2014 Plant Sale Just Around the Corner! By Charlene Woeste & Phil Pfister, Chairs

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1 Vol. 24, No. 4 Editors: Jean Murray/Lisa Slattery/Julie Stark April 2014 MG EVENTS Steering Committee Mtg. Extension Office April 1 6:30 pm Goodwill of the Heartland CR Downtown Library April 3 4:30-6:30 pm Noelridge Greenhouse Easter Showcase April :00 am-5:00 pm Annual Banquet The Flamingo Restaurant April 22 6:00 (RSVP by April 15) Noelridge Willow Workshop April 26 8:00 am-3:30 pm Creative Garden Series CR Downtown Library April 3 & April 10 6:30-8:30 Expert Ed Extension Office April 12 1:00-3:00 Library Talks Cedar Rapids Ladd Library April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 6:30-7:30 Good gardeners are always young in spirit, for their minds are fixed on spring when others feel only the bitter sting of winter. Mary Fanton-Roberts, ( ), American author, in The Touchstone, Oct Plant Sale Just Around the Corner! By Charlene Woeste & Phil Pfister, Chairs The Master Gardener Plant Sale will be held on Saturday, May 17, in the Extension Office parking lot of 383 Collins Road. We would like all plants brought to the Extension Office by 3:00 pm Friday, May 16. If you are not able to bring the plants on Friday, please contact Charlene, Phil or Elizabeth to arrange another drop-off time. We would like to include in the promotion of the sale, some of the more unique and interesting plants you will be bringing. Perennials and other plants need to be planted in their pots at least 3-4 (Continued page 2) What s Inside Plant Sale pages 1-2 WMT Outdoor Living Show page 3 Noelridge Park Updates pages 4-5 Coordinator s Comments pages 6-7 Growing Along The River page 8 Lowe Greenhouse Updates page 9 Annual Banquet Planned page 10 Incredible Horticulturalists page 10 Ladd Library and Expert Ed Classes page 11 March Steering Committee Notes pages April

2 ...continued from page 1 weeks before the sale. This will give them time to recover from transplant shock and they will put on some nice growth during this time. As Master Gardeners we want to be proud of the plants we are selling to the public. Our buyers expect to get really nice plants from this sale. Lowe Park Greenhouse will also provide us with vegetable and annual plants. The following are guidelines we would like you to follow: Do not plant up plants the night before the sale. Do not plant up plants that are too large. Make divisions of day lilies with 2-4 plants in each pot. Day lilies should be planted in a 6-8 inch pot or better yet a gallon pot. Put the label in each pot with the name of the daylily, or if the name is not known, just put Name Unknown. If it s an expensive daylily, put the suggested selling price on the label. Make divisions of hosta with 2-3 plants in each pot. If you are sharing some of your more expensive hosta, then one plant could be enough, but two would make it sell better. Put the name of the hosta in each pot. If the name is not known just put Name Unknown ; if a more expensive hosta, please put a suggested selling price on the label. Other perennials should have large enough divisions that will make them attractive to our shoppers. Put the name of the perennial, and its cultivar if you know it, on the label in each pot. You can use an ice cream stick, white plastic knife or spoon, or a venetian blind as your label. There will be labels available at the Extension Office. After planting up, water with a water-soluble fertilizer according to package directions. Water every 2-3 days or more often it the plants look stressed from lack of water. Two weeks later, water with the same fertilizer at half strength. A day or two before the sale, groom each plant by removing any yellowed or dead leaves, or any weeds that have come up in the pot. Water each plant thoroughly. Look at each plant. Decide if it looks like a plant you would want to buy. If it doesn t, leave it at home and plant it out in your garden and bring it next year. If you need pots, contact Phil Pfister ( ; ppter4@aol.com). If anyone has extra pots to donate, contact Charlene ; gardenerwoeste@gmail.com). If you have questions direct them to Phil or Charlene at the addresses above. Please be as generous as you can with plants for the sale. We have a good following for our sale now and it takes a great many plants. We need a good selection of many kinds of plants, and choices of plants within each kind. We have selected table leads to help plan and set up for the plant sale. They are: Perennials-Karen Woeste, Shade plants Devon Dietz, Day lilies JoEllen Funk, Hosta Jay McWherter, Grasses Fran Potratz, Wildflowers Doug Smith, Lowe Greenhouse flowering, foliage, and hanging plants Shelby Foley, Lowe Park Greenhouse Vegetables Phil Pfister. 2 Germinator

3 2014 Outdoor Living Show Once Again, A Great Success By Karen Woeste The 2014 WMT Outdoor Living Show presented by King s Materials was held on March 8-9, With the long winter that we ve had, it was a time of excitement for those who attended knowing that spring would soon be here. The show featured many different vendors, and approximately 2150 people attended the event. Over the two-day event, twenty-six MGs volunteered their time, with Sue Usher (chair), Karen Woeste and Tammy Lutz (cochairs) coordinating the event. Five MG presentations highlighted the show. Debbie Main presented on Companion Planting in Any Location, Judy Stevens (photo above) Growing Vegetables in Containers, Karla McGrail Living with Bambi: Tricks and Techniques in the Urban Deer Zone and Deb Walser Raised Bed Gardening and Salsa Container Gardening. There were 164 people who attended the presentations. The MG volunteers answered questions and gave out information to approximately 450 people. Sam Wittrock (photo right), Linn County Extension Americorps Vista volunteer, was available on Saturday, to answer questions regarding Polly the Portable Produce Patch. The MG booth and presenters were complimented by both King s Materials and WMT for the work they had done. Publications and book Getting Your Hands Dirty & Your Feet Wet were sold for sales of $ We appreciate all of those who volunteered their time in answering questions or presenting, Sam Wittrock and her work with Polly the Portable Produce Patch, and Debbie Main for organizing the publications. We look forward to another successful event next year. Karla McGrail and Fran Potratz answer questions at the Plant Doctor table. Keith Dearborn and Danielle Herring help out at the publication table. April 3

4 Noelridge Park Updates! By Jean Minehart Noelridge Park has been busy over the last few weeks and we enjoyed seeing several of you at various times. The greenhouses are starting to fill up with cuttings and new transplants. We have two or three new volunteers starting and hope you'll welcome them. A few upcoming activities are mentioned below: MG Volunteers Take Part in Goodwill of the Heartland Event Goodwill of the Heartland is having an event at the new CR Downtown Library on April 3 from 4:30-6:30 pm that involves clients from Goodwill and other organizations. They asked Noelridge Park & Greenhouse Lead, Kristie Benzine, to assist them in finding speakers for the event. Kristie invited the Noelridge MG Project volunteers to speak and demonstrate at gardening stations. A good response was received and four were chosen to speak and demonstrate: Becki Lynch will demonstrate Mini Gardens Tamara Lutz will demonstrate Terrariums Beula Dvorak and Jean Minehart will demonstrate Transplanting/Potting Kristie will have small plants and containers to transplant/pot as we discuss what to do; and what they need to do to care for their plant that they will take home. We are busy preparing for this event and looking forward to it. Easter Showcase The Easter Showcase at Noelridge Greenhouse will be Saturday & Sunday April 19 & 20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Come to get a wonderful breath of spring and see beautiful blooming spring bulbs! The Greenhouse is full of many plants that will find homes in Cedar Rapids parks and other public locations this summer. Other displays and exhibits to enjoy are the Eastern Iowa Aquarium Association, Herberger Hosta Society, The Eastern Iowa Bonsai Association, and Linn County Master Gardeners. Free plants will be given to the first 500 children under age 12. For you who like to include some shopping, (Continued page 5...) 4 Germinator

5 (Continued from age 4..) houseplants, honey, homemade jewelry, and greeting cards will be available for sale. We plan to have MGs at our table offering brochures and answering questions from the public both days. If you can volunteer some time at our table please let Jean Minehart or Kathy Rhodes know which day and times you are available. We would appreciate your help! Thanks so much and do come and have fun with us. This is always a great Showcase! All America Selections Garden Update/Workshop Announcement The All America Selections Gardens got off to a fantastic start on March 22! A hardy team of Friends of Noelridge and Linn County Master Gardeners (Becki Lynch and Jean Minehart, photo below left) braved 37 degrees and a gale force wind to diligently build the willow flutes at Noelridge Park. The flutes are beautiful and stand as the center pieces -- we can hardly wait to see the gardens progress over the season. Our next workshop to build willow containers, towers, and tomato cages for the gardens will be Saturday, April 26. There will be 3 shifts: 8 a.m.-completion: 3 towers will be built in the greenhouse (10 volunteers needed) 10 a.m.-noon: 10 containers and a large willow tomato cage will be built outside in the beds (25 volunteers needed) 12:30-3:30 p.m.: Continuation of containers and cage until done Please contact Jean Minehart (jeanminehart@live.com) if you would like to join us. More directions will be sent a couple of weeks before the workshop -- we'll be having a fun and learning day! April 5

6 Coordinator s Comments By Elizabeth Ward This April, many of you are likely greeting spring with a little extra gratitude! I m thankful for the promise of blackbirds on fence posts, reports from my mother of her daily spring checks, fattening buds, and reasonably priced asparagus. I m also thankful to be diving into spring in such good company, among passionate Master Gardeners and colleagues. A few recent events have reminded me of the great role and even responsibility that gardeners take on each spring. In March, University of Delaware Entomologist Dr. Doug Tallamy spoke in Cedar Rapids about the incredible potential for homeowners and managers of small-scale landscapes to transform yards, rights-of-ways, and parks into vital ecological support systems for diverse plant and insect communities. Dr. Tallamy has a vision for a great network of corridors, featuring native plant species and stretching across America, linking yards and roadsides to otherwise isolated and fragmented protected spaces. On a more sobering note, the State Apiarist, Andy Joseph, highlights the importance of paying attention to the fate of our insect species. He is reporting losses of already-stressed bee populations in Iowa as high as 70% this year due to the harsh winter conditions, in addition to the cocktail of other stressors: poor nutrition, parasites, diseases, and pesticide exposure. Each year, gardeners lead the way in making the decisions that matter to insects and thus, birds, amphibians, and mammals (including, of course, humans). In short, gardening matters. I m looking forward to a busy spring season with you all and leave you with the following quote and a sampling of the many upcoming educational and volunteer opportunities. I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose, I would always greet it in a garden. Ruth Stout Please contact me at eward@iastate.edu or if you are interested in or have questions about any of the following: Educational Opportunities April 12, 1:00-3:00PM, Extension Office Expert Ed talk with ISU soil lab technician: Soil Fertility Analysis for Residential Horticulture. April 3 and April 10, 6:30-8:30PM, Downtown Public Library Creative Gardening Series talks. April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 6:30-7:30PM, Ladd Library in Cedar Rapids library talks with Linn County Master Gardeners. (Continued page 7 ) 6 Germinator

7 May 10, 8:00-noon, Atkins School in Atkins, IA, Benton County Master Gardeners Garden Extravaganza (3 talks). Registration required. For more information, contact Benton County Extension. Volunteer Opportunities Plant Sale mark your calendars for Saturday, May 17! Marion Blue Zones Kickoff Event outreach table, April 15 th seed starting activity with youth and sharing gardening information with event attendees. Linn Mar High School, set up at 4:00 PM. Master Gardener Interns or those who are newly interested in joining the Hortline schedule, please contact me to set up a time to shadow on the Hortline. Support the Ladd library talks, Wednesday evenings in April greet attendees, distribute handouts, share information about MG programs and Extension, coordinate with library staff. Help the Germinator reach Master Gardeners by preparing issues for mailing once per month. Leadership Opportunities There are several opportunities to join Master Gardener project committees. The openings vary in their level of responsibility and time commitment. Please contact me if you are interested or would like more information! One to two co-chairs for Creative Gardening Series 2015 (joining Master Gardener Carson Fixmer). Chair for Scholarship Committee looking for a Master Gardener to promote the MG scholarship in the community and oversee selection process. A background in education would be ideal, but not imperative. Winter Gardening Fair 2015 Committee several openings on the committee. We will hold a planning meeting this spring. Want to contact a fellow Linn County Master Gardener or update your personal profile? April 7

8 Registration is now open for the Upper Midwest Regional Master Gardener conference in the Quad Cities. The conference dates are June at the Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf. The theme for the conference is Growing Along the River, a reference to Master Gardeners common interest in growing and learning about plants, and the mighty Mississippi River, which not only flows by the conference facilities but also unites states in the Upper Midwest region. Nationally known speakers Lauren Springer-Ogden, Scott Ogden, Melinda Myers and Felder Rushing headline a host of talented presenters who will be teaching classes during the conference. In most cases, you will have a choice from among six concurrent sessions. The conference includes tours of private gardens and local area public gardens: VanderVere Conservatory, Bickelhaupt Arboretum and the Quad Cities Botanical Center. Registration is $250, increasing to $300 after April 30. You can register online or by mail, but not by phone. A single-day or partial conference registration option is not available. Registration includes meals and refreshment breaks listed in the conference program and the Friday bus tour. Hotel information is available on the website. If you are interested in carpooling, contact Elizabeth Ward before June 1. To register, search on "2014 Upper Midwest Regional Master Gardener Conference" or follow this link: iowamg2014/registration.html Linn County MG Stipends Available! You can apply for a stipend from the Linn County Master Gardeners for the cost of the registration. Contact Elizabeth Ward eward@iastate.edu to apply. Container Garden Design Contest: Get together with other MGs and let the creative juices flow. One of the events at the conference is a container garden design contest. Several prizes will be awarded: a) Felder's Favorite; b) Faculty Favorite; c) People's Choice; d) Chairman's Choice. Rules for the contest are simple: 1) Notify the state Master Gardener office by June 1 of your group's intent to bring a container garden to the conference; 2) Container gardens should be no more than 12" in diameter, and should be suitable for use as a tabletop decoration. Container gardens will be auctioned off as part of a silent auction, which will raise funds for youth gardening programs. Let's show Master Gardeners from the other states of the Upper Midwest what creativity exists among Iowa Master Gardeners! 8 Germinator

9 Lowe Greenhouse Update By Phil Pfister It s quite amazing to watch how the plants react to the warmer temperatures and stronger sun as it rises higher in the sky. As you can see from the photos, it s looking pretty colorful in the greenhouse, and will soon be even more so as we let the geraniums start blooming. Towards the end of this month, we will receive the plugs for the City of Marion Parks and that will really fill the greenhouse with color. There are a lot of flowers and herbs started for the Demonstration Gardens and some vegetables started for the hoop house extending the growing season demonstration planting. There are also a lot of plants started, or will soon be started for the Plant Sale. It s really looking green at the Lowe Park Greenhouse. Three scouts from Troop 89, three from Troop 42, and a Junior Girl Scout are taking advantage of the Lowe Park Greenhouse to work on the requirements for a Gardening Merit Badge. To date they have started vegetable and flower seeds, which they will grow through harvest and flowering, respectively, and have sown 100 seeds which they will test for germination, along with an evaluation of the results. The greenhouse activity is led by LCMG and Head Grower, Shelby Foley, and LCMG and Scout Leader, Matt Pieper. This is an exciting opportunity for our youth, and something that we hope to be able to expand on. If you have an interest in volunteering at the Lowe Park Greenhouse, and are not currently receiving notices for work sessions, please contact Phil Pfister, ppfister47@gmail.com, or Elizabeth Ward, eward@iastate.edu, and we will add you to the distribution list. April 9

10 Annual Banquet Being Planned April 22 Master Gardeners, Master Gardener Interns and significant others/ guests are invited to attend the 2014 Spring Banquet which will celebrate Master Gardener achievements and service. When: Tuesday, April 22, starting at 6:00 PM. Dinner at 6:30 PM. Where: The Flamingo, 1211 Ellis Blvd NW, Cedar Rapids, IA Cost: The cost for Master Gardeners and Master Gardener Interns is partially subsidized through the Master Gardener budget and is $5.00 per person. The cost of guest meals is $ RSVP: Invitations will be arriving in the mail. Please mail or drop off your completed RSVP to the Extension Office, 383 Collins Rd. NE Ste. 201, Cedar Rapids, IA no later than April 15th. Payment is requested in advance. Please mail checks or make cash payments in person at the Extension Office. Menu: Sautéed Chicken Breast in White Wine and Fresh Herbs, Honey Glazed Pit Ham, Caesar Salad, Baby Carrots, Party Potatoes, Assorted Rolls, Coffee, Cash Bar, and Cookies by DS&L. Incredible Horticulturalists Once every three years there is an international competition in horticultural sculpture, called "mosaiculture," in a major city in the world. In 2013 it was Montreal. This is not topiary but rather creating sculptures out of living plants. The greatest horticulturalists in the world, from 20 different countries, submitted plans a year in advance. Steel armatures were then created to support the works (some 40 feet high); they were then wrapped in steel mesh and filled with dirt and moss and watering hoses. Then they ordered 3 million plants of different shades of green and brown and tan, and these were grown in greenhouses all over Quebec. In late May, these horticulturalists came to Montreal and planted all of their plants in the forms at the Montreal Botanic Gardens. There were 50 major sculptures along a path two miles long. If you would like to visit a few and walk along the path, click below: 10 Germinator

11 Community Outreach Gardens Project By Phil Pfister and Samantha Wittrock As the interest in home-grown vegetables grows, so do questions and requests for assistance. We have received requests for assistance from community gardens, where the inquiries for MG support span the growing season from planning to harvest. To respond to this community interest, the Steering Committee approved the formation of a new project, titled Community Outreach Gardens, formally known as The Community Garden Connection. The committee is currently chaired by Sam Wittrock, AmeriCorps VISTA. Committee members are: Beula Dvorak, Carol Elliott, Peggy Green, Tammy Lutz, Phil Pfister, Shirley Thornton and Sue Usher. The committee is in the process of defining roles, responsibilities and scope for this project, and at the same time, has been reviewing requests from several community projects for assistance this gardening year. In an attempt to be responsive and yet not overextend in the first year, the committee has approved two requests as pilot projects. The first involves the Catherine McAuley Center. MGs will coordinate with Sonia Kendrick (Feed Iowa First) for seeds and plants and garden planning and layout. There will be one MG project lead who will coordinate activities, education and training resources. The lead will work with the committee to recruit a small team of MGs to meet with the Catherine McAuley gardeners and volunteers 1-2 hrs/ wk to provide education and mentorship as the garden moves through the growing season. The second pilot approved by the committee is the Ely Community Garden. This request is for MGs to plan a demonstration garden in one of the community garden plots, and use that as a living educational tool. The community will provide volunteers to plant and maintain the garden. MGs will provide handson training at the demonstration garden; various training materials and methods will be used based on what is happening in the gardens. The objective of the COGs committee is to process and respond to requests and connect community gardens to MG and MG program resources. To meet the needs identified in the requests, the committee is seeking additional MG support. There are a number of roles (with varying levels of time commitment) in these pilot projects from designing garden layout and providing on-site education to coordinating education and offering resources. By scheduling regular on-site visits with hands-on training the gardeners in these two pilot projects will have a better understanding of gardening, which will lead to more enthusiasm, better harvests and in the long term, better health. We see these opportunities as a great way to support the public through our love of gardening and by sharing our knowledge. If you would like to be part of this project or learn more please contact team members above or Elizabeth Ward, eward@iastate.edu, or Sam Wittrock, samwitt@iastate.edu. April 11

12 April Library Classes Scheduled Ladd Library: Wednesdays from 6:30 7:30 April 2: Lessons for Lifelong Gardening (Jean Murray): Act your age AND stay young at heart! Even devoted gardeners have limits on their bodies and time. Jean shares tips for optimizing your time by creating less work in the garden. Ergonomic gardening, low maintenance plants, and ways to make chores easier are revealed so you have more time to relax and smell the flowers. April 9: Fabulous Foliage (Lori Bailey): Caladium, Coleus and Heuchera are just a few of the must have foliage plants in a flower garden. Become inspired as Lori shares growing tips, care advice and creative ways to use these and other showy plants. The foliage shape, texture and long lasting color will transform your flower garden giving it the WOW factor you long for! April 16: Garden Walk 2013 (Beula Dvorak): It may be winter in Iowa but here s an opportunity to stroll through the gardens featured at the Linn County Master Gardener Garden Walk last summer. In addition to the lovely pictures, some of the garden owners will be present to share insights and answer questions about their gardens. April 23: Successful Hanging Baskets and Containers (Deb Walser): Discover the tricks to keeping hanging baskets and containers looking as glorious all summer as the day they were purchased. Deb will present planting and pruning techniques as well as discuss watering and fertilizing schedules during the summer months. Before, during and after photos of baskets and containers will illustrate the triumphs and setbacks of last summer s experiences. April 30: Daylilies: Beyond Stella All The Pretty Faces (Zora Ronan) and American Hemerocallis Garden Judge Daylilies are not all yellow and orange; explore the differences between full formed, spider and unusual form daylilies. Learn about the many forms, patterns, and colors in the daylily world. Expert Ed Class Rescheduled Program From March 1 April 12-1PM: Kerry Culp from ISU will be presenting Soil fertility analysis for residential horticulture simplified at the Extension Office. Kerry Culp's goal is to help people understand that if they want their money s worth, there needs to be a little effort put into actually taking the sample(s); that the analysis will be accurate (provided the client gives us enough soil), but the interpretation is only as accurate as the sampling technique. Example: One bag of soil can be analyzed, but if it comes from one place in a half acre lawn, it may not accurately reflect the fertility level of the entire lawn. The presentation will be at 383 Collins Road, NE, Suite 201, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Open to MG and the public. To register, please contact Linn County Extension by calling (319) or by ing eward@iastate.edu 12 Germinator

13 March 2014 Steering Committee Draft (Abridged for Germinator; Committees not listed had no report) Attended: J. Baumhauer, C. Fixmer, L. Harn, J. Murray, B. Roof, J. Schildroth, D. Walser, B. Wing; Absent: P. Brackey, W. Carew, L. Dawson, B. Dvorak, S. Usher - Quorum achieved; Guests: Elizabeth Ward, Jo Dillon Approval of Minutes: Feb. minutes unanimously approved as submitted. Announcements: Steering Committee Chair appoints Awards Selection Committee. Pat Harstad will chair Committee is comprised of 3 former MG of the Year winners: W. Carew, J. Robison, D. Dietz, and 3 at large members M. Anderson, J. Baumhauer, N. Sutherland. Financial Report: As of 1/31/14: Income YTD $7,026.00; Expenses YTD $11, Balance ($4,824.31). Committee Reports: Awards Banquet (Louise Harn): Spring awards banquet scheduled April 22, Brucemore (Melanie Brown): Jean Murray will be the speaker this year; we are working on a topic for the presentation at 10 am spot. There is confirmation of two new display boards this year, one from a new intern. The event will be opening to other MG s this spring so pictures can be gathered throughout the summer and assignments underway. Garden Guide Lead is confirmed; currently looking for a co-chair. Creative Gardening Series (Linda Hinzman): Creative Gardening Series for this year is in final planning stage. The first presentation is March 27. We are in the process of identifying MG and/or interns who are interested in shadowing this year and receiving information on CGS to replace the committee members who are not returning next year. Community Garden Connection (Sam Wittrock): The Community Garden Connection Project, now known as the Community Outreach Gardens (COG) Project, had its second committee meeting February 26. Discussion included a recap from January meeting, review of the community garden resource list that had been compiled at the first meeting, plans to reach out to the larger MG group for further input and to gauge interest, next steps for working with the Catherine McCauley Center (CMC). Sam, Phil and Peggy will meet with Sonia Kendrick and representative from CMC to discuss goals and plan. Approval of a request from the Ely Community Gardens- Sam and committee members will meet with representative to learn more details and expectation and review steps involved in processing requests. Next meeting of the project is tentatively March 13 (6:00) to discuss meetings with community gardens and plan for the next steps. Demo Gardens: Granger House (Lynette Brenzel/Jo Dillon): The Director of Granger House has enlisted the new neighbor Don Merritt as coordinator for Granger House gardens. He will work in conjunction with MG s to completely rework the garden areas. The ambitious plan is to April 13

14 move all peonies to make way for four raised beds of heritage heirloom herb and vegetables. It is hoped to make the new garden areas attractive for weddings/small parties. Plan to begin move plants in April. Noelridge (Jean Minehart/Kathy Rhodes): During January and February we volunteered a total hours potting amaryllis, pinching salvia, taking cuttings of many different plants, potting up, transplanting, and prepping cannas benches. We were pleased to welcome interns Peggy Green, April Meader and Robin Schmitz to Noelridge. Current activities: Continued greenhouse help; Planning 2014 herb garden: Becki is fine-tuning plans for the new AAS garden and volunteering opportunities: Need to plan another meeting for MG & Interns interested in this project to line up presenters for education and fun at herb garden; Project members continue to assist with mentoring the Goodwill clients the first Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each month. Financial Planning (Jean Murray): At its January 30 meeting, the Finance Committee voted to decrease the Awards Banquet expense budget by $1000, reducing the budget from $3300 to $2300. Greenhouse (Phil Pfister/Shelby Foley): The third heater has worked fine and temperatures have stabilized during the cold and windy nights. Cuttings taken from plants that survived the freeze are well on the way to rooting and will be transplanted soon and some of the long season seeds started. Seeding and transplanting sessions (weather permitting) will be every week for the next couple of months on Tuesdays 6:30-8:00 PM, and Thursdays 10:00-noon. To help restock inventory for propagation and Plant Sale, three colors of geraniums were added to the Parks Dept. plug order. Head Grower, Shelby Foley held two classes for new/current Leads/Lead Assistants covering elements of watering and insect identification and control without using pesticides. Hortline (Doug Smith): The Hortline office will move to a new location next to the main office near the front. Training in the use of stereoscopic dissecting scope and ZipScope will involve hands-on experience. Proper use of the equipment will help to identify plants, insects, plant damage and diseases and can send digital microscopic images to the Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic. At least four people will be trained each day through next week and more training times will be added if necessary. PR (Debbie Main): The amount of information distributed at the WGF surpassed 2013 in spite of our efforts to go green and produce fewer copies. The number of priced publications sold increased, as well as the number of Hands Dirty books. Overall, the free gifts donated by fellow MG s were very well received. A huge thank-you goes out to everyone who participated! Reorders of publications and printing of specific information is now being processed for the WMT Show on March 8 & 9. Future events remain in planning stages. 14 Germinator

15 MG Book Distribution/Marketing (Deb Walser): 110 books were sold at the Winter Garden Fair. Speaker's Bureau (Deb Walser): 2014 Spring library talk schedule is on website Fall schedule is tentatively: September - Marion, October - LADD, November - Hiawatha. Due to winter weather, Ely may be on double week schedule in either March or April Winter Gardening Fair (Jane Schildroth/Karla McGrail): 2014 WGF had 589 registrations which was larger than most previous years. Societies were very pleased with their location this year. We had fewer volunteers this year than previous years. No final report of net income yet. Linda Hinzman will chair 2015 Winter Garden Fair. WMT Garden Show (Tim Murphy/Sue Usher): The WMT committee has met several times and has everything planned, scheduled and ready to go. Presenters are Debbie Main, Judy Stevens and Deb Walser. Tammy Lutz has agreed to shadow Tim Murphy and has been a great asset. Coordinator's Report: Office moves and changes have taken place. The Hortline office is closer to the entrance with Elizabeth next door. Connie s office is on the other side of the Hortline office. MG storage area is expected to remain the same. New spring hours for the Hortline will begin March 17. Two Extension Council vacancies were filled by David McDonald (Rockwell) and Tom Glanz (Farmer s State Bank) at least temporarily for the 2014 calendar year. Both have financial background. Still looking for a couple of people to run for Extension Council. Expert Ed will be rescheduling soil testing presentation. Hortline will be scheduling microscope training. Sad news this last month: open to suggestions about a memorial project for Sharon Weiss hours report: volunteer and 1100 education hours (education hours are probably under-reported). Sharing budget/financial report: plans being made to make updates available and posted on exclusive MG website. New Business: Jo Dillon has requested $43 to purchase heritage heirloom vegetable and herb seeds for the new Granger House beds. Shelby Foley will coordinate the order list and start the plants at Lowe Park. Any leftover plants will be available for sale at the May plant sale. Motion to extend $43; unanimously approved. Meeting adjourned. Date of next meeting: April 1, 2014; Respectfully submitted: Louise Harn, Secretary Linn County Extension Master Gardeners 383 Collins Road NE, Suite 201 Cedar Rapids, IA ph (319) Hortline (319) 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 formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC or call April 15

16 16 Germinator Master Gardeners ISU Linn County Extension 383 Collins Road NE, Suite 201 Cedar Rapids, IA 52402