Save the Date!The UCEMGV Fall Bulb and Plant Sale will Bring Beauty to your Landscape
On Saturday, October 13, the Union County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will hold their annual Fall Bulb and Plant Sale with bulbs carefully chosen for our climate and soil types here in Union County.
The sale begins at 9:00 am and runs until 1:00 pm. It will be held at the Union County Agricultural Center Greenhouse at 3230 Presson Road, Monroe, NC 28112. We also offer plants carefully culled from our very own teaching garden and many Master Gardeners donate plants they've grown to maturity in their own yards. When I first moved to Union County, I made sure to hit every plant sale held by the Union County Master Gardeners and 10 years later, the healthiest plants and trees in my yard have all come through these sales. The pictures listed are of bulbs that will be available to the public at the sale. If you have any questions or would like more information on the bulbs available, please visit this page where all bulbs are listed. We aren't able to provide a full list of plants that will be available because they are still coming in! You won't want to miss this sale!
"Go Native" at the Union County Heritage Festival on Sept 22!
The Union County Heritage Festival is Saturday, September 22 and we're bringing you a day of excitement, fun, games, and educational activities. We hope you will join us for a brief respite from cleaning up the debris left after the hurricane.
This year's theme is, "Go Native," and the festival will feature activities and information on native plant varieties found in North Carolina. The day starts early at 8:00 AM with the Wild Turkey 5K run followed by a fun run for children 5 and younger at 9:15 AM. Go here for more information about registering for the run. You can download a race form and bring it with you or fill out the online registration form found on the linked page. After you catch your breath, you will be able to stroll around our gardens and the grounds of the Union County Agricultural Center where we will have craft and food vendors, educational activities, and special crafts and games for the kids. For more information on our vendors, please follow this link and if you want to find out what we have lined up just for kids, you will find that information here.
Enjoy the lively music provided by Crystal Fountains and 2 Ukes, Banjo & a Box. Both bands will treat the audience to bluegrass and we will also hear some jazz and rock when 2 Ukes, Banjo & a Box take the stage. You can find out more about the bands here.
Our speakers this year will take us from the kitchen to the skies with Chef Ross Purple offering expert instruction on making the perfect risotto and Brenden McGlinchey from the North Carolina Falconry Guild will walk through the process of trapping, training, and hunting with a red-tail hawk. Find out more about our speakers and their presentations here.
There's something for everyone at the Heritage Festival. Thanks to our sponsors entry to the festival is free and we have plenty of parking. So, head on out and enjoy a fun afternoon with your Union County neighbors.
Who knows... you might even get to meet a famous goose! Our philanthropy again this year is Carolina Waterfowl Rescue. They have done amazing work helping with the rescue of birds and other animals during the hurricane. We're excited to support them. See you Saturday! 
BOLO – Be on the Lookout for Giant Hogweed
Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is a non-native invasive plant that has recently been in a topic of the local news.
Like many of our non-native invasive weeds, this plant was originally brought to the United States as an ornamental plant. It has large architectural leaves. The dried fruit is used as a spice in Iranian cooking. This plant grows rapidly and can quickly take over native habitat crowding out our native plants and reducing habitat for wildlife and creating erosion problems. Seeds can be carried by wind and water & birds can help with spread when they eat the seeds. The problem with this plant is that if you get the plant sap on your skin and that skin is exposed to sunlight you can have a painful reaction called phytophotodermatitis. The skin reaction can cause large, painful blisters similar to a severe burn and can cause permanent scarring. Giant Hogweed is in the carrot family (Apiaceae), so there are several plants that are look-a-likes and can be mistaken for it: Angelica (Angelica atropurpea), Cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum), and Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota). Though in the Caprifoliaceae family, the Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) can also be mistaken for Giant Hogweed. I came across two resources that report the Giant Hogweed as being found in North Carolina in Caldwell and Watagua counties. 
So, BOLO (Be On the Look Out) for Giant Hogweed!
If you think you have seen this plant, report it to your local NC Extension Office (https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/) or the NC Department of Agriculture (http://www.ncagr.gov/PLANTINDUSTRY/Plant/Weed/GiantHogweed.htm). More resources: NC Invasive Plant Council Fact Sheet Giant Hogweed: https://www.invasive.org/eastern/other/hogweed.html USDA Poster Giant Hogweed: https://www.invasive.org/eastern/other/poster_phhogweed.pdf NCSU Plant Factsheet Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis): https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/sambucus-canadensis/ Photos from Virginia Tech news (https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2018/06/hogweed-media-advisory.html). A former co-worker of mine in Virginia, Corey Childs, Agriculture Extension Agent, visited the site in Clark County on June 18, 2018, where over 30 Giant Hogweed plants were recently found to collect samples for the Virginia Tech herbarium. Debbie D. Dillion 6-21-2018 A Plant Sale You Don't Want to Miss!
Mark Your Calendar & Clean Out Your Garage!
Learn to Plant a Tree with Bill Smith, Urban Forester
Join us for our first Successful Gardener meeting on January 4, at 7:00 and learn to plant a tree with Bill Smith, Union County's Urban Forester. The timing is perfect with our upcoming tree and fruit sale.
Your new trees will have a greater chance for success if you put them in the ground properly! This meeting is open to the public and begins at 7:00 PM on Thursday, January 4. It will be held at the Union County Agricultural Center at 3230-D Presson Road, Monroe. The Grumpy Gardener Left Us Laughing
Steve Bender, AKA The Grumpy Gardener, is a delightful curmudgeon, a skilled gardener, the Senior Garden Editor for Southern Living magazine, and the author of a very funny book on gardening.
We were lucky enough to have him as a guest on, The Successful Gardener, our WIXE radio show, that airs Saturday mornings from 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM. Our sides hurt from laughing as we stood in the teaching garden at the Agricultural Center and chatted with Grumpy. If you missed the show but don’t want to miss out on all the fun, you’re in luck! We have about 20 of the hardcover books in our possession. You can email Annie and she will set one aside for you. The books are $20 each and make great gifts for anyone who enjoys plants, gardening, or good humor. Here are just a few snippets from the book. On Mimosas: “When anyone asks me what’s the best time to prune a mimosa, my instinctive response is, “Any time you can find a chain saw.” He, of course, goes into much more detail about his initial love for and subsequent loathing of mimosas, but we don’t want to give too much away! On African Violets: “Nowadays, being given an African violet is akin to receiving your AARP membership card. It means you’re old, maybe on death’s door. Once the most popular of all flower houseplants, the African violet remains practically unknown to Generation X, Generation Y, “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Millennials, and anyone who uses a smartphone to turn on their AC and dishwasher from another state.” After reading the rest of the entry, it’s obvious that Grumpy is definitely a fan of this once-exalted plant. While the book is heavy on humor, it offers a great deal more in sound advice for the novice or experienced gardener. On pruning Boxwoods: “The prettiest large boxwoods you’ll see result from a painstaking practice called “cloud pruning” performed with hand pruners. New growth is nipped back, and then small branches are removed from the insides of the shrubs to create openings between layers of foliage. The result looks a bit like a cumulus cloud. Opening up the bushes this way gives a natural look and also increases penetration of sunlight and air to the centers. Healthier bushes ensue.” Have you passed up the tall lanky tomato plants on the sale table at your local nursery or hardware store for a bushy, more expensive plant just because it looks healthier? You might want to rethink that strategy. “How to Plant a Tomato: Buy a tall, leggy plant. Strip off the bottom foliage so just three of four leaves remain at the top. Dig a hole deep enough so when you place the plant in it, only the leaves and an inch of stem will show above the soil surface. Fill in thoroughly with soil and water. Roots will form all along the buried stem.” IN THE NEWS:
UCE Master Gardener Volunteer Association partner with UC Beekeepers to purchase seed for the UC Public Works in an effort to help restore pollinators: http://www.pwmag.com/waste/landfill-brings-the-buzz-back_o Welcome ~
To the Extension Master Gardeners of Union County, North Carolina's Website! We plan to continue publishing useful and informative information that you, as a gardener, will find beneficial. We also want to share with you more about the Union County Master Gardeners and what we do. We invite you to check out each of our pages, especially, our Calendar page. This will allow you to view "what we're doing" and "where we'll be" throughout any given day or month in a year... and feel free to join us at any of our OPEN TO THE PUBLIC events! About Us~
We are a volunteer organization that has been serving our communities in Union County, NC, since 1989. Master Gardeners participate in various community programs such as: Plant a Row - An effort toward fighting hunger in our communities. Carolina Home Grown - Focusing on growing and purchasing Local Foods. 10 Percent Campaign - Encouraging consumers to commit 10%, of their existing food dollars, to support local food producers. Farmers Markets - Volunteering the Union County Speakers Bureau - Our volunteers give talks to organizations and schools. We offer Successful Gardener classes that are always Open to the Public on various topics such as Composting and Seed Starting. We monitor a call system called the Growline for Union County. This allows anyone in the community to call us with gardening questions. We hold 3 sales events per year: Tree Sale - held in February Spring Plant Sale - held in April Fall Bulb and Plant Sale - held in September-October All sales events are Open to the Public. Proceeds from these sales go toward supporting our programs in the community. Our Mission ~
As part of the NC State Cooperative Extension program, our Union County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers mission is to foster a "partnership to create a sustainable community through education and implementation". What that really means is .. we like to help, as well as teach, our community about good gardening practices, composting, integrated pest management, and home grown food production, just to name a few. Our 100+ volunteers are active and participate in many community programs. Our home base is in the Union County Agricultural Center in Monroe, NC, where we have a Teaching Garden and Greenhouse that are Open to the Public. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
2019
YOU ARE INVITED TO THE FEBRUARY SUCCESSFUL GARDENER MEETING Meetings are usually the first Thursday of the month at 7:00pm Union County Agricultural Center 3230-D Presson Road, Monroe, NC 28110 This event is FREE and there will be door prizes! Please RSVP for this class or for more info call our Grow-line 704-283-3822 or ucmgwebsite@gmail.com WANT TO BECOME A
MASTER GARDENER? FOLLOW UNION COUNTY EXTENSION
ON FACEBOOK: GARDENING BOOK
RECOMMENDATIONS: Proper techniques for SEED SAVING.
Union County Cooperative Extension
Horicultural Agent Union County Agricultural Center 3230 Presson Road Monroe, NC 28112 North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Website: http://union.ces.ncsu.edu/ |
ECO-FRIENDLY RAINBARRELS & COMPOSTERS AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND!
Call our Growline: 704.283.3822
Email: ucmgwebsite@gmail.com
Manufactured by: Rain Barrel USA-Waxhaw, North Carolina
For details & specifications on rain barrels and composters visit: www.RAINBARRELUSA.COM
RAIN BARRELS:
Sizes & Prices:
60 Gallon 32”H x 28”W $ 85.00
80 Gallon 38”H x 28”W $100.00
Rain barrel fills from any size downspout
Bug proof entry cover
Solid Brass spigot connects easily to your garden hose or soaker hose
Two overflow ports that can connect to standard water hoses
Removable top for easy spring cleaning
Comes with instructions for easy installation
60 Gallon 32”H x 28”W $ 85.00
80 Gallon 38”H x 28”W $100.00
Rain barrel fills from any size downspout
Bug proof entry cover
Solid Brass spigot connects easily to your garden hose or soaker hose
Two overflow ports that can connect to standard water hoses
Removable top for easy spring cleaning
Comes with instructions for easy installation
COMPOSTERS:
55 gallon heavy duty construction holds nearly 8 cubic feet. Large Aeration Tube for better air circulation. Galvanized steel tubing supports over 250 pounds. Interior Tumbler Bar helps separate materials. Removable cap in lid aids temperature control. Drain for “compost tea” in the lid. Wheelbarrow height for easy material removal. Easy assembly in minutes and will serve for years…
55 gallon heavy duty construction holds nearly 8 cubic feet. Large Aeration Tube for better air circulation. Galvanized steel tubing supports over 250 pounds. Interior Tumbler Bar helps separate materials. Removable cap in lid aids temperature control. Drain for “compost tea” in the lid. Wheelbarrow height for easy material removal. Easy assembly in minutes and will serve for years…
"Life in our Teaching Gardens"
Visit the
"2013 Conference"
webpage for highlights, educational material and images of the conference.
* JUST CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW *
"2013 Conference"
webpage for highlights, educational material and images of the conference.
* JUST CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW *