Up Coming Events ---Letter From Carolyn

Hello to all - It's finally starting to look a little like winter - just when I am ready for spring!

I wanted to remind you of our up-coming meetiong on Tuesday, March 13th at 6:45 PM.  This will be an important meeting as we will be discussing a restructuring plan for the MG Association. I hope that it will offer positive changes to the organization.  We will also be discussing the up-coming Spring Garden and Art Fair to be held on April 28th.  I hope you all will make an effort to attend this important meeting.

Also, a list of other up-coming events:

This Friday, March 9th - Brett will hold a "Landscape Pruning" demonstration at the Botanical Garden at 12:30 PM

On Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 11, 12, & 13 - 10 am to 5 pm each day - the Locust Grove Gardener's Fair and Silent Auction.  This event features many venders and offers the chance to purchase flowers, herbs, and plants along with a variety of garden tools, artistic and practical garden accessories, wrought iron sculptures, water gardens, yard furniture and a host of other delightful finds.   If there is enough interest, we may be able to arrange carpools or take the van.  I will send more information about this event in the future, but mark your calendars now.

On May 19th & 20th, the Kentucky Gourd Society will hold their 18th annual Gourd Art Show at the Spencer County Elementary School at 1265 Mt. Washington Road, KY Hwy 44, west of Taylorsville. It is absolutely AMAZING what you can do with gourds!!  For more information, you may visit their website at http://www.kygourdsociety.org/. 

On the first weekend in June, The Arts Association of Oldham County will offer "Arts on the Green", an annual world-class festival.  Visitors can meet and purchase from the best artisans in the region,.  Again, I will offer more information about this event in the future, but you may learn more by vsiting their website - maryklausing@bellsouth.net -  but mark your calendar now to reserve the dates.

If anyone has information about any upcoming event that you think the Master Gardeners may be inteested in, please let me know and I will send it out to the membership.

My best to all,     Carolyn

Lending a Helping Hand

  We have been saddened by Linda's heartbreaking loss. But it was such a great show of love and friendship to have Master Gardeners show up to dig and move plants for Linda on Thursday. Who would ever have thought  that we could have moved hundreds of plants on February 2nd.  I have copied Carolyn's email....I think she summed it up perfectly!

To all -   I was almost overwhelmed by the turnout at Linda's home yesterday.  We had 16 folks who came for all or part of the day and over a dozen more who could not come either because they worked, were out of town, or had a commitment they could not get out of.  We got so much done - then had a wonderful "pot luck" lunch and sat and enjoyed the almost perfect day the Lord provided for us.  We sat and talked and laughed and enjoyed the sun on our faces.  I think that was good for Linda. 

The love and concern from the group was almost palpable.  I feel like this is the heart and soul of the Master Gardener Organization and am pleased and proud to be associated with this group of wonderful people.  I'm sure the response would be just as good for any of us that had a need. 

Thanks again to all who came out to help - and thanks to all who have offered their thoughts and prayers to Linda. 

- and my love to all,

Carolyn
***Thanks to Pam Dennison for the picture and the caption.

"Let us give thanks for loving friends, who wind around us like tendrils and hold us, despite our blights, wilts, and witherings"     Revernd Max Coots

Helping Linda Casey
Linda needs our help! Her home burned on Monday evening. Carolyn has been in contact with her and she needs help with saving all plant babies. The house is being bulldozed down early next week, so she wants to get starts of her plants saved. We are all great at digging and moving plants, sounds like a great opportunity to help a garden friend in need.



Carolyn's email

To all:OK. I spoke with Linda this evening and she is doing OK. I asked how we could help and she said the fire and heat were maintained inside the house and did not burn or scorch the plants around the house, so she would like to save as many as she can. We are planning to gather at her (house) this Thursday, Feb. 2, at 10:30 - shovels in hand - to dig up and replant her "babies" before the bull-dozers get there next week to demolish what is left of her home. Thursday is supposed to be sunny and in the mid 50's, so it will be a good day to work. There is so little we can really do for her, but saving her plants is really important to her, so if any of you can come out to lend a hand, please do. We will try to start about 10:30, but you are welcome to come anytime you can after that. Linda has a place prepared in her garden where we can "heel" the plants in.

She can still receive mail at her address if you want to send a card or note: 3094 Woodlawn Road, Shelbyville 40065.If there is any way you can make, please come out and lend her a hand

Advanced MG Class

Last night I attended the first of the scheduled advanced Master Gardening Classes. It was on Understanding and Managing Plant Diseases. Nicole Ward was the presenter.

It did challenge me and I did walk away with some great information.

#1. I will work hard to clean up my garden at the end of the season

#2. I will disinfect tools used

#3. I now know signs to watch for and conditions to change

#4. The Extension Office and UK has a wealth of information just for the asking

Shelby County had 10 Master Gardeners at the class. It was interesting watching this with at least five other counties.

I am looking forward to the next session.

Exciting Additional Info on Advanced Classes!!

Hi to everyone -
Corinne just told me that she had just had a LYNC conference with Nicole Ward, who will be teaching the first session of the Advanced MG Classes. She got a preview of Nicole's presentation and said the information she is going to share is going to be AWESOME! Corinne feels that the material is really good and thinks that everyone who comes will be so glad they did!
I'm attending, and I hope to see a lot of you there - Wednesday, January 25th, 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Please call the Extension Office to make reservations.

As always, My Best, Carolyn

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE, SOUNDS LIKE AN EXCELLENT LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

GOOD LUCK BRETT!!!!

As many of you may already know, Brett has accepted a position as the East Kentucky regional agronomist for Southern States. He will still live and work in Shelby County, so we may still run into him from time to time. The Extension office will hold a FAREWELL RECEPTION for him on Monday, January 30th from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. Please drop by to tell Brett farewell and good luck.

Master Gardening Advanced Classes

To all -
From the Ext. office newsletter: "A short series of classes for currenet Master Gardeners will be held this winter. In an effort to continue to educate our Master Gardeners, we will be hosting four advanced training sessions, taught by specialists at UK, via the Lync video conferencing system. Courses are as follows:
--- Wednesday, January 25, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm - Plant Pathology, Dr. Nicole Ward via LYNC.
--- Monday, February 6, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm - Entomology, Dr. Lee Townsend, via LYNC.
--- Tuesday, February 21, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm - Soils, Dr. Bob Pearce, via LYNC.
--- Friday, March 9 - Pruning Demonstration - Brett Reese. Time and Location To Be Announced.

Please call 633-4593 to register for any or all of these free courses.

There will also be a Basic Pest Management Class on Thursday, February 2nd from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Brett will be teaching this class. He will discuss "what's this weed and how do I get rid of it? I have some kind of tiny, flying insects on my tomato plants; what are they and are they harmful? What kinds of chemicals can I safely use on my garden vegetables: Can I spray for weed control? I want to be organic, how do I control weeds and bugs?"

This is also a free class, but you should call 633-4593 to register.