Extension, Art, and Gardens

You've probably heard by now about the FANTASTIC training sessions available to you during Master Gardener University. But the training sessions are not the only great things happening during MGU!

Those of you coming to Master Gardener University for both Friday and Saturday sessions are invited to dinner on Friday night in the lovely Magnolia Ballroom at the Georgia Center. Some of you may even have the privilege of sitting at the head table with our keynote speaker, Dr. Diane Relf, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture, Virginia Tech.

If you're thinking you've heard that name before, you probably have! Diane was my mentor, supervisor, and graduate committee chair during my early career with the Virginia Master Gardener program. I have shared with many of you how her vision and direction for horticulture has resonated strongly with me and is a foundation for the vision I bring to the Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program. Diane enjoys an international renown and continues to share her expertise and insight with the green industry and supporting organizations all over the world.

But that is not the exciting part! You know how so many of you said, "I can't wait to retire so that I can become a MG" ??  Well, I think Diane said, "I can't wait to retire to become an ARTIST"!!!!

Here's a little bit about our keynote speaker, Diane Relf, in her own words:

Diane Relf -- Artist’s statement:

First and foremost, art is about having fun by creating something I enjoy messing with. Most of my work is never quite finished, as I add to and embellish it. Experimenting with new materials and techniques and making things up as I go are essential elements of art for me. 

My art is about finding discarded objects and manipulating them to explore their potential; then combining the these new objects into statements of appreciation of the mundane. It questions the validity of a throwaway society, the value of always needing new, and the perfection of machinery precision. It celebrates the daily detritus that has lost its meaning and gives it a new opportunity to open eyes and minds. I have long had a love affair with rust and much of my work explores rust’s potential in creative expression in many forms: wood and rust sculpture; rust stained textile and paper backgrounds for rust assemblages; wearable rusted art; metal masks; altered art tiles; photography; and digital graphic “collages”. At the least, my art provides me with many hours of entertainment, challenges me to explore new ways of making art, and provides amusement to my family and friends.

This year I discovered the serendipity involved in alcohol ink abstracts and have been exploring ways to combine the bright, permanent ink colors with rust.

Bio  Born and raised poor in Texas, I learned young to play with discarded items and appreciate the value of things that most people found useless.  A career in academia had demands that derailed me from playing with art. But since retirement several years ago, I have continuously created and recreated my art.

So, if you haven't registered to attend Master Gardener University, be sure to do so very soon (click here to go to the registration page)! We want to see you in Athens in June!

Putting "Community" in Community Gardens

Did you have a chance to attend Friday's Advanced Training session on Community Gardens? There were wonderful bits of experience mixed in with new ideas at the day-long training held at the Extension office in Henry County.

We heard from Glenda Garris, Director of the Community Gardens of Henry County. Glenda shared piles of tips on building a community garden, gaining support, building partnerships, and of course, stories about the gardeners who grow there.

Jennifer Davidson, ANR Agent in Columbus, GA (Muscogee County), talked about multiple garden projects that are part of the Columbus Community Garden Network, highlighting Extension's role and the benefits to local residents. She had great ideas for getting things done without expending money, like her fabulous website.

Ted Wynne, ANR Agent in Newton County, demonstrated the importance of planning and forethought in his presentation on community gardens in Newton County. He shared how Newton County developed a long-range plan for 2050, identified health and greening components, and looked to Extension for meeting elements of that plan. He highlighted the successes of working with local college students and other volunteer groups, but emphasized the need to be prepared to direct these groups. His take-home advice was to not own the garden -- be a resource, but not the owner.

MGEVs share experiences with each other as they work on class activities.

 One of the most fascinating tips I took away from the training came during our first class activity before lunch. MGEVs divided into small groups and began identifying the successes and challenges of their community garden projects. They also identified what they needed to know more about. During this session, a MGEV indicated that one of their successes at bringing "community" to their community gardens came from a blog. The blog serves as a place of exchange among the gardeners at the community garden. It was creating conversation and engaging the gardeners at the site!

Thank you to Frank Hancock, ANR Agent in Henry County, and the MGEVs in Henry who planned and hosted this Advanced Training! Participants left with ideas and contacts for community garden development. We look forward to hearing their success stories!

UPCOMING ADVANCED TRAININGS...

• March 5, 2013: Leadership: Building a Dynamic MGEV Network; Advanced Training in the “Required” Course Options. Hosted by Gwinnett County Extension and the Gwinnett County Master Gardener Association. 9:30 am – 4:30 pm; Cost: $25. Registration Deadline: February 26, 2013. Contact local Extension agents for registration information.
• March 22, 2013: Sustainability in the Garden: Comparing Conventional and Organic Garden Management (SGL), Athens, GA (prior to GMGA spring conference); This six-hour training is designed to give Master Gardener Extension Volunteers in-depth training in the differences between conventional and organic garden management. During the session management techniques and products will be examined and pros and cons will be weighed. Registration is now open; contact your Extension Agent for a registration form.
• April 29-May 4, 2013: Cultivated Spaces (YCG) as part of our bus trip to St. Louis, MO titled “Cultivated Spaces Tour: The Gardens of St. Louis.” Registration is now open; Tour Information and registration.
• June 7-8, 2013: Master Gardener University; The Georgia Center, Athens, GA. Multiple sessions offered. This will be an on-line registration through the Georgia Center and is expected to open for registration by March 1.

 

Meet Me in St. Louis...

Meet Me in St Louis...

Wasn't that a lovely film? I haven't seen the whole movie yet, but as I was researching the things we wanted to do for the Master Gardener Study Tour for 2013, clips of that classic 1944 film with Judy Garland kept coming up.

Why did we choose St. Louis for a study tour? Well, we were looking for a place that is far enough away to give our Georgia MGEVs a reason to get on the bus with us, but one that wasn’t so far that the distance would be overwhelming. Some place that would give us ample time on the coach to get to know one another, yet not so long that we’d be sick of each other by tour’s end. And, of course, a city that had great gardens.

I did not know a lot about St. Louis, other than that the Gateway Arch was there. I remembered reading an article or seeing a news feature about St. Louis’ green initiatives and developing a greener city. That idea prompted me to do some research. One of the first things I read about was Gateway Greening, http://www.gatewaygreening.org/, a nonprofit  that brings together  the resources and people to promote community development, food security, and greening projects on abandoned land. This was exactly the kind of place we were looking to study.

So I did some more digging, and realized that the world-renowned Missouri Botanical Garden http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org  was there. I was familiar with their Kemper Center for Home Gardening, having used it for online research about plants. But, wow! I did not know about the history of this garden, the oldest one in the United States (begun in 1859 and operated continuously since), and its founder Henry Shaw. A successful businessman who retired before he was 40, Henry was a visionary and true plantsman. He traveled the world and brought back ideas (and plants) to build a botanical garden and, later, Tower Grove Park, http://www.towergrovepark.org/, a 280-acre park with thousands of plants and trees. Henry Shaw didn’t just appreciate a beautiful garden, he also understood the need to begin a research facility for scientists. He also founded the School of Botany at Washington University in St. Louis.

The more I read about St. Louis’ garden history, the more excited I was about doing a study tour there. Then, I happened across an events blog for a cemetery in St. Louis that was so intriguing. Belle Fontaine Cemetery http://bellefontainecemetery.org, founded in 1849, was a cemetery developed in the era of the Rural Cemetery movement. This movement, begun in the Victorian Era, envisioned the cemetery as a community resource and emphasized the beauty of the landscape. With something like 87,000 burials, this beautiful cemetery is a fascinating repository of history and architecture over a rolling landscape of 314 acres, planted with 1,100 shrubs and 4,000 trees.

So, these are a few of the highlights that we will be exploring on our 2013 Cultivated Spaces: Gardens of St. Louis study tour, leaving Georgia on April 29 and returning May 4. Sheri and I will be your tour co-leaders and Tavia Henderson with Southern Touch Tours will be making tour arrangements for us. If you have traveled with us before, you will know that she does a spectacular job. Here is the link for the tour registration: http://www.caes.uga.edu/departments/hort/extension/mastergardener/documents/MGEV_Tour_13.pdf  If you are a current, active MGEV, you can do some extra work and receive Advanced Training credit in the YCG category. If aren’t interested in credit, it’s still going to be a fabulous tour. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at masterg@uga.edu  

Krissy 

How do you make something special in the garden?

Dwarf Yaupon Holly 'Carolina Ruby' caught our eye.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA) horticulture conference and trade show yesterday. It was such a great opportunity to get a "snapshot" of Georgia's green industry and to hear from incredibly knowledgeable horticulturists.

Being absolutely starved for plant contact, I gravitated to the trade show and zeroed in on the many plants on display. I am a frustrated gardener, as I am still not settled in a place where I can plant and garden with abandon. (I evaluate everything through the lens of practicality: "Can I keep it alive in a container for an indefinite period of time? Is it worth the ATTEMPT to keep it alive in a container for an indefinite period of time? Would it survive planting, establishment, and possible relocation at some future point?")

So, anyway, back to the plants...

'Masashi's Gold' Burford Holly

I found many perennials with great colors and texture. I found lots of shrub offerings with variegations and yellow-gold coloring. There were magnificent balled-and-burlapped trees on display, and tray after tray of liners just begging to be potted up. And did I mention the soil amendments and mulches? And the heucheras and hellebores? Again, being starved for plants, I was drawn to all of these different offerings, like this gold Burford holly...


I snapped pictures with abandon, enjoyed myself thoroughly, and picked up countless catalogs and availability sheets (they are great for surveying market offerings). I filled my backpack with excellent evening reading material and headed home. As I began to share my findings with my husband later that evening, I began to ponder, what on earth would I do to show off a plant like this in my garden? How would I use it? Where is its place?

How do you make something special in the garden?

I couldn't imagine an entire hedge of gold Burford holly, but perhaps if I had a dark wall? Seems like extra-unique items like this should be showcased, perhaps in the curve of a simple foundation planting or in a spotlight position in a garden bed, surrounded by understated plants so that its beauty shines. Perhaps it SHOULD be planted in a container and then placed strategically in that garden.

Is one enough or would I need more?

I recalled a planting of weeping Japanese maples at a hotel where I used to meet with a business networking group each week. The entire drive of the hotel was lined with these maples, much like an older farmhouse would have boxwood lining the front walk. I guessed that the installer loved weeping red, cutleaf maples so much that he/she figured more must be good. In reality, each of those maples was unique, but the uniqueness and beauty was lost in that setting as the trees competed with each other and had little else to offset them.

Sometimes we need the plain and simple to really show off the unique and beautiful.

Alas, I went home without new plants to tend, but certainly with more literature to read and garden ideas to mull over on this cold Georgia day...

Indeed, how would you show off something special in the garden?

Putting "Community" in Community Gardens

From Dreams to Reality: 

Putting "Community" in Community Gardens

8:30 am - 4 pm

Extension Office, Henry County

97 Lake Dow Road, McDonough GA 30252

We are so excited to start off the new year with great learning opportunities for MGEVs! The first Advanced Training of 2013 will be hosted by Henry County on February 22, 2013. This training is approved for Youth and Community Gardens (YCG) credit if you are collecting training certificates toward a silver or gold star. The purpose is to equip Master Gardeners with the skills and knowledge to coach and empower community partners to build and manage urban and community gardens. The training sessions will take a hard look at the components of successful community gardens and the appropriate leadership role for MGEVs. We will learn from the experience of several veteran community garden leaders and visit a garden on site.

MGEVs attending this Advanced Training will be able to answer these questions:

• What is a community garden? 
• When is such a garden needed? 
• What are the desirable outcomes of community gardens?
• What is the appropriate role for the MGEV in a community garden?
• How do you set up a community garden for success?
• When and how should MGEVs and Extension step away from an urban and/or community garden?

If you are interested in attending this Advanced Training, contact your local Extension agent for a registration form. The all-day training costs $45 and includes lunch and materials. We look forward to seeing you in McDonough on February 22!

Happy Holidays!

Here in Griffin, we  have taken a few minutes to reflect on this year and those who are near and dear to us. I have enjoyed getting to know so many of you all over Georgia, learning about your projects and the things about gardening that are special to you.

 

This year has been a whirlwind for the Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program. We have seen new policy updates from the University, and you are getting to know me as a new State Coordinator. We have had Advanced Training classes, newfangled communication tools (like this blog), and a few growing pains.

We appreciate the countless hours you have invested in partnering with Cooperative Extension to make your communities better places through landscaping and gardening. We thank you for staying with us as we explore new directions for our volunteer program.

We hope that you will keep growing with us in 2013! We have lots more trainings, trips, and fun new ways to learn and share coming in the new year.

May you each be blessed with happy, healthy New Year!

Sheri and Krissy

Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program

UGA - Griffin Campus

Cultivated Spaces

Do you ever look at a garden and wonder "why?" Why that garden? Why in that place? Why were the gardeners inspired to create that place? What do they want others to see or do because they built that garden? Do you wonder, "so what?" What is happening because of that garden?

One of my favorite reads was Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit. It was not because it was the story of a magnificent horse. Yes, Seabiscuit was great. But even more enthralling were all of the events and bits of history that created the horse's story. The "why," if you will.

When I look at gardens, I try to see the "why." As Extension educators, we are trained to look for indicators, to see needs that can be met through our teaching. Each of our gardens has a "why." For example, the Japanese Garden at Manito Park in Spokane, Washington, was built in 1974 to symbolize a friendship between Spokane, Washington, and Nishinomiya, Japan. There is a tremendous amount of history and culture behind each garden design decision in an effort to connect the two communities and cultures.

As Master Gardeners, we understand this on an intuitive level. We see a need and we respond. We can't always put into words what we are trying to do. Sometimes, the garden is about solving a problem. Sometimes the garden is about defining the space. Sometimes, the garden is about inspiring our neighbors to try something different, to do something differently. Sometimes, the garden is about making our communities a better place to live.

We are going to take a look at the "why" behind several different types of gardens this spring on our "Cultivated Spaces: The Gardens of St. Louis" MGEV trip. Join Krissy and myself on  April 29-May 4, 2013, as we explore several well-known gardens in the St. Louis area. We will be looking for the "why" and also the "so what?," reflecting on how this can help MGEVs reach out to Georgia communities. For those interested in completing a few extra steps, the trip will qualify for Advanced Training in the Youth and Community Gardens (YCG) category. Be sure to mark your calendars and save the date! We'll be sending more details soon!