Morgan County

Master Gardeners Association

 

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         Morgan County Master Gardeners Association

 

 

TRI-COUNTY MASTER GARDENER CLASS

 

The next Master Gardener class will begin early next year and will be a morning class for 13 weeks.  If you have a friend who is interested, encourage them to contact Ken Creel at the Huntsville Extension office ASAP.  Course information can be found on the TriCounty website:  Tri-County Master Gardener website   They can download the application:

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1155/ANR-1155.pdf

 

 

 

 

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               2015 President, Jim Allen                                                                           

 

 

Alabama Farmers Cooperative (AFC) has agreed to sponsor the Morgan County Master Gardeners Association (MCMGA)

greenhouse upkeep with an annual donation of $2,500.

Management at AFC realizes the importance of what Master Gardeners do for the community and how important the greenhouse is to their membership. Besides being used as a teaching tool for current MCMGA members and interns, the greenhouse is used to propagate plants for distribution to Hospice of the Valley patients, for the fundraiser plant sale conducted by the Master Gardeners every spring and for other projects around the county.   AFC, along with  Bonnie Plants (a wholly owned subsidiary), are long-time major sponsors of the Alabama Master Gardeners Association  State Conference and have been associated with the Morgan County Master Gardener’s annual Horticulture Exhibit at the Morgan County Fair since its inception.

 

THANK YOU, ALABAMA FARMERS COOPERATIVE

 

 

 

GARDEN PATHWAYS

Check www.alabamamg.org

 

 

VOLUNTEER HOURS

Please update your volunteer hours online throughout the year or they may be sent to Janie Hartsfield

before December 1st.  Sharing your volunteer hours only takes a little bit of your time, but is very important

to our state organization.

V To record your hours online:  Go to www.aces.edu/mg  On the left side of the page, click "Volunteer Area".  On that page, click "Volunteers Service Report".  The first time you use it you will have to create an account and you will use "Mor0730" for the password to establish it. After filling out a short questionaire, you will have your own password for the next time.  Be sure and write your username (your email address) and your password down somewhere, unless your memory is better than mine.  Keep a hard copy of your hours and CEUs for to turn in at the end of the year to Janie Hartsfield.

 

 

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ASK A MASTER GARDENER:

A new feature of the MCMGA webpage is ASK A MASTER GARDENER:   If you have a question about gardening and particularly about gardening in the Tennessee Valley, please email it to morgancountymastergardeners@yahoo.com  A Master Gardener will respond.  Please include your name and phone number.

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2015 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Meetings are on the fourth Wednesday of each month, 11 am - 12:30 pm at the Aquadome in Decatur

except for June (picnic)  and December (Christmas party) 

Lunch & Learn on second Wednesday March - November 12 to 1 pm Aquadome. 

Bring lunch and beverage if you would like

 

 

September 9 -- Lunch & Learn  " Water Features In the Garden"  Hannah's Lawn * Landscaping

September 23 -- MCMGA MEETING Aquadome 11 am

September 24 - October 3 Morgan County Fair Horticulture Exhibit

September 20 Accept plants      September 22 Accept cut flowers

October 14 -- Lunch & Learn "Succulent Pumpkin Centerpiece"  Susan Ledbetter, Morgan County Master Gardeners

October 28 -- MCMGA MEETING Aquadome 11 am

November 11 Lunch & Learn "Terrariums"  Amy Rakestraw, Sugar Magnolias

November 18  -- MCMGA MEETING Aquadome 11 am

December -- MCMGA CHRISTMAS PARTY -- date and location to be announced  

 

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2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2016 MCMGA Plant Sale will be April 30th - May 1st, 2016

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WHAT DO MASTER GARDENERS DO?

 

Hope you will let me add your activities to it if you are a member of MCMGA -- send them to the email address below:

 

Working in the MCMGA greenhouse: 

This is a year round project that includes all facets of plant care.  In addition to our annual plant sale,

these plants are used for nursing homes, get-well and farewell gifts, etc.

A dozen or so plants are taken each month to Hospice of the Valley to be given to the patients.

 

Annual Plant Sale:

 Plants from the greenhouse and donated from members' yards are offered for sale each spring.

 The sale not only means selling the plants, but answering questions about those plants and others

the customer may already have or is interested in.

 

Horticulture Exhibit, Morgan County Fair: 

Volunteers check in plants, arrange them by category, set up the educational project and answer horticulture

questions from the fairgoers.

 

Wheeler Basin Library

Landscaping renovation to conform to original design.

 

Helping Senior Citizens: 

Working with neighbors who can no longer do it themselves.  Planting some annuals, pruning and answering

questions about indoor and outdoor plants means a lot to those friends.

 

Working with the Tri-County Master Gardener Classes: 

Twice a year, 12 week Master Gardener classes are conducted. Each of the counties is expected to do its

part and volunteers are needed to help with registration, testing, administrative duties and food. 

This is a good way not only to get required hours, but to refresh your knowledge and get some of the required CEUs.

 

Delano Park Rose Garden: 

One of our members works in the newly revamped Rose Garden at Delano Park twice a week in

spring and fall, helping to keep the roses in showcase condition.  Carolyn Dobson coordinates volunteers

 

Outdoor Classrooms

Fulfilling requests from several school districts to help plan and design outdoor classroom projects.

Plant Care at Hospice of the Valley:

 One of our members has taken on the care and feeding of the houseplants and memory garden  at

Hospice. She spends about 170 hours per year on her project.   The staff thinks she must have been sent

from heaven and all the plants are thriving because of her involvement.

 

Plant Care at Church: 

First Presbyterian Church is fortunate to have one of our members who waters

all their plants each week and fertilizes them when needed.  Takes about an hour a week of her loving care.

 

Programs for Club Meetings:

 Several of our MGs are especially knowledgeable on certain subjects and are regularly

asked to speak at garden or other club meetings.

 

The Tree Lady:

This individual's project has been ongoing since 1999.  She teaches kindergarten and first graders

n the Decatur school district about trees - what they do and provide for us and what we can do for them

and she's dressed like a tree.  The program is also given at Education Day at the County Fair

and other appropriate functions.

 

Docents for Huntsville Botanical Garden:  

These individuals are trained to conduct tours of the garden, answer questions and act as hosts to visitors.

 

Neighborhood Christian Center (NCC) Landscaping Project:

We are providing a landscaping plan for a home owned by the NCC and used in its ministry in Northeast Decatur. 

Some plants will be donated by members and the labor provided by NCC

 

 

Scholarship for an AUBURN UNIVERSITY Horticulture Student

MCMGA uses some of its resources from the annual plant sale to fund a scholarship for a horticulture student.  The scholarship is administered by the University.

 

Tell me about YOUR projects

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Volunteer Opportunities

If you can fill any of these needs or if you have others to list, please email me at morgancountymastergardeners@yahoo.com ,

or contact the person in charge of the project.

 

MG GREENHOUSE

For times and work needed, call Sonja Hyatt, 355-0899 or Janie Hartsfield, 350-0843

 

Madison County Extension Service Center

For work in the center, call Ken Creel, 532-1578

 

Morgan County Extension Service Center

     For work in the center, call 773-2549.  There are work opportunities of all kinds.

Currently, organizing 4H materials is a prime concern.

 

The Delano Park Rose Garden

needs volunteers to help maintain its newfound beauty.

Volunteers work on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 2:30pm if temperatures are above 50 degrees,

If you're interested, call Carolyn Dobson, 350-1620

 

Huntsville Botanical Garden-

There are always opportunities for your time. 

Call  256 830-4447 ext. 238 or volunteer@hsvbg.org 

Opportunities include:  Gift Shop,

Greenhouses/Horticulture, Galaxy of Lights, Docents (tour guides), Education Assistants, Luncheon Hostesses,

Administrative, Plant Sale, Special Event Assistants, Spring Festival of Flowers and Tea Room. (12-06)

 

 

 

 

2015 Officers and Chairs

President    Jim Allen

Hospice Delivery - Rita Schick

Vice President:  Sonja Hyatt

Hospitality:Barb Brown & Nancy Waldron     

Secretary: Debra Kulaw

Interns Stan Addyman      

Treasurer: Martha Freeman       

Mentors Linda Russell            

Parliamentarian: Darryle Waldron

Membership:Peggy Williams             

Advisory Council:Ann Vaughn

Plant Sale:  Susan Ledbetter & Diana Worden 

Delano Park  Carolyn Dobson

Programs  Carolyn Dobson & Nancy Waldron    

Field Trips  Rand Bryan

Publicity: Dodie Hall

Garden Pathways Sonja Hyatt    

Special Projects  Al Hornsby

 Greenhouse Sonja Hyatt

Sunshine Jan Hooper

Greenhouse Maintenance  Larry Moss

Volunteer Hours:Janie Hartsfield 

Horticulture - County Fair Sonja Hyatt

               Website/Directory/Email:   Rita Baker                

   

The revised Constitution & ByLaws and Policies & Procedures 

Bylaws    Policies & Procedures

 

 

      Websites of Interest:

Alabama Master Gardeners -- http://alabamamg.org

Master Gardeners of Northern Alabama -- http://www.mginfo.org

Lee County Master Gardeners -- http://www.aces.edu/mg/lee/ 

Limestone County Master Gardeners -- http://www.aces.edu/counties/Limestone/MastGard/index.html

Tri-County Master Gardener Class - 06 -- http://www.aces.edu/counties/Limestone/TriCounty/

Dave's Garden -- everything you've ever wanted to know or ask about gardening.     www.davesgarden.com

The Ortho Problem Solver -- www.ortho.com

Ethnobotany -- natural products co-op  -- www.ethnobotany.com

The Gardening Launchpad -- gardening links, both for information and for purchases -- www.gardeninglaunchpad.com

Plants National Database -- http://plants.usda.gov

From the Garden With P. Allen Smith -- www.pallensmith.com

Huntsville Botanical Garden -- http://www.hsvbg.org

National Gardening -- www.nationalgardening.com

Garden Guides -- www.gardenguides.com

 

Some virtual garden tour websites for you to try:

www.mooseyscountrygarden.com  (from New Zealand)

www.smith.edu/gardens/kidscorner/index.htm  (for kids)

www.usbg.gov/virtual-tour/index.cfm  (US Botanical Garden)

www.rbgkew.org.uk/places/kew/index.html (Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, UK)

www.hamptoncourt.org.uk  (Henry VIII’s gardens in UK)

www.nnlm.gov/pnr/uwmhg (Univ. of Washington’s herbal gardens)

 

 

                                                                                   

                  

Original Greenhouse Ribbon Cutting

For additional information,

email morgancountymastergardeners@yahoo.com

This page last modified on 31 Aug 2015           

 

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