WVU Extension Service - Office of Communications

7 May

Valid through June 1, 2012

Agents: This article is an excerpt from a web feature prepared by Carrie See, WVU Extension Service Small Farms Center. Please adapt the article to reflect your media opportunities and localize it to provide details about your educational programs.

For Immediate Release

For many people, May flowers mean hanging baskets. Whether you buy pre-made baskets or plant them yourself, a little planning is the first step to having great looking baskets all summer long.

According to Carrie See of the WVU Extension Service Small Farms Center, you need to think about where the basket will hang.
“This is especially important because flowers that like shade shouldn’t be in full sun locations or hot afternoon sun,” said See. “Shade-loving flowers don’t handle the heat well.”

Sun loving plants include petunias, daisies, geraniums, nasturtiums and verbena. Others, like alyssum, begonias, fuchsias, impatiens, pansies and primroses need partial shade. If you have questions, the plastic tag inside the basket will have information about things like the plant variety, how big it’s going to get, and how much sun it needs to thrive.

Spillers – plants that drape down over the side of the basket – are a great addition if the basket is going to be hung at eye level or above. Sweet potato vines, fuchsias and lobelia are some commonly used spillers.

Hanging baskets don’t have to be strictly ornamental. If you have a sunny location and time for lots of watering, a hanging basket of strawberry plants will produce berries all summer. Herbs such as thyme and oregano can be added to hanging baskets as well.

If you’re going to purchase a pre-made basket, you may want to steer clear of the one that is in full bloom. If you select a basket with plants that aren’t quite as mature, you’ll have the full benefit and beauty of the plants as they grow and bloom.

For more gardening tips, check the West Virginia University Extension Service Garden Calendar and visit the WVU Extension Service’s website (www.ext.wvu.edu).

If you have other questions about gardening, contact ___________, a ___________ County WVU Extension Service agent, by email ( ___________@mail.wvu.edu) or by phone (304- ___________).

–WVU-ES –
mlb – 4/30/12

30 Apr

Valid through June 1, 2012

Agents: This article varies from the general news release in that it is aimed at teenagers. If you’ve attended WV State Conservation Camp, please feel free to add comments about what the experience was like, what it meant to you, or other information you think is appropriate.

For Immediate Release

If you’re a teenager who’s interested in the environment, West Virginia State Conservation Camp may be the place for you this summer.

The camp takes place June 11 – 16 at Camp Caesar in Webster County. It’s a mix of hands-on conservation education, outdoor activities and traditional camping fun for teens ages 14 to 19.

Morning classes cover topics such as wildlife management, fish management, forest protection, conservation law enforcement, and parks and recreation. In the afternoons, you’ll have a choice of several outdoor recreation activities including trap shooting, archery, rowing, outdoor cooking, fishing, rifle marksmanship and rappelling.

The camp is staffed by state and federal natural resources professionals who’ll help you explore the natural world. They can also talk with you about career opportunities and educational requirements, and make suggestions for selecting appropriate colleges and universities for various fields of interest in natural resources and conservation.

A proud tradition since 1941, West Virginia State Conservation Camp is as meaningful as ever. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, environmental engineers are expected to have employment growth of 31 percent over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations. A week at West Virginia Conservation Camp can help you decide if an environmental career is right for you.

The cost for camp is $185. Many campers receive scholarships that cover all or part of the fee. If you’d like to know more, check them out on facebook at WVCCamp, visit the website at www.wvconservationcamp.com, or contact WVU Extension Conservation Specialist and camp chairman Ben Spong at 304-293-9425.

The camp is supported by the West Virginia University Extension Service and other local, state and federal agencies with natural resources management responsibilities.

–WVU-ES –

mlb – 4/27/12

25 Apr

Valid through June 1, 2012

Agents: Use this article before Emma Byrne speaks to groups in your community. From September 2011 to March 2012, Byrne was West Virginia’s International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) representative in Guanajuato, Mexico, where she provided support and training for Guanajuato’s newly established 4-H program. In April and May 2012, she is visiting West Virginia communities to share her IFYE experiences. Adapt the article as necessary to accommodate her schedule appearances and your media program.

For Immediate Release

What’s it like to take a program you’ve known all your life to a place where it doesn’t exist? Although 4-H has been a part of American life for more than a century, it’s just getting started in Mexico.

Emma Byrne, West Virginia’s most recent International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) representative, spent six months in Mexico sharing her 4-H experiences and providing support and training for the new program. It’s a collaboration between the WVU Extension Service and the University of Guanajuato, including ten high schools that are part of the of the university system throughout the state of Guanajuato.

Byrne will share her discoveries when she visits with 4-H’ers and other youths in ________ County.

The 4-H traveler will speak at:
________ (a.m./p.m.) ________ (day and date) at ________ (site), ________ (address).
________ (a.m./p.m.) ________ (day and date) at ________ (site), ________ (address).
________ (a.m./p.m.) ________ (day and date) at ________ (site), ________ (address).

Her presentations, sponsored by the ________ County Office of the West Virginia University Extension Service, are free and open to the public.

After 27 students and six teachers from Guanajuato, Mexico visited West Virginia in July 2011 to learn about the 4-H program, Byrne headed to Mexico as a 4-H special ambassador in September to provide both leadership and support.

“Our goals for this program might still be years in the making, but the partnership formed between WVU and the University of Guanajuato is opening incredible opportunities for all kinds of people in both countries.”

The lifelong 4-H’er is traveling West Virginia this spring to describe what it was like working with the teachers and students and learning about their culture. By sharing her story, she hopes to encourage others in West Virginia to get involved with the WVU Extension Service’s IFYE program.

But the most important thing she’ll share with her listeners is reflected in the name of her blog: Todo es Posible (everything is possible).

While she was still in Mexico, Byrne began sharing her diverse experiences. You can find her blog at http://mexicoifye.tumblr.com/.

For more information about the IFYE program or other 4-H activities, contact ________, 4-H agent with the ________ County Office of the WVU Extension Service, at ________ (address), or call ________ (phone number).

In West Virginia, IFYE activities are conducted by the WVU Extension Service’s 4-H Youth Development Program. The money to send IFYE representatives abroad is raised partly through 4-H clubs, Friends of 4-H, 4-H alumni and the West Virginia University Foundation.

4-H and other WVU Extension Service activities are open to all without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, political beliefs, sexual orientation, national origin, and family or marital status.

– WVU-ES –
mlb—4/18/12

8 Mar

Agents: Please adapt this article to complement your local media opportunities. (Good through March 30)

For Immediate Release

The Mountaineer spirit was contagious the annual WVU and WVU Extension Day at the Legislature in Charleston. The event, which took place at the State Capitol Building in Charleston, gathered more than 1000 WVU friends and supporters and more than 50 exhibitors from all over the state.

Interactive displays lined the halls of the Capitol’s Upper and Lower Rotundas for attendees to explore. Hands-on learning experiences ranged from the STEM displays featuring square bubbles, to robotics and instant snow. Additional demonstrations included ATV helmets and riding protection from the WVU Extension 4-H ATV Safety team.

Visitors could also vote for the name of the WVU Extension’s new cyber bulling prevention program. The program was announced by West Virginia House of Delegates Representative Linda Phillips of Wyoming County.

The near-future grabbed the attention of youths, parents and grandparents alike as they gathered information about college programs that lead to careers in law, dentistry, medicine, nursing, engineering, agriculture, natural resources and other fields.

Among those collecting information about college, healthy living and community service were insert number 4-H’ers and friends from ________ County. The local visitors represented groups such as (4-H, Community Educational Outreach Service, Master Gardener Program. Specify others).

The visitors also watched their elected officials in action during sessions of the West Virginia House of Delegates and the West Virginia Senate. Some had the opportunity to speak with their legislators.

The day began with inspirational messages from James Clements, president of WVU; Steve Bonnano, interim director of the WVU Extension Service; Clara Grandt, WVU alum and 4-time NCAA All-American runner; and Delegate Phillips.

For some, the day appeared to end too soon. Everyone could not visit every exhibit in the Capitol or take every tour through the Capitol Complex buildings or nearby attractions. Many visitors expressed their desire to return to next year’s WVU Day at the Legislature—scheduled for Friday, March 22, 2013.

For details, contact ________ at the ________ County office of WVU Extension Service at ________. For more information about the WVU Extension Service, check the web at www.ext.wvu.edu.

—WVU-ES—

bfc/fsm—3/7/12

7 Feb

Agents: Please adapt this article to complement your local media opportunities. (Good through March 1)

For Immediate Release

Are you a college-bound or current college student looking to make the most of your summer?

Would you like to be part of a unique program that works to enrich the lives of 3,000 West Virginia children each year?

Energy Express in ___________ County is seeking applicants for site supervisor positions as well as AmeriCorps mentors and community coordinators to serve in the upcoming summer. All positions will serve from June 7-July 27.

The unique statewide program – administered by West Virginia University Extension service and AmeriCorps – is an award-winning, 8-week program designed to maintain and improve children’s reading skills in the summer.

The program is designed to provide learning opportunities and nutrition during the summer months, when children are most at risk for falling behind on reading levels – a preventable loss known as the “summer slide.”

Last year, ___________ (Insert number) children participated in the Energy Express program in ___________ County. Programming is held at ___________, ___________ and ___________. (Insert names of locations)

Energy Express mentors make learning fun for small groups of school-age children through a safe, enriching environment focused on reading and language arts activities.

Beyond the scope of the classroom, mentors will also eat nutritious, family-style meals with children, make family visits and complete a community service project.

Positions are not limited to college students. Adult-age individuals interested in Energy Express can apply for a community coordinator position.

The community coordinator recruits volunteers to assist Energy Express children during reading, writing, art, drama and non-competitive recreational activities.

Other community coordinator duties include raising awareness and involving both the community and family members in children’s learning. All AmeriCorps members, community coordinators and mentors, will also complete a team service project that benefits the local community.

In return for their 300 hours of service, AmeriCorps mentors and community coordinators receive a $1,850 summer living allowance and a $1,175 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award valid for up to seven years to pay for college tuition or loans.

To apply online for either a mentor or community coordinator position, visit www.energyexpress.wvu.edu. The selection process begins March 1.

For more information on Energy Express, visit the ___________ County WVU Extension Office or call ___________.

—WVU-ES—

bu—1/1/12

19 Dec

Valid Through April 30, 2012

Agents: Adapt this article to complement your local media opportunities.

For Immediate Release

Gardening is a time honored tradition for many West Virginia families. Not only does it provide a great opportunity for kids to learn about math and science in their own backyards, but it can also bring families closer together. The 2012 WVU Extension Service Garden Calendar is designed with this in mind.

Throughout the year, gardeners will explore “Kids’ Gardening Adventures,” in the 2012 calendar. It includes gardening articles written by WVU Extension experts with youth in mind. This year’s calendar also exhibits exclusive artwork designed by West Virginia 4-H’ers.

The free garden calendar, WVU Extension Service’s most-requested publication, is now available at the _________ County WVU Extension office and at (list any other public site where calendar is available).

The monthly calendar and gardening guide offers information helpful to both beginning and avid gardeners. The calendar provides day-to-day planting and harvesting reminders for the entire year. Daily tips range from when to design your garden layout to when to prune bushes and turn compost.

In January, readers are reminded to order seeds and fertilizer for their spring garden. In February, reminders include tips about seeding vegetables indoors and cleaning dust from houseplants. The important notes continue throughout the growing season into December.

Each month, the calendar features a short article on gardening written to encourage children’s interest in gardening and to increase family gardening knowledge. Learn to grow the ingredients for a pizza in your garden, including basil, oregano, onions, peppers and tomatoes.

Also outlined is how to start and build a garden project at school and how to distinguish garden-friendly bugs from pests. Each monthly article is coupled with corresponding artwork created by 4-H’ers from all over the state.

For the first time, the calendar features QR codes that can send readers to more information from WVU Extension Service seamlessly from their smartphones.

Once the QR code is scanned with a smartphone equipped with a QR code reader, readers will be sent to more information specific to that month’s article, right there on their phones.

The calendar lists the phone number of each county office of the WVU Extension Service.

To begin the 2012 gardening season with a green thumb, look to the experts. Pick up your WVU Extension Service Garden Calendar at the _________ County office of the WVU Extension Service at _________, or reserve your copy by calling _________.

—WVU-ES—

bu/eb—12/16/11

If a 4-H’er from your county is a featured artist then you might want to include the following information after the second paragraph of this release.

_________ County 4-H’er _________ ’s artwork is featured in the calendar. He/she is featured in the month of _________ for the art accompanying the (artwork title here) article.

Monthly Garden Calendar Art

January (Director’s Letter):
Artist: Olivia Insani, 13, Harrison County

February (Winter Wonder Windowsills):
Artists: Desiree Bell and Megan Christian, both 14, McDowell County

March (Soil-Building with Worms – Oh My!):
By Dylan Haynes, 13, Mason County

April (Please DO Eat the Flowers!):
Artist: Kristen McCaslin, 10, Hampshire County

May (Conquest: Giant Vegetables):
Artist: Tyler Ebeling, 14, Taylor County

June (A Yummy Rainbow Garden):
Artist: Jocie Cline, 12, Wyoming County

July (Plant a Pizza!):
Artist: Erin Ferry, 12, Wayne County

August (Saving the Rain):
Artist: Allison Hartman, 11, Grant County

September (A Garden at Our School):
Artist: Dylan Haynes, 13, Mason County

October (Lavender Cookies and More):
Artist: Leanna High, 10, Randolph County

November (Good Creepy-Crawlies & Creatures):
Artist: Kayla Galyen, 10, Cabell County

December (From Me and My Garden):
Artist: Lydia Mullenax, 13, Tucker County

Inside Back Cover:
Artist: Dannah Pauley, 5, Lincoln County (People)
Artist: Brody Hoover, 7, Lincoln County (State)

Back Cover:
Artist: Sarah Watts, 7, Lincoln County (Planting Zones)

Garden Calendar Cover Art

Cover Art (top row, l. to r.):
Kiley Chisler, 9, Monongalia County
Sophia Flower, 8, Marion County
Emma Baker, 15, Monroe County
Zachary Smith, 11, Wood County

Cover Art (bottom row, l. to r.):
Kaylee Eaton, 11, Hampshire County
Alisha Arbogast, 9, Randolph County
Alexis Adkins, 12, Tucker County
Erin Ferry, 12, Wayne County

Garden Calendar Art County Honors

Berkeley
Alexandria Hersom, 16

Cabell
Shelby Blankenship, 18
Alexis Day, 11
Caleb Dorsey, 11

Doddridge
Michael Kerns, 11
Jessica Siders, 15
Timmie Jozwick, 18

Grant
Clara Hall, 9
Allison Hartman, 11
Shayla Whiteman, 9

Hampshire
Glenna Alt, 9
Marissa Coyle, 12
Annabelle Kitzmiller, 10

Hancock
Arden Minor, 10

Harrison
Destiny Dunn, 16
Harrison Hess, 12
Madison Hess, 10

Jefferson
Trevor Donley, 5
Tyler Donley, 9
Ksusha Lowry-Neufeld, 8

Kanawha
Erica Cooper, 11
Kushal Modi, 8
Varapratha Prasad, 6

Lincoln
Kiersten Adkins, 6
Krista McComas, 8
Janie New, 6

Marion
Kelly Humphreys, 17
Sinead M. Tobin, 12
Aaron Moore, 15

McDowell
Callie Anderson, 16
Rebekah Hall, 16
Alyssa Riggs, 12

Mercer
Mason Campbell, 11
Bryce Wall, 7
Mineral
Aaron Boggs, 10

Monongalia
Noah Clouser, 9
Hannah Hebel, 12
Lilly Hebel, 11

Ohio
Victoria Saseen, 11

Pocahontas
Devin Adams, 13
Aaron Jackson, 13
Tiffani Jackson, 18

Preston
Brianna Cerinaes, 13
Taylor Goad, 11
Jenna Hauser, 10

Randolph
Alexis Hare, 9
Lydia Plishka, 10
Bailey Topping, 12

Roane
Faith Flesher, 11
Shelby Lassiter, 12
Chase Webb, 13

Taylor
Tanner Ebeling, 12
Hannah Gilbert, 14
Abigail Montgomery, 12

Tucker
Sarah Bates, 9
Melissa Carr, 17
Daniel Kisamore, 14

Upshur
Olivia Caynor, 10
Tyler Coffin, 13

Wayne
Sarah Ferry, 11

Wyoming
Justin Cuevas, 13
Paige Cline, 14
Kara Sandy

16 Nov

Agents: This article is an excerpt from a November newspaper column prepared Mary Beth Bennett, WVU-ES agent in Berkeley County. Please localize the article to provide details about your programs.

For Immediate Release

You may already know how many cooks will prepare your Thanksgiving feast. But do you have any idea how many farmers were necessary to produce all those different foods?

In a recent newspaper column, Dr. Mary Beth Bennett, West Virginia University Extension agent in Berkeley County, challenged West Virginians to add local foods to their Thanksgiving Day menu shopping lists, to buy foods at farmers markets and to add farmers to their list of reasons to be grateful.

Here is an edited excerpt from her article:

How many farmers does it take to provide a Thanksgiving dinner?

If you want to have turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, baked corn, cranberries, rolls, pecan and pumpkin pies, and cider, your list will look like this:

1 Turkey producer for the turkey
1 Dairy person (a.) for the butter to put in stuffing, in mashed potatoes and on rolls; and (b) for milk for the mashed potatoes, baked corn and pies
1 Poultry producer for the eggs used in the stuffing, pies, etc.
1 Wheat producer for the flour to make the bread, stuffing and pies
1 Mushroom grower for mushrooms in the stuffing
1 Tree nut producer for the walnuts and pecans in pies, etc.
1 Apple grower for apple butter, fruit salad and cider
1 Onion grower for the onions in the stuffing, etc.
1 Herb grower for the celery, sage and thyme used for flavoring
1 Spice grower for the spices (pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, etc.) used to flavor stuffing, potatoes and pies and other foods
1 Potato grower for sweet potatoes and white potatoes, which will be used in desserts and other dishes
1 Corn grower for the corn
1 Cranberry grower for the cranberries
1 Pumpkin grower for the pumpkin

So far, 14 growers are needed to produce the very basic items that adorn the traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner table, and many cooks would say this shopping list still does not have all the dishes their families expect on turkey day.

Make your shopping list. Then visit local farmers markets. See how much of your Thanksgiving meal you can purchase from local producers. You might end up adding a new tradition to your menu.

Farmers markets in this community include:

Supply farmers markets’ names, addresses and hours

For more information about the local foods initiative in _________ County, contact __________ __________ , an Extension agent with the ____________ County office of the ___________ West Virginia University Extension Service.

—WVU-ES—

mbb/fsm—11/16/11

16 Nov

Agents: Emma Byrne of Jefferson County is West Virginia’s International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) representative in Mexico. Please use this article about her before March 2012. In the spring, you will receive a pre-visit announcement article about her West Virginia tour. Please adapt this article for your news columns, newsletters and other appropriate media channels.

In the spring of 2012, ___________ County 4-H members and other area youths will welcome West Virginia’s International 4-H Youth Exchangee (IFYE) into their schools and homes to learn more about her work with new 4-H clubs in Mexico.

But they don’t have to wait until they meet Emma Byrne in person to hear what she’s doing. They can “talk” to her now.

A lifetime 4-H member and a recent West Virginia University graduate, Byrne is inviting everyone to share in her unusual IFYE adventure in Guanajuato, Mexico, by following and commenting on her blog—and photographs—at http://mexicoifye.tumblr.com

Byrne—the WVU Extension Service’s IFYE for 2011-2012— is adding a new chapter to a history book that began in 1986, when the University of Guanajuato in Guanajuato, Mexico, and WVU initiated their education partnership.

Since 2008, several 4-H exchanges have occurred between the two institutions, with 4-H’ers going to Guanajuato and many students from Guanajuato coming to Morgantown.

But Byrne’s journey is unlike any in the past.

Assisting 5 High Schools

This IFYE’s challenge is not to adapt to life among a variety of rural host families. Instead, the young educator is adapting 4-H programming to meet the needs of students in five high schools in the Guanajuato system.

Byrne, who earned her master’s degree in secondary education in May, is working with principals, superintendents and teachers to plan, implement and sustain programs focused on student leadership, community service, agricultural education and economic development.

“One great thing about 4-H is that it is very flexible and the perfect vehicle to deliver whatever educational material you want and that is necessary for a population,” Byrne explained.

Besides drawing from her formal education at WVU, the pioneering IFYE is also relying on her wealth of 4-H experience.

The Shepherdstown native has been active in 4-H since she was 9 years old. Her 4-H career includes serving as a camping instructor at WVU Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp in Lewis County and working with Extension’s Global Education Team.

Byrne, who left West Virginia Sept. 8 and will return March 7, also hopes to improve her Spanish language skills and be useful in the Guanajuato community while immersing herself in the Mexican culture with the help of her host family.

Will Tour W.Va.

Upon her return, she will travel across West Virginia and speak at schools, 4-H clubs and a variety of service organizations to discuss her experiences.

Byrne’s trip is a stepping stone to reaching other states in Mexico, according to Rich Fleisher, WVU Extension Service specialist and associate professor for global and poverty education. He serves as a co-chair of the Global Education Team and coordinates WVU Extension’s IFYE program.

Byrne and Fleisher both agree that the focus is on the current goal: creating and implementing successful 4-H programming in Guanajuato and bringing students from Guanajuato to West Virginia to share new experiences.

“I am fully confident that 4-H is on the edge of youth development programming— having resources and knowing how to be international ambassadors. West Virginia is a great fit for Mexico.

“The cultures are very similar—focusing on family, agriculture and the need to build economic opportunity to keep people in their communities. It’s wonderful that we can work together in our shared strengths and weaknesses to propel both areas forward,” Byrne said.

Learn more about WVU Extension Service’s role in bringing 4-H youth development and global education together (http://4-hyd.ext.wvu.edu/programs/globaled) together.

For information about 4-H opportunities in __________ County, contact _______________________ , WVU Extension agent, in WVU Extension’s ____________ County office at __________________________ _______________________ or call 304- ____________________________ .

—WVU-ES—

eb/fsm—11/15/11

12 Oct

Agents: This article is an excerpt from a September newspaper column prepared by Mary Beth Bennett, WVU-ES agent in Berkeley County. Please adapt the article to reflect your media opportunities and localize it to provide details about your educational programs.

For Immediate Release

Turn your autumn leaves into rich spring compost, advises Dr. Mary Beth Bennett, a West Virginia University Extension Service agent in Berkeley County.

Your vegetable patches or flower gardens, she said, will benefit from a little work this fall.

Here are excerpts from a recent column she prepared for West Virginia gardeners:

First, save those fall lawn cuttings and leaves.

Place them in a container or a pile to provide compost for next year’s garden.

Or, build a lasagna bed with the leaves and grass clippings. Earthworms and other beneficial organisms will love your soil, and weeds will be choked out.

Using the lasagna method in making your bed requires only a few simple steps.

Start with layers of black-and-white newspaper. Lay it directly on top of the grass or weeds, and thoroughly wet it. A nice thick layer—use 10 to 15 sheets of newspaper—will smother weeds and sod. The decaying green matter will form the foundation of your spring bed.
Pile on a couple of inches of moist topsoil to weigh down the paper layer and speed up the decomposition of the sod below.
Onto the bed, spread any fallen leaves, grass clippings or well-chopped kitchen waste you might generally put into your compost pile. But do not use meat or dairy products. For more composting tips and for details on what to use and what not to use, check this Cooperative Extension Service fact sheet: www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/hg35_002.pdf
Add a thin layer of soil or finished compost. (While you’re emptying flowerpots later this fall, toss the leftover potting soil onto the new bed.)

In the dead of winter while you peruse the new plant catalogs, your garden will be at work readying for spring. The layers of organic material will decompose giving you a rich new bed for your 2012 plants.

For more information on lasagna gardening, go to this popular website: www.ourgardengang.com/lasagna_gardening.htm

For more gardening tips, check the West Virginia University Extension Service Garden Calendar and visit the WVU Extension Service’s website (www.ext.wvu.edu).

If you have other questions about gardening, contact _______________ , a _______________ County WVU Extension Service agent, by email ( _______________ @mail.wvu.edu) or by phone (304- _______________ ).

—WVU-ES—

mbb/fsm—10/11/11

10 Oct

For Immediate Release

Those plants in your garden may be called “perennials.” But that designation does not mean they can be forgotten or ignored. Perennials need annual care.

In a recent newspaper column, Dr. Mary Beth Bennett, a West Virginia University Extension Service agent in Berkeley County, explained ways gardeners should prepare their perennials for the winter.

Here is an excerpt from her column on protecting perennials:

The perfect time for renovating that perennial garden is in October after the first frost of the year. As the foliage dies and dries up, you can dig and divide most perennial plants that have overgrown an area or have started to decline from being overcrowded.

Cut back the foliage. Dig up the roots and cut them into sections for replanting in a bigger area or for giving to friends.

Spring and early-summer blooming perennials, such as peonies and poppies, are usually divided in the fall or when foliage dies (mid-September through mid-October).

However, plants that flower in mid to late summer and fall, such as chrysanthemums and asters, should be divided in the spring before growth begins. Iris and daylilies usually are divided immediately after flowering.

In late November, cut ornamental grasses back to within 3 inches of the crown. However, if you want to create winter interest—many gardeners love to see snow cover tall grasses—you can leave the grasses standing until spring.

Leaving some of the skeletonized plants in the garden over winter also may be beneficial. Not only are all those seed heads lovely to look at but they are even more attractive when over-wintering birds descend to feed on them or to seek shelter in the dead foliage.

Scores of perennials provide protein and oil-rich seeds for birds. The giant perennial sunflower (which blooms in October and November), willowleaf sunflower, coreopsis, asters, liatris, blackberry lily, coneflowers of all kinds, and many others provide a natural (and free) feast for your avian friends.

You can add compost in the fall, especially if you cut back perennials. Fall compost application
saves you one spring chore. Although compost will add some nutrients, it has many other beneficial effects, such as adding organic matter and microorganisms.

Tender summer bulbs (gladiolus, caladiums, cannas, crocosmias, dahlias and tuberous begonias) need to be dug in the fall and stored in a cool place where temperatures are above freezing.

Spring bulbs (daffodils, tulips and crocus) should be planted before the end of November to allow them time to get established. Do not plant them too early, or they may start growing above ground. If you have rodents and similar pests, avoid tulips (which they love). Or, plant them with ground oyster shells (which rodents supposedly hate) or on wire cages or strawberry containers.

Finally, don’t forget to water new perennials during the winter.

Because their roots have not yet adhered to the soil, new perennials will not survive their first winter without water. All the perennials and grasses you planted this year need to be watered at least twice a month during the winter.

Need more information? Contact _______________, a _______________ County WVU Extension Service agent, by email ( _______________ @mail.wvu.edu) or by phone (304- _______________ ).

—WVU-ES—

mbb/fsm—10/7/11