Bees, Butterfly and Firefly Masks

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Among Free Activities at the 4H Children’s Day

Bees, butterflies, fireflies, dragonflies, and damselflies will be among the stars of the insect world featured at a booth at the 4H Children’s Day. These activities are sponsored by the non-profit Xerces Society.

Gardening activities and games created from recycled materials as well as literature about best gardening practices will be available for children and adults at the Carroll County Master Gardeners’ (MG) booth, next to the Xerces table.

4H Children’s Day will be held Tuesday, July 29 from 9 am to 2 pm at the Ag Center. Children of all ages can make masks, take home stickers and play games at the Xerces and MGs booths in the Ag Center’s vendor area. There also will be numerous handouts about bees, butterflies, and other invertebrates as well as gardening information for children and adults.

The booths are sponsored by the non-profit Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and the UME CC MGs.

Xerces, an international, science-based organization, seeks to protect invertebrates and their habitats. Their key programs are pollinator conservation, endangered species conservation and the reduction of pesticide use.

The UME CCMG aims to provide information to the community about sustainable horticultural practices.

The booths will be in the vendor area in front of the Ag building, 700 Agriculture Center, Westminster, MD 21157.

An Orchid’s Tale: All’s Well That Ends Well

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Anyone who has cared for a plant, knows the dangers that lurk behind every corner. Too much sun, too little water, the list is endless.

Imagine Nancy Klavans’ situation. She was growing an orchid, a Phalaenopsis hybrid, in her special plant room. 

Klavans intended to exhibit it in the 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show as a member of the Rutgers Alumni Growers & Exhibitors. 

Often called moth orchids, they typically grow in the shade on trees in warm, humid tropical forests. 

Photo by James O’Callaghan

When grown in homes, they prefer low light, warm temperatures and high humidity. The growing mixture should be moist. 

Continue reading An Orchid’s Tale: All’s Well That Ends Well →

Ten Students, 1,200 Plants & 1 Exhibit in 4 Days

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Ten undergrads had been prepping for months for the Philadelphia Flower Show (PFS).

This was their big moment. The exhibit was part of a design and build course they were taking at Tyler School of Art and Architecture (TSAA) at Temple University Ambler.

First, a load of materials had been dropped off at the Convention Center a week before the show would open to the public March 1.

Then the clock would start on Monday. The students would have four days, and only four days, to assemble their exhibit and install the plants, more than 1,200 of them.

Judging would begin at 7am on Friday and no exhibitors would be allowed on the floor. From that point forward, their exhibit would be on display to PHS members, the press and, most importantly, the public.

From Sat., March 1, to Sun., March 9, about 250,000 people would see their display.

What could go wrong?

Continue reading Ten Students, 1,200 Plants & 1 Exhibit in 4 Days →

Native Plants