Master Gardener Volunteers Newsletter – November 2022
Table of Contents
MGV CLASS MEET & GREET / FIELD TRIPS & WORKSHOPS / APPLE GLEANING / HCTC – GARDEN REVIVAL
Upcoming Dates to Remember!
November 11th – Veteran’s Day (Office Closed)
November 15th – Office Closed to Public (Plumbing & Heating Repairs)
November 19-20 Maine Harvest Festival – Cross Insurance Center
November 24-25 – Thanksgiving Break (Office Closed)
December 5th – MG Advisory Meeting
MGV Class Meet & Greet
Welcome MGV Class of 2022-2023!
Fourteen of the 18 Hancock County trainees in the new MGV class gathered on October 25 at the extension office to meet one another and to pick up some course supplies. Seasoned MGVs Patty Persson, Mary Doherty, Mary Hartley and Jessica Marks co-hosted the “Meet&Greet” along with office manager Sue Baez and MGV Coordinator Lisa DePasqual to ensure the new gang felt properly welcomed. After a wet morning, the evening turned out to be simply a charming one to be outside, with warm temperatures, a fire pit, and plenty of laughter and banter going around. Here is a photo showing the new trainees setting out for a tour of the grounds as the day’s light was beginning to fade. We ended up out by the hoop house as night fell, in thrall to our tour guide Sue’s stories. It was sort of magical.
In November, this crew of spirited folks will be doing their on-line learning on volunteerism, food systems and food security, ecology, and botany.
IF You’re Old Enough…
You might remember Mama Cass’ “Dream a Little Dream” and or Dusty Springfield’s “Wishin’ and Hopin’” in order to have uplifting melodies that prompt smiles as you dream, wish, hope with us that MGV’s can in 2023 resume our field trips and continuing education workshops. Before Covid we typically offered from May-October one field trip per month for MGV’s to special gardens as well as one gardening workshop per month open to MGV’s and the public. For many healthy reasons won’t you join us in dreaming, wishing, hoping that your MGV continuing education can continue in the new year? Please let us know of gardens you’d enjoy visiting with your MGV friends and workshop topics of interest to you. Then we’ll join you in wishing, hoping, dreaming, and planning too so we have a memorable 2023 blooming with fine adventures.
Possibilities for field trips include but are not limited to: Blue Hill Native Gardens, Ecotat Gardens (Hermon) and Lavender Gardens (Newport), Chuck Webber’s greenhouse at Lamoine, Schmidt Hosta Garden at Holden, Sweet Haven Farm at Seal Cove, Historical Gardens at Little Deer Isle, Trenton Trail guided tour, field day at Penobscot County MGV garden (Roger’s Farm) in Old Town and visit to the Maine Composting operation in Orono.
Workshop possibilities thus far are: growing rhododendrons, seed saving, growing raspberries.
We wish, hope, dream of hearing your thoughts on MGV field trips and workshops. Please contact us at: MGVnewsletterinput@gmail.com Thanks from your MGV Continuing Ed. Committee: Nancy Adams, Betsy Armstrong, Rita Buddemeyer, Camilla Cochrane, Mary Hartley, Helen Koch, Jan Migneault, Heidi Welch.
Apple Gleaning at Johnston’s Apple Orchard – Ellsworth
Emily at Healthy Acadia has provided an initial estimate of volunteers harvesting 6500 pounds (a low estimate) of apples. There were 42 volunteers, including representatives from 11 food security organizations and 16 of the best Master Gardener Volunteers. “The weather turned out great! A good time was had by all. Very well organized event and hard-working volunteers made for a successful gleaning project,” shared MGV Mary Doherty.
HCTC Garden-A Revival!
On a sunny day in June, after wrapping up some work at the Extension Garden, a group of gardeners and Marjorie Peronto walked over Hancock County Technical Center. Several years prior MGV’s created a vegetable garden for the school. Staffing changes had left the garden unattended for three years. It was completely overgrown and difficult to see where there had been a garden.
The group decided to take on the challenge of remaking the garden. After three sessions of intense weeding, spreading compost and adding new soil as needed the raised beds were ready to be planted. Cardboard was put down between the beds then covered with wood chips to keep out the weeds. Six beds were then planted with squash, peppers, carrots and tomatoes.
While the group was hopeful that some of the plants might produce, expectations were tempered. So it was quite amazing to see in the coming weeks, seedlings grow, flower and then offer up some beautiful vegetables. The harvest was bountiful and successful beyond our imaginings. We look forward to next year’s garden with the hope of engaging HCTC staff and students in the endeavor.
Gardeners who helped were Leland Dennett, Betsy Adams, Rachel Emus, Jody Blake, Cindy Blake, Mary Ellin Logue, Elizabeth Byard, Alison King, Connie Curtin, Karen Johnson, Marjorie Peronto, Reeser Manley, and Jane Ham.
This month’s newsletter sent by Sue includes articles from our new “Communicate with MGV’s” task force. We’d like the next edition to feature your suggestions and articles about gardeners and gardens. MGV’s, please contact us at MGVnewsletterinput@gmail.com with your ideas as we work on ways for us to stay in touch with all our gardening friends while following virus-safe guidelines.
Thank you from
Holly, Jane, Wendy, Linda, Mary D., Mary H., and Rita