Master Gardeners
Welcome to the webpage for the Master Gardeners of Ashland and Bayfield County. Scroll down to learn about continuing education and volunteer opportunities as well as information about the Master Gardener General Training Course. Also, be sure to check out my favorite horticulture links.
Wisconsin Master Gardener General Training Course
To become a Certified Master Gardener Volunteer, you must complete the 36-hour General Training Course and then complete 24 hours of volunteer work in your community. The General Training Course is offered every year starting in late-January and runs through mid-May. The course fee is usually around $130 per person or $150 for two if they share printed materials. To receive information on future Master Gardener training contact Jason Fischbach, Extension Agriculture Agent at 715-373-6104, ext. 253.
MGVs are required to keep track of the hours they complete. Standard timesheets are provided here for your convenience, but you don’t have to use them. The important thing is that hours are recorded in the three main categories and are turned in to the local facilitator by the deadline!
Master Gardener Timesheet
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Composting Made Easy!
Thursday, April 19
6:30 - 8 pm
Washburn Public Library
(lower level)
Learn how to effectively manage yard trimmings, kitchen waste and other organic materials
generated at home and produce your own “black gold”.
Presentation by Master Composters Sylvia Whalen and Karen Wolslegel
(Call Karen at 715.373.5587 to preregister)
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Fee: A canned food item to be donated to the BRICK Food Bank.
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2012 ABC Master Gardeners Schedule of Events
Saturday, March 31 – 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 – Bay Area Farm and Garden Show and 4-H Dairy Breakfast, Ashland Civic Center. ABCMG’s will have a display table with books, candy and prize drawings (Sylvia) along with Plants and “Ask the Master Gardeners” signs (Joanne). Volunteers from 8 to 12:30 – Sylvia and Shirley; 8 to 10 – Fran, Joanne and Jim; 10 to 12 – Dianne, Glenn, Judy and Lan.
Thursday, April 12 – AERC – 6:00 Meeting. Hosted by Dianne and Glenn Grage and Judy and Lan Neider followed by Program on Blueberries and Raspberries by Eric Carlson of Bayfield’s Blue Vista Farm, 6:30 to 8 p.m. $5 payable at the door, space limited to 30. Call Verne Gilles at 715-682-4408 to reserve a space.
Friday, May 11 (9 to 1?) – Bayfield in Bloom with Larry Meiller of WPR Garden Talk – “Ask the Master Gardeners” table at the Bayfield Pavilion (Details to follow at a later date).
Thursday, May 17 – 6:00 p.m. – Meeting – Workshop – Planting Your Succulents, Hen and Chicks – Verne Gilles Gardens. Hosted by Verne Gilles with Deb O. and Joanne assisting. Verne ordered 25 decorative succulent planters from Karen St.Germain of Country Blossoms. Fran made a motion, seconded by Jim to purchase 25 more decorative pots at $5 each in order to have 50 succulent planters for the WIMGA Conference.
June 2012 – Date, time and place to be determined – ABCMG PLANT SALE. Sylvia will check availability of the Ashland Band Shell, parks and other locations in Ashland.
Thursday, July12 – 6:00 p.m. – Tour Bayfield Gardens of Lavetta and Tom Torke (133 N Second) and Reiten Boatyard coordinated by Fran Swanson. Bring your own bag lunch for gathering at or near the park
Thursday, August 9 – 6:00 p.m. – Garden Tour at the home of Sandy and Paul Storck – coordinated by Dianne and Glenn Grage – Bring your own bag lunch
Thursday, September 6 – 6 to 8 p.m. – Workshop related to Conference obligations (Succulent Centerpieces, Signs, Decorations).
Friday, Saturday – September 14, 15 – WIMGA Annual Conference – Ashland High School – Succulent Planters grown by everyone, décor by all, signs by Joanne. Set up on Friday, September 14 at 3:30 p.m. Participation requested from everyone.
Thursday, October 11 – 6 to 8 p.m. – AERC – Planning for 2013 – Hosted by Kathy Jones and Karen Wolslegel
Thursday, November 8 – 6 to 8 p.m. – AERC – Favorite Gardening Books (magazines, catalogs) and Garden Tips. Hosted by Cynthia Meyer and Gunn Hatlehol
Thursday, December 13 (tentative date) – Meeting and Holiday Party – 6 to 8 p.m.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Northern Lights Health Care Center – Washburn
They have 3 – 4 gardens that need some sprucing up – it could range from ideas on to how to freshen the look to helping with the weeding and transplanting. They are happy to purchase any supplies gardeners may need. Looking for the manpower to help get them ready for summer and keep them well groomed for the growing season . They would love any volunteer help! If you are interested please contact:
Jennifer Augustine
Northern Lights Health Care Center – Washburn
jaugustine@nlhealth.org
715-373-5621
Washburn Farm to School Program
Volunteers are integral to the success of the Washburn School District Farm to School Program. Helping with gardening, teaching, and organizing are endless projects that enrich our students’ lives and also show them how to be committed and caring citizens in the larger community Click here for more information and a description of volunteer opportunities.
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2012 Brown Bag Horticulture Programs
Master Gardener Volunteer Monthly Brown Bag – Teleconference
No Longer Available at the Extension Office
These programs are now being offered as online audio files ONLY – not as a live broadcast on a specific date! They will be posted sometime before the end of that month. You can listen to them at http://fyi.uwex.edu/brownbag/ for free!
They are also synced to iTunes. You can go to the iTunes store and subscribe to the Wisconsin Brown Bag podcasts. They will then download automatically each month.
To be notified when they are posted, please subscribe to the Brown Bag listserve.
To do this, go to the Brown Bag Website and follow the link under “More Information” on the right side of the page.
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Gardening Tip of the Week
Straw Potatoes
The classic way to grow potatoes is to mound soil around the vines as they grow to provide plenty of space for the tubers to form and grow. Mounding soil can be back breaking work and often the soil washes back down when it rains or when you water. Instead of soil, try mounding the plants with straw. Plant the potatoes about 2 inches below the soil surface in well-drained loose soil and cover with 3-4 inches of clean straw. Once the plants emerge from the straw add another 3-4 inches on and around the plant. If the plants are particularly vigorous you can add straw again later in the year. Water the straw well to make sure it is fairly compact and enjoy the easy digging later in the year!
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Jason’s recommended horticulture links …
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/wihort/
http://www.extension.umn.edu/ConsumerHort/
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/Index-alpha.html
