Johnson County Master Gardener Thymes

Transcription

1 Johnson County Master Gardener Thymes February 2017 MG Steering Committee Meeting Wednesday, February 8, 7:00 pm; Johnson County Extension Office. All are invited to attend! Thymes Deadline Thymes information should be sent to Jan Denehy at Please send news, volunteer opportunities, stories, pictures, etc., for the March issue by Friday, February 24. Save the Date: MG Winter Potluck The MG Potluck will be held Sunday, March 19 at the Extension Office. Set-up at 4:00 pm, Social hour at 4:30 pm, Dinner served at 5:00 pm, and Program at 6:00 pm. This is a great time to get to know your fellow Master Gardeners, enjoy some excellent food, and get in some educational hours. Please note this will be the time for Master Gardener recognitions during which interns who completed Fall 2016 training will receive their certificates, and interns of the 2015 class who completed their 2016 hours will receive certificates and official name badges. Need More Photos! If you have pictures of Master Gardeners participating in MG projects or an event MGs helped with, send your digital pictures to Carolyn Murphy, candmmurphy@aol.com, and she add them to the slide show to run during the social time. We would like to see what everyone has been busy doing. Save the Date: MG Education Day, March 26. Details will be sent out at a later date. Plum Grove Seed Planning Meeting February 1, 6:30pm at Extension Office Come and help select heirloom seeds for the gardens grown during the late 1800s to early 1900s. We will also select the tomato varieties for the Heirloom Tomato Taste. Bring relevant catalogues and your ideas. Direct questions to one of the PG chairs; Betty Kellyblkiowa@gmail.com Joanne Leach jleach@jlgardens.net Lavon Yeggy lavon47@lcom.net Carolyn Murphy candmmurphy@aol.com **Plum Grove Taste of Heritage on July 19 th Plant a Row Johnson County Master Gardeners are seeking an Iowa State University Food Security Mini-Grant for the 2017 year. The grant application emphasizes our many partnerships with area nonprofit organizations serving people in need. JCMG also seeks your support. As a Master Gardener, can you plant a row in your personal garden this year to help those in need? Think about it. Your efforts could help others who need support at a critical time. JCMG will provide information how and where you can take your row produce to share before the growing season starts. And we ll discuss Plant a Row at our upcoming Winter Potluck that is scheduled for Sunday, March 19, and at our webinar presentations Johnson County MG Educational Sunday that will be scheduled on March 26. Thank you in advance for your JCMG volunteer service to support others. Project Green Second Sunday 2017 Winter Garden Forums Meeting Room at the Iowa City Library, 2-4 p.m. Free and open to the public with refreshments and door prizes. Sunday, February 12, 2017 Lives Written on the Land by Iowa City-based author Connie Mutel. She tells the ongoing ecological story of Iowa s agricultural transformation and what it has meant 1

2 for Iowans and for the state s native plants and animals. Understanding our past helps us better attend to today s environmental challenges and costs, including the effects of climate change on our sate. Connie explores how to restore Iowa s ecological integrity something we boost every time we choose a native plant or install a native garden. She is a plant ecologist senior science write at the University of Iowa (Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research) and frequently lectures across Iowa on a variety of environmental and natural history subjects. Sunday March 5, 2017 Juli Seydell-Johnson presents Iowa City s Gather Here Growing Parks & Community. Juli will address Iowa City s current park areas and operations as well as its master plans for parks, natural areas, trails and trees which provides a new vision to Gather and Grow in the city. A native Iowan, Juli was named Iowa City Director of Parks and Recreation in January She is responsible for the city s 46 parks, extensive trail network, 1,600 acres of open space, two recreation centers and the city-owned Oakland Cemetery. Previously Juli served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Eagan, MN ( ) where she was responsible for management of 54 parks, an indoor ice arena, waterpark and community center, along with Eagan s facility management and fleet of maintenance operations. Juli also served as the Director Parks and Recreation for the City of Coralville ( ). She is a graduate of Iowa State University and received her master s degree in human resources fro the University of South Dakota. 34rd Annual Prairie Preview Thursday evening, March 9 at the Clarion Highlander, 2525 North Dodge Street, Iowa City, just north of i-80. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for registration and exhibits. The presentation begins at 7:30. Steve Hendrix, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, will give a talk titled: Wild bees of Iowa: Hidden diversity in the service of conservation. The Bur Oak Land Trust protects and conserves the natural areas of Johnson and surrounding counties for future generations. Prairie Preview hosts exhibits by local environmental groups in addition to a speaker., with refreshments served. There are no entry fees or tickets required for this annual spring nature fair. All are welcome. Contact Tammy Wright at (319) , at info@buroaklandtrust.org, or visit for additional information. Winter Garden Fair The Iowa State University Linn County Extension Office in Cedar Rapids is planning the Winter Garden Fair. This year it is set for February 25, 2017 and is returning to Kirkwood College with a revised format. Participants can choose one of two keynote speakers. Megan Cain will provide "Design Inspirations for Creative Vegetable Gardening", a talk centered around making your vegetable garden a source of beauty in your garden. Scott Koepke will talk about "Feeding Soil and Feeding Souls" and his work as Education Coordinator for Grow: Johnson County. The rest of the all-day event features workshops by Iowa Master Gardeners and additional outside speakers. The workshop topics range from critter control, organic vegetable gardening, establishing a small prairie, and creating compost. Hands-on classes include creating a gazing globe, building a trellis tower, and creating a terra cotta fountain, to name only a few. There are over 40 workshops offered, so there is something for everyone! The $59.00 registration fee covers the keynote address, the choice of four classes from the more than 40 available, and a hot sandwich lunch served at Kirkwood's cafeteria. For complete details about classes and registration, go to QUESTIONS? wgfquestions@gmail.com or soneal@iastate.edu February Birthdays 7 Rosemary Tiwari 13 Carolyn Murphy 16 Jeff Smith 20 Jonni Ellsworth 20 Nicole Pearson 25 Judy Schweitzer 28 Jan Denehy Gardens in Japan by Rebecca Kuehn This past September my husband and I had the opportunity to travel for two weeks in Japan. I was impressed by how orderly and well maintained the cities were, especially the gardens and landscaping. We saw a variety of garden styles in public and private settings. In each case, the use of the basic principles of Japanese garden design was apparent. The preference for asymmetry is the Japanese principle of design we are all most familiar with. The basic premise is that symmetry usually does not occur in nature, and that by creating an asymmetric garden an impression of naturalness is created, which restores balance and creates symmetry in the final product. When designing a Japanese garden, the framework is determined by the placement and layout of a stone or 2

3 grouping of stones. Trees and shrubs are placed after the stones have been set, and finally smaller plantings are added. Other structural elements, such as a pagoda lantern or a water basin, are considered to be accents rather than foundational components of the garden. There are three basic styles of Japanese gardens: Hill and Pond, Tea Garden, and Flat Garden. The Hill and Pond style is used for strolling gardens. It always incorporates a water feature which appears to be set against a hill; mountain plants are given preference. The Tea Garden focuses on a path that follows the course of a water basin with simple plantings. The Flat Garden covers a large open area in front of temples and palaces, and is traditionally used for ceremonies. of gardens we strive for in our yards at home, where something is always blooming, is a not a goal in Japan. Also notable was the lack of power mowers, weed whackers, and leaf blowers. Although they may be in use somewhere and I didn t see them, I did see people clipping grass by hand, sweeping paths with straw brooms, and even pruning trees with a scissors! Hand clipping of grass on grounds of Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Grounds of former Imperial Palace, Kyoto, illustrate Hill and Pond style. Tea Garden on grounds of Mejii Shrine in Tokyo. The path runs along an open pond. Framing of stones is common feature of tea gardens. I was struck by the lack of flowering plants and perennials in the gardens we saw, in fact by the almost uniform lack of color other than multiple shades of green. I don t know if this was related to the time of year we visited, but in my reading it seems that the type Hand pruning a tree in Takayama, Japan 3

4 Featured House Plant -- Scilla Family: Hyacinthaceae Genus: Ledebouria (le-de-bor-ree-a) Species: socialis (so-kee-ah-liss) To satisfy your green thumb addiction this winter consider turning your attention to houseplants! I had never transplanted a scilla, and when I tried, I failed. So I took my failed efforts to the Johnson County Master Gardeners to learn what I d done wrong from Master Gardener Betty Kelly, and left the plants for trainees to adopt so they could bring the plants back to health. What I learned from another Master Gardner in attendance is that this plant s bulbs should be planted 3 to 5-inches deep in the soil. Although Scilla is a low maintenance houseplant that grows well with minimal care, it can also do well outdoors. My tough, durable and adaptable small houseplant was given to me by a former colleague. Her mother called it the ponytail plant. The mottled, fleshy foliage is attractive and it s a small size typically under six-inches, which makes it ideal for any room and any location in the home. These plants are toxic so keep kids and animals away. Ledebouria socialis require bright light with three to four hours a day of direct sunlight. They do have a winter rest period, but their leaves remain decorative throughout the year. It can be grown outside where there is no danger of frost. The plant, of the Hyacinthacea family, is drought-tolerant and suitable for outdoor xeriscaping landscaping. There are a number of scilla species in the Ledeboria genus. Linda Schreiber Articles needed for the Thymes Newsletter I would like to encourage MGs to submit short feature articles ( words) of interest for the newsletter. These articles can be seasonal, something of special interest to you or a topic of interest to MGs. You might want to write an article related to a MG project you worked on or a topic you would like to learn more about. If possible, include a photo or two (jpg with at least 100 dpi) related to your article. The newsletter is published 10 times a year (there are no issues in January and August) and is distributed via or USPS for those who prefer a hard copy. Each issue is about 7-8 pages in length and includes a variety of regular features such as announcements of upcoming MG events and meetings, special events of interest to MGs, a monthly birthday list, and a list of committee members and volunteer opportunities. If you are interested, please let me know. If you have an idea for an article or need help in putting an article together, contact me and we can discuss the topic and format. You will receive MG core volunteer hours for your work on the Thymes. Deadlines are listed in the Thymes. I look forward to hearing from you and working with you on the Thymes. Jan Denehy, Thymes Editor, Janice-denehy@uiowa.edu A listing of programs offered by organizations in our area that may be of interest to MGs. February 2017 Backyard Abundance Thursdays, February 2 and February 16, :30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sustainable Living Conversations. Join others to support one another as we all learn to live more sustainably. Students and community members with all levels of sustainability and environmental knowledge will gather, chat and enjoy dinner or appetizers at Trumpet Blossom Café, 310 E. Prentiss St., Iowa City. Contact Thursday, February 9, :30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Green Drinks, a place to meet and exchange ideas with other green-minded folks in a cozy environment. Held the second Thursday of every month. Share Wine & Small Plate Bistro, 210 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. 4

5 Saturday, February 25, :30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. League of Women Voters Legislative Forum sponsored by the Iowa City Area Group of the Sierra Club. Attend and ask your state senators and representatives questions about what they are doing to improve the environment in Iowa. Coralville City Council Chambers. More information: Blue Zones Bur Oak Land Trust (formerly Johnson County Heritage Trust) Monday, February 6, p.m. to 9 p.m. Support Bur Oak Land Trust by experiencing award-winning New Orleans cuisine at Augusta Restaurant, 630 Iowa Avenue, Iowa City. A portion of profits for the night will be donated to Bur Oak Land Trust. Coralville Lake Nothing scheduled at press time. Eastern Iowa Bird Watchers/IC Birds Saturday, February 4, a.m. to 3 p.m. Bald Eagle Watch and Expo. Exhibits and speakers, including Bob and Linda Scarth, will be at North Central Jr. High School. Bald Eagle watching will take place at the Coralville Dam Tailwater West Picnic Shelter. Watch website for flyer or info@icbirds.org. Thursday, February 16, p.m. Meeting with Professor Wasserman discussing Exceptional Bird Behavior. Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, Room a, 220 S. Gilbert St, Iowa City. Saturday, February 18, p.m. to 3 p.m. Freeze Fest at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area Lodge. Lots of activities for kids of all ages. Watch website for flyer at or info@icbirds.org. Sunday, February 19, a.m. Quad Cities Area for gulls, waterfowl, and other birds on the Mississippi River. Chris Caster is the trip leader for this all-day trip with stops at locks and dams, riverside parks, and other hotspots like Fairmont Cemetery for winter finches. Walking is usually short distances from frequent stops. Lunch will be at a nearby restaurant. Dress for cold and wind and bring sporting scope if you have one. Meet at the Hy-Vee parking lot, 1125 N. Dodge St., Iowa City. ECO_Iowa City Check website for events. Iowa State Extension Nothing scheduled at press time. Iowa Water ers?sk=wall Iowa City Stormwater Volunteer Opportunities. Stormwater Volunteer dates are April 2, 9, 23, and 30, The 2017 registration will begin in February. If you have a group of volunteers that need a day or timespecific event, contact Carol Sweeting at carolsweeting@iowa-city.org or Johnson County Conservation salgreen@co.johnson.ia.us Nothing scheduled at press time Johnson County-ISU Extension Nothing scheduled at press time Linn County-ISU Extension Wednesday, February 1, :30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Green with Envy Library Talk. Devon Dietz, Linn County Master Gardener, will give a talk. Everyone loves a beautiful lawn. How do you start one? How do you encouragr it? How do you maintain it? How do you deal with invaders (weeds)? Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Willman St., Hiawatha. Contact Shelly O Neal at soneal@iastate.edu or Thursday, February 2, :30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bee Houses. A pollinatorfriendly garden includes nesting sites for native bees. Make an unique, decorative and functional bee house and learn of other things you can do to help support a diverse insect pollinator population from Master Gardener Karla McGrail. NW Recreation Center, th Street NW, Cedar Rapids. Class # Sign up on-line at sc/wbsplash.html?wbp=1 or contact Shelly O Neal at Wednesday, February 8, :30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Gardening with Color Library Talk, by Master Gardener Mike Anderson. Learn how the use of color can enhance and add pizazz to your overall landscape design. Mike will cover some basic color theory and describe the principles of using color in creating an inviting and interesting garden design. Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Willman St., Hiawatha. Contact Shelly O Neal at soneal@iowastate.edu or

6 Thursday, February 9, :30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Raised Bed Gardening. No space for a garden? Master Gardener Deb Walser has been gardening in raised beds for more than 20 years. Let her show you how a 4x4 space can feed two or a 4x8 space can feed a family of four for a season. Raised bed gardening is for you if you hate weeding, bug control and have trouble getting up from the ground. NW Recreational Center, th St NW, Cedar Rapids. Class # Sign up at sc/wbsplash.html?wbp=1 or contact Shelly O Neal at Wednesday, February 15, :30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Steps and Stones Library Talk by Master Gardener Debbie Main. Less mowing and less weeding. Learn ways to incorporate paths and steps into your existing landscaping. Debbie will cover materials and preparation as well as design elements to enhance your home and garden style. Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Willman St., Hiawatha. Contact Shelly O Neal at soneal@iowastate.edu or Thursday, February 16, p.m. to 7 p.m. Growing and Harvesting Vegetables Master Gardener Webinar More Information to come! Linn County Extension Office, 383 Collins Road NE, Cedar Rapids. Contact Shelly O Neal at Thursday, February 16, :30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Living with Bambi. Is it possible to have a beautiful garden with deer in the neighborhood? Master Gardener Karla McGrail will share some tips and strategies to make this happen. NW Recreational Center, th Street NW, Cedar Rapids. Class # Sign up at c/wbsplash.html?wbp=1 or contact Shelly O Neal at Wednesday, February 22, :30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. New Perennials 2017 Library Talk by Master Gardener Deb Walser. Garden Catalogs are full of amazing perennials. Learn how to select the best for your garden. Deb will show some of the newest and coolest perennials available in nurseries near you and talk about her favorite plants that grow in her garden. Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Willman St., Hiawatha. Contact Shelly O Neal at Thursday, February 23, :30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Miniature Gardens for Fairies & Other Tiny Things. Learn some fairy history and how to create miniature gardens with tiny plants and little things. Master Gardeners Sylvia and Kelley will share pictures and ideas for indoors and outside. NW Recreation Center, th Street NW, Cedar Rapids. Class # Sign up at c?wbsplash.html?wbp=1 or contact Shelly O Neal at Saturday, February 25, a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Master Gardener Winter Gardening Fair at Kirkwood, Cedar Rapids. Information at dening-fair or contact Shelly O Neal at New Pioneer Coop Check the website for events and activities. Project Green and Sunday, February 12, p.m. to 4 p.m. Second Sunday 2017 Garden Forums at the Iowa City Public Library Meeting Room A. This months topic is Lives Written on the Land by Iowa City based author Connie Mutel. She tells the ongoing ecological story of Iowa s agricultural transformation and what it has meant for Iowans and for the state s native plants and animals. Free to the public with refreshments and door prizes. Seed Savers Check the website for events and activities. Trees Forever Wednesday, February 22, p.m. to 5 p.m. Trees Forever Woodland Care Day at the Faulkes Heritage Woods in Marion off Tama Street in Southeast Cedar Rapids. Our Goal is to focus on removing invasive Japanese Barberry. Please come prepared to work outdoors and bring sturdy leather work gloves if you have them. For questions call Dustin Hinrichs at _Grannies Tuesday, February 21, :30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Regular meeting at Trinity Episcopal Church, 320 College St, Iowa City. 6

7 Downtown City Gardens (Newly-approved core) Linda Schreiber, , Oaknoll-MG Volunteer Matching Program MG volunteers are matched with Oaknoll residents to assist with planting and maintaining their small garden spaces at Oaknoll. Please contact Marilou Gay at or or Vicki Siefers or if you have any questions or would like to volunteer. Solon School Gardens Solon School Gardens can use your help! We are in need of MG's that would like to work on this Core project on their own time schedule, Work in these gardens is primarily pruning, weeding and moving plants. There are periodic group work events. Please contact Tracy Hufford at or Speakers Bureau Master Gardeners, are you interested in earning hours being a speaker? If so, please contact Sharon Jeter, or leave your name, number, and topics of interest and Sharon will contact you. Also, if you give presentations for the Speakers Bureau please contact Sharon to inform her of your work. She records the information for her annual report. Contact Jackie Wellborn, , jackiewe@mchsi.com Fair Grounds Beautification: Rain Garden: Lavon Yeggy, , lavon47@lcom.net, Mardi Rasmussen, , martharasmussen@yahoo.com Fair Grounds Flower Beds: Joan Dinnel, , jdinel@aol.com, Barb Krug, , kbjfarm@yahoo.com Firefighters Memorial: Barb Schintler, , barbjschintler@hotmail.com Fundraising/Flea Market: Barb Krug, , kbjfarm@yahoo.com Hortline: Esther Retish, , eretish@mchsi.com; Joy TenEick, ; jteneick@gmail.com Hospice Garden at Willow Creek Park: Melanie Haupert, , melaniehaupert@gmail.com Intern Class/Training: Nicole Pearson, (507) , nicole-pearson@uiowa.edu Johnson County Fair / 4-H Buckets of Flowers, Scarecrow: Marilou Gay, , rmlgay@aol.com Lavon Yeggy, , lavon47@lcom.net Mark Twain People s Garden (Non-core): Julie Hegmann, , Julie@hegmann.net If you are interested in learning more about or helping with a project listed below, contact one of the chairperson(s) listed for that project. Thank you! Attended Displays: Sharon Rude, ; momrude@gmail.com Butterfly House at Fairgrounds Carolyn Murphy ; carolyn-murphy@uiowa.edu, Mike Murphy, Coralville Historical School House: Cindy Parsons, ; cparsons@icialaw.com Ecumenical Towers: Jane Zukin, ; Janezukin@aol.com Demo Garden: Sherlyn Flesher, ; khyber71@aol.com; Miechelle Weber, , miechelle.weber@gmail.com Oaknoll Garden Project (Newly-approved core): Marilou Gay, , rmlgay@aol.com Plum Grove: Betty Kelly, , blkiowa@gmail.com; Joanne Leach, , Jleach@Jlgardens.net; Lavon Yeggy, , lavon47@lcom.net; Carolyn Murphy, , candmmurphy@aol.com Raptor Center Gardens: Alice Linhart, , mikeandalice@southslope.net; Karole Fuller, , jnkfuller@live.com Speakers Bureau: Jackie Wellborn, , jackiewe@mchsi.com Social Events: Steering Committee, Beth Fischer, , scrabblegirl@gmail.com; Lavon Yeggy, , lavon47@lcom.net Solon High School: Tracy Hufford, , TraceHuff@aol.com 7

8 Steering Committee Chair: Lavon Yeggy, ; Sharon Jeter, , Barb Krug, ; Thymes: Jan Denehy, , Treasurer: Loren Leach, , Volunteer Hours/Secretary: Shannon Bielicke, The Johnson County Master Gardener Thymes is published monthly, except January and August. It is distributed under the auspices of Iowa State University. Mail can be sent to: Johnson County Extension Service Attn: Master Gardener Newsletter 4265 Oak Crest Hill Road SE Iowa City, IA Send to: 8