June 2020 UME Master Gardener State Office Announcements

Happy National Pollinator Month! We hope you are enjoying your gardens and all of the beneficial pollinators that visit. This month's newsletter includes registration for the GIEI Summer Meeting, upcoming continuing education opportunities, information about the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH), and online resources to check out throughout the month.

Grow It Eat It Summer Meeting

All are welcome at the upcoming GIEI Summer Meeting July 28th 9am-12pm on Zoom! The meeting will include presentations from online teaching pioneers in the MG program, fruit & vegetable updates with Jon Traunfeld, and more! We are collecting our MGs favorite summer recipes, so share your tried and true dishes with us here. We will compile and share recipes sent to us at the meeting.

Register Here

National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture

Join the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture! NICH connects people and plants. NICH encompasses a dynamic network of businesses, institutions and organizations that connect people with ornamental and edible plants, gardens, managed landscapes and nature, encouraging consumer horticulture through the indoor and outdoor use of plants in our homes, workplaces, schools, communities, and public spaces. Consumer Horticulture combines beauty and functionality to enhance the environment and our quality of life. Click here to check out their website!

Join NICH

Continuing Education

Climate & Sustainability Webinars with Dr. Sara Via June 29th 2-4pm Healthy Soil: What is it and why is it the basis of regenerative agriculture, gardening and landscaping? Conventional methods for agriculture and landscaping have seriously degraded our soil, causing massive erosion and damage to the soil ecosystem. Reversing this trend requires rebuilding the complex web of life in the soil. What is healthy soil, how can we get it back and why is soil health a key climate resilience strategy? Register here July 10th 9-11am Regenerative gardening: Successful and sustainable climate victory gardens How can you grow your own food successfully? What strategies will help you adapt to changes already occurring from climate change, and how can your gardening methods help to reduce future climate change? Register here August 18th 1-3pm Regenerative Landscaping How can we produce beautiful residential, commercial and municipal landscapes that will reduce carbon emissions, improve soil health, help manage stormwater and even save money? Register here

July 21, 2020 | 10 am- 12 pm Composting Workshop! Join founder of Veteran Compost, Justen Garrity, to learn how to turn food scraps into high quality, organic compost! Register Here

August 28th, 2020 | 10 am- 2 pm UME Master Gardener Pollinator Training & Tour Ladew Topiary Gardens Come learn about native plants and the pollinators they support, then see it in real life in Ladew's native butterfly house and meadows! More information on registration coming soon. Check out our website for updates on 2020's Continuing Education events as they become available.

Continuing Education

Online Resources

COVID-19 MG Update Webinars and Online Education Home & Garden Information Center Home & Garden Information Center's YouTube Channel The Garden Hoes Podcast Maryland Grows Blog

Stephanie Mathias UME Master Gardener State Coordinator

Jean Burchfield Program Management Specialist