Dig This!

Hazel Zink, “O.G.” Hazel Zink, Master Gardener 2005, has been volunteering locally in horticulture so long that she’s considered an “O.G.” or Original Gardener. Recently, I found her as busy as a bee welcoming volunteers to the Hutchinson Community College Demo Garden , showing them the tool shed and pointing out things to do while giving a running commentary on the various plants at her feet (ex. “The bunny rabbits are eating the hostas!”). Her first tip for newcomers was to get familiar with the names of the plants in the garden because people will ask, and education is the Master Gardener mission.                As soon as Hazel retired she took the Reno County Master Gardener's (RCEMG) course even though she said she “didn’t know how to spell gardener.” She knew she wanted to learn more about plants as well as contribute to beautifying Hutchinson’s public gardens. “I consider myself an accidental g...

You are invited to Reno County Extension Master Gardener’s eighth annual Hutchinson Garden Tour on Saturday, June 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Spend a relaxing day enjoying some of Hutchinson's most beautiful and inspiring gardens and landscapes.                                                                  The Gardens Enjoy the flowering gardens and lush landscapes of five private gardens plus the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden on the Hutchinson Community College Campus.   You’ll be inspired by gardens that showcase a variety of trees, shrubs and flowers, creative landscapes and relaxing outdoor living spaces.   Highlights of this year's tour...

This was a post done on this site April of 2015... Weigela "This was growing in front of the house in partial shade on the South and competing with the Maple tree for water.  I moved it 6 years ago to the North behind the garage, giving it afternoon shade, and away it went, nearly as tall as the garage. In the spring it is totally loaded with lovely pink and white flowers." Fast forward...in the meantime.....one of our master gardeners had what she thought was a near gardening disaster....this favorite shrub was severely trimmed back.... she thought it might be lost forever. But, this year the Weigela is doing fine in its fairly new location and blooming hardily, which is what is wanted from any favorite flowering shrub.      This is a variegated variety. So the moral of this lemon-aid moment....Weigela can be cut to the ground and will regrow. It is rated for full sun, but the variegated seems to prefer partial shade. Says our gleeful ...