PLANT MARKERS

Welcome to Malaysia!  12 countries so far.









Spent some time in the garden today planting something different.  Identification Signs!  These were hand made by a group of Master Gardeners and their family members.  Thanks to Betsy and her husband for the woodworking and construction.  Thanks to Dan for the research and printing of the beautiful pictures.  I will soon post the name of all the others involved.  The lamination is first rate.

Lots of teamwork

The stakes holding the signs are tall enough so you don't have to bend over or kneel down to gather the information.

Lots of information

Pink flags mark recent transplants for the watering brigade

Betsy's 5 year old grandson Dylan came by to help.  He spent time with the rubber mallet pounding in the stakes and helping us make sure they were nice and straight.   Very quickly he found the Children's Garden and spent a very enjoyable evening in the dirt!

picture taken with adult permission

The show is definitely in the Hedgerow and Native Gardens this week.

blueberry- Vaccinium corymbosum

Fringetree- Chionanthus virginicus

Fringetree blossom

wild geranium - Geranium maculatum Expresso

Red twig dogwood

Spiderwort

University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener and other programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or national origin.

Big changes in the Children's Garden

Lots of eye popping changes!  Primary colors, green plants, walking paths made from a tree trunk, and an invitation to "Touch."

In the Vegetable Garden:


Peas are almost ready to climb, lettuce is almost ready to be thinned.  Spinach coming along nicely.  In a couple of weeks Malabar Spinach will be added to the spinach bed.  It is not really a spinach, it is native to tropical Asia and grows very well in hot, humid weather. Malabar spinach is high in vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.  It is also high in protein per calorie.

Lettuce and Peas

Lettuce

Onions

Spinach

Red, White and Blue Potatoes in this patch

Potato plants

Soon we will have to add soil to "mound up" the plants.  The growing potatoes need to be covered completely.

In the Native and Hedgerow Gardens:

iris

Milkweed

This is part of our Milkweed Patch.  This is a very important plant.   It is a host plant of the Monarch Butterfly.  The Monarch eggs are laid on these plants.  When the larvae hatch, they only eat plants in the milkweed family, nothing else.  When the Monarch emerges from its chrysalis, it receives nourishment from many other plants.  

Perennials:

Allium

Patio Garden:

Strawberries

Salad Table

Lots of welcome rain tonight and tomorrow!

University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener and other programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or national origin.

APRIL 17.2012

Welcome to Indonesia, South Korea, Lithuania,  and the United Kingdom!





 Saturday the 14th brought  Master Gardeners back to the Demonstration Garden.  In the Children's Garden, stepping stones were dug in and more plants were added.  Lots of ferns for the shady part and soft textured plants so children can experience plants in many ways.  Touching and smelling will be encouraged!

Artemisia - very soft to the touch

Pat

Regina

Alex

Tony and Bill

Shady area

Betsy

In the Vegetable Garden:


Peas, peas, peas!

Native and Hedgerow Gardens:

Wood poppies

Sweetfern

Dogwood

Front Garden:

Sweet Woodruff - incredible sweet odor

Lily of the Valley

Columbine

The Patio Garden is being assembled. It will showcase ways to grow flowers and vegetables in different kinds of containers.  Barrels and salad tables are ready.

Patio Garden

Stay tuned.  With the temps heating up, the show is just starting  :)

University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener and other programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or national origin.