- Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb

May/June 2015
Volume 27, Number 3
Garden Tour Boasts Another Successful Year
Photos by Nancy Wallace
Inside this issue:
Jack-in-the-Pulpit at
McFarlane
4
Snapped!
5
Special Garden Tour section
7-9
Lunch & Learn report
10
Gardeners’ Night Out
report
11
JMGs at Midway
12
STEAM rules
12
Volume 27, Number
V o l3u m e 2 7 , N u m b e r 3
Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County
Officers & Directors
Randy Threatte, President
Jack Riggenbach, Vice President
Mary Ann Zambory, Treasurer
Elise Bellair, Recording Secretary
Susie Langford, Corresponding Secretary
Polly Burson, Program Chair
Bill Goldstrohm, Director
Susan Dawsey, Director
Ken Johnson, Director
MGVOCC Communications
Email Correspondent: Cheryle Kerr
Webmaster: Courtenay Vanderbilt
Cobb Dibbler: Jennifer Bridges, Editor
Speaker’s Bureau Coordinator: Nancy Wallace
nrwallace55@gmail.com
Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County
Project and Activity Chairs
Project Chairs
Center for Children & Young Adults
Maureen Lok
Toni Moore
Chattahoochee Nature Center
Cheryl Kerr
Bill Goldstrohm
CrossRoads Community Garden
Marilyn Richter
Green Meadows Preserve Community Garden
Carol Hanak
Rita Buehner
Linda Hlozansky
Judy Kelley
Junior Master Gardeners, Kemp Elementary
Electa Keil
Karen Miller
Junior Master Gardeners, Midway Covenant School
Becky Blades
Renae Lemon
Cobb County Extension
678 South Cobb Drive, Suite 200
Marietta, GA 30060-3105
Office: 770.528.4070 FAX: 770.528.4086
Mary McGaughy
Jerry Blades
McFarlane Nature Park
Bill Powell
North Marietta Neighborhood Community Garden
Jo-Evelyn Morris
Kathy Schimler
Dee Lentsch
Period Garden at Green Meadows
Jack Driskell
Sunshine News
Bob Snider
Carra Harris
Tony Harris
Please send Susie Langford and Cheryle Kerr information about members who are ill, have deaths in their
families, or experience other events. We like to let our
members know that we care and support them.
Plant-A-Row for the Hungry at Fountain Gate Gardens
Ken Jonhson
Kim Baumert
Root House
Sue Burgess
Activity Chairs
Horticulture Therapy, Cobb Hospital
Sharon Wagner
North Georgia Fair
Phyllis Goff
Elise Bellair
Junior Master Gardeners, Birney Elementary
Cobb County Extension Master Gardener Coordinator
Becky Blades
Page 2
Holly Walquist
Dibbler Deadline: The deadlines for articles to be included
in the July/August issue is July 20th. Please submit to
dibblersubmit@gmail.com
Susan Dawsey
Rose Garden at Smith-Gilbert Gardens
Bruce Gillett, MD
Trudy Strawn
Water, Rain & Wildlife Garden
Jennifer McCoy
Michael Kahle
Electa Keil
Volume 27, Number 3
Heard at the Garden Gate...
Judy Hartley spoke to the AJC about her
garden and our tour. Read the article at
http://m.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/
home/cobb-county-gardeners-share
-their-solutions-favori/nkt7r/
Page 3
Volume 27, Number 3
Page 4
The More You Know: Jack-in-the-Pulpit
By Marcia Brelsford
This unique wildflower, found growing in shady woodland settings, is Jack-inthe-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum. The structure that is commonly called the “jack-in-thepulpit” is actually a tall stalk, or spadix, inside a hooded cup, the spathe. The true
flowers are the tiny yellow to green colored “dots” that line the spadix. This unusual
structure is supported by a single stalk with two large three-lobed leaves. The species
is pollinated by flies, attracted by the flowers’ smell. In the late summer or fall, the
spathe falls off, and the flowers produce fruit, small green berries. The fruit ripens in
late summer, turning bright red before the plant goes dormant. The roots contain calcium oxalate (the same chemical as in Diffenbachia or Dumb Cane) and are poisonous.
Arisaema triphyllum is a native plant, one to two feet tall, that grows commonly in moist
woods throughout most of the eastern states. A Jack-in-the-Pulpit is growing at
McFarlane Nature Park in the Shade Garden.
Why Join GMGA?
By Tommie Munro
Why join GMGA? Great question…
There is strength in numbers.
The Master Gardener Program started in Georgia in 1979 with 140 students. We now have over 3,000 Master Gardener Extension
Volunteers (MGEVs) who donated over 167,000 hours for a value of over four million dollars last year.
The Georgia Master Gardener Association (GMGA) works to support and unite all MGEV groups in Georgia and help them with
their efforts to educate and assist the citizens of Georgia with their horticulture needs. We do this through conferences, training
classes, the GMGA website, the newsletter (The Scoop), field trips and personal interactions. We support individual projects through
grants and encourage new horticulturists through a scholarship program. We need your help to continue these efforts.
There are personal rewards, too.
The GMGA membership includes both MGEVs and Friends of the Master Gardeners. Members have password-protected access to
our website, which includes the right to use the Members Directory and access to the bi-monthly newsletter The Scoop. You can
also participate in field trips with group rates and have access to advanced training classes and links to hundreds of garden and
gardening society websites.
The Annual Conference is one of the highlights of our year. We get to hear excellent, expert speakers that may not be available to
you through other sources, visit with and learn from other MGEVs from all over the State, and shop a wide variety of vendors with
plants, books, tools and other gardening related merchandise. It is a fun, educational time for everyone.
How do you join?
To get more information and details and to join GMGA, sign on to the GMGA website at: http://www.georgiamastergardeners.org .
We hope to hear from you soon.
Volume 27, Number
V o l3u m e 2 7 , N u m b e r 3
Page 5
Snapped!
Future leaders in the
JMG program at Sawyer Road Elementary
in Marietta plant, play,
and explore
MGs recently installed five new
raised beds at the Cherokee
Garden at Green Meadows
Volume 27, Number
V o l3u m e 2 7 , N u m b e r 3
Page 6
Snapped!
On May 8th, the Thyme to Read Book Club and the Cobb
Master Gardeners sponsored an appreciation luncheon for the
Cobb Water Lab employees! We are very appreciative that we
are able to have Lunch & Learn as well as our book club meetings in their building every month!
With the help of MG Jim
Bearden, Still Elementary
has a new bluebird nest and
is tracking activity
JMGs at Kemp receive their certificates,
while another student is recognized by
Karen Miller and Electa Keil for her
school project showing the harmful
effects of RoundUp
Renae Lemon flashes a fantastic smile at
the Smith-Gilbert Garden Gala on May
16th
Volume 27, Number
V o l3u m e 2 7 , N u m b e r 3
Page 7
Snapped at the Plant Sale
Bill Lovlace skillfully
manages moving parts
and people
Vendor Liaison Diana Whitlock and President Elect
Jack Riggenbach, measure
off booth spaces
Trudy Strawn and her “plant mobile”
A bashful angel from artist Carlos Montano
Grady McWhorter loads up happy ustomers with a great buy
Volume 27, Number
V o l3u m e 2 7 , N u m b e r 3
Snapped on the Garden Tour!
Polly Burson’s granddaughter Millie enjoys the waterfall at the Hartley garden. Future MG!
Visitors contemplate the mystery plant at the Bramwell garden,
while MGs usher visitors through the gorgeous grounds
Photos by Jami
Holden...
A couple celebrates their 50th wedding anniversary
at the Hartley garden.
Page 8
Volume 27, Number
V o l3u m e 2 7 , N u m b e r 3
Snapped on the Garden Tour!
Photos by Judy Hartley
Planters with purpose...
Page 9
Volume 27, Number 3
Page 10
Lunch & Learn Report: Easy-to-Grow Fruits
By Peggy Corrigan
On March 13, fifty-one attendees listened as Steve Brady, former Cobb County Extension Agent, gave a presentation
about how to be successful growing small fruits. First, he recommended taking soil samples from the planting site to be sure
it has the correct pH and nutrients. He said that locating the planting area in full sun where the soil drains well is important.
Blueberries and blackberries can have partial but bright sun. When selecting varieties, it is advisable to use plants adapted to
perform well in this area.
Blueberries

Rabbit Eye Varieties are native to Georgia

Must have more than one variety for cross pollination

Lengthen the harvest season by planting early, midseason, and late varieties
Muscadines

Perfect Flower variety fruits by itself

Female Plant will need a Perfect Flower variety to pollinate it
Blackberries

Thornless varieties: Navajo and Arapaho

Kiowa: Has large berries but thorns
Figs

Celeste is a dependable variety and self-pollinating

Plant it where it does not have nematodes

Too vigorous plants, due to over fertilizing, will often produce fruit that falls
off before maturing.
Photo by Judy
Hartley
Volume 27, Number 3
Page 11
Gardeners’ Night Out: Getting Ready for Spring Vegetable Gardens
By Fran Duggan Sommerville
Amy Whitney offered a very interested group a step-by-step plan for the creation of a veggie
garden. As her presentation moved along there was a beautiful array of vegetables on her PowerPoint.
Amy said that was to give a “mood setting” for her talk. Clever!
We were delighted to see children present. One young gardener asked, “Where do carrot seeds
come from?” Our entire group was engaged with several questions.
Amy shared handouts with detailed information. Step-by-step and in a very simple way, she covered every phase
from amendments and selection to adding mulch and watering. Go to atlantaveggies.blogspot.com to see Amy’s blog.
Now we ask you – how does YOUR garden grow?
GNO: Meeting the Challenge of Gardening with Shade
By Fran Duggan Sommerville
Explaining the joys of having a shade garden as a cool respite, Master Gardener Cathy Lacy shared her expertise.
Cathy mentioned the needed steps, from establishing the best site to finding the best mix of color and texture.
On April 14, 2015, twenty-five
attendees at South Cobb Library
enjoyed an informative PowerPoint
produced by Master Gardener Sharon
Parry and Cathy. Many kinds of ferns,
hostas, shrubs and groundcovers were
recommended, with an emphasis on
native plants.
Attendees liked the handout
with a list of shade plants for the
Atlanta area developed by Newton
Hogg and Walter Reeves.
Volume 27, Number 3
Page 12
JMGs at Midway School
By Becky Blades
Our gardens at Midway School adjoin the gym, which is currently under muchneeded expansion. Fortunately only two of our raised beds had to be moved. Also among
the construction debris was a pile of river rock that had previously been in the area of
gutter downspouts. One week the students got to wash the rocks using some of our luffa
sponges to scrub with. Now the rocks provide signage in our shade garden.
The 3rd and 4th grade students in JMG club enjoyed their annual field trip to the
Atlanta Botanical Garden, which so nicely echoes what we have learned this year but on a
larger scale.
May brings our poppies and larkspur into bloom. It is
great fun to show the kids where the seeds come from that we eat
in the lemon poppy seed muffins that are a part of our final feast.
This picture is of the kindergarten class.
Some of our other favorite things for the end of the year:
building fairy houses, strawberry smoothies, sugar snap peas,
lettuce and broccoli all from our garden. We will meet one time in
June to harvest the remaining spring crops and plant sweet
potatoes, sunflowers, peanuts, watermelon, and pumpkins to be
harvested when they return to school (the popcorn is in and up!).
Kids Get STEAMed Up About Plants
By Kathleen McElroy
Have you heard about STEAM? It stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. For the School
at Christ Church in Kennesaw, the preschoolers and their families had a STEAM experience, MG style! On a perfect April
evening, Christ Church on Wooten Lake Road hosted food trucks and
the preschool art show/open house - a great combination! The preschoolers had fun using stamps made from recycled materials, real
leaves, and other
art supplies to
make and label the
parts of a
plant. UGA Extension horticulture
publications were
also offered to the
families. This
was a wonderful
and joyful way to celebrate Earth Day with our community!
Volume 27, Number 3
Page 13
Volume 27, Number 3
Page 14
Jonquil Garden Club of Smyrna presents our
Sixth Annual Plant Sale
Saturday, June 13, 2015
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
At
Smyrna Fresh Market
On
King Street in the lower parking lot of First Baptist Church of
Smyrna
Sun and shade blooming perennials, hard-to-find shrubs, hostas, ferns,
hellebores, small trees, annuals, groundcovers, natives, and herbs will be
for sale. Creative container gardens, garden accessories, and art to sell
for a song. Let our “little red wagon” brigade help you get your plants to
the car. Rain or shine, we have great plants and even better prices! Most
gallons: $4-$7. Sale proceeds fund our scholarship program and other
educational projects.
The Thyme to Read Book Club is sponsored by the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County. We
meet the second Friday of each month from 10:15 – 11:30 A.M. at the Cobb Water Lab, 662 South Cobb
Drive at Atlanta Road, Marietta 30060. Our meetings are free and open to the public!
Thyme to Read Reading List for 2015 – 2016
Sept. 11th - Footprints Across the South: Bartram’s Trail Revisited by James Kautz, Facilitator Katie
Sanstead
Oct. 9th – The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, Facilitator Linda Hlozansky
Nov. 13th – Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv,
Facilitator Dorothy Dowell
Jan. 8th – 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann, Facilitator Judy
Cassell
Feb. 12th – The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Beautiful Orchid by Craig
Pittman, Facilitator Sondra Nierenberg
March 11th – Grandma Gatewood’s Walk by Ben Montgomery, Facilitator Susan Dawsey
April 8th – Beatrix Potter’s Garden, Facilitator Dr. Judy Mitchell
May 13th – State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, Facilitator Beth St. Jean
All written materials intended for publication should be addressed to
Jennifer Bridges, Editor of the Cobb Dibbler, identified by the author's
name and address and the date of origin. All written materials so
submitted are, and shall be, subject to editing.
Visit us on the web at
cobbmastergardeners.com
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter (#MGVOCC)
Picture from the Editor
I brought two friends along for the
garden tour and they had a wonderful
time! Here is our selfie from Green
Meadows.