MSU Extension Master Gardeners-Oakland County

Did you know that you need a permit to buy and grow currants and gooseberries in Michigan? It's a painless process--I've gotten a permit--and there to protect white pine trees from white pine blister rust, as well as our timber industry and Christmas tree farms. If you're interested in growing these fruits, make sure you read this before you purchase or get a plant from a friend.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/did-you-know-that-michigan-requires-a-permit-for-planting-currants-and-gooseberries

Project Site Spotlight: Open Hands Food Pantry Garden, Royal Oak 🍅🥬🌻

Growing food and growing community!

The Open Hands Food Pantry Garden in Royal Oak is an Oakland County Extension Master Gardener project site where volunteers help grow fresh produce for local food pantry clients. Throughout the season, volunteers plant, maintain, and harvest a variety of vegetables that help provide nutritious, homegrown food to community members in need.

This project demonstrates how gardening can make a direct impact, providing fresh produce while fostering service, education, and community connections.

Thank you to the dedicated volunteers who help make this garden flourish and support local families!

Small farm operators and specialty cut flower growers are invited to explore six diverse Michigan farms this summer through a coordinated series of on-farm learning experiences presented by the Michigan First-Generation Farmer Mentorship Program and the MSU Extension Floriculture Team.

Rather than promoting a single approach to farming, this new statewide partnership brings
together two educational initiatives to showcase the many paths to building successful farm
businesses across Michigan. Participants will have the opportunity to visit regenerative livestock operations, urban flower farms, specialty herb farms, commercial cut flower operations, and
diversified farm enterprises while learning directly from the farmers who built them.

Each tour features a facilitated discussion with the host farmer and MSU Extension educators,
followed by a guided tour of the operation. Educational topics include regenerative ranching and soil health, finding profitable niche markets, maximizing production on small acreage, business planning, farm diversification, and creating value through customer experiences. Participants will
have opportunities to ask questions, exchange ideas with fellow growers, and gain practical
insights they can apply to their own operations.
The coordinated summer learning series includes six tour stops across Michigan from August into
September. Tours are free to attend, but advance registration is required. Participants may
register for one tour or attend multiple stops throughout the series.

For tour dates, locations, and registration information, visit

Program Evaluation and Reporting System (PEARS) PEARS is the leading SaaS application that streamlines data collection, evaluation, and reporting for community engagement programs.

🌻 Oakland Gardener Newsletter: August Articles You'll Love
🌿 Thinking Outside of the Box(wood) – Explore alternatives and solutions for landscapes affected by boxwood challenges.
Article by: Louise Sloan
Read more: https://conta.cc/4pX3TXb
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.......August Plant of the Month......Read Below!
When looking for a deer-resistant, evergreen plant that can take any shape with careful pruning, gardeners need only to reach out for the trusty boxwood (Buxus sp.). Boxwoods lend structure and formality to gardens while also creating artful designs that highlight blooming specimens to delight garden visitors. This once stalwart plant, though, is falling prey to pests, disease, and weather. Understanding the basic enemies might help extend the life of existing boxwoods in your landscape, but having a realistic alternative may be a necessity.

Harsh winter winds are a known threat to boxwoods, but gardeners have adapted to this with careful winter preparations. The pests, though, are a harder fix. Oakland County is within the quarantine area for box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis), a native of East Asia. The moths lay their eggs in boxwoods, and the hatched hungry caterpillars will defoliate their host plants if not chemically suppressed. This invasion is becoming more prevalent and is the latest in a string of pests (Not sure what’s attacking your boxwoods? Check out this MSU Extension article.) While controlling the box tree moth is possible, the damage may be done before it’s too late for established boxwoods.

Loss of this care-free plant is certainly cause for grief, but gardeners are adaptable, flexible, and optimistic. Using a mindset to shift from loss to what’s possible may help make the transition to a new structural plant. Homeowners may opt for the Ilex crenata, commonly named Japanese holly. This holly has glossy leaves that have a similar shape to boxwood’s and can be pruned just as aggressively. It will tolerate partial sun and heavy soil, but it does not like dry or alkaline soil. Different cultivars that possess varied growth patterns exist and are sure to substitute nicely for boxwoods. One last caveat: deer may browse the Japanese holly, so consider the deer pressure in your planting situation.

Another option could be a boxwood relative, Sarcococca hookeriana. Sweetbox is another evergreen that will do well in shadier parts of the garden. It has unremarkable, although pleasantly fragrant, white blooms that give way to black berries. Because it is a relative of the boxwood, it is susceptible to boxwood blight, but box tree moth does avoid it.

Older homes often have yews (Taxus sp.) foundation plantings, and these are an option gardeners may once again choose. These evergreens stand up to detailed pruning and can benefit from twice-a-year trims to prevent overgrowth. Deer do enjoy nibbling on fresh growth, so homeowners may need to use netting to protect yews. These are highly adaptable plants, even growing in dense shade, as long as they do not sit in wet soil.

Should your site be soggy, bayberry (Myrica pennsylvanica) could offer you a solution. It has the glossy leaves that harken to boxwoods, is deer-resistant, and can withstand harsh conditions next to driveways (think winter salt and winds). Because of it's larger size, it can perform well as a privacy hedge. Since the plant is dioecious (separate male and female plants), gardeners will want both male and female plants to receive the benefit of berries that will feed birds well into winter.

MSU Extension offers even more boxwood substitutions and provides a concise comparison between plant options. One final option is not listed and is an integral part of any gardener’s toolbox: creativity. Devastating as it can be to lose a treasured plant, it may force gardeners to consider new alternatives and allow for change that might not have occurred. Knowing your options, though, will get you through the dread of boxwood loss.

🌼 Project Site Spotlight: St. John's Episcopal Church, Royal Oak 🌼

Extension Master Gardener volunteers help maintain the beautiful pollinator gardens surrounding St. John's Episcopal Church in Royal Oak. These vibrant gardens provide food and habitat for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators while creating a welcoming landscape for the community to enjoy. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers for helping these gardens thrive!

🌻 August Oakland Gardener Newsletter Now Available! 🌻

Summer may be winding down, but there's still plenty happening in the garden! The August edition of the Oakland Gardener is filled with practical gardening tips, local volunteer impact stories, and research-based information to help you finish the season strong.

In this issue:
🌿 Thinking Outside of the Box(wood) – Explore alternatives and solutions for landscapes affected by boxwood challenges.

🪲 Debunking Myths: Japanese Beetle – Learn what really works (and what doesn't) when managing these common garden pests.

🦋 Cultivating Wings: How Oakland County Extension Master Gardeners Revitalized Innovation Hills Butterfly Garden – Discover how volunteers transformed this garden into a thriving habitat for pollinators.

🍅 What Are Your Tomatoes Telling You? – Learn to recognize common tomato problems and what your plants may be trying to tell you.

🐛 Creepy Crawlies You Can Care About – Meet some of the beneficial insects and other garden helpers that support a healthy landscape.

🥕 From Garden to Table: Small Ways to Add More Vegetables to Your Diet—Even for Picky Eaters – Simple ideas for enjoying more fresh, nutritious produce.

📖 Read the full issue here:
https://conta.cc/4pX3TXb

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🌱

✨ Fairytale Garden Workshop
Create a magical miniature garden! Kids and adults will learn a few basics of container and miniature gardening, then make a whimsical fairytale garden to take home.
👩‍🌾 Open to adults & kids (ages 6+)
🌱 Register as an Individual or an Individual with an Assistant
🗓 Registration deadline: May 4, 2026, or when full
🔗 Register here: https://events.anr.msu.edu/2026FairytaleGardenWorkshop/