Upcoming Classes and Events

Pollinators

Thursday, January 7, 11:00 a.m. – noon. Master Gardener and Cobb Extension staff member Amy Whitney will present the who, what, when, where, and why of supporting local pollinators, at the Senior Wellness Center, 1150 Powder Springs St SW, Marietta, GA 30064.

Thyme to Read Book Club

Friday, January 8, 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. This month’s book is 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus by Charles C. Mann.  At the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Create a Rain Garden!

Friday, January 8, noon – 1:00 p.m. Mike Kahle, Master Gardener and member of the Cobb Watershed Stewardship Program staff, will present information about how a rain garden helps clean and control run-off, along with how to design and construct a rain garden of your own. Part of the Lunch & Learn series of Cobb Master Gardeners.  At the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Landscape Changes and Homeowner Associations

Tuesday, January 12, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Master Gardener Pam Bohlander offers alternatives to standard landscaping plants that will keep homeowners and HOAs happy. Part of the Gardeners Night Out series of Cobb Master Gardeners.  At East Cobb Regional Library, 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, 30068.

Cobb Community Gardens

Wednesday, January 27, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Quarterly meeting of Cobb community garden managers,  members, and supporters, at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Suburban Home Vegetable Garden

Tuesday, February 9, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Master Gardener Vickie Baroni will tell how to grow your own vegetables and herbs. Part of the Gardeners Night Out series of Cobb Master Gardeners.   At West Cobb Regional Library, 1750 Dennis Kemp Lane NW, Kennesaw, 30152.

Thyme to Read Book Club

Friday, February 12, 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. This month’s book is The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Beautiful Orchid, by Craig Pittman. At the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Compost and Soil Amendments

Friday, February 12, noon – 1:00 p.m. Master Gardener Eddie Rhoades will explain how to turn poor soil into soil that is plant-friendly. Part of the Lunch & Learn series of Cobb Master Gardeners.  At the Training Room of the Cobb County Water Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.).

Seed Starting Workshop

Tuesday, February 23, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Master Gardener and Cobb Extension staff member Amy Whitney will provide the information you need and hands-on practice for starting seeds of some vegetables and annual flowers indoors. In the second floor classroom at UGA Extension/Cobb County, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060.

North Georgia Gardening Symposium

Thursday, February 25, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For homeowners, Master Gardeners, and landscape professionals. Re-certification credits available: 3 hours for category 24, 1 hour for Private pesticide applicators, 5 CEUs for ISA Arborist (A) and Municipal (M). Chattahoochee Technical College, North Metro Campus, Building D, Room 400, 5198 Ross Rd., Acworth, GA, 30102. Program cost of $35 includes lunch and breaks. Register at 770-528-4550, or online through Chatt Tech.

For additional information about any of the above programs, call our office at 770-528-4070.

Pollinator Spaces Across Georgia

Flowers for pollinators at a small community garden.

UGA Extension is encouraging the planting of pollinator spaces in community and school gardens through a new Pollinator Spaces Project.

The project gathers up on the Pollinator Spaces webpages  links to information about pollinators and gardens and information about upcoming classes and events  about pollinators.

Photos of pollinator spaces either newly created or already in existence can be posted on the UGA Community and School Gardens Facebook page or emailed to beckygri@uga.edu for posting on the website. Participating gardens will receive a certificate and be added to a map to show that support for pollinators in Georgia extends from border to border. At the end of the year, the map will be amazing to see!

For gardeners hoping to learn more about pollinators and the kinds of help we can offer these beleaguered garden helpers, check out publications at the link provided on UGA's "Building your pollinator garden" page.

For gardeners who would rather take a shortcut to learning which plants are pollinator-friendly, UGA offers this list on its "Plants for Pollinators" promotion card for the Spaces project:

Anise Hyssop
Aster
Button Bush
Catmint
Celosia spicata
Coneflower
Cosmos
Dill
Goldenrod
Mexican sunflower
Milkweed
Salvia - Hot Lips
Sunflower
Thyme
Verbena
Zinnia

How to protect ornamental plants in winter

In anticipation of the colder weather to come, homeowners are beginning to think about how to protect their favorite shrubs and perennials from the lowest temperatures. The UGA publication "Winter protection of ornamental plants", by Extension horticulturist Robert Westerfield and horticulture professor Orville Lindstrom, explains that, with proper care during the rest of the year, many plants will take care of themselves.

They describe the process like this:  "During the late summer and early fall, the plants must prepare themselves for winter through a process called cold acclimation. This process is initiated by the cooler temperatures and shorter daylengths that naturally occur at this time of the year."

Proper care includes providing nutrients (through fertilizers) during active growth in warmer seasons, withholding excess nitrogen fertilizer in fall. Westerfield and Lindstrom explain:

"Fertilizing plants in the fall (after August or September) with a fertilizer high in nitrogen can cause a flush of new growth that is more susceptible to cold temperatures."

Upcoming Events and Classes

Layered, Indoor, Holiday Container Planting

Thursday, November 5, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Cobb Extension’s Renae Lemon will demonstrate how to fill a holiday planter that will bloom throughout the holiday season, at Kemp Memorial Library, 4029 Due West Rd, Kennesaw, 30152.

Bluebird Trail Walk

Saturday, November 7, 10:00 a.m. to noon. Free and open to the public. Cobb Master Gardener and Bluebird expert Jim Bearden will conduct a guided walk of the 2.3-mile Bluebird Trail at Green Meadow Preserve Park, at 3780 Dallas Hwy., Powder Springs, GA, 30127. Follow the Bluebird Trail blog at bluebirdtrail.blogspot.com.

Holiday Inspirations

Saturday, November 7, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Cobb Extension staff members, led by Leah Wilson, will demonstrate simple and easy holiday crafts for decorating and gifts, in the second floor classroom at UGA Extension/Cobb County, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. For information, call 770-528-4070.

Pollinators: Unsung Garden Heroes

Tuesday, November 10, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Learn about the important role pollinating insects play in providing beauty in the garden and food for our table, with Master Gardener Marge Igyarto. Part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at South Cobb Regional Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton, 30126.

Thyme to Read Book Club

Friday, November 13, 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. Meeting of the book club sponsored by the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County is free and open to the public. This month’s book is Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv.  At the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Free and open to the public.

Beekeeping with Metro Atlanta Beekeepers

Friday, November 13, noon - 1:00 p.m. Discover the difference that honeybee pollination can make to your formal garden, wildflowers, vegetables, and fruits. Part of the ongoing Lunch & Learn series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Free and open to the public.

Trim-a-Tree

November 18, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Cobb Extension staff member Emily Harper will demonstrate how professionals use decorative mesh, ribbons, and unique items to create one-of-a-kind presentations. Other holiday ideas will also be on display. Class will be held in the second floor classroom at UGA Extension/Cobb County, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Free, but preregistration is requested. Call 770-528-4070 to register.

Pesticide Applicator Recertification Training

UGA's Green Team will be in Bartow County in November to offer an educational session that qualifies for recertification credits for Category 24 pesticide applicator licenses.

WHEN: Thursday, November 19, 2015
              9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency
               7545 Main Street
               Building 200
               Woodstock, GA  30188
WHAT: Classes to qualify for 4 hours of category 24 recertification credit
SPEAKERS: Josh Fuder, Cherokee County ANR Agent; Patrick McCullough, UGA Crop and Soil Sciences; Jean Williams-Woodward, UGA Plant Pathology; Mickey Taylor, UGA Entomology
COST: $45 per person

Please preregister before November 12. Space is limited!

TO REGISTER: online through UGA Marketplace, or call 770-228-7214 or email bhorne@uga.edu for additional information.

Printed materials, break refreshments, and lunch are provided.

Upcoming Events and Classes

Thyme to Read Book Club

Friday, October 9, 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. Meeting of the book club sponsored by the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County is free and open to the public. This month’s book is The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston.  At the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Free and open to the public.

Adaptive Gardening

Friday, October 9, noon - 1:00 p.m. Master Gardener Joe Washington will share his research on tools, tips, and techniques to keep gardening for a lifetime. Part of the ongoing Lunch & Learn series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Free and open to the public.

Art of Pruning

Tuesday, October 13, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Master Gardener Pam Bohlander  will teah the basics of good pruning for aesthetic value and for promoting the health of ornamental trees and shrubs in the landscape, as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at Mountain View Regional Library, 3320 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta,  30066. Free and open to the public.

Cobb Community Gardens to Hear from Captain Planet Foundation

Kyla Van Deusen of the Captain Planet Foundation will be the featured speaker at the next meeting of Cobb Community Gardens. Van Deusen will be presenting information about Project Learning Garden and how to get involved and support school gardens.

As part of its mission, the Captain Planet Foundation has helped thousands of schools develop pollinator and food gardens, among other projects, and Project Learning Garden extends that support to the development of garden-based learning programs in schools.


WHEN: Wednesday, October 28, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Cobb Water Quality Lab meeting room
               662 South Cobb Drive
               Marietta, GA, 30060


The meeting and presentation are free and open to all interested in managing and supporting community and school gardens.

The mission of Cobb Community Gardens is to share ideas, information, and resources to help support and promote community gardens throughout Cobb County.

For information, email debbie@esmithair.com .

Sweet Potato Harvest Time

Mr. Hugh Byrd of Kennesaw with sweet potatoes from his garden.
PHOTO/Ellen Shelnutt, Master Gardener Volunteer

Many sweet potato varieties reach maturity in about 110-120 days, which means that, for most of our gardens, it is just about harvest time.

Here at the Cobb Extension office, we had a wonderful reminder from a local gardener, Mr. Hugh Byrd, that harvest time is here.  The reminder was in the form of four giant sweet potatoes that he harvested from just one plant in his garden!

The variety that he grew this year is Beauregard, which is a great variety for home gardeners in our area. The tubers are sweet, getting even sweeter after curing for a couple of weeks in a warm location, and they cook up soft.

Mr. Byrd has been gardening in his Kennesaw yard for about 20 years, having taken over the task when his wife, the original  family gardener, developed health problems. She now focuses her food-growing efforts on growing tomatoes in large containers near the house. The couple has been married for 60 years.

We have been assured that, if the next plant Mr. Byrd digs up has even larger sweet potatoes, he will let us know.

Workshop: Garden Color for All Seasons

UGA Horticulture is offering the workshop "Garden Color for All Seasons in the Landscape" at its Griffin campus research garden. The workshop will teach how to select colorful annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees for year-round interest in your landscape, including landscape design tips, plant selection, and container gardening.

Each participant will have a hands-on experience creating his or her own colorful container garden to take home.

UGA horticulturists Bob Westerfield and Sherri Dorn will be the program speakers.

Date: Friday, October 2

Upcoming Events and Classes

The Contained Garden: The Evergreen, The Elegant, and the Whimsical

Tuesday, August 11, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Cobb Master Gardener Shirley Priest will explain how to use elements of garden design to create beautiful contained gardens,  as part of the ongoing Gardeners Night Out presentation series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at East Cobb Regional Library, 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta,  30068. Free and open to the public.

Plant Propagation

Friday, August 14, noon - 1:00 p.m. Cobb Master Gardener Shirley Priest will reveal how to create new plants from existing ones. Part of the ongoing Lunch & Learn series of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Free and open to the public.

Pond Management Workshop is Scheduled

A Pond Management Workshop sponsored by UGA Extension- Cherokee County ANR Agent Josh Fuder and featuring UGA Aquaculturist Dr. Gary Burtle is scheduled:

When:  September 1, 2015

Where: 
Bluffs Business Center
Cherokee County Administrative Offices
1130 Bluffs Parkway
Canton, GA 30114

What:
Dr. Burtle will be speaking on water quality and testing, liming & fertilizing a pond, weed ID & control, and population assessment and management.

Pesticide Applicator Recertification Training

Commercial pesticide applicator credits can be earned by attending a training scheduled to take place on August 21, in Cartersville, GA.

Date: Friday August 21, 2015
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Bartow County Extension Office, 320 W. Cherokee Ave., Cartersville, GA 31020

Registration fee is $55 until Thu., August 13, & $65 afterwards.  

Celebrating Horticulture in Cobb County

For the week of  July 27 - August 1, our local UGA Extension office has planned several activities to highlight horticulture in Cobb County. The scheduled presentations are free and open to the public.

Supporting Our Pollinators

Monday, July 27, noon—1:00 p.m.

At the Cobb Water Training Lab, 662 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, 30060.   

Free Compost for Community Gardens

One component of healthy soil is composted organic matter.

Providing enough compost for a community garden, though, can be difficult. Recognizing that difficulty, Food Well Alliance is offering compost for community gardens in the metro-Atlanta counties of Clayton, Cobb, Fulton, Dekalb, and Gwinnett.

The "catch" is that registration closes on July 28 and that someone from the community garden requesting compost and a compost kit needs to attend one of a series of offered (and also free!) workshops to learn about compost.

Lawn and Garden Tips for July

Cobb County Extension staff member Louise Weyer assembles a list each month of tips for keeping your lawn and landscape in good order. As summer heads into high gear, following Louise's checklist of tasks can  improve the odds of your yard's shining through to fall.

Louise's Tips for Trees and Shrubs for July includes this information:

• Spring-planted trees and shrubs need an inch of water each week. Irrigate in dry weather.
• Mature trees need deep watering; they can lose leaves if they have inadequate water.
• Prune Knock-out roses.
• Remove dry flowers from butterfly bush to encourage more blooms, and remove flowers from shrub roses as they fade.
• Remove suckers from the base of cherry, apple, crape myrtle, dogwood, and crabapple trees.

For annuals and perennials:

Upcoming Events and Classes

Celebrating National Pollinator Week

Thursday, June 18, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Family fun learning about pollinators will include a butterfly craft, bug hunt, and education stations, at the Wildlife and Rain Garden of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). Free.

4-H Story Time

Wednesday, June 24, 3:30-4:30 p.m. West Cobb Regional Library, 1750 Dennis Kemp Lane NW, Kennesaw, 30152. Free.

Recycling in Cobb County

Do you have a pile of assorted metal, paper, old computer equipment or other electronics, fluorescent bulbs, plastic containers, motor oil, batteries, or other items that you would like to have recycled?

Keep Cobb Beautiful maintains a list of local recycling centers and the materials they accept on its Recyclable Items webpage.

Upcoming Events and Classes

Common Lawn Diseases

Tuesday, May 26, 6:30-8:00 p.m. County Agent Neil Tarver will present information that will help you identify and control common lawn diseases that may be affecting your lawn, at UGA Extension/Cobb County, second floor, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Free and open to the public.  Preregistration is requested – call 770-528-4070, or email uge1067@uga.edu.

Bluebird Trail Tour

Saturday, May 30, 10:00 a.m. to noon. Free and open to the public. Cobb Master Gardener and Bluebird expert Jim Bearden will conduct a guided walk of the 2.3-mile Bluebird Trail at Green Meadow Preserve Park, at 3780 Dallas Hwy., Powder Springs, GA, 30127. Follow the Bluebird Trail blog at bluebirdtrail.blogspot.com.

Compost How-to

Tuesday, June 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m. County Agent Neil Tarver will present the benefits and how-to of creating and using compost in your home garden and landscape, at UGA Extension/Cobb County, second floor, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Presentation is part of the Healthy Soil Initiative of FoodWell Alliance. Free and open to the public. Preregistration is requested – call 770-528-4070, or email uge1067@uga.edu.

Cobb County Watering Restrictions

Area weather has turned from cool and wet to warmer and drier, which means newly planted gardens and landscapes may need some additional water to help establish and maintain good root systems and healthy growth.

County watering restrictions currently in place allow the watering needed, but there are limits to other uses of water outdoors. The Cobb County Water System Outdoor Watering Restrictions webpage includes a brief description of the restrictions:

"You may water landscapes any day between the hours of 4PM and 10 AM. The odd /even schedule is currently still in place for other outdoor uses such as car washing or at home pressure washing. Even addresses may use water for purposes other than landscape watering on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, Odd addresses may use water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays."

School Garden Teacher Training this Summer

Learn how to establish and use a beautiful, productive school garden to its full potential as an educational tool with new UGA trainings that are being offered this summer.

The classes provide flexibility for busy teachers by including self-paced, online work to complete prior to an in-person session that will teach hands-on, practical skills to use in the garden.

Interested teachers can choose the location most convenient for them for their hands-on day:

• June 23rd at the Research and Education Garden on UGA’s Griffin campus
• June 25th at the UGArden in Athens
• June 30th at the North Fulton Government Annex on Roswell Road, Atlanta

Green Industry Update - Recertification Credits Offered

A Green Industry Update, offered through UGA Extension in Cobb County, is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. - noon. Recertification credits are offered in the following categories:

Commercial Pesticide Applicator Licenses 21, 23, 24, 27 - 3 credits

Private Pesticide Applicator License - 1 credit

ISA - 2.5

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.- Registration
9:00 - noon - Presentations

Leaves of Three...Poison Ivy in the Landscape

Poison ivy             PHOTO/Amy W.

Greenery is popping up all over our landscapes, and, for anyone who has ever developed a blistery rash following a day of work in the yard, some of that greenery may look like bad news.

One common cause of such a rash is poison ivy, which spreads underground and through seeds that are dropped by birds and small animals that have eaten the berries.

For people who are unsure how to identify poison ivy and are counting numbers-of-leaves to determine which plants to pull or spray, it may be best to take or email a photo of any suspicious plant to your local Extension office for identification.

UGA's Great Stinkbug Survey

Cobb Extension has received quite a few calls about indoor stink bugs in the past couple of months, and our county residents are not alone in having an unwelcome influx of the shield-shaped bugs to their homes.

UGA entomologist Paul Guillebeau, who lives in Athens, also noticed that his home was playing host to stink bugs. The species that has caused this year's indoor-insect-consternation is the brown marmorated stink bug; it tends to be present in low numbers, but it only takes one irritated bug to create a big stink inside a home.

Brown marmorated stink bug PHOTO/Brian Little

Upcoming Events and Classes

From Your Garden to Your Table

Thursday, April 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m. County Agents Neil Tarver and Cindy Sweda will present information that will help you provide food for your family, from starting the garden to canning a bountiful harvest, at UGA Extension/Cobb County, second floor, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA, 30060. Preregistration is required – call 770-528-4070, or email uge1067@uga.edu. Cost: $5 at the door (exact cash or a check).

Thyme to Read Book Club

Friday, April 10, 10:15 -11:30 a.m. Book club sponsored by Cobb County Master Gardeners will meet at the Training Room of the Cobb County Water lab, 662 South Cobb Drive (at the intersection with Atlanta Rd.). This month’s book is Harvests of Joy: My Passion for Excellence by Robert Mondavi. Schedule and information can be found at www.cobbmastergardeners.com. Free and open to the public.

Growing and Cooking with Herbs - Upcoming Classes

In a recent Ga FACES article by  UGA's Stephanie Schupska, "Growing herbs can be grown in summer and dried for use in the winter", horticulturist Bodie Pennisi tells some of the uses she makes of the herbs in her own garden. She says,"I dry my own lemon balm and mint for tea."

Growing your own herbs and using them in the kitchen can be a great way to - as Pennisi explains - "help yourself in not eating too much salt and increasing the flavor in your food.”

UGA Extension in Cobb County's Family and Consumer Sciences program is inviting the public to learn about growing herbs and about the many uses of herbs in the kitchen. The class will be offered at local libraries on four dates:

Lawn and Garden Tips for March

Cobb County Extension staff member Louise Weyer assembles a list each month of tips for keeping your lawn and landscape in good order. As winter nears its end, following Louise's checklist of tasks can help your yard shift successfully to warmer-weather mode and improve the odds of its shining through the spring.

Louise's Tips for Trees and Shrubs for March includes this information:

• Prune roses, camellias, crape myrtles, late-flowering clematis, and butterfly bush.
• Delay pruning of early-blooming shrubs, such as forsythia, quince, and weigela, until after they bloom.
• Prune out dead stems on all shrubs and trees.
• Clean blades of pruning tools with alcohol or a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) to reduce spread of disease.
• Spray multipurpose fungicide on roses when leaves appear, to control black-spot.
• If major renovation of broadleaf evergreens is needed, prune those now.