MORGAN COUNTY

Next MCMGA meeting will be on Monday, June 23rd at 6:30 pm at Fort Decatur.

Nancy Guire receiving our $500 grant from Gene Martin, AMGA President and Yvonne Evans, Project Funding Chairmanat the Alabama Master Gardeners Conference in Dothan, March 6 - 8.

We ended up with five Morgan County MGers: Nancy Guire, Larry and Barbara Meyer, Tom Braunshausen and Rita Baker. Thursday's program included workshops for Power Point, grant writing, landscaping and a roundtable networking opportunity. On Friday, the keynote speaker was Fred Bassett on Hummingbirds with a great presentation complete with beautiful slides. The sessions subjects included Native Plants, Daffodils, Carnivorous Plants, Buying and Selling Plants on the eBay, Butterflies, Honeybees, Composting, Water Gardening and my absolute hero, Buddy Lee, the creator of Encore Azaleas. That evening, Vince Dooley, famed football coach from Georgia who is also a Master Gardener was our speaker. The conference was hosted by the Wiregrass Master Gardeners and held in Landmark Park just outside Dothan. The park began in the mid-90's and has The Barn, which was our main meeting area, the interpretive center which has an auditorium and several classrooms, the AG museum, playgrounds, nature walks and several historic buildings which have been relocated there. We were treated to an ice cream cone in a recreated early century drugstore. One of my sessions was held at the church -- an old Presbyterian church built in 1908. Several awards were made at the conference including a $500 grant to the Morgan County Master Gardeners for our projects. Others were a Special Award to E.C. Lewis, Chilton County; Brenda Tapp from North Alabama, Top Hours for 2007; Ann Houston, DeKalb, the Jean Lee Lifetime Hours; Harvey Cotten, North Alabama, Outstanding Service and Fred Evans, Central Alabama, Mary Lou McNabb MG of the Year.

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 "MGA04" 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 (probably 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.

The Tri-County Master Gardener class will begin in August and will be an evening class. If you are able to help with the class activities, please contact Stan Addyman, addymanss@charter.net If you know someone who might be interested in taking the Master Gardener class, encourage them to contact Ken Creel at the Huntsville Extension office to get their name on the list. They can download the applications (thanks to Jim Markestadt of Limestone County): http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1155/

March 15 - July 17 Dinosaur Invasion, Huntsville Botanical Gardens, Admission charged

June 7 - Huntsville Twickenham Rose Society's Mini/Mini-Flora Rose Show at Parkway Place Mall. To show, entries must be made between 7 and 10:30 am on the first floor. Roses will be displayed until 4 pm. (256)880-3773

June 8 - Tri-County MG picnic -- Pavilion at Huntsville Botanical Garden, 1-6 pm

July 23 - MCMGA meeting - 9 am, Morgan County Extension Service Center, Program from reStore

What do Master Gardeners do?

Beginning a list of just what Morgan County Master Gardeners are doing. 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.

Master Gardener Flower Bed: MCMGA is responsible for flower beds at the Morgan County Extension Service Center. This involves planting, dividing, transplanting, weeding, mulching, pruning, irrigation and lots of elbow grease and loving care.

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.

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.

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 in 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.

Docent for Huntsville Botanical Garden: These individuals are trained to conduct tours of the garden, answer questions and act as hosts to visitors.

Tell me about YOUR projects

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.

Morgan County Extension Service Center -- We will have Work Sessions every Wednesday morning except meeting days at 8:30 am to work in Greenhouse and in the Center's Flower Beds. We need your help! Interns are welcomed with open arms.

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. If you're interested, call Barbara Kelly, 355-2758 or Nell Standridge, 350-6836 (9-06)

Huntsville Botanical Garden- There are always opportunities for your time. Call Jana Payne at 256 430-3572 ext. 238 or jpayne@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)

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

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

President Linda Russell 355-7828	Special Projects:
Vice President: Betty Taylor 355-1667	Greenhouse Plants Brenda Close 751-2022
Secretary: Margaret Addyman 350-9425	Greenhouse Facility Floyd Mims 778-8097
Treasurer: Stan Addyman 350-9425	County Fair
Advisory Council: Stan Addyman 350-9425	MG Bed Mable Smart 353-4246
Hospitality: Linda Russell 355-7828	Plant Sale: Brenda Close 751-2022
Parliamentarian:	Rose Garden Sandy Blackard 350-3034
Programs: Rita Baker 353-6783	Volunteer Hours:
Public Relations Jan Hooper 351-8685	Website/Email: Rita Baker 353-6783