This is not a cooking class. You will learn an innovative gardening practice that requires no digging, no tilling, or removing your grass. It’s true! Join Amy Handler in this hands-on class to learn about a nontraditional method of layering organic matter to create a rich bed ready to plant with greens for the fall and summer veggies next spring. $15 Oakhurst Garden members, $20 non-members Register online at www.oakhurstgarden.org under adult classes, Gardening, Nature, and Urban Farming.

ATLANTA: Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium November 4, 2010 at Zoo Atlanta. Keynote speaker is Dr. Damon Waitt, senior Botanist at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin Texas, a Center having an international reputation in plant conservation and environmental sustainability. Other presenters at the day-long symposium will discuss the effects of invasive plants on real estate values, sustainable landscapes practices, environmental impacts of non-herbicidal plant control, and the risk associated with using invasive plants for bio-fuel production. The symposium is open to anyone interested in non-native invasive species management. Individuals involved in the management of forest resources, private and public lands, as well as Green Industry professionals and arborists are encouraged to attend. Continuing education units and pesticide credits will be available at the end of the program to qualified individuals. For a complete agenda, directions, and to register, see http://www.gaeppc.org/2010Meeting/index.html

Early Registration by Oct 29 $30 for GAEPPC members $50 nonmember. Regular registration after 10/29 $40 member/$60 nonmember For additional information or to request a registration form, phone 770-535-1976 or 404-624-5620.

STATEWIDE: Georgia Botanical Society organizes field trips exploring Georgia’s native plants growing in their natural areas. Individual/ Family membership $25 per calendar year. There is also a monthly newsletter and workshops. http://www.gabotsoc.org

Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves is on the Georgia Public Broadcast TV schedule for Saturday at 12:30 & 6:30 pm. Not sure whether this week’s show will be #20 Propagating Pitcher Plants & Wick Watering, #22 Cane Cuttings & Drying Figs, or neither of these. Guess it will be a surprise!

Virtual State Fair This world is so different- Our kids and grandkids have grown up with the Internet, video games and cell phones and new media rolls out faster than ever. Here’s an interesting concept from eXtension using Virtual worlds to educate through the Virtual State fair. Second Life is a virtual world. To visit Second Life, you must first sign up for a free account at www.secondlife.com, and create your personal avatar. After you have become a resident of Second Life, you will find the main gate of the Virtual State Fair on eXtension's Morrill Island at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Morrill/168/123/28 (Ask somebody under 25… I have a hard time with video games so, no help available here.)

MG Snippets Sept 24, 2010

2010-09-24T12:05:00.001-07:00

MG Snippets Friday, Sept 24, 2010

This weekend…

Carroll County Shade Gardening Seminar

Decatur Garden Tour*

Fall Home Show at Cobb Galleria

GNPS Native Plant Symposium

Hall County MG Fall Expo

Insectival at State Botanical Garden

MGCG Fall Plant Sale*

Rockdale MG Plant Sale and Festival

( See previous Snippets or events blog for info)

*DECATUR GARDEN TOUR Saturday, Sept. 25 10 a.m.-5 p.m. & Evening Tour 7-9 pm. Sunday, Sept. 26 Noon-5 pm Tickets $25. Sixteen gardens plus a tour marketplace. Proceeds benefit Oakhurst Community Garden Project & Decatur Preservation Alliance http://www.decaturgardentour.com/

*MACON: MGCG FALL PLANT SALE Master Gardeners of Central Georgia will hold their fall plant sale at the Macon Farmers Market on Eisenhower Avenue in Macon Georgia, on Friday September 24th, thru Saturday September 25^th. We will be open for purchases from 8:30am till 6:00 pm on Friday and 8:30 am till 5:00pm on Saturday. If you are looking for plants to spruce up your fall garden, or some trees and shrubs to plant later this fall for your spring garden – come see us we have some great deals. Visit www.mgcg.org for details.

DESTIN, FLORIDA: MG CONFERENCE 30^th Annual Florida Master Gardener Continued Training Conference October 25-27, 2010 at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida. Early registration for Master Gardeners from Georgia has been extended until Thursday September 30^th. This year things start a day early with two optional field trips and a Master Gardener Palm School being held on the afternoon of October 24th. Conference early registration is $245 if you stay at site hotel or $345 if you stay off-site. Single-day early registration $145. There are general sessions highlighting disease diagnosis, the issues surrounding our pollinators, guidance on using color in the landscape, a presentation on sustainable landscape care, and new and underutilized plants. In the concurrent sessions, have a Florida-Friendly Landscape track and a wide range of topics sure to increase your knowledge base and make you an even better volunteer. http://www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/gardener/index.htm

GWINNETT TECHNICAL COLLEGE Octobver 15^th Gwinnett Tech Hosts Vince Dooley Book Signing, Plus Fall Plant Sale and Gardening Workshops . Coach Dooley will sign and discuss his latest book: Vince Dooley's Garden: A Horticultural Journey of a Football Coach 10am-noon. Planting Workshops – Gwinnett Tech's Continuing Education Division will host two gardening workshops immediately following Dooley's presentation in The Busbee Center, Building 700. The workshops Kitchen Gardens–Vegetables in the Landscape and Flower Show Blue Ribbons Made Easy will be held at 12:30 and 1:30 p.m., respectively. Fall Plant Sale – Gwinnett Tech's Environmental Horticulture program will host its annual Fall Plant Sale from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Gwinnett Tech Greenhouse, adjacent to Building 600. Those interested in attending the book signing for Dooley or the gardening classes must register by visiting www.GwinnettTech.edu/ce and selecting the Hobbies and Personal Enrichment class schedule, or by calling 770-995-9697. Dooley's speaking engagement and book signing are free and he will have books for sale. The registration fee for the workshops is $10 per session.www.GwinnettTech.edu/ce

Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves is back this week on GPB. YSG airs Saturday at 12:30 and 6:30 pm. On this week’s show: propagating pitcher plants, wick watering and Malabar spinach. http://yoursoutherngarden.com/

Timely Publications

Flowering Bulbs for Georgia Gardens B18

http://www.caes.uga.edu/Publications/displayPDF.cfm?pk_ID=6076

Success with Pansies in the Winter Landscape: A Guide for Landscape Professionals B 1359

http://www.caes.uga.edu/Publications/displayPDF.cfm?pk_ID=7840

Next Snippets will be Thursday, September 30^th.

MG Snippets 9/16/10

2010-09-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA KOI Club Annual Koi and Goldfish Show this weekend. Beautiful koi and goldfish are judged to see who will become this year's Grand Champions! Additionally, enjoy a little shopping! Participating vendors will have live koi and goldfish, as well as Yard Art, t-shirts, plants, jewelry and more. Come by to learn more about the Hobby of Keeping Koi. Best of all, there is no charge for admission! Location: Coastal Pond Supply 2101 Tucker Industrial Road Tucker, GA 30083 800-782-6179 Show Hours: 9/18– Saturday 9am-5pm 9/19 – Sunday 9am-2pm (10a-12p Judges Discuss Koi)

http://www.atlantakoiclub.org/Nishikgoi%20Shows/2010/2010.htm

ROCKDALE COUNTY: Fifth Annual Master Gardener Plant Sale and Festival. Saturday, September 25th

10:00 AM-4:00 PM. 1400 Parker Road, Conyers GA. Free Family Fun and Gardening Advice Join us for Plant Bargains, Free Gardening Advice and Materials, Cooking Demo “Fall Cuisine- Cooking with Fresh Fall Garden Produce,” at 10:45am with our Celebrated Chef Alain of Seven Gables Restaurant. Children’s Activities - face painting, crafts, clowns, etc. , Chick-Fil-A and other food for the hungry gardener ,Vendors - nature crafts, tools, landscaping items, specialty plants, etc., Chinese Auction - great items!, Nature Gift Shop. Guest Speakers on Horticulture Topics 10:30-12:30

For more information, contact the Rockdale County Extension Office at 770-278-7373.

ATHENS: STATE BOTANICAL GARDEN 16th Annual Insect-ival! Saturday, September 25 9:30 am – 12:30 pm $5 per person; $20 max/family; children under 2 years are free. Visitor Center. Join Garden staff and volunteers for this creepy, crawly, and definitely fun Family Festival. Discovery stations, roach and beetle races, puppet shows and of course, lots of live insects, will also highlight this year’s event! Children can complete a series of discovery station activities to receive a special insect prize. At 11am we will host our 4th butterfly release on the lawn of the International Garden. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to view dozens of native butterflies flap their wings above your head! The Insect-ival is sponsored the Garden, the UGA Lund Club, the UGA Department of Entomology, and the Georgia Museum of Natural History. Supporting sponsor: Jackson EMC Project Roundup. Pre-registration is not required http://uga.edu/botgarden/

ATLANTA Cobb Galleria Centre: Fall Atlanta Home Show September 24-26, 2010. Scheduled garden speakers at the show are Joe Washington, Todd Goulding, Farmer D, & Live Broadcast of the 750 WSB Lawn & Garden Show. General Admission is $10. Senior Citizens 65+ with valid ID FREE. Free Parking http://www.atlantahomeshow.com

ATLANTA: Fall Native Plant Sale at Chattahoochee Nature Center. Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16 from 9am-5pm. Location-Chattahoochee Nature Center Greenhouse at the top of the hill 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell, GA 30075. Trees and shrubs with outstanding fall color including native azaleas, American beautyberries, Winterberry hollies, Serviceberries, and more! Late-season blooming perennials for fall garden color including Georgia Asters, Black-Eyed Susans, Sages, and Goldenrods. Evergreens for beautiful winter focal points and privacy screens. Groundcovers such as gingers, native grasses, and ferns. http://www.chattnaturecenter.org/

COLUMBUS: GARDEN GALA LUNCHEON The Columbus Botanical Garden in Columbus, Georgia will hold its 2010 Garden Gala luncheon on Wednesday, October 20 at Green Island Country Club. This year’s exciting and unique format will feature Remco Van Vliet , Metropolitan Museum floral designer, demonstrating his beautiful creations followed by a delicious, festive luncheon. After lunch, Mr. Van Vliet will conduct a workshop for 25 people at the Columbus Botanical Garden in the Adam’s Farm House. Here, he will instruct lucky participants in the fine art of floral arranging. All proceeds go to the Columbus Botanical Garden and its projects such as: building a Children’s Garden on the Joann Holt Walking Trail and developing its Gin House into an excellent educational facility.The event schedule is as follows: Silent Auction 10:00 – 11:00; Demonstration 11:00 – 12:30 ; Luncheon 12:30 – 1:30 ( All held at Green Island Country Club). The Workshop ( 2:30 – 4:30) will be held at Columbus Botanical Garden. Costs of demonstration and lunch - $75.00. Workshop cost – $150.Tickets go on sale September 21 and will be on a “first come first serve basis”. http://www.columbusbotanicalgarden.com/

INTERNATIONAL MASTER GARDENER SEARCH FOR EXCELLENCE. The International Master Gardener Search for Excellence is the recognition program of Master Gardener volunteer work throughout the United States and Canada. Search for Excellence has seven categories in which Master Gardeners can demonstrate their outstanding contributions to their communities. All SFE applications must show that significant learning took place, whether by the Master Gardeners or the general public they were involved with.

All volunteer projects done by Master Gardeners are significant to their communities, but not all are Search for Excellence projects. The Search for Excellence is designed to recognize outstanding group projects, not an individual who does outstanding work. Deadline for SFE applications is February 1, 2011.Awards will be given out at the International Master Gardener Conference in Charleston, West Virginia October 11-14, 2011.

http://www.extension.org/pages/International_Master_Gardener_Search_for_Excellence

Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves will not air at the usual time and place this week on the regular broadcast GPB channel. It’s back on the schedule Saturday, Sept 25 at 12:30 and 6:30. It is also on the schedule to broadcast on the GPB 8.3 channel at 5 pm Saturday.

WOW! Next Weekend Sept 25-26^th has plenty to keep you busy!

Carroll County Shade Gardening Seminar

Fall Home Show at Cobb Galleria

GNPS Native Plant Symposium

Hall County MG Fall Expo

Insectival at State Botanical Garden

Rockdale MG Plant Sale and Festival

Oct 1 &2 Georgia Master Gardener Association Fall Conference in LaGrange

In case you missed something, you can see the previous Snippets on the MG Events Blog.

http://georgiamgevents.blogspot.com/

MG Snippets 9-10-10

2010-09-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

Here’s a challenge for all of you Master Gardeners: Can we Garden Across Georgia? Walk Georgia is an 8-week program to increase your physical activity in a fun, community-oriented way. Gardening counts as exercise so gather your garden buddies and participate! (Other activities count too, walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, golf and more ) You can participate individually or form a team of 4. WALK GEORGIA REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS Midnight Tuesday Sept 14^th. There’ s a super-easy tutorial on how to register and all the info you need at http://www.walkgeorgia.org/

MOSS MEMORIAL LIBRARY SEPTEMBER SPEAKER Hayesville, N.C, HUMMINGBIRDS/BUTTERFLIES Similarities and Differences September 11, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. Hayesville resident Carolyn Krueger will present a program on Hummingbird/Butterfly Gardens. She will discuss the similarities and differences of these wonderful gifts of nature and the steps you can take to attract them to your garden. Carolyn moved to Shooting Creek from Decatur, Georgia nine years ago shortly after retiring from the V. A. Medical Center. Her interest in winged wonders and gardening were legacies from her parents who owned and operated a Nursery in Atlanta. For information call: (828) 389-8401 Funded by the Fred A. Moss Charity Trust. Hayesville is just 15 minutes north of Young Harris via Hwy 515 & Hwy 69.

DECATUR: NATIVE PLANT WALKS AND TALKS Lunch and Wildflowers Series Fall 2010 Wednesdays. Free native plant talks and guided garden walks. Plant Sales: 10:00 - 2:00 Walks: 10:30 - 11:15 Talks: 11:30 - 12:30 Please follow signs at garden to classroom. Sept 15 "Fern Garden Companions"-Don Jacobs; Sept 22 "Tips on Flower Photography"-Hugh and Carol Nourse; Sept 29 "Introduction to Propagation"-Kathy Henderson; Oct 6 - TBA; Oct 13"Rare plants of Georgia with emphasis on Floyd County" - Richard and Teresa Ware; Oct 20 "Native Trees and Shrubs"-Ted Stephens; Oct 27 "Sex in the Garden Part 2" - George Sanko; Nov 3 Topic TBA - Scott Ranger. DECATUR CAMPUS, GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE 3251 Panthersville Road Decatur, GA Phone: 678-891-2668 http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/sales10fall.html

UGA ATHENS CAMPUS: AN EVENING IN THE TRIAL GARDENS: Thursday September 16th, 2010 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Tickets $7. Hear Dr. Armitage tell plant stories, give tours, and sign books with a jazz band in the background. http://ugatrial.hort.uga.edu/

INMAN FARM HERITAGE DAYS Sept 17-19, 2010. Antique trucks, farm machinery, rare steam tractors and a look at farm life in the past. No admission fee but you can support the festival by purchasing a program, hat or shirt. Friday 9-6, Sat 9-6 and Sun 9-4. 5 miles South of Fayetteville via Ga Hwy 92. http://www.inmanfarm.com/directions.php

GWINNETT COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS MEETING Monday, September 20^th, Tara Dillard will present a program Vines: Consider Them First. She is a garden designer, author of 5 books, and speaker. After earning degrees in engineering and horticulture, she began designing and installing sustainable landscapes, emphasizing the balance of home-garden-life. Tara writes magazine articles and maintains a landscape design blog, www.TaraDillard.com. Based in Atlanta, GA, she lectures nationally. We will have a covered dish dinner at 6:30. If you would like to eat with us, please bring a dish to share. Otherwise, come and hear Tara at 7:00 p.m. We meet at the Gwinnett Sr. Center at 225 Bethesda Church Road in Lawrenceville off of Ronald Reagan Parkway.

FORSYTH COUNTY: Georgia Organics Organic Growing Class Begins Sept. 25 taught by Lynn Pugh of Cane Creek, Introduction to Organic Farming and Gardening is an intensive training course targeted to adults who want to know more about the science and art of organic growing. Prior experience or education is not required. The Fall 2010 in-depth class will meet on three weekends plus one extra Saturday. The class meets on Sept. 25 and 26, Oct. 9 and 10, Oct. 23 and 24, and Oct. 30. Course topics include: basics of organic growing, soils, soil biology and soil management; plant biology, crop management, composting, marketing, and certification. Lynn sells her sustainable produce through a CSA and an on-farm market and has a degree in Biology, an MS degree in Plant Pathology, and an Ed.S degree in Curriculum Development. $450 for members of Georgia Organics and $475 for non-members.

http://www.georgiaorganics.org/events/event.php?id=1241

CARROLLTON: THERE ARE STILL A FEW SEATS LEFT for the September 25 SHADE GARDENING with Erica Glasener presented by the Carroll County Master Gardeners. Cost is $10, payable by mail or in person at the Carroll County Extension Office at the Agricultural Center at 900 Newnan Rd. Carrollton, GA 30117. Get a registration form at the Ag Center or e-mail uge2045@uga.edu

MILLEDGEVILLE: LOCKERLY ARBORETUM FALL FESTIVAL & PLANT SALE Mark your Calendars for October 30 Fall Heritage Festival. www.lockerlyarboretum.org

This week on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves: Drying Apples with UGA Food Preservation Specialist Elizabeth Andress, Hydroponics for Kids with Charles Fedunak, Curly-leaf Kale and Catching a Possum. YSG airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting Saturdays at 12:30 and 6:30 pm.

Speaking of dried apples, If you’ve got fruits and veggies coming out your ears, UGA Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Sciences has publications on how to safely can, freeze and dry your bounty. You can also find information on ordering the publication So Easy to Preserve available from the Office of Communications for $18.

http://www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/pubs/food.php?category=Preserving

The UGA Cooperative Extension Publication Search has been much improved! 5 out of 5 searches I tried brought up relevant publication results. You will still need to read the publication to find the exact term. http://www.caes.uga.edu/Publications/index.cfm

SNIPPETS 9-2-10

2010-09-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Master Gardener SNIPPETS September 2, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE: Fall Landscape & Garden Classes-Fayette County Cooperative Extension and Fayette County Master Gardeners Present:

TREE PLANTING AND PRUNING -Fall Preparation: Thursday, September 9, 2010 7:00 - 9:00 PM at the Fayette County Library. This class is intended to provide the home owner with information on the importance of when, where, and how to plant trees in our urban environment. Topics being covered will include: care and protection of the roots during planting, things to avoid when planting, and proper pruning techniques and equipment. Please RSVP by September 7. TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - Finalizing the Puzzle: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 7:00 - 9:00 PM at the Fayette County Library. This class will provide the home owner with an in depth understanding of turfgrass types, growth characteristics, needs, likes and dislikes. Emphasis will be placed on winter stabilization and preparation for spring and summer care. An extensive question and answer session will be included. Please RSVP by September 9. For more information or to register, go to www.ugaextension.com/fayette/news.html

or call 770.305.5412.

ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN: GROWING ROSES in Atlanta, Saturday, September 11,9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Roses can lace dreamy fragrance and repeat blooms throughout your garden for months out of the year. Come learn how to select the ideal roses for your landscape. Essential maintenance with an emphasis on organic methods will be discussed. Instructor: Emily Russell, Atlanta Botanical Garden senior horticulturist. Fee: $25 (Members $20) Registration Deadline: September 6. JAPANESE MAPLE PRUNING: An Aesthetic Approach Saturday, September 18, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Learn how to prune your Japanese maple successfully. The science and art of aesthetic pruning will be emphasized. Seasonal pruning, form enhancement, essence and early training will be discussed. Instructor: Norm Mittleider, Owner, Art of Pruning Fee: $35 (Members $30) Registration Deadline: September 13. To register: 404.876.5859 ext 2555 or http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/classes

COLUMBUS: KUDZU CREATIONS, Saturday, September 11 9:30 am Columbus Botanical Garden

Once glorified, now vilified, kudzu has earned the nickname “the plant that ate the South”. In its native Japan, however, it is used both as a food and a craft material. This is your opportunity to put kudzu to good use as you learn to create a simple basket or wreath to take home. Participants will share in an interactive discussion of kudzu’s history and uses while crafting their projects.Cost: $25 per person / $20 CBG members 706-327-8400 http://www.columbusbotanicalgarden.com

AUGUSTA AREA: PLANT EXCHANGE AND SALE-Saturday, September 18, 2010 9:00am-Noon. Savannah Rapids Pavilion parking lot, Martinez, GA . Admission free rain or shine. Bring plants and gardening items to trade or sell. Participants provide their own tables .For information call -Helene Hondrum 706-854-8215 Betty Crowther 706-825-8613, Jan Nelson 706-955-7775 janoops@comcast.net, or Betsy Ristroph 706-738-4684 bristroph@knology.net.

ATLANTA :GPPA Monthly Meeting, Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. McElreath Hall Atlanta History Center "Annuals Old and New, Including Hot Tropicals from UGA Research" Dr. Bodie Pennisi is Associate Professor of Horticulture at UGA, where she conducts research and publishes widely on the landscape application of tropical plants for the floriculture industry. She will report on the best annuals and tropicals for Georgia and their garden uses based on their performance at the UGA Trial Gardens. http://www.georgiaperennial.org

GRIFFIN: Gourd Painting Workshop at the UGA Griffin Campus Research and Education Garden, Wednesday September 22, 2010 9 am-noon. Join us at the Garden for a fun and relaxing morning of gourd art - your way. The workshop is free but you must register and spaces are limited. To register, contact Barbara Harris at barbaraharris69@gmail.com

GAINESVILLE: 7th Annual Hall County Master Gardeners' FALL GARDEN EXPO September 24-25, 2010 — Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. & Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center. The Complete Garden Event, featuring over 50 exciting vendors, interesting gardening demos, hands on workshops & a children’s booth. The best plant vendors in the state. Unusual and hard to find trees, shrubs, perennials, daylilies, ferns, Fall annuals, and hostas, Garden tools, equipment, art and so much more. Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center located off of I-985N at Exit 20. Info.770.535.8293 http://www.hcmgs.com/page/page/5248690.htm

Sponsored In Conjunction With UGA Cooperative Extension - Hall County

LAGRANGE: Hills and Dales Estates Upcoming Lectures:

FLOWERS TO DRY FOR: September 25, 2010 ~ 10:00 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Would you like to learn how to dry flowers from your garden and still keep vibrant color? Horticulturist Tina Eturralde will teach participants which flowers are best for drying. Techniques will include air drying, silica gel, and preserving with glycerin. Tina will provide a flower list and how-to handout. Registration $25. HISTORIC GARDENS AND LANDSCAPES Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 6:30 pm.

Mark your calendar for our anniversary lecture on "Historic Gardens and Landscapes of the American South" presented by noted author and garden historian James (Jim) R. Cothran Free admission.

Workshop fees include garden admission and refreshments. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Call 706-882-3242 or e-mail info@hillsanddales.org to register.

NORTH METRO ATLANTA: NATIVE PLANT SYMPOSIUM Georgia Native Plant Society presents GNPS Symposium 2010 "Native Gardening in the Southeast" Date: Saturday, September 25th, 2010 8 am-4:00 pm. Location: Chattahoochee Technical College North Metro Campus 5198 Ross Road Acworth, GA 30102Cost: GNPS member: $50, Nonmember: $55 Registration Postmarked after September 15th:$60.00. Topics: "Native Hollies of the Southeast" - Gil Nelson, "Climate Change and Plant Phenology in the Southeastern United States" - George Kish, "Trilliums: An Appreciation" - Tom Patrick, "Plant Communities of the Coastal Plain" - Gil Nelson, "Native Vines for your Garden" -Dan Long

Brochure and registration form at:

at: http://gnps.org/shortterm/Symposium_Announcement.php

ATHENS: GARDEN PHOTOGRAPHY Saturday, October 02, 2010 9am-3pm. State Botanical Garden $40 members $45non-members. Instructor is Jim McGregor, Professor & Head, Department of Comparative Literature, UGA and successful teacher and photographer with forty years of experience in film and digital still photography. A hands on workshop to improve your skills with the two most popular garden photographs— the overview of the garden and the real challenge, close-ups of flowers. The workshop will focus on three related themes to make better pictures of gardens and flowers: 1.) Light: where light is coming from and how your camera sees it. 2.) Composition: how objects in the picture frame can come together to create harmony and interest. 3.) Critique: how to look at your pictures and build on what you’ve accomplished. Don’t forget to bring your digital camera and the cord to link to a computer. Register by Phone:706-542-6156 or online http://www.uga.edu/botgarden/eduregister.html

-----------

This week on Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves UGA Floriculture Professor Paul Thomas shows Walter how to Propagate Stems in Water. Also, making Stepping Stones, Mexican Bean Beetles, pruning Knockout Roses.YSG airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting Saturdays at 12:30 & 6:30 pm