5/16/2024
Important Upcoming Dates
5/18/24 – RCMG Plant Sale
5/21/24 – NO MONTHLY MEETING
6/03/24-6/09/24 – RCMG’s Yard & Garden Hotline shifts
6/11/24 – June Board Meeting (online only)
6/18/24 – June Monthly Meeting (Live at Extension Office/Barn only)
6/20/24-6/22/24 – Master Gardener Days (MN Landscape Arboretum)
Test Your Knowledge
Brush up on the following horticulture topics this month to be prepared to answer questions from residents and community members.
When can you plant frost-sensitive plants outside? Answer
Which perennials should be divided (Answer) and which woody plants (Answer) should be pruned in spring?
How often should you get a soil test done for the same garden bed? Answer
What does current research in MN say about “No Mow May” and whether it’s a good thing to do or not? Answer
What is this lawn plant? (right) How would you control it? Answer
Master Gardener News
Reminder: No May Monthly Meeting
There is no meeting in May. Check out the Continuing Education page of the website for other great ideas for expanding your knowledge.
2024 Directory Download
Want an easy way to add the 2024 RCMG contact information to your email account? Download this RCMG Volunteer Contact Info (csv) file to add their names, phone numbers, and email address directly to your address book. Then you can Import them into your email tool. BONUS: When you do this, volunteer names pop-up when you get phone calls from someone in the Ramsey County Master Gardener program.
Badges & Certificate Pick-up
Inside the Resource Center/Diagnostic Clinic, there is a tote box with badges (temporary, official, generic and replacement) and volunteer certificates for those who earned their 10+ year and 1000+ hour awards. Please stop by and pick them up.
Sign-up—Show-up
We count on each other to make our Master Gardener program a success. If you are not able to attend a volunteer activity that you previously signed up for, remember to use the 6 Strategies for Finding a Substitute to support your fellow volunteers.
Share Your Experiences
Take photos. Write a story about the event. Share your favorite moments. Tell us what you might do differently next time. Everyone enjoys learning from one another and we try to include these stories in newsletters when we get them. Consider sharing your stories this year; we all learn better, together.
Coordinator Corner
You may have noticed more opportunities to get involved with RCMG Behind The Scenes going forward. These are all critical activities that make RCMG run more smoothly but they aren't flashy and glamorous, and they are invisible to the public. If project management tasks and remote computer work sounds like your jam, hit up Brianna and ask how you can help.
Board Blurb
Our 2024 plant sale is fast approaching! Please sign up for a plant sale shift on Saturday 5/18 if able. We're still looking for cashiers, tally sheet volunteers, pick up table attendants, plant transporters, traffic control volunteers, table shepherds and general clean up help. Many hands make light work!
Thank you to all the plant sale volunteers for their hard work, long hours and dedication. Because of your efforts and generosity, we will continue to meet the funding needs for our projects. Your work supports our organization and community.
Intern Roadmap
Core Course Goals for May
2024 interns should try to finish the last of the Core Course modules this month. (Though you have until the end of this year if you need more time.) After you pass the last of your quizzes, you will see the “Course Completion” checkbox: You MUST check that box to complete your coursework.
Volunteering in May
The volunteering season for Master Gardeners starts in earnest in May. You have likely already seen many activities appear inside SignUp Genius this month. Here are some best practices.
Pace yourself. There are a lot of activities coming but they will mostly dry-up by mid-October. Plan your time but don’t worry. You can do this!
We’re counting on you. If your availability changes, remember that YOU are responsible for finding someone to cover your shift. Try these best practices for Finding a Replacement.
Speak up! If you are NOT getting sign-up invitations, contact Darren Lochner as soon as you can.
Report Any Problems. If you ever have concerns about an event or if there is ever an incident that involves yourself, another RCMG volunteer, or a participant at the event, please let us know right away using the RCMG Incident Report.
Skills & Interest Survey
RCMG gets all kinds of interesting requests and we do our best to pair volunteers with opportunities. But we can’t do that without your help. Take a few minutes to fill in the Skills & Interest Survey; it’s worth volunteer service credit!
Up Next
Pick up your volunteer badges and certificates inside the Resource Center (previously Diagnostic Clinic)
Register for volunteer activities
Record all of your spring hours in the State database; contact your mentor if you need help
Volunteer Stories
Meet the Class of 2024
Please welcome the newest RCMG volunteers, including new interns Alexa Deppeler, Kathy Fryxell, Dave Gries, Linda Koopmans, Melissa Maier, Cathy Miller.
Helpful Core Course Reference Links
The Core Course modules offer a treasure trove of intriguing links, some of which interns may not have had time to check and seasoned Master Gardeners may have forgotten about. Katie Robinson recognized the need for easy access to this valuable information and she compiled the majority of links from each module into a handy "Core Course Modules Reference Links" list. Feel free to bookmark this document for your personal review or research. Happy exploring!
Summer Youth Activities
Youth Projects are perfect activities for both experienced Master Gardeners and for Interns. Here is a summary of some of the upcoming summer youth activities. You can also find them by searching for the word “Youth” in Sign Up Genius or by marking the Summer Youth Activity page as a favorite.
About the RCMG Book Club
NOTE: Both copies of The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson are missing from the Lending Library and we’d like to get them back. Please return them to the library. Thank you.
Comparing Garden Clubs & Master Gardeners
Take a look at this write-up comparing the Master Gardeners and Garden Club by Mindy Johnson with input from: Patricia Ohmans, Debbie Lee, Susie DeShon, Katie Swanson, Sue Stein, Liz Goebl, Laurel Watt, Jan Fransen, and Sue VonBank. This is a great way to help gardeners join a plant-loving community that meets their needs!
Volunteer Activities
RCMG Plant Sale—5/18
There’s still time to join the action! The RCMG Plant Sale is this weekend, Saturday May 15. If you are free to help, please sign-up. We will especially need help at the end of the sale with clean-up. Please lend a hand!
RCMG Behind-The-Scenes—May
It takes a lot of work to support an organization of 400 volunteers. You can help! Check out these behind-the-scenes volunteering opportunities to help keep RCMG running smoothly.
Yard and Garden Phone Line—6/03-6/09
Answer resident’s garden questions from home by signing up for a shift through the Arboretum’s Yard & Garden hotline. Shifts are reserved for RCMG from June 3 through June 9. These are excellent opportunities to volunteer remotely and build your garden knowledge at your own pace.
Host A Garden Gate Tour—Thur & Sun
Open your garden to fellow RCMG volunteers and host a Garden Gate Tour this summer! Tours are scheduled for Thursday evenings (6:30- 8:00 pm) OR Sunday afternoons (4:30-6:00 pm); please express your preference and we'll do our best to accommodate.
Food Donation (Gardens for Good)—weekly
Gardens for Good is a partnership between the Master Gardeners and St. Paul Public Housing Agency. RCMG volunteers grow produce and flowers in their home gardens to donate in a free Farmer’s Market format to residents at the Wilson Hi-Rise. Sign up here to donate produce or flowers during Jun-Oct. NOTE: Signing up is not a commitment to donate each week. More details will be sent out in early June.
Continuing Education Opportunities
Find approved opportunities to learn more on the RCMG website, the State MG Volunteer website, the MN Landscape Arboretum, or through Extension. Check with the program coordinator about other local events and learning opportunities.
Volunteer Training Spotlight: Etiquette & Branding
Watch Darren’s presentation about the best ways to present yourself while volunteering at public events. You can shop branded apparel like t-shirt and hats on the State Master Gardener website.
April Education Meeting Recap
Our guest speaker, Lois Ann Helgeson, Twin Cities Rose Club Vice President and Ramsey County Master Gardener shared information about Roses for Your Minnesota Garden. Read the recap or watch the recording.
May Education Meeting—Special
There is no monthly meeting this month. We invite you to enjoy the recording of this presentation of Pollinator’s Best Hope by Doug Tallamy, professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware.
RCMG Book Club: Prairie Up—5/28
The next RCMG Book club discusses Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design by Benjamin Vogt on Tuesday 5/28. There are copies of this book available through the RCMG Lending Library, and several copies available through the public library, including ebook and audiobook versions. Sign-up to join the discussion.
Master Gardener Days—6/20-6/22
Save the date: June 20-22 at the MN Landscape Arboretum. Watch for more information in the State Newsletters from Tim Kenny.