March 2022 UME Master Gardener
State Office Announcements
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We're warming up for spring and enjoying the arrival of the first spring bulbs!
Our March newsletter is jampacked with the latest Volunteer of the Season, Year of Soil Health resources, the 2021 HGIC & MG Annual Report, upcoming continuing education events, Statewide Meetings, recent Maryland Grows Blog articles and more.
Photo by Ray Bosmans
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Volunteer of the Season Spring 2022:
Meet Carol Jelich from Talbot County!
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Year Joined: 1998
Hours of Service: 548
Project or Subprogram: Bay-Wise, Native Plants, and Pollinators
Favorite Plant: Native plants that provide nectar, pollen, or tasty leaves for insects, and fruit or seeds for birds.
Why Carol was Nominated: Carol started as a Master Gardener in Anne Arundel County in 1998. Moving to the Eastern Shore, she worked with others to bring the Master Gardener program to Queen Anne's County, continuing her volunteer service in that county through hiring a Master Gardener coordinator. She was instrumental in bringing the program to the Upper Eastern Shore.
Carol is most heavily involved in the Bay-Wise program, chairing the committee in QAC from 2008-2012, and transferred in 2019 to the Talbot County program. She helped develop the Centreville Library Rain Garden in 2007, a fierce advocate for sustainable landscaping and native plants. Carol is also involved with the Maryland Invasive Species Council, Maryland Native Plant Society, Adkins Arboretum, and played a pivotal role in the publication of "The Green Book for the Bay".
Read more about Carol and her contributions below.
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2021 Home and Garden Information Center & Master Gardener Annual Report |
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We're excited to share the 2021 HGIC and Master Gardener Program Annual Report! Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers who connected with and supported their communities throughout the year.
We're proud to have the opportunity to work with all of you to bring sustainable horticulture and healthy gardens to Marylanders.
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2022 is the Year of Soil Health! |
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Stop treating soil like dirt! This year in the Master Gardener Grow It Eat It program, we are celebrating the resource that supports all life on earth - soil.
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Seed to Soil!:
A Grow It Eat It Continuing Education Series
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Seed Starting and Planning Your Garden for Climate Change
Friday, April 8th, 2022 | 9 am - 12 pm
Live Zoom Event | Free
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This dual topic class will kick off our 2022 Grow it Eat It Continuing Education Series: Know Your Food From Seed to Soil! Seed starting allows us to get a jump on the growing season, choose our favorite varieties, and maximize garden productivity. UME Vegetable & Fruit Specialist Jon Traunfeld will cover seed starting supplies, techniques, and tips with an emphasis on low-cost sustainable practices.
Climate change is affecting all aspects of the food system, including backyard, school, and community gardens. We’ll look at some of the practical ways we can both reduce garden-related greenhouse gas emissions and adapt our food gardens to a warmer, more variable climate.
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Integrated Pest Management for Backyard & Community Vegetable & Fruit Growing
Tuesday, July 19th, 2022 | 9 am - 12 pm | Live Zoom Event | Free
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Join Extension Vegetable & Fruit Specialist and Home & Garden Information Center Director Jon Traunfeld to learn the latest organic IPM techniques for your fruit and vegetable gardens! Jon will assist volunteers in diagnosing fruit and vegetable plant samples. Participants will receive a PDF of the vegetable and plant diagnostics workbook. |
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Preserve Your Harvest
Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 | 9 am - 12 pm
Live Zoom Event | Free
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Learn from UME Family & Consumer Sciences Senior Agent Shauna Henley how to properly clean, preserve, or even ferment your surplus veggies! |
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Reduce Your Waste with Composting
Thursday, September 8th, 2022 | 9:30 am - 4 pm
Quiet Waters Park | Annapolis, MD | Free
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Join us for a beautiful and educational day learning about composting at Quiet Waters Park! Details and agenda coming soon. |
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Lawn Best Management Practices & Alternatives
Wednesday, May 25th, 2022 | 12 pm - 1:30 pm
Live Zoom Event | Free
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Turf and lawns can be a tricky topic for MGs. It is one of the most popular topics that we get questions on, but it's also something we are encouraging property owners to limit. Join UMD IAA professor Geoffrey Rinehart to learn about best management practices for lawns. We will then hear Mikaela Boley, UME Senior Agent Associate discuss lawn alternatives and native ground covers. |
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Ask a Master Gardener Plant Clinic Training
Thursday, May 12th | 9 am - 12 pm
& Friday, May 13th, 2022 | 1 pm - 4 pm
Live Zoom Event | Free
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Do you volunteer at Ask a Master Gardener Plant Clinics or want to learn more about them? Register to attend our two day training all about Plant Clinics! Learn how to answer common questions and get updates from UMD faculty on the latest info. |
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Day 1 Schedule:
9am - 9:45am Fruit & Veggie Updates w/ Jon Traunfeld, HGIC Director & UME Fruit and Veggie Specialist
9:45am - 10am Q & A with Jon
10am - 10:10 am Break
10:10am - 10:40am Wildlife w/ Luke Macaulay, UME Wildlife Specialist
10:40am-10:50am Q & A with Luke
10:50am-11:00am Break
11:00am-11:45am Plant Pathology Updates w/ Dave Clement, UME Plant Pathology Specialist
11:45am - 12pm Q & A with Dave
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Day 2 Schedule:
1pm - 1:45pm Weeds Update w/ Mikaela Boley, Senior Agent Associate - Talbot County MG Coordinator
1:45pm - 2pm Q & A with Mikaela
2pm - 2:10pm Break
2:10pm - 2:55pm Insect Update w/ Emily Zobel, Senior Agent Associate - Dorchester County
2:55pm - 3:10pm Q & A for Emily
3:10pm - 3:20pm Break
3:20pm-3:50pm Practice with plant samples
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Volunteer with Ask Extension! |
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Do you like helping clients with their garden and landscape questions and problems? If the answer is a resounding YES, we may have an interesting volunteer job for you.
Last year, a small, brave group of UME MGs from around the state was trained by the Home & Garden Information Center (HGIC) to answer questions submitted through Ask Extension. They enjoyed this at-home volunteer activity so much that they are returning again this year!
We have room on the roster for a few more folks. It helps if you've had plant clinic experience. Please contact Jon Traunfeld (jont@umd.edu) if you are interested.
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Bay-Wise Beyond Its Years |
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From how to keep trash out of the Bay; to how to plant a pollinator garden; or attract wildlife to your woodland, University of Maryland Extension (UME) implements numerous stewardship programs that train and educate individuals on actions they can take within their own communities to keep Maryland healthy. While AGNR research, large-scale clean-ups by NGOs, and policy development at the state level help keep Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay clean, as citizens, we all share the responsibility for protecting our land and water.
Many of these programs stand on the shoulders of UME’s Bay-Wise Landscape Management Master Gardener Training Program, which is celebrating 25 years of educating citizens on stewardship of Maryland and its waterways. It was the first advanced training for Master Gardeners, said Wanda MacLachlan, Bay-Wise Program coordinator and senior agent who developed the original curriculum for the training.
“It took a holistic approach to landscape management and we called it Bay-Wise because we teach people to make wise choices for the Chesapeake Bay,” she said...
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Did you miss our recent continuing education webinar?
Check out the recording below! You can always see both upcoming continuing education opportunities and recorded webinars on the State MG Continuing Education webpage.
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We know from HGIC's Ask Extension service that turf and lawns are some of the most frequently asked about topics in horticulture. Join UMD IAA professor Geoffrey Rinehart to learn about residential turf basics, practice some turf troubleshooting, and learn how to answer commonly asked lawn care questions. If you're planning to volunteer at any Ask A Master Gardener Plant Clinics this year, this session will be tremendously useful for you! |
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The Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) is continuously updating and creating new web pages with the most up-to-date information for Maryland residents.
Pro tip for searching for HGIC webpages! If you're having trouble using the AGNR search bar feature, instead use your favorite search engine and type in "UMD Extension" + "topic name".
Check out this list of some new and revised web pages below:
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The Maryland Grows Blog is a wonderful place for new and experienced gardeners to read timely tips on food gardening, soil improvement, trouble-shooting plant problems, and supporting pollinators in your landscape. To follow the blog find the "Follow Blog via Email" section on the right-hand side of the screen. Submit your email and you're officially a follower!
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Cress and tomatillo: zesty flavors for your garden
By Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener.
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Add winter interest to your gardens
By Annette Cormany, University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County
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Stephanie Pully
UME Master Gardener State Coordinator
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Jean Burchfield
Program Management Specialist
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