Johnson County Master Gardener Thymes May 2017 MG Steering Committee Meeting Wednesday, May 10, 7:00 pm; Johnson County Extension Office. All are invited to attend! Thymes Deadline Thymes information should be sent to Jan Denehy at janice-denehy@uiowa.edu Please send news, volunteer opportunities, stories, pictures, etc., for the June issue by Friday, May 26. Taste of Plum Grove Menu Planning Meeting 6:30 pm, Wednesday, May 3 rd at Extension Office Bring your old cookbooks or old family recipes. We need three recipes each for soup, salad, vegetables, breads and dessert. Please come and help us create this year s menu. You can also sign up for the dish you want to cook. The tasting party will be held on Wednesday, July 19 at Plum Grove. Contact Joanne Leach with questions at 351-4722, Jleach@Jlgardens.net 10 th Annual Master Gardener Plant Sale & Flea Market, Saturday, May 13 th, 8 am - noon. Set up: Thursday 10am-5pm & Friday 9am-5pm The sale will include perennials, annuals, vegetable plants, tools, and garden yard art. Proceeds from the annual sale support 4-H Awards, Kirkwood Community College Horticulture Scholarships and JCMG program support and operations. Please bring gloves, wear comfortable shoes and clothes you can work in. Wear your MG nametag so new members can get to know us. Anyone who has a pickup truck, plastic toboggan sleds, or wagons to use during set up, please bring them. Please bring your lunch and drink or snacks to share if you would like. We will be working out of the south end of the Building B, so park to the south. Please sign in when you arrive. All time, including travel, counts toward your core project hours. In preparation for the event, we will be requesting help for some plant digs and donations of items. If you or anyone you know have plants or other items that they would like to donate or if you are willing to help with digs at various locations please contact Shannon Bielicke (319-337-2145 / bielicke@iastate.edu). If you have any questions, please contact Barb Krug (bkmg2004@yahoo.com) or Shannon Bielicke at the extension office (319-337-2145 / bielicke@iastate.edu) Hats off to Barb Krug!! Many thanks to Barb Krug for her commitment and hard work over the years organizing and carrying out the Master Gardener Flea Market! This has been our major and very successful fundraiser for the year. Barb is willing to help with the organization of the event this year, but we are looking for 2-3 new Master Gardener coordinators that are willing to form a committee to learn from Barb this year and be able to take over the MG Flea Market leadership in 2018. Raptor Center Gardens Planting Day Saturday, May 13th at 2 PM which is after the MG Plant Sale and Flea Market. We did this last year and it worked great. With a good turn out of volunteers we will get the plants in the ground in a couple of hours. The summer maintenance schedule will be available for sign up at the planting. You may sign up for oneweek increments, however, we prefer you sign up for 2 consecutive weeks. We would like 3 people per week even if you do not work at the same time. Our goal is 1
to weed and water both the Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardens twice a week throughout the growing season. You may come out at your convenience when the Nature Center is open. Park at the main Raptor Center parking lot and walk back with your tools. Thank you so much for your participation! Alice Linhart 621-8073 Project GREEN Annual Garden Fair and Plant Sale. Saturday, May 6, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Carver- Hawkeye Arena. The 48th annual GREEN Garden Fair offers gardeners a wide variety of hardy plants that have been grown and acclimatized to thrive in our area. Shoppers come back year after year for plants they know will grow well. The Garden Fair will offer a variety of creative items for a very special Mother s Day gift. This year, Project Green gifts will include wooden birdhouses, herb gardens for patios, painted clay pots, along with kokedama a Japanese moss hanging that makes a great hanging plant made of a combination of peat soil and akedama, or bonsai soil. For the first time, outside vendors will offer wood trellises and patio furniture, as well as cement garden designs for the lawn and patio. Since 1970, this annual event has offered thousands of plants perfectly suited and grown by volunteers that do especially well in our area. Gardeners will find sunny perennials, shade perennials, hosta and companion plants, groundcovers, shrubs and trees. Shoppers will find selection areas are marked by colorful hanging banners. Johnson County Master Gardeners, DNR district forester, and representatives from Iowa City East Side Recycling Center / Landfill, Kent Park and Johnson County Bur Oak Land Trust, Johnson County Conservation, Monarchs in Eastern Iowa representatives will be available to answer questions concerning the environment, woodland management, tree pruning, wildlife and gardening. Since launching in 1968, the nonprofit Project GREEN (Grow to Reach Environmental Excellence Now) has funded $2 million in public landscape improvement and beautification projects and maintenance. The mission continues: enhance and beautify green spaces, parks, major entryways, roadsides, riverfront and median parkways. Through the years, the all-volunteer Project GREEN effort has grown to include public school grounds. Project GREEN also supports efforts to educate citizens about the importance of beautifying private property. The organization will celebrate 50 years of service to the community in 2018. Linda Schreiber Spurge (Euphorbia) Euphorbiaceae: yew-for-bee-ah This plant is extremely varied in form and habitat, ranging from large, succulent trees and tiny, compact succulents to herbaceous perennials and semi- or evergreen, herbaceous shrubs. Their unique flower structure consists of conspicuous leaf bracts of yellow, red, purple, brown, or green, with tiny, male and female floral parts in contrasting colors. Many species are notable for these peculiar flowers, as well as their handsome foliage and their remarkable form. Characteristics: The herbaceous species are well suited to a rock garden, mixed border, or to naturalizing. The succulents are well suited to a dry tropical garden and warm or temperate greenhouse. Their milky sap may cause irritation to skin, and severe discomfort if ingested Care: Depends upon the species. Propagation: Sow seed of annuals in situ, seed of tender succulents when ripe, and seed of hardy perennials when ripe or in spring. Divide perennials in early spring. Problems: Nematodes, spider mites, aphids, mealy bugs, fungal and bacterial diseases. There are hundreds of different spurges -- and most are valued by gardeners because they're droughtresistant and almost always ignored by deer and rabbits. Spurges are surefire picks for adding color to the garden. Many also turn gorgeous colors in the fall, enlivening the fall garden. As a general rule, Spurge requires well-drained soil in full sun. A few tolerate shadier conditions, but none of the family is fussy about soil condition. They even thrive in very poor soils and can tolerate periods of drought. Euphorbia plant care is simple. Provide light, moderate moisture and watch for annoying pests, like whitefly. Provide water under the plant s leaves to prevent powdery mildew. You will not need to fertilize Spurge often. Wait until the bottom leaves become yellow before feeding with a water-soluble plant food. Prune when the plant gets out of hand. These plants are almost impossible to kill and are a perfect choice for the novice gardener. Growing Euphorbia to share with a friend is also a great beginner propagation project. Additional Growing Tips for Euphorbia Spurge grows quite well from seeds sown indoors in pots. Euphorbia can be propagated quickly and easily by gathering volunteers around an established plant. Cuttings are easily rooted in peat. Mist the cuttings and enclose the pot in a bag to retain moisture. Let the pot breathe once a day for an hour, so the medium doesn t mold. Once rooted, pot the cuttings in soil or plant outdoors. One of the more important growing tips for Euphorbia is to let the stem cutting dry for a few days before planting, allowing the sap to form a callus on the cut end and to prevent rotting. Linda Schreiber 2
May Birthdays 2 Lori Penn-Goetsch 8 Joyce Miller 9 Sharon Jeter 10 Sue Fuortes 11 Sandy Gannon 15 Marilyn Kempnich 29 Bonnie Penno 31 Kathy Donnelly Articles needed for the Thymes Newsletter I would like to encourage MGs to submit short feature articles (300-500 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 email 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. May 2017 Backyard Abundance http://backyardabundance.org/ Wednesday, May 3, 2017 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Gardens for Reducing Stress and Improving Mood. Come meet some therapeutic plants. Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center Edible Classroom. $12 fee. Register now because class is limited to 20 people. https://apm.activecommunities.com/iowacityrecreation/ Home. Wednesday, May, 2017 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Gardening with Spirit. Connect with the spiritual side of nature through playful gatherings the first Wednesday of each month at Gaia s Peace Garden, 2066 Bristol Dr., Iowa City. Thursday, May 4 and May 18, 2017 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sustainable Living Conversations. Trumpet Blossom Café, 310 E Prentiss St., Iowa City. Students and community members with all levels of sustainability and environmental knowledge will gather, chat and enjoy dinner or appetizers. Saturday, May 6, 2017 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Project Green Garden Fair. Find an assortment of trees, shrubs, vines, and sun and shade perennials. Carver Haykeye Arena. Saturday, May6, 2017 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Establish a Monarch Garden. Support winged friends by helping the community establish a large monarch garden at Wetherby Park Edible Forest, 2400 Taylor Dr., Iowa City. No fee. Tuesday, May 9, 2017 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Master River Stewards. Adult education course to build a network of river advocates to protect and improve Iowa s rivers. Sessions held Tuesday nights May 9 through June 27, 2017. $50 fee. Kent Park Conservation Education Center. For information: www.mxcountyparks.com/county/johnson/park/johns ON-COUNTY-EDUCATION/Events/9528/Master-River- Stewards-Program.aspx. Thursday, May 11, 2017 5:30 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 and Small Plate Bistro, 210 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Learn more at http://www.greendrinks.org/ia/iowacity. 3
Saturday, May 13, 2017 8 a.m.- 12 p.m. Master Gardener s Plant Sale and Flea Market. The 10 th annual sale includes perennials, annuals, vegetable plants, gently used garden items, houseplants, yard art and more. Johnson County Fairgrounds, 4261 Oakcrest Hill Rd. SE, Iowa City. Saturday, May 20, 2017 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.. Create a Fairy or Gnome Garden. Build and take home your own fairy garden, house and fairy/gnome. Robert A Lee Community Recreation Center, Edible Classroom. Fee $15. Register at Parks and Recreation website. Sunday, May 21, 2017 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Plant Sale and Monarch Madness. Friends of Hickory Hill Park annual plant sale raises funds to maintain the ecological health of the park. Variety of plants with an additional focus on monarch milkweed plants. Hickory Hill Park, Bloomington St. entrance. Sunday, May 21, 2017 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wildflower Walk. Hickory Hill Park. Meet at the Bloomington St. entrance near the shelter. More information at www.hickoryhillpark.org/blog. Blue Zones www.bluezones.com https://iowa.bluezonesproject.com/activities Bur Oak Land Trust (formerly Johnson County Home) info@buroaklandtrust.org Entire Month of May 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pizza s for Prairie at Paglaia s. Share the profit partnership at Paglaia s Pizza, 302 E. Bloomington St, Iowa City. Bur Oak Land Trust receives 50% of your receipt when you mention Bur Oak Land Trust. Tuesday, May 16, 2017 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Forbidden Planet Share the Profits night. Neopolitan Style pizza, wine and craft beer. 111 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. A portion of profits will be donated to Bur Oak Land Trust. Wednesday, May 17, 2017 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Short s Burgers Eastside Share the profit community event. 521 Westbury Dr., Iowa City. A portion of profits will be donated to Bur Oak Land Trust. Sunday, May 21,2017 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Family Day at Turkey Creek, Turkey Creek Preserve, 2545 Sugar Bottom Rd. NE, Solon. Outdoor activities for kids of all ages, including birding, storytelling, experiencing the sights and sounds of creek life, and learning about prairie trees and plants. Wednesday, May 24, 2017 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Shimek Ravine Workday, Shimek Elementary School, 1400 Grissell Pl., Iowa City. Work alongside City High Seniors in their Day of Service: Invasive removal. Park at Shimek Elementary parking lot. Led by Seth at seth@buroaklandtrust.org or 319-400-5511. Coralville Lake Nothing scheduled at press time. Eastern Iowa Bird Watchers/IC Birds http://icbirds.org/newsletter.html Wednesday, May 3, 2017 8 a.m. Kent Park Bird Walk with Leader Rick Hollis. Information at http://icbirds.org/newsletter.html. Thursday, May 4, 2017 7 p.m. Regular Iowa City Bird Watchers Meeting. First Thursday of each month at Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City. Saturday, May 13, 2017 Noon. Spring Migration Count. Teams gather for a noon lunch at North Liberty Recreation Center. To participate on a team, email info@icbirds.org in advance. Sunday, May 21, 2017 9 a.m. Cerulean Warbler Tour, McGregor Public Dock, backwaters of the upper Mississippi River. Boat leaves from public dock at McGregor, IA. $25 fee. RSVP with Jon Stravers email!hawk@acegroup.cc or 563-880-8046. ECO_Iowa City http://wwwicgov.org/?id=2256 Check website for events. Iowa State Extension http://www.extension.iastate.edu/calendar/ Nothing scheduled at press time. Iowa Water https://www.facebook.com/iowa.city.stormwater.volunte ers?sk=wall Nothing scheduled at press time Johnson County Conservation http://www.johnson-county.com/conservation salgreen@co.johnson.ia.us Tuesdays, May 9 through June 27, 2017 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Master River Stewards Program. See Backyard Abundance above. $50 fee. F. W. Kent Park Conservation Education Center. Contact Kristen Morrow at kmorrow@co.johnson.ia.us or 319-645-1011. Johnson County-ISU Extension http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/ Saturday, May 13, 2017 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Johnson County Master Gardener 10 th Annual Plant Sale and Flea Market. The sale will include perennials, annuals, vegetable plants, tools, and garden yard art. Johnson County Fairgrounds, Building B. To donate plants, tools or yard art contact Shannon Bielicke at Johnson County Extension Office at 319-337-2145 or at bielicke@iastate.edu. 4
Linn County-ISU Extension http://www.extension.iastate.edu/calendar/showlist.asp?county=linn&countiesscope Saturday, May 20, 2017 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Linn County Master Gardener Plant Sale. Get your plants straight from the greenhouse and Master Gardeners. Linn County Extension, 383 Collins Road NE, Suite 201, Cedar Rapids, IA. Contact Shelly O Neal at 319-377-9839 or soneal@iastate.edu. New Pioneer Coop http://www.newpi.coop/new-pi-classes-andcommunity/2015-02/ Check the website for events and activities. Project Green http://www.projectgreen.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/www.projectgreen.org Saturday, May 6, 2017 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Project Green Garden Fair and Plant Sale. Find an assortment of trees, shrubs, vines and sun and shade perennials. Carver Hawkeye Arena. Seed Savers http://www.seedsavers.org/education/ Check the website for events and activities. Trees Forever http://www.treesforever.org/events Nothing scheduled locally 100_Grannies http://100grannies.org/ Tuesday, May 23, 2017 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 100 Grannies Regular Monthly Meeting at Trinity Episcopal Church, 320 E. College St., Iowa City. Regular meeting is every 4 th Tuesday of the month. Contact 100granniesiowacity@gmail.com. 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 624-3342 or tracehuff@aol.com Speakers Bureau Master Gardeners, are you interested in earning hours being a speaker? If so, please contact Jackie Wellborn, or leave your name, number, and topics of interest and Jackie will contact you. Also, if you give presentations for the Speakers Bureau please contact Jackie to inform her of your work. She records the information for her annual report. Jackie Wellborn, 512-8382, jackiewe@mchsi.com "Home Ties" Child Care Center serves the preschool children of parents who are in emergency or temporary housing (shelters), and have to move frequently. The children have a stable "home base" while the parents look for permanent housing or jobs, or continue their education. They have an extensive "outdoor classroom" that includes herb garden, butterfly garden, vegetable gardens, and a pumpkin patch that is being developed as a native American "Three Sisters" garden. Master Gardener Mary Lou Mayfield goes once a week to provide the children with an interactive story time and help with their gardens. If you love working with young children as well as gardening, please contact Mary Lou at urthmothr@aol.com. or call her at 908-581-3428. Mary Lou Mayfield "Fairweather Lodge" training center is a temporary home for veterans and others with disabilities that make it difficult for them to live alone. It is run by Shelter House, and provides training for students who will eventually move into a permanent group home. Master Gardener Mary Lou Mayfield provides weekly classes on basic plant science, nutrition, and gardening. If you like working with adults and are available on Friday mornings, please contact Mary Lou at urthmothr@aol.com, or call her at 908-581-3428, Mary Lou Mayfield 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 466-3047 or rmlgay@aol.com or Vicki Siefers 331-1798 or vsiefers@mchsi.com if you have any questions or would like to volunteer. 5
Mark Twain People s Garden (Non-core): Julie Hegmann, 337-3607, 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, 319-331-3042; momrude@gmail.com Butterfly House at Fairgrounds Carolyn Murphy 541-7079; carolyn-murphy@uiowa.edu, Mike Murphy, 351-6345 Coralville Historical School House: Cindy Parsons, 400-7179; cparsons@icialaw.com Ecumenical Towers: Jane Zukin, 339-9127; Janezukin@aol.com Demo Garden: Sherlyn Flesher, 541-4277; khyber71@aol.com; Miechelle Weber, 338-2311, miechelle.weber@gmail.com Downtown City Gardens (Newly-approved core) Linda Schreiber, 319-936-8600, lnschreiber@gmail.com Fair Grounds Beautification: Rain Garden: Lavon Yeggy, 330-0952, lavon47@lcom.net, Mardi Rasmussen, 624-4090, martharasmussen@yahoo.com Fair Grounds Flower Beds: Joan Dinnel, 338-2434, jdinel@aol.com, Barb Krug, 857-4569, bkmg2004@yahoo.com Firefighters Memorial: Barb Schintler, 651-5174, barbjschintler@hotmail.com Fundraising/Flea Market: Barb Krug, 431-5865, bkmg2004@yahoo.com Hortline: Esther Retish, 351-5011, eretish@mchsi.com; Joy TenEick, 319-626-2080; jteneick@gmail.com Hospice Garden at Willow Creek Park: Melanie Haupert, 351-1149, melaniehaupert@gmail.com Intern Class/Training: Nicole Pearson, (507) 251-0902, nicole-pearson@uiowa.edu Oaknoll Garden Project (Newly-approved core): Marilou Gay, 466-3047, rmlgay@aol.com Plum Grove: Betty Kelly, 351-4903, blkiowa@gmail.com; Joanne Leach, 351-4722, Jleach@Jlgardens.net; Lavon Yeggy, 330-0952, lavon47@lcom.net; Carolyn Murphy, 541-7079, candmmurphy@aol.com Raptor Center Gardens: Alice Linhart, 621-8073, mikeandalice@southslope.net; Karole Fuller, 338-3561, jnkfuller@live.com Speakers Bureau: Jackie Wellborn, 512-8382, jackiewe@mchsi.com Social Events: Steering Committee, Beth Fischer, 319-321-8378, scrabblegirl@gmail.com; Lavon Yeggy, 337-6327, lavon47@lcom.net Solon High School: Tracy Hufford, 624-3342, TraceHuff@aol.com Steering Committee Chair: Lavon Yeggy, 330-0952; lavon47@lcom.net, Sharon Jeter, 631-2148, sharonjeter@gmail.com; Barb Krug, 431-5865; kbjfarm@yahoo.com Thymes: Jan Denehy, 338-7493, janice-denehy@uiowa.edu Treasurer: Loren Leach, 351-4722, lleach@jlgardens.net Volunteer Hours/Secretary: Shannon Bielicke, 337-2145, bielicke@iastate.e 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 52246 Johnson County Fair / 4-H Buckets of Flowers, Scarecrow: Marilou Gay, 466-3047, rmlgay@aol.com Lavon Yeggy, 330-0952, lavon47@lcom.net Send email to: janice-denehy@uiowa.edu 6