Events, Happenings & Links

Upcoming Events & Ongoing Activities

Plan Now to Attend MGCG's 2013 Spring Home & Garden Show

It's not too early to "Think Spring!" Join us on April 6 & 7, 2013, at our annual Spring Home & Garden Show in beautiful Perry, Georgia. At our show you'll find vendors from throughout the southeastern region offering a wide variety of plants, garden tools, pottery, home accents and outdoor living accessories. Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions, help with plant selections, provide information to guide your landscape planning, and conduct demonstrations. Our many children's activities include painting projects and creating special garden keepsakes.

Our show will be held in the McGill Building at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry. Tickets are only $4.00 if purchased before the show and $5.00 at the door. Children under 12 are admitted free.

Recent Happenings

MGCG 2012 Scholarship Recipient Selected

Jillian Erickson, of Bonaire, was recently recognized as the recipient of the organization's 2012 academic scholarship presented to a graduating high school senior. Her outstanding scholastic achievement as the initial Valedictorian of Houston County's Veterans High School warranted her selection. Miss Erickson will use the award to help defray the costs of attending classes at the University of Georgia. Pictured with Jillian are (from left to right) MGCG Scholarship Committee Chairman Andy Rodriguez, MGCG President Joan Stibitz, Veterans High School Principal Dr Lionel Brown, Miss Erickson, and her mother Seena Erickson.

2012 Master Gardener of the Year Announced

Master Gardener Ted Emig is the organization's Master Gardener of the Year for 2012. The retired Army officer was selected because of his dedication to teaching young people to have a love of gardening. Ted has worked with the Junior Master Gardening program at Sonny Carter Elementary School in Bibb County for several years. Ted forms tight bonds with his students and loves nothing more than being down on the ground with them, digging in the dirt. Ted works tirelessly to make the program successful. He also serves as the editor of the "Weeder’s Digest." He's done a fine job of keeping the editions informative and newsy. He's also recruited members to provide columns for the monthly publications, and keeps all of us on our toes by reminding us that if we don’t share information, we limit the learning opportunities for our fellow members.

The Native Plant Garden Continues to Thrive

Beginning in June 2010 several intrepid Master Gardeners have worked long and hard to ensure the success of the Native Plant Garden on the grounds of Macon's Museum of Arts and Sciences. Not only did the volunteers move the garden from its previous location to the museum's grounds, but they've also planted new species, eradicated invasive plants, established pathways, identified plants on-site, and developed a plant list. Click here to download the plant list.

Moving the NPG to the museum's grounds involved many steps taken over many months and required a lot of hard work by dedicated Master Gardener volunteers. All that hard work is paying off. For photos of the Native Plant Garden, click here.

To explore the new Native Plant Garden, head on over to the museum located at 4182 Forsyth Road, Macon, GA.

Great Gardening Links

There are hundreds of gardening-related websites on the internet! Check out the following sites that we recommend for fact-based, unbiased information or something good to know.

Want to learn more about Master Gardeners, then head here: www.caes.uga.edu/departments/hort/extension/mastergardener

If you're interested in the University of Georgia's Cooperative Extension, then visit this site:
www.caes.uga.edu

To get more information about Urban Agriculture, look here:
apps.caes.uga.edu/urbanag

Having problems with your turfgrass, then this is the place for you:
commodities.caes.uga.edu/turfgrass/georgiaturf/index

How can we enjoy the bounty of our gardens throughout the year? Preserve it! Visit the website of UGA's National Center for Home Food Preservation: www.uga.edu/nchfp

Wondering about Georgia Weather or drought conditions? This is the place for the latest:
www.georgiaweather.net

How about Gardening in Georgia with the Georgia Gardener? Then check out Walter Reeves' website: www.walterreeves.com

To get kids interested in gardening, try these:
www.kidsgardening.com  -or- www.jmgkids.us

If you're a Georgia Master Gardener, then you may be interested in the Georgia Master Gardener Association: georgiamastergardeners.org/

Maybe you know of a great gardening website. If so, pass it along to us, and we'll list it here.