Mt. Cuba in April

Dear gardening friends,


How would you choose to greet spring? Many of us would choose a garden where there are classes, tours, an art show, and more to welcome this favorite time of the year. On April 6, Vic Piatt begins the Mt. Cuba Center Scree Garden Study (10AM-12 Noon, $20). This session reviews the scree garden construction at Mt. Cuba Center, plus you'll take home a rock garden plant. On April 12 & 13, the Introduction to Native Spring Wildflowers series begins (1-3PM, $40). The class will cover the identification and cultivation of 36 outstanding species. Additional classes are scheduled for April 26 and May 10. If you'd like to focus on just one type of spring plant, choose from Designing with Native Mosses on April 16, (10:30AM - 12:30PM, $20) or Trilliums to Know and Grow on April 20 (10:30AM-12:30PM, $20.) A sure sign of spring at Mt. Cuba Center is - guests in the garden! The Spring Wildflower Tours begin on Thursday, April 14 and the price remains $5 for the two-hour walk with one of our trained docents.

Also in the month of April - "Beauty in Detail," an exhibition of work created by students in our art and photography classes. The gallery will be open on Saturdays from 10AM to 3 PM during tour season.

Finally, just a save-the-date reminder - the Seventh Annual Wildflower Celebration will be on Sunday, May 1 from 10AM to 4 PM. You'll get more detailed information as the date gets closer. Please visit www.mtcubacenter.org to see the entire list of spring and summer events.

This is such an exciting season at Mt. Cuba Center - I look forward to sharing it with you soon!
Sincerely,
Eileen Boyle
Public Programs Manager

Plant Sale in Kennett Square

The 45th. Annual Kennett Square Beautification Spring Plant Sale

at Genesis Walkway in the heart of Kennett Square

Sat. April 30, 2011 from 8am to 1pm

There will be a variety of plants – annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, herbs, native plants, bedding plants, vegetable plants, grasses, plants grown and dug by garden club members and members of the community and a raffle for a container of herbs. All proceeds benefit Kennett Square Beautification with trees and container plantings.

Programs at the Upper Merion Township Building

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening

Saturday, April 2 at 12 noon

with William Woys Weaver

at the Upper Merion Township Building in Freedom Hall

Dr. Weaver is a food historian, culinary author, editor and educator. He will speak on the rising popularity of heirloom food plants and how they are making a comeback AND they taste better and are better for you!. He is an expert on the origins of American cookery and the traditional kitchen garden. He lectures at the Smithsonian, Monticello, and more; offers hands on workshops at his historic home in Devon, and is launching the Keystone Center for the Study of Regional Foods. Whether you like to grow your own vegetable, or just like to eat good food that’s good for you, don’t miss this captivating presentation.

Container Herb Gardening

with Master Gardener Peggy Rastiello

Saturday, April 16 at 1pm

A container herb garden can be more than functional. It can be beautiful! Celebrate Earth Day by growing herbs for your kitchen year round on your windowsill, porch or deck. This event is being held in conjunction with Upper Merion's Earth Day events at the township building. The class will move indoors in case of inclement weather.

Contact:

Marianne Hooper, Program Coordinator

Upper Merion Township Library

175 W. Valley Forge Road

King of Prussia, PA 19406

610-265-4805

Ruth Bittman Receives Award

"Ruth Bittmann (left) was recently awarded a certificate by Donna

Anderson, Chairman of the Garden Class of the Woman’s Community Club of

Uwchlan, for fifty (50) continuous years of membership. Golden daffodils

have been planted in her honor at the historic Uwchlan Meeting House, 5

North Village Avenue, Lionville, PA."

Congratulations Ruth!

Chrysanthemum Society National Convention and Show at Longwood

"Symphony of Mums" has been chosen as the theme for the 2011 National Convention

and Show. The dates are Thursday, October 27th through Sunday October 30, 2011.

The theme fits into the overall theme of "Sounds" that Longwood Gardens has chosen for 2011.

 

Galen L. Goss, the general chair, is looking for participants from local garden clubs to enter

specimens and designs for the horticulture and design sections. The Ballroom can be used for bloom

preparations from 8:00am until 5:00pm on Friday October 28th and and from 7:00am to 8:00am

on Saturday. Access to the Fern Floor Exhibition Hall for bloom entries will start at 10:00am on Friday

but must end by 5:00 pm that day.

If you are interested in participating in this event, the show schedule can be viewed at http://www.mums.org/.

The schedule will not be complete until April 15, (dimensions still have to be added) but can be

partially viewed now. This is a standard flower show. Anyone can enter

There are 40 chapters in the USA but none locally, so they need the garden clubs to drum up local

support.

Spade and Trowel Garden Club enter the PHS Flower Show

SPADE AND TROWEL CLUB

ANNUAL PARTICIPANT IN

PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL FLOWER SHOW

Last week many in our area enjoyed ‘Springtime in Paris’ at the 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show. Several Spade and Trowel Garden Club members played an active organizational role in the world’s largest indoor flower show. Alice Bucher and Tala Graham of Kennett Square were chair and assistant respectively of ‘Judges and Awards’; Beverly Schmitt of Thornton was vice-chair of ‘Store Windows’; Diane Mateson of Chadds Ford chaired ‘Documents’; and Kris Qualls of Wilmington, DE chaired ‘Front Porches’. Courtney Peterson of Lincoln University was on the show’s executive board and was a vendor at the show.

Several members entered individual competitions. Alice Bucher took home an Honorable Mention for her streptocarpus, a challenge plant in a horticulture division, and she entered a miniature in a design class. Kris Qualls’ miniature ‘Bric-a-Brac’ took a Blue Ribbon while Tala Graham’s design won an Honorable Mention in the same division. In the jewelry category first time entrant Caryn Hetherston teamed up with her daughter Tyler Ruth to win an Honorable Mention by producing a brooch and earrings made from plant material. Beverly Schmitt’s ‘Champagne’ entry in small niches won an Honorable Mention.

For the flower show to run smoothly, volunteers are needed on many levels. Besides the members who volunteer year-round on the organizational level, last week Jackie Blake worked the Horticulture Court and Margaret Hennes and Stefi Jackson were Judges’ Clerks.

"Getting Down and Dirty - Gardening from the Ground Up"

"Getting Down and Dirty - Gardening from the Ground Up"

15th Annual Home Gardeners' School

8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Saturday, April 9.

The event is presented by Penn State Master Gardeners, Delaware County, with outstanding Delaware Valley Speakers. The location is the Conference Center - Penn State Great Valley Campus, 30 East Swedesford Road, Malvern, PA 19355. Registration forms can be printed at http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/MG/MG_events.html

Home Gardeners' School Program Highlights:
- My what great bone structure your garden has! Rick Lewandowski, Director of Mt. Cuba Center explores how the thoughtful choice and placement of native plants and shrubs in key areas can greatly enhance the quality and charactor of your garden throughout the year.

- 10 Tips for a More Bountiful Garden. When and how to amend the soil, judicious watering and best practices for keeping accurate garden records are just a few of the topics Penn State Senior Extension Educator Scott D. Guiser covers in his presentation of useful tactics that both novice and experienced gardeners can employ to improve the quantity and qualify of veggies from their home gardens.

- Sustainable Landscaping: What is it? How do I do it? For most homeowners, lawn is the default landscaping option. But there are so many other attractive and earth-friendly alternatives. Discover how to let site conditions guide your landscape choices while promoting biodiversity and creating a wildlife-friendly habitat from Susan Barton, PhD, a faculty member in the Dept. of Plant and Soil Science at the University of Delaware.

- Peonies, the unabashed "Queens of the Garden". Eleanor Tickner, owner of A Peony Garden, and a Master Gardener, gives you a glimpse of her newest passion, early blooning peonies, both species and hybrids.

- Lasagna Gardening. Forget digging and tilling! Master Gardener and science instructor Leslie Trimble describes how to prepare a new garden or enlarge an existing one by layering organic materials, then allowing Mother Nature to do the rest. This earth-friendly, back-saving technique produces rich, hospitable garden soil, saves time and money plus yields terrific crops.

Throughout the day, attendees will have the opportunity to browse and buy in the ever-popular Master Gardener Marketplace, featuring a variety of affordable plants, herbs, perennials, peonies and small shrubs; hypertufa container butterfly gardens; nature-inspired jewelry, and a unique blend of eco-inspired garden artwork and crafts that are truly one-of-a-kind.

The $50 registration fee includes conference materials, continental breakfast and box lunch. Register before March 25 and save $5 per person, paying just $45 for this information- packed program and fun-filled gardening gathering. Better yet, bring a friend – two registrations together, $80 by 3/25. Send checks, payable to DCCE, to: The Master Gardeners, Penn State Cooperative Extension Delaware County, Smedley Park, 20 Paper Mill Road, Springfield, PA 19064-2705.

For more information and /or to register, contact Master Gardeners at 610-690-7669, and visit our website: http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/

Thank you for your help in sharing the agenda for this fun and exciting event!
Brenda Smyth

HGS 2011 Publicity & Outreach team