Johnson County Master Gardener Thymes September 2017 Ecumenical Towers Flower Gardens This summer residents of the Ecumenical Towers and visitors to The Senior Center were greeted by vibrant blossoms as they entered the building. These gardens are maintained by Johnson County Master Gardeners under the leadership of Jane Zukin. MG Steering Committee Meeting Wednesday, September 13 at 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 October issue by Monday, September 25. Fall Master Gardener Training Classes The classes start September 21st and go through November 16th. Classes will be held at the Johnson County Extension & Outreach Office, and the cost is $195 per person. The program has about 15 sessions mostly on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-9:30 p.m. There is one all-day session on October 21 st held on campus at Iowa State University in Ames on pathology and entomology. Participants are expected to complete 40 volunteer hours in the year following the training. Please email Shannon if you would like to proctor a class, bring treats, or attend for volunteer hours. Please note what date you will be attending so we have a head count and enough space. It is also nice to have current master gardeners present to get to know the students. Contact Shannon Bielicke, bielicke@iastate.edu 319-337-32145 to volunteer or for the schedule www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/news/how-becomejohnson-county-master-gardener Flowers at the Entry to the Ecumenical Towers 2017 Plum Grove Taste of Heritage Gardens July 19, 2017 The Plum Grove Taste of the Heritage Gardens was held at the Johnson County Fairgrounds due to storms and hot weather. We would like to thank the Solon Boy Scouts who came to pick up the tables and chairs and the MG volunteers who were caught in the storm on Tuesday evening. Approximately 110 guests came to the tasting and enjoyed music by the Old Post Office Brass from the New Horizons Band, food, and program. Betty Kelly was honored for her long-time commitment to Plum Grove with a bouquet of flowers from the gardens. We received $550 in donations for the event. Beth Fisher did a great job putting together the cookbook and organizing the cooks. Thank you to the set up/take down crews, floral arrangement volunteers (and for flowers from your gardens), cooks, 1
servers, and all volunteers that helped with this event. Although the gardens were not the star of the show this year, we would like to recognize the volunteers who came to the gardens regularly this summer for their help; Betty Kelly, Mike Farran, Loren Leach, Holly Hotchkiss, Chris Parizek, Mike Murphy, Janice Hining, Angela Murphy, Margaret Hibbs, Gwen Elling, Katy Carlson, Cindy Pickett, Katherine Kelly, Jean Holzhammer, Michael Kammerer, Chris Sedrel, Lavon Yeggy, and Ramona McGurk. The Taste of Heritage Gardens committee chairs: Joanne Leach, Beth Fisher, and Carolyn Murphy The Old Post Office Brass Provides Music Serving Line Honoring Betty Kelly for Her Years of Service The Variety of Food at the Taste of Plum Grove 2017 Plum Grove Heirloom Tomato Tasting Sunday started out with a light rain, but that didn t dampen Master Gardener s spirits or the crowd that came to the 2017 Heirloom Tomato Tasting. We estimated 80 people, including Master Gardeners, attended. Our guest speaker, Patrick O Malley, gave an interesting talk about raising tomatoes and showed us an example of his large Slanders tomato. To those that asked questions, he gave a packet of Slanders heirloom tomato seeds. Master Gardener Betty Kelly talked about Australia s involvement in growing a shorter heirloom tomato, and Carolyn Murphy talked about some of the varieties we grew, showed samples, and shared our results. Guests were able to pick up brochures at the Attended Display table. Predicating that with the cooler than usual weather, some of the larger heirloom varieties would not have enough time to ripen by the tasting, Joanne and Carolyn asked other Master Gardeners who were growing tomatoes to share their favorites, heirloom or hybrid. The guests not only enjoyed sampling the heirloom varieties and selecting their favorites, but were able to compare the taste of heirloom vs hybrid. The number one heirloom tomato this year was the German Red Strawberry, with the Black Trifele a close second, followed by the Hillbilly Potato Leaf. We would like to thank everyone involved with this event, from the people that helped select the tomato seeds, planted them, and grew the tomatoes; also thanks to the group that cut, arranged and served the tomato dishes, those that prepared the program and planned the event, and the speakers. A special thanks to the crew that hauled tables and chairs at 9:30 Sunday morning and returned to the fairgrounds after the event. Their help was appreciated. Joanne Leach & Carolyn Murphy Note The extra tomatoes from the Plum Grove Heirloom Tomato Tasting were donated to the Iowa City Crisis Center. Just a reminder if you are donating tomatoes or other vegetable to the food pantries for the Grow Together 2017 Food Security Grant, remember to 2
identify yourself as a Johnson County Master Gardener, track your contributions and record your hours under the grant. Hours and donated food need to be reported soon. Instructions are on the Johnson County Master Gardener-Member Only page www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/content/growingtogether-2017-food-security-mini-grant Guests sampling the heirloom tomatoes Patrick O Malley showing his large heirloom tomato variety Slanders Guests enjoying Patrick s talk MGs cutting up tomatoes for the tasting party Butterfly House at the Johnson County Fair Thank you to all the volunteers who helped at the Butterfly House during the fair this year and attended the training session we gave. The butterflies were plentiful inside the house, and outside we had caterpillars in various stages. Butterfly specimens and magnifying glasses were available to get a closer look at swallowtails and monarchs emerging from the chrysalis. Brochures and other pollinator material available to take was included in the educational displays. We gave out over 500 milkweed seed packets with planting instructions. The butterfly photo stand was a big hit again this year. Plans are already in the works to add a Caterpillar kid s display alongside the butterfly house next year. Even though the number of people (5,332) entering the house was down this year, we saw more interest in growing milkweed, pollinator gardening, how to find monarch eggs and raising not only monarchs but other butterflies. Our goal is to educate the public about butterflies and other pollinators and the county fair is certainly a great venue to accomplish that. We had fairly good weather except for the storms on Wednesday when we were forced to close the exhibit early. Thursday was a nice day, and we had a great crowd for the monarch released. Tables inside the new Demo Garden area provided a perfect place for the release of monarchs and a few other native butterflies. This is the 5 th year for the butterfly house, and we want to thank Lucy Hershberger for her dedication to butterflies, sharing her knowledge, time and the gorgeous landscaping that make this project a success and Brenda Christner, JC Ag manager, for dreaming up this idea and carrying it forward. And of course, the 44 Master Gardeners covering four 10-hour days. Fantastic job everyone! It takes each and every one of you to make this project the success it is. We hope you will help next year and spread the word to others. We can always use more volunteers. Co-chairs: Carolyn & Mike Murphy 3
Carolyn & Mike Murphy give Training Program Discovery Garden. I was curious and thought I would observe how the contest worked. There were 40 weeds planted in 6-inch pots and were numbered 1 through 40. There were three categories for contestants youth (future agronomists), General, and Professional. Each category needed to identify the first 25 weeds. The General category had to identify an additional 10 weeds for a total of 35 weeds, and the Professional category had to identify all 40 weeds. The contest started at 9:00 AM, and anyone could sign up to participate. Contestants were given a clipboard and a sheet to log their responses and had until 11:30 AM to submit their guesses. After observing roughly six participants who were all professionals, and no other general participants had signed up yet, I thought why not give it a shot? It was interesting to see some of the professionals scratch their heads and ponder at some of the weeds. I recognized quite a few, but what were their names? Some looked alike. I guessed roughly 15, but was only confident with common Milkweed, Lamb s Ear, and a variety of Thistle. What I guessed was Crab Grass and Quack Grass were not. There were no Dandelion, Creeping Charlie, or Purslane. Winners were posted at 3:00 PM in the Agriculture Building, and the numbered weeds were now marked with their common names. Would you be able to identify Goosegrass, Henbit, Servicea Lespedeza, or Curly Dock? However, I enjoyed my first attempt at a State Fair contest. Next year I ll start studying in January! Butterfly Release Common Milkweed Seeds Needed We have given out over 600 packets (6-7000 seeds) this summer and are out of seeds for the last two events of this year. If you have milkweed seeds left over and would like to share, let us know. If you have plenty of common milkweed plants and want to share the pods, we would appreciate it. The best time to pick the pods is when they starts to turn a darker color and before they break open. Store the pods in a paper bag or box (do not store in plastic/pods will mold) and email us at candmmurphy@aol.com or call 319-541-7079. Carolyn & Mike Murphy. My Day at the Iowa State Fair by Sharon Rude The Weed Identification contest at the Iowa State Fair caught my interest since I have an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Weed Identification Field Guide. The Weed Identification contest is hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and is held annually on the first Friday of the Fair. It was located outside of the Agriculture Building, near the Identify the Weed Contestants A trip to the State Fair would not be complete without a stroll through the Discovery Garden which is maintained by the Polk County Master Gardeners. The Discovery Garden features different garden beds with a variety of annuals, perennials, tropicals, natives, grasses, rose bushes, and dwarf conifers. The Children s Garden is home to the popular tunnel covered in gourds. It also included a potted Sensitive Plant which closes it s leaves when stroked by curious children. Plants which promote pollinators were also featured throughout the various gardens. The Children s Garden was the first 4
garden established in 1983. In the late 80s, the Iowa State Fair Organization established the design, planting, and maintenance of the gardens. Polk County Master Gardeners took over the care of the gardens in the mid- 1990s. If you are looking for inspiration in your garden, you will find some ideas here. Check out their website at www.discoverygardenjpcmg.org. Judges Angela Murphy, Miechelle Weber and Lavon Yeggy in action. Fair Discovery Gardens maintained by Polk County Master Gardeners Kirkwood Pollinator Pots at Johnson County Fair Thank you to Master Gardeners; Angela Murphy, Miechelle Weber, and Lavon Yeggy for doing a spectacular job of judging the Kirkwood Pollinators Pots. The colorful pots were on display in the new Demo Garden area during the fair along with the Bucket of Flowers and Scarecrows. Eleven families from Guatemala, Mexico and other South American countries were part of the Flavors of Home project, a Kirkwood Community College Project funded by the Johnson County Community Foundation to support English language acquisition, develop gardening skills, and build community around locally produced food. Entering the pollinator pots in county fair competition was part of the grant s criteria. Containers and plants were supplied by the teacher thru the grant. We worked with the teacher to recommend seeds, plants, and judging criteria. Carolyn Murphy and Lavon Yeggy gave a class at the Iowa City campus for the families on Iowa pollinators, container gardening and design. The Dean of Kirkwood College was pleased with the family s participation and Master Gardeners involvement. Miechelle Weber, Angela Murphy, Jackie Welborn, Lavon Yeggy, and Carolyn Murphy were involved with this project. Pictured are Angela Murphy, Miechelle Weber, Carolyn Murphy and Lavon Yeggy by the winner of the Kirkwood Pollinator Pot contest. Speakers Bureau Event: Master Gardeners Give Presentation on Saving the Bees and Butterflies Jackie Welborn and fellow MGs Mary Lou Mayfield, Linda Schreiber, Connie Funk, Alicia Ambler gave a hands on program on saving out bees and butterflies at the Iowa City Public Library. They had over 50 children participating in the program. The following photos show some of the activities in the program: 5
Making Butterflies Kiss My Astor by Linda Schreiber All gardeners, from beginning to advanced, will enjoy Amanda Thomsen s graphic guide to gardening, Kiss My Aster. Issued in 2012 by Storey Publishing with illustrations by Am I Collective, the book is a whimsical look at Ms. Thomsen s creative approach to gardening. A landscape designer by day, Ms. Thomsen, a longtime writer, has been blogging and creating gardening podcasts for years. She s also a Master Gardener and coauthor of Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Food with Jean Ann Van Krevelen, Amanda Ripley and Teresa O Connor (Cool Springs Press, 2010). Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating a Fantastic Yard Totally Tailored to You is totally a fun read. This cheeky, interactive guide helps gardeners plan and design their own outdoor space that captures your individual personality. The quirky book is filled with fun and creative ideas that encourage you to make landscaping choices and disregard accepted rules. Ms. Thomsen s information offers practical, fun and sensible advice about how to create a one-of-a-kind landscape that perfectly suits you. Kids Doing Educational Activities Colorful Asters Jackie Welborn Showing Examples of Milk Weed Plants and Seed Pods Ms. Thomsen does not use the notion of chapters, but does provides useful informational guides to help the reader discover their preferences, determine if assistance is needed, and create a smart design. The information guides include The Stuff Beneath Your Feet, For Those Who Shun the Sun, and numerous others to have a yard you love that is the envy of your friends and neighbors. Read her blog at http://www.kissmyaster.co/. The author lives in Chicago, Illinois. Blog at Fine Gardening: http://www.finegardening.com/blog/kiss-my-aster Blog at Proven Winners: http://www.provenwinners.com/blog/midwest Kiss My Aster Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/badtothephloem Twitter: https://twitter.com/kissmyaster Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kissmyaster/ Good Enough Gardening podcast: 6
www.goodenoughgardening.com/ Instagram: KissMyAster Petunia Add Color To Your Garden July-August Mystery Plant Identification Winner! Last month the Thymes began to include a mystery plant identification feature to help our MGs with those unknown plants that pop up in our gardens or are noticed on walks. Last month s mystery plant was submitted by LaVon Yeggy (see below) The only person to submit an answer was Pat Quiles, 2016 MG Intern, who correctly noted that the plant was a cranesbill also known as hardy geraniums (see below). CONGRATULATIONS, PAT Cranesbill Hardy Geraniums* When searching for flowers that are adaptable, compact and long-blooming, consider hardy geranium plants. Also called cranesbill geranium flower, the plant comes in colors ranging from pinks, blues and vivid purples to subdued whites. Attractive, cup shaped or frilly flowers bloom profusely and spread abundantly. The hardy geranium flower blooms in late spring and lasts until fall. Some hardy geranium plants have attractive foliage that lasts until nipped by frost. How to plant and grow hardy cranesbill geraniums may be as easy as planting and watching it blossom when conditions are somewhat damp. Hardy geranium plants grow best in consistently moist soil when first planted, but become somewhat drought tolerant when established. Growing hardy cranesbill geranium in fertile soil also encourages the plant to spread. Many varieties of hardy geranium plants exist and thrive in full sun to shady locations. When considering how to plant hardy geraniums, consider the location where you wish to plant and choose an appropriate plant for the available sunlight. Locate the plant where it has room to sprawl, clipping the edges back if necessary to keep it within its boundaries. Some varieties may be used as ground cover, while others are attractive as border plants. Brighten the rock garden with various cultivars of the cranesbill geranium flower, which may be as short as six inches or as tall as three feet. Smaller varieties may cascade from containers. Hardy geraniums should be planted so the crown of the plant is at soil level; planting the crown more deeply can result in the loss of the cranesbill geranium flower. Hardy Geranium Care Hardy geranium care involves the removal of spent blooms and occasional watering for the best performance. When mature, the cranesbill geranium flower has few insect pests and requires only limited fertilization. Rich organic soil is often all the plant needs for optimum growth and flower set. *Growing Hardy Cranesbill Geranium And Its Care By Becca Badgett (Co-author of How to Grow an EMERGENCY Garden) Read more at Gardening Know How: Hardy Geranium Plants Growing Hardy Cranesbill Geranium And Its Care https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flower s/cranesbill-geranium/growing-hardy-geraniums.htm Cranesbill Hardy Geraniums 7
LaVon s September Mystery Plant After submitting a challenging mystery plant last month, LaVon also submitted the mystery plant below for September. Can you ID the plant below? If you think you can, email janice-denehy@uiowa.edu, and we will follow up in the next issue of the Thymes. Good Luck!! few vegetables to fully ripen in the garden. The seeds from dry crops, like grains, lettuce, and beans, can be removed from the plant once seeds are dry and hard. Not all plants flower, set seed, and die in a single growing season. Those that do, like lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers, are called annuals. Biennials, such as carrots and onions, don t flower until their second growing season, after they have gone through a cold period. Some long-lived plants, like asparagus, are perennial, surviving and flowering for many years. Open pollinated varieties, aka OPs, are like dog breeds, retain their distinct characteristics as long as they are mated with an individual of the same breed. This means, with a little care and planning, the seeds you produce will be true-to-type, keeping their distinct traits generation after generation as long as they do not cross-pollinate with other varieties of the same species. A species is a group of individuals that are able to reproduce together. In the garden, most crops are different species from one another, but not always. There are several species of squash and two distinct species of kale - meaning some varieties of these crops are not able to pollinate with each other. In a later article we will discuss how to store seeds to make sure they are viable next spring. Linda Schreiber and Jackie Wellborn What is this Mystery Plant?? Saving Seeds for Next Year s Garden If you re thinking about saving seeds from produce you enjoyed this summer, it s easy to do and economical too. Saving seeds from produce is different from saving flower seeds. Johnson County Master Gardeners are planning for a second Seed Share in 2018. Saving your garden seeds is a great way to participate. (More on Seed Share in later Thymes.) For the best seed-saving results, make sure your seeds are: Annuals Not cross-pollinated Fully ripe and from healthy plants Seeds from hybrids (proprietary seeds) plants are unpredictable if you plant them in your garden the following year. Heirloom seeds will reproduce true to type as long as they weren t planted close enough to other varieties to prevent cross-pollination. Wet vegetable crops don t always produce mature seeds when the produce is ready to eat. Eggplant, cucumber, and summer squash are eaten when the seeds are immature and still edible - before the seeds are actually mature. What this means is if you want to save seeds from these plants you will need to leave a September Birthdays 1 Cindy Pickett 4 Dorothy Fowles 5 Gwen Elling 5 Mary Chase 7 Amy Blessing 7 Doug Parsons 8 Marilou Gay 8 Sue Kloos 8 Toni Zenishek 9 Sherlyn Flesher 12 Julie Wrobel 20 Tracy Hufford 20 Jane Zukin 21 Esther Retish 22 Holly Hotchkiss I Gave My House Plants a Summer Vacation! In the last issue of the Thymes featured an article by Mary Lou Mayfield on taking your plants out for a little sunshine and rain. I was excited to read this as I had done this for years, but in recent years have stopped the practice because of the damage done by chipmunks and squirrels. This year we finally took a stand and removed most of our bird feeders to discourage the wildlife that came to our deck. Once their numbers diminished, I had the courage to bring my plants outside for the summer again and how they have flourished! Below is a photo of a Hoya plant 8
enjoying the late afternoon sun. By the way, a number of years ago I won a small start for this plant at a MG potluck. It has flourished and produced cuttings for others. Jan Denehy A listing of programs offered by organizations in our area that may be of interest to MGs. September 2017 Hoya Plant Enjoying Afternoon Sun 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 chairmen 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 Backyard Abundance http://backyardabundance.org/ Wednesday, September 6, 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. Register at http://backyardabundance.org/. Monday, September 11, 2017 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 9/11 Day of Service for Public Edibles. Join others in remembering 9/11 by helping prepare Wetherby Park Edible Forest for more free edibles. Wetherby Edible Forest aims to secure access to food for everyone, while fostering a healthy ecological system that supports monarchs, honeybees and other desired insects. www.backyardabundance.org/abundantlandscapes/wet herbyedibleforest.aspx. Thursday, September 14, 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. Go to icgreendrinks@gmail.com for location to be determined. Thursday September 14, 2017 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Community Edible Forest Gardening at Wetherby Park Edible Forest. Help prepare The Wetherby Edible Forest for more free edibles. www.backyardabundance.org/abundantlandscapes/wet herbyedibleforest.aspx. Saturday, September 16, 2017 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Iowa River Cleanup at Sturgess Ferry Boat Ramp. One day float 9.5 miles down the Iowa River from Sturgis Ferry to Hills Access. Volunteers of all ages are needed in canoes, kayaks and on land to pull tires, trash, and recyclables from the river and river banks. Register at www.iavcp.org. Saturday, September 16, 2017 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Edible Classroom Equinox Celebration at Robert A Lee Recreation Center. Celebrate the fall equinox by enjoying the bounty from the Edible Classroom on the south side of the downtown Iowa City recreation center. Thursday, September 21, 2017 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sustainable Living Conversations, Trumpet Blossom Café, 310 E. Prentiss St., Iowa City. Join others to support one another in 9
learning to live more sustainably. Gatherings held the third Thursday of every month. Saturday, September 23, 2017 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Beyond the Rain Barrel at Wetherby Park Edible Forest. During this Free, handson class, you will learn the basics of properly designing,placing and establishing a rain garden. A small rain garden will be created to demonstrate its benefits. Handouts and snacks provided and free tours of the edible forest will be provided. Sunday, September 24, 2017 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monarch Festival at Eastside Recycling Center. Iowa City is hosting a festival to celebrate the Monarch butterfly and highlight efforts to increase its declining populations. Mike Fallon with Backyard Abundance, hosts a Grow a Pollinator Garden activity. Learn how to create a pollinator garden of native plants. Go home with a free bag of materials for starting a small garden. Blue Zones www.bluezones.com https://iowa.bluezonesproject.com/activities Bur Oak Land Trust (formerly Johnson County Home) info@buroaklandtrust.org Sunday, September 3, 2017 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pappy Dickens Work Day. Invasive removal at Bur Oak Land Trust s Pappy Dickens property. Park at OLD Hy-Vee which is now closed on North Dodge at 1201 N. Dodge St. Contact Seth at seth@buroaklandtrust.org or 319-400-5511. Sunday,September 10, 2017 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Volunteer Appreciation Day at Belgum Grove, 3261 500 th SW, Iowa City. Come for food, fellowship and yard games. Bring a potluck dish to share and join the fun. RSVP at info@buroaklandtrust.org or 319-338-7030. Sunday, September 10, 2017 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Family Day at Belgum Grove, 3261 500 th St. SW, Iowa City. Fun free learning event includes raptors, interactive stream table, and other outdoor educational activities. All youth in attendance take home a new shirt featuring local artwork. Snacks and beverages provided. Saturday, September 30, 2017 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 11 th Annual Under a Cider Moon Celebration of Autumn at The Celebration Barn, 4045 245 th Street NE, Solon. Celebration of Autumn: silent and live auction, hors d oeuvres, local wine and beer. $50 per person ($25 tax deductible). Purchase ticket online at https://www.buroaklandtrust.org/product/cider-moonticket/. Call 319-338-7030. Coralville Lake Nothing scheduled at press time. Eastern Iowa Bird Watchers/IC Birds http://icbirds.org/newsletter.html Wednesday, September 6, 2017 8 a.m. Kent Park Bird Walk. Meet with leader Rick Hollis at the Kent Park Community Educational Center. Sunday, September 10, 2017 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pelican Festival 2017, DNR HQ, F20 Amana Rd, Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area. Festival centers around large migratory flocks of American White Pelicans that stop to rest and forage for fish here on Coralville Lake. Information at info@icbirds.org. Saturday, September 30, 2017 7 a.m. Grammer Grove Hawk Watch near Marshaltown. Target birds are Merlins, Peregrines, Broad-wings, and Sharp-Shinned Hawks. Start by birding Grammer Groves woodland trails then take a seat and enjoy the hawk watch. Meet at Coralville Kohls parking lot, across from McDonalds. Information at info@icbirds.org. ECO Iowa City Check website for events. Iowa State Extension http://www.extension.ias 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 Nothing scheduled at press time Johnson County-ISU Extension http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/ Applications Available Now How to become a Johnson County Master Gardener. Classes will begin around September 14 th and run until around November 16 th and be held twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Contact Shannon Bielicke at bielicke@iastate.edu or 319-337-2145. Linn County-ISU Extension http://www.extension.iastate.edu/calendar/showlist.asp?county=linn&countiesscope Saturday, September 9, 2017 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Cornhusk Wreaths. Come learn how to make beautiful fall decorations out of cornhusks at the Lowe Park Greenhouse, 4500 N 10 th Street, Marion, Iowa. $15 fee and registration required. Shelly O Neal, 319-377-9839, soneal@iastate.edu. 10
Saturday, September 16, 2017 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pepper Testing at the New Bo Market. Information: Shelly O Neal, 319-377-9839, soneal@iastate.edu. Tuesday, September 19, 2017 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Perennial Plant Tour of Lowe Park Demo Gardens-Family Gardening, Food and Fun, 4500 N.10 th St., Marion. Just before the seed saving activity during the Swamp Fox Festival at Lowe Park. You will visit with Master Gardeners, who tend the gardens, and learn from them. Information: Shelly O Neal, 319-377-9839, soneal@iastate.edu. Saturday, September 30, 2017 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Swamp Fox Festival, Lowe Park, 4500 N. 10 th Street, Marion. Seed Saving starts at 4 p.m. Tomato/Pepper Tasting starts at 5 p.m. Information: Shelly O Neal, 319-377-9839, soneal@iastate.edu. New Pioneer Coop http://www.newpi.coop/new-pi-classes-andcommunity/2015-02/ Check the website for events and activities. Volunteers of all ages are needed in canoes, kayaks and on land to pick up tires, trash and recyclables from the river and river banks. Register at www.iarvcp.org. Questions: Carol Sweeting 319-541-2385 or carolsweeting@iowa-city.org. Monday, September 18, 2017 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Good Neighbor Committee Meeting. Location to be announced. This new committee meets the third Monday of the month, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. We re working on campaign goodneighboriowa.org/ and partnering with Back Yard Abundance, New Pioneer Coop and AmeriCorps. All welcome. Tuesday, September 26, 2017 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Activism Committee Meeting, Trinity Episcopal Church, 320 E. College St., Iowa City. Join our group in planning for upcoming activism events just prior to our 100G meeting. Tuesday, September 26, 2017 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 100grannies Regular meeting at Trinity Episcopal Church, 320 E. College St., Iowa City. Contact: 100granniesiowacity@gmail.com. Project Green http://www.projectgreen.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/www.projectgreen.org Nothing new at press time Seed Savers http://www.seedsavers.org/education/ Check the website for events and activities. Trees Forever http://www.treesforever.org/events Sunday, September 17, 2017 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Linn Landowner Workshop and Expo at Clearwater Farms, 4970 Lakeside Rd., Marion. A new Linn County movement is beginning to help landowners bring more nature to their land and to restore and preserve 10,000 more acres of natural land in Linn County. Details and registration at: http://monarchzones.com. Friday,September 22, 2017 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Rock the Block Letter Writing Campaign at New Bo City Market s Rock the Block. Trees Forever will have a booth there with Woodland Owners Association to inform the public about the recent decision to dissolve the Iowa Department of National Resources Forestry Bureau. Write letters to Governor Kim Reynolds to tell her that Iowa values forests and needs a forestry bureau. 100 Grannies http://100grannies.org/ Saturday, September 16, 2017 7:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Iowa River Clean Up at Sturgis Ferry to Hills Access. One day float down the river. 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. 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 Speaker s 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 11
Oaknoll Garden Project (Newly-approved core): Marilou Gay, 319-466-3047, rmlgay@aol.com 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, 319-339-9127; Janezukin@aol.com Demo Garden: Sharon Jeter, 319-631-2148, sharonjeter@gmail.com Downtown City Gardens (Newly-approved core) Linda Schreiber, 319-936-8600, lnschreiber@gmail.com Fair Grounds Beautification: Rain Garden: Lavon Yeggy, 319-330-0952, lavon47@lcom.net, Mardi Rasmussen, 319-624-4090, martharasmussen@yahoo.com Fair Grounds Flower Beds: Joan Dinnel, 319-338-2434, jdinel@aol.com, Barb Krug, 857-4569, bkmg2004@yahoo.com Firefighters Memorial: Barb Schintler, 319-651- 5174, barbjschintler@hotmail.com Fundraising/Flea Market: Barb Krug, 431-5865, bkmg2004@yahoo.com Coordinating new leadership for 2018. Hortline: Esther Retish, 319-351-5011, eretish@mchsi.com; Joy TenEick, 319-626-2080; jteneick@gmail.com Hospice Garden at Willow Creek Park: Melanie Haupert, 319-351-1149, melaniehaupert@gmail.com Intern Class/Training: Nicole Pearson, 507-251- 0902, nicole-pearson@uiowa.edu Plum Grove: Betty Kelly, 319-351-4903, blkiowa@gmail.com; Joanne Leach, 319-351-4722, Jleach@Jlgardens.net; Lavon Yeggy, 319-330-0952, lavon47@lcom.net; Carolyn Murphy, 319-541-7079, candmmurphy@aol.com Raptor Center Gardens: Alice Linhart, 319-621- 8073, mikeandalice@southslope.net; Speakers Bureau: Jackie Wellborn, 319-512-8382, jackiewe@mchsi.com Social Events: Steering Committee, Beth Fischer, 319-321-8378, scrabblegirl@gmail.com; Lavon Yeggy, 319-337-6327, lavon47@lcom.net Solon High School: Tracy Hufford, 319-624-3342, 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, 319-338-7493, janice-denehy@uiowa.edu Treasurer: Loren Leach, 319-351-4722, lleach@jlgardens.net Volunteer Hours/Secretary: Shannon Bielicke, 319-337-2145, bielicke@iastate.edu 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, 319-330-0952, lavon47@lcom.net Mark Twain People s Garden (Non-core): Julie Hegmann, 319-337-3607, Julie@hegmann.net Send email to: janice-denehy@uiowa.edu 12