Although the Old Mill is closed, the Ark. Historic Preservation’s Sandwiching in History program at the Old Mill is going to be held online as a virtual tour on its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ARHistoricPreservation/ today (Friday) at noon. I hate that everyone won’t be able to be there in person. The article says the video will be archived, so if you can’t watch it today, log on later to see it.
This is a picture of some of us practicing social distancing at the Old Mill a couple of weeks ago, before the city had to close the Old Mill because of crowding. We can’t wait to get back to work!
These are pictures of the Hays Center MG Project. We have performed just basic work one or two PCMGs at a time. My thoughts were that the site groups could share pictures of their flower beds in order for all PCMGs to enjoy them. Perhaps this will give our spirits a needed boost. I hope we receive many great pictures.
I’m so excited. I love this weather! Cooler temps, pumpkins. And speaking of pumpkins, I went out to the Demo Garden at the 4H Center to pick out some pumpkins. They are having a sale tomorrow from 9AM – 2PM benefiting scholarships for 4H. The pumpkins are fresh, all kinds, all colors and reasonably priced. So go and support 4H!
And speaking of the Demo Garden, it looks great. Kathy and crew have done a terrific job. They are working on some expansion and this will be an ongoing project. The Demo Garden is something we can all be proud of. Check it out when you go for your pumpkins.
My guess is that you are all tired of the covid virus, but I’m afraid it will be with us for several months to come. And with the impending flu season, the experts are concerned about a double whammy. So first of all get your flu shot. I got mine last week. Also wear a mask. I know they are uncomfortable but they save lives. Wash your hands and social distance. If you have twenty something kids or grandkids, encourage them to follow the guidelines and keep to small group gatherings. Tell them the life they save may be yours! or theirs!
Get out and enjoy this beautiful weather. Perfect for cleaning, planning and transplanting your garden. I have to admit that I probably jumped the gun a little and replaced my scraggly and overgrown containers with violas and pansies. I’ve saved a couple of spots for some cool wave pansies. I’ll take pics when they fill out a little.
Stay well and Happy Gardening!!
Sharon Priest PCMG President
P.S. First of all, we love getting everyone’s pictures but please limit to 5 pictures in jpeg format so that everyone can open them. Sometimes the files are too big for everyone to open. No PDFs please and no power points.
Well, some refreshing rain! Things are greening up and we can turn our sprinklers off and save money!
If you need hours, here’s a great opportunity. Since the virus reared it’s ugly head, we were unable to do any work at St. James. Pam Gadberry has graciously offered to oversee some workdays so you can get all your hours done. Remember these hours can be used for your sanctioned project. Also remember that the covid guidelines apply. There are lots of areas that you can be separated and of course masks. There can be no more than 10 gardeners in any one area. Please contact Pam by email pamgadberry@comcast. net or call or text 501-680-7124. Thanks Pam.
I also think that some of you may not know whether or not you ordered a t-shirt in February. I am working on putting together a list of those who ordered but not picked up. I will let you know where the list is when ready.
Look who got his braces off! What a great smile!
Looks like the virus will be with us a while longer. So our next meeting will be on Zoom. You will be getting an invitation from Randy in a couple of weeks. Jodie Mahoney is working on getting us a speaker and if you have any announcements, please let me know so I can prepare a slide. While this is clearly not my preferred method of getting to see you all, our health is more important. You know that old song “we’ll meet again, don’t know where don’t know when, but I know we’ll meet again some sunny day”.
These are my angel trumpets. They have started to bloom a little, but they sure have gotten tall.
Hopefully this week will be a little more comfortable weather-wise. That means we can get out and work without feeling like we are going to pass out. I know many of you are working on your projects and doing a great job! Love seeing all the pictures.
September is fast approaching and we will resume our meetings. Unfortunately, we will have to continue via zoom. Frankly, I’m of the opinion that zoom meetings will continue until the end of the year or until the positivity rate goes to 5%. So the quicker we can slow this monster down the sooner we can get back to new normal.
Don’t forget to pick up your t-shirt from the extension office. You have already paid for it!
I know that we are not a political organization but I feel I would be remiss if I did not caution you to apply for and return your absentee ballot early, if that’s how you are planning to vote this year.
Some thoughts on sunflowers. These come from The Curious Gardener’s Almanac by Niall Edworthy.
“Each mature sunflower produces 40% of its weight in oil.”
“Sunflower stems were once used to fill life jackets before the invention of synthetic materials.”
“The sunflower is a native plant of the Americas, where the Indians used its seed as an important source of food. The Incas of Peru were sun worshippers and used it in religious ceremonies. The sunflower leans toward the sun in a process known as heliotropism.”
Hard to believe it’s August and the virus is still raging. School is about to start which means for many of us, not being able to see our grandchildren. Ugh!
Our crape myrtles are providing lots of color. And while the heat hasn’t been too bad this year, it has still been hot. This week is offering a respite from the humidity. There’s a hint of Fall in the early morning.
Some of my containers are looking a little worse for the heat despite watering daily. I have managed to was windows, inside and out, in the past couple of weeks.
Many of you have already heard the warnings about seeds arriving in the mail unsolicited. Please don’t plant them. Call the US Department of Agriculture for instructions.
Many of you ordered and paid for “President’s” T-shirts in February. They are available for pick at the county extension office.
Thanks to those of you who gave me ideas on what to do with the grands. Haven’t had a chance to do anything yet, but I will.
Again there is no meeting in August but I am planning to have another zoom meeting for September. If you have any announcements, please let me know. I am also counting on Jodie to get us another great speaker.
I’m sure all of you , like me are experiencing covid fatigue. The sooner we can get majority use of masks, hand washing and social distancing and staying away from crowds, the sooner we can get back to the new normal. So please be diligent.
Maggie Mae Rose
Here is another family member for your scrap book. This is my grand dog Maggie Mae Rose. She is a very sweet Lab who failed duck hunting school but her sweetness makes up for it.
Have a great week enjoy this weather while you can and don’t forget, masks, hand washing, social distancing and stay away from crowds. Happy Gardening!
We will not be having a meeting this month or next and probably September will be another Zoom meeting. Disappointing but our health remains a priority.
The other reminder is those President’s t-shirts that you ordered months ago are available for pick up at the extension office. Remember, you have already paid for them so please pick yours up.
The heat and humidity are pretty oppressive but I see so many of you are keeping up with your projects. I think everyone is enjoying seeing the pictures. Keep up the good work! I try to get out early in the yard. The temperature is better but the humidity is usually higher. So far, things are still looking good despite needing to water my containers every day. This heat is also making it harder to stay home. Too hot to be outside and not many places to go where you are not in a crowd. I’m facing a challenge with trying to do something with the grands that they will enjoy and it’s not so hot. Any suggestions?
Here’s a couple of pictures of my containers.
Remember, the numbers may look flat, but they are still high and the hospitalizations are still going up. I sincerely hope that people will take seriously the mask mandate. I see it as a matter of respect for one another. Please encourage everyone to wear a mask.
In the meantime, stay healthy and cool. Happy Gardening!
It’s a rainy day so time to focus inside and get a few things done. I have paperwork to do for several of my volunteer organizations. My closets are in pretty good shape except mine🤪. I can also think about how easy it will be to pull weeds tomorrow.
I have been reading a series of books by Canadian author Louise Penny. This series of murder mysteries was introduced to me by some master gardeners. Thank you. I am really enjoying them. I am on the twelfth of sixteen.
Fitz
Meet another member of the family. This is Fitz, short for John Fitzgerald Kennedy, a yorkiepoo. He is 13 and spoiled rotten. He doesn’t like the rain and won’t hardly go out in it.
Well as the numbers of covid-19 increase, I urge you to follow the guidelines to keep you safe. Remember that only you can control your actions. It’s not easy but please wear your mask and socially distance and wash your hands frequently.
As you now know, we have planned a get together via Zoom. The PCMG Board met last week and we feel it will be good for the membership to meet virtually. We decided to have both the May and June meetings via Zoom. The meetings will be on our regularly scheduled meeting dates, May 19 and June 16 at 11:30 am. Randy has sent some Zoom information to you and more will follow.
We had some nice weather this weekend and I hope you were able to get outside and enjoy it. I was able to get most of my flowers planted. Hopefully, by the end of the week the rest will find a home. As the weather warms up, it will be harder to follow the CDC safety guidelines for COVID-19 but we must remain vigilant. That means social distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing a face mask when appropriate.
Stay safe and happy gardening. Sharon Priest PCMG President
Hey Pulaski County Master Gardeners, Hopefully all is well with you in these trying times. One positive aspect of this ordeal is that we can still garden and practice safe social distancing. Yea! The MG executive team met via zoom yesterday. It was great seeing and chatting with all of them. The board has decided to have our May 19th meeting via zoom. It will start at the usual time as our regular general meeting 11:30 am. You will be able to attend via computer, phone, or iPad. If you do not have the zoom app downloaded on your device, please go ahead and do so. Search zoom and download the app. To prevent outsiders from joining our meeting, there will be a registration link sent out a couple of days before the meeting. To summarize, you will be sent two links. One to register before the meeting and one link to attend the meeting. Since we are a very large group, once the meeting starts, make sure that you are muted. This cuts down on the static during the meeting. If you have questions, please type your questions in the chat box. We will have assigned co-hosts monitoring the chat box. Look forward to seeing all of you.
On another note, we are allowed only one person in the office at one time. The office (Katie) is still processing soil tests, forwarding calls, and office management. We are doing a lot of zoom meetings.
Stay safe, Randy Randy ForstCEA-Staff ChairPulaski County Extension ServiceU of A System Division of Agriculture2901 W. Roosevelt Rd.Little Rock, AR 72204501-340-6650
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