Special Edition March 2012

Special Edition March, 2012

...for discerning weeders

Inside this issue: Welcome to our Special Edition of The Compost Pile!

Awards Ceremony Ground Breaking

We have had a few very special events in March and wanted to be able to share them with everyone!

So sit back and enjoy!

Ceremony Work Day at the

A big thank you to: Sandy Olsen, Shari Farrell, the intrepid Nursery Crew and special volunteers and to all the Master Gardeners who made these days special.

Nursery What Does Larry Think?

Annual Awards Ceremony Our 12th Annual Master Gardener Awards Program was held on March 7th.

We had numerous special guests attend: Dr. Thomas Obreza, Interim Associate Dean for Extension and Assistant Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service UF/ IFAS; Okaloosa County Commissioners Dave Parisot and Wayne Harris; Okaloosa County Administrator James Curry; Director Okaloosa County Public Works, John Hofstand; Ken Nielsen, CVCTV; Roger Jay, Store Manager Lowe’s of Crestview and New Agriculture Agent, Okaloosa Extension, Jennifer Bearden.

On the next page you’ll find a complete list of the award winners and some pictures from the event.

As usual, the Master Chefs outdid themselves yet again and the food was awesome!

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Thank you to the set-up/tear down crew and to hospitality. The event was wonderful and the room looked great! To view even more pictures go to the photo album at: http://jalbum.net/a/1147200/

Award Recipients 2011 Officers Recognized Bill Buckellew, President; Marg Stewart, President Elect; Shirley Howell, Secretary; Jane Montgomery, Treasurer 5 Year Recognition Carol Baker, Bob Bayer, Sylvia Cowen, Matt Donavin, Jenny Gillis, Dorothy Green, Shirley Howell, Sandra Killingsworth, Linda Kulaw, Jim Martin, Jane Montgomery, Ann Phillips, Diane Riexinger 15 Year Recognition Robert Fultyn, Rick Hastings, Laurie Mackey 500 Hours Bill Buckellew, Klare Fox, Dorothy Green, Faye Todd 1000 Hours Dick Hickenbotham, Stacey Taylor

2000 Hours Ed Fabian 3000 Hours Bob Bayer, Lynn Fabian Call On Me Award John Bauer, Bob Bayer, Bill Buckellew, Donna Crawford, Andy Donatelli, Matt Donavin, Klare Fox, Jenny Gillis, Dorothy Green, Laurie Mackey, Joe Michetti, Charlie Reuter, Carol Rose, Faye Todd Service to 4-H/Youth Michael Crow, Marie Harrison, Sandy Licht, Linda Meyers, Olga Nemtseva Community Outreach Award

Carol Baker, Lockey Buhrow, Bob Bayer, Mike Crow, Linda Duncan, Jenny Gillis, Karen Harper, Marie Harrison, Honey Jennings, Hal Kurz, Joe Michetti, Jane Montgomery Public Speaking Award Bob Bayer, Michael Crow, Andy Donatelli, Ed Fabian, Lynn Fabian, Shari Farrell, Klare Fox, Jenny Gillis, Dave Gordon, Marie Harrison, Linda Kulaw, Hal Kurz, Sandy Licht, Jane Montgomery, Linda Morris Outstanding Telephone Communicator Klare Fox

Outstanding Service to Youth Marie Harrison Outstanding Educator of the Year Bob Bayer Friend of the Master Gardeners Lowe’s of Crestview Rookie of the Year John Bauer, Joe Michetti Master Gardener of the Year Marg Stewart Rubber Chicken Award Dave Gordon Pink Flamingo Award Mike Crow

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Award Recipients continued Awards of Excellence Kent Beck—Nursery Maintenance Lockey Buhrow—Fisher House/State MG Awards Pat Collins—Mentor Program Les Chambers—Extension “Cheerleader” Mike Crow—Education Outreach Andy Donatelli—Fisher House/Annex/Nursery Charlotte Dunkle—Picnic and Christmas Party Shari Farrell—Office Coverage Robert Fultyn—Lawn Diagnostics Jenny Gillis—Soil Testing/Nursery Dorothy Green—Extension Office Pete Gunn—Endurance Karen Harper—Newsletter Ruth Herington—Fall Plant Sale John Hipp—Endurance Dick Hickenbotham—Nursery Maintenance Joan Langham—Hospitality Linda Meyers—Newsletter Carol Moody—Sounding Board/Advice Linda Morris—Hospitality/Fall Plant Sale Olga Nemtseva—Propagation Sandie Olsen—Directory/Recorder Daisy Pfoertner—Organization of Plant Clinics Ann Phillips—Member at Large Ed Smith—Words of Wisdom Marg Stewart—Newsletter, Website Carol Strom—Last Class Member Stacey Taylor—Field Trips/Mentor Program

Bob Thomas—Assisting Extension Agents Faye Todd—Field Trips/Hospitality Becky Yeager—MG Scrapbook

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Ground Breaking Ceremony

It’s been a long time coming but we FINALLY broke ground for the new Extension Office!!!!! It was a gorgeous day (thank you Mother Nature) and we had a lot of dignitaries there to help us celebrate.

Dr. Pete Vergot (UF) Dr. Tom Obreza (UF) Scott Knight, Cadenhead (Donating termite site spray) Rita Smith (Jobs Plus / CV) Kathy Newby (Public Info Officer - Okaloosa County) Lee Lewis (Site Development - AVCON) Tonia Nation (Engineer - AVCON) John Collins (AVCON) John Wallace (AVCON) Steve Loken (AVCON) James Curry (OK County Administrator) Debbie Bodenstine -(VP Economic Development Council of OK County) Wayne Harris - (OK Commissioner) David Perisot (OK Commissioner) Bill Roberts (OK Commissioner) Don Amunds (OK Commissioner) Mike Stenson (Business Mgr. NWF Regional Airport) Melvin Tennyson (Chief of NWF Regional Airport Police) Billy Riley - (Bryan Pest Control) Gerald Edmondson (Retired Extension Dir.)

Derek Lott - (President - CV Chamber) Keith Free (Farm Bureau, OK County) David Cadle (Mayor, CV) Brian Hughes ( CV / NWF Daily News) Darryl Williams (Natural Resources Conservation Services) Mike Moulton (Mike Moulton Construction - Builder) Linc Grant (Mike Moulton Construction - Designer & Builder) Randy Hilburn (President Westerra Development - Plans & Engineering) Pat Paskell (Vice-President Westerra Development) Lockey Buhrow (OCMG) Cal Zethmyer (Radio) Betsy Roy (CV City Clerk) Mike Gurspan (WTVY / Channel, 4 Dothan) Jerry Melvin (Former Fl. House Rep) John Hofsted (OK County Public Works) Jason Altree (OK County Engineer) Elaine Courtney (Extension) Jennifer Bearden (Extension) Brooke Saari (Extension) William Thomas (NV Councilman) Greg Brown (Sen. Greg Evers Office) Linda Parker (Former CV Councilwoman)

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For more pictures of the event go to: http://jalbum.net/a/1147208/

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Bench Building Another project that has been overdue was the building of new benches at the Nursery. Six tables were built thanks to the help of Master Gardener volunteers and students visiting that were attached (and generously loaned to us for the day) to CBA! They were fantastic!

This was hard work and consisted of...redesigning the style of tables, moving plants out of the way (to the parking lot), carrying the old tables out of the nursery and dismantling for trash pick up, buying supplies to build the tables, cutting wood into 6 kits to be put together, carrying new tables and placing them in their zones, moving plants back to the new tables, cleaning all zones of the oak leaves while building was in progress (dodging a copperhead), thanking our visitors/helpers, and hand watering all plants/flower beds.

To see more pictures of the bench building go to: http://jalbum.net/a/1142843/ To see the fantastic new beds at the Nursery that have been installed go to: http://jalbum.net/a/1128929/

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What Does Larry Think?

Recently, Larry Williams was presented with a list of questions to answer in his spare time. (Yup, we all know that he has a lot of that.) We think you’ll find his answers intriguing and informative.

use of pesticides, use of exotic invasive plants, disposal of landscape debris, etc. Creating and maintaining Florida friendly lawns, landscapes #1 How many years have you been involved with the Exand gardens is what we entension? 8 years in Georgia & 18 years in Florida courage and teach. If one per#2 I'm sure that during that time, you have seen numer- son buys into this, that’s great. But what would it look ous changes. What is the biggest change that you have like if millions of Floridians witnessed? Technology – the way we deliver educational information has changed the most (tools that we use to do bought into this? And, thinking beyond one’s own landso). Computers, Internet, websites, DDIS (Distance Diagscape involves helping others. nostics & Identification System), Polycom (video conferAnd that involves much more encing), Webinars, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Blogs are some of those changes. When I first started doing radio than a selfish motive of just programs in Okaloosa County, I used a reel to reel tape re- having “your own pretty piece corder and had to physically drive to the radio station each of property.” And that is what week to deliver the program. Then I used a cassette record- I like about the Master Garer, then a Sony minidisc recorder, now I use a free program deners. They are not selfish. on my laptop to digitally record and edit the programs and So, I think the challenge facsend them via email pretty much anywhere I happen to be. ing gardeners is not what is “best” for my yard, my gar#3 In dealing with the public and their 'issues', what are den, my landscape. But what the top three problems that people call in about? Lawns, is best for my neighborhood, my county, my state. They Weeds, Tree problems (Ed. Note. Boy, we sure didn’t see need to think beyond their own piece of property. Probably that one coming!) not what you expected. #4 Quick! You are going to be stranded on a desert island and you are only able to have ONE book....what would you pick? A book on how to build a boat. No, probably the Bible, comforting, entertaining, misunderstood, fascinating people, even includes stuff on plants…

#6 What is your favorite plant? I’ll get interested in flowering perennials, gingers, herbs… and by default I spend much time with lawns. But I keep going back to what my greatest interest was even in high school horticulture classes and that is woody ornamentals –basically trees. They offer the framework for our landscapes and are usually the #5 The newspaper is full of the challenges that people are more permanent parts of our landscapes, many out lasting going to face. Not counting the possibility that the Maus. It’s difficult to pick my favorite. But one favorite is the yan's are right and the world will end in December, what White Oak, Quercus alba. This tree is usually disappointing do you see as the greatest challenge facing gardeners in this far south in our sandy soils but there are some majestic our area in the coming months/years? Gardeners need to white oaks in North Georgia, Northern Alabama, Tennesthink beyond just creating “a” pretty landscape. They need see, etc. I also like our Southern Red Oak, Live Oak, Sourto consider a bigger picture – collectively what we are doing wood, Southern Magnolia, Dogwood… see, I can’t pick just can have a greater impact for better or worse. An example one. is what has happened along our coast with saltwater intrusion. From a selfish standpoint, one person using all the The rest of Larry’s Q&A are on the next page water he or she could possibly use in an individual landscape is not going to make a dent in our aquifer. But you add hundreds, thousands, millions of people pulling water from the same source and we have a problem – saltwater intrusion. This same basic principal applies to fertilizing, 7

Marg Stewart—Editor Shari Farrell, Karen Harper and Linda Meyers—Co-Editors

Have pictures or an idea for an article?

Send it in!

Larry

continued from previous page

#7 What do you feel is the ultimate purpose of the Extension? Of the Master Gardeners? Extension was a terrific idea in 1914 when it got its start. It is still a terrific idea today. The basic purpose has remained the same. And that is to take, understand, package and provide research-based information from Land Grant institutions and research centers to the citizens that can apply that information.

The Master Gardener idea was a terrific idea in 1972 when it got its start. It is still a terrific idea today. Trained and dedicated Master Gardeners greatly extend Extension, having a multiplying effect on our mission.

Articles and pictures are always welcome.

Gardening...

Cheaper than therapy...

Plus you get tomatoes

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