Master Gardeners of Davidson County

Our MGs and Interns had a great day at the TN State Master Gardener Conference today! With many sessions to choose from, our MGs toured the UT organic fruit and vegetable research plots, studied stream life at Ijams Nature Center, marked honey bees at the UT apiary, and enjoyed a variety of education sessions in the afternoon.

Special congrats to our Davidson County agent Amy Dunlap who was awarded the state Urban Coordinator Award for her outstanding work in our area! Looking forward to more activities and sessions tomorrow.

Lifetime MG member Chuck V is moving to be closer to family and we are simultaneously excited for him and saddened to lose an amazing part of our organization. We wish you the best Chuck and hope to see you soon!! 💚🤍

Thanks to Gary and Patty Stein who gave a great demonstration on bonsai basics for our members this weekend. Starting with a Mugo Pine in a gallon nursery pot, they walked us through plant selection, materials, trimming roots and pruning, potting and long term care to bring bonsai to life. Congrats to MG Marilee J who won our auction for the demonstration bonsai - we can't wait to see how you will shape it in the future!!

For those interested in learning more about bonsai, the Nashville Bonsai Society meets at Cheekwood on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are free for the public to attend *plus* there are added activities and benefits for paid membership. Check out NashvilleBonsaiSociety.org for more info!

Members Catherine A and Shelia B with the assist while intern Kay Q plants a pillow of blackberry lily for one of the Nashville City Cemetery’s outlying cradle graves. Wonderful wind down in the shade with cold cokes and talks about our established pocket of Tennessee Coneflower in the Civil War Medicinal Bed.

Thanks to Davidson Co Extension Director Andy Lantz who led a fantastic educational birding walk for MGs and Interns this morning! We spotted and heard over 25 species of birds while chatting about identification, migration patterns, breeding habits, and healthy home habitats for backyard birds. Definitely get out to Beaman Park this spring to see some beautiful flora and fauna!

Join our friends in Sumner County this Saturday!

Our MGofDC crew had a beautiful and productive Saturday in the gardens! Karen M tackled some rambunctious Tennessee coneflower in the Civil War medicinal bed, while interns Pam B, Terry V, and Paige S visited the outlying cradle graves to check plant health and add fresh mulch. Lauren W was also hard at work tucking zinnia transplants into the daffodil foliage.

Thank you to everyone who showed up and helped make the cemetery bloom a little brighter!

The invasive spotted lanternfly has been detected in parts of Tennessee - help stop its spread:
• Now is the time to act: eggs hatch starting in late March.
• Look for egg masses (brown, waxy, about up to 60 eggs) on trees, firewood, rocks, and outdoor surfaces.
• Destroy eggs by scraping them into soapy water or sanitizer and crushing them—don’t leave them on the ground.
• Nymphs and adults damage plants and trees by feeding and producing honeydew, which leads to mold and disease.
• Check outdoor materials (like firewood/lumber) before moving them to prevent spreading.

If you see an insect or egg mass you suspect is a spotted lanternfly, please notify the Tennessee Department of Agriculture through an online form: tn.gov/protecttnforests/resources/report-a-pest.html

For information on spotted lanternfly life stages and lookalikes, refer to the Southern Spotted Lanternfly Working Group website: southernslf.org.

For more information, refer to UT Extension publication “Spotted Lanternfly” at tiny.utk.edu/W1032