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President’s Message

“The connections we make in the course of a life – maybe that’s what heaven is.” -- Fred Rogers

Mr. Rogers has a point. When we are all together, it is a little a bit of Eden—a heaven on Earth. Many of us came into gardening along the solitary path of tekhne, or craft, and wandered into others who were also gardening to their hearts’ content. Master Gardeners are a special piece of that group, with an organization striving to help each one of you sustain your craft and bring a community together to focus, to learn, to grow.

Behind Master Gardeners are a lot of people who, over the years, have worked hard to organize and sustain the group itself: the worker bees who have kept this hive humming. Our upcoming September reunion is a chance for us to honor them—past presidents and officers, long-term master gardeners, and others who have stuck with the project through thick and thin. It is also a chance to gather lost friends back into our fold.

Did you know that there is a sort of magic number to the number of close friendships our brains can maintain? * It’s called Dunbar’s number, “the number of people you would not feel embarrassed about joining uninvited for a drink if you happened to bump into them in a bar” (Bloomberg Business News, January 11, 2013). I feel certain our master gardener group includes some of those easy-going relationships for every one of you. We thought a cocktail party (in lieu of a bar) would be a great place to reunite and reconnect – so please come! The invitation is in this newsletter.

*TEDxObserver, Robin Dunbar, “Can the internet buy you more friends?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07IpED729k8

ps. (the magic number is 150)

Gail Pless 2018 JCMGA President

August 2018

Kathy Rostand, Editor

RRRooooootttsss aaannnddd SSShhhooooootttsss

August Program Notes

Tuesday, August 14, 2018 Birmingham Botanical Gardens

9:00 a.m. Social Hour. Meeting begins at 10:00 am.

Gardening in Haiti

Bethany O’Rear Bethany will be reporting on her recent agricultural outreach in the northern part of Haiti. They created a community garden where nothing had grown. She taught in the mornings and planted in the afternoons. You won’t want to miss hearing her.

Beyond the Roof

Hana Berres Hana, Education Coordinator with the Storm Water Management Authority, is instrumental in the Lunch and Learn series, and is one of this year’s Master Gardener Interns. Her presentation will be about storm water management, following rainwater from your yard to nearby creeks, streams and drinking water resources. Learn what a gardener can do to prevent water pollution from your property.

Don’t Forget Your

JCMGA Apron $20

Available at meetings

Roots and Shoots

August 2018

Bethany’s Extension Extras

Volunteer Thanks and Opportunities First, an extra special thanks to all the Jefferson County Master Gardeners who have continued to donate their time and efforts all summer despite this heat and humidity. Some of you continue to work away at your regular projects, week in and week out. Those efforts do not go unrecognized but not always with the fanfare they deserve, but you know, and we appreciate, all that you do. And for those who responded to new requests for volunteer hours and flowers, it was really heartwarming to see how many Master Gardeners instantly stepped up to the plate. As always, thank you for your generosity and for demonstrating what Master Gardeners are all about. There are a number of new volunteer opportunities coming up this fall. Please feel free to email me with questions or to sign up.

The Arc of Central Alabama provides services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc has just established a new garden at its Crestwood Boulevard location and is looking for Master Gardeners to assist in the development of a community garden and to help educate its clients in gardening tasks for long-term maintenance. This will be an ongoing project beginning in September and continuing throughout the year. The goal is to assemble a Master Gardener team which will provide weekly consultation of 2 hours per week in overseeing planting, maintaining and harvesting with the intention of ultimately training Arc clients to act independently. This community garden project will be developed simultaneously with a “healthy eating” curriculum in which Arc clients learn to prepare harvested food. If you’re interested in volunteering (no long-term commitment required up front), please contact me at bethany@aces.edu. The Erwin Intermediate School in Center Point is looking for Master Gardener volunteers to teach vegetable-raising curriculum for third graders on the afternoon of September 14th. Curriculum is already available and MG volunteers have been assigned for each “unit” but another MG volunteer is needed for each 45-minute class (a total of 4) to help with the lessons. If you’re interested, please contact Kate Musso at kfm0022@auburn.edu. This school is also considering the development of an educational garden next spring so this may be a good time to get acquainted with the school and its needs. There will be a Jefferson County Master Gardener informational table at both the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Fall Plant Sale, October 20-21, 2018 and the Moss Rock Festival, November 3-4, 2018 so please save the dates. Minimum two hour shifts are requested to share gardening information and to inform the public about our programs, including MG intern applications and MG project assistance forms. Look for sign-up sheets at the monthly meetings.

Community Garden Workshop on October 25 The Alabama Cooperative Extension System will be hosting a workshop on starting and sustaining a community garden on October 25th from 10-3 in the Ireland Room at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The speakers will address a wide range of issues from legal considerations in obtaining and using garden property to planning and maintaining a garden over time. The workshop is intended for groups in the initial steps of development as well as seasoned gardeners who would like practical “best practices” for achieving optimum gardening results. Topics will include: developing a volunteer base, garden design, sustainable gardening practices, and community outreach. For more information or to suggest additional topics, please contact me at bethany@aces.edu.

August 2018 Roots and Shoots

JEFFERSON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ASSOCIATION

BALANCE SHEET July 31, 2018

Cash in bank: Checking account $17,606 Total certificates of

deposit $10,395

Total cash in bank

$28,001

Equipment $861 Less accumulated depreciation

-$861

Net equipment $0 Total assets $28,001 Liabilities State dues collected, not

remitted $260

Door prize fund $143 Total liabilities $403 Total fund balance $27,598 Total liabilities and fund balance

$28,001

TREASURERS REPORT FOR JULY 2018

The celebration cocktail party scheduled for September 11, 2018 got off to a great start with two restricted donations totaling $600.

Cash in bank / fund balance Some have been wondering why our association has $28,000 in the bank. This balance has been accumulated bit by bit since JCMFA was formed some thirty-five years ago! I’m not going to get into all the details of how it accumulated, but this balance is not continuing to grow. In fact, since I joined the organization in 2010 the only year our revenue exceeded expenses was 2012 when we hosted the state conference. From a financial standpoint, do we need to retain ALL that money – no! A good rule of thumb for non-profits is to have a reserve equal to two years of total expenditures, in our case about $10,000 not including the $3,600 used to purchase aprons this year.

I recommend we establish a cash reserve balance of $15,000.

What does having this money in the bank do for us?

Means we can make significant purchases like the Aprons purchased in 2018, which will replenish cash as they are sold. Means we do not have to monitor cash flow closely to cover bills and can make purchases like the sound system purchased in 2017 and the laptop in 2018.

Means you have not had to volunteer at annual fundraisers for us to cover operating costs!

The remaining balance does represent a unique opportunity for our organization to invest in new, or enhance existing activities. This is very important to our organization, and we need to be sure we get it right! It would be irresponsible to rush out and spend it all just because it’s there. To that end I have asked the Board of Directors to appoint a committee to determine what criteria need to be followed to spend any of this balance and report back to the membership at the October, 2018 monthly meeting. Roger Clarke Treasurer

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August 2018

Treasure’s Report continued,

JEFFERSON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ASSOCIATION STATEMENT OF REVENUES AND EXPENSES

July, 2018 Month Year Of To July Date Revenue: Membership dues $100 $4,195 Tuition from intern class $675 Apron sales $740 $780 Speaker fees $50 Interest $4 Miscellaneous $193 2017 banquet $1,540 Total revenue $840 $7,437 Expense: Depreciation expense - $861 Administrative expense - $266 Hospitality expense - $384 Speaker honorariums - $185 Purchase aprons - $3,600 Mg scholarship - $175 Contribution to AMGA graduate

endowment - $750

Bank and Paypal fees - $94 All other expenses - $100 Celebration: Restricted donations $(600) $(600) Expense $176 $176 Net celebration to

date $(424) $(424)

Total expense $(424) $5,991 Net revenue over (under)

expense $1,264 $1,446

August 2018 Roots and Shoots

Jefferson County Master Gardener Association Minutes of Meeting July 10, 2018

The July meeting was called to order by President Gail Pless. Visitors, transfers and interns were recognized and welcomed. On September 11, the day and evening meetings will be combined into a ‘reunion’ meeting, set for 4:30-6:30pm. If you are in touch with any Master Gardeners (MGs) that are not currently active, please make it a point to invite them to the September meeting. We need to publicize MG work done outside the Birmingham Botanical Gardens (BBG), i.e., off site work. Bethany O’Rear is collecting site names and attempting to set up a list a gardens/programs in the various areas of town so that MGs may choose to volunteer ‘close to home’. Please let Bethany know of any activities you are involved in or are aware of. On July 18, the Lunch and Learn Series will be on pruning, by Dr. A from Auburn, and on August 1, Sallie Lee and Andy Baril will talk about Home Invaders. Peter Northcutt invited all to the open house at the Brass Bear Antiques and Eclectic Shoppe, behind the McDonald’s on the corner of Valleydale and Caldwell Mill, on July 28, from 10am-6pm. His booth there emphasizes gardening goodies. The minutes and treasurer’s reports were approved as printed. Bethany said several MGs have registered for the North Carolina online course on plant identification. It will be a great opportunity for CEUs. The tree class starts September 9; it is a four-part course that can be completed independently. Be on the lookout for a new registration process. If you have questions, email them to Bethany. Cut flowers and greenery are needed at the BBG on July 23 for a Forge Breast Cancer survivor flower arranging class the following day. There will be between twenty and twenty-five attendees. Kate Musso is coordinating a one-day vegetable gardening curriculum for 3rd graders at Erwin Intermediate School in Center Point. Volunteers are needed for September 14th. Thanks go to 4H and other programs for helping with the underserved youth scattered throughout the county. Gail added that working with these kids, although it may not be for everyone, is one of the most rewarding activities ever, and it is great for the health and welfare of the children. At the August meeting, Bethany will talk about her trip to Haiti. Hospitality announced that the owner of the pie server is still missing. Linda Systrom asked that everyone please be sure to sign in, even if you are a guest or your membership is not current. Please remember to verify your “My Page” profile in the Service Directory to ensure you receive the information distributed online. We are not always aware of the passing of members. If you notice information that needs to be updated for these folks, please let Gail know. Jefferson County aprons are for sale for $20. They fit all sizes and shapes, genders, ages, etc. Please wear them when working on MG projects. It is also appropriate to wear older versions. The website has undergone some changes. Be sure to login and look around. Jason is collecting materials for archives. If you have anything you are willing to part with, pay Jason a visit in the Library. The program was presented by Rick Cybulsky, complete with beautiful slides, on ‘Shade Gardening: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.’ Some of his creativity can be seen in the Men’s Garden at the top of the hill on Hwy 31 in Vestavia Hills. Rick is also in the speakers’ bureau, which you can find on the website. Others are encouraged to participate in the speakers’ bureau; the BBG Library is just down the hall and is an excellent resource for preparing your talks. The next meeting is on August 14. Hana Berres is presenting ‘Beyond the Roof: Introduction to the Jefferson County Stormwater Program’. Door prizes were awarded and the meeting was adjourned. Bonnie O’Bannon, Secretary

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August 2018

At the Library The Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Thyme to Read Book Club

Tuesday, September 4 at 6 PM The Secret Wisdom of the Earth

by Florence Williams

No registration is required For more information contact Hope Long, Library director, at

205-414-3931 or hlong@bbgardens.org

2018 AMGA Fall Seminar Montgomery, AL

Thursday, September 27, 2018 My Garden Sanctuary

The Capital City Master Gardener Association invites you to attend the AMGA Fall Seminar that will be held on September 27, 2018, at Taylor Road Baptist Church (TRBC) in Montgomery. The address for TRBC is 1685 Taylor Road and is located very near East Chase Shopping Center. This special event will begin with check-in at 8:30. The theme is “My Sanctuary Garden” and will feature four presenters covering varying aspects of a sanctuary garden including inspiration, edibles, wildlife and water features. Registration is $30 that includes breakfast snacks, coffee, water, tea and a boxed lunch from Jason’s Deli. There will also be door prizes given away throughout the day. The seminar will end at 3:00. The registration form is included in this summer issue of the Pathways and on both the AMGA website (http://alabamamg.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Summer-Pathways-JULY-11-2018-final.pdf) and the CCMGA website (capcitymga.org). The first 50 MGs to register for this seminar will receive a very nice canvas Registration Bag from the AMGA 2018 Spring Conference. So come one, come all for a day full of fun, friendship, food and great information! Karin Carmichael AMGA Fall Conference Chair

August 2018 Roots and Shoots

Educational Opportunities

Lunch & Learn Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Free to the Public Should You Say No to GMO?

Dr. Lisa Kriese-Anderson & Alex Tigue Alabama Cooperative Extension Wednesday, August 15|11:30-12:30 p.m

Learn all about the science and safety with the beef and poultry industry. Handbook of Nature Study

Jamie Nobles Conservation Director at Ruffner Mountain Wednesday, August 29|11:30-12:30 p.m.

The impact of modern society on soil, water and wildlife.

WANTED: Dead, Not Alive! Non-Native Invasive Plants {Elective course for Certificate in Native Plant Studies}

Instructors: Nancy Lowenstein, Ph.D., Extension Specialist,

Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University Jeffrey Drummond, Stewardship Director, Freshwater Land Trust

Saturday, August 25 | 9 -1 p.m. Location: Birmingham Botanical Gardens

$45 Members | $50 Non-Members What are invasive plants, why are they invasive and how can we manage them? This class will answer these questions and others. Our instructor will give a regional, in-depth and up-to-date perspective on invasive plants, their identification, modes of introduction, effects on native ecosystems and management. The use of various relevant tools will be shown and participants will be able to try using them. The publications A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (USDA & US Forest Service), and the recently published New Invaders of the Southeast (USDA) will be distributed to participants.

Introduction to Native Plant Conservation {Core course for Certificate in Native Plant Studies}

Instructor: Instructor: Bob Boyd, Ph.D., Professor, Auburn University

Saturday, September 8 | 9-5 p.m. Location: Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Members $85|Non-members $95 The flora of Alabama is one of the richest in the country, which underscores the importance of conserving our plants and their habitats. This course is a general introduction to plant conservation, focusing particularly on Alabama plants. We will cover a broad set of topics, including rarity ranking systems, invasive species, restoration ecology, conservation ethics, conservation legislation and conservation methods such as safeguarding. Alabama Plant Conservation Alliance projects will be emphasized as examples. Time will be spent in The Gardens to observe some of the rare plants we are working to conserve.

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August 2018

CEU Hours for 2018

January 9 Brooke McMinn, 1 CEU February 14 Steven Knop, Jr. Robin Mitchell, Judith Rives 1.5 CEU March 13 Sallie Lee, 1 CEU March 20 Dr. Dan Jones, 1 CEU April 9 Larry Davenport, 1 CEU May 8 Plant Swap, 1 CEU June 12 Trip to Christian Mission Services, 1 CEU June 19 Regina Ammon, 1 CEU July 10 Rick Cybulsky, 1 CEU

Volunteer Activities and Opportunities

Docent Training Birmingham Botanical Gardens

"Do you like talking to people about nature? Do you want to help students connect to our wonderful gardens? We are seeking Education Docents for the 2018 school year! If you would like to learn more about being an Education Docent, we have an Education Docent Interest Meeting on Tuesday, August 7th at 9:00 am in the Garden Center. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, please email Alice Moore at amoore@bbgardens.org". For other dates and times go to https://bbgardens.volunteerhub.com/

August 2018 Roots and Shoots

Bethany A. O’Rear Regional Extension Agent Alabama Cooperative Extension System C. Beaty Hanna Horticulture and Environmental Center 2612 Lane Park Road Birmingham, AL 35223-1082

Know Your Trees

See the display case at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Library