Summer in Our Community Outreach Gardens By Beulah Dvorak

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1 Vol. 25, No. 10 Editors: Jean Murray/Lisa Slattery/Julie Stark October2015 MG EVENTS Steering Cmte Meeting Extension Office October 6 6:30 pm October Intern Classes Extension Office NOTE: All classes 6:30 October 6, 13, 15, 20, 27 and 29 October Library Talks NOTE: All talks 6:30-7:30 pm Blairstown 205 Locust Street NE, Suite 2 October 5 and 19 Central City 137 4th Street, N, Suite 2 October 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 Ely 1595 Dows Street October 6, 13, 20 and 27 Marion th Avenue October 7, 15, 21 and 28 An addiction to gardening is not all bad when you consider all the other choices in life Cora Lea Bell Summer in Our Community Outreach Gardens By Beulah Dvorak The Catherine McAuley garden crops are growing well with peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and green beans being the current harvests. Some fall greens have been planted. The twice-monthly MG presentations continue. Recent topics have been Phil s Good Bug, Bad Bug, Diane s Composting, and Beula s Using Garden Produce. On August 26 Beula accepted, on behalf of the MG COG Committee, an award from Catherine McAuley for our commitment of support for their garden project. A pollinators flower garden is being planned in collaboration with the CMc staff and Seroptimist Club. It is hoped that soil amendments and preparation and Continued Page 2 What s Inside... Summer in Our Community Outreach Gardens Pages 1-3 Plant Treasures Exchanged Page 3 Photos Needed for 2016 WGF Page 3 Reading for Pollinators Page 4 Library Talks Scheduled Pages 5-6 October MG Intern Schedule Page 6 Noelridge Park Monarch Zone Page 7 Steering Committee Members Needed Page 8 Steering Cmte Report Pages 9-11 October

2 Continued from Page 1 plantings will occur yet this fall at a workday Chelsea is planning for sometime mid-september. The Kenwood Elementary School Garden (photos below) is doing well. Produce has been harvested weekly and given to students families. Victoria Fernandez is looking forward to students returning to school to increase regular participation in garden tasks. For next summer, she hopes to have a plan to keep students better involved throughout the summer school recess. The COG committee approved a new community garden project ---- Summit Pointe Senior Living Community (photo below). Seniors living here enjoy a variety of container flowers, vegetables and fruit trees on the grounds. They are also a Marion Blue Zones community. They have asked for specific MG assistance in further developing their dementia garden. Advice was asked for the eradication of purslane and binder weed, which were overwhelming in this garden area. In August the garden was covered with newspaper and 600 lbs. of mulch on top. More work on dividing perennials in this garden will occur throughout the fall. Sarah Neff (MG Lead) will work with residents to add bulbs and other perennials to fill in garden gaps. On August 19, the Prairie Hills Senior Living Community was contacted. They have a second-floor rooftop garden, which has become quite overgrown. They are seeking assistance in redeveloping this garden area with the addition of more low-maintenance colorful flowers. On August 31, the COG committee will be discussing accepting them as another community garden partner. The Marion Food Pantry Community Garden (photos next page) continues to do very well. Volunteers from the Marion Food Pantry have been harvesting for the food pantry a couple times a week. As of July, harvest Continued Page 3 2 Germinator

3 Continued from Page 2 has included: 45 lbs. lettuce, spinach, kale; 222 radishes; 6 lbs. peas; 8 lbs. beets; 10 lbs. carrots; 2 lbs. cucumbers; 3.5 lbs. zucchini; and 1 lb. peppers. These amounts have increased during the month of August! The Wellington Heights garden volunteers (photos below), including several MG, built and filled raised beds. Some fall crops will be planted. COG had a display table at the Brucemore Garden and Art Show on Saturday, August 22. Committee members had the opportunity to highlight and talk about our garden partners and the variety of work Master Gardeners are doing with local community gardens. Plant Treasures Exchanged By Kay McWhinney On September 12, ten Master Gardeners arrived at Lowe Park Greenhouse to bring plants, seeds, and house plants from their gardens to exchange for other plant treasures. A total of 43 different plants and flower seed selections found new homes. It was indeed enjoyable to see MG s enthused about their new treasures. Refreshments and bottled water were available for those in attendance. Thanks to Linda Hayward for assisting. Photos needed for 2016 Winter Gardening Fair Rose Milden is looking for photos of the 2015 Garden Walk for presentation at the 2016 Winter Gardening Fair. If you have photos you are willing to share, contact Rose (jandrmilden@centurylink.net; ). October 3

4 Reading for Pollinators By Jean Murray When you have put your garden to bed this fall, you might want to catch up on some books for more information on those pollinators and pollinator plants. The Year of the Pollinator is coming in 2016, with lots of events and opportunities to share information. (The illustration for this article is a sneak peek at our upcoming Year of the Pollinator buttons-photo right.) All of these books are available in the Metro library system, except the Howard Ensign Evans book. I ll leave that in the Hortline room, for the library. Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America s Bees and Butterflies, is published by the Xerces Society (for insect conservation), and is a great introduction to the subject. It starts with an overview of pollinators and pollination, going on to discuss in detail how to take action to help pollinators. The final section includes how to create a pollinatorfriendly landscape. It s the book to read if you only have time for one on this subject. Bringing Nature Home: How You can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, by Doug Tallamy, is in its 9 th edition. Doug spoke at the roadside conference here in CR last year. Doug s emphasis is on how everyone can welcome more wildlife to their yards by planting natives. His book includes extensive lists of native plants, along with interesting anecdotes and information. His chapters include What to Plant (mostly about trees), What Does Bird Food Look Like, and Answers to Tough Questions. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv, was suggested to me by Steve Bartlett, following a discussion about What happened to the fireflies we remember as children? Louv s book discusses the evidence for why the lack of nature in children s lives can be linked to the rise in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. While I m not sure about what s cause and what s effect, I found the book thought-provoking. Life on a Little-Known Planet: A Biologist s View of insects and Their World, by Howard Ensign Evans, was published in It s still worth reading as a fascinating view of the world of insects. Ensign, an entomologist, begins with a view of the universe as seen from a suburban porch and takes the reader on a journey through the lives of cockroaches, crickets, fireflies, butterflies, locusts, and includes Bedbugs and Other Cuddly Animals. A deeper read than the other books. The Reason for Flowers: Their History, Culture, Biology, and How They Change Our Lives, was written by pollination ecologist Stephen Buchman, and includes several chapters on pollinators. Buchman writes about his travels through the world, with sections on gardens and their history, scented and edible flowers, the language of flowers, and flowers in science and medicine. Appendixes include recipes using flowers and caring for cut flowers. Much of his information I found to be pretty basic (for general audiences), but I enjoyed the stories of his adventures. 4 Germinator

5 October Library Talks Please note: All library talks are 6:30-7:30 p.m. Blairstown Public Library, 305 Locust St. NE, Ste. 2 Monday, October 5: Heavenly Hydrangeas Hydrangeas bloom in a variety of colors including white, blue, pink, green and red too. Join Wil Carew as he discusses the how-to s of planting and pruning. He also shares those varieties which are his personal celestial favorites and are locally available. Monday, October 19: Feed the Birds This power point presentation by Deb Walser features the most common birds that summer and winter in Iowa. We will look at the many types of feed we can put out for the birds. We can plant trees and shrubs that will provide cover and food all winter long. Come see beautiful pictures and lots of birding tips. Central City Public Library, 137 4th Street N, Suite 2 Thursday, October 1: Starting from Scratch Whether you are a beginning gardener or looking for some fresh ideas to remake existing spaces, Beula Dvorak will provide practical applications and suggestions for getting started. Planning and implementing ideas for successful and enjoyable gardening will be discussed. Thursday, October 8: Blooms for the Birds Sylvia Kelly will present basics of attracting birds to your yard; what to plant, where to plant and what birds you can expect to visit you and what else you might need to do to create the perfect habitat for the feathered among us. Thursday, October 15: Houseplants Learn about the many varieties of houseplants available and explore clever and artistic ways to display them. Rose Milden will provide tips to help you succeed in growing healthy and beautiful houseplants to enjoy year round. Thursday, October 22: Starting Garden Transplants at Home Zora Ronan will show how to successfully start garden transplants at home with a minimum amount of equipment with this step by step process. Thursday, October 29: Care and Maintenance of Garden Tools Doug Smith will present tips for extending the life of your garden tools. Learn how to sharpen, clean and service your favorite garden tools and how to store them so they are in good condition for next spring. Ely Public Library, 1595 Dows Street Tuesday, October 6: Putting your Landscape to Bed It s autumn. Time to clean up the yard, landscape and gardens, but how do I start? Wil Carew will cover what to do, when to do it, and why! Tuesday, October 13: Growing and Arranging Cut Flowers A bouquet of flowers is always welcome whether it be to a shut-in, your neighbor, your office or your own home. The flowers need not be exquisite or the containers expensive. The most common and easily grown flower in Continued Page 6 October 5

6 Continued from Page 5 your yard can be arranged into a small or large bouquet without a lot of effort. Come to this fun class presented by Judy Stevens to share some tips for making your flowers last longer, arranging techniques, and finding and using interesting containers. Tuesday, October 20: Conifers for the Garden It is said that evergreens are the bones of garden design. Devon Dietz will share his love of conifers in general, and dwarf conifers in particular. He will include information on the planting and care of conifers, conifer sources, and public places to view them. Tuesday, October 27: Houseplants Learn about the many varieties of houseplants available and explore clever and artistic ways to display them. Rose Milden will provide tips to help you succeed in growing healthy and beautiful houseplants to enjoy year round. Marion Public Library, th Avenue Wednesday, October 7: The Zen Garden Zen gardens are a spiritual celebration of nature. Master Gardener, Mike Anderson, will discuss how to incorporate the principles of Japanese gardening into your home garden and will take you (electronically) to some upper Midwest Japanese gardens. Wednesday, October 15: Creating Miniature Gardens Do you believe in fairies and other tiny creatures. Sylvia Kelly will present ways to create magical places with miniature plants, tiny furniture and accessories. Learn lots of tips and ideas to inspire you to create your own tiny garden indoors or out. A great way to interest children in gardening. Wednesday, October 21: Hidden Beauty in the Winter Garden Join Matt Pieper as he introduces you to the 4th season of the garden, Winter! In addition to talking about how to prepare your garden for winter s wrath, Matt will share a variety of plants and trees that will help break the doldrums and add great value to your landscape in winter and share tips to relinquish winter's grip and get you ready for spring. Wednesday, October 28: Care and Maintenance of Garden Tools Doug Smith will present tips for extending the life of your garden tools. Learn how to sharpen, clean and service your favorite garden tools and how to store them so they are in good condition for next spring. October Master Gardener Intern Class Schedule Classes start at 6:30 pm and held at the Linn County Extension Office Large Conference Room. All Master Gardeners are welcome to attend. Tuesday, October 6: Adobe Connect Plant Pathology and Entomology Tuesday, October 13: Adobe Connect Landscape Trees and Shrubs Thursday, October 15: Vegetables, Phil Pfister, LCMG Tuesday, October 20: Adobe Connect Turfgrass Management Tuesday, October 27: Adobe Connect Fruit Culture Thursday, October 29: Herbaceous Ornamentals, Deb Walser, LCMG 6 Germinator

7 Noelridge Park Monarch Zone, 2016 By Becki Lynch In cooperation with the City of Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department, and in particular the horticulture staff at Noelridge Park, Kristie and Lori, the Monarch Research Project (MRP) is excited to announce that Noelridge Park will be a primary site Monarch Zone in Along with approximately 30 other private and public owned properties, Noelridge Park will be a showcase display and production site to research best practices for raising large volumes of butterflies. And, of course, Linn County Master Gardeners are very involved in volunteering directly for the Project, and as Home Monarch Zones. Noelridge will have two 14 x 24 biotents one for Monarchs and one for Black Swallowtails. In the past year s research at the MRP, it s been found that the butterflies are healthier, and more productive in an outdoor environment, but the survival rate is abysmal without protection from predators. Thus, the theory of the biotent was formed, has been successful in a small trial, and is now ready to be tested with a broader audience. In addition, the Park is increasing its pollinator/prairie area directly behind the biotents by a varying 40 to 15 width which will wrap around the north end of the park and end at the pond and peninsula. Sound interesting? Fun? Exciting to help bring back the Monarch in a big way? We know it will be all that, and more! We re looking for folks who could volunteer 1-2 hours per week, either in the morning or late afternoon from approximately May through September. However, don t worry about vacations, etc. Because this activity is within our Noelridge Master Gardener Project, the hours are approved per the MG guidelines. If you re interested in becoming a part of this team, and would like more information, contact Diane Stevens (mamadi319@aol.com) or Kathy Rhodes (krhodes63@aol.com) We re looking forward to a banner Planting for Pollinators Year at Noelridge! October 7

8 Steering Committee Members Needed Apply NOW! The Steering Committee is looking for new members. Three Master Gardeners are rotating off the committee; there are three positions to fill. How do I apply? Send an to Janice Savel, Extension Office Assistant, at jsavel@iastate.edu. Include a short description of your current and past service as a Master Gardener. Please include your years of service, committee service, and other activities, and any awards/ recognition. Deadline for applications: October 12, The Steering Committee will select from the list of applicants at its November meeting. What is the length of a Steering Committee term? Members are selected for two-year terms, beginning January 1, with a maximum of two terms allowed before leaving the Steering Committee. Of course, previous SC members may serve again, after being off the committee for at least a year. What are the requirements to be on the Steering Committee? * You must be a Linn Co. MG in good standing as of 01/01/16 * You must be able to attend all monthly meetings (evenings on the first Tuesday of the month, at the Extension Office) * You must formally apply, as described above. There is no minimum service length or committee service required. The Steering Committee has a maximum of 14 members, so if more people apply than there are openings, not everyone who applies may be selected. While there are no specific criteria for selection, the nominating committee is looking for balance in gender, years of service, and areas of interest. What are the duties of a Steering Committee member? The basic duties are to attend the monthly meetings and participate in discussion and voting. Sub-committees are often appointed for specific short-term assignments, but these are voluntary. What does the Steering Committee do? The Steering Committee has several tasks: * Ensure the purposes of ISU Extension and the Iowa Master Gardener program are being met. * Provide guidance to the Volunteer Coordinator and support in the management of the program. * Set policy for the Linn County Master Gardeners. * Provide general program oversight and approve program priorities. * Consider volunteer questions and concerns as necessary. * Identify needs and interests of Master Gardener clients in Linn County and conceptualize means of meeting those needs. * Recognize and show appreciation for Master Gardener Volunteers. * Build and maintain a budget. 8 Germinator

9 September 1, 2015 Steering Committee Minutes DRAFT Present: Jackie Baumhauer, Steve Barlett, Larry Dawson, Beula Dvorak, Cindy Fagan, Darrell Hennessy, Linda Hinzman, Beth Roof, Jane Schildroth, Pam Scott, Linda Shepard, Deb Walser, Jean Wilson. Absent: Gene Nassif. Quorum established. Guests: Linda Bigley, Phil Pfister. Minutes of the August 4, 2015 approved with a change, the word Absence to Absent. Announcements: Three Steering Committee members will be rotating off the committee this year: Jane S., Deb W., and Beth R. Jane has appointed Deb W., Beth R. and Linda H. to the SC Nominating Committee. Linda Bigley asked the SC consider requiring the outgoing Chairperson to remain on the SC for 1 year following their chairmanship as an ad hoc member. The merits of continuity and transition were discussed. Motion made. The outgoing Chair will serve an additional year as participating member of the Steering Committee. This may require a 5 th year service, if the Chair was elected during the 4 th year of their term. Motion carried unanimous and will be added to the Handbook. Update on MG Coordinator Search: Application deadline has been extended to Sept. 4. The position has been advertised in the Gazette two Sundays, on the Corridor Careers website and the ISU Extension website. An was sent to all MG encouraging sharing of the opening. Six applications have been received to date. Linda Bigley plans to include two SC members on the interview committee. Update on Extension Director search: Negotiations are underway between the County Extension Council and ISU to make the Director a joint position both county and state. Financial Report: The 7/31/15 report was distributed. There was minimal financial activity during July. The report did not show the overage monies as noted on the previous month s report. Linda Bigley will verify. The annual 25% deduction for office expenses has yet to be deducted for fiscal year ending 06/2015. Motion to accept report, passed unanimously. Project and Committee Reports September 2015 Brucemore: Held on August 29, 48 MG volunteered in various activities. Creative Gardening Series: The Pollinator team will be discussing the other topics for the GCS. The presentation by ISU, Don Lewis, on the Monarch Conservation Consortia is April 7. The McLeod Monarch Project presentation will be April 14 or 21. Community Outreach Gardens: See article elsewhere in the Germinator. NewBo: Learning Garden featured different vegetables at each Rock the Block Friday at the market; recently beets, with 8 different recipes to "beet the heat". August 29 featured a tomato tasting of 30 varieties. Our committee has harvested/donated over 100 pounds of produce this season to food pantries such as Catholic Charities, Food Pantry, and Mission of Hope; also donated to Neighborhood Meals and Enrichment Program. October 9

10 From the Ground Up: An informational meeting will be held soon regarding this school year. Garden Walk: The Garden Walk Committee; Co-Chairs Beula Dvorak & Diane Stevens, Kay McWhinney, Sam Krumbholz, and Kathy Hughes are in the process of previewing gardens for the 2016 Garden Walk. Greenhouse: The greenhouse has been cleaned and ready for another growing season. Shirley Thornton and Polly Draker are leading work sessions to finish cleaning pots/flats. We are taking inventory of underused items and are planning a Lowe Park Greenhouse garage sale sometime this fall. The tomato patch (MG Lead Denise Klemp) continues to grow, but it remains to be seen if it will still be in production for the tomato tasting on September 26. The hoop house (MG Lead Sharon Reilly) is starting to make the transition from summer to fall crops. Last year we had lettuce winter over in the hoop house. It will be interesting what we can overwinter this year. After getting planted quite late, due to the wet weather, we have a good stand of six different cover crops. Each of these plants help benefit the soil, either by affixing nitrogen, bio-mass, or opening up dense-compact soil. Darrell Hennessey assisted with the planting. Mary Mikkola provided early weeding. Linn Co-op donated seeds. Hortline: Volunteer training will be September 16 at 4:00-5:00 and 7:00-8:00 in the large conference room. Five books have been ordered as Memorials for five Master Gardeners who have passed away in the last few months. There were 240 client questions in July. Some consider that 3 hours AM and PM is too lengthy for the number of calls we are receiving. Should the hours be cut? More discussion is needed. Plant Exchange: September 12 at Lowe Park Greenhouse. Planting for Pollinators: We're moving ahead with projects and assisting the Chairs of MG events as needed. We completed a Pollinator Design for Camp Wapsie with Cindy Fagan, and plans are being made to begin the planting this fall. The training for the second Pollinator course, "Designing a Pollinator Habitat with Top 20 Plants" and an update on the first course will take place on Sept. 8. We hope to order the Pollinator Year buttons in time for the Fall Festival in November. Public Relations: Attendance at the Marion Uptown Farmers Market continues to decline. We had a fairly steady stream of questions and handed out free seeds to plant for fall crops. Materials were researched and prepared for the Brucemore event. Project Independence: A new lightweight hose was purchased to make it easier for the residents to care for their plots. Speakers Bureau: Library talks are scheduled September and October, Monday through Thursday at eight area libraries. Twenty participants attended the season s first talk at Ladd Library, August 31. Winter Gardening Fair: We had a kickoff meeting in mid-august for volunteers. Several small sub-committees were formed including Vendors/ Organizations, Publicity, and Registration. Planning continues with most of our speakers contacted and contracted. The next step will be creating our 10 Germinator

11 schedule and our brochure. Major concerns: no volunteers to shadow for 2017 and we are having a low response to request for speakers from the MG community. WGF chairs and Linda Bigley are meeting with Tim Grewell, ISU Conferences/Events, to discuss registration. MG Coordinators Report: Jane S. read a thank-you note from Kathy Wimer appreciating the Farewell Reception held for her on August 4. Linda Bigley continued the MG Report. Progress continues at ISU to have all MG counties report volunteer and education hours in the same manner. ISU now has the ability to transfer all Linn Co. MG names and historic records to the new system. The goal is to have all Linn Co. MG using the new database by January 1. An instructional video is to be ready by September 15. Linda is suggesting that classes be available to LC MG s needing additional instruction, beyond the ISU video. Background checks have been completed for last year s intern class and all MGs involved with youth background checks remain to be done. Linda is suggesting that 1/3 of the remaining number be completed this year; with 1/3 completed during the subsequent 2 years. Individual background checks are required every 3 years. Cleaning up the current membership list will reduce the expense of background checks. Old Business: The Selection Committee for upcoming MGs has chosen 19 candidates out of 31 applications. The need remains for a MG to compile and maintain a yearly master calendar of Linn Co. MG events and meetings. Anyone interested see Jane S. New Business: Phil Pfister presented a funding request to purchase a heat curtain for the Lowe Park Greenhouse. Phil stressed the difficulty in heating the greenhouse, managing the building s environment, and the desire to integrate pest management through temperature control. Advantages of the PowerPull brand curtain selected were presented. Bulk of funding for purchase has been from Friends of Marion Parks, City of Marion Parks Dept., and a private donation. Cost of the installed system is $5,760; funding to date $4,000. Greenhouse Committee is requesting $2,000 to cover balance of $1,760 plus contingency funding. Following discussion, the motion was made to grant the request using overage funds in the current MG budget. Motion passed unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 7:40 pm. Next meeting October 6, Items for the agenda are to be submitted to the Executive Committee prior to September 18. Respectfully submitted, Beth Roof 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 October 11

12 12 Germinator Master Gardeners ISU Linn County Extension 383 Collins Road NE, Suite 201 Cedar Rapids, IA 52402