As we patiently await crisp fall days, the Upper Shore Master Gardener Programs are preparing for their annual basic training course, which starts on Wednesday, February 07, 2024. 

This program is intended to train volunteer representatives as Master Gardeners for the University of Maryland Extension to extend our services and programs to the public. Classes will be held virtually on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. and will run through May 8, 2024. In-person classes will be held in person every other Friday at Eastern Shore Higher Education Center on the Chesapeake College Campus in Queenstown, MD and are held in conjunction with the University of Maryland Extension in Dorchester, Talbot, and Queen Anne’s Counties. 

This well-rounded 40+ hour course includes classes on: ecology, botany, soils, plant diseases, insects – both pests and beneficial, weeds, and much more. This program emphasizes community involvement and outreach as well as environmental stewardship. A $185 fee is charged to cover all costs including the Maryland Master Gardener Handbook. All Master Gardener interns are required to undergo a University of Maryland background check (+$15) prior to taking the class. The deadline for registration is December 1, 2023. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact your local University of Maryland Extension Office by November 17, 2023.

The University of Maryland Master Gardener vision is a healthier world through environmental stewardship.  In keeping with this vision, University of Maryland Extension Master Gardeners volunteers work on a variety of projects in cooperation with local schools, help maintain various public gardens, volunteer at local Senior Centers and Assisted Living facilities working with therapeutic gardens and hands-on gardening programs, provide community education through free workshops and classes open to local residents, visit home and public gardens as part of our Bay-Wise certification program…and much more.  

For more information about the program, please visit https://www.facebook.com/talbotcountymastergardeners
We are looking forward to working with a new, energetic class of horticulture enthusiasts! 

For Talbot County: Mikaela Boley, Master Gardener Coordinator (410) 822-1244 or by email at [email protected]

For Queen Anne’s County contact: Rachel J. Rhodes, Master Gardener Coordinator at (410) 758-0166 or by email at [email protected].

For Dorchester County: Emily Zobel, Master Gardener Coordinator (410) 228-8800 or by email at [email protected] 

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.

Bring your wands, wings and magical costumes for a day of fantasy at Adkins Arboretum! Celebrating fancy and fun in the forest, Fairyfest returns to the Arboretum on Sat., Oct. 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This year’s Fairyfest offers more outdoor magic than ever. Mix potions in a cauldron, visit a dragon’s nest and follow a trail of fairy houses along the Arboretum’s enchanted forest paths. Feel the wind in your wings on the Neverland pirate ship and sword fight with a scoundrel in the meadow. Kick up your feet in the maypole dance, try your hand at magical games and take a break for a spellbinding craft. The beloved event also includes live entertainment by Mid Shore Dance Academy, Allegra! and Ampersand.

Unicorn rides with Snapdragon Stables, delicious offerings from Beltway Bistro and Blue Monkey Street Tacos food trucks and treats from Lucky Heart Bakery and Scottish Highland Creamery will be available for sale. Don’t forget your camera for photos with the Fairy Court!

Leading up to this exciting day, all are invited to build their own fairy dwellings for The Great Fairy House Challenge. Entries will be displayed on the forest paths in the week before Fairyfest and will be eligible for awards and prizes in the categories of Golden Fairy, Most Magical, Simply Spellbinding and Enchanted Excellence. An entry form and guidelines are available at adkinsarboretum.org.

Fairyfest is $10 per person for ages 3 and up and free for children ages 2 and under. Admission is capped at 400, so early registration is highly recommended at adkinsarboretum.org or by calling 410-634-2847, ext. 0. In case of rain, Fairyfest will be rescheduled for Sun., Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Fairyfest is generously sponsored in part by Chesapeake Blooms and Caroline County Council of Arts. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 100.

Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage will host its annual Magnificent Monarchs workshop on Sat., Sept. 30 at 10:30 a.m. at Barnstable Hill Farm in Chester. The public is invited to join CWH staff to tag and learn about the migrating habits of Monarch butterflies. Participants will also learn about the Monarch’s life cycle and will help scientists from around the continent track its astounding generational migration.

The workshop is free to the public, but space is limited. Due to continuing COVID concerns, all participants must be fully vaccinated. CWH reserves the right to cancel the workshop if staff feel that conditions are not safe to hold it.

To register, email [email protected] or call 410-822-5100. Directions will be provided.

It is time to gear up for the autumn gardening season at Environmental Concern’s 25th Annual Fall Native Plant Sale. We are returning to our in-person sale on EC’s campus in historic St. Michaels. Over 70 species of native herbaceous plants, trees, and shrubs will be available for purchase on September 8 and 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. With over 50 years of experience growing plants native to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, EC will offer quality, locally grown ecotypes to add to your garden.  

Whether looking for native flowering perennials to support pollinating insects, or shrubs with the texture and color to set your landscape apart, you will find the perfect plant at the sale. EC’s nursery staff has selected plants for rain gardens, pollinator gardens, drainage swales, and coastal shorelines. Our knowledgeable staff will be available to offer advice and guidance as you choose the appropriate plants for your garden habitat. 

Environmental Concern’s (EC) native plant sale is your opportunity to see and inspect the plants before you buy them. A healthy plant will have strong stems, vibrant foliage, and well-developed roots. We encourage customers to turn the plants over to look at the hardy root systems and to ask questions about our growing processes. EC only sells local ecotypes which have adapted to survive in our climate. Native plants are hardy and require less maintenance and care than other species. Bringing native species into your garden has many benefits, including improving the health of our waterways and providing food and shelter for local wildlife. We encourage you to plant with a purpose. 

Celebrate nature’s beauty with us! This event is open to everyone. Join us at Environmental Concern’s 25th Annual Fall Native Plant Sale for a fun-filled day of shopping at the plant sale, enjoying lunch in historic St. Michaels, or strolling on the Nature Trail.  

Environmental Concern Inc. is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation dedicated to working with all aspects of wetlands – the world’s most productive and fascinating ecosystems. 

For more information, follow us on social media or sign up for our plant sale updates at www.wetland.org. 

 

The Galilee Garden Community Garden invites you to a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener event on Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Galilee Garden Community Garden 1934 Harbor Drive, Chester Maryland. Come out and see the improvements that have recently been made to the site and learn about our plans for 2024. See our herb, pollinator, and flower gardens, our handicap garden beds, our compost area, and most exciting our new equipment shed.

With 19 gardeners in 2023, we are looking to recruit new gardeners for 2024. Mark this on your calendar today so you don’t miss this exciting opportunity!

For further information please call or reasonable accommodations to participate in this event email the University of Maryland Extension Queen Anne’s County, Senior Agent Associate for Horticulture and Master Gardener Coordinator,  Rachel J. Rhodes, at 410-758-0166 or [email protected]  by Friday, September 1, 2023 or see us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/QueenAnnesCountyMasterGardeners To register for this program visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grow-go-galilee-community-garden-tickets-706226451327?aff=oddtdtcreator 

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.

With their stunning yellow flowers, goldenrods are hallmark plants of autumn. But they do more than delight the eye. From bees and wasps to caterpillars and butterflies, goldenrods support hundreds of insects and deserve a place in our gardens. On Sat., Aug. 26, learn how these plants can add beauty and wildlife value to any landscape when Samantha Nestory presents The Glorious Insects of Goldenrod at Adkins Arboretum. The program begins at 10 a.m.

Nestory is a horticulturist and the engagement manager at Stoneleigh, a natural public garden in Villanova, Penn. While earning a master’s degree in entomology from the University of Delaware, she assisted in the lab of Dr. Doug Tallamy, author of the seminal book Bringing Nature Home. She is passionate about gardening, insects and the native plants that support them.

The 90-minute program is $10 for Arboretum members and $15 for non-members. Advance registration is required at adkinsarboretum.org or by calling 410-634-2847, ext. 100.Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org.

Adkins Arboretum has announced a series of botanical art programs taught by artists Sarah Saltus, Kelly Sverduk and Judy Thomas. Offering instruction in drawing and painting, the series engages both beginning and experienced artists in capturing the details of the natural world. Programs include:

Colored Pencil with Mixed Media
Sat., Aug. 19, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sun., Aug. 20, noon–4 p.m.

Join botanical artist and educator Judy Thomas for a weekend class to expand your repertoire. Drawing from a wide variety of subjects, including succulents, flowers, leaves, fruits, vegetables and roots, the class will explore combinations of colored pencil with ink, pastel and watercolor.

Botanical Drawing I
Fri., September 8, 15, 22 and 29, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Led by Sarah Saltus, this introduction to botanical drawing will focus on developing the skills and techniques necessary to capture the essence of flowers, fruits, pods and leaves. Form, scale, depth and perspective will be emphasized. Each student will produce a detailed botanical study in pencil.

Pumpkin & Gourd Color Pencil
Fri., Oct. 6, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Color pencils can become especially vibrant when used on a dark background. This class with Kelly Sverduk will cover the basics of drawing, layering and blending on tinted paper to create a realistic pumpkin or gourd.

Botanical Drawing II
Fri., Oct 13 and 20, November 3, 10 and 17, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

In drawing, light and shade communicate the three-dimensionality of a plant, with highlights and shadows introducing depth and form. This series taught by Sarah Saltus emphasizes the principles of light and shadow, along with techniques for adding tonal shading to graphite drawing.

Illustrated Phenology Wheel
Thurs. and Fri., October 26 and 27, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

A phenology wheel is a circular calendar used to record observations of the natural world. Often used as part of a creative nature journal, it can focus on a particular area, such as a garden or wetland, or chart the growth and habits of various plants and animals throughout the year. This workshop with Kelly Sverduk will walk students through illustrating a sample wheel for October and then setting up a fresh one to complete in the months ahead. Watercolor and other coloring options will be explored.

Watercolor Pencils in Nature & Travel Journaling

Wed., Nov. 8 and 15, 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

If watercolor pencils sound like an intriguing best of both worlds, try them out in this workshop with Kelly Sverduk, focused on drawing in a journal. Students will compose journal pages featuring fall scenes at the Arboretum, along with detailed drawings of leaves, seeds and other natural objects, all while learning the basics of this fun and versatile medium.

Watercolor Wreath

Fri., Dec. 1, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Paint a decorative watercolor wreath featuring some of the Arboretum’s evergreens. This workshop with Kelly Sverduk will cover some watercolor basics, so it is suitable for both new and seasoned watercolor students.

Program fees vary. Enrollment is limited, and advance registration is required. Register online at adkinsarboretum.org or by calling 410-634-2847, ext. 100.

Saltus earned certificates in botanical art and natural science illustration at the New York Botanical Garden, where she then taught programs in drawing, colored pencil and watercolor. She has taught and exhibited widely in the Mid-Atlantic and New England.

Sverduk is passionate about making and teaching art. She holds a B.A. in studio art from Messiah College and a certificate in botanical art from the Brookside Gardens School of Botanical Art and Illustration.

Thomas received her botanical illustration certificate from Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, where she now teaches. She has exhibited regionally, and her work was widely seen in the national, juried traveling exhibit Following in the Bartrams’ Footsteps, sponsored by the American Society of Botanical Artists.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 19th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and join the staff of Old Wye Mill for its Ancient Grains and Local Products Festival. Celebrating more than 340 years of transforming wheat into flour and corn into meal using 140-year old millstones at Old Wye Mill. The festival will feature Mason’s Heritage Family Farm of Queen Anne’s County selling fresh produce, and Claire Bramble offering cuts of beef from grass fed cattle. Want more information on healthy food options? Ask Aaron Cooper about products from Cutfresh Organics in Wicomico County, Cayden about beekeeping, and Gerry Godfrey about Einkorn grain from Caroline County.

Triple Creek Winery will be on hand offering a low-cost opportunity to sample their wines. As usual on the third Saturday of the month our millers will be grinding grains into flours and answering questions about milling and the history of the Old Wye Mill. There will also be a bake sale featuring items made by our volunteers. Purchase stone ground wheat flour, Einkorn flour, cornmeal, grits, and more in the gift shop. Old Wye Mill, 900 Wye Mills Road (Route 662), Wye Mills, MD 21679. Free, although a $2 donation per person is suggested.

The Wye Grist Mill is one of the oldest commercial/industrial buildings on the Eastern Shore and in Maryland. Originally built in 1682 (reconstructed in 1860 and restored several times since) the mill has operated continuously, grinding famous shore grains. The machinery inside reflects the evolution of the milling process from the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th. The first floor museum describes the wheat bonanza which brought great wealth and world attention to the Eastern Shore in the late 1700s. 

For more information please visit our website here. Office phone: 410-827-3850