Display Garden News (page 2)

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1 5/14 & 5/15 Plant Sale Days (noon to 2:30) 5/28 Display Garden Cleanup Day (Workday) 6/11 Open House Display Garden News (page 2) What s Happening in the Gardens (page 3) Workday Photos (page 4 & 5) Continuing Ed Classes & Opportunities (page 6) Columns (page 7) Response Center Assignments for May, June & July (page 9-11) NOTE: Contact Denise Lloyd if you see an empty slot you might want to fill. Sign up schedules for August through October will in next months ATF. Speakers Bureau Sign-up (page 12) 4-H Hog Roast (page 13) Extension Office: Option 3 FAX #: TDD:711/for hearing impaired Allen County Extension Web Site Report MG Hours to Rhonda Smith smit2177@purdue.edu Ricky s kemeryr@purdue.edu Garden Coordinator Jackie Hoopfer Response Center Coordinator Denise Lloyd lloyddenise@gmail.com Across The Fence Editor Jane Ford bloominthing@gmail.com Plant Sale Coordinators Simone Alberding Marilynn Meisner Sherri Knisley Speaker Coordinator Anita Crusoe anitacrusoe@gmail.com Workshop/Seminar Coordinator Pam Snyder psnyder414@gmail.com The Master Gardener Program, the Display Gardens, and related educational programming, volunteer activities, and all funds raised for maintaining the gardens, are administered by the CED and Horticulture Educator of the Cooperative Extension Service). Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution Purdue MG proceeds are used in the following manner: 90% are used to support the development of the Display Gardens including plant materials, garden supplies, equipment, educational material, promotional materials, and other improvements. 10% are used for volunteer development including events, workshops, group building activities, recognition, and refreshments as needed for such events. May 2016 Volume 18 Issue 5

2 By AMG Simone Alberding Plant Sale Warriors and Donators Needed! As you read this, the Plant Sale group has been working for a few months getting ready. There were flats of seeds planted, rhizomes potted, bare root cuttings snuggled in and lots of plants waiting outside for buyers. There is plenty of time for you to pot up donations and bring to the potting bench area behind the Extension office. There are pots, ID stakes and the nicest soil for potting I have seen for a while. Have fun getting some plants and any other garden items brought in as soon as possible. We will water and care for the plants as you bring them. Again, please ID the plants and mark color if known. Thanks to all the hearty volunteers who came in adverse weather to pot masses of Sedums generously brought in by Ernie Deweese. This is the spirit that keeps the plant sales going because it is a lot of work. There is still time to volunteer to work setup day on Friday May 13 and the sale days on Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15. Remember you must be on our list of volunteers to participate so that means communication to us. Call a member of the sales team to volunteer! Plant Sale Coordinators Simone Alberding Marilynn Meisner Sherri Knisley By AMG Jackie Hoopfer First Display Garden Work Day Saturday was one of the warmest first work days we have had. Many people showed up and quickly filled the parking lot; they had to go to the overflow in the parking garage. Gardens were dividing plants and Simone was on hand to receive them for the plant sale. Lots of mulch, soil and compost were being moved to gardens. IPFW brought over a special plant material dumpster that you could simply wheel your carts filled with plant debris into. By the end of the day that dumpster was filled, IPFW crew will take it away for composting. There were Interns from the current class that came, they helped Everlasting revamp the garden and dug and moved many, many plants. Everlasting plants were all moved Saturday, and the big Locust tree came down Sunday! The new fruit tree area, just down from the rock garden, was being installed. Prairie was fixing their windmill. When I visited each garden everyone was all smiles, excited about the upcoming season, meeting new people and seeing old friends. No grass grows under Master Gardeners feet, everyone was busy. It was really just a great day. (See pictures of work day thanks to Randy Jackson on pages 4 and 5.) Workday food for May 28 is going to be a Deli Buffet. As always you are asked to bring dishes/desserts to share that will help round out the main menu items listed.

3 By AMG Cindy Trygg, Display Garden Reporter This month we are beginning a new column in ATF. It will feature one of the fifteen gardens we have at the Extension and introduce you to the members of the garden team and we will share with you what is going on in that particular garden. I've chosen to start with the Vegetable Garden because it is the only garden we have that begins the season with a clean slate every year. The theme of the garden this year is Urban Vegetable Gardening and their motto is: Vege can't pick just one". The returning members of the team are Steve Pawlowski, Noreen Walker, Charles Enea, and Olga Birkner. New members are Denise Jackson, Brett Wilds, and David Koenig. I stopped by the vegetable garden a couple of weeks ago to see what they were up to. Noreen and Steve explained that they were planting the potatoes in bottomless plastic pots this year instead of the burlap bags they had used in the last few years. They felt the burlap bags dried out quickly and are hoping this might help retain moisture for the potatoes as this is to be a dry summer. Also new this year is an experimental bed designed by Brett Wilds. He designed a 30" tall horizontally positioned trellis to be planted with spaghetti, acorn, and zucchini squash. These will be growing on top. Underneath the trellis they will plant lettuce which will be shielded from the sun. Also being planted nearby will be fennel and dill to attract beneficial insects to the garden. They now have their raised beds amended with Llama poo and mulched leaves they got free from Morcheses Park in Columbia City. Their goal is to create a bountiful urban garden in limited space and maximize that space with vertical gardening and vining cultivars. When you see one of the Vegetable Garden team working in the garden this summer stop by and see what's growing.

4 Photos in ATF by AMG Randy Jackson

5 May 2016 Volume 18 Issue 5

6 By Pam Snyder, Advanced MG Well I was finally able to get into my garden in mid-april and began to feel overwhelmed by the amount of cleanup required this spring. All I can say about that is: shame on me!!! I should have been more diligent last fall about my cleanup. It s finally getting under control, but I have decided to bite the bullet in the fall and get things done so I don t have so much to do in the spring. It was a good lesson for me: Make sure the garden is put to bed properly for winter in a timely manner. Just to let you know, the Country Heritage Winery Seminar with Jeremy Lutter was very informative and interesting. I can t wait to go for a visit and a little wine tasting. Don t forget that all of these classes count toward your Master Gardener Continuing Education hours. Upcoming Seminars and Programs are: Botany in the Grocery Store Instructor Dr. Larry Yoder. Dr. Yoder is Associate Professor Emeritus, Merry Lea environmental Learning Center of Goshen College. He is a native botanist with special interest in environmental ethics and sustainable agriculture. When is a berry not a berry? Is there such a thing as a vegetable? ** Do you lie awake at night wondering what makes pears gritty? Why are red beets red? Join us for an evening of slide-illustrated instruction that includes hands-on study of plants from our garden and grocery. Learn interesting plant facts you can weave into your next conversation over the garden fence as we learn the cultural origins and the botanical structure of common fruits and vegetables. Monday, May 9 at 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Cost is $5.00. Deadline to register for this seminar is Monday, May 2, What Do You Know About Pollinators? Instructors AMG Pam Snyder and AMG Jane Ford. This workshop will cover who and what are pollinators and why are they important to us? What happens if they would disappear and how would it effect our world and our food chain? Also how as individual gardeners can we entice them to visit our gardens and when they come, how can we protect them from harm? Monday, June 6, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Cost is $4.00 Deadline to register for this workshop is Wednesday, June 1, 2016 Please contact Rhonda at (260) at the Extension Office to register for all these classes. NOTE: If you have questions about any of these educational opportunities or suggestions for some other class, please contact me at (260) or psnyder414@gmail.com. Please do not contact me to register for classes since Rhonda at the Extension Office is the only one who has the sign-up lists. Please remember that payment of class fees are due at the time of registration. Hamilton County Master Gardeners Association Presents its Annual Plant Sale Extravaganza Saturday, May 21, :00 am 3:00 pm Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall GRAND ESTATES & HIDDEN TREASURES A Cultural Journey to Southeast New England - June 19-24, 2016 This would be a week of horticultural and historic treats, but space is limited for this exclusive special tour. For more information, please contact Mark Zelonis at mark.zelonis@att.net or at (317) ; or reach Jo Ann Carr at joann@interludetours.com or at (317) Job Opportunity Elderly gentleman seeks part-time gardening assistance from a strong/sturdy Master Gardener. Applicant would be maintaining flower beds & shrubs, weeding, and filling bird feeders, etc. Located near Concordia High School. Once or twice weekly, 2 6 hours/week, as needed. Paying $10 to $12/hour. Please call Beth Conway at , if interested.

7 Kalanchoe (Crassulacae family) is a genus of some 125 species of tropical, succulent, flowering plants. These brightly flowered plants are easy to find at groceries and big box stores. They are often purchased as houseplants or given as gifts because of their brilliant colored flowers. Plants flowering in shades of red, orange, yellow, pink and white are a simple pick me up especially during the gray winter months. Often these By AMG Peg Erpelding & Luna plants are added to an assortment of live plants arranged in a basket for purchase. Kalanchoe have glossy deep green leaves often with scalloped edges. If you have recently received or purchased one of these plants keep in mind that they are often sold in a plastic pot which is either wrapped in colorful plastic or is in a decorative ceramic pot that generally has no drain holes. Kalanchoe does not like to sit in water, so it is best to remove them from any outer packaging when you are giving them a drink and let them drain well especially if you are going to put them back in their original wrappings. These plants prefer a sunny location in the summer and a south facing window in the winter. They do enjoy the summer months outdoors and can tolerate a sunny location as long as they have protection from the suns rays at the hotter portion of the day. Kalanchoes prefer moderate watering in the summer, letting the soil surface dry between watering's and during the winter months you can let the plants almost dry out between watering's; watch the leaves, they will tell you when the plant needs a drink. When the plant is through blooming you can repot it in a slightly larger pot, use a good cactus soil mix or other quick draining medium. At this time longer stems can be cut back and cuttings taken to start new plants. Kalanchoes root easily from a single leaf with stem placed into a rooting medium. It is recommended to use a balanced fertilizer from May October for these plants. Do not over fertilize as there will be few flower blooms and lots of greenery. If you are wanting your Kalanchoe to re-bloom keep in mind that these plants are considered short day plants, meaning you will need to cut back on the amount of light these plants receive to encourage flowering. These plants can be subject to aphids, spider mites and scale, which can be eradicated by wiping the leaves with a damp cloth. If you are looking for a simple, easy care plant with plenty of color for yourself or as a gift check out these pretty plants at your favorite store. =^,,^= By AMG Bethany Beebe I recently had the opportunity to speak with the group of Master Gardener interns about plant science. A humbling experience, I learned and enjoyed the processes of both speaking with them and getting ready for the presentation. I seem to be more humbled by how much I still have to learn every time I get ready for such an event. One of the topics we covered during my time was frost-free dates. While I am sure Ricky did a great job explaining it to us when I took the class, I have to admit that I had to do some rereading to make sure I had it right. It turns out that this is actually a quite timely concept as we enter May and gardening season s full swing. According to Purdue Publication HORT-186-W, the frost date for spring is the time after which there is less than a 50% chance of freezing temperatures; the fall frost date is the time after which there is a greater than 50% chance of the mercury dipping below 32. The upcoming time of about May 15 is Allen County s spring gateway; approximately October 15 brings a greater than 50% chance of frost settling on the proverbial pumpkin. Established by the USDA, the country is divided into zones based on historical data. The zones are labelled 1 through 13, a or b. The smaller the number, the colder the weather; the larger the number, the warmer the weather. The USDA divided up the country into these zones based on the minimum winter temperatures and drew the lines at 10-degree intervals. Situated in about the middle, we here in Fort Wayne are sitting in 6a territory. I found this information (because I can never remember if it is 6a or b) on the USDA s plant hardiness website ( PHZMWeb/). The page also features maps of full states. Looking at Indiana s map, you might notice that even in the northwest part of Allen County we have zone diversity, slipping into 5b. Armed with this information, we can check out the labels of plants we hope to include in our outdoor landscapes to maximize desired outcomes. For example, I marvel at the bougainvillea splashing neighborhoods with color when I visit family in southern California. I am always tempted to take a trip to the garden center and try growing one here. Beyond the logic of knowing a tropical plant would never make it in the cold of Indiana s winters, I could consult the zone system. Wikipedia sites my brightly-colored beauties tolerant to 9b or 10; Indiana s zone 6 status clearly would not work. I appreciated the humility with which the USDA presented their zone work. As they articulated, the zones are simply a guide, with nothing beating the gardener s intimate knowledge of his or her own space. In any garden, some spots will be warmer than others. Some spaces are protected from the wind or warmed by the sun. Some are near a building s hot air exhaust vent or in a tiny courtyard with a brick floor that radiates heat. Tiny microclimates exist; the USDA changes an area s zones, at times. It all gives us something to keep learning!

8 Ricky Kemery Horticulture Educator MG Program Coordinator AMG Rhonda Smith. Office Staff Horticulture and Agriculture Secretary and Office Bookkeeper Phone: AMG Jackie Hoopfer, Display Garden Coordinator (260) AMG Jane Ford Editor of Across the Fence (260) AMG Simone Alberding Plant Sale Co-coordinator (260) AMG Pam Snyder Workshop/Seminar Coordinator (260) AMG Deb Kohlmeier Community Garden Coordinator Working Council At-Large Member AMG Nina Thierer Home & Garden Show Co-coordinator AMG Anita Crusoe Speaker Coordinator (260) AMG Dave Thierer Home & Garden Show Co-coordinator Working Council At-Large Member AMG Cindy Trygg Working Council At-Large Member Display Gardens Reporter AMG Randy Jackson Working Council At-Large Member MG Photography Coordinator

9 Contact Denise Lloyd if you see an empty slot you might want to fill. Sign up schedules for August through October will in next months ATF.

10 Contact Denise Lloyd if you see an empty slot you might want to fill. Sign up schedules for August through October will in next months ATF.

11 Contact Denise Lloyd if you see an empty slot you might want to fill. Sign up schedules for August through October will in next months ATF.

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