Master Gardener Corner - Spring 2023

by Cheryl Flynn, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County Volunteer Coordinator

Happy Spring!  The snow drops are the earliest bulbs that are in our gardens and what a happy surprise when you are outside and see them blooming and the daffodils are just popping their heads out of the snow.

News from the Penn Yan Community Garden: the Penn Yan Town Board granted permission for signage the Penn Yan Community Garden on the corners South and Pleasant Streets and Main and South Streets for the Thank you, Karen Welch, Master Gardener for you taking on this project, know the community will know the location of the Garden.

Upcoming events:

Gardening Matters Day, Saturday, April 15, 8:30 registration, Program 9:00 am – 12 noon

Speakers:  

• Lexi Davis, Natural Resources Educator Yates County – Tree prune and tree disease for the home gardener 

•  Caroline Boutard-Hunt – Agricultural Education Yates County, Gardening for Birds 

• Brian Eshenaur, Ornamentals and IPM Educator for Monroe County – Native Plants and Invasive Species.

The event will be held at County Building Auditorium will be limited to 50 attendees. We will be serving coffee, tea, and donuts.   Please bring your own mug. You will receive our “Garden in a Bag” collection of free vegetable, herb and flower seeds! 

Cost: Pay what you can afford sliding scale from $0-$25. Proceeds go towards supporting CCE Yates and the CCE Yates Master Gardening program. Pre-registration is required to attend. For more information or to RSVP, please call the CCE-Yates County office at (315) 536-5123 or e-mail Cheryl Flynn cj348@cornell.edu 

Master Gardener of Yates County Plant Sale! The plant sale will take place on May 20 at 9am – 1:00 pm at Penn Yan Library Pavilion. The Master Gardeners will be selling a variety of plants including native and pollinator-friendly perennials. 

This year’s theme for the Vegetable Varieties Garden Trails will be “Cultural Roots of Eastern Asia”.  We will be growing trail beds at the Penn Yan Community Garden.  All the beds will be labeled and all the vegetables will have recipes available.  The vegetables and herbs will be:  Snacking Cucumber – Japan, Korea Hot Pepper Korean Dark Green”, China – Chinese Cabbage “Hilton”, Japan- Chinese Cabbage “Nagasaki Late”, Chinese Broccoli “Yod Fah”, Celery “Chinese Pink”, Choy Sum “50 day”, Basil “Chinese Sweet”, Japanese Parsley “Mitsuba”.  I hope you stop at the garden to see this rare and unique trail this year.

Become a member of the Penn Yan Community Garden it is a not-for-profit member – based organization serving the residents of Penn Yan and surrounding communities.  Our members manage and care for the garden cooperatively, and are given an individual plot, access to water, tools and a share of compost as part of their membership.  Annual Membership runs form April 15 or date of the application to April the following year.   The membership is $25.00 a year.  Email: Cheryl Flynn @ cj348@cornell.ed for more information or call (315)536-5123.