DailyGardenNews

Cultivating Communities through School Gardens - Mother Earth News

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 18:59:25 +0000

Cultivating Communities through School Gardens
Mother Earth News
“What are the ingredients for a healthy life?” I ask this question to young children, college students, women's groups and other audiences I address. I first assumed that people's expectations would be physical needs like food and shelter. Instead, I ...

Baguio residents urged to try organic gardening - Sun.Star

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 03:33:41 +0000

Baguio residents urged to try organic gardening
Sun.Star
BAGUIO City residents are being urged to start an organic vegetable garden in their backyard to supplement the nutritional needs of their families. The City Council has adopted the resolution on organic gardening authored by Senior Citizen Office for-a ...

An Heirloom Sicilian Kitchen Garden - Mother Earth News

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 19:57:39 +0000

Mother Earth News

An Heirloom Sicilian Kitchen Garden
Mother Earth News
I became interested in what would be grown in an heirloom Sicilian garden after my mom, cousin and sister's trip to Sicily this summer. My grandpa immigrated as a child from Termini, Sicily. He loved cooking with his mom in the kitchen and kept the ...

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Fall in the vegetable garden

Valerie Sudol — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 12:00:00 +0000

A free workshop set for 10 a.m. tomorrow at Montclair's Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, 474 Upper Mountain Ave., explains how to extend the season with fall and winter crops. The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Essex County lead the talk, offering tips and tactics for successful harvests.

History highlighted at two New Jersey gardens

Valerie Sudol — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 10:00:00 +0000

Take a walk through history this fall and imagine you were to the manor born - or were rubbing shoulders with the great plant hunters of the early 20th century. The New Jersey Botanical Garden (NJBG) in Ringwood State Park and Willowwood Arboretum in Chester invite you to do just that at sites that occupy former estates of the rich and well-connected.

On the road: Bus trip to NY gardens

Valerie Sudol — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 10:00:00 +0000

All aboard for a road trip to two outstanding public gardens in Dutchess County, New York. The tour, sponsored by the online magazine DIG IT!, is scheduled Oct. 7 with pick-up locations in Rockaway, N.J. and Greenville, N.Y.

Organic Gardening Class in ElDo Oct. 15 - El Dorado Springs Sun

Thu, 24 Sep 2015 14:32:16 +0000

Organic Gardening Class in ElDo Oct. 15
El Dorado Springs Sun
An organic gardening class will be presented at 7 p.m.Thursday, Oct.15, in the El Dorado Springs High School Ag classroom. Cost of the class will be $10 per person. For information, contact Patrick Davis – MU Extension Regional Livestock Specialist and ...

Adam Purple, Eccentric Environmentalist and Gardener in New York, Dies at 84

By COLIN MOYNIHAN — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Mr. Purple, whose real name was David Wilkie, was a familiar presence for decades on the streets of the Lower East Side, who spoke passionately about recycling and protecting the earth.

10 Fascinating Edible-Plant Facts Gardeners Need to Learn - Mother Earth News

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 20:15:00 +0000

Mother Earth News

10 Fascinating Edible-Plant Facts Gardeners Need to Learn
Mother Earth News
From a definition of open-pollinated crops and details about grafting tomatoes to knowing which edible garden plants are warm- or cool-weather crops, these facts about plants double as gardening tips to help you grow even more, even better. By Rosalind ...

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"Bee Keeping" and "Organic Gardening" Covered in 9AM Classes - Wgnsradio

Sun, 06 Sep 2015 11:02:52 +0000

"Bee Keeping" and "Organic Gardening" Covered in 9AM Classes
Wgnsradio
This month and next are the final two months of the Rutherford County Farmers Market. This event is every Tuesday and Friday mornings from 7:00 until noon at the Lane Agri-Park, 315 John R. Rice Boulevard. New to the Farmer's Market is the ongoing ...

The stunning gardens of Oxford's colleges

Telegraph Staff — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 06:00:18 +0000

Looking for garden inspiration? Check out this gallery of the beautiful hidden gems found in Oxford's prestigious colleges

The gardens that double as art galleries

Catalina Stogdon — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 06:00:45 +0000

Artistic works to inspire are open for view this weekend in Devon: from life size driftwood horses to ceramic trees masks

Top tips from garden desgner and 'master of illusion' George Carter

Bunny Guinness — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 12:42:00 +0000

In his new book, the garden designer George Carter shows us how we can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary

Driftwood garden: a small and perfectly formed paradise by the sea

Francine Raymond — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 09:12:58 +0000

It's not just the planting scheme that entices visitors to this Sussex plot - it's also the tea and home-made cakes

New Zealand plants: bring a touch of the exotic to your garden

Ken Thompson — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 07:00:05 +0000

Plants you'll meet in New Zealand are interesting relatives of well known families, and many will thrive on British soil

The How-on-Earth Garden

By ROBIN FINN — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 04:00:00 +0000

David Kelly, the garden designer, has taken on some unusually challenging landscaping projects.

The stately home garden where you can pick-and-eat all summer

Sarah Raven — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 07:00:31 +0000

The walled garden at Parham House produces cut flowers and vegetables from May to October. Sarah Raven finds out how it's done

September's gardening calendar

Sarah Raven — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:29:00 +0000

It's time to plant hedges, lift potatoes and forage fruit

The Education of a Gardener

By TIM RICHARDSON — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 04:00:00 +0000

In one of England’s greatest flower gardens, an Italian formalist learns to appreciate the subtleties of seasons.

Champion of Gardens in New York Savors a Lush Victory Lap

By JAMES BARRON — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Betsy Pinover Schiff, a photographer who has long believed in adding more plant life to New York’s streetscape, says the city is becoming so green that she hardly recognizes some blocks.

A City Garden in Harlem Is on the Move to Brooklyn

By ANNE RAVER — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Marie Viljoen, a garden designer and blogger, must relocate with her husband, taking what’s portable in the garden with them.

Discuss Garden Science, Trends, and Techniques on the Garden Professors Blog

Contributors — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 20:09:25 +0000

We invite you to read and participate in conversations about the latest garden science and issues facing horticulture at the Garden Professors Blog.

How the Garden Professors Blog Began

The Garden Professors blog was originally the brain-child of Dr. Jeff Gillman, Associate Professor of Horticulture at the University of Minnesota, and Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, Associate Professor of Horticulture and Extension Specialist at Washington State University.

Both Jeff and Linda have become famous – at least as famous as anyone in Horticulture can become – by lecturing and writing about myths that have become entrenched in gardening and landscape horticulture. They have each published books including Jeff’s The Truth About Organic Gardening and Decoding Gardening Advice (co-authored with Meleah Maynard) and Linda’s The Informed Gardener and The Informed Gardener Blooms Again.

In the summer of 2009 Jeff and Linda decided to launch a blog to provide an entertaining and interactive forum to engage gardeners, landscapers, nursery people, educators and others on the science behind gardening and landscaping. In order to provide some broader perspectives (or to just lighten the workload for themselves, we’re not sure which) they enlisted the help of Dr. Holly Scoggins, Associate Professor of Horticulture at Virginia Tech and Dr. Bert Cregg, Associate Professor of Horticulture and Forestry at Michigan State University. Holly teaches several classes at Va Tech, conducts research on herbaceous perennials and directs the Hahn Horticulture Garden. Bert has a broad background including urban and community forestry, nursery production, and Christmas trees – just call him ‘the Tree guy’.

Science of Gardening Explored through Humor, Debate ...

Since July 2009 the four professors have taken turns writing daily (more or less) posts for the blog. Topics range from the serious (invasive species, appropriate use of pesticides, compost tea) to the less serious (colored poinsettias, pee bales, beer preferences of slugs). Often the posts have been controversial, generating rather -ahem- spirited discussion among the professors and their readers. The unique mix of science, horticulture, debate and humor has proved to be a winning combination and readership of the blog has grown steadily, currently averaging about 10,000 visits a month.

Visit the Garden Professors Blog. Submit your comments and join the conversation. The Garden Professors don’t always see to eye to eye – either with each other or their readers – but work to perfect the art of disagreeing without being disagreeable.

Extension Master Gardener National Committee

Contributors — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 16:25:37 +0000

Extension Master Gardener

The Extension Master Gardener National Committee (EMGNC) provides a national focus and contact point for the nationwide Extension Master Gardener (EMG) program and the various state efforts in Extension Consumer Horticulture.

The EMGNC facilitates inclusion of county and state gardening information in eXtension; provides a channel for contacting, funding, and training EMGs to be front line detectors/information providers on national, critical issues related to home yards and landscapes; facilitates national collaboration to avoid redundancy in development of educational materials, and expedites collaboration with federal agencies, funders and professional organizations for input and funding for national issues and priorities.

The EMGNC was formed in July 2006 and is comprised of EMG state coordinators elected to represent five geographical Cooperative Extension regions (Northeast, North Central, North West, South West, and South East) and the directors of nationwide projects.

Objectives of the EMGNC

The EMGNC will:

facilitate national cooperation among states for the sharing of program management strategies for EMG volunteers.
facilitate national communications and collaborations to avoid redundancy in development of electronic materials and training.
promote national communication and distribution of research-based horticultural information between Extension Master Gardeners and the public via tools provided by eXtension such as the EMG national blog, Ask an Expert and other social media outlets.
facilitate regional or national web-based courses to enhance EMG volunteer continued education and retention.
promote sharing of EMG state project implementation and successes through vehicles such as the International Search for Excellence awards.
provide a network to mobilize EMGs as front line information providers on critical or emergency national horticultural issues.
enhance national recognition and support for the Extension Master Gardener program by utilizing a national logo and encouraging communications through a national website.
collaborate with eXtension and will encourage applications for eXtension grants.
coordinate the annual national conference for Consumer Horticulture Specialists and Extension Master Gardener State Coordinators.

Elected Regional Representatives

Elected Regional Representatice Regions

EMG state coordinators are elected by their peers to represent five Cooperative Extension geographical regions. Elected representatives serve two-year terms and elections are staggered.

North East Region: West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine

Dr. Mark Bridgen, Professor and Director Cornell University Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center
3059 Sound Ave.
Riverhead, NY 11901
Email: mpb27@cornell.edu
Phone: 520-626-5161

North Central Region: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan

Chair, Pam Bennett, State Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator
Ohio State University Extension
3130 E. Main St.
Springfield, Ohio 45505

Telephone: 937-521-3860
Email: bennett.27@osu.edu

North West Region: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Toby Day, Extension Horticulture Specialist
Montana Master Gardener Coordinator
Montana State University
P.O. Box 173140
312 Leon Johnson Hall
Bozeman, Montana 59717-3140
Phone: 406-994-6523
Email: toby.day@montana.edu

South West Region: California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico

Stacey Bealmear-Jones
Associate Agent, Urban Horticulture
University of Arizona Extension
2200 W. 28th St.
Yuma AZ 85364
Phone: 928-726-3904
Email: staceyb@cals.arizona.edu

South East Region: Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia

Lelia Scott Kelly, Ph.D.
Extension Professor of Horticulture
Mississippi State University Extension Service

North Mississippi Research and Extension Center
PO Box 1690
Verona, MS 38879

Telephone: 662-566-2201
FAX: 662-566-4969
E-mail: lelia.kelly@msstate.edu

At-Large Members

An unspecified number of at-large representatives who are providing leadership to various aspects of the eXtension project or who direct other national projects related to Extension Consumer Horticulture/EMG programs are invited to be voting members of the EMGNC by the regional representatives. Current at-large members include:

Terri James, Extension Master Gardener Social Media Team Representative
Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln, Extension Assistant - Urban Gardening

University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Department of Agronomy & Horticulture
172 Keim Hall
PO Box 830915
Lincoln, NE 68583-0915

Phone: (402) 472-8973
Fax: (402) 472-7904
Email: tjames2@unl.edu

Executive Board

The executive board of the EMGNC is elected annually from the EMGNC by its members. The executive board is made up of three officers: Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary/Reporter.

Liaisons to the Board

A USDA/NIFA National Program Leader with responsibilities for EMG programs will be a nonvoting member of the Board and Committee. Additionally, non-voting liaisons from other Federal Agencies will be invited to meet with the Committee as deemed appropriate by the Committee. The International Master Gardener Committee might also be invited to appoint a liaison to serve on the National Committee to facilitate communications between the two committees. A representative from among the state Extension Directors will also be invited as a nonvoting member of the Board and Committee. Current liaisons include:

Thomas (Tom) Bewick
Physical Address:
Waterfront Centre
800 9th St., SW,
Washington, DC 20024

Mailing Address:
United States Department of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 2201
Washington, DC 20250-220

Telephone: (202) 401 - 3356
FAX: (202) 401 - 4888
Email: t bewick@nifa.usda.gov

Visit the NIFA Homepage at :http://www.nifa.usda.gov

10 Ways to Make Gardening Easier

Sat, 24 May 2014 09:30:15 +0000

I am getting seriously behind in my garden. (And no, that's not my garden in the photo above. It just seems that large when I weed it.) Between the bad weather and other obligations, I have plants that have yet to be planted and weeds ready to bloom.

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Best Flowers for a Late Spring Garden

Wed, 14 May 2014 09:12:15 +0000

Late spring used to be a lull in my flower border. The bulbs were fading and the summer show was still a month away. I don't know how I let this beautiful season slip by me. Maybe I was so focused on getting the vegetable garden planted or maybe all I could see was weeds waking up - everywhere. Whatever the reason, I've since corrected it by planting a smattering of these cheerful bloomers in saturated pastels that are perfect for bridging the gap.

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Gardening on the Dark Side

Wed, 07 May 2014 09:30:21 +0000

Sooner or later we all venture into the dark side of gardening - pest search and destroy. I think I'm more tolerant of problems on my flowers than my vegetables but looking through Debbie Hadley's 12 Worst Vegetable Garden Pests gallery, I see that I've had them all. Luckily she also gives some chemical-free ways to annihilate them.

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Is Organic Rose Gardening an Oxymoron?

Sun, 04 May 2014 07:25:29 +0000

Can roses be grown organically? Of course. Growing roses organically is really no different than growing any type of plant with organic techniques - except that roses are notoriously prone to problems. It certainly helps to start with disease resistant rose varieties and there are a lot to choose from, including some new introductions and many of the older species roses. But even if you're devoted to hybrid teas, all hope is not lost. Organic rose gardening means more than just not using chemicals. It means giving the plant what it wants and needs to grow well. Do that and you'll have a healthy plant, better able to withstand pest attacks. Here are some tips.

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Garden to table can't happen soon enough

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 13:56:11 +0000

The garden in winter: always a risk

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 21:06:16 +0000

Is there a humane way to discourage pocket gophers from setting up residence in a yard and garden area? I do not want to use traps or poison.

Contributors — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 20:53:23 +0000

Less-lethal Ways to Control Pocket Gophers

Mounds of the Plains pocket gopher. Photo by Dallas Virchow.

Only three options exist for keeping pocket gophers out of your property without using traps or toxicants.

The first is to remove all the vegetation. If the pocket gopher cannot find food, he cannot survive.

Second, pocket gophers don't dig in wet soil or swamps. You can try flooding the holes, but don't expect great results.

Third, install a fence made from 1/4 to 1/2 inch mesh and buried at least 36 inches below the surface and extends at least 1 foot above the surface. The sandier your soil, the deeper the gophers will burrow, so keep that in mind. In fact, research on Botta pocket gophers indicates that they will burrow below 5 feet (marked gophers in these underground enclosures were found in adjoining enclosures).

Control Methods to Avoid

Repellents, noise/vibration makers, and most other commercial products have not been proven to be effective. Pocket gophers do not hibernate and can continue to cause damage throughout the winter. Caging or boxtrapping of gophers and attempting to translocate them is not really humane; moving the animal (after gaining permission to relocate it to someone-else's property) almost always results in death of the animal. Gophers are very, very territorial. If you do decide to resort to direct control methods, these are best done in the fall and spring when they are actively creating mounds.

Online Resources

Control of Pocket Gophers in Nebraska