The Plant and Pest Hotline

I took the Master Gardener class back in the winter of 2000. Since then I have been doing volunteer work in the Saginaw community and attending different classes to keep current on my Master Gardener status. The Master Gardeners add so much to any community and I am happy to be one of them.

This past year due to retirement I have been able to man the phone at the MSU Extension Office here in Saginaw to answer questions people have about gardening. We call it the Plant and Pest Hotline and it is a free service (we are volunteers!) to anyone who calls with a question. There is a lot of information about different gardening topics out there and we are happy to share that information with anyone who asks.

So, if you have a question, don't hesitate to call us at 989-758-2500.

House plants in Michigan

Several years ago on their 40th wedding anniversary My Aunt Helen and Uncle Ralph received this plant from my parents in celebration. And this plant which would die if not kept indoors in Michigan is doing quite well outside in Barefoot Bay, Florida. For every plant there is a place, and that place depends upon the weather. I can't tell you the name of this house plant, but I can tell you it is thriving outside in full sun in Florida. As are these more colorful long lived plants that like the heat and die in the cold.

I recently spent a week visiting my aunts in Florida so that they could spend some time with their sister, my mother. Plants are wonderful. But they are more wonderful when they tell the stories of the people who planted them. These plants tell the story of my mom and her sisters. And that is quite a tale to tell!