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21 Tollgate Volunteer General Meeting 7:00 6 Children’s / Nursery 9:00
13 Spring Clean Up / Xeriscape 9:00
23 Mulch Nursery Paths 9:00 20
Easter / Passover Weekend NO DIRECTED WORKDAY 30 12 Mile Garden / Pond Clean Up 9:00
27
Spring Clean Up / Xeriscape / Orientation & Pancake Brunch at Noon 2 TGAC Meeting 7:00
18 Tollgate Volunteer General Meeting 7:00
27 New Volunteer Orientation 9:00
9:00
Volume 25 Issue 3 March 2019
The Tollgate Farm News
MSU Tollgate Gardens Volunteer General Meeting in the Conference Center Thursday, March 21, 7:00 PM
The Charleston Tea Plantation Roy Prentice will talk about The Charleston Tea Plantation located on historic Wadmalaw Island in the heart of the Lowcountry of South Carolina. This is North America’s only tea plantation. He will walk us through the history and take us on a tour of tea plant propagation and processing. The Prentice family recently toured the plantation while vacationing in South Carolina.
Coming Attractions
Mark your calendars for April 18 when Mary Spencer returns to Tollgate with a cooking demonstration. Can’t wait until April or want more cooking demos? Explore her other classes at http://www.tasteacooksplace.net/cooking_classes or https://www.abcwarehouse.com/eventscooking-classes.
Save June 20 for when Dean Krauskopf, Ph.D., host of The Gardening Show on WJR News/Talk 760 AM, http://www.wjr.com/thegardeningshow/ comes to Tollgate to talk about gardening sci-ence, challenges and resources. Bring your questions for Dean.
Invite friends, family, neighbors and colleagues to attend Tollgate’s annual open house on Satur-day evening, July 20, to build attendance and share the beauty of the gardens. Think about how you can spread the word of this event to your contacts and groups. Does your book club, music or yoga class, sports or other group have a calendar, a newsletter, or opportunity to invite people?
MICHIGAN The American Horticultural Therapy Association is holding its annual conference in Grand Rapids in early October. Details at https://www.ahta.org/. Attend the two-day educational program and visit Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
PENNSYLVANIA International Master Gardener Conferences are held in odd-numbered years. This year’s IMGC is in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia and many great visit-worthy gardens, in June. More info at https://www.internationalmastergardener.com/.
Page 2
Greetings All,
March is maple syrup season! The 2019 Tollgate maple syrup season officially got underway Saturday, February 23rd with a very successful tree tapping extravaganza! Many eager volun-teers came to Tollgate to assist in this activity day. We tapped about 50 trees, all connected to tubing. For the first two weeks of March, cold weather has severely limited sap flow. According to the weather app., we are on the cusp of great-ly improved sapping conditions. Fingers crossed, we are hoping for our usual annual average of 100 gallons. Time will tell whether the vagaries of nature will allow this.
Many groups have visited the Tollgate sugar bush this season. Lots and lots of field trips visit! Tollgate maple volunteers have done a wonderful job helping the kids learn about the magic of the maple season. Maple volunteers also played a major role in the recent Tollgate Maple Feast. Registrants to the Feast got a hay ride to the woods, saw how trees were tapped, viewed the evaporator and got a yummy pancake and syrup meal. Thanks to the Tollgate maple volunteers for helping to make the 2019 maple season a success for all of our visitors!
Winter is beginning to lose its grip and there are many signs of spring around the farm. Bluebirds, piliated woodpeckers and even a bald eagle have all been seen around the farm. Not wanting to be left behind, Tollgate’s plants are showing signs of life. The daffodils are emerging, buds are swelling, and garden volunteer days are upon us. Check the Tollgate volunteer calendar and plan to join us in the gardens. You can view the calendar online at:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/tollgate/uploads/files/Tollgate_Calendar_2019%20final.pdf
We have had a few warm days and the garden-ing season is in sight!
See you soon around the farm,
Roy
Roy Prentice
FROM THE TOLLGATE
FARM MANAGER
GREETINGS
Additional Photos on Page 7 and 8
Tollgate Volunteers, Friends and Family Head Out to the Sugar Shack
Roy Explains the Strategy and Everyone Divides into Groups
Groups Head to their Maple Tree Section Lead by a Maple Syrup Volunteer
Page 3
“Spring is Nature’s way of saying ‘Let’s party!’”
Robin Williams
As I write this newsletter article the day was sun-ny and pushing 40° which makes me ever hope-ful for spring. I hope all of you share that antici-pation and excitement to venture into the garden again this season. We hope to get some early spring chores done if things dry out a bit so keep your eye out for the email announcements of activities or possible cancellations of the same! As with all Activity Days, dress appropriately for the weather and bring tools helpful for the planned activities. There are some tools to share but not enough for larger volunteer turnouts. New volunteers can pick up a quick start orienta-tion sheet in the volunteer communication center.
The garden teams are reviewing and updating the informational garden binders and as the work season progresses it will still have the “things to do list” to guide volunteers on non-directed work days. I am willing to set anyone up for such a list if you have plans to come out for the week day and need some guidance in chores. Just email me a few days in advance so I can get back to you. [email protected].
There is more info in each binder that will be informative to our newer members as well as helpful in directing activities for each garden area. Take some time to browse them!
Check out the Nursery Notes in this edition for upcoming info on division/donation request list and procedures. We hope to build our plant stock for sale for best offerings this coming Spring Plant Sale.
As always, I invite any member interested in joining a dedicated team for one of the many garden experiences here at Tollgate to contact me for further information. I will be happy to hook you up with the existing team leader or tour the site with you for an experience that fits your interests. We have sun, shade, shrubs, perennials, annuals and more. All are great learning experiences with support from TGAC and experienced members.
APRIL MADNESS!! This is the busy month for all our garden areas and the most enjoyable! We get to shake off the colder temps, assess the upcoming shoots and plan for post-frost plantings. Best of all we get together and swap garden tips with each other as we work to get the garden sites off to a beautiful start. See this issue for upcoming clean-up activities, the Volunteer Pancake Breakfast/New Volunteer orientation and more. I hope you can plan ahead to help us on these crucial spring activity days so we can stay ahead of the weeds.
Reminder: Update your Tollgate Garden Volunteer membership ASAP to stay in the loop on all our email updates. Send in those forms!
Thank you for being a Tollgate Garden Volunteer.
Renee Cottrell, President
LEARN GROW
MAKE FRIENDS ENJOY
Notes from the President Renee Cottrell
Photo by Larry Bolam
Page 4
Continued on Page 5
The nursery team had its second propagation ses-sion for the year at Tollgate North on Wednesday March 13th. Following a quick dinner consisting of chili, cornbread, salad, brownies - and a glass of wine - we descended the basement stairs to Deb Kearney’s greenhouse to check on the seeds and sprouts we had planted just 4 weeks ago.
Unfortunately, there were several varieties planted at our first session that had not germinated (see plant list below). This has not been a problem we experienced in prior years. However, this year
Peg Palmer
NURSERY NOTES
VOLUNTEERS TOGETHER DIVIDING GROWING SHARING
Botanical Name Common Name Date Planted
Delphinium ‘Magic Fountains’ Dwarf Delphinium 2/13
Platycodon Balloon Flower (Blue) 2/13
Monarda fistulosa Wild Bergamot 2/13
Aqueligia ‘Dragonfly’ hybrid mix Columbine 2/13
Aqueligia ‘Barlow’s Double’ Columbine 2/13
Aqueligia ‘McKana’s Giant’ Columbine 2/13
Margarita pintada Painted Daisy 2/13
Chrysanthemum ‘Robinson Red’ Chrysanthemum 2/13
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed 2/13
Digitalis – mixed colors Foxglove 2/13
Centaurea ‘Blue Boy’ Batchelor Buttons 2/13
Callistephus chinensis – Sea Star Mix China Asters (annual) 2/13
Rudbeckia hirta Black Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia subtomentosa Sweet Black Eyed Susan
Ruella humilis Wild Petunia
Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed 3/13
Eutrochium purpurea Sweet Joe Pye 3/13
Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Chabaud’ Carnations 3/13
Dianthus deltoides Maiden Pinks 3/13
Strikethrough indicates no germination
Deb Kearney, Connie Marcangelo, Judy Poole, Susan Bremer, Bonita Glime, Mary Bohner and
Paula Brose
Page 5
Photo by Peg Palmer
most of our seeds were obtained “free”. We sus-pect that the poor germination may be due to the age of the seed packets or storage conditions be-fore Deb brought them home. But, most of the seed varieties germinated successfully, so we still think it was a good idea to take advantage of the opportunity to pick up “free” seeds in our quest to restock the nursery.
We spent the evening transferring tiny plants from their one-inch square cells into trays with larger and deeper cells, as well as planting the newly sprouted seeds that had just completed their month in the frig chilling in aluminum trays of damp soil. And we still have a few more seed varieties chilling that we will transplant in April.
While the Nursery Team is busy with propagation activities, we’re also getting ready to open the nursery for your garden divisions! Look for the first 2019 PLANTS WANTED list soon (it may have already arrived in your inbox by the time you re-ceive this newsletter)! We are hoping to bring in a record number of donations into the Nursery this spring – 3,500 pots – but will need lots of support
from Tollgate Garden Volunteers to even come close to this goal!
The Nursery will be open to receive donations from your gardens by April 13. Please store your divisions at home until the nursery is open.
If you’re interested in learning and having fun while involved in a different kind of gardening experience, join the Nursery Team as a ROW LEADER or MEMBER AT LARGE! It isn’t neces-sary to be a plant or propagation expert to join our team – we have all learned from each other and by doing the work together. Most of our Row Leaders have become experts about the plants in their row through the experience of being a Row Leader and the interaction with others on team. We currently have openings for Row Leaders and Co-Row Leaders, and becoming a member At Large is always an option as well. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll provide you more information about the opportunities available.
Peg Palmer - [email protected]
Nursery Notes (Continued)
uilting 2019
Tollgate’s own Quilting Bees have been working feverishly on the 2019 Tollgate Quilt that will be raffled off at the July 20 Open House. The quilt will be at the April volunteer general meeting and raffle tickets will be available.
Quilt Pattern: Solid Foundation
Approximate Size: 73 inches x 73 inches
Raffle Tickets: $2.00 each or 3 tickets for $5.00
Susan Bremer Connie Marcangelo
Kathy Light Kay Pratt
Darretta Ferasin Nancy Roggers
Gail Kevwitch Lynn Strong
Mindy Kinsey
2019 Tollgate Quilting Bees
Page 6
Lambs Have Begun Arriving in Force
Photos by Roy Prentice
Mary Bohner Barbara Burke Shelly Bush Marie Collins Yvonne DeMattos Pat Fix
Mindy Hitchcock Cheryl Huizing Lee Kinderman Debra Leuder Lisa Mulligan Sherry Mueller
Jamie Murphy Russell and Lucy Propst Joe Pyden Pam Stopper
To all of you who made a donation to help the Tollgate Gardeners make Tollgate a more beautiful place. Your donation is greatly appreciated! The support that you have provided will
continue to help our program prosper and grow. Thanks again and Happy Gardening!
Page 7
aple
Syr
up T
appi
ng, S
atur
day F
ebru
ary 2
3
Photos by Darretta Ferasin
Page 8
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2019 It is once again time to renew your membership. Click on this link to the form on the MSU Extension Tollgate Farm and Education Center website: MSU Tollgate Garden Volunteers Membership Form. Forms will also be available at the next Tollgate Volunteer General meeting and attached to this newsletter.
Cindy Bolterstein [email protected]
Check the f-stop on your camera before you take that great picture of Tollgate and send it off for consideration in the 2020 Tollgate Calendar. Amaze
your friends, family, and fellow Tollgate members with your eye for the wonders of Tollgate. Your Tollgate photos are needed to make the 2020 Calendar a success. I can’t do it without your photo input. Email your photos to: [email protected] The preferred format is JPEG landscape files. Photos from all seasons and aspects of Tollgate accepted. Contact Larry Bolam at above email address with any questions.
Pho
to b
y L
arry
Bol
am
M aple Syrup Tapping, Saturday February 23 Continued
Page 9
Volunteer Activity Day and Meetings Information
248-347-3860 ext. 400
● The Tollgate Gardens Advisory Council next
meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 7:00 in the Tollgate Office Building. All Tollgate Gardens Volunteer members are welcome to attend.
● Listings to contact individual Council Members and Area Garden Leaders are available at all general meetings and in the Volunteer Communication Center.
● Tollgate Volunteer Membership is renewed annually. The 2019 Tollgate Garden Volunteers membership is from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019.
Farm Manager Roy Prentice - 248 347-3860 ext. 251 email - [email protected]
President ........................... Renee Cottrell
Vice President… ............... Marilyn Alimpich
Secretary… ........................ Dave Komraus
Treasurer ........................... Sue Janczarek
Membership ...................... Cindy Bolterstein
PR ....................................... TBD
Programs ........................... Jackie Stengel
Hospitality ........................ Teresa LaRosa
Farm News Editor ............. Darretta Ferasin
For membership questions or to update your current membership information send email to:
MSU Tollgate Gardens Volunteers For general information and questions Contact Roy Prentice or See Website: http://tollgate.msu.edu/volunteering/
Activity Days Activity day hours are 9:00 to noon unless otherwise noted on the Tollgate Garden Volunteer Important Dates and Events listed on the first page of the Tollgate Farm News or by the Area Garden Leader (AGL).
Lunch will be provided on scheduled workdays. Veggie alternatives are available upon request.
This schedule does not exclude you from working independently on the site. However, on non-scheduled days, your efforts will need to be self-directed with guidance from the garden area binders located in the Vol-unteer Communication Center.
If you aren’t getting The Tollgate Farm News
email, Check your SPAM folder
Trowel
Pruners
Loppers
Garden Scissors
Your Favorite Weeding Implement
Hand Saw
Plant Division Forks
Shrub Rake
Sun Screen
Garden Gloves
Knee Pads
Insect Repellant
List of Suggested Gardening Implements to Bring
from Home as Needed
Spades
Garden Rakes
Brooms
Wheelbarrows
Weed Buckets
Leaf Rakes
Garden Hoe
Long Handled Garden Forks
Garden Tools Available for Use at Tollgate
Page 10
In the event of an emergency please notify:
____________________________________________ __________ - _____________________________ Name Phone
Were you a Tollgate volunteer member last year? Yes ( ) No ( ) Are you interested in serving on a committee or garden project? Yes ( ) No ( ) If yes, please note below if you have a particular area of interest.
________________________________________________________________
A donation in support of the Tollgate Volunteer organization would be greatly appreciated ($20 suggested). If you would like the newsletter mailed to you rather than emailed, please include an additional $10 to cover postage. Check here to have the newsletter mailed to you. ___
Make checks payable to: Michigan State University
Return to: Tollgate Gardens Volunteer Office 28115 Meadowbrook
Novi, MI 48377-3128
Questions: Phone: 248-347-3860 Ext. 251
2019 Membership is from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 Please read this Privacy Policy: By filling out and submitting this form you authorize the Tollgate Garden Volunteers (TGV) and MSU to use your contact information to communicate with you via email, newsletters and other formats. If you wish your email and other identification information to not be used by the TGV and MSU, please check this box ( ). (By checking this box you will not receive email notification of workdays, or other volunteer opportunities, special events and educational opportunities, or the availability of the newsletter online).
Name______________________________________________ Address____________________________________________ City _______________________________________ MI Zip______________ - _________
________________________________ Name you would like on badge
Telephone Number Day ______ - ___________________________
Evening ______ - ___________________________
Email ____________________________________
Date Submitted __________________________
2019 Please print all entries. Thank you.
MSU Tollgate Garden Volunteers Membership Form