GEG Meeting Notes & News

Gardeners Exchange Group: Meeting 18 September 2021 Location: Jefferson Memorial Park, Charles Town WV Topic: Care of Community Trees GEG members met at Jefferson Memorial Park in Charles Town for a program by Ellen May entitled Care of Community Trees. Ellen holds a masters degree from American University in Informational Systems and has worked at…

Gardeners Exchange Group: Meeting 17 July 2021 Location: Hillbrook Inn, Summit Point WV Topic: Hillbrook Inn Home and Garden Tour Hillbrook: a beautiful estate in Summit Point is situated on property that was part of George Washington’s first land purchase. The home itself was built by Brigadier General Frank E. Bamfort after World War One…

Gardeners Exchange Group: Meeting 19 June 2021 Location: Home of Jane Blash Topic: Hardneck Garlic After a full season of isolation, about thirteen GEG members and guests gathered at the home of Jane Blash for a plant exchange and an in-depth presentation on Growing Hardneck Garlic by Terry Thorson. Terry showed photos of the growing…

Gardeners Exchange Group: Meeting 15 May 2021 Location: Ferry Hill Plantation in Sharpsburg Topic: Wildflower Walk Approximately 15 people gathered at the parking lot of Ferry Hill Plantation with many plants to exchange and to participate in a spring wildflower walk. It was a brisk and beautifully sunny day! Pictures were taken and much greetings…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 19 September 2020Location: Zoom!Topic: Grow Dahlias, Cannas, and Tuberous Begonias with Becki Jones Well, we did it again! Had a virtual GEG meeting with LOTS of technical glitches!! Hopefully we can meet in person next season and not have to deal with the technology! Thank you to those who were finally…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 18 July 2020Location: Zoom!Topic: Planting Your Medicinal Garden with Nicole Schauder Nicky Schauder and her husband Dave promote “permaculture gardening” by teaching, coaching, and supporting people from all over on ways to improve their gardening, enjoy nature, and enhance their personal spirituality through gardening. Nicky explained that permaculture gardening is working…

Gardeners Exchange Group: Meeting 13 December 2019 Location: Home of Becki and Ed Jones Topic: Raised Bed Winter Wonderland GEG’s winter wonderland garden gathering took place on Friday evening, December 13, at the home of Becki and Ed Jones. Each year, Becki and Ed create an extensive lighted holiday display encompassing their entire gardening area…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 21 September 2019 Location: Home of Jane Blash Topic: Flower Choices with Master Gardener Sondra Jarrell The final meeting for the 2019 GEG season took place at the home of Jane Blash. Jane welcomed the members and guests and gave a brief mention of the mission statement. Jane informed the group…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 17 August 2019 Location: Home of Becki and Ed Jones Topic: A Raised Bed Garden for All Seasons The August meeting was held at the home of Becki and Ed Jones. President Jane Blash welcomed everyone and gave a brief mention of the mission statement. Members introduced themselves and briefly discussed…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 20 July 2019 Location: Home of Penny and Larry Stritch Topic: Garden Tour with Larry Stritch Jane Blash, GEG Coordinator, welcomed the group and spoke about the mission of the group: to exchange information about gardening, to share plants from our gardens with each other, and to enjoy friendship with folks…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 15 June 2019 Location: Home of Kathy Dillon Topic: Seed Starting; Vegetable Planting and Cultivation The June Gardeners Exchange Group meeting took place at the home of Kathy Dillon. After enjoying the breakfast buffet, the group gathered outdoors to share gardening information with one another. Becki Jones, GEG member and Master…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 18 May 2019 Location: Home of Suzy and Peter Yates Topic: Raised Bed Gardening, Mulching Members and guests of Gardeners Exchange Group met at the home of Suzy and Peter Yates. About 18 people attended. Suzy presented us with a lovely buffet breakfast with members each providing a special food item…

From Emily Wells Morrow, Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent, WVU Extension Service – Jefferson County The WVU Soil Test Lab has changed the way testing is done, which means there are NEW AND IMPROVED soil test recommendations. I’d like to share some of the changes and answer common questions. The form — The new form is attached…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 15 September 2018 Location: Home of Rita Baker Topic: Mushrooms — How to Grow Them Yourself with Mary Jane Drummond The final gathering for GEG for season 2018 took place on Saturday, September 15, at the home of Rita Baker in Martinsburg. Though we anticipated rain, the morning was nicely warm…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 18 August 2018 Location: Home of Carol Grant Topic: Super Swapathon with Jane Wagner The August GEG gathering provided members and friends with a fun time for exchanging some of those gardening-related items that have been hiding in our sheds and garages. Jane Wagner served as coordinator for the program and…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 21 July 2018 Location: Home of Priscilla Deem Topic: Gardening for Birds with Becki Jones, Master Gardener At the July 21 meeting, Master Gardener Beckie Jones entertained and informed members and guests who gathered on the deck above Priscilla Deem’s dreamy backyard pondscape. Beckie’s presentation Gardening for Birds offered guidelines and…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 16 June 2018 Location: Home of Jane Blash Topic: A Garden Discovery: Introduction to Heirloom Flowers with Claudia Bentley, Master Gardener Our speaker, Master Gardener Claudia Bentley, presented a delightful talk entitled A Garden Discovery: Introduction to Heirloom Flowers. Claudia regaled us with the history of an heirloom sunflower, Rudbeckia laciniata…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 19 May 2018 Location: Home of Kathy Knock Topic: Integrating Ecology into Gardening with James Dillon, PCH, Horticulturist/Designer, Native Havens From James Dillon: “Understanding some ecological concepts helps land managers and gardeners steer their planting in a desired direction and maximizes our effectiveness in the garden. I’ll talk about the natural progression…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 21 April 2018 Location: Morningstar Nursery and Quail Hollow Farm Topic: Herbs and Nursery Visits First location: Star Eagle Studio and Gardens, 1437 Pious Ridge Road, Berkeley Springs Organic gardening for Herbs, Vegetables and Flowers with Joyce Morningstar, owner of Star Eagle Studio and Gardens Second location: Quail Hollow Farm, 5285…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 14 October 2017 Location: Home of Carol Cadle Topic: Winter Sowing and Seed Swap with Joyce Morningstar Barron Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary The meeting was held at Carol Cadles’ beautiful home and colorful, flowering garden. Jane began the meeting with a few administrative remarks: This is the last GEG…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 16 September 2017 Location: Home of Louise Finch Topic: Functionality of Plants in a Garden with James Dillon, PCH Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary The meeting was held at the lovely home and garden of Louise Finch. Louise, a noted master gardener herself, designed and maintains a beautiful, colorful and…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 19 August 2017 Location: Tangy Produce Greenhouse Topic: Aquaponics in the New Greenhouse at Tangy Produce with Brian Tanguay Submitted by Carol Grant The meeting was held at Tangy Produce Greenhouse, the home of Tangy Produce, Brian Tanguay and his family. Jane began the meeting with a few administrative remarks: Volunteers…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 15 July 2017 Location: Home of Priscilla Deem Topic: Pollinator-Friendly Gardening, presented by Dr. Larry Stritch Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary The meeting was held at the home and garden of Priscilla Deem. Priscilla has a beautiful garden and home full of fascinating collectibles. The Carnival memorabilia was collected by…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 17 June 2017 Location: Home of Carol Grant Topic: Dahlias, presented by Becki Jones Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary The meeting was held at the lovely home and garden of Carol Grant. Carol has just completed the installation of a large butterfly garden which is sure to please pollinators of…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 20 May 2017 Location: Yankauer Nature Preserve, WV Topic: Forest Succession, presented by Herb Peddicord, Chesapeake Bay Watershed Forrester Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary Jane began the meeting with a few administrative remarks: The Audubon Native Plant sale was ongoing in Shepherdstown behind the library (20 May) The Ranson Old…

Composting classes: Master Composters Melanie Files and Rick Lowman provide classes on the topic of “Composting” throughout the gardening season. These classes are open to anyone in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties and beyond, including Boonsboro, Hagerstown, Winchester, and throughout West Virginia. If you’d like to inquire about dates and times for classes and/or sign up…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 15 April 2017 Location: Mt. Wesley United Methodist Church, Scrabble WV Topic: Composting Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary It was a perfect Spring day for our first meeting which was presented by Master Gardeners and Certified Master Composters, Melanie Files and Rick Lowman. We began with the following administrative remarks…

Beautiful gardens and habitats around the schoolyard become classrooms where volunteers teach a variety of lessons! Roots & Shoots strives to provide outdoor educational experiences to each student across the elementary years that enriches students’ science education and inspires themes in library, art, music and language arts instruction. KINDERGARTEN LESSON: Thursday’s planting in the butterfly garden has moved…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 17 September 2016 Location: Home of Julie and Wayne Neely Topic: Invasives and You Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary Our sixth and last meeting this year was held at the historic home and grounds (circa 1821) of the Neely family: Julie, Wayne, and Matty. Louise Finch, who has been a…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 20 August 2016 Location: Home of Susan Brown Topic: Monarch Butterflies and the Plants That Attract Them Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary Our meeting was held at the lovely home and grounds of Susan and Jack (Jay) Brown. Susan and her husband purchased their home in Falling Waters two years…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 16 July 2016 Location: Tangy Produce: Aquaponics greenhouse, farm and home of Brian Tanguay and family Topic: Aquaponics Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary Aquaponics is the marriage of hydroponics (growing in water- or at least without soil) and aquaculture (raising fish). This combination allows the grower to create a complete…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 18 June 2016 Location: Home and Grounds of Carole and Steve Brooks Topic: What Is Ecological Gardening? Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary This lecture presentation was provided courtesy of Joann Harstad, Master Gardener, affiliated with  the Berkeley-Jefferson WVU Extension Service. The location was the lovely home and landscaped grounds of…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 21 May 2016 Location: Home and Grounds of Bill and Julia Gregg Topic: Creative Tinkering: A Vision in 1980 to a Reality Today Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary There was a great turnout despite the morning rain showers. Bill Gregg began the day explaining his philosophy and approach to planning…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 16 April 2016 Location: Walnut Hill, Home of David and Missy Hill Topic: Seeds to Seedlings, by David Hill Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary David Hill owns and operates Hill’s Farm Fresh Produce LLC. You may purchase his produce at the Fresh Fruit and Veggie Wagon located at the corner…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 26 September 2015 Location: Otto Farm at the Antietam National Battlefield Park Topic: Native Grassland Restoration by Park Ranger/Natural Resources Technician Chris Tawney Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary Chris Tawney discussed the Park’s extensive restoration and preservation effort which has resulted in not only great beauty and appreciation and respect…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 15 August 2015 Location: Walnut Hill, Home of David and Missy Hill Topic: Growing Vegetables Under Cover, by David Hill Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary David Hill owns and operates Hill’s Farm Fresh Produce LLC. You may purchase his produce at the Fresh Fruit and Veggie Wagon located at the…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 20 June 2015 Location: Home of Mike and Bonnie Austin Topic: Bees and Beekeeping in our Area, by Mike Austin Submitted by Julie Neely, GEG Secretary Life, believe, is not a dream So dark as sages say: Oft a little morning rain Foretells a pleasant day …Charlotte Bronte Our meeting started…

Memorial service for Pat Burkette at Pikeside United Methodist Church Thursday, July 9, 1:00 – 3:30 pm There will be a Fellowship Meal (with Pat’s husband David) after the service; please stay and visit.  

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting 16 May 2015 Location: Shenandoah Junction, “Moon on the Mountain” a Community Supported Agriculture Farm and home of Patricia Stevenson Topic: Canning Food Safely presented by Judy Matlick M.A. Submitted by Julie Neely It was a beautiful Saturday in May at the picture perfect setting of Patricia Stevenson’s farm. Food Canning…

From Don Davis: Docents are needed for the Shepherdstown Community Club’s Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea on May 16 & 17. GEG members have helped in past years and we need your support again! All docents get a free ticket for the Tour & Tea which costs $20 for all others! Docents do a…

Jefferson County Office of the West Virginia University Cooperative Extension Service to offer Adult Garden Education Classes in May To promote self-reliance and healthier living we will hold a series of basic gardening classes for adult learners in Jefferson County. The classes will cover the basics of gardening, starting seeds, plant spacing, where to find…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting: 18 April 2015 Location: WVU Kearneysville Tree Fruit Research and Education Center Topic: Growing Season Extension Using Row Covers/Tunnels, Soil Testing and Tool Care Submitted by Julie Neely It was a beautiful sunny day with over seventy people attending the lectures and demonstrations presented by Michael Harmon, Extension Agent, and Dr.…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting: 21 March 2015 Location: Bill Gregg’s Home Topic: “Seed Propagation” with Dr. Bill Gregg About Bill First, a little background information about the speaker, Bill Gregg. Bill began his interest in gardening at the age of four in suburban Philadelphia and has been gardening continuously for almost sixty-eight years. He completed…

Reply to: Sue Brown Citizen Scientists Needed to Study the Changing Milkweed Population: I want to share information about the Milkweed Genetics study being conducted at the College of William and Mary. Harmony Dalgleish and Joshua Puzey, Assistant Professors of Biology are looking for volunteers to collect Milkweed samples for this study. Anyone interested in…

Gardeners Exchange Group Meeting: 17 January 2015 Location: Home of Carole Brooks Topic: “Native Plants through the Seasons,” by Virginia Winston of Winston Gardens and GEG member At our annual January potluck dinner, Carole briefly described the “Shepherdstown Gardeners Exchange Group (GEG)” explaining that the formal definition can be found on the website, but she…

“Plan to Make Your Garden Better Than Ever”: The 2015 Garden Calendar, courtesy of the WVU Extension Service.

GEG Meeting Minutes: 20 September 2014 Location: Historic “Meadow Brook Farm,” home of Meg Spurlin Topic: Garden Design with Meg Spurlin Administrative notices: This is the last meeting of the GEG for the year 2014. Please “contact us” on the GEG website for suggestions and ideas for meetings and topics of interest. At least 35-40 GEG…

GEG Meeting Minutes: 16 August 2014 Location: Jefferson County Fairground (August 17-23, 2014) Presentation: Larry Krum gave an overview on how to enter the fair and ideas for possible entries The official Jefferson County Fair booklet can be obtained at many locations such as hardware stores, at the fairground office and online at the Jefferson…

Please consider participating in the 2014 Great Stink Bug Count! From September 15 – October 15, scientists seeking to solve the stink bug problem need your help! They want to map the size and location of the sting bug population around the region. Please take a moment to view the participant form at the web…

GEG Meeting Minutes: 19 July 2014 We met at Morgans Grove Park in Shepherdstown where we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and listened to Shawn Walker of Trees 101 tell us about Pruning Trees. There were plenty of trees all around the park that needed trimming for the demonstration.   We named all of the reasons…

June Meeting: Rain Gardens with Mary Palmer, Landscape Design Instructor We had a very well-attended meeting in a lovely setting. Thanks Jane! Contrary to what it may sound like, a rain garden is not a garden in a boggy spot. A rain garden is a garden designed to manage the periodic rain runoff from your landscape…

May Meeting at Ranson Old Town Community Gardens with Dr. Bill Gregg on Straw Bale Gardening Our Garden Exchange Group met in the gardens behind the Baha’i Center in Ranson. We did things a little backwards this time because the coffee wasn’t ready and everyone was eager to learn about the gardens. So everyone brought…

Hello! to all – First, I’m so disappointed I can’t make the May meeting. I’m back in Richmond for a visit and boy-oh-boy the truckload of perennials I got at Colesville Nursery! Today I will be “shopping” for native trees on my daughter’s 11 acres of Virginia woodland. Definitely worth my trip! Second, Marye and…

April Meeting at Don and Betty Nuttall’s home with Bub Hulburt from Turf Equipment It was a perfect day and the most perfect place to be. As you entered the porch and patio of Don and Betty’s home you could smell the wonderful aroma from the Korean Spice Virburnum (Carlesi). The aroma was there even…

Learn about the Great Healthy Yard Project. TAKE THE PLEDGE: I pledge to take care of my yard without synthetic pesticides, weedkillers and fertilizers except on rare occasions to resolve an infestation or to improve habitat for native plants and wildlife. I also pledge not to throw pharmaceuticals or chemicals down my drains or toilets.

Reply to Kathryn Stella:  I’m looking for docent volunteers for the Back Alley Garden Tour and Tea, May 17-18, 10-4 Saturday and 11-4 Sunday. We need docents for two hour shifts. All volunteers will receive a comp ticket to the tour and tea. Volunteers can contact me at my email, at the Volunteer Signup page,…

The Sustainable Shepherdstown Organic Community Garden (SSOCG) is up and running. We have returning gardeners as well nine plots left for new gardeners. You can get started anytime now. Plots are $30 for the initial 10’x10′ and $5 for each additional spot in increments of 10’x10′. All gardeners will be asked to sign a “Garden…

Volunteers Sought in Maryland and West Virginia to assist and celebrate Park Day on April 5 In West Virginia: On Saturday, April 5, The Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association (SBPA) and the Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission will erect a sign on the Historic Cement Mill property and sponsor a spring clean-up of the site. The sign…

For those of you wondering about the accuracy of the planting recommendations in the WVU Calendar, given our winter this year, the following is from Michael Harman, Extension Agent: The garden calendar makes safe recommendations. I would advise to follow the recommendations, and not worry if its colder or hotter. When setting out plants use…

Please be on the lookout this coming growing season for the kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria. This native of Asia was first discovered in the United States in Georgia in 2009. It has since spread to 11 additional states, including Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland. To my knowledge, kudzu bug has not been reported in West Virginia.…

Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints Blog: Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints is a program that provides West Virginia organizations the opportunity to perform community service by making gardening accessible to West Virginians with arthritis. Interact with other gardeners and learn from each other.

We had fun and a great meal, as usual, with our gracious hosts Carole and Steve Brooks. Rod Shapard from Fountainhead Irrigation explained the modern take on irrigation, now known as water management, i.e. managing water as a resource. The key is understanding evapotranspiration. (Look it up!) Did you know you can add flea and…

No more GEG meetings this year! We will meet again in January, then we start afresh in April 2014. In the meantime, the newsletter will take a rest and the website will get an update to its inner workings, being thirteen years old, a least a century (maybe two!), in web-years. See you later …

Lessons learned from this meeting – Have October Meeting inside. It was cold!!!! Fortunately, Larry started a fire but it wasn’t enough. The pavilion provided us with a kitchen and we spent a lot of time in it. The food was SCRUMPTIOUS and the company simply outstanding. [Note: Some of us polar bears enjoyed the…

Minutes of the September meeting at Jefferson County Apple Orchard. The weather was overcast but we were fortunate enough to be able to have our meeting and talk in the break room of the orchard.  The rain held off until after our tour of the orchard and watching the pickers. How lucky can you get! …

From Claire Stuart, GEG member: I would like to remind GEG members that I am an entomologist and would be happy to ID insects that you find from your photos. I also welcome questions that I can use in my column “Bug Lady” in the Martinsburg Journal on Fridays. Claire’s information is now on our…

Again, more fun in the tomatoes. I found several of these when I was cleaning up the bed at the end of the season. Kind of a big guy, about the size of a quarter, but not a flyer. And again, I wrote to Michael Harman, our Jefferson County Extension Agent. He passed on the…

I admit it. I was ready to spray my garden with malathion, DDT, and maybe throw in some kind of incendiary when I saw this guy—see photos—sitting inside my tomato. Instead, I wrote to Michael Harman, our Jefferson County Extension Agent, who on consultation with Dr. Frank, suggested it might be a firefly larvae, a…

From Michael Harman, Jefferson County Extension Agent: We are working to update the Buy Local section of the WVU Extension Service – Jefferson County webpage. If you or your farm would like to be listed as a vendor or service provider, please fill out our questionnaire so we can update our web page to reflect…

The annual Master Gardener Tomato Festival—known around here as the highly anticipated Tomato Tasting—took place in Hedgesville on the same day as our August GEG meeting. Pat Grinnan and I drove over and we decided our hands-down favorite tomato was the Garrison — large, red, and absolutely eye-opening tasty. If anyone knows how to get…

Minutes of August Meeting  at Blue Morning Farms with David Siripoonsup Another wonderful meeting!  Families without gardens reap the benefits of one man’s very hard work under a program called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  You and I can appreciate this because we know what it takes to care for our gardens.  Take your little garden…

Urban Agriculture Workshop Tuesday, September 10, 5–7pm Old Town Ranson Community Garden, 308 South Buchanan Street, Ranson WV FREE Educational Opportunity — Urban Gardening Techniques Square Foot Gardens: The basics of how it works; why people like the system Raised Beds: Look at low cost and no cost construction options Straw Bale Gardens: The basics process;…

“They Draw & Cook” One of our newer members, Cynthia Crane, is an artist as well as a gardener AND she loves to cook! At our August meeting, Cindy shared her “yummy Patty Cake” (made with patty pan squash) along with a few copies of an art recipe card she created for the website They…

From Eldon Winston: Potomac Valley Audubon Society is seeking a part-time (20 hours/week) Adult Program Coordinator to assist in coordinating, scheduling and implementing our services for adult audiences. If you are looking for something that could be fun to do and matches your experience why not look up this offering from PVAS. Maybe you know…

Read the August newsletter, including news about Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM), a serious disease on most of the members of the gourd family or Cucurbitaceae such as cantaloupe, cucumber, pumpkin, squash and watermelon.

We are starting a new feature here at GEG called “From My Garden.” Send in your garden photo and ask a question, share a solution, or just plain brag about your beets! From Jane Wagner, Charles Town: Years ago a friend gave me what she identified as Turk’s Cap lilies, the tallest native wildflower. They…

From Richard Mier: For the last few months I’ve been responsible for the beautiful little garden in downtown Martinsburg which was cared for by Don Wood for many years. It’s next door to the Berkeley Historical Society on Race Street, right around the corner from the train station. As he had been unable to do…

with Carol Cadle on Hypertufa The July meeting was another memorable experience. We visited Carol Cadle’s historical home in Martinsburg. Her artistic talents were evident everywhere. It was a beautiful day and the food was so outstanding, I spent my time eating instead of writing down what it all was. Larry gave a treasurer’s report…

POSTED: 7/7/2013 From Terry T: Hey guys — GEG has business cards. Pick yours up at the next meeting.

Wednesday, July 10, 3–6 pm. Weeds — Insects — Plant Diseases. West Virginia University Cooperative Extension Service Jefferson County Office, 1948 Wiltshire Rd., Kearneysville (Conference Room). Extension specialists Dr. Rakesh Chandran, Dr. Mafuz Rahman, and Dr. Daniel Frank, will be on hand to ID plant diseases, insects, and weeds as well as make recommendations on how to treat these problems.…

with Sue Pellish Thank you Sue for sharing your beautifully manicured back yard and pond. The setting was perfect in every way for a wonderful relaxing, fun meeting. As always the breakfast was outstanding and the company the best it could be. We all sat on Sue’s deck under the shade trees and looked out…

From Renny Smith — In Defense of Grafting, by Anne Raver (New York Times) Who could argue with more productive, disease-resistant fruit and vegetables? Lots of Americans apparently. Note: The Jefferson County Extension Service has been offering classes in grafting tomatoes (but not on Saturdays).

with Dianna Eldridge We met at the lovely log cabin in the woods, the home of Dianna Eldridge. Breakfast was served from her expansive front porch and we sat in the shade on the stone wall along her driveway. The early morning overcast sky cleared for us and we had a wonderful day. Breakfast as…

GEG Visit with Cam Tabb at Lyle C. Tabb & Sons, Inc Composting Farm April 20, 2013 Cam’s wife, Jane, provided cornbread made from corn ground that morning, saved from last year’s crop – IT WAS WONDERFUL!  See the cornbread recipe and more at Fresh Feast on the Farm. Jane and Cam Tabb sell antibiotic-free…

September 15 Meeting at Ridgefield Farm The weather was spectacular and as always the food outstanding. Glenda brought Bread Pudding with apples and cherries (she is such a wonderful cook), Ellen brought her GREAT egg and hash brown casserole, and there was also zucchini bread with cream cheese, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts and doughnut holes and…

Minutes of August 18 GEG Meeting at the Dillon Farm We had a very nice meeting sitting under the shade tree watching all of the hustle and bustle going on around us while we ate figs. The old equipment was sitting right in front of us and all I could think was how far we…

Minutes July 21 Meeting Dear GEG Members: If you missed this meeting, I’m sorry because it was GREAT! These meetings are one of the High Lights of Life. All issues and problems of our lives are blocked out while we are at our Garden Group meetings. What made this meeting even better was the old…

Minutes June 16 Meeting GEG Meeting at Suzy and Pete Yates Our GEG meetings are one of God’s Many Pleasures! Thanks to Susy and Pete’s marvelous hospitality and genuine love to share. Did you know — “A weed is just a plant without a press agent.” Food for thought! Two wonderful books that are a…

Minutes May 19 Meeting We met at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Shepherdstown at 9 am.  We had breakfast and plant exchanges. Our speaker was Master Naturalist Wendy Maddox, on “Bugs.” Wendy was one of the original GEG members. She made mention of the huge GEG notebook that was passed along through the years, but…

Minutes April 28 Meeting The start of a new season and a wonderful meeting at Joan and Jerry’s. They were excited to show off their wonderful home, garden and new greenhouse. It really looked great! The meeting started with breakfast items that the members brought and all of it was really tasty. Joan really set…

Minutes of GEG meeting at Priscilla’s home January 21, 2012 Priscilla and Gary’s home again looked great and we had plenty of room to meet in their Great Room. The food was delicious as was the company consisting of the GEG members who could attend. As we took our plates to the tables set up…