Bell plans to retire as head of HMDA

Volunteer Opportunity

Huntington in Bloom will be planting and decorating for fall on Tuesday, September 26 and Thursday, September 28 from 5 pm until 8 pm.
Meet at the shelter at Pullman Square both days.at 5 pm.  This counts as volunteer service time including the time for when you leave home until the time you return.

Huntington in Bloom efforts keep growing

CCMGA can be proud to be part of this worthwhile project that does so much to beautify Huntington.

See the full article in the Herald-Dispatch.

Butterfly Sanctuary at Kinetic Park

The project by HMDA to build a butterfly sanctuary is moving forward thanks to efforts of CCMGA and other groups.  CCMGA Treasurer, Tom Bell has coordinated the involvement of a number of agencies to kick off the first phase of work at the Donald Avenue site.
The video below provides a great overview of the project:

Milkweed planing at Kinetic Woods

Longtime CCMGA member, Tom Bell, announced a planting day at the Kinetic Woods area on Saturday, October 29 at 9 am.  This area will be a waystation for breeding monarch butterflies as well as many other pollinators.  Tom has obtained plugs and seeds for at least three species of milkweed as well as other pollinator friendly native plants.
This area will become a showplace along the Paul Ambrose Trail to Health and will provide a destination for school groups, out of town visitors and local residents alike.  This project will make everyone proud of what we can do to turn this area into a place of sustainable beauty.

If you are available to work at the planting on October 29 please come through the Enslow Park neighborhood to Donald Avenue.  Enslow Park is directly across from Enslow Park Presbyterian Church, our normal meeting location.  Plenty of parking is available on the west side of Donald Avenue in the grassy area that that will ultimately become the parking lot for school buses.

Huntington in Bloom Fall Planting & Decorating

HIB volunteers will be meeting on Monday, September 26th and Tuesday, September 27th at 6:00 p.m. at the covered shelter at Pullman Square facing 3rd Avenue.

We will be planting mums and pansies as well as decorating the downtown with fodder, straw, pumpkins and mums.

Everyone is invited to attend and help. We especially need men (and trucks).



Lisa Riley
Associate Executive Director
Huntington Municipal Development Authority
P.O. Box 1268
Huntington, WV 25714
304.696.5509

Huntington in Bloom Planting Days

For each of the planting dates (April 26, 28, May 3, 5), we will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Pullman Square Parking Garage on the 10^th Street side.

These dates are subject to change due to bad weather.

We will be planting the big pots, Harris Riverfront and the Civic Center and the CVB.

We will start with the big pots and the Civic Arena first, due to visitors for Marshall’s graduation. Once those are complete, we will move on to the other areas.

Huntington in Bloom in the News

A story in the Huntington Herald Dispatch covers the care for the Huntington in Bloom plantings by the Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/x45919512/The-Green-Team-keeps-downtown-flowers-blooming

Photo by Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch

Huntington in Bloom - 2015

Once again, the Cabell County Master Gardener Association is pleased to partner with Huntington in Bloom to beautify the city.  At our April meeting, Tom Bell informed us that the planting dates are:

Thursday – April 30 – 6 pm

Tuesday – May 5 – 6 pm

Thursday – May 7 – 6 pm

Volunteers will meet in front of the Big Sandy Superstore Arena to plant pots or one of the large circular gardens.  Tom informs us that soil is being replaced in the planting areas making our work much easier.

If you are available, please come to one (or all) of the Huntington in Bloom work parties and help to make the city a more attractive place to live and work.

For more information on Huntington in Bloom visit their website - http://www.huntingtoninbloom.org/

Photos taken by Victor Simpson & Steve Beckelhimer

End of February Updates

The February meeting of the Cabell County Master Gardener Association was quite productive.  There were 25 of us in attendance braving the cold and the coming winter storm that would have us hunkered down in our homes for the next week.
Our long winded speaker (Steve) did a session that is near and dear to his heart and stomach on the use of botanicals in making many of the distilled spirits that many of us are familiar with.  After the 90 minute presentation, we approved the 2015 budget and the prior meeting's minutes.  We approved the purchase of a quilt for raffle at the WSAZ Home and Garden Show especially since Victor Simpson suggested that he could assist us in purchasing one from a local quilting group.
Volunteers were solicited for working at the Home and Garden Show as well as to assist Rich in the event that the Extension Office moves to a better location.  Tom Bell shared his plan for a continuation of the partnership between CCMGA and Huntington in Bloom to include having Master Gardeners assist with home gardeners using Urban Renewal properties in Huntington.  The group voted to update the CCMGA bylaws.  The Guyandotte Library has asked for assistance in establishing a small planting.  A refreshment committee will be forming to bring snacks to many of the monthly meetings.
Since the February 14 meeting, the slate of speakers for 2015 has been finalized and is available on the "About" link of our CCMGA website.  A copy of the meeting schedule with dates, times, locations and speaker topics is available to print and share with friends or sticking up on your refrigerator.
Please check the calendar on the right side of this page for upcoming events.  If you click on an event you will get more information including a link to a map of how to get to the event.
Our next event is the WSAZ Home and Garden Show on March 13-15.  Please contact Connie Berk (berkc@marshall.edu) if you would like to sign up to volunteer.  She especially needs volunteers on Saturday and to assist with speakers throughout the weekend.
The April meeting will feature two educational speakers.  Betty Given will discuss the Springhill Community Gardens and Eve Marcum-Atkinson will give us information on the Tri-State Sustainability Fair.

Huntington in Bloom Service Day

A good time was had by all at the CCMG service day for Huntington in Bloom.  Our tasks were to arrange annuals in the planters around Huntington, especially near Pullman Square.  We also pulled weeds, tilled soil and planted in front of the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in preparation for the 2014 Marshall University graduation ceremonies.
Tom Bell gave us all tasks and got us started on our jobs for the day.  Our results confirm the old axiom that many hands make light work.

Many thanks to all who came out.