Master Gardener Calendar YES 2024

  

Victory Garden Radish

HELLO MASTER GARDENERS!

Taking pictures for the Master Gardener Calendar? Here are the guidelines for 2023.

Explore a wide range of seasonal gardening themes. Don't forget photos of your delicious vegetables as well as late summer blooms. Clean the veggies and spritz a little water on them. Remove browning leaves and stems. Everything from winter landscapes to summer's veggie harvest, from pollinators to perennial borders—if it grows and looks good, send it in! 

Sunflowers 2022 (Sherrie McCleary)

Here are the guidelines for 2023 calendar.

Files should be AT LEAST 1 Mb (6 MPs on phones is 18 Mbs)-bigger is better. Most cell phone photos are good. Phone screenshots will not work. See Smartphone camera tips at the bottom.

A resolution of 300 dpi and a minimum size of 5"x7". Do not add text to the image (no watermark or plant name in photo).

Up to 3 submissions per person. Photo must be taken by a Master Gardener. Name your images with First and Last Name, followed by the County and plant name or number (Ex. Sally Smith_Bucks sunflower.jpg).

Send photos as an attachment instead of inserting them into the email. Check that you are sending the attachment as “actual size”. Watch for notification of where to submit. Last year's deadline was September 1 so get going for those summer photos.

Tips for using your Smartphone camera

1. Shoot in Landscape

- Rotating your phone to landscape mode and using the volume buttons to take the photo provides a more stable hold on the phone, reducing noise in your pictures.

2. Utilize the Grid Lines

- Locate this option in your photo app settings.  Keep your main subjects off center so they become the focus.

• Focus on the eyes
• Place strong lines and divisions like the horizon on the gridlines

3. Don’t Zoom!

- Get up and personal with your subject for the best results.  Most smartphone cameras have a digital zoom, but using this won’t help you get detailed pictures from far away.  Zoom is just essentially cropping the picture on the screen.

4. No Garbage Cans!

- You should also avoid cluttered or ugly backgrounds by changing your point of view.  Watch out for the trash cans or other unsightly objects in your view.

Be creative. Night shot with flash

5. Multiple Shots

- If you see something that catches your eye don't just take one shot and hope for the best. The chances of getting a good photo with your first shot are very slim. You should take shots from various angles and distances.

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Interested in herbs? Looking for Gardening Gifts?

 Check out the Herb Sampler on this Blog  

SPECIAL Price reduction.

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is exclusively sold retail at Snavely's Garden Center, Chambersburg or available through Amazon. 

Just click this link to find it.

IF YOU FIND A BABY BIRD

 

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Interested in herbs? Looking for a gift?

Perfect for a hostess gift, or birthday or housewarming.

And there is a price reduction as we head into the holiday season.

 Check out the Herb Sampler on this Blog  

SPECIAL Price reduction on this 5  *  *  *  *  * book

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available exclusively retail at Snavely's Garden Center, Chambersburg, PA or you can order from Amazon.  Please note: Amazon's price will increase as of June 20, 2023.

Just click this link to find it.

2024 Master Gardener Calendar - Summer Photos

MASTER GARDENER CALENDAR - 2024

HELLO MASTER GARDENERS!

Taking pictures for the Master Gardener Calendar next year? Here are the guidelines from 2023.

Now is the time to think of summer photos. Photos were due for the 2023 calendar September 1 this year. 

Explore a wide range of seasonal gardening themes. Everything from insects, landscape vistas, to summer's veggie harvest, from pollinators to perennial borders—if it grows and looks good, send it in! Don't forget photos of your delicious vegetables as well as late summer blooms. Clean the veggies and spritz a little water on them. Remove browning leaves and stems.

Here are the guidelines for 2023 calendar.

Files should be AT LEAST 1 Mb (6 MPs on phones is 18 Mbs)-bigger is better. Most cell phone photos are good. You must download the largest size to be a stand alone JPG photo. Phone screenshots will not work. See Smartphone camera tips at the bottom.

A resolution of 300 dpi and a minimum size of 5"x7". Do not add text to the image (no watermark or plant name in photo).

Up to 3 submissions per person. Photo must be taken by a Master Gardener. Name your images with First and Last Name, followed by the County and plant name or number (Ex. Sally Smith_Bucks sunflower.jpg).

Send photos as an attachment instead of inserting them into the email. Check that you are sending the attachment as “actual size”. Email photos to (2024 person TBA)  Deadline was September 1 in 2022.

Tips for using your Smartphone camera

1. Shoot in Landscape

- Rotating your phone to landscape mode and using the volume buttons to take the photo provides a more stable hold on the phone, reducing noise in your pictures.

2. Utilize the Grid Lines

- Locate this option in your photo app settings.  Keep your main subjects off center so they become the focus.

• Focus on the eyes
• Place strong lines and divisions like the horizon on the gridlines

 

  3. Don’t Zoom!

- Get up and personal with your subject for the best results.  Most smartphone cameras have a digital zoom, but using this won’t help you get detailed pictures from far away.  Zoom is just essentially cropping the picture on the screen.

4. No Garbage Cans!

- You should also avoid cluttered or ugly backgrounds by changing your point of view.  Watch out for the trash cans or other unsightly objects in your view and in the background. Move around if you need to.

Be creative. Night shot with flash

5. Multiple Shots

- If you see something that catches your eye don't just take one shot and hope for the best. The chances of getting a good photo with your first shot are very slim. You should take shots from various angles and distances.

* * * * *

Interested in herbs? Looking for a gift?

Perfect for a hostess gift, or birthday or housewarming.

And there is a price reduction as we head into the holiday season.

 Check out the Herb Sampler on this Blog  

SPECIAL Price reduction on this 5  *  *  *  *  * book

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available exclusively retail at Snavely's Garden Center, Chambersburg, PA or you can order from Amazon. 

Just click this link to find it.

Look Alike Weeds and Health

Articles have appeared recently about two poisonous plants that are in bloom at this time of year. Questions have come up on several different social media pages asking if they are the same plant.

You can find information about the dangers of these plants at http://turfweeds.cals.cornell.edu/weeds-and-human-health

Poison hemlock is a different plant from giant hogweed although they look very similar. Giant Hogweed is Heracleum mantegazzianum and Poison Hemlock is Conium maculatum.

It would be excellent if media outlets understood that many plants look alike but the scientific names are assigned to a specific plant. They should print the scientific name with the common one (s). This would help anyone interested in finding out more about a specific plant.
There are several look-alike plants in our area.

Cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum), Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), Angelica (Angelica spp.), & Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota). Queen Anne's Lace 

A Facebook post prompted a quick review of the problems with these plants.

You can find more information (and photos) online at http://turfweeds.cals.cornell.edu/weeds-and-human-health

Giant Hogweed -When exposed to skin, giant hogweed sap causes phytophotodermatitis, a chemical burn from increased sensitivity to sunlight.

Poison Hemlock-Its sap can cause dermatitis (skin irritation) on some people-can be severe; all parts of poison-hemlock are poisonous, esp. spring leaves; people may be poisoned by eating any part of a hemlock plant; Whistles made from hollow stems of poison-hemlock have caused death in children.

Cow parsnip - It can cause rashes, burns, and blisters.

Wild parsnip- It can cause photodermatitis when combined with sunlight. Contact with sap can cause severe burns, blisters, and photosensitivity.

Angelica- It may cause sensitivity to sunlight and contact dermatitis.

Queen Anne's Lace-May cause phytophotodermatitis where sap touches the skin and is exposed to sunlight; wear long sleeves if handling.

CKagan, Master Gardener

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Interested in herbs? Looking for a gift?

Perfect for a hostess gift, or birthday or housewarming.

And there is a price reduction as we look forward to spring gardening.

 Check out the Herb Sampler on this Blog  

SPECIAL Price reduction on this 5  *  *  *  *  * book

Now available retail at Snavely's Garden Center in Chambersburg, PA

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available through Amazon. 

Just click this link to find it.