September 2021 UME Master Gardener
State Office Announcements
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This month's newsletter includes the Fall 2021 Volunteer of the Season, a brand new continuing education opportunity, a virtual tour of the UME Learning Garden, and recent Maryland Grows Blog articles!
Photo by By Anahí Espíndola, Maryland Grows Blog
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Year Joined: 2014
Hours of Service: 687
Project or Subprogram: Garden Smarter
Favorite Plant: Any herb!
Congratulations to our Fall 2021 Volunteer of the Season, Jennifer Miller! Jennifer, along with a team of other talented MGs, runs the county-wide Garden Smarter program in partnership with the Calvert County library. She arranges for MGs to teach free webinars or in-person training to the public about various gardening, natural resource and wildlife related topics. She has increased the knowledge of Calvert County through her diligence in running this program. It is a very large undertaking that she spearheads. Jennifer was faced with many obstacles during the pandemic and resolved to continue the program in the face of those obstacles. She continued the program nevertheless, and is certainly an asset to Calvert County and the Master Gardener community.
When Jennifer first joined the program, she was working for a living history museum. She was working in a kitchen garden and saw the Master Gardener program as a good fit to learn more about gardening. Since joining, what she has enjoyed most about the Master Gardener program is the people she volunteers with, the connections she makes with people in her community about gardening, and all the great programs & training available through the program.
One of her favorite experiences as a MG was when she was invited to a program at the United States Botanic Garden to teach people about saving seeds. The group was able to connect with people around the world and tour an amazing garden in the process. As Jennifer says, “How many volunteer opportunities out there give you that kind of experience?”
The Garden Smarter program is a series of presentations on various garden topics that are given by the Calvert County Master Gardeners and other presenters. In 2021, there were 14 presentations. The program is usually a presentation done live at the library, but in 2020 and 2021, it had to be done online and would have not have happened during the pandemic without the Calvert Library’s assistance and the many volunteers who agreed to present virtually. It was a true team effort that they were able to educate 466+ people in 2020 and 449+ people in 2021. There are still 2 more presentations this year if you’re interested in checking out their work- Bee Keeping in September and Intaglio Gardening in October!
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Virtual Tour of the 2021
UME Learning Garden!
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Didn't get a chance to visit the Learning Garden at the State Fairgrounds this year? No problem! Check out this virtual tour of the garden featuring Master Gardener, Robert Cook, by HGIC's Dan Adler. After watching the introductory video, use the navigation buttons to tour the entire garden. |
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Consult Like a Pro with the Experts at HGIC
September 27, 2021 | 12 -1:45 pm | Live Virtual Event | Free
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Meet the expert team at the University of Maryland Extension Home & Garden Information Center! Learn about the resources they provide, and how you can use the resources to improve your Master Gardener skills. We’ll teach you what questions to ask in a diagnostic situation, how to take the best photos and videos for social media, and give you a tour of the brand new HGIC website! There will be plenty of fun along the way with some plant-themed trivia and a crimes against horticulture feature from our newest HGIC consultant. Join us to learn, network, and have fun! |
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Seed Saving Workshop at the Learning Garden
October 26, 2021 | 10 am - 2 pm | MD State Fairgrounds | Free | Max 15 Participants
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Join University of Maryland Extension Specialist Jon Traunfeld for a seed saving workshop in the University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener Learning Garden at the State Fairgrounds! There will be flowers and veggies available in the garden to practice what you learn. All materials will be provided. Please bring a water bottle and lunch for yourself. We will spend some extra time after the training to harvest and save seeds from the garden to hand out at next year's State Fair! |
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Did you miss our two recent continuing education webinars?
check out the recordings below! You can always see both upcoming continuing education opportunties and recorded webinars on the State MG Continuing Education webpage.
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A Common Sense Approach to Pest Control
Is there something bugging you in your garden, but you don't want to use chemicals to address it? Join UME Horticulture Educator Ginny Rosenkranz to learn about how you can use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control insects and diseases in your garden without pesticides and herbicides!
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Sustainable Food Systems in the Era of Climate Change and Pandemics: Can we have it all?
In recent years, we have seen many exhortations for food systems to provide not only nutritious foods, but to ensure those systems are sustainable from economic, environmental and social justice perspectives. With climate disruption, worsening food insecurity and malnutrition, systemic inequities, and now, the COVID-19 pandemic, the question remains: Can the world expect so much from food systems?
Jessica Fanzo, PhD is the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Global Food Policy and Ethics at the Johns Hopkins University.
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Heirloom Collards Project
Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener
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Anahí Espíndola, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, UMD, College Park
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Stephanie Pully
UME Master Gardener State Coordinator
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Jean Burchfield
Program Management Specialist
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