Our guest speaker, Professor Joseph Storlien shared Tips and Tools for Sustainable Gardening, and the RCMG Board shared the new No-Patented-Plants decision for plant sale donations, and the financial audit results were shared.
5/03/2024
The April monthly meeting was held at the Roseville Oval and online via Zoom from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16. Watching the recording of this meeting can be counted as 2 hours of Continuing Education. (Find the recording in the Archives of the Monthly Meeting page.)
NOTE: The audio is missing from the first 15 minutes of the video. Sorry about that.
THANK YOU!
Many thanks to the RCMG volunteers involved with the March Meeting:
Education Committee: Simba Blood & Gene Ranieri
Project Updates: Beth Fritcher
Set-Up: Sara Quinn & Scott Beary
Greeters: Sarah Hilger & Susan Lauer
Journalist: Diana Rankin
Time Keeper: Barbara LeTourneau
RCMG Board Announcements (6:30-6:40) – Julie Bechtold, RCMG chair
Plant sale
The plant sale will be held on May 18th, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at Aldrich Arena on White Bear Avenue in Maplewood.
Volunteers should watch for Sign Up Genius (SUG) announcements regarding volunteer opportunities on May 16, 17, and 19.
Needed: 4 kiddie pools for watering plants as they come and prior to the sale. Contact Molly O’Rourke if you can provide a pool.
Like, comment, and share Facebook and Instagram postings about the sale. It is also on NextDoor and Event Brite.
Glove Sales
Thank you to Susan Oven and Mary Parenteau for selling gloves at this April monthly meeting. Prices are $5 for members, $6 at our plant sale, and $7 at the Friends plant sale.
Board Documents
The Board is looking for paper and/or digital documents from past board meetings. Please contact Julie Bechtold if you have past board documents.
New AV Support Team
Thank you to the A-V team at this meeting.
Darren Lochner's Coordinator Updates (6:40pm-6:50pm)
April 21-27 is National Volunteer Week.
The hoop house at the Barn has been raised.
State Master Gardener Program News
Please read the monthly newsletter from the State Office, delivered to your inbox on the first of each month.
Master Gardener Days at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum are June 20-22. More details will be coming in the May newsletter.
The code for free entrance to the Arboretum is MG2024.
RCMG News
Read the Ramsey County Master Gardeners newsletter from Darren arriving the 2nd week of each month.
April 20th is Earth Day at the Harriet Alexander Nature Center
The Spring Fest in Shoreview is April 21st, 2-5 p.m.
There are leadership opportunities for Master Gardeners.
There are administrative and coordinator roles in a couple of the farmers markets.
A team of volunteers is needed to assist with Sign Up Genius “behind the scenes” tasks. Watch for an SUG sign up from Brianna if interested.
The Volunteer Activity Fair has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 23rd, at the Roseville Skating Center.
Be sure to follow social media for additional news.
Vegetables and herbs grown in the gardens at the Barn are donated to Keystone Community Services.
Project News (6:50-7:00)
Gardens for Good
Gardens for Good is a partnership with St. Paul Public Housing at Wilson House. This is a free program for residents. Master Gardeners help residents plant their own garden of tomatoes, hot peppers, and mint and then collect and donate produce and flowers from Master Gardeners’ own gardens to share with the residents. Donations are collected and distributed on Thursdays. Watch for an SUG seeking volunteers to grow and donate tomatoes, hot peppers, and mints. The Gardens for Good program supports Ramsey County’s emphasis on food insecurity. As part of that emphasis, Ramsey County has hired an Urban Ag Coordinator.
Guest Lecture (7:00-8pm)
Guest Speakers: Lois Ann Helgeson, Ramsey County Master Gardener, member of the Minnesota Rose Society, and District Director for the American Rose Society
Topic: Seed Growing Greener: Roses for Your Minnesota Garden
The presentation focused on roses that are hardy in Minnesota. Lois showed slides of many she is growing in her garden.
Species and Old Garden Roses
Not patented
Some are considered native
Modern Roses – There are 4 hybridizers in the North Central area of the U.S. They are:
David Zlezak, formerly at the University of Minnesota and now at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. David is best known for ‘Above and Beyond,’ a hardy climber.
Julie Overom, who lives in North Dakota, developed ‘Cherry Frost’™, a cane hardy climber.
Kathy Zuzek, formerly with the University of Minnesota, developed the ‘Ole,’ ‘Lina,’ ‘Sven,’ and ‘Sigrid’ shrub roses and ‘Summer Waltz.’
Will Radler, founder of the Knock Out® roses, lives in Wisconsin.
Lois answered questions about rose care and described her unique method for providing winter protection. Members were encouraged to learn more about roses from the Twin Cities Rose Club. They have an online plant sale and the website is twincitiesrose.org.
Recap provided by Diana Rankin
RCMG Volunteer