Project of the Year:Alpha Industries
The Delaware County Master Gardeners Association (DCMGA) provided a sensory garden for The Alpha Group of Delaware, Inc. (Alpha).  DCMGA donated 300 volunteer hours, $500 in plant material, pond liner and glider to this work of love, peace and joy.  And tThis also provided a positive contribution to the community as well as touching the lives of Alpha’s clients in a personal, emotional and therapeutic way.  Local businesses donated pavers, plants and mulch to enable the Fall, 2004 completion of this garden, valued at $12,000, without additional expense to Alpha. 

The project received the Community Service Award from Alpha in June 2005. 

A. Origination 
     Liz Ellis, an outreach specialist at Alpha, contacted the OSU Extension in May 2003 requesting assistance with installing a sensory garden.  Specific requests were a water feature, raised beds, patio area, pergola, swing, birdhouses and plants/flowers for crafts; all to be incorporated into an existing, 1500 square foot courtyard garden already containing three hemlocks, three dogwoods, and a clematis.

B. Audience 
     The audience includes developmentally challenged clients from young adult to mature aged who come to Alpha for physical, mental and social therapy.  Alpha employs more than sixty of these skilled workers with disabilities to handle tasks such as small assembly, collating, bagging, shredding, mailings, labeling, de-manufacturing and sorting.  Team/job leaders, office staff members, client families and visitors also enjoy the gardens.

C.  Educational Goals/Objectives 
In June, 2003 a committee of eight MGs was formed and established goals and objectives: 

1)Create a garden
                                                                                                               a) incorporating the five senses but avoiding invasive/toxic/thorny plants
b) providing plants/flowers for crafts

2) Allow total accessibility for wheelchairs

3) Build a pergola to accommodate a 6’ gurney

4) Provide a swing 

5) Add a water feature 

6) Install the phenology plants on one side of the garden as phase 2

D.  Meeting Goals/Objectives 

The committee held monthly meetings to discuss about plant and garden information each member discovered in their research on sensory gardens.  All five senses were initially considered but in further conversations with Ms Ellis, it was determined that plants with fruits/berries could be construed as food items and eaten.  Therefore taste was excluded.

The final plant list included plants such as Lavender and Butterfly Bush for scent; Skyrocket Juniper and Lamb’s Ear for touch; Pampas Grass and Feather Reed Grass for sound and many bright and visually different plants such as Daylilies and Harry Lauder Walking Stick for sight.  We planted over 100 perennials and many annuals to fill the garden with delightAstilbe – 5
Daisy – 2
Dwarf Butterfly Bush – 2
Ligularia “The Rocket” – 2
Silver Lace – 2
Sweet Autumn Clematis – 2
Variegated Kiwi – 1
Elephant Ears – 2
Pampas grass – 2
Blue oat grass - 3
Liatris – 5
Russian Sage – 3
Feather reed grass – 3
Siberian Iris – 3
Skyrocket juniper – 4
Catmint – 5
Lavender – 5
Coral Bells – 5
Allium – 7
Creeping Jenny – 2
Lemon Thyme – 2
Chameleon – 3
Harry Lauder Walking stick (Contorted Filbert) – 1
Hostas – 14
Daylilies – 12
Coreopsis
Lamb’s Ear
Rudbeckia
Various annuals

One member was a nurse and was our wheelchair and gurney expert.  Our plans for the garden plants, raised beds as well as the pergola site were dependent on total accessibility of the clients. 

The placement of plants, raised beds and pergola was developed with the objective of total accessibility.  One committee member provided the expertise on wheelchairs and gurneys.
One of the MG interns was a landscape architect and drew up a site analysis of the existing garden as well as the proposed garden and pergola with a paver base to allow the gurney to negotiate the turns and a paver walkway at the other end of the garden to provide accessibility for wheelchairs to the proposed raised beds.
The raised beds were relocated, painted and refilled, three with fresh soil creating a fairy garden, a “dig me” garden, and a “grow” bed. One bed was filled with sand for play.  Between the pergola and paver walkway was the perfect, grassy spot for the patio table.  Originally a swing was to be attached to the pergola.  Due to possible liability issues, a self-standing glider was placed under the pergola instead.  The water feature, carefully designed to be heard and seen while not presenting a danger, was placed so it could be enjoyed from the pergola.

We used an innovative approach to the standing water problem.  One of the committee members was English and suggested we use a French drainage system of digging a three foot hole, filling it with rocks and stone and topping it with soil.  All of the standing water drains down the hole and away from the garden and sidewalks allowing accessibility even in wet weather.  In fact, the first day of plant installation was a rainy Saturday, May 15, 2004.  A dozen MGs and interns came armed with their garden tools and rain slickers.  Much was accomplished the first day to plant the approximately 1500 square foot garden.

The first day of plant installation, May 15, 2004, it was pouring rain.  A dozen DCMGA volunteers came armed with garden tools and rain slickers.  Though much was accomplished during that first planting session, a standing water problem was discovered.  To remedy the problem, an innovative approach was used---the French drainage system, suggested by a DCMGA volunteer from England. This   This entails digging a deep hole, filling it with rocks and topping it with soil. Water now drains into the hole and away from the sidewalks.

Both clients and staff have benefited from this sensory garden.  One client who was feeling anxious found the path leading back to the “secret garden”.   He immediately calmed down,distracted by the garden sights and sounds.   Clients are keeping garden journals on the phenology plants, learning job skills through working in the space and enjoying the garden as a place to sit, reflect and perhaps dig a little in the sand.

Planned as the second phase, a phenology garden also was planted at Alpha in 2004.  2005 is the first year of three that results will be tabulated for the State of Ohio.

E.   Resources 
Sensory Garden Native Plant List, National Wildlife Federation 
Poisonous Plants fact sheet, # ODH 2136.32 
100 Poisonous Plants, Central Ohio Poison Center 
Lima Children’s Garden 
Inniswood Metro Garden, Columbus 
Cleveland Botanical Garden 
Fellow’s Riverside Garden, Youngstown 
Fernwood Botanical Garden, Niles, MI 
Hilltop Garden and Nature Center, IU.
Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden, MSU 
George Washington River Farm, Alexandria , VA. 
Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA. 
Phipp’s Conservatory, Pittsburgh

 F.  Funding Sources/Collaborators 
The Alpha Group of Delaware, Inc 
Delaware County Master Gardeners Association
Oberfield’s Inc.
Price-Barnes Organics
Oakland Nursery
Cherry Hill Aquatics
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co.
 
 

 Master Gardener of the Year: Susan Liechty

The Delaware County Master Gardeners Association DCMGA is proud to nominate Susan Liechty for Ohio Master Gardener of the Year. 

Susan Liechty has been a Master Gardener for 10 years.  From the 21 Master Gardeners in Delaware County in 1995 to the 150+ today, Susan has played an integral part in the successful growth of the association. In 1997 Susan was a founding member of DCMGA and was instrumental in creating the bylaws that established the DCMGA. The members, in recognition of her consensus building and leadership elected her the first president.

A – POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES: 

Susan has an abundance of positive attributes, all of which she contributes wholeheartedly to the DCMGA. She is an innovator, she has the innate ability not only to conceive an idea, but with her enthusiasm and persuasiveness, to convert the idea into reality. This has been the beginning of many successful MG endeavors through the past decade. Susan’s consistent drive, and belief that the association can and will rise to any challenge, makes her a positive role model.  Susan is the “Go To” person when anyone, or the group as a whole, has a question or problem. Because of her dependability, vast knowledge, and willingness to share, members know Susan will help find a solution. She is an excellent mentor, and enjoys working with others, giving freely of time knowledge.
 She subjugates her ego to the task at hand, always willing to serve in any capacity on projects and committees where her talents can serve the Association.

B – TEACHING/LEADERSHIP SKILLS: 
OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS THAT BENEFITED AND STRENGTHENED THE ASSOC.

Susan’s ongoing support of Master Gardener and community education has manifested itself in a multitude of teaching endeavors.  For many years Susan taught the herb segment of the Master Gardener School for Delaware County.  Her teaching acumen became so well known; she taught the herb classes at the Richland County Master Gardening School in 2002. Susan also serves on the Education Committee which plans the association's educational requirements and opportunities each month.

Susan’s teaching abilities stretch beyond Master Gardener classes to the community. The Delaware Gazette published an article recognizing Susan’s creativity and printed her instructions on a$200. Greenhouse Affords Winter Haven. Her most recent community event, “Herbal Odyssey”, a symposium presented by the Herb Society of America, combines her initiative with her teaching and leadership skills.
 

Leadership for Susan is a natural attribute!  In the Association’s formative years, Susan was instrumental in the Christmas Gardening Program  and the Joint Vocational School’s plant sales, among many successful projects. 
In 2001, “Green Thumbs, A Gardener's Fair”, was Susan’s brainchild. Her belief in the capabilities and prolific talents of the Master Gardeners helped establish it as the premier event for educating Delaware County gardening enthusiasts. As chairperson the first year, she was so successful the Master Gardeners asked her to serve as chairperson the second year. With Susan's vision, guidance, hard work, and perseverance, Green Thumbs has developed into a highly successful community event with an attendance over 700 in 2005. Susan also helped create 15 educational classes and as the Vendor Chairperson brought in 56 vendors to exhibit. 

In 1997, Susan created the Delaware County Unit of The Herb Society of America. Susan was named Great Lakes District Membership Delegate for The Herb Society of America in 2005 and is on their National Board of Directors for 2005-2007. The position she holds in the Herb Society has brought further recognition to the Delaware County Master Gardeners.
She continues to work and introduce ideas/projects to involve the Master Gardeners with the Herb Society for common garden interests with the goal of bringing the county's gardeners together.

Always willing to take on a challenge, Susan is DCMGA’s Web designer and provides the ongoing technical support for the Web site.

C – LIST OF RECERTIFICATION/CONTINUING EDUCATION ACTIVITIES:
Green Thumbs 510.5
Hayes High School 4
Research 4
Web site 164.5
Bicentennial Project 2
M G school 23.5
Extension Office 12
Computer/Records 35
Unspecified Project Labor 5
Open Garden 3
Heirloom Plants 14
History 223
Board Meeting 13
Monthly Meeting 49
Education- Master Gardener Conferences 51
Education – Plant Seminars 75

D – GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TO THE MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM: 

By far Susan’s greatest contribution to the DCMGA is as a catalyst for new ideas, projects, and interactions. She is a consistent, presence, always leading by example, setting high standards for herself and others.

 As one of the most dedicated and hard working volunteers in Delaware County for both the DCMGA and the Herb Society, Susan is professional and friendly. She has built a network of contacts through honesty and trustworthiness and always represents the DCMGA with integrity and pride. Susan has worked diligently for ten years to keep the association vital and alive within the community, contributing in excess of 1000 volunteer hours.  The DCMGA is extremely fortunate to have Susan Liechty as a volunteer and founding member.  She is an inspiration and important asset to the Association, and to Ohio and its gardeners.