PHASE 1 GOAL
Facebook

Month: August 2023

Montgomery Botanical Gardens Plans Herb Class for September Offering

The Montgomery Botanical Gardens will present an herb class on Saturday, September 9. The class, to begin at 10 AM, will be held in the Wisdom Wood outdoor classroom and will be taught by Janell Diggs.

Whether it be a small window garden or a large patch in an outdoor space, many people dream of planting and cultivating their own herb garden, offering them the luxury of snipping off fresh herbs for cooking and providing fragrance throughout the home. For many of us, lack of knowledge about what will grow where prevents us from attempting such gardens.

Janell Diggs, past president of Capitol City Master Gardeners, will offer tips on selecting the right herbs, planting and nurturing them and using the herbs in cooking. Mrs. Diggs, who is currently working  on her Master Gardener’s Advanced certification in “Gowing and Cooking with Herbs,” lives on a farm in Hope Hull and currently grows flowers, vegetables and herbs. She teaches a variety of classes, from herbs to raising chickens.

The class is part of a series of Montgomery Botanical Gardens presentations throughout the year. Additional classes will include Fall Floral Arrangements from Nature on October 7, taught by Anna Owen; and Bulb Planting/Perennials on November 4, taught by Karen Weber.

The class is free and open to the public. Seating is available in the outdoor classroom. For comfort, participants may consider bringing folding chairs. Water will be provided.  

 

Montgomery Botanical Gardens Plans Herb Class for September Offering

The Montgomery Botanical Gardens will present an herb class on Saturday, September 9. The class, to begin at 10 AM, will be held in the Wisdom Wood outdoor classroom and will be taught by Janell Diggs.

Whether it be a small window garden or a large patch in an outdoor space, many people dream of planting and cultivating their own herb garden, offering them the luxury of snipping off fresh herbs for cooking and providing fragrance throughout the home. For many of us, lack of knowledge about what will grow where prevents us from attempting such gardens.

Janell Diggs, past president of Capitol City Master Gardeners, will offer tips on selecting the right herbs, planting and nurturing them and using the herbs in cooking. Mrs. Diggs, who is currently working  on her Master Gardener’s Advanced certification in “Gowing and Cooking with Herbs,” lives on a farm in Hope Hull and currently grows flowers, vegetables and herbs. She teaches a variety of classes, from herbs to raising chickens.

The class is part of a series of Montgomery Botanical Gardens presentations throughout the year. Additional classes will include Fall Floral Arrangements from Nature on October 7, taught by Anna Owen; and Bulb Planting/Perennials on November 4, taught by Karen Weber.

The class is free and open to the public. Seating is available in the outdoor classroom. For comfort, participants may consider bringing folding chairs. Water will be provided.  

 

Montgomery Botanical Gardens Hosts Hosta Class

River Region hosta enthusiasts braved the August heat to learn how to grow and care for hostas at a recent class held in Oak Park in the Wisdom Wood outdoor classroom. The class, taught by Master Gardener Bionca Lindsey, covered types of hostas, planting guides, propagation and care.

Presenter, Bionca Lindesy demonstrates propagation of hosta 

Ms. Lindsey provided participants with a list of heat-tolerant hostas with variegated, green, gold, and blue foliage. She also recommended sites for ordering hardy plants, as well as providing what she called Happy Hosta Mixture to encourage the growth and health of plants.

Participants (L to R) Linda Graydon, Maggie Stringer and Karin Carmichael learn about hostas
Participants enjoy presentation

.

The class included a number of tips and information which many participants can use in cultivating hosta gardens:

  • Hostas are considered shrubs, not flowers, because their foliage grows over and over.
  • The hosta virus is spread by dirty utensils and cats wandering among the beds. Utensils should always be cleaned before working in beds.
  • Hostas should be separated in the shade in the spring when shoots emerge. Separations should be done in early morning or late afternoon.
  • Cultivated plants may send up differently marked leaves during the growth season, but they will return to their original pattern when they grow again the following season.
  • When propagating plants, set on top of a mound of compost and then fill pot with garden soil.
  • Feed plants in spring and summer. Add lime in spring if soil is not alkaline.

Future classes planned by the Montgomery Botanical Gardens include Herbs on September 9, presented by Janell Diggs; Fall Floral Arrangements from Nature on October 7, presented by Anna Owen; and Bulb Planting/Perennials on November 4, presented by Karen Weber.

All classes are free and open to the public and will begin at 10:00 am. Seating is available in the outdoor classroom. For comfort, participants may consider bringing folding chairs. Water will be provided.

Even the dragonfiies enjoyed learning about hostas.

Montgomery Botanical Gardens Serves the Community

Karin and Cathy demonstrating potting

Karin and Cathy observing attendees potting their plants

Cathy Maddox, President of Montgomery Botanical Gardens Board of Directors, and Karin Carmichael, former MBG board member and Chair of the MBG Project for Capital City Master Gardener Association, responded to a request from Jackson Hospital to offer a class for their employees. They created an abbreviated, repeating class on Potting Cuttings and Seedlings that was recently presented to three groups of employees who rotated through the class during the noon hour. 

Previously the employees had been provided with cuttings of a variety of house plants to root in water.  They also received information on the health benefits of plants in their offices and homes.  After caring for their “plant babies” for a few weeks, they were anxious to put them in soil and watch them flourish. 

Cathy and Karin described and demonstrated how to properly pot pre-rooted cuttings.  Each employee then selected a pot, placed the soil that was provided in the pot and inserted their cutting.  They were also given handouts with more information and instructions on potting. The 2023 MBG Calendar of Classes and a MBG Brochure were given to attendees. 

Both Cathy and Karin informed the class about the gardens and what a close neighbor MBG is the hospital. The invited and encouraged the class attendees to come to the gardens and enjoy the beauty and peace among the flowers and trees on their lunch hour or on off days with family and friends. They also encouraged them to attend the upcoming class on Hostas on August 12 at 9 am. 

Serving our community in this way is just one of the ways that MBG improves the quality of life for all of the river region.

Attendees potting plants

Montgomery Botanical Gardens at Oak Park Plans Hosta Class for August Offering

The Montgomery Botanical Gardens at Oak Park has scheduled a class on Growing Hostas for its August session. The class will be taught by Master Gardener Bionca Lindsey and will be offered Saturday, August 12, beginning at 9:00 AM in the Wisdom Wood Outdoor Classroom. The reader will note there is no class scheduled for July, and there is a time change for the August class due to the summer heat.

Ms. Lindsey, retired Chief Master Sergeant, USAF, is an Advanced Master Gardener, Junior Master Gardener educator, and holds certifications in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace, and Program Manager. As a member of the Air Force, she served in the diet therapy field as a consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General on Air Force Dietetics.  She oversaw 55 nutrition sites worldwide and managed fourteen medical treatment facilities across the United States.

Included in Ms. Lindsey’s presentation will be information on selecting, planting, and caring for hostas. She will also discuss the great variety of these beautiful perennials and how to propagate them.

Future classes scheduled for the remainder of the year include Herbs on September 9, taught by Janell Diggs; Fall Floral Arrangements on October 7, taught by Anna Owen; and Bulb Planting/Perennials on November 4, taught by Karen Weber.

The Hosta Class is free and open to the public. Seating is available in the outdoor classroom. For comfort, participants may consider bringing folding chairs. Water will be provided. For additional information, contact info@montgomerybotanicalgardens.com.