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 The Chattanooga Native Plant & Wildflower Group of the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County is proud to present its first annual native plant symposium “Chattanooga’s Native Beauty: Gardening with Native Plants” on Saturday, March 10, 2012. The symposium will be held at Chattanooga State Community College campus in its Humanities Theatre. The program will begin with registration at 8:00 am, with speakers to start at 8:30 am. The $45 registration ($40 if you register before March 1) includes program materials, refreshments and lunch. There will be door prizes as well.
The schedule of speakers is as follows:
“Role of Native Plants in Biodiversity”
Richard Clements, PhD
Chattanooga State Community College
“Butterflies and Native Plants”
Sara Bright
Co-Author of “Butterflies of Alabama”
“Growing Native Plants”
Margie Hunter
Author: “Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee”
“Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines”
Speaker: Avi Askey, Owner, Overhill Gardens Native Plant Nursery, Vonore, TN
“Landscape Design Considerations with Native Plants”
Sam Rogers, ASLA
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Authors Margie Hunter and Sara Bright and Paulette Ogard’s books will be available for purchase at the symposium.
Master Gardeners who attend may earn 5 continuing education credits (CEUs).
For more information and to register, go to this website: www.chattanooganatives.blogspot.com
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The Hamilton County Master Gardeners won the coveted 2011 Tennessee Master Gardener Search for Excellence Award in the Demonstration Garden category for the Evelyn Davenport Navarre Teaching Garden at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.
The Evelyn Davenport Navarre (EDN) Teaching Garden, located at 2009 Curtain Pole Road, Chattanooga, TN 37406 is an approved U. T. Demonstration Garden and operates under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Chattanooga Area Food Bank (CAFB) and the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County (MGHC). EDN Teaching Garden is built on land donated by the City of Chattanooga and its 22 – 4′ by 8′ raised beds were built by MGHC members using materials donated by Habitat for Humanity of Chattanooga. The garden production, sale of plants, and teaching activities are coordinated by CAFB’s Garden Coordinator with MGHC members providing over 5,000 hours each year in volunteer time. The goals for this demonstration garden are to (1) grow healthy food to supplement CAFB’s food distribution programs to the indigent and (2) teach citizens, especially those in need, how to grow vegetables in the most healthy and responsible manner.
The demonstration garden’s production in 2011 provided a significant positive health and economic boon to the indigent community. In 2010, the garden raised and distributed over 800 pounds of fresh, organically grown vegetables that were added to CAFB’s Food Box program, with over 2,500 families receiving produce during the growing season (economic). In 2011, the garden produced an amazing 2,013 pounds of fresh vegetables — over a ton and 2 1/2 times the previous year’s production — all distributed to needy families.
The Education/Teaching activities in 2011 were also vigorous: 26 workshops presented to a total of 361 participants. Attendees included CAFB clients, hunger relief agency workers, community garden organizers, church leaders, school teachers, master gardeners and members of the general public. The relationship between attendees and instructors is ongoing with many participants continuing to ask for consultation and advice. In particular, community gardens such as Bethlehem Center, St. Albans, New Covenant Baptist Church, Mitchell Garden, Hart Garden, The Giving Garden, New City Fellowship, Northside Neighborhood House children’s garden, House of Souls garden (run by city for the homeless) continue to receive advice and support from EDN Teaching Garden staff and volunteers as well as seedlings, raised beds and other surplus from EDN.
As a Tennessee Master Gardener award winner, the Evelyn Davenport Navarre Teaching Garden project is eligible for consideration by the International Master Gardeners for the 2012 International Search for Excellence Awards.
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New Master Gardener training starts this January, with either Monday night sessions (starting January 9, 2012) that go from 6 pm to 9 pm or Tuesday morning sessions (starting January 10, 2012) that run from 9 am to noon. The classes run for 15 weeks, ending with graduation on April 19.
The Master Gardener of Hamilton County 2012 training schedule can be found as an Adobe file by clicking this link. To apply, go to this post (http://mghc.org/2011/10/20/mghc-class-of-2012/) or contact the UT Extension office at 423-855-6113.
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Title: CAFB Garden Shed Workday
Location: CAFB Evelyn Davenport Navarre Teaching Garden and Pavilion
Description: Please join us for a workday at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank Demonstration Garden on Saturday December 10, 2011 @ 9:00 am. We will be adding 2 living walls and an 8′ x 16′ living roof addition to the 8′x 8′ shed to provide better storage utilization for donated pots, trays and misc. items.
There are a couple of other repairs and updates planned around the property that you can help with as well! Cleaning, painting, weeding, organizing and repairs to the Walk Bridge.
We have compiled a material list and hope to have everything we need on hand, bring your tool belt, cordless drills, miter saws and carpentry skills. We will pick-up lunch around noon and work until done!
If you can use the last minute hours, I can use your help!
Contact Bud Hines for more information
Start Time: 09:00
Date: 2011-12-10
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The Southern Appalachian region is, next to Southern China, the most botanically rich region on earth. Most of the plants growing around us have been used as food and medicine for hundreds or thousands of years. Some of our native plants risk being overharvested because the global demand for them exceeds the supply. Join Holli Richey, MS, MSW, MAT at 6:00 PM Monday, December 5 at Green|Spaces to learn about the medicinal properties of plants native to this region and how you can “garden with a mission” by incorporating them into your yard and garden for both personal use and conservation.
Holli Richey is a clinical herbalist, counselor and teacher who practices with an integrative approach to mind-body-spirit healing. Holli’s philosophy of healing is that our body is wise, and our symptoms are our teacher. Through listening to our symptoms—whether they seem to be speaking from the mind, body or spirit—we gain awareness of our patterned approach to life, and discover new ways in which to shift toward wholeness.
This is a regular monthly meeting of the Chattanooga Native Plant and Wildflower Group, a special interest group of the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County. Educational presentations count as continuing education units.
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Title: MGHC Holiday Party
Location: EPB 7th Floor Auditorium
Description: It’s that time of year again and our Holiday Party will be held on Thursday, December 8th at 6:30pm in the 7th floor auditorium of the EPB (Electric Power Board) Building. There is free parking in the attached Republic garage.
Please contact Lisa Clark by email or at 260-0671 by November 30 to let her know how many will be in your party. She will also need to know what side dish or desert you will be bringing.
Also, if you and your guest plan on participating in the gift swap please bring a gift per person in your party.
Start Time: 18:30
Date: 2011-12-08
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 Title: The Chattanooga Native Plant and Wildflower Group
Location: Green|Spaces
Description: The next meeting of the Chattanooga Native Plant & Wildflower Group will be Monday, November 7th at 6:00 p.m. at Green|Spaces, 63 East Main Street.
At the meeting, we will be screening of the movie “Green Fire.”
The first full-length, high-definition documentary film ever made about legendary environmentalist Aldo Leopold, “Green Fire” highlights Leopold’s extraordinary career, tracing how he shaped and influenced the modern environmental movement. The film will be introduced with a reading from Aldo Leopold by storyteller Jim Pfitzer.
There is no charge to attend, although a donation of $7 will be appreciated. Those making a contribution will receive a copy of Leopold’s book, A Sand County Almanac, a classic of nature writing, widely cited as one of the most influential nature books ever published.
Our meetings are open to all who are interested.
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2011-11-07
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The application process for the Master Gardener of Hamilton County Class of 2012 is now open. There will be a choice of evening or morning classes, with the evening classes meeting from 6 pm to 9 pm Monday nights starting January 9, 2011 or morning classes the meet from 9 am to noon on Tuesdays starting January 10, 2011. The classes will meet for fifteen weeks, with graduation taking place in April. You must fill out and submit this application form by December 27, 2011.
The sign-up fee is $150 which includes course materials, room reservations, and first year membership dues. The price for couples who will share materials is $250. A limited number of scholarships are available to persons who would have a financial hardship to pay tuition.
Contact Tom Stebbins at (423) 855-6113 for more information about the scholarship or questions. You may also view the letter from Tom and a brochure that provides more detail about the Master Gardener program.
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 According to Tom Stebbins, UT/TSU Extension Agent for Hamilton County, we are starting to see the next insect pest invader – the Brown Marmorated Sting Bug (BMSB). His office is just starting to get reports from Chattanooga area homeowners about this member of the stink bug family.
Adults are approximately 3/4 inch long (17 mm) and are shades of brown on both the upper and lower body surfaces. They are the typical “shield” shape of other stink bugs, almost as wide as they are long. To distinguish them from other stink bugs, look for lighter bands on the antennae and darker bands on the membranous, overlapping part at the rear of the front pair of wings. They have patches of coppery or bluish-metallic colored puntures (small rounded depressions) on the head and pronotum. The name “stink bug” refers to the scent glands located on the dorsal surface of the abdomen and the underside of the thorax.
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), an insect not previously seen on our continent, was apparently accidentally introduced into eastern Pennsylvania. It was first collected in September of 1998 in Allentown, but probably arrived several years earlier. This true bug in the insect family Pentatomidae is known as an agricultural pest in its native range of China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Recently, the BMSB has become a serious pests of fruit, vegetables and farm crops in the Mid-Atlantic region and it is probable that it will become a pest of these commodities in other areas in the United States.
BMSB becomes a nuisance pest both indoors and out when it is attracted to the outside of houses on warm fall days in search of protected, overwintering sites. BMSB occasionally reappears during warmer sunny periods throughout the winter, and again as it emerges in the spring. The BMSB invasion will probably be as bad as ladybugs or boxelder bugs. Like other insects, BMSB get into houses through small cracks or poor screens. As a result, the best approach to control is to tighten up your homes for winter with caulk and insulation. Sprays are not the answer.
The University of Maryland has an informative video on BMSB control:
http://www.growit.umd.edu/FoodGardeningVideos/Video-StinkBugControl.cfm
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The nominating committee wishes to present the 2011 slate of nominees to the Master Gardener at this October members meeting of October 20th, 2011.
The election of officers will then be held at the next regular meeting on November 17th, 2011. At that time, if there are others who might be interested in holding an elected office, nominations from the floor will be accepted.
The candidates who have volunteered to Board members are:
President, Carol Mathews
Vice President: Lisa Clark
Secretary: Barbara Blankenship
Treasurer: Peggy Dyer
Certification Officer: Gretchen Rominger
Co-Certification Officer (in training)—Libby Hoffman
Newsletter Editor: Lucy Brandt
2 Year Board of Governors: Freeman Powell, Libby Hickman, and Sandy Bunting
1 Year Board of Governors: Katie Bishop, Florio Giolli and Clyde Mathews
A description of each of these offices is presented on page 24, of the 2010 MGHC Directory, Article VIII, “Board Members and Officers Duties.” It is necessary that an officer be an active member who attends regular meetings and has completed the required community yearly service hours.
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