Learning from the Past with Gail Morrell, Professional Gardener

 Perennial Plant of the Year® 2026 – Perennial Plant Association

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii ‘Blackhawks’)

Foliage emerges green, then in the summer leaf tips turn red-bronze, darkening to deep purple almost black in the fall.  USDA Zone 3-9, 5’ tall and 2’ wide, full sun,

Boxwood (Buxus spp.)

Insects: leafminers (Monarthropalpusi flavus), boxwood mite (Eurytetranychus buxi), boxwood psyllid (Cacoppsylla busi), box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis)

            Diseases:  boxwood blight

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis xintermedia)

            An often forgotten early spring blooming tree.

Amaryllis

That flower you got for Christmas!  In the spring plant it outside and feed well (20-20-20).  If you can achieve nine leaves by fall you will have three inflorescences next year.  That is according to Hamilton P. Traub’s Amaryllis Manual (Macmillan, 1958)

Orb Weaver – Visible in late summer and early fall.  Builds large intricate webs, often nightly.

Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia)

            European Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

Chrysalis – Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

            Stacking         

Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

            Thistledown® by Monterey

Surprise combinations

Mayapple (Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’), Epimedium (Epimedium xversicolor ‘Sulphureum’), Astilbe (Astilbe ‘Chocolate Shogun’), Yellow lady’s slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum), Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Helleborus

Amsonia (Amsonia hubrichtii), Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum), Siberian iris (Iris sibirica), Spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘Double Play®’ Candy Corn™), Bearded iris (Iris x germanica)

Pineapple Lily (Eucomis)

            Full sun, 8”-6’ tall depending on variety.  A summer bulb, USDA Zone 7-10. 

African Lily (Agapanthus)

            Full sun, 24-36” tall.  A summer bulb, USDA Zone 6-10.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’)

Sun or shade, 22”-26” tall, 3’4”-3’8” wide.  USDA Zone 4-9.  Resistant to Septoria leaf spot.  Attracts bees and butterflies and is long blooming.

Book – Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and other Marvels of the Dark

            By Leigh Ann Henion 

Beekeeper Kim Wood recommends Beyond Honey

Kim Wood, our January speaker recommends Beyond Honey by Tierney Monahan, New Degree Press, 2021.

Modest in size, this book is packed full of information. Beyond Honey focuses on the many ways honey bees are important to the entire world. It includes several engaging stories that describe the honey bee’s enormous environmental and economic impact on our daily lives. 

The stories spell out exactly why bees are essential to our planet, as well as describing the lives of beekeepers around the world.  Chapter 1 opens with an extensive list of traits, qualities and behaviors of honey bees, from which humans could learn (a lot!).

Chapter 9 focuses on the beneficial healing properties of the “products of the hive.” As our culture moves toward more “natural” healing, beekeepers have known and used many of these remedies for centuries!

This is a useful book to have in your library, especially because it is a great read for non-beekeeping friends.

Dean Krauskopf, Ph.D., Resources, April 10, 2025

Effect of flooding on soil structure: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408140204.htm

Hazardous chemicals soil testing labs: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/testing-for-contaminants-in-soil-water-and-plants

Minimizing risks of soil contaminants: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/minimizing-risks-of-soil-contaminants-in-urban gardens

Managing compost and soil herbicide contamination: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/manage-compost-and-soil contaminated-with-broadleaf-herbicides-in-gardens

Heat Zone Map: https://www.usbg.gov/blog/heat-zones-plant-health-and-ahs-heat-zone-map

Plant Hardiness Map: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

Storm Damaged Trees: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/which_storm_damaged_trees_can_be_saved

When to hire an arborist: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1032

Oak Wilt: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/spring-brings-new-opportunities-to-prevent-oak-wilt

Potash Production in Michigan: https://www.michiganfarmnews.com/michigan-potash-moves-one-step-closer-to-project goal-ceo-praises-mi-farmers

Histoplasmosis: https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/11/12/ofae711/7917418#google_vignette

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ https://www.usa.gov/agencies/animal-and plant-health-inspection-service

Asian Longhorned Beetle: https://www.michigan.gov/invasives/id-report/insects/asian-longhorned-beetle

Alternatives to Boxwood: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/beyond-boxwood-alternative-landscape-shrubs-for-michigan gardeners

Spotted Lanternfly: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/spotted-lanternfly-a-guide-for-homeowners-and-residents-in michigan

Lily leaf beetle: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/lily_leaf_beetle_watch_out_for_this_garden_pest

Mason and Leafcutter Beekeeping: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/mason_and_leafcutter_beekeeping

What do insects see: https://entomologyanimated.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hs3vAZYsA8&t=93s

Hidden Lake Gardens: https://ipf.msu.edu/hidden-lake-gardens

Marilee Benore, PhD, Professor Emerita of Biochemistry & Biology, U of M-Dearborn, on Mountainmint

Perennial Plant of the Year® 2025 – Perennial Plant Association
Clustered Mountainmint (Pycnanthemum muticum)

We have a plot of this on campus (but overly weedy) and my lab in coordination with Professor Simona Marincean  have been conducting research on the essential oils. There has been little work on its use in products, but the smell is heavenly. I do not recommend eating or drinking it due to a small pulegone content, but it is a lovely lovely plant, and the stems stay upright all winter.  Picking a leaf or two and rubbing it between your fingers releases a peppermint/spearmint aroma. We distilled the oils and tested the chemistry and its ability to inhibit bacterial growth.

MGAWC's Margot McCormack Celebrates 45 Years as Master Gardener

Link below to a nice article about Margot McCormack’s 45 years as an MSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer, 1980-2025. Congratulations and thank you for 45 years of service to the community and volunteer work in gardens and teaching others. Margot is extremely generous with her expertise, time and plants from her garden.

PLEASE NOTE CORRECTION FOR ACCURACY:

The caption under the photo should refer to the Master Gardener Association of Wayne County (MGAWC) to match the cake in the photo. The picture was likely taken during a special shopping day for MGAWC members and guests at Christensen’s Plant Center. Besides Margot McCormack, other people pictured include Kathy Frank, Tonja Nudi, Wayne Watson, Barbara Greenberg, Martha Forst-Watson and Beverly Evans.

The other cake on the right was likely to celebrate Elaine Weider’s birthday, MGAWC’s treasurer at the time.

Meet an MSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer who trained in 1980 - Gardening in Michigan

LEARNING FROM THE PAST by Gail Morrell, Professional Gardener 

Handout for Gail’s February 2025 presentation to MGAWC members on Zoom:

Perennial Plant of the Year® 2025 – Perennial Plant Association

Clustered Mountainmint (Pycnanthemum muticum)

Not a true mint but described as robust!  USDA zones 4 to 8; 2-3’ tall & wide; blooms white-light pink July thru Sept with silver bracts; full to part sun; deer and rabbit resistant; pollinator plant and larval food of the Wavy-lined Emerald Moth (Synchlora aerate).

 Hosta of the Year – American Hosta Growers Association

            Skywriter – blue hosta with corrugated leaves and purple stems. 1.5’ tall and 4’ wide

 Moths – 160,000 moth species compared to 17,500 species of butterflies worldwide!

Silk Moths - Caterpillar stage lasts for 37 to 52 days feeding with a ravenous appetite. Adults do not feed; they have no proboscises and only live for a few days to mate and lay eggs!

 Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus)

            Laval host plants ash, birch, grape, hickory, maple, oak, and pine

             Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)

            Laval host apple, ash, beech, birch, elm, maple, oak, and willow

 Parasitic plants

Dodder (Cuscuta) 150 species worldwide.  They are holoparasitic meaning they have leafless yellow/orange stems and use haustoria (modified roots) to get all their water and nutrients from the host plant, they do not photosynthesize so do not produce chlorophyll.  It is a self-seeding annual but once sprouted can only survive 5-10 days without a host plant.

 American Mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) 240 species in the Americas.  They are hemiparasitic, most have leaves or scales and do photosynthesize.  They get all their water and mineral nutrients from their host.  Host plants include maples, oaks, ash, walnuts, elm, poplars and more.  They are considered an evergreen shrub.  American Mistletoe is the primary larval food of the Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus)

 Houseplants

            Terrariums

            Plastic saucers for containers

 Feeding the birds

            Kensington Metropark

Bring your own seed and hand feed the birds!  Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpeckers, and White-breasted Nuthatch

 Container plant

Tall Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) USDA zone 7-11 (an annual for us) Lilac flowers; airy see through habit; 3-6’ tall, 1-3’ wide; blooms all summer; attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

 Discover

            Find and learn about a new insect, butterfly, moth, spider or caterpillar this year!

 Book

            Gardening for Moths:  A Regional Guide by Jim McCormac and Chelsea Gottfried

 Website/Blog    https://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/

Beautiful pictures and a true nature lover.  His blog covers plants, moths and birds!

Nature Journaling Resources from Karen Gourlay

Journaling about nature can be a fun and creative way to spark curiosity and improve your observational skills. Nature journaling can also be a benefit to your annual record-keeping by prompting you to observe your garden more closely, track seasonal changes and interactions, and make comparisons over the years.

Ideas to get started: (1) I notice …, (2) I wonder …, (3) It reminds me of …

Various approaches or languages; start with your comfort zone, then add

  • Words -- descriptions, stories, poems, questions, lists, location, landscape (forest, wetland, garden, etc.)

  • Pictures -- drawings, boxes, arrows, maps

  • Numbers -- counts, time, date, charts, graphs,

 When facing a blank page, start with meta-data, maybe a block on top with:

  • Date

  • Time

  • Weather

  • Temperature

  • Location

Then add some boxes or circles for a note, a sketch, a map, break the page into small sections for focusing on different aspects

On the first page of new journal, maybe:

  • Favorite quotation

  • Goal

  • Table of contents (or opt for an index at the back)

Focus your attention on something that catches your interest

Focus on the process, not the page

 Prepare a journaling bag—that you keep by the door or in the car—that might contain:

  • Current journal

  • Favorite writing utensils (pens, mechanical pencils, colored pencils, whatever)

  • Binoculars

  • Small jar or plastic bag to collect something

  • Tape measure or ruler

  • Handheld magnifier

  • Small watercolor kit with water brush containing water in the barrel

 Have fun — It’s just for you — Doesn’t have to be perfect or anything you ever share with anyone else

Dean Krauskopf, Ph.D., with Science Updates for Gardeners

DIF: https://ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/fact-sheets/controlling-plant-height-without-chemicals

CO2 Levels: https://www.co2.earth/daily-co2

Bioluminescent Petunias: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bioluminescent-plants-are-now-even-brighter-light-bio-to-begin-selling-firefly-petunias-to-consumers-with-usda-approval-302050054.html

GMO Orange Petunia: https://www.science.org/content/article/how-transgenic-petunia-carnage-2017-began

https://www.greenhousegrower.com/crops/genetically-engineered-orange-petunia-deregulation-now-official/

GMO Purple Tomato: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/04/28/1244374630/gmo-purple-tomato-seeds-baker-creek-controversy

MISIN: https://www.misin.msu.edu/

Balsam Wooly Adelgid: https://www.canr.msu.edu/bwa/index

https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/balsam-woolly-adelgid-in-michigan

Hemlock Wooly Adelgid: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/hemlock_woolly_adelgid_e3300

Cicadas: https://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/Michigan_Cicadas/Michigan/Index.html https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-this-zombie-fungus-turns-cicadas-into-horror-movie-sex-bots/

Onion Weather Oracle: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-to-consult-an-onion-calendar?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us

Alternatives to Callery Pear: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/callery-pear-alternatives-an-invasive-and-troublesome-tree

Abscisic acid and mite resistance: https://phys.org/news/2024-05-drought-stress-hormone-block-snacking.html

Contaminant Testing Labs: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/testing-for-contaminants-in-soil-water-and-plants

Ergonomic Practices: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/promoting-health-and-productivity-through-ergonomic-practices-for-farming-and-gardening

Plant Identification Apps Updated: Plant identification? There’s an app for that—actually several! - Landscaping (msu.edu)

MSU Recorded Gardening Education on a Variety of Topics

Ways to Earn Education Credits - Master Gardener Program (msu.edu)

Free Recorded Webinars:

Geophytes for Neophytes  (1.25 hrs) Isabel Branstrom and Dr. Sarah Rautio, MSU Extension

Spruce Decline (1.25 hrs) Dr. Monique Sakalidis, MSU Dept of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences; MSU Dept of Forestry

Managing Habitat for Monarch Butterflies (MSUE Hort Cafe) (1 hr) Dr Nate Haan, MSU Dept of Entomology

Berries and BIrds (MSUE Hort Cafe) (1 hr) Dr Jen Owen, MSU Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife

Seed Starting - To the Windowsill and Beyond! (MSUE DIG IN) (1.25 hrs) Dr. Lori Imboden, former MSUE Consumer Horticulture Educator

Smart Shorelands (Part 1) Michigan's Water Resources-Exploration of Shore Plants and Practices (MSUE DIG IN) (1.5 hrs) Erick Elgin, MSU Extension Water Quality Educator

Smart Shorelands (Part 2) Stormwater is Everyone's Problem! (MSUE DIG IN) (1 hr) Bindu Bhakta, MSU Extension Water Quality Educator

Smart Shorelands (Part 3) Kool Critters that Live Near the Shore and Impactful Rain Gardens (MSUE DIG IN) (1 hr) Paige Filice, MSU Water Resource and Aquatic Educator

Smart Lawn Alternatives - Sedges and Much More! (MSUE DIG IN) (1.25 hrs) Barslund Judd, MSUE Consumer Horticulture Educator

Berried Treasures (MSUE DIG IN) (1 hr) Dr Nate Walton, MSUE Consumer Horticulture Educator

Smart Soils - Sustainability Beneath the Surface  (MSUE DIG IN) (1.25 hrs) Dr. George Bird, MSU Professor Emeritus, Department of Entomology

Insect Life Cycles—Web of Headliners (MSUE DIG IN) (1 hr) Dr. David Lowenstein, MSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Educator

Smart Gardening—Veggie Garden Season Extension (MSUE DIG IN) (1.25 hrs) Rebecca Krans, MSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Educator

Brighten your Day! Lighting for Indoor Plants (MSUE DIG IN) (1 hr) Christopher Imler, MSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Educator

Creating Smart Pollinator Meadows (MSUE DIG IN) (1 hr) Isabel Branstrom, former MSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Educator

Garden-Size Trees (MSUE DIG IN) (1.25 hrs) Rebecca Finneran, MSU Extension Senior Horticulture Educator

Resources from Dean Krauskopf, PhD, at April Meeting