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Wiregrass Walk-About

Hello Everyone!

We did it! Our Conference was a success with very few problems! Our members did

their best for the AMGA 2016 Conference. I heard from quite a few people saying it

was a wonderful conference. You should all be proud of the great job you all did.

Conference Chairs and I are working on after Conference reports. As soon as we

know all the numbers we will pass the information along to you.

Now that we are finished with the Conference itself, we need to focus on other programs our association has

agreed to do. First off, we need help with the Junior Master Gardener program at DABG. This is a wonderful

program to promote a love of gardening, develop an appreciation for the environment, and cultivate the

mind. We need teachers and assistants to help with this program which lasts a few weeks. The more people

we get to help the better. Please let Helen-Sue or me know if you are interested in helping.

We are also helping at Aunt Katie's Community Garden by teaching boys and girls from Hawk Houston Boys and

Girls Club the Junior Master Gardener program. We did a similar program last summer. This is a great group of

young people who are eager to learn. Please come out and help with this wonderful program. Let Michael or

me know you are interested in teaching or helping.

There are so many opportunities at the Dothan Area Botanical Gardens. First off in our area we always need

pots washed, plants need weeding or we need soil mixed up for up potting. I know several areas such as

shrubs, perennials and grasses which have plants that need up potting, watered or weeded. Check with plant

parents if you know you will be out at DABG, and ask what is needed in their area. Secondly, Master Garden-

ers are also in charge of the demo beds. Check to see if the plants there need watering or weeding. Also there

are other areas around the gardens that master gardeners work in such as the rose garden and the daylily ar-

ea. If you would like to work in those areas and learn more about them check with Pat Wente or Rita Moore.

WMGA Newsletter June 2016 . . . in honor of Evelyn Isbell

INSIDE . . .

Test Your Knowledge

What’s Your Phobia?

Happenings at Landmark

Welcome New Master Gardeners

WMGA Directory Coming Soon

Beautiful & Beneficial Gardens

What’s that Tree?

Lunch ‘n Learn

Do not forget Landmark Park. We have areas out there we need to

check on as well. Check with Tom Boyle to see how you can help

him. I know the Park has summer programs going on for the chil-

dren. If interested in helping them call their office at the Park.

Whatever program you choose to do, please do it out of the love

you have for gardening. Do it so you can make a difference in our

environment or for the love of teaching another person about gar-

dening. Thank you all for your volunteer service for this wonderful

association.

Remember our volunteers who are sick and at home. Call on those

you do not see and ask about them. A phone call may be just what

they need.

Life is a garden, dig it!

Devonne

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Garden Checklist

Summer June

Fruits and Nuts

Layer grapes and continue spray programs. Thin apples and peaches if too thick.

Shrubs

Lace bugs may be a problem on azaleas, pyracanthas, dogwoods, cherry laurels, and other shrubs.

Water as needed. Fertilize now. Keep long shoots from developing by pinching out

tips. Take cuttings from semi-mature wood for rooting.

Annuals and Perennials

Keep old flower heads removed to promote continued flowering. Plant garden mums if not already in.

For compact mums, keep tips pinched out. Watch for insects and diseases.

Bulbs

Foliage may be removed from spring bulbs if it has yellowed and is becoming dry.

Watch for aphids and thrips on summer bulbs.

Miscellaneous

If scale insects continue on shrubs, use materials oth-er than oils.

Set houseplants on porch or outdoors in shade and pay close attention to the need for water.

If desired, air layer houseplants.

Vegetable Seed

Plant beans, field peas, pumpkins, squash, corn, can-taloupes, and watermelons.

Vegetable Plants

Plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and sweet potato vine cuttings.

Lawns

Follow a schedule of fertilization and watering. Lawns should be mowed weekly. Planting may continue if soil is moist.

Continue weed spraying if necessary.

July

Fruits and Nuts

Protect figs and other ripening fruit from birds.

Shrubs

Continue to root shrub cuttings until late in the month and mulch to keep soil moist.

Remove faded blooms promptly from crape myrtle and other summer-blooming plants.

Roses

Keep roses healthy and actively growing.

Apply fertilizer.

Wash off foliage to prevent burning if any fertilizer falls on plants.

Annuals and Perennials

Water as needed to keep plants active.

Bulbs

Iris and spider lilies may be planted late this month.

Miscellaneous

Keeping flowers, shrubs, trees, and lawns healthy is the major task this month.

This demands close observation for insects and dis-eases.

Water.

Vegetable Seed

Plant beans, field peas, rutabagas, squash, New Zealand spinach, and Irish potatoes.

Plant cabbage, collards, broccoli, cauliflower Brus-sels sprouts, and celery for the fall crop.

Vegetable Plants

Plant tomatoes in central and north Alabama.

Lawns

Watch for diseases.

Mow regularly.

Water as needed.

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What’s Your Phobia? People have more fears than you can shake a Zucchini at. Below are gardening related phobias

that just might scare the daylights out of you. Although, we hope that none of them fit you!

Draw a line from the first column (name of the phobia) to the second column which shows the

definition of the phobia. Answers on page 10.

Alliumphobia fear of decaying matter

Anthophobia fear of frogs

Apiphobia fear of worms

Arachnophobia fear of flowers

Astraphobia fear of trees

Batonohobia fear of water

Bufonophobia fear of wasps

Ceraunophobia fear of garlic

Dendrophobia: fear of birds

Entomophobia fear of vegetables

Heliophobia fear of the sun

Hydrophobia fear of spiders

Insectophobia fear of rain

Lachanophobia fear of parasites

Mottephobia fear of night or darkness

Mycophobia fear of thunder and lightning

Myrmecophobia fear of animals

Nyctophobia fear of insects

Ombrophobia fear of ice or frost.

Ophidiophobia fear of disease. Not limited to plants .

Orinthophobia fear of toads

Pagophobia scared of snakes

Panthophobia fear of thunder

Parasitophobia fear of dirt

Randidaphobia fear of insects

Rupophobia fear of bees

Scoleciphobia fear of ants

Seplophobia afraid of moths!

Spheksohobia a gardener who is afraid of plants!!!

Zoophobia fear of mushrooms

SOURCE: www.gardenersnet.com

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Mark Your Calendar . . .

June 7 ........... Lunch & Learn—Roses, 12 noon—1 pm @ Houston-Love Memorial Library

June 7 ........... Wiregrass Rose Society, 6:00 pm @ First Nazarene Church

Southeast Alabama Camellia Society @ First United Methodist Church

June 11 .......... Wiregrass Daylily Society meets @ First Christian Church, Noon

June 14 .......... BOD Meeting @ DABG, 9:30 am

June 16 .......... Music By Moonlight featuring Crossfire, Landmark Park, 7:30 pm FREE

June 19 .......... Happy Father’s Day—FREE admission to Landmark Park for all fathers when

accompanied by child 12 and under

June 21 .......... WMGA monthly meeting @ HPUMC, 6:00 pm

June 30 .......... Music by Moonlight featuring Tri-State Community Orchestra, Landmark Park,

7:30 pm, FREE

October 8, 2016 ............. WMGA’s Fall Plant Sale

A Few of the Happenings at Landmark Park

Music by Moonlight

June 16 June 30 July 14

Bring your picnic supper and lawn chairs and enjoy Landmark's annual concert series on

the gazebo lawn. A great evening of music under the stars beginning at 7:30 pm.

Heritage Forum

Robin O'Sullivan, author of American Organic: A Cultural History of Farming, Gardening, Shopping, and Eating,

will present this year's first Landmark Park Heritage Forum at 3 pm on July 10, 2016. Her topic is Organic Ob-

servations: A History of Humus, Homesteads, Health Nuts, and Haute Cuisine. She will exam-

ine historical intersections between organic farmers and gardeners, consumers, government

regulations, topographies of food shopping, grassroots groups, and mega-industries involved

in the organic food movement. She will discuss how organic production and consumption are

entrenched in the lives of all Americans, whether or not they grow or eat organic food.

The Heritage Forum series cover many topics of regional, state, and national history and

heritage. Each Forum takes place in the Administration Building at Landmark Park on Sun-

days in July, 3-4 pm with refreshments following. Forums are free with paid park admission

or membership.

Blue Star Museum

Landmark will offer free admission to active-duty military personnel and their fami-

lies from Memorial Day through Labor Day as part of the nationwide Blue Star Muse-

ums Initiative. It provides free admission to active-duty military identification hold-

ers and up to five immediate family members. Landmark Park’s participation in the

Blue Star Museums Initiative is made possible locally through the support of

the Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union.

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A Bit of Garden Trivia . . .

Vegetables

1. That warm feeling from hot peppers is measured in units that honor the man who discovered the complicated way to measure the heat of peppers. What are the units that measure pepper heat?

2. Zucchetta Rampicante is an heirloom vegetable vine from Italy. What type of

vegetable is it?

3. Some tomatoes are true vines that don’t stop growing until the frost. Are they determinate or indetermi-

nate plants?

4. This vegetable has many personalities. When it is growing in the herb garden

it is often called Chinese parsley. When the seeds are gathered for mildly

spicy casseroles and baked goods it is called coriander. Used fresh or dried

in India `it is called dhania. What is it called when the leaves are harvested

for salsas and salads?

Perennials

5. The flowers, stems, leaves and seeds of foxgloves are very attractive but

deadly. What makes this popular perennial so harmful?

6. Whirling butterflies is the cultivar name of a perennial with dancing blooms

on long wiry stems. The flowers open whitish pink and turn rosy pink as they age. What is the plant?

7. Some perennials have a color identity problem. Purple coneflower is not really purple it is pink. ‘Husker

Red’ is a foxglove penstemon that in real life has maroon tipped leaves and soft lavender flowers with

white throats. What is the flower color of a vigorous groundcover called Lamium ‘Beacon Silver’?

8. Why is Physostegia called the obedient plant when it spreads so disobediently?

9. Ligularias have big, bold leaves that often look like wilted lettuce in the garden.

Where would this plant be happier?

Trees

10. Black walnut trees exude a toxic material from their roots to exclude other broad-

leaved plants (including their own seedlings) from growing nearby and providing

competition. What is the toxic substance?

11. The oil from the roots of a tree native to most of the eastern part of the United States and Southern On-

tario was originally used to flavor root beer. What is this tree with mitten shaped leaves?

12. This massive native tree has a botanical name that is derived from the Greek word “leirion” meaning lily

and dendron meaning “tree”. Native peoples used the tall straight trunks of this tree for large canoes car-

rying 20 people or more. The attractive yellow and orange flowers bloom in late May and early June. What

is this tree?

13. What tree is the official tree of Maine and Ontario, Canada?

14. Aucuparia is part of a botanical name for a small tree or tall shrub meaning “I catch birds”. What is this

plant?

Continued on the next page . . .

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Annuals

15. This ornamental plant in the annual garden still produces a few tubers

like its close relatives found in the grocery story vegetable section.

What is it?

16. Deadheading is a term for a frequent practice done by anyone growing

marigolds, geraniums and zinnias. What is happening to these plants?

17. One of the most popular cannas for dramatic effect has bronzy pur-

ple and yellow striped leaves and orange blooms. What is the name of this canna?

18. This annual is called false Queen Anne’s Lace or Bishop flower for its cluster of lacy white blooms. How

tall does it grow?

19. Zinnia flowers come in a rainbow of colors. What unusual color is the one called ‘Envy’?

20. Where in the world is annual lobelia (Lobelia erinus) native?

Indoor and Tender Plants

21. What is the botanical name for weeping fig?

22. Frangipani is a large tropical plant known for its colorful blooms and outstanding

_________.

23. Bromeliads belong to the same family as this popular tropical fruit. What is the

famous bromeliad family member?

24. The looking glass tree is named for its silvery mirror-like foliage that reflects the

sun. What is this tropical tree?

25. Kiss-me-quick or yesterday-today-and-tomorrow is the name of a tropical shrub that has flowers that are

pale violet when they first open. After a day the fragrant flowers change color to white. Which plant is

this?

Amazing Volunteers

The 2016 Conference was a BIG success—thanks to these dedicated volunteers and others not pictured. This

photo was taken at the end of the conference...can you see the happy faces? Faye Carnley who did a bang-up

job preparing the Silent Auction items was unable to attend the conference. A lot of hard work went into this

conference but our volunteers managed to keep their sense of humor and had FUN.

More trivia answers can be found beginning on page 9.

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New Master Gardeners

At our May monthly meeting, Lucy Edwards awarded certificates of completion to Brenda Sin-

gleton, Deborah Riggs and Tami Ziglar (from left to right).

Many of you have already met these Master Gardeners but if you haven’t, please give them a

BIG welcome.

What’s that Tree?

Did you miss Ed Lewis’ Tree Identification workshop at our May meeting. This workshop was a BIG hit at

the 2016 Conference so we are thankful that Ed was willing to present it again to our WMGA members.

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Vegetables

1. That warm feeling from hot peppers is measured in units that honor the man who discovered the complicated way to measure the heat of peppers. Pepper heat is measured in Scoville Units in honor of Wilbur Scoville who invented the scale in 1912.

2. Zucchetta Rampicante is an heirloom vegetable vine from Italy. It is a sum-mer squash or zucchini.

3. Some tomatoes are true vines that don’t stop growing until the frost. These are indeterminate because they don’t stop growing once they start flowering.

4. This vegetable has many personalities. When it is growing in the herb garden it is often called Chinese parsley. When the seeds are gathered for mildly spicy casseroles and baked goods it is called coriander. Used fresh or dried in India it is called dhania. It is called cilantro when the leaves are harvested for salsas and salads.

Perennials

5. The flowers, stems, leaves and seeds of foxgloves are very attractive but deadly. The chemicals deslanoside, digitoxin, digoxin, and digitalis glycosides make this popular perennial so harmful.

6. Whirling butterflies is the cultivar name of a perennial with dancing blooms on long wiry stems. The flowers open whitish pink and turn rosy pink as they age. The plant is called Gaura lindheimeri.

7. Some perennials have a color identity problem. Purple coneflower is not really purple it is pink. ‘Husker Red’ is a foxglove penstemon that in real life has maroon tipped leaves and soft lavender flowers with white throats. A vigorous groundcover called Lamium ‘Beacon Silver’ has pink blooms and silver foliage edged in green.

8. Physostegia is called the obedient plant, not because it stays contained but because the flowers move on a hinge and stay in place.

9. Ligularias have big, bold leaves that often look like wilted lettuce in the garden. The plant would be happiest in a cool and moist location.

Trees

10. Black walnut trees exude a toxic material from their roots to exclude other broad-leaved plants (including their own seedlings) from growing nearby and providing competition. They exude a toxic substance called Juglone.

11. The oil from the roots of a tree native from Maine to New York and Michigan and south to East Texas and cen-tral Florida was originally used to flavour root beer. This tree with mitten shaped leaves is called Sassafras.

12. This massive native tree has a botanical name that is derived from the Greek word “leirion” meaning lily and dendron meaning “tree”. Native peoples used the tall straight trunks of this tree for large canoes carrying 20 people or more. The attractive yellow and orange flowers are blooming now. The tree is Liriodendron or tulip tree (yellow poplar or tulip poplar).

13. Maine and Ontario’s official tree is the Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobes).

14. Aucuparia is part of a botanical name for a small tree or tall shrub meaning “I catch birds”. The plant is a mountain ash that has fruit that are used to catch birds in Europe.

Annuals 15. This ornamental plant in the annual garden still produces a few tubers like its close relatives found in the

grocery story vegetable section. The ornamental vegetable is sweet potato vine (Ipomaea batatus).

16. Deadheading is a term for a frequent practice done by anyone growing marigolds, geraniums and zinnias. The term refers to the act of removing the spent flowers.

Find more answers on the next page . .

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.More Trivia Answers . . .

17. One of the most popular cannas for dramatic effect has burgundy purple leaves with red and yellow striped leaves and orange blooms. This canna is called Tropicana, ‘Orange Durban’ or ‘Phaison’.

18. This annual is called false Queen Anne’s Lace or Bishop flower for its cluster of lacy white blooms. It is Ammi majus and it will grow to 30 inches.

19. Zinnia flowers come in a rainbow of colors. What unusual color is the one called ‘Envy’? ‘Envy’ is a delicate shade of green.

20. The annual lobelia (Lobelia erinus) is native to South Africa (Cape of Good Hope area).

Indoor and Tender Plants

21. What is the botanical name for weeping fig? Ficus benjamina.

22. Frangipani is a large tropical plant known for its colorful blooms and outstanding fragrance.

23. Bromeliads belong to the same family as this popular tropical fruit. The most famous member of this family is the pineapple.

24. The looking glass tree is named for its silvery mirror-like foliage that reflects the sun. The tree is called Heri-tiera.

25. Kiss-me-quick or yesterday-today-and-tomorrow is the name of a tropical shrub that has flowers that are pale violet when they first open. After a day the fragrant flowers change color to white. The shrub is called Brunfelsia.

SOURCE: www.laptopgardener.com

Alliumphobia - fear of garlic

Anthophobia - fear of flowers

Apiphobia - fear of bees

Arachnophobia - fear of spiders

Astraphobia - fear of thunder and lightning

Batonohobia - a gardener that is afraid of plants!!!

Bufonophobia - fear of toads

Ceraunophobia - fear of thunder

Dendrophobia: - fear of trees

Entomophobia - fear of insects

Heliophobia - fear of the sun

Hydrophobia - fear of water

Insectophobia - fear of insects (also see Entomophobia)

Lachanophobia - fear of vegetables

Mycophobia - is fear of mushrooms.

Mottephobia - afraid of moths!

Myrmecophobia - fear of ants

Nyctophobia - fear of night or darkness

Ombrophobia - fear of rain

Ophidiophobia - scared of snakes

Orinthophobia - fear of birds

Pagophobia- fear of ice or frost.

Panthophobia - fear of disease. Not limited to plants

Parasitophobia - fear of parasites

Randidaphobia - fear of frogs

Rupophobia - fear of dirt

Scoleciphobia - fear of worms

Seplophobia- fear of decaying matter

Spheksohobia - fear of wasps

Zoophobia - fear of animals

Correct Phobia Matches

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Count Your Volunteer Hours At our September meeting, Lucy Edwards and Tom Boyle explained the importance of re-

cording our volunteer hours and helped us understand some of the activities that may

qualify as MG volunteer hours. Ask yourself...

Will it benefit the community?

Is it associated with a non‐commercial group?

Is it related to gardening, the environment, or an Extension program?

Are you helping people learn?

If you can answer yes to these four questions, then the activity meets the mission of the Master Gardener pro-

gram and you should record the hours in the MG database.

To encourage Certified MG’s to stay active in the program, a minimum of 25 volunteer hours per year is re-

quired. Any activity accepted or approved by the Local MG Coordinator counts as volunteer hours.

Time spent in Master Gardener Association business meetings counts as

volunteer hours.

Drive time to monthly MG association meetings ONLY counts when you

are involved with a committee or have a specific responsibility at the

meeting or there is an educational presentation.

Travel time to and from ALL other educational or volunteer activities counts as volunteer time.

Time spent listening to an educational speaker or topic should be counted as CEUs.

RECORDING YOUR HOURS: When the volunteering is done, don’t forget to record your volunteer hours in the

ACES Master Gardener Service Report database. Below are some of WMGA activities and the appropriate cate-

gory for each. When in doubt, check with Tom Boyle (334-794-2094 or email: BoyleT@graceba.net).

TYPE OF ACTIVITY CATEGORY

WMGA nursery/greenhouse

(washing pots, etc.), plant sale ....................... Fundraising

WMGA demo gardens at DABG .............................. Education/demonstration

Landmark park ................................................. Education/demonstration or community landscape

Fire ant booth .................................................. Education/demonstration

WMGA business meeting...................................... MGA/AMGA meeting

AMGA conferences ............................................ MGA/AMGA meeting

AMGA 2016 State Conference Planning .................... AMGA hosting association

Lunch and learn (participant) ............................... CEU

Lunch and learn (presenter) ................................. Public education program

MG class – (assisting) .......................................... Manage/teach/assist intern class

Presentations to other organizations ...................... Public education pgm

Home visits ..................................................... Home garden consult

Harvest for Health ............................................ Harvest for Health

Preparation time .............................................. Include in the same area of activity

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Did You Help with the

2016 Conference?

Be sure to record hours working with the

2016 Conference on the ACES website for

posting volunteer hours.

Please be diligent about recording the hours

you volunteer in preparation for the 2016

Conference.

Just click on the drop down menu for “Volunteer Hours” and select “AMGA Hosting Associa-tion”” and post hours, etc. as

you would for any other activity.

Be sure to mark you calendars for the following dates so you won’t miss a one!

All sessions are held from 12 noon-1 pm @ Houston-Love Memorial Library.

June 7 .................. Roses

September 6 ........... Putting Your Garden to Bed

October 4 .............. Fall Landscaping

November 1 ............ Holiday Decorating with Flowers and Plants

Grab a bag lunch and meet us there! Drinks are provided.

WMGA Member Directory Coming Soon

Does Tom Boyle have your correct home address, phone number, and email address?

Make sure you let Tom know of any changes that have occurred recently.

You can contact Tom @ 334-794-2094 or by email (BoyleT@graceba.net).

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Help with Demo Beds Needed

Janice will be at the DABG Veggie Demo Beds on Tuesday and Fri-

day mornings (around 8:30-ish) for about one hour.

Please come out and help Janice—many hands make light work

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Our Mailing

Address: Wiregrass Master Gardeners Association

P.O. Box 9376

Dothan, AL 36304

ACES

Lucy Edwards

Home Grounds Regional Agent

Dale County Extension

Office: (334) 774- 2329

Mobile: (334) 329-1672

Plant Parent Directory

Annuals: Devonne Ellis .................... 334-899-2050

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

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

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

GrCovers/Vines/Grasses: Anita Gibson ... 334-712-4370

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

House Plants/Tropicals:

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

Barbara Knight ......................... 334-350-4376

Shrubs: Phyllis Poole ....................... 334-793-3628

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

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

2015 WMGA Board of Directors

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

WMGA Contacts

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

Officers:

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

Vice President ....................... Marti Renojo .......... 334-671-0096 ........ martirenojo@earthlink.net

Secretary ............................. Jane Klosky ............ 334-699-8873 ........ jane.klosky@icloud.com

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

Board Members:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Immediate Past President ......... Beth Arnold ........... 334-692-3172 ......... beth.arnold80@yahoo.com

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

2016 Conference Chair ............. Devonne Ellis .......... 334-899-2050 ........ devoellis@msn.com

Visit our website @

www.wiregrassmga.org