By MG Alison Edwards
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| MG Kat Kahn accepts County Council proclamation |
Montgomery County Master Gardeners’ participation in White Oak Day 2025 contributed to another huge success, with MGs distributing over 900 vegetable, herb, and pollinator-friendly flower seedlings to local residents, dispensing gardening advice, giving tours of the White Oak Youth Garden, and piquing kids’ interest in gardening with a planting activity. This was the culmination of a large volunteer-powered effort begun months earlier by HarvestShare with significant support from MGs. During the event, MG Cat Kahn received a County Council proclamation recognizing HarvestShare’s contributions to the people of Montgomery County—a testament to the program’s impact.
Preparing the Ground
Each year, HarvestShare launches preparations for White Oak Day by recruiting MGs and other local volunteers to start seeds, with a focus on supporting food production. The volunteers transplant seedlings into larger pots as needed, harden them off, and prepare them for donation. Seedlings require 6 to 10 weeks of nurturing and are carefully timed to be ready for dropoff to HarvestShare by mid-May. At least 22 MGs participated in the seed starting aspect of the effort this year; more than 40 total individuals contributed plants, including extra starts from their personal gardens.
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| MG's Valerie Button, Sue Kuklewicz, Mary Lou Johnson, Linda Weiss with sign recognizing seed donors Photo: MG Cat Kahn |
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| MG Linda Weiss sorts seedlings Photo: MG Cat Kahn |
Some of these seedlings were distributed to county residents, community gardens, and HarvestShare food production gardens that donate surplus produce back to the community through HarvestShare. Plants that weren’t immediately distributed were housed in HarvestShare’s pop-up greenhouse, where they received daily care until the giveaway event. As they grew, managing them became a monumental task—imagine trying to contain an 18-inch tomato plant in a tiny pot! (This is why volunteers are asked to put seedlings in 4-inch pots.)
The MCMG event leads, MGs Cat Kahn, Sue Kuklewicz, and Emma Brennan, worked closely with the White Oak Recreation Center staff to plan logistics, including equipment, layout, and scheduling. They then recruited volunteers to help with setting up tents and tables, sorting and organizing hundreds of plants, and providing educational support to attendees. Cat notes that MG educators are easy to recruit as this is a highly rewarding—even if exhausting—event.
The Big Day
On June 7, 2025, White Oak Day came to life. Volunteers helped transport the seedlings to the Recreation Center site and organize them for easy selection. MGs then assisted county residents in selecting plants tailored to their gardening conditions, experience level, and culinary preferences. Some 178 families from 22 different zip codes received plants in the giveaway. Concurrently with the plant giveaway, children enjoyed a planting activity with volunteers, and visitors learned more about the youth-oriented activities at the White Oak Youth Garden. Some of the day's MG volunteers are pictured below.
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Cat, Sue, and Emma expressed their heartfelt thanks to all of the MG volunteers who devoted time and energy to delivering a huge benefit to the community at White Oak Day.
