Events, Happenings & Links

Upcoming Events & Ongoing Activities

Plan Now to Attend MGCG's 2011 Spring Home & Garden Show

It's not too early to "Think Spring!" Join us on April 2 & 3, 2011, 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. For more information on location and advance ticket purchase, click here.

JMG Program Thrives in Middle Georgia

Another year means another opportunity for our kids to get involved with the Junior Master Gardener program held in various elementary schools throughout the region. In this instance, program volunteer leaders are recruiting prospective students at Sonny Carter Elementary School in Bibb County. Presenting sample lessons are Chuck Robinson (Sawtooth Oak Chuck), Linda Fredericks (Rose Linda), Patti Able (Sunflower Patti), Betty-Lou Brown (playing the guitar) and Ted Emig. Ted is also being interviewed about the JMG progam by a reporter with the local NBC TV affiliate.

Junior Master Gardener programs are also held at the following elementary schools in Houston County: Morningside ES, Lake Joy ES, Shirley Hills ES, Miller ES, Bonaire ES, and, starting this year, Tucker ES and Lindsey ES.

Ocmulgee Heritage Trail

If you haven't visited the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail (OHT), then you're missing out on one of middle-Georgia's beautiful treasures. According to the trail's website, "The Trail is first and foremost a recreational resource providing an exceptional environment for walking, biking, boating, bird watching and many other activities. Easily accessible from Interstates 16 and 75 and downtown Macon, the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail provides a peaceful respite from the bustle of urban life."

Along the OHT you'll find "Trees of the Trail" a project of UGA's Extension office in Macon and Bibb County Master Gardeners. The project has also benefited from a grant of the Master Gardeners of Central Georgia.

Head on over to the OHT's website for maps, photos, activities, and more, before your visit to the trail.

Recent Happenings

Improvements to the New Native Plant Garden Continue

On June 24, 2010 several intrepid Master Gardeners braved the summer heat to line a pathway through the Native Plant Garden on the grounds of Macon's Museum of Arts and Sciences.

With materials provided by Majestic Stone, one of the organizations that has helped facilitate the development of the garden, the pathway creates an opportunity for visitors to get a closer view of the plants.

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 seasonal photos of the NPG, including pix of Jack Frost's wintertime visit, click here.

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

St Francis Episcopal Produces Produce for Parishioners

With a lot of help from tireless volunteers (including children and Master Gardeners), and a cash grant from the Master Gardeners of Central Georgia, an underutilized piece of property on the grounds of St Francis Episcopal Church in Macon was transformed into a parish garden. Beginning last fall with soil amending and continuing up to this summer, the volunteers' labors have culminated with a bountiful harvest. For more photos of the garden's transformation, click here.

Great Gardening Links

There are hundreds of gardening-related websites on the internet! Some of them are great and some of them are not. If you want unbiased and fact-based information, check out the following sites.

NEW! 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

Know your way around the net? Then navigate your way to the Georgia Master Gardener Events blog: http://georgiamgevents.blogspot.com

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

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

Let's get Kids Gardening! Try these:
www.kidsgardening.com  -or- www.jmgkids.us

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