Monthly Archives: November 2015

December Gardening Tips

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Now that it is getting colder and we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving, it is time to get ready for the holidays in December!  Below are some gardening tips, recipes, educational opportunities (including the 2016 Master Gardener program – hurry, deadline for registration is December 18th!) and events for December including lots of festive events for all!

Don’t miss the opportunity to get some of your decorating and gift shopping done by going to some local events including the Mill Creek Towne Holiday Show on Friday, December 4th and Mill Creek Towne Garden Club’s Season’s Nursery sale on Friday to Sunday, December 11th-13th (see below for details on these and other local events for December)!

Planning:

Flowers and Groundcovers:

Trees and Shrubs:

  • Prune maples, dogwoods, birch, elm, walnut, and yellowwood to prevent “bleeding”.
  • Moderately prune evergreens, especially hollies, for indoor decorating.
  • Water slowly and deeply if weather is very dry and ground is not frozen.
  • Prune out Fireblight damage Malus and Pyrus when very cold.
  • Diseases to watch for: Fireblight
  • For care of holiday plants and trees, see online publications on “Seasonal and Indoor Plants” tips.
    • HG 45 – Selecting and Caring for the Cut Christmas Tree
    • HG 46 – Selecting and Caring for a Live Christmas Tree
  • See HGIC’s December Trees and Shrubs Tips for more details.
Herbs, Veggies, and Fruit:

Lawns:

Indoors/Houseplants:

Indoor/Outdoor Insect and Wildlife Tips:

 

Support our Local Farmers – Participate in the Buy Local Challenge!buy_local

Please support our local farmers by visiting one of Montgomery County’s Farmers Markets and purchasing local fresh produce.  See below for a  listing of local farmersʼ markets and farms in your area.

Source: University of Maryland Extension’s Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC).

Upcoming Events and Educational Opportunities:

See below for highlights of upcoming events on our calendar. Check out our Events Calendar for a complete list of upcoming events for all ages!

Maryland Master Naturalist Training

Maryland Master Naturalist logo
Maryland Master Naturalist logo

Would you like a chance to learn more about the natural world and our place in it? Would you volunteer your time to share the wonder of Nature with others, to assist in ecological research, and strive to make your community a healthier, happier place?If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you may have the makings of a Maryland Master Naturalist.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is partnering with the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks to host Master Naturalist training, beginning February 10, 2016 and continuing through mid-May. Classes, which will focus on the natural history of Maryland’s Coastal Plain, will be held on Wednesdays, from 5:30pm to 9:30pm, at MD DNR headquarters, the Tawes State Office Building in Annapolis. Three field days will also be scheduled on Saturdays, to practice identification skills and research techniques. Expert instructors will be on hand to guide Master Naturalists and to share tips and tools of the trade. Read more about this program…

Become a Master Gardener:

Registration Deadline: December 18, 2015 Montgomery County Master Gardeners logo

Master Gardeners are trained volunteers of the University of Maryland Extension dedicated to helping County residents by educating them about safe, effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes and communities. Participants in the 2016 Montgomery County Master Gardener volunteer training program will learn environmentally sound gardening practices and after qualifying as Master Gardeners have many opportunities to help and teach others.

Classes meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week from January 26, 2016, to March 11, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.at the Montgomery County Extension, Agricultural History Farm Park, 18410 Muncaster Road, in Derwood, MD. Cost is $325. The deadline to register is Friday, December 18, 2015. Class size is limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more details: https://extension.umd.edu/…/Mon…/2016%20training%20class.pdf

Garden of Lights: Winter Garden Walk Through Holiday Light Display

November 27, 2015January 3, 2016

GardenOfLightsTemp

Open Nightly from November 27, 2015 – January 3, 2016 (closed December 24 & 25)
Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 5:30 – 9:30 PM | Friday – Saturday: 5:30 – 10:00 PM

Make a new holiday tradition at the Garden of Lights Walk Through Holiday Light Display

Step into a magical winter wonderland illuminated with more than one million dazzling colorful lights shaped into hand-crafted, original art forms of flowers, animals and other natural elements. Stroll from garden to garden enjoying twinkling tree forms, fountains, sparkling snowflakes overhead and more. The Garden of Lights celebrates its 18th season as a Baltimore/Washington, DC area family holiday tradition.

The night wouldn’t be complete without a visit inside the Conservatory to enjoy watching G-Scale model trains wind through a seasonal landscape. Afterward, warm up inside the Visitors Center while you sip hot cocoa and listen to one of the nightly musical performances. The Conservatory Winter Display and Garden Railway Exhibit is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM beginning Friday, November 27, 2015 – Sunday, January 3, 2016.

$25 per car/van (Monday-Thursday) | $30 per car/van (Friday-Sunday)
$25 advanced tickets available beginning November 1, 2015
Cash only at entrance | Call for info on fees for buses, vans and limos.

Winter Lights

Winter Lights Open Nightly November 27 through December 31

The City of Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival is getting ready to welcome visitors for its 20th spectacular season. The wondrous display of lights at Seneca Creek State Park will be open nightly November 27 through December 31. Please note that the festival will be closed on December 25.

The 3.5 mile drive through the enchanted setting of Seneca Creek State Park takes you past more than 365 illuminated displays and 65 animated vignettes that light up the night. Themed areas include Winter Woods, Teddy Bear Land, Victorian Village, the North Pole, and much more. The park is located at 11950 Clopper Road, just a few miles west of the intersection with I-270.

Location:

Seneca Creek State Park
11950 Clopper Road
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878

Hours:

Sunday – Thursday: 6 – 9 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 6 – 10 p.m.

Learn more…

Zoolights at the National Zoo November 27-January 2.

Over 500,000 LED lights and music, too!

nationalzoo.si.edu

Mill Creek Towne Holiday Show

Friday, December 4, 2015, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm

17817 Vinyard Lane, Derwood, MD 20855

Come and spend a lovely evening in Mill Creek Towne. Enjoy food, the company of your neighbors and get some holiday shopping done. Raffle drawing every half hour for gift certificates to be used at one of our vendors.

Mill_Creek_Towne_Holiday_Show_flyer

 

Mill Creek Towne Garden Club Season’s Nursery Holiday Fundraiser

Friday–Sunday, December 11–13, 2015

top-mistletoeMill Creek Towne Garden Club

cordially invites you to our

Mill Creek Towne Garden Club's Season's Nursery Holiday Fundraiser, December 11, 12, 13, Friday - Sunday

Please support Mill Creek Towne Garden Club’s community projects through our Season’s Nursery Sale. Proceeds help defray the costs for landscaping and maintenance of the MCT entrances. The sale is on Friday–Sunday, December 11th–13th, 2015. Season’s Nursery will donate 5% back to the MCT Garden Club from the Gift Shop, nursery, firewood—EVERYTHING. To participate, you must mention “MILL CREEK TOWNE GARDEN CLUB” when you make your purchase.

Fri–Sat 8:00 am-6:00 pm | Sun 9:00 am-5:00 pm

Season’s Nursery

8135 Snouffer School Rd.

Gaithersburg, MD 20879

301-990-6689

http://seasonsnurseryinc.com/

*Donations to MCT Garden Club are gratefully accepted*

Happy Holidays!

bottom-mistletoe

MCTGC Season's Nursery sale-v2 flyer-web

 

Montgomery Parks Special Events & Festivals – December


Winter_Banner-festivals

December

Christmas on the Farm

Saturday & Sunday, December 12 & 13, 2015
Noon-5pm | Agricultural History Farm Park, 18400 Muncaster Rd., Derwood, MD 20855
FREE! All ages welcome | No registration required
Learn more

Winter Solstice Campfire at Meadowside Nature Center

Saturday, December 19
7-8 p.m. | Meadowside Nature Center
$6/child b| Ages 3 & up| Please register for all attending at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org. Come share the light and warmth of the campfire ring at Meadowside. We’ll tell tales of winter, make lanterns (one per family) to light our way and enjoy a toasty marshmallow treat.
Learn more

Winter Solstice: A Celebration of Light at Brookside Nature Center

Sunday, December 20
1-5 p.m. | Brookside Nature Center
$6/person| Ages 3 & up| Please register for all attending at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org. Rediscover winter at Brookside Nature Center’s Solstice Celebration with activities and crafts that highlight different cultural celebrations of the year’s shortest day. Calm yourself with a spiral walk; sip hot cider by the fire; make lanterns to light up the night; and enjoy the shadow-puppet theater’s presentation of Shingebiss and the North Wind. Pre-registration appreciated but not required.
Learn more

Winter Solstice Celebration at Locust Grove Nature Center

Sunday, December 20
4-6 p.m. | Meadowside Nature Center
$6/person| Ages 3 & up| Please register for all attending at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org. The winter solstice is a just few days away, and the winter holiday season is here! Join us at Locust Grove Nature Center to welcome winter with a family-friendly celebration. Enjoy a campfire, make New Year’s wishes, light candles, make treats to share with animals, and roast chestnuts and marshmallows on an open fire! Please register and pay for both children and adults.
Learn more

Winter Solstice Night Hike

Tuesday, December 22
6:30-7:30 p.m. | Black Hill Nature Programs
$6/person| Ages 8 & up| Please register for all attending at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org. Celebrate the start of winter with a hike by the light of the no-quite-full moon. We’ll look and listen for creatures that are most active at night. Hikes are approximately 1 mile. Dress warmly and please, no flashlights.
Learn more

Happy Thanksgiving from the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club!

Dear Neighbors,
We wish you and your family a Happy, Healthy, and Safe Thanksgiving! We would like to thank you for your support in the past years for our Poinsettia Sales, which helped defray the costs for landscaping and maintenance of Mill Creek Towne’s main entrances. We also enjoy providing the Derwood community with gardening-related learning opportunities! To offer these services, we pay for use of the Mill Creek Towne Elementary School’s space.

2016 Programs

For 2016, we have some more exciting educational opportunities for you to participate in at our upcoming meetings, including:

To continue providing these programs as well as landscaping and maintenance of the main entrances, we need your support!

The Mill Creek Towne Garden Club will be changing it up a bit this holiday season. We are no longer sponsoring the Poinsettia Sale.

We will be working with Season’s Nursery (8135 Snouffer School Rd.), the weekend of December 11, 12, and 13. Simply mention “Mill Creek Towne Garden Club” and Season’s will donate 5% of EVERY purchase back to the club. Season’s has a beautiful Gift Shop, wreaths, trees, garland, wood and yes, 14 different varieties of Poinsettias, from traditional red to Ruby Frost. Please visit Season’s Nursery and support the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club.

See our website for details on this fundraiser as well as a printable PDF flyer (see URL below).   

2015 MCT Garden Club’s Season’s Nursery Fundraiser

Happy Thanksgiving!

*Donations to MCT Garden Club are gratefully accepted*

About the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club:

Established in 1968, the objective of the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club is to stimulate and increase knowledge and interest in all facets of gardening among amateurs, establish an active community beautification program and to encourage civic beautification, and foster group activities for the benefit of the members and the community. The garden club also landscapes and maintains the Mill Creek Towne entrances and common areas.

Mill Creek Towne Garden Club – Derwood, Maryland

https://www.mctgardenclub.org