Volume 5 Issue 10 November 2014

Transcription

1 Over the Garden Gate Monthly Newsletter Clinton County Master Gardeners Volume 5 Issue 10 November 2014 Editor: Carol Machael, cmachael@gmail.com; Published on the first Monday of the month. To submit an article it must be sent by as a Microsoft Word attachment to the above address. To be accepted for publication in the next newsletter, articles must be received 10 days before the first Monday of the month. Articles will be accepted or rejected at the discretion of the editor. If you are mailing something to me please use new contact info: 502 Apple Valley Lane, Clinton. BE SURE TO.. record your volunteer & educational hours for 2014

2 Volume 5 Issue 10 Page 2 November 2014 CLINTON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES OCTOBER 21, 2014 BICKELHAUPT ARBORETUM BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Miller, Roger Rittmer, Tom Powell, Deb Neels, Jerry Richter, Alice Machande, Willard Larsen OTHERS PRESENT: Mark Schroeder, Margo Hansen APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER MINUTES: Tom moved to approve the minutes; Roger 2 nd ; Motion carried FINANCIAL REPORT: Balance of $ : Mark Schroeder report: There are 10 interns. Mark talked about end of year deadlines leading up to the Holiday Party. REPORTS/COMMITTEES/PROJECTS Bickelhaupt Arboretum--- Margo Hansen The transition to being part of CCC is continuing. December 12 There will be a wreath making class on OLC---Roger and Willard reported on some of the changes in the plans for the OLC. There will be a presentation at the Holiday Party End of year party December Buzzy s Willard moved to budget $250 for the Holiday Party (decoration, center pieces, door prizes, etc); Roger 2 nd. Motion carried OLD BUSINESS Several members will be contacted about running for the Advisory Board Volunteer and Education hours for year to count toward award must be recorded by November 15. Nomination of members for Master Gardener of the Year award must be received at the Extension office by November 17. We submitted our organization s name to Pizza Ranch for a possible fund raiser. We will know after November 1 st. NEW BUSINESS There is the possibility of a project in the spring at the YWCA. Interns have been told of the possible opportunity. Respectfully submitted Willard Larsen

3 Volume 5 Issue 10 Page 3 November 2014 Door prizes Annual Holiday & Awards Banquet December 8 Buzzy s in Welton 5:30 Social Hour 6:30 Buffet Dinner Those interns who have completed the education/training program will receive their completion certificates. You will receive a mailed invitation mid-november with RSVP info. MASTER GARDENER OF THE YEAR AWARD Each year, the Clinton County Master Gardeners present an award for Master Gardener of the Year. The award is based on hours and service to the organization. To nominate an individual for the award, please submit a letter of nomination to the Advisory Board describing the achievements of the person. The Advisory board will select the person based on the letter and current year s recorded hours. Letters of nominations should be ed to Mark Schroeder at marks2@iastate.edu or mailed to the Extension Office at Iowa State University Extension & Outreach Office, 400 E. 11 th Street, DeWitt, Ia The deadline for nominations is November 17 th. REMEMBER TO RECORD & UPDATE VOLUNTEER/EDUCATION HOURS The advisory board requests that Master Gardeners update your volunteer and education hours at this time. All hours must be recorded by the end of December to receive credit for However, certain awards will be presented to Master Gardeners at our annual holiday banquet based on volunteer/education hours. In order for these hours (to-date) to be considered for the annual awards, they must be recorded by November 15th. Hours may be entered at: mastergardenerhours.hort.iastate.edu/ If you do not have access to a computer or are not comfortable entering your hours, please contact Mark Schroeder at marks2@iastate.edu or call the Iowa State Extension office at

4 Volume 5 Issue 10 November 2014 By Willard Larson and Roger and Jan Rittmer Thirteen years ago when Clinton County built the Outdoor Living Classroom teaching garden at the County fair grounds in DeWitt, we became the first county in Iowa to provide its members with its own hands on resource - a 10,000 square foot resource, completely under Master gardener control intended to bring to life the Mission of the Master Gardener program: to educate ourselves and the public about horticultural matters through volunteer work. Always on a shoestring budget, OLC workers have begged and shared plants to fill the garden, and through the years plantings and design have been minimally changed, using available funds mostly for hardscape. Now, although the OLC receives many compliments, it badly needs substantial changes. Think about your own yards and gardens. How have they changed in thirteen years? Have you added new plants? Have you completely redone some areas? In that length of time you would find some things overgrown and others gone. The OLC is the same. Areas that were once sunny are now shade. One area that was fully shaded lost trees to storms. Shrubs that once took up two or three square feet have taken over. The good news is that planning is now afoot, and money is being found for refurbishing. Come help with this exciting project. Plants aren t the only things that need updating. The OLC old timers need input from all of you. Nobody is too new, to infirm or inexperienced to be an active participant in some way, particularly as public education is stressed even more. The OLC is 10,000 square feet of opportunity just waiting for all Clinton County Master Gardeners to plan, design, maintain, and improve as we see fit, to use it to improve our knowledge of horticulture and exercise our creativity in a hands on way. It is our Garden. Join us in taking advantage of all it has to offer.... and justice for all The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative format for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14 th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC or call

5 What follows is fun it s what makes the Master Gardener program great! I received this on Saturday, November 1, sent by Lanie Lass, who is an intern: We Master Gardener interns are working this morning at Clinton Public Library clearing and trimming! Francie (Hill) stopped by to guide us a bit and she said you were working in newsletter today. Mary Outzen took photos and will send to you as soon as she gets home today, taken on her camera... This project is an intern-generated project....i asked class to help, talked with Francie and Margo, and Margo drew diagrams and gave instructions. I talked with Brad Wiles, library director and gave presentation to library board. Library staff will maintain gardens with our guidance once we are master gardeners. We will plant conifers and perennials and other plants next spring and we are looking at 2-3 years to plant.....choosing plants that will grow well in Iowa, three seasons, easy to maintain. Hope to help outdoor areas be attractive for patrons, visitors and passers by as well as educational for all ages!!! Thanks to Mary Outsen, Lanie Lass,Paul and Mary Outzen, Becky Campbell, Dave Meyer, and Jan Schultheis who all worked on this prominent community project. Also to Francie Hill and Margo Hansen for what you did to make it happen. This is MASTER GARDENDERS AT WORK! MASTER GARDENERS VOLUNTEER : Extension Office Plant Partners: Willard Larsen willardllarsen@gmail.com Eagle Point Nursing Home and Rehabilitation or Community Garden: Willard Larsen OLC/County Fair: Roger Rittmer rogr@iowatelecom.net Bickelhaupt Arboretum: Margo Hansen margo.hansen@bickelhaupt.org Curtis Mansion: Liz Clements Other community opportunities: Jerry Richter,

6 Volume 5 Issue 10 Page 6 November 2014 Succulents Interesting Plants for Indoors Whether it s one healthy looking succulent or a grouping, succulents are easy to care for and interesting with their wide variety of unique shapes. The genus Haworthia includes more than 70 species of small succulent plants from Southern Africa, generally with fleshy leaves formed into a rosette. Individual leaves may have pointed, blunt or rounded tips. Many species are green but others display a range of brown or reddish-brown pigments, especially in direct sunlight, and leaves may be attractively marked. The leaves of some species have transluscent "windows" on their upper surface. Haworthias produce spikes of small white tubular flowers, but are generally grown for their decorative leaf markings and architectural forms. This is a Kalanchoe tomentosa, often called a Panda plant. Thick green leaves are covered with soft, silver hairs, giving the plant. a velvety appearance. Brownish red markings on leaf edges, along with the white-silvery hairs, are similar to the fur of a panda bear. In its native environment, growing Kalanchoe panda plants have a woody base and reach several feet. As an indoor plant, however, panda plant growth is limited by the size of the container, usually reaching only one to two feet in height and two feet around. They are easy to grow, needing little water, and easy to propagate. Many plants are grown for their beautiful flowers, while others are grown for their "interesting" form. One succulent plant that fits the latter bill is medusa's head euphorbia, with tentacle-like stems emerging twisting and turning from a central caudex. Euphorbias are mostly native to Africa and Madagascar, ranging from low-growing succulents to large nonsucculent shrubs. Many exude a poisonous milky latex when cut which can damage the eyes and irritate the skin. It is best to use gloves when handling the plant, and then discard them when finished. They should be kept almost completely dry during winter.

7 After the Fall Color by Margo Hansen By the end of October the fall colors have either faded or have been swept away with the brisk north winds. We must face the fact that another growing season is coming to an end. Annuals are a thing of the past and perennials have shut down and retreated back to the earth for the season. Some hardy souls hang on to stretch the season on a little longer. They are the one and only, ornamental grasses. These drought tolerant, full sun, hardy perennials actually burst into bloom as late as September or October. They continue to add texture, movement and interest in the garden well into the winter. Years ago a customer of mine told me her ornamental grass was the perfect winter weather vane. She planted several grasses outside of her bedroom window and when she got up in the morning she could tell how windy it was. Ornamental grasses have been around for a long time. They only started to become a popular perennial after drought periods of the 1970 s and 1980 s. They required less water than most perennials or landscape plants so they were eco-friendly. The first grasses were six to eight foot tall, too big for many gardens. Plant breeders began to select smaller and more ornamental varieties to better fit into smaller spaces. Today there are numerous varieties to select from. Don t look for large potted grasses early in the spring. The best plants are available late spring or early summer. Plant according to label instructions, water well and then stand back and enjoy the beauty of this tough perennial.

8 Iowa State University Clinton County Extension 400 East 11th Street DeWitt, Iowa November is that into our winter hibernation month that naturally eases us period. Shorter days, less strenuous work in the gardens, more time for reading, writing, and resting. It also provides lots of time for counting the blessings of Thanksgiving and first snow. In Clinton County, we Master Gardeners as well as those who appreciate the outdoors, have much to be thankful for. The two public gardens Bickelhaupt and the OLC pictured on some of the preceding pages give all of us a chance to appreciate our rich ecosystem and the splendor of our eastern Iowa gardens in bloom. We can be thankful as well for the generosity of Master Gardeners with their never-ending interest in beautifying these two gems, for their unceasing willingness to volunteer, for their good-natured helpfulness, and for their commitment to beautifying the world around them. A gardening gratitude journal from Sandra Mason, a U. of Illinois horticulturist, says it well: As a gardener I am thankful for many things. I am thankful that I can look into the eye of a flower and see the beauty of the whole world. I am thankful for wild places and for people who passionately work to keep them wild. I'm thankful that malodourous manure becomes the sweet black gold of compost. I'm thankful that I get to work with some of the most giving people in the world - gardeners. I am thankful for the first frost in fall so we can quit watering the zucchini, that eating machines called caterpillars miraculously turn into exquisite flights of fanciful butterflies, garden failures that give us a chance to learn and a reason to buy another plant, plants that continue to thrive despite our neglect, that many plants did survive this year's heat and drought, for plants listed as "not eaten by rabbits and deer", for tomatoes that still produce something edible despite sharing their space with three-foot tall weeds, and for the optimistic attitude that next year will be better.