linda lovlace

Sept/Oct 2015
Volume 27, Number 5
The Cobb Dibbler
Wright Environmental Education Center
By Judy Beard
If you live in East Cobb and travel Johnson Ferry Road or Post Oak Tritt, you have probably seen the signs and wondered, “What exactly is the Wright Environmental Education Center?” Glad you asked! Cobb County has owned this former farmland for a number of years since the deaths of owners Elwood and Jean Wright, who bought the property in the
late 40s and in 1950 built the house that still stands. While rearing three children, Mrs. Wright found time to satisfy one of
her great passions: rescuing native plants from the dumpster as woodlands in Cobb and greater Atlanta were cleared
to make room for commercial development. Later in life,
Mrs. Wright decided to sell the property to Cobb County
and, prior to doing so, took definitive steps to assure that
her work would be preserved in its natural state as home to
an impressive assortment of rare and endangered species of
native plants.
Several years ago, Bill Goldstrohm and Elda
Brown conducted a significant research project that documented the identity of the native plants found on the property. The research included the fact that Mrs. Wright was
MG Bill Lovlace prunes a pesky plant
not only interested in pink lady slippers, rhododendrons,
and native azaleas, but also had a special passion for some invasive plants like Eleagnus,
Privet, English Ivy and Chinese Hollies. In recent years, the county has remodeled the
house to provide meeting spaces, cleared some walking trails, and begun advertising the
Wright Center to school groups and Boy & Girl Scout
troops. In late 2014, Renae Lemon approached PARKS
and Recreation to volunteer help in a multi-year project of
removing invasive plants and replacing them with noninvasive native plants. The immediate focus of the project
is the restoration of the grounds around the house to allow
a great first impression for visitors. Long term, Master
Gardeners will help PARKS gradually remove more invasives (hopefully one day all of them will be gone) and replace them with a variety of native plants to fulfill Mrs.
Wright’s vision for the property. While the Wright Center
will never become a manicured and proper Southern garden, it has the potential to be a magnificent, unique example of a natural wildlife habitat right in the midst of a bustling suburban area.
We really hope that we have piqued your interest in the Wright Center
Grady McWhorter (above) and Sherry
enough that you will contact Judy Beard the project chair at juDean (right) lend a hand with clean-up
[email protected] for more information about how you can get involved.
The Cobb Dibbler
Volume 27, Number
V o l5u m e 2 7 , N u m b e r 5
Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County
Officers & Directors
Randy Threatte, President
Jack Riggenbach, Vice President
Mary Ann Zambory, Treasurer
Elise Bellair, Recording Secretary
Susie Langford, Corresponding Secretary
Polly Burson, Program Chair
Bill Goldstrohm, Director
Susan Dawsey, Director
Ken Johnson, Director
MGVOCC Communications
Email Correspondent: Cheryle Kerr
Webmaster: Courtenay Vanderbilt
Cobb Dibbler: Jennifer Bridges, Editor
Speaker’s Bureau Coordinator: Nancy Wallace
[email protected]
Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County
Project and Activity Chairs
Project Chairs
Center for Children & Young Adults
Maureen Lok
Toni Moore
Chattahoochee Nature Center
Cheryl Kerr
Bill Goldstrohm
CrossRoads Community Garden
Marilyn Richter
Green Meadows Preserve Community Garden
Carol Hanak
Rita Buehner
Linda Hlozansky
Judy Kelley
Junior Master Gardeners, Kemp Elementary
Electa Keil
Karen Miller
Junior Master Gardeners, Midway Covenant School
Becky Blades
Renae Lemon
Cobb County Extension
678 South Cobb Drive, Suite 200
Marietta, GA 30060-3105
Office: 770.528.4070 FAX: 770.528.4086
Mary McGaughy
Jerry Blades
McFarlane Nature Park
Bill Powell
North Marietta Neighborhood Community Garden
Jo-Evelyn Morris
Kathy Schimler
Dee Lentsch
Period Garden at Green Meadows
Jack Driskell
Sunshine News
Bob Snider
Carra Harris
Tony Harris
Please send Susie Langford and Cheryle Kerr information about members who are ill, have deaths in their
families, or experience other events. We like to let our
members know that we care and support them.
Plant-A-Row for the Hungry at Fountain Gate Gardens
Ken Jonhson
Kim Baumert
Root House
Sue Burgess
Activity Chairs
Horticulture Therapy, Cobb Hospital
Sharon Wagner
North Georgia Fair
Phyllis Goff
Elise Bellair
Junior Master Gardeners, Birney Elementary
Cobb County Extension Master Gardener Coordinator
Becky Blades
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Holly Walquist
Dibbler Deadline: The deadlines for articles to be included
in the November/December issue is Nov 20th. Please submit
to [email protected]
Susan Dawsey
Rose Garden at Smith-Gilbert Gardens
Bruce Gillett, MD
Trudy Strawn
Water, Rain & Wildlife Garden
Jennifer McCoy
Michael Kahle
Electa Keil
The Cobb Dibbler
Volume 27, Number 5
Page 3
Hydroponics is “In” Our Schools
By Linda Hlozansky
Four of our schools are interested in Hydroponics. They are Kennesaw Charter Science and Math Academy, West
Cobb Christian School, Still ES, and Floyd Middle School.
Christine Gay of Floyd MS
shows their Hydroponic Garden before and after harvest.
Nominating Committee Report
By Jack Riggenbach
The nominating committee (consisting of one board elected member, one president selected member, three general members, and the following: Jean Butler, Carolyn
Gentry, Linda Hlozansky, Grady McWhorter, and Jack Riggenbach) recently voted. We
met and developed a slate of potential candidates in early July. Next, we sent an email to
the membership describing the four positions that will be open next January. Members
were requested for input on potential candidates. Based on this process, the committee
arrived at the following slate of candidates for terms starting January 1, 2016:
· President elect: Bob Snider (two-year term, second year as President)
· Director at Large: Judy Hartley (three-year term)
· Program Chair: Carol Edwards (one- to two-year term)
· Recording Secretary: JoAnn Newman (one- to two-year term)
Voting for this slate will occur at the November meeting. Additional candidates will be
considered at that time. Thanks to the Committee for working to arrive at this slate, to the members for their input, and to
the candidates for offering to serve.
The Cobb Dibbler
Volume 27, Number 5
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The More You Know: Turk’s Turban
By Marcia Brelsford
Which plants can you name that grow in sun or shade, tolerate heat and drought,
and bloom summer through fall? Turk’s Turban or Turk’s Cap Malvaviscus arboreus var.
drummondii is one. This native deciduous shrub grows from 2 to 5 feet in height. Once
established, it tolerates heat, drought, and a variety of soil conditions.
Turk’s Turban blooms in both sun or shade. At McFarlane Park, these hardy natives
are flowering in the full sun of the Border garden as well as the partial shade of the
Pump House garden. The unusual bright red flowers have overlapping petals that form
a loose tube with a stamina column protruding. The hibiscus-like flowers that never fully
open, attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The informal name, Turk’s Turban,
probably came from the resemblance of this flower to the red felt fez worn by many
Turkish men in past times.
In its native habitat, Turk’s Turban is distributed across southern states from Georgia and South Carolina to Texas. The variety name drummondii honors the Scottish biologist, Thomas Drummond, who collected samples in the early 1800s. It has been used as a
garden plant for many years. There are also white and pink blooming forms. All forms are commercially available.
Sweet Potato Harvest Time
Many sweet potato varieties reach maturity in about 110-120 days, which
means that, for most of our gardens, it is just about harvest time. Here at the
Cobb Extension office, we had a wonderful reminder from a local gardener, Mr.
Hugh Byrd, that harvest time is here. The reminder was in the form of four
giant sweet potatoes that he harvested from just one plant in his garden!
The variety that he grew this year is Beauregard, which is a great variety
for home gardeners in our area. The tubers are sweet, getting even sweeter after
curing for a couple of weeks in a warm location, and they cook up soft.
Mr. Byrd has been gardening in his Kennesaw yard for about twenty
years, having taken over the task when his wife, the original family gardener,
developed health problems. She now focuses her food-growing efforts on
growing tomatoes in large containers near the house. The couple has been
married for sixry years.
We have been assured that, if the next plant Mr. Byrd digs up has even
larger sweet potatoes, he will let us know.
The Cobb Dibbler
Volume 27, Number 5
Page 5
Gardening is Growing in Our Schools!
By Linda Hlozansky
I am not sure that I would have agreed with this statement eight weeks ago when Chris Force and I began the quest
to visit all of the schools requesting money from the Cobb Impact Grant and the Cobb EMC Grant. I am the chairman of
the Education Committee, and I should be aware of all the schools with gardens, but I was not. My eyes have been opened,
and I am proud to share some of what I have seen. To date, forty school gardens have been visited and surveyed to
determine their needs
The gardens are not just managed by classroom teachers and science teachers.; they are cared for by counselors,
assistant principals, media specialists, special needs teachers, and our first visit opened my mind and destroyed my
preconceptions immediately. Chris and I were handed over to the custodian after visiting with the principal at King Springs
Elementary School., and she took us to a birding garden in a beautiful courtyard. There were several raised beds sporting
huge sunflowers. On further discussion we were surprised to find that this lady is the gardener. She was quick to clarify that
she does it on her own time. What a charming time we had discussing her passion to keep this garden beautiful, and her
delight when parents come to have lunch with their children on the picnic tables provided in that courtyard.
Week after week, Chris and I met energetic, excited faculty working daily with our future gardeners. They just need
our direction and support. West Cobb Christian Academy, Still Elementary, Floyd Middle School, and Kennesaw Charter
Science and Math Academy are all venturing into hydroponics. If you have any experience in that area, we need you to
consult with them. Since the space station has been growing romaine, this is a very interesting idea to our future gardeners.
Recently I visited Dowell Elementary and met with counselor Dr. Geraldine Bryant . Dr. Bryant noticed that the
seven raised beds out back had no one using them, so she decided to have a “Dig in the Dirt” Club. Her intent was to begin
small, so she sent out a letter with an application to just the Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade. One hundred
applications came back! She has divided them into four groups of twenty-five and invited parents to come in weekly to help
her. Geraldine is interested in having a MG Consultant at this school. Many of the schools are just as interested in the MG
to consult or guide them as they are in the money. Please, let’s guide her so that she will inspire the one-hundred!
The visit that really sent our jaws dropping was a visit to Smitha Middle on September 10th. Chris and I were
escorted outside and to our surprise the 7th graders were working to fill the twelve homemade beds with soil and plants. The
principal had challenged each grade level to do a WOW project, and the 7th grade chose to do a garden. Chris and I were
definitely “wowed!”
Our mission as MGs is education, plain and simple. We need to guide this gardening resurgence because, I assure
you, gardening is really growing in our schools!
Schools Awarded in the Cobb Impact Grant and Cobb EMC
Grant :
West Cobb Christian Academy, Blackwell ES, Chalker ES, Brumby ES,
Clarkdale ES, Compton ES, Still ES, Ford ES, Lewis ES, Kennesaw
ES, Garrison Mill ES, Big Shanty Intermediate School, Belmont Hills
ES, Fair Oaks ES, King Springs ES, Covenant Christian School,
Addison ES, Hollydale ES, Argyle ES, Hendricks ES, Russell ES, Bells
Ferry ES, Smyrna ES, Clay ES, Riverside Intermediate School,
Acworth Intermediate School, Kennesaw Charter Science Math
Academy, Milford ES, Murdock ES, Due West ES, Sawyer Road ES,
Hickory Hills, A. L. Burruss, Pickett’s Mill, Norton Park ES,
Conerstone Prep Academy, Powder Springs ES, Vaughn ES, Dowell
ES, McClesky MS, Floyd MS, Garrett MS, Smitha MS, Campbell MS,
Tapp MS
The Cobb Dibbler
Volume 27, Number
V o l5u m e 2 7 , N u m b e r 5
Snapped!
Plant Milkweed and the Monarchs will come! Photos by Judy Dechar
Many good things are growing at the
Cherokee Garden at Green Meadows
Preserve
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Volume 27, Number
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Snapped!
A local Boy Scout troop learns about composting a Due
West Elementary . The boys will receive Bear merit badges at
an award banquet later in the year.
Don Doyle and Bill Lovelace roast up a storm at
Family Fun Day at Green Meadows
Renae Lemon enjoys a fresh ear of corn while
Bill Lovelace looks on
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Page 8
Snapped: Due West Elementary
August 18th was a great day for the Due West Elementary Garden Club! The weather was not too hot and we managed to
dodge the rain storms. The Garden Club members enjoyed a stroll through the garden learning about all the things that
were planted over the summer (corn, squash, okra, peas, strawberries, eggplant, cucumbers and various herbs), seeing all the
new signs that were put up, and learning about the rain barrels that are now operational. The club members were also able
to pick some peas and tomatoes, stroll through the butterfly garden, and test out the tee-pee. We also had a great time with
watermelon eating and, must I say, spitting watermelon seeds. The club members spit seeds through a hoop, then in a bowl,
and last but not least, we had a distance contest to see who could spit the farthest! This was a great first meeting and more
fun is to come as the year progresses.
The Cobb Dibbler
Volume 27, Number 5
Page 9
Lunch & Learn Report: For the Birds
By Peggy Corrigan
On September 11th at the Cobb Water Lab, Master Gardener and Master Birder Les Cane shared his knowledge of how
to make our yards into inviting environments for our beautiful feathered friends, the birds. Twenty-one people left knowing
more about bird habitats. He has been giving similar presentations to Garden Clubs and Schools around the area. He stressed
how birds matter because they add to the biodiversity of an area through pollination and seed dispersal, perform as a cleanup
crew of the environment, help control insects, and serve as indicators of what is happening in the real world, while adding
beauty to it.
He suggested that we encourage their presence in our environment by helping to supplement
their needs: food, water, a welcoming habitat with shelter or nesting areas and nesting material. Feeders and water sources should be placed in close proximity to other vegetation. Types of feeders are
platform, hanging, suet, nectar, and fruit and jelly feeders. He noted that black oil sunflower seeds are
a favorite food for birds. Be sure sunflower seeds is the first ingredient listed on any bag of food. Be
sure that the food in the feeder is clean and dry. The water source should be fresh and shallow.
Lunch & Learn: Propagation from Cutting
By Peggy Corrigan
On August 14, after Shirley Priest demonstrated propagation from cuttings to forty-one participants, she involved
them in a hands-on learning experience of the technique that she had discussed. The tables in the Cobb Water Lab were
filled with healthy plants and surrounded by enthusiastic participants. Each person that chose to actively participate took
home a plant ready to sit in a shady area for rooting. Cuttings should come from healthy plants. The cutting should be made
just below a node where the stem snaps easily. Shirley recommended the UGA bulletin641, “Propagating Shrubs from Cuttings,” which is available at The Cobb Extension Office.
Materials needed include:
1. Clean pots
2. Rooting medium-half peat/half perlite, sand, or finely ground bark.
3. Sharp, clean needle-nose clippers
4. Rooting hormone
5. A small dibbler
6. Small ice chest if doing a flat of cuttings
7. Shady potting area
8. Protected, shady area for rooting
9. A healthy shrub to reproduce
10. Morning hours are best for the task
11. Markers for the cuttings
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Page 10
Green Meadows Preserve Bluebird Trail
By Jim Bearden
I would like to say a heart felt thank you to all the people who come out for the Walk and Talk Tours that we conduct
throughout the year. We have had amazing success with the number of people who continue to show up for the tours.
A big thank you to all the friends of the Bluebird Trail, and to those who help me with the many chores that need to be completed to insure the birds have a successful nesting season. And to all the wonderful people who continue to make donations
to the Bluebird Trail, some I know personally and some I have yet to meet. Your support and contributions help in offsetting
the cost of feeding and caring for the birds throughout the year. Without your help it would be very difficult to carry on this
beautiful project. Thank you!
There are four stages of the Eastern Bluebird Nesting Season. They can have one to four broods during a successful nesting season. The Nesting season is mid February to mid to late August.
The building of the perfect nest using pine straw.
The laying of the eggs,
the female lays anywhere
from 3 to 6 eggs, 3 to
4 for each brood is
more the norm.
The busy time of the parents
feeding the new hatched baby
birds twice an hour each for
19 to 21 days. The dedication
of the parents is unbelievable
to watch
The continued feeding of the young fledglings for 30 days after they have left the nest.
That is the amount of time it takes for the
new fledglings to learn to feed themselves. It
is fun to watch the young birds setting on
the feed stations, waiting for the parents to
feed them the dried mealworms
Fall 2015 dates and times for Bluebird Trail Walk and Trail Tours are October 17th, November 7th and December 19th. All
times are Saturday mornings from 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes for walking the 2.3 mile trail.
For questions, email [email protected] .
The Cobb Dibbler
Volume 27, Number 5
Page 11
Gardeners’ Night Out: The Contained Garden
By Fran Duggan Sommerville
With her special high style and spirit, Master Gardener Shirley Priest delighted a very interested
audience with the ‘how tos’ of containers at the East Cobb Library on August 11th.
Shirley’s special tips:
 The more elaborate the container, the more simple the plants
 ‘Catlin’s Giant” Carpet Bugle - Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant' is good for sun
 Most elegant container to Shirley is a black wrought
iron pot with boxwood and ivy
A very clever container in her big display was a
toolbox reinvented with ‘Hens and Chicks’ – see photo!
Each participant received a very detailed handout with steps
and suggested plants. Due to Shirley’s generous nature,
nearly everyone received a plant!
Gardeners’ Night Out: Gardens! Gardens! Gardens!
By Fran Duggan Sommerville
Master Gardener Susan Fisher presented a personal travel log of gardens at the West Cobb Library on September 8.
Susan included gardens of the world located in arboretums, historic homes, public areas, private homes and nurseries. Special mention was given to the serendipities of sidewalk containers, art in the garden and allees. From Paris to Spain….from
Connecticut to Kauai…..from Costa Rico to Tahiti…..from Los Angles to Beijing…..Susan took us on an armchair tour of
many captivating places! Finding Chihuly Glass in the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix was fascinating. Susan mentioned
that the glass shapes echo that of the plants.
The Dibbler has featured articles written by Susan,
but hearing the excitement in her voice as she narrated
the PowerPoint made everything come alive. An impressive handout with numerous garden locations served as
testimony to Susan’s passion for adventure. After giving
us many interesting travel tidbits of information, we felt
like booking a flight as soon as possible. Thank you Susan for sharing your love of gardens!
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Upcoming Events
On October 6th, join the North Fulton MGs for Fall in
Georgia: the Best Time to Plant Trees and Shrubs from 7:00
PM to 8:30 PM at the Bill Johnson Community Activity
Building (10495 Woodstock Road in Roswell). Fall is the
best time in Georgia to plant shrubs and trees and prepare
soil for next year’s plantings. Most shrubs and trees will do
better when they have the opportunity to get established
over the winter. This class will cover: preparing soil, selecting shrubs, planting trees and shrubs, and mulching/
watering/fertilizing. Cost is free. Register at 770-641-3760.
On October 9th-11th, venture to Plains Chautauqua, for
The Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail: Connecting History and
Nature from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM in Plains, Georgia. The
theme for our annual weekend event will be the Rosalynn
Carter Butterfly Trail. The Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Chip
Taylor, founder of the Monarch Watch. Saturday sessions
will include information about host and nectar plants needed
to attract butterflies and encourage the full life cycle. Weekend Passports include all Friday, Saturday and Sunday
events. Some meals and receptions are included in your passport. Registration information and details is online at
www.plainschautauqua.com. Cost is $150 for the weekend.
On October 17th-18th, travel to the Japanese Arts and Culture Festival from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Gibbs Garden
(1987 Gibbs Drive in Ball Ground). Visit one of the largest
Japanese Gardens in the country. With ponds, hand carved
lanterns, ponds and over 2,000 Japanese maples. Japanese
tea ceremonies, classic dancing, Taiko dancing, archery, sumo wrestling, Origami instruction, martial arts, Bonsai
demonstration, Ikebana and crafts sale. Japanese food available for purchase. Bonsai will also be offered for sale. Cost is
admission to the gardens.
On October 20th, the Georgia Perennial Plant Association
will hold it’s monthly meeting at 7:30 PM at the Atlanta History Center’s McElreath Hall. The presentation will be “The
Joy of Gardening: The Power of Plants to Change Your
Point of View” by Bryce H. Lane, Department of Horticultural Science, NC State University. Gardening can transform
not just the landscape, but our perspective. Spending time in
the garden, whether we are working in it or just strolling
through it, has the power to relax, connect, and inspire us.
This entertaining and amusing talk is full of stories about
how gardening can change your life!
Plant Exchange
Send your requests to [email protected]
On October 24th, Woodlands Garden (932 Scott Boulvard in Decatur) is hosting Cirque de Catur under it enchanting treetop canopy from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The
inaugural fundraiser event will feature breathtaking acts
from fire breathers, aerialists, and contortionists, as well as
fortunetellers and tarot card readers. Chef Kevin Clark of
Home grown GA, will provide food for the event. Cost is
$60 per person.
On October 26th, the Dekalb MGs will present Weather
or Not to Garden with Betsy Abrams, Meteorologist and
MG, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the Northlake Library
(3772 Lavista Road in Tucker). Betsy will go month by
month talking mainly about different weather hazards and
extremes that are common to our area. The basic times
that she plants, transplants and prunes will be discussed.
Betsy was a Senior Meteorologist at the Weather Channel.
She grows daffodils, native plants, herbs, and vegetables.
She’s exciting, join us! Cost is free.
On November 29th, join Autumn Hill Nursery (4256
Earney Road in Woodstock) for Cartoon Christmas from
1:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Activities include a Grinch maze,
Frozen Karaoka, a Minion photo booth, Rudolph scavenger hunt, a ride-a-long with Snoopy, and story-telling with
Mrs. Claus. We will also have decorated wreaths, garlands,
swags, and more. Cost is free.
All written materials intended for publication should be addressed to
Jennifer Bridges, Editor of the Cobb Dibbler, identified by the author's
name and address and the date of origin. All written materials so
submitted are, and shall be, subject to editing.
Visit us on the web at
cobbmastergardeners.com
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter (#MGVOCC)
Picture from the Editor
Even though the summer heat wore out its welcome
by several weeks, my boyfriend Jordan and I still
braved the trails in August and September. We have
a list of Metro Atlanta trails and outdoor areas to
explore and our goal is to check them off one by
one in the coming months. In this photo, we are
talking a selfie break at Arabia Mountain’s Forest
Trail, which runs by a beautiful secluded lake. Once
Hurricane Joaquin finally passes, we’ll be back outdoors and headed to the infamous Dolls Head trail
at Constitution Lakes Nature Preserve!
Update: he’s not
just my boyfriend
anymore!