The statewide office is thrilled to introduce the new UC Master Gardener Program statewide training coordinator, Lauren Snowden. Lauren will work out of the statewide office at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources building in Davis, Calif. She will be responsible for developing trainings, resources and materials to assist coordinators and volunteers for county-based programs. Volunteer Management Institute (VMI), drought train-the-trainer workshops, VMS help resources and the expert speaker database are just a few examples of the many projects Lauren will be managing during her new role.

 

Before joining the statewide staff for the UC Master Gardener Program, Lauren worked for Yuba County Health and Human Services where she was an Administrative Analyst for twelve years. During her time at Yuba County Health and Human Services Lauren worked alongside management to develop training programs for employees and coworkers. She has a passion for creating creative and engaging trainings and is excited to bring her experience to UC Master Gardeners.

 

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to take what Aubrey has already done and continue to build upon the great work with our coordinators, volunteers and statewide staff.” – Lauren Snowden, Statewide Training Coordinator – UC Master Gardener Program

 

Lauren has been a UC Master Gardener volunteer in Sutter-Yuba Counties since 2011.  As a UC Master Gardener volunteer Lauren co-manages her program's monthly county newsletter, and trains the public and fellow volunteers on her favorite gardening topics, including: vegetable gardening, planting for spring flowers, and patio gardening.

 

Lauren resides in Yuba City on two acres of a “work in progress” with her husband Phil, dog Gunner and beloved cat Rascal. She is a substitute yoga instructor at her local gym, and is training to run a half and full marathon in 2015. 

 

 

 

Plant a Tree to Celebrate Arbor Day! Have you ever wondered how this national (and international) holiday got its roots? Arbor Day is an annual observance that promotes tree planting and care and reflects a hope for the future. As a formal holiday, it was first observed in 1872, in Nebraska.

In 1854, Julius Sterling Morton moved from Detroit to Nebraska City, Nebraska. Morton was a nature lover and felt that Nebraska's landscape and economy would benefit from the wide-scale planting of trees. He set an example himself planting orchards, shade trees and wind breaks on his own farm and urged neighbors to do the same.

Morton  became editor of Nebraska's first newspaper and used the paper to share agricultural information, ideas on environmental stewardship and his enthusiasm for trees to a receptive audience. He was ahead of his time as his own version of a master gardener!

In 1872, Morton presented the State Board of Agriculture a resolution “to set aside one day to plant trees, both forest and fruit.” The Board declared April 10 Arbor Day. More than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day. With this first tree planting holiday observance, J. Sterling Morton became known as the “Founder of Arbor Day.” Arbor Day did not become a legal holiday until 1885, when the legislature set aside Morton's birthday, April 22, as the holiday. 

Today, National Arbor Day is celebrated in all fifty states the last Friday in April but many states observe Arbor Day on different dates throughout the year based on best tree-planting times in their area. As a state, California celebrates Arbor Day Week March 7-14.

For more information on planting and caring for landscape or fruit trees visit the UC California Garden Web website.

To learn more about Arbor Day, visit the Arbor Day Foundation Website.       

 

Information and quotes cited in this blog can be found on Arbor Day Foundation & Arbor-day.net.

 

2015 marks the 45^th anniversary of Earth Day, which is celebrated by more than 1 billion people worldwide. The national theme for this year's Earth Day is It's Our Turn to Lead, a phrase that directly describes the more than 6,000 UC Master Gardener volunteers actively leading in their local communities.

UC Master Gardeners are passionate about conserving water, protecting the environment, managing pest, and most importantly love plants! Last year, UC Master Gardeners donated 385,260 volunteer hours to the program's mission of extending research-based home horticulture information to the public.

UC Master Gardeners are critical in supporting UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources' (UC ANR) strategic initiatives for healthy communities, healthy environments and healthy plants across the state of California.

“UC Master Gardener volunteers represent the most passionate and dedicated group of people I have encountered,”  said Missy Gable, statewide director of the UC Master Gardener Program, “they are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge of research-based gardening information with the public and their commitment of time to this practice is both generous and inspiring.  UC Master Gardeners are an unbelievable resource for all residents in California and I want to recognize their efforts this Earth Day.  Volunteers are taking the lead to provide sound advice to CA gardeners as we all work to use water appropriately, connect to our food systems and protect our environment.”

Join us on Earth Day 2015!

Perhaps you've seen your local UC Master Gardeners answering questions at the Farmer's Market or you've read an article by a volunteer in your local paper.  If the 45^th anniversary of Earth Day has inspired you to become more active with your environment, consider connecting with your local UC Master Gardener Program. 

Sample of UC Master Gardener Events Happening Across the State the Week of Earth Day:

• Calaveras County:
  Open Garden Day
  April 25, 10 am – 2 pm
• Contra Costa County:
  Antioch High School Earth Day Festival
  April 22, 12 – 3 pm
  Lafayette Earth Day Festival
  April 26, 11 am – 3 pm
• El Dorado County
  Rainwater Harvesting/Greywater Use
  April 25, 9 am – 12 pm
• Lake County:
  Yuba College Earth Day
  April 22, 10 am – 1 pm
• Napa County:
  Earth Day Celebration
  April 25, 10 am – 3 pm
  Sierra College Earth Day 2015
  April 22, 10 am – 3 pm
• Sacramento County:
  Plant Clinic - Greener Gardens Expo and Garden Tour
  April 25, 10 am – 3 pm
• San Diego County:
  Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Earth Day Celebration
  April 22, 11 am – 2 pm
• Santa Clara County:
  Earth Day - San Jose
  April 22, 10 am – 3 pm
• Sonoma County:
  Drip Irrigation - Rincon
  April 25, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
• Ventura County:
  Front Yard Landscape Irrigation and Water Usage
  April 22, 1 – 3 pm

UC Master Gardener volunteers receive University training in horticulture from experts in the field, mostly UC Cooperative Extension Advisors and Specialists.  In exchange for training, UC Master Gardener volunteers extend research-based information on sustainable home horticulture practices to the public. Whether you are looking to reduce your landscape water use, grow tomatoes or even become a UC Master Gardener yourself, volunteers are ready to help you.  Find a program or event near you!

Standing in the usually snow-packed Sierra Nevada Mountains, Gov. Jerry Brown called for a mandatory reduction of water use across California the beginning of this month. For the first time in the state a required water conservation action has been called, shedding light on the severity of California's drought conditions.

At the direction of Gov. Brown the State Water Resources Control Board will require local water districts to impose a 25 percent water restrictions on all resident's water use.

“People should realize we are in a new era,” Brown said. “The idea of your nice little green grass that gets water every day, that's going to be a thing of the past.”

These new mandatory restrictions have left many home gardeners to wonder what this means for their home landscape.

Reducing Water Use in the Garden

According to The California Garden Web, an informational website about gardening hosted by the UC Master Gardener Program, water use in the home landscape can often be easily reduced by 20 to 40 percent because overwatering is a common mistake by homeowners. Slowly start to reduce water supplied to plants over the course of a few weeks, giving the plants time to adapt to the change.

It is important for residents to remember to not introduce new plants to your landscape during a severe drought. Even California native plants aren't drought-tolerant until they become well established. When water restrictions are lifted and new plants can be introduced, select drought-tolerant varieties appropriate for your climate zone. 

Planting in the fall as opposed to the spring allows plants to become established by winter rains. Residents should prioritize water use in their landscape, saving established trees and large shrubs first because they are typically more expensive to replace and require years to mature.

The lawn should be given a low water priority. As Brown stated during his address, “nice little green grass that gets water every day, that's going to be a thing of the past.” The lawn is often underused and typically mismanaged with overwatering in the home landscape. Lawn can easily be reestablished over a short period of time, or replaced with ground covers, mulches or hardscapes. If saving a lawn is a must, remember to mow your lawn higher during very warm weather and only water at night between 9 pm and 6 am.

UC Master Gardener Program Offers Help

The UC Master Gardener Program has volunteers across the state, trained by University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), available to answer the public's questions about how to save established trees, plants and reduce water use in their yards.

Many of the program's 50 county-based locations offer free to the public hotline services, home irrigation analysis and workshops for the public that are aimed at helping California's residents reduce their water use. Contact a local UC Master Gardener Program for more water saving information and resources.

Trusted Resources

The new second edition of the California Master Gardener Handbook from the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) is a great resource for drought tips and home landscape water conservation methods. With an extensive chapter dedicated to water conservation methods, best practices for irrigation, plant selection, and tips for protecting water quality in urban landscapes.

Another great option is to use the irrigation worksheet for homeowners that was recently developed by Dr. Loren Oki, CE Specialist, Landscape Horticulture with UC ANR and UC Davis. The worksheet is designed to calculate an irrigation schedule for a landscape zone for one calendar year.