Lynn Brown-Summers and Tim Summers are a dynamic husband-and-wife team. Their differing strengths have made them an inspiring team in serving their local community wherever they are needed. UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) San Bernardino County Master Gardeners since January 2019 (Lynn) and July 2017 (Tim) and UCCE Master Food Preservers (since 2017), they enjoy spending time together gardening and preserving their own food.

Lynn's strength is to connect with like-minded individuals to accomplish mutual goals. She has the mind, heart, and soul of an activist, which comes as no surprise since most of her family members are involved in public service, politics, and publishing. Her mother, Cheryl Brown, is a former Assemblywoman of the 47^th District and current California State Commissioner on Aging who has devoted most of her life to public service. In 1980, Lynn's father and mother founded Brown Publishing Company to produce Black Voice News. This weekly newspaper focuses on local news in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Lynn knows how to “make things happen” and the right people to help in that effort. As Tim says, “My wife is one of those forces of nature. Tell her what, you point her in the direction, and she will get it done.” A self-proclaimed “gardening nerd," Tim is the “nuts and bolts' implementation force of the team. He enjoys the hands-on part of their collaboration, and it shows through his gardening. Together, they are unstoppable in their goal to make the world better through the Master Gardeners' mission, “To extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of California.”

Learning the researched-based approach to sustainable gardening taught in the Master Gardener program has helped Lynn and Tim fulfill their strong desire to help others. They believe that the program provides supportive credibility to their Master Gardener and Master Food Preserver presentations. It gives them a greater depth of knowledge and background of information to pull accurate and useful information. Lynn and Tim believe that research-based knowledge is especially critical for integrated pest management (IPM). They took a UC ANR IPM class a few years ago. They recommended that anyone interested take one of the online courses or workshops https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/master-gardeners/.

Tim and Lynn believe that society can be affected positively by teaching people how to grow and store their own food. Food insecurity is a problem throughout the world. One of their goals is to educate people regarding how they can have access to healthy food. There is a sufficient supply of food in the world to feed people. However, a lot of food is thrown away. As a society, we are accustomed to seeing food that perfect in appearance. Many foods thrown away are perfectly acceptable for consumption. Still, they may have some blemishes that we are not used to seeing in grocery stores. Encouraging people to understand that unattractive fruits and vegetables are not always bad and teaching them how to preserve them could make a difference in our society. They would like people to understand that these items are perfectly acceptable for food preservation and consumption. Doing this one thing could help make a difference in our society.

Before COVID restricted activities, Lynn and Tim were active in presenting Master Gardener and Master Food Preserver workshops at the Rialto Community Garden at 539 Acacia Avenue, Rialto. They are passionate about teaching people the safe way to preserve and store food they have grown.

They took the Master Food Preserver class together in 2017 to teach people how to become more self-sufficient. The course helped Lynn grow in the way she preserved and canned foods. She grewup preserving and canning, but techniques have changed since she learned from her grandmother. When teaching a gardening class, they incorporate concepts and techniques for food preservation. This includes fermenting (pickles), preserving (jams, jellies), pressure canning (just about anything including chicken), dehydrating (fruit), and drying (spices, okra).

Lynn and Tim are involved in so many projects that I am amazed at how they find the time and energy to keep “all the balls they are juggling in the air.” They are currently finishing a new (second) Rialto Community Garden at 150 Palm Avenue opposite City Hall. They are proud that they were asked by the City of Rialto to work on the garden for the past two years from start to finish. They served as the UCCE Master Gardener experts for the project, helping develop and implement a garden plan. They represented the community garden project as advisors, attending city planning meetings and spoke at city council meetings regarding the project.

They have developed a curriculum for workshops held at the garden when COVID restrictions are lifted. They are excited to have a garden plot where they will conduct monthly gardening workshops. Their goal is to get relevant gardening information to the local community and encourage more people to become involved in gardening. They want people who may not have sufficient space for a garden to know that there is a place for them to learn about starting their own garden.

They are also working with the Mayor of Rialto to start a seed bank there. There is a beautiful old adobe building at the Bud Bender Park that Lynn and Tim think would be a perfect spot to start a seed bank. The early 19th-century structure is the oldest building still standing in Rialto. It has been used for many purposes over the years. The internal temperature of the adobe structure is perfect for storing seeds. The Mayor would like to use it for the seed bank, but it needs some repair work. The project is currently in the planning stage “on paper." The city likes the idea and is reviewing the budget for available funds. Lynn and Tim don't easily give up, so if the adobe site doesn't work out, they will find another location for a Rialto seed bank. It may be at the community garden at Bud Bender Park if the idea to use the adobe structure doesn't work out.

Lynn and Tim have participated in the City of Rialto's annual Civic Day for four years. Their favorite activity at the event is teaching Rialto Unified School District third grade students on their annual field trip how to grow vegetables. Lynn and Tim provide all the supplies for the project, so each student can take a seed planted in the soil home with them. Last year Lynn and Tim introduced the students to some of the basic concepts of designing a garden. They provided a large roll of paper for all the students to draw their garden designs. Afterward, Lynn and Tim presented the students' plan to the Rialto School Board and the Rialto City Council to foster awareness of teaching children that gardening is important and fun.

For three years, Lynn has worked with the San Bernardino Public Library and the American Girl project to teach girls who participated about some of the historical characters who had victory gardens. Lynn and her mother on the San Bernardino Library Board were planning a fundraiser for the library. They weren't sure what they would do. Lynn's sister, who serves on the Irvine Foundation Board, told them about another organization that had successfully done an American Girl fundraiser.

Lynn thought having an American Girl Victory Garden workshop would be fun and educational for young girls and attendees to learn about gardening. Stations were set up where the girls made paper, planted seeds, and made a berry jam. The UCCE San Bernardino County Master Food Preservers made food to sample, such as finger sandwiches, cakes, cookies, and other goodies from the American Girl cookbook.

Several people donated American Girl dolls and books to the San Bernardino Public Library. Any of the children who were not able to afford the American Doll event could check a doll and book out of the library and journal their thoughts before returning the library items.

A tea was held for the girls attending the first year. During the tea, each of the girls had an American Girl doll who had historically had a garden sit with them. The girls learned about historical characters like Kit, Addy, and Kaya. The families of the latter all grew and prepared their own food to survive. Kit Kittredge is an American Girl Doll whose family loses their comfortable life during the Great Depression. They had a victory garden, a vegetable stand and made their own preserves. Addy Walker is an American Girl doll who escaped slavery on a plantation in the 1860s. Addy helped on her family's gardens, where they grew all their own food. Kaya'aton'my (Kaya) is a Native American Girl doll. While the men of the tribe were away hunting, the women gathered, dried and prepared food. At the end of the event, one of the girls even won an American Girl doll!

The American Girl Victory Garden workshop that Lynn organizes each year is a well-attended, popular event. The organizers were sad they were not able to hold a workshop this year due to COVID restrictions. However, everyone is looking forward to having another workshop as soon as possible.

Lynn and Tim are highly skilled at helping people feel comfortable to think outside the box to come up with creative gardening solutions. They recently discussed how property at the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in San Bernardino can be converted to a garden with a minister's alliance group. The AME Church does a lot of outreach on self-sufficiency, sustainability, and how to give back to the community. Having their own garden would be a promising avenue for them to sell their product and help the community.

The first step is to help them develop a design concept for the designated area that takes water constraints at the property into consideration and choose the best plants for their needs. They have asked the alliance group to consider planting berries or grapes. Lynn and Tim would also like to teach them how to preserve food and make jams and jellies. Knowing Lynn and Tim, they will make the garden a success!

Like many UCCE Master Gardeners, Tim and Lynn have a life-long love of gardening. Tim grew up loving horticulture as a child and has been gardening for over 50 years. As a young adult, he had his own landscape company. Lynn developed a love of growing her own food and canning from her grandparents in North Carolina, who had 10 acres of land. Together, her grandparents raised pigs, chickens, geese and grew and preserved all their own vegetables and fruits.

I was so inspired by Lynn and Tim, their strong partnership, and their drive and passion for teaching the world how food insecurity can be alleviated. They were such an exciting and engaging couple that I could have spent many more hours chatting with them. UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardeners and Master Food Preservers are thankful to Lynn and Tim for their dedication and support. They are an inspiration to us all!

 

 

UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardener, Meredith Hergenrader says that one of the best parts of volunteering at Master Gardener events is the camaraderie of gardeners sharing gardening tips and tricks with each other. She has been an active UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardener volunteer and sharing her gardening knowledge in many Master Gardener events since her graduation in 2016 and resides in the high desert.

Before the cancellation of regularly scheduled monthly events at the Hesperia Library due to COVID restrictions, the San Bernardino County Master Gardeners and UC San Bernardino County Master Food Preservers gave presentations on various gardening topics at the library. Meredith gave presentations on integrated pest management (IPM). With a strong belief in IPM, she does not use chemicals on any of her property. She uses natural and cost-effective ways to get rid of pests. Meredith has also volunteered at local farmers' markets in Wrightwood and Phelan, answering attendees' gardening questions.

One of the most significant things that Meredith learned through being a member of the Master Gardener program is the importance of being water-wise. She says that with water resources becoming increasingly limited, we need to make the best use of the water available with an eye towards future sustainability. The Master Gardener program teaches us ways to do that. One of the methods is by planning our gardens around the needs of plants. Meredith says, “We should use plants that naturally grow in the space they are planted, and by using native plants.”

Meredith believes that we can implement changes to make our water usage better and more efficient using graywater. She developed and implemented a graywater system when she redid her bathroom. Water from the bathtub now runs out to the yard to water bushes, walnut and Asian pear trees, and many other plants around her property. (Want to learn more about using graywater safely and all its pros and cons? Click here to download a free copy of our UC Agriculture and Natural Resource publication ‘Use of Graywater in Urban Landscapes in California' that describes ‘laundry to landscape systems, restrictions, precautions, and specific ingredients to use and avoid in soaps and detergents, etc.): https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=8536

She advises everyone, especially if you consider using graywater in your garden, to be aware of ingredients in detergents and soaps you use. She makes her own cleaning agents like dish soap and clothing detergent. She does not use fabric softeners or products that are scented and don't easily biodegrade. With better technology, fabrics, and laundry products, fabric softeners are no longer necessary. Instead, Meredith occasionally adds vinegar to the rinse cycle as a softener.

Meredith believes that if you see something that needs to be fixed, “be the solution” and do something about it. She and a group of Master Gardeners and other volunteers were motivated to do something after seeing the vegetation at the Phelan Post Office being removed because of the rising cost of upkeep. She approached the postmaster with the idea of using natives and other plants that would not need much water. She received his approval to proceed with the project and quickly started to work.

It was a large space, so Meredith tackled the job in three sections. Meredith and other volunteers provided native and other drought-tolerant plants for the first area. In the second area, she planted succulents and cactus that she dug up from her own property.

She is still working on the third area around the flagpole, planting native bushes.

Meredith would like to thank Wendy Walsh Walker for her wonderful donations of a California Flannelbush and Penstemon spectabilis. The California Flannelbush is a fast-growing evergreen shrub that can grow 20 feet high by 20 feet wide and is one of the most spectacular of the native California shrubs. Meredith said: “The team has been fortunate to have Wendy as an advisor for the project. She has studied California native plants and natural history all her adult life. She worked for the Riverside Corona Resource Conservation District, doing habitat restoration for four years before moving to Transition Habitat Conservancy.”

The maintenance worker at the post office was concerned about having to water the plants. Meredith explained that only native and other water-wise plants were used, and once they were established, they would require minimal water. She watered the plants for the first year but has not watered them for the past year, and they are still alive and well.

Desert willow plant started from seeds by Meredith Hergenrader.

Last summer, the post office grounds had become overgrown with weeds. The maintenance staff did not have time to maintain the grounds. Because of COVID, they were being utilized to clean inside the post office full-time. Funds at the post office were too low to hire more staff.

Around the time the post office was becoming overgrown with weeds, Meredith received a call “out

of the blue” from UCCE Master Gardener trainee Debi Dossey. Debi asked if Meredith had been responsible for replanting at the post office two years ago and if she was interested in being part of a team of volunteers to clean up the post office grounds. Meredith saw the need and immediately said yes.

A team of volunteers worked early on Saturdays, late on Sundays, and in their free time for several months. Most of the work was done with hand tools. However, they used Weed Eaters to finish work around the pine trees. Meredith wants to acknowledge Debi Dossey for spearheading the clean-up effort at the post office, getting approval from the postmaster, and providing encouragement to her and the other volunteers.

All the volunteers were motivated by a spirit of civic duty. Darlene House (another UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardener), Amanda Plunkett (owner of BeeRooted, an environmental service “dedicated to promoting healthy environments for honeybees and humans through live bee relocation services, education, and products”), Debbie McAfee (Phelan resident), Barbara Hamilton (Hesperia resident), as well as many other volunteers from local high desert areas participated. Congratulations to you all for a job well done supporting your local community

Meredith is a life-long learner with a desire to acquire ongoing knowledge about gardening, IPM, and protecting the environment. She has extended her gardening knowledge by taking classes at Victor Valley College Agriculture and Natural Resource (AGNR) Department. She is currently taking courses for her own self-knowledge (while toying with the idea of possibly getting an advanced degree in Botany in the future.) She has taken an IPM class, is currently taking a class on identifying 100 non-native plants by their Latin names, and in February, will be taking a class on native plants.

Meredith was recently asked by one of her professors at the AGNR Department to start a seed library at the college. She has wanted to create a seed bank in the high desert, so she agreed. Meredith already has some thoughts about how she will organize the seed library utilizing onsite resources and volunteers. There are greenhouses wherethe library can be set up to bring in seeds that can be traded. There is even an onsite lab where the seeds can be cleaned, dried, and stored. She is looking forward to getting started on the seed library as soon as COVID quarantine restrictions are lifted!

Learning about Meredith's extensive knowledge of holistic health and living a fully holistic lifestyle has been eye-opening and inspirational! In her 20's, she adopted an organic lifestyle and has grown everything organically ever since. Early on, she read a book called "Back to Eden" by Jethro Kloss about herbs, how to use herbs, eat well, and avoid toxins. After reading the book, she concluded that there is probably an answer to almost any problem by using plants.

Meredith has a passion for educating people about keeping a pure seed supply and avoiding pesticides. She has never seen any logical reasons for using a lot of chemicals in our day-to-day lives. She has given talks in the high desert, promoting healthy choices, and encouraging people to lead organic lifestyles.

Meredith has an extensive property that includes a goat farm, rabbits, horses, and herb, vegetable, and flower gardens. Over several years, she has removed most of the invasive vegetation on her property while encouraging native plants to take over.

Every year the native plants reseed and have slowly taken over the invasive plants. The native plant areas need little water. However, Meredith installed a drip system to use during the hot summers in the high desert. She enlisted the help of her grandson and granddaughter and their friends to haul way truckloads of weeds. Another generation of farmers in the making!

Meredith's life-long love of farming began on her grandparents' farm in Nebraska. Like many people during that time, they had a farm growing their own vegetables, planting fruit trees, and raising chickens. They canned what they grew and preserved eggs by the water glassing method. Keeping eggs by water glassing is a long-standing historical method that works well for long-term egg storage. Meredith learned to operate farm equipment and helped her grandparents with their farm.

Meredith's fascination with seed saving started with rows of unlabeled jars of seeds on shelves in her grandparents' basement in Nebraska. Her grandmother taught her everything that she knew about farming and seed saving. Meredith learned how to operate farm equipment and plowed areas on the farm. She and her grandmother planted the collected seeds in the cultivated areas. When she was only 10 years old, she produced a large flower garden in Nebraska and won her first garden award (from the Spanish American War Auxiliary that her grandmother was a member of.) 

One of the many things I hear Master Gardeners say that they like about being in the group is meeting life-long friends with common interests. It must have been "serendipity" that Meredith met UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardener Dana Marchica-Herring. She was attending a San Bernardino County Master Gardener composting class presented by Dana in Wrightwood. After the class was over, she and Dana "hit it off," talking about their mutual gardening interests. Dana encouraged Meredith to apply to the Master Gardener program. Dana moved and she and Meredith did not see each other for over 20 years, but Meredith always remembered Dana's encouragement and applied and was accepted into the Master Gardener program years later. After all those years of not seeing each other, Meredith and Dana “ran into each other” giving talks at a Whole Life Celebration in Wrightwood. Dana was representing the San Bernardino County Master Gardeners and Meredith was giving a talk on GMOs. As Meredith likes to say, their friendship came full circle.

Meredith encourages people to think about becoming a Master Gardener by saying, “it is easier than it looks.” Having an interest in gardening and a little gardening experience is a good start. The desire to help others become better gardeners is necessary, but it is also the most fun! She says that becoming a Master Gardener is a commitment, but there are many resources available through the Master Gardener Program that provide ongoing training.

The motto of Meredith's Valhalla Farm is, “A wee small farm with lots of animals, gardens, and penchant for independence.” I think it epitomizes the spirit of Meredith!

The UCCE San Bernardino Master Gardeners thank Meredith for her enthusiasm, diverse gardening knowledge, and dedication to creating a more sustainable future!

Thinking of adding some fruit trees to your garden? Now's the time for deciduous fruit tree planting (and pruning)!  Fruit trees are a great addition to a yard, big or small.  They can provide shade, beauty and best of all …fruit!!  Citrus and other subtropical varieties, like avocados, do best planted in the spring or early fall in So Cal, where the danger of frost and high temperatures are low.  So, maybe hold off on your citrus and avocado plantings until spring; more to come from me on that in a month or two when the time is right to plant!  Back to your deciduous fruit trees! Pome fruits are one type of deciduous fruit tree where the seeds are gathered around the center of the fruit core and are often oriented in a star shape when cut in half.  Pome fruits include apples, pears, and quince.  The other type of deciduous fruit trees that we commonly plant are drupes, or stone fruit, where the fleshy fruit surrounds a single pit in the center. Whether you are planting a pome fruit or a drupe (stone fruit) there are a few basics that will lead you to success:

Right plant…. right place….. right time:  As Master Gardeners, this is our mantra….from the annual flowers we add to our garden for color, to our hardy native plants and everything in between.  The “right plant” that is placed in the “right place” at the “right time” will do so much better than a plant out of place.  For deciduous fruit trees lets break that down:

1)      “Right plant:”  Choose a fruit tree that get's enough chill hours in your area. Chill hours are calculated as the number of hours between Nov 1^st and Feb 15^th below 45 degrees (and above 32 degrees, which is less of an issue for Inland Valley plantings, where we don't get to many hours below 32 degrees each year).  Lack of adequate chill hours leads to poor fruit production, so finding a variety that fits the chill hours you get in your area is one of the most important decisions you must make when selecting your trees.  To find out how many chill hours you get in your area, check out this chill hour calculator: http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/Weather_Services/Chill_Calculators/

Don't get very many chill hours in your area?  There's no need to worry! There are many varieties of fruit trees that have been bred to have low chill hour requirements, and there are many varieties that can be successful in sunny Southern California.  A few varieties that need very few chill hours (only 100 to 200) are pomegranates, figs, and persimmons.  Varieties that often need more chill hours (600 to 1,000 hours) are cherries, pears and some plums and apples, but there are varieties of those that have been developed to be “low chill” hour types, so look for those if you live in the valleys.

2)      “Right place:”  Chose a place in your yard that will give your tree space to grow or consider trimming your trees into “fruit bushes” if you are low on space.  Want to learn more about fruit bushes?  Join our upcoming class on fruit trees to learn more (details below).  Do you have low  chill hours in your neighborhood?  You might want to look for a place in your yard that is away from structures that would radiate heat, and perhaps a low spot when cold air can collect and help you a little with chill hours (note: this might add dozens, not hundreds of chill hours though, so “right plant” is still really important!).  Poor drainage can lead to lots of health problems for your trees (fruit and ornamental), so having good soil is important. 

Planting tips: When planting all trees, it is best not to amend the hole where you are planting to prevent the roots from circling in the hole.  Think about it like this: if you fill the hole with compost, and make it extra nice for the tree, the roots will prefer not to leave the comfort of the hole it was planted in and will circle around in that nice soft soil.  This can lead to poor growth in the best case, and in the worst case can make a tree prone to falling and can cause damage or injury.  Planting trees in native soil helps them adapt to their new home and will make sure their roots are not discouraged from venturing out into their new surroundings!  If you are transplanting trees from containers, plant them at the same depth but dig the hole at least 2-1/2 times the width of the pot. Have heavy soil, or are not sure if your soil is good for fruit trees? Reach out to our helpline and we can help you figure out what is needed for success.  What about bare root trees?  Deciduous fruit trees can be planted ‘bare root' (dug in the field and refrigerated during their dormant phase with their soil removed at purchase) which is a great choice since you don't need to match two types of soil and they are less expensive.  Planting deciduous fruit trees now has several benefits.   Since the deciduous trees are dormant they experience less stress in the shipping, retail, and planting process.  Then, once spring starts to warm up, they will break dormancy, send out new roots and leaves and be all ready to go in their new home.

Reminder: This is also the time of year to prune back your established fruit trees, while dormant (except for apricots and cherries, that do best when pruned in the Aug), and apply dormant oil sprays if needed. 

3)      “Right time:”  Planting fruit trees at the “right time” can help your fruit trees get established before the heat of the summer and will get them growing with less stress to the tree.  Citrus and avocados do best when planted in the spring in So Cal, when the soil and air are warming, but will also generally do ok when planted in the fall before cool temperatures set in.  Planting them now can stress young plants when February, our generally coolest time of the year, comes around, so consider holding off on planting those trees until spring, which will be just around the corner! 

Want to learn more about chill hours, fruit tree selection, planting, pruning and more?  Attend our upcoming online Fruit Tree workshop on Jan 23^rd and bring your questions too!  In the meantime, the UC Backyard Orchard website has lots of great information for you to check out: http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/.  In my family we always plant fruit trees together (we even say a little blessing to our trees when planted…but that's a story for another day).  I have trees that my mom and grandmother planted, trees that my grandmother and I have planted, and trees that I have planted with my children.  I enjoy the fruits of my relative's forethought, relatives that my kiddos never got to meet….and one day my children and maybe their children will enjoy the fruits of my labor.  Fruit trees give us something to look forward to each year: the first leaves to emerge; the blossoms; the delicious fruit and the winter when they rest and show us the beauty of the structure of their branches.  Planting fruit trees gives us years of rewards and with the Master Gardeners' just a phone call or email away. We are here to help you with all of your questions and challenges! 

Are you ready to transform your yard into a more sustainable landscape but don't know the first thing about irrigation systems? Our very own UC San Bernardino County Master Gardener Anita Matlock really knows her “stuff” when it comes to irrigation! She has enough experience and in-depth knowledge about irrigation to teach anyone how easy it is to transition their landscape from spray sprinklers to a drip irrigation system. She has provided numerous in-depth presentations and hands-on workshops that helped attendees increase their knowledge of beneficial irrigation concepts and decrease water usage in the garden.

As a Master Gardener, Anita has been our “de facto” trainer on irrigation systems since 2003. She says, “there are still many people who are unaware of how much water and money they could save by simply swapping out standard sprays and rotors for those with integrated pressure regulation. Communities everywhere continue to face the problem of high water pressure. High water pressure causes irrigation systems to experience a higher water flow rate, which results in wasted water, higher water bills, and damaged system components.”

Before retiring, Anita's professional background since 1991 had been in the irrigation industry. She was familiar with the irrigation concepts related to the "plant, water, soil relationship," but she was not familiar with growing plants. In 2003, she was inspired to join the Master Gardener program because she wanted to learn how to prune grapes and rose bushes. Through the Master Gardener program, Anita learned about growing roses and developed enough expertise and knowledge to teach a rose pruning workshop in January 2020.

Anita says that if you enjoy gardening and want to give back to your community, consider joining the Master Gardener program. You will experience many hours of pleasure spent in your garden while also teaching others about the many joys and benefits of gardening. She also wants to remind everyone to consider joining the UC San Bernardino County Master Food Preservers program if you enjoy growing edible gardens, especially if you grow many fruits, vegetables, and herbs. You will gain a lot of satisfaction from growing your own food, preserving it for your family, and giving your preserved foods as gifts! Joining the Master Gardener and Master Food Preserver programs will open opportunities for you to develop your interests in many different directions and make life-long friends with similar interests and passions.

Anita has used her expertise in irrigation to lead several Master Gardener landscape renovation projects. Her most recent project was in the summer of 2018, at Micah House in Redlands. Along with fellow UC Master Gardeners Betty Richardson, Trisha Fitzgerald, and other volunteers, she participated in transforming a grassy area in the front yard of Micah House into a lovely drought-tolerant garden. Master Gardeners removed the existing lawns and replaced them with drought-tolerant plants watered by a new drip irrigation system. The project was made possible through a grant from the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD).

In 2018, Anita donated irrigation equipment to a research project that measured the impacts of gardening on 82 first and second-grade students at Norton Space and Aeronautical Academy, a charter school in an ethnically diverse neighborhood in San Bernardino. It was a team effort with Master Gardeners Loleta Cruse, Jackie Brooks, Robert Simpson, and other community volunteers. The study found that students participating in planting and caring for the garden had greater concentration and group cohesiveness than students participating in other group activities. These positive outcomes corroborated research from several other studies worldwide, linking enhanced mood, feelings of self-worth, improved cooperation with others, and even higher standardized test scores and grades to school gardening.

Anita's previous career in marketing and consulting sales presenting to customers and potential customers, and becoming a Toastmasters member helped her develop the confidence to speak in front of groups. She has presented at Master Gardener events too numerous to list in this article. In 2018, she presented SoCal Landscape Transformation – The Hunt for Water Savings, a workshop at Western Municipal Water District (WMWD).

In April 2020, she presented at a free webinar on DIY water-efficient landscape irrigation hosted by IERCD in partnership with the (San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (SBVMWD.) She led attendees through the ins and outs of retrofitting and drip irrigation to increase their knowledge of effective irrigation practices and help decrease their water usage. 

If you are interested in presenting as a Master Gardener but are hesitant to take that first step, you don't need years of public speaking experience like Anita has. She has some great tips to get anyone started. The first step is to study and understand the subject you are presenting. Prepare an outline for your presentation and practice it in front of your family and friends. Here is a great tip that worked for Anita when preparing to present a new topic to her fellow Toastmasters. She would introduce a shorter version to get feedback and gain the confidence to fine-tune her final presentation. Try it yourself and see how it works for you! Don't hesitate to ask your fellow Master Gardeners for help by giving you feedback on practice presentations or co-presenting with you on your favorite gardening topic.

Anita's latest gardening project reflects her interest in vertical gardening. If you have not already “dipped your gardening toes” into this fascinating and fun gardening activity, I highly recommend trying it! I think you will be inspired to try your hand at vertical gardening when you read about Anita's vertical herb and vegetable garden.

In 2003, Anita (and her husband Tony) decided they wanted something more visually appealing to look at while enjoying their patio than a bare wall separating their property from their neighbors. They also wanted herbs to use for cooking that they had grown themselves, so they built a vertical herb and vegetable garden made of wood. After 7 years, the wood had deteriorated. They recently created a new vertical system made of HDPE drainpipe to replace the old wooden system. Be creative and start your own vertical garden using unique and fun materials.

 

Anita’s old vertical herb garden made of wood

 

You never know where the path of being a Master Gardener will lead you. In 2003, Anita and her husband Tony started a hobby in home wine making. Anita also decided to join the Master Gardeners program in 2003 because she wanted to learn how to prune grapes (and roses.) Fast forward to 2018, when Anita and Tony decided to take their years as home winemakers to turn their hobby into an encore career to establish their commercial winery. Anita is now an award-winning winemaker and serves as a Board Member of the Yucaipa Valley Wine Alliance. She has provided hands-on training at many workshops on growing grapes and wine making.

UC San Bernardino County Master Gardeners are thankful to Anita Matlock for enthusiastically sharing her extensive knowledge of irrigation concepts that decrease water usage. She is a wonderfully approachable presenter, and we are proud to name her as this month's Spotlight Master Gardener!