January 2006. Art and Nature are siblings, branches of the one tree. John Fowles

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Coordinator's Comments By Dustin A. Hinrichs Hello Everyone. 2006 has arrived and with it some news of change for the Linn County Mas-ter Gardener program. After an amazing year of serving as your program coordinator I have accepted a new job working for the Linn County Public Health Department as an Envi-ronmental Health Specialist. I am leaving this program with a lot of great memories and to-gether I think we’ve all accomplished some wonderful things. One thing is for sure, Linn County has a true asset that is the Master Gardener program. Every one of you lend such unique and useful talents and interests to the program. Together you make an incredible gardening community. It is my sincere pleasure to be a fledgling mem-ber of such a group. I will be staying on a few hours a week to keep the wheels moving and to help bring the new Coordinator up to speed once the position is filled. I have also agreed to stay on as chair for the local Tri-State MG Conference commit-tee to make sure we’ve got our ducks in a row by next June. Thanks again for everything, keep up the amazing work! Respectfully, DAH

MASTER GARDENER EVENTS Jan. 3, 6:30 pm. Steering Committee Meeting. Exten-sion Office. Jan. 21, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Winter Gardening Fair. Kirkwood Community College.

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Winter Gardening Fair The premier educational gardening event for eastern Iowa, sponsored by Linn County MGs, is scheduled for January 21, at Kirkwood Com-munity College. If you plan to help with this event and haven’t returned your volunteer availability form, please do so ASAP. All MGs will want to attend the keynote presentation by Harlan Hamernik, Plant Selec-tion for All Season Color, in the Ballantyne Auditorium at 1:00 pm. The schedule of classes was included in the December Germinator.

WMT Lawn, Garden & Home Show By Devon Dietz Linn County MGs will be able to participate in the WMT Lawn, Garden and Home Show on February 24, 25 and 26 at Hawkeye Downs. Master Gardeners will be asked to volunteer for two activities at the show: (1) staffing an information table and (2) present gardening topics of interest to visitors at the show. Cathy Ginther (ginther@mchsi.com) and Devon Dietz (devondietz@cs.com), MG In-terns, have volunteered to coordinate the Mas-ter Gardener participation in the event. More information on the times and details of volunteer needs will be forthcoming in the Feb-ruary Germinator as well as mailings and e-mail.

Volunteer Spotlight on — DICK HARRISON

Dick is a confessed hostaholic. He admits having traveled nurseries in multiple states in search of his next “fix.” (Okay, he happened to be traveling for his job as a field man-ager for Cincinnati Insurance, but we know it was really the hostas he was after!) Those of you who suffer the disease yourself know there is no cure. Dick claims to be managing his hosta addiction, but he has just substituted the purchase of ferns, tiarellas, epimediums, pulmonaria, helleborus and shade grasses to keep himself going! Dick says he’s always been in-terested in gardening. His mother was a wildflower enthu-siast and he thought it would be a more satisfying hobby than golf! Dick and wife Kay learned about the Master Gardener program from friends and fellow Central Illinois Hosta Society members when they lived in Peoria, IL. They had plans to retire to Cedar Rapids to be near their daughter and grandchildren, so delayed their entry into the MG program until they were settled here. (Dick and Kay were members of the 2003 class.) Challenged to name his favorite hosta, Dick professes a fondness for Solar Flare…but then he really likes Great Expectations…and Sum and Substance and all its sports. Choosing his favorite non-hosta shade plant was easier: Tiarella cordifolia “Eco Running Tapestry.” He is also a great fan of Japanese Forest Grass. Dick is enthusiastic about his recent acquisition of a digital camera. He plans to use it to put together a presen-tation on shade gardening to show all of the plants that will grow in shade including epimedium, pulmonaria, ferns, Solomon's seal…and the list goes on! Dick and Kay are co-chairmen of the committee that selected the tour gardens for the upcoming Tri-State Mas-ter Gardener Convention. Dick is also a member of the steering committee, participates in the Master Composter activities, the garden show at Brucemore, the Winter Gar-dening Fair and Hortline. If you’ve ever sent Dick an e-mail, you might be curi-ous regarding the origin of his “Mr. Wonderful” moniker. The story goes like this, according to Dick. In his younger years, after an evening of revelry, friends would gather at the Harrison household for Kay’s fabulous omelets. One of the attendees commented that Dick had it all…He was “Mr. Wonderful.” And so the legend began! Interview by Jackie MacLaren.

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Stake holder Report By Linda Bigley Every single Linn County resident is a Stakeholder in the activities of ISU Linn Co. Extension. By that I mean that they provide support for Extension programs and they can benefit from what Extension has to offer. I hope you will take a minute to look over our Annual Stakeholder Report so you know how your small investment in Extension benefits the entire community. Thanks you for

Germinator Contributors “Thank you to all the contributors that make our monthly newsletter possible. As your humble editor, I feel we produce a quality newsletter, and I want to acknowl-edge the assistance of all who have contributed to making it a success in 2005. “Thank you to Carmela Alfonso, Barbara Brown, Roxie Goetz, Betty Johnston, Jackie MacLaren and Carol Sears for preparing the Volunteer Spotlight interviews. “Special thanks to Wendi Cigrand, Cathy Cook, Gene Frye, Darrell Hennessey, Dianne Johnson, Kathy Knight, James Kurtzleben, Sherry McCarville and Ian Philpott for researching and preparing the Hot Topixs. “Also, thank you to the Things We Love authors for sharing their gardening passion: Gene Frye, Laura Ap-pleget, Lori Klopfenstein, Betty Johnston, Beth Roof, Kathy Knight, Jay McWherter, Tammy Bayer, Jackie MacLaren, Ian Philpott and Larry Dawson. “Each month the Circulation Staff assembled and posted the Germinator. Thanks to Glenn Babinat, June Balsanek, Betty Johnston, Jo Osing, Matt Pieper, Fran Potratz, Pat Ryan, Eileen Sargent and Laurie Vulich and for your yeoman’s service. “And last, but not least, to Dustin Hinrichs for his monthly epistle to keep us informed about important as-pects of the MG program. Roger Strohbehn

Garden Creativity Nobody wants a garden exactly like anybody else’s garden. Never will it happen, never in the world, so long as human vanity lasts. A garden is one place in the world where the urge can be indulged ad lib. There are no overseers to frown, no motorcycle police to ride up alongside and say “Pull over to the curb! Where do you think you are going with all those blazing red gerani-ums?” Leonard H. Robbins, Cure It with a Garden, 1933

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Things We Love SCENTS of WINTER By Carol Sears

Horticulture in the Heartland A day-long program of interesting horticulture lectures for home gardeners will be held at the Clinton Commu-nity College on January 28, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Sponsors are: Clinton Community College, Iowa State University Extension, Bickelhaupt Arboretum, and Clinton Trees Forever. The program includes four sessions with a choice of 3 lectures within each session all for a registra-tion fee of $30. SESSION I A. Planning for a Low-Maintenance Landscape B. Keys, Trees and ID’s. C. Spirituality of Land Stewardship SESSION II A. Water Where You Want It! B. Landscaping with Native Grasses

C. Steps in Starting a Home Vineyard D. Shear Pleasure: How to Have Your Own Garden of

Eden SESSION III A. A Look at Perennial Varieties for 2006 B. Planning Gardens Using Heirloom Seeds C. Incorporating Successful Natural Areas into Your

Projects & Communities SESSION IV A. Pests of Trees: Something Old Something New B. Container Gardening – An Art Form C. Training Young Shade Trees For more information see the brochure at the MG office. Registration is by mail only.

Watching the snow pile up in the back garden, I am reminded of what I love about winter. I am not fond of the cold, nor is my sleeping garden. Most of my plants are seemingly nonexistent. But parts of my garden are ever-green. The pine tree glows green in the morning light. My holly bushes are a richer green in win-ter, when they are carrying clouds of snow. The berries ap-pear like decorations; bright spots of red glowing against the green. I enjoy that the bushes are a safe harbor for a multitude of tiny birds that continue to give life to my backyard. Earlier in the fall, I gathered pine needles, as much for the scent, as for mulch around my rhododendrons. Winter is the best time to take a moment and breathe in the chill winter air and the clean scent of pine. It reminds me of cross-country ski-

ing in the pine forests of North-ern Wisconsin--the powdery white snow; the bright blue sky; the dark green pines. One of my favorite memories was visiting a greenhouse in winter. Inside, the warm earthy smell was in sharp contrast to the cold, clear air of the pine forest outside. Tropical plants like gardenia and lemon, scented the air but were almost over-powering. The scent of ev-ergreen can never be duplicated by an air freshener, but it is no

wonder they keep on trying. I hang a wreath made of bal-sam fir branches, because it re-minds me of our fresh-cut Christmas tree as a child. Walk-ing through the rows of Christ-mas trees, created scented memories that return each time I catch a whiff of the green. I loved to crawl under the branches to get that last pre-sent and be surrounded by the scent of fir. And nothing is quite as beauti-ful as walking into a room with a winter bouquet of red roses and pine branches, except maybe white roses and blue spruce. Both compete to make a heady perfume that can scent the en-tire room. Different scents evoke differ-ent memories for each of us. Winter, to me, will always be ev-ergreen.

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Steering Committee Minutes 12/6/05 Members present: T. Cole, K. Carew, D. Gladson, D. Hardt, D. Harrison, D. Hennessey, R. Jones, K. McGrail, J. Robison and W. Schmidt. Guests present: D. Hinrichs, L. Bigley, Carol Bruch, Gene Frye and Roxie Goetz. COMMITTEE REPORTS Lowe Park Demo Gardens The project is on hold pending clarification about the site and the landscape architect’s prospective. Bigley and Hinrichs will meet with park officials, Jeff Schott and Richard Fox, on December 7 to discuss the matter. Winter Gardening Fair Hennessey reported that 100 posters and 3,500 brochures have been dispersed in eight counties. Dates for speaker rehearsal presentations will be December 15, 28 and 29. Hort Writers Book The book is progressing nicely. Articles have been se-lected and the format is being laid out. Creative Gardening Series Dates and speakers for the series are: Tue., March 21, 6:30 pm with Trudy Temple, Make Beauty Where You Plant It; Tues., March 28 at 6:30 with April Meyer, New Perennials and Annuals; and Sat., April 1, 10:00 am with Jamie Beyer, Backyard Water Gardens. The cost for the 3 speak-ers will be approximately $1,500. UNFINISHED BUSINESS WMT Lawn, Garden and Home Show Hinrichs stated that we are a confirmed exhibitor with 30 feet of booth space. The dates for the Show are Feb. 24-26 at Hawkeye Downs. Some of the most popular topics from the Winter Gardening Fair will probably be repeated at this event. NEW BUSINESS MG Merchandise Hinrichs has priced new magnets and pencils for the Win-ter Gardening Fair and similar events. The cost for 2,000 items would be about $850-900. By purchasing a larger

amount the savings would be substantial. Extension may help pay for these items. The Committee approved buying the larger amount. Hinrichs also mentioned that Iowa State bags had already been purchased for $150. MG Scholarship Cole said there have been numerous suggestions about a scholarship program. It has been suggested that the pro-ceeds of the plant sale go to a scholarship fund. She sug-gested that a committee be formed to explore this project. Cole, Gladson and Charlene Woeste will report back next month. Spring Banquet The Spring Awards Banquet has been set for Thursday, April 6th at Indian Creek Country Club. Schmidt and Hardt will chair the project. Election of Officers Steering Committee officers elected for 2006 are: Gene Frye, Chairman; Vice President, Katherine Carew; and Secretary, Roxie Goetz. ANNOUNCEMENTS MG Service Project Hinrichs is looking for volunteers to represent the Master Gardeners at an information table at a Rural Women’s Conference on Feb. 10-11 at the Marriott Hotel in Cedar Rapids. Plant Doctors are needed to answer questions and distribute gardening brochures. Hinrichs Resignation Hinrichs announced his resignation as MG Coordinator effective December 16. He plans to continue to helping with the Winter Gardening Fair and Tri-State Conference and as a MG Intern. The Committee passed a motion com-mending Hinrichs for his outstanding service as Coordina-tor. Good Job! Chairperson Recognition Cole was thanked for the outstanding job that she has done for the past two years as chairperson. Next meeting January 3, 6:30 pm. Respectfully submitted: Joyce Robison, Secretary.

Steering Committee Service By Thea Cole The Steering Committee held its final meeting of the year December 6. Retiring from the 2005 Committee were Amber Aiken (2 years), June Balsanek (4 years), and Darrell Hennessey (2 years). Our program has been well served by their wise counsel during Committee delibera-tions. We extend our appreciation for their contributions of time and service. The Committee welcomed three newly elected mem-bers: Carol Bruch, Gene Frye, and Roxie Goetz. They will serve renewable two-year terms.

GARDENER’S INFIRMARY There is something odd in the soul of gardeners, who thrive on all the strife and worry that accompany a hobby whose goal is to produce beauty. Anyone who tells you that gardening is soothing, is either lying or old and mellow. After all, it’s such a problem ridden area that the federal government subsidizes a health department and infirmary— the Cooperative Exten-sion Service—to care for those wounded in the line of duty. Martha Smith, Beds I Have Known: Confessions of a Passionate Amateur Gardener, 1990

Is your winter landscape dull and drab? As you ponder the colorful pictures and phenomenal descriptions of spring and summer flowers in your new garden catalogs, keep in mind some of Richard Jauron’s suggestions to add some pizzazz to your winter landscape.

Trees and Shrubs with Colorful Fruit in Winter By Richard Jauron

Extension Horticulturalist Iowa State University

The predominant colors of the home landscape in winter are white and various shades of gray and brown. An excel-lent way to brighten the drab winter landscape is to plant evergreens (pine, spruce, fir) and trees and shrubs that pos-sess brightly colored fruit. While crabapples (Malus spp.) are usually planted for their flowers, many varieties also possess attractive, persis-tent fruit. Crabapple varieties with red fruit include ‘David,’ ‘Donald Wyman,’ ‘Jewelberry,’ ‘Mary Potter,’ Red Jewel®, and Sugar Tyme®. Reddish orange fruit are borne on ‘Indian Magic,’ Molten Lava®, and ‘Professor Sprenger.’ ‘Doubloons,’ Golden Raindrops® and Harvest Gold® have striking yellow or gold fruit. Hawthorns are another group of small, flowering trees that possess attractive fruit. Hawthorns produce white flowers in spring. In fall, their fruit turn red and persist into winter. Two hawthorns noted for their excellent fruit displays are the Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) and Winter King hawthorn (Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’). Red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) is an upright, spread-ing shrub. Plants produce small, white flowers in spring. Their berry-like fruit turn red in fall and persist into win-ter. The common name chokeberry is derived from the astringent taste of the fruit. Red chokeberry grows 6 to 8 feet tall. ‘Brilliantissima’ is an excellent fruiting variety. Cranberry cotoneaster (Cotoneaster apiculatus) is a low, spreading shrub that grows 2 to 3 feet tall. Plants produce small, pinkish white flowers in late spring. Round, 1/3-inch-diameter fruit develop after flowering. The fruit turn cranberry red in late summer and persist into win-ter. Cranberry cotoneaster performs best in moist, well-drained soils and full sun to part shade. Several hybrid evergreen hollies introduced by Mrs. F. Leighton Meserve, collectively known as Meserve hybrid hollies (Ilex x meserveae), can be successfully grown in central and southern Iowa. Hollies are dioecious. Dio-ecious plant species produce male and female flowers on separate plants. Only the female plants produce fruit. However, a male plant is required for pollination and fruit

set. Female varieties produce berry-like fruit that turn bright red in late summer and persist into winter. ‘Blue Boy,’ ‘Blue Girl,’ ‘Blue Prince,’ ‘Blue Princess,’ China Boy®, and China Girl® are hardy to -20 degrees F. Meserve hollies perform best in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soils. Plants are susceptible to desiccation injury from winter winds and sun. To prevent injury, plant Meserve hollies in protected areas, such as the east sides of buildings. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a native, deciduous holly. It grows 6 to 8 feet tall. The berry-like fruit on female plants turn bright red in late summer and persist into win-ter. Female varieties noted for their excellent fruit dis-plays include ‘Afterglow,’ ‘Red Sprite,’ ‘Sparkleberry’ and ‘Winter Red.’ ‘Jim Dandy’ is a suitable male pollina-tor for ‘Afterglow’ and ‘Red Sprite.’ ‘Southern Gentle-man’ will pollinate ‘Winter Red’ and ‘Sparkleberry.’ Winterberry prefers moist, acidic (pH 5.0 to 6.0) soils and will grow in sun or partial shade. One of the first trees or shrubs to develop fall color in Iowa is the staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). Fall foliage varies from yellow to orange to red. Staghorn sumac also produces showy fruit. Female plants produce upright fruit clusters that turn crimson red in late summer and persist through winter. Staghorn sumac commonly grows 12 to 15 feet tall. It also suckers profusely. Plants are best used in naturalized areas, slopes and low maintenance ar-eas. Similar fruit clusters are also found on smooth su-mac (Rhus glabra). The sargent viburnum (Viburnum sargentii) is another shrub with colorful fruit. The sargent viburnum produces white, 3- to 4-inch-wide flower clusters in spring. The small inner flowers are surrounded by an outer ring of showy, 1-inch, sterile flowers. Their berry-like fruit turn bright red in late summer and persist through much of win-ter. The sargent viburnum grows 10 to 12 feet tall. The American cranberrybush viburnum (Viburnum tri-lobum) is an excellent shrub for screens and hedges. The shrub grows 8 to 12 feet tall and produces flat-topped clus-ters of white flowers in spring. The fruit turn bright red in fall. The fruit are edible and can be made into jellies and preserves. Several compact varieties are available. The brightly colored fruit of many of the aforementioned trees and shrubs do not remain throughout the winter. Ex-treme cold in mid-winter will eventually cause many of the fruit to turn brown or black. Hungry birds and squirrels also will devour the fruit. However, the display in early winter can be spectacular.

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Hot Topixs

For the Citizens of Linn County Linda Bigley Linn County Extension Education Director Linn County Extension 3279 7th Avenue, Suite 140 Marion, IA 52302 Telephone: (319) 377-9839 Fax: (319) 377-0475 E-mail: lbigley@iastate.edu Web site: www.extension.iastate.edu/linn

Staff serving Linn County

Greg Brenneman, Ag Engineering

Kristi Cooper, Family Life

Jim Fawcett, Crops

Paul Gormley, CIRAS

Judy Isaacson, External Relations

Jim Jensen, Ag Management

Janet Martin, Youth Development

Patrick O’Malley, Commercial Horticulture

Lynne Rechterman, EFNEP/Urban Youth

Denise Schwab, Beef

Cheryl Collins, 4-H Youth Coordinator

Larry McMullen, Swine

Jan Temple, Nutrition and Health

Ann Torbert, Youth Development

Susan Uthoff, Family Nutrition and Health

Phyllis Zalenski, Family Resource Mgmt.

Partnerships help Iowa State University Extension create a better future for all Iowans. Together we can improve quality of life in Iowa. Here are a few examples of ISU Extension partnerships at work in Linn County. Winter Gardening Fair More than 900 garden enthusiasts met on February 19th, 2005 to attend the Linn County Master Gardeners Winter Gardening Fair at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The third annual event helped to increase the public’s awareness of research-based gardening knowledge by offering 23 different gardening classes. Included in the 23 classes was a keynote presentation presented for free to the general public by ISU Professor Dr. Ann Marie VanderZanden entitled “Inspired Iowa Designs Using New and Native Plants.” This year’s Winter Gardening Fair will take place on Saturday, January 21st, 2006 and will feature keynote Harlan Hamernik as the Ken Lafferty Memorial speaker, presenting on “Plant Selection for All Season Color” and 25 other informative gardening classes. Overall Women Conference Over 150 women and sponsors involved in agriculture literally plowed through a blizzard to attend the first Overall Women Conference, held in Cedar Rapids in January 2005. Designed to benefit women with agricultural ties, the conference offered workshop tracks in Farm Business, Value-Added Agriculture, Personal Development, and Leisure. Time was built in to network about the issues and challenges facing agriculture. One attendee commented that the priceless nature of what truly transpired could not be measured. “The myriad of emotions that were elicited were wonderful. The networking potential is huge.” The conference will be held again in Cedar Rapids on February 10 & 11, 2006. 4-H Summer Discovery Learning doesn’t stop when the traditional school calendar ends. 50 youth experienced hands on learning in science by making electric circuits, exploring weightlessness with the Toys in Space Program. They also learned why healthy bodies are needed for living on earth and in space.

Our Mission - ISU Extension builds partnerships and provides research-based learning opportunities to improve quality of life in Iowa.

December 2005 . . . and justice for all 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 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964. Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. 12/03

Winter Gardening Fair participants take part in the hands-on “Building a Toad House” class.

Kristi Cooper, ISU Extension Family Life Field Specialist, co-facilitates the “Extreme Marriage Makeover” weekend held in Linn County.

One of over 350 youth to participate in 4-H Summer Discovery. Youth learned about electricity, science concepts, and how good nutrition relates to healthy living.

Linn County Extension brings Iowa State University to you Iowa State University Extension serves Iowans through six program areas: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Business and Industry; Communities; Families; 4-H Youth Development; and Continuing Education. Linn County Extension brings the university to you. Assistance Saves $50,000 Annually & CIRAS Supports Bioeconomy Square D/Schneider Electric, Cedar Rapids, contacted ISU’s Institute for Physical Research and Technology when it experienced problems with a line of miniature circuit breakers. Using State-of-the-art nondestructive evaluation technology, scientists needed only a few hours to pinpoint the problem. This one-time assistance saves the company $50,000 annually. CIRAS is working with USDA to develop and implement the Federal Biobased Products Preferred Program (FB4P). One company working with CIRAS is B4 Ventures in Lisbon, makers of Avant Biobased Hand Sanitizers. “Extreme Marriage Makeover” Extension co-facilitated an 8-hour program from the PREP curriculum to help 10 couples make positive changes in conflict resolution and communication skills in their relationship. Participants learned about the “tools” they have to work with in their relationship including communication techniques, problem solving and forgiving. Several couples have expressed interest in attending the next “Extreme Marriage Weekend” and planning for future educational weekends in underway. Experiencing Entrepreneurship How can we change the statistics that rank Iowa 49th in small business start-ups? How about helping 8th graders to write business plans, obtain financing and market their product? Forty Linn County youth participated in “Youth Marketplace,” a curriculum designed by the Pappjohn Center for Entrepreneurship. The youth learned teamwork skills by creating businesses, manufacturing product and selling $1300 gross product at a community event. Value Added Agriculture SE Iowa producers planted 25,000 acres of low linoleic soybean varieties. This new variety holds promise to replace unhealthy trans fat in prepared products. Extension worked with a group of farmers to form the Iowa Quality Ag Guild. A spin off group is now processing this new oil under the brand name Asoyia. ServSafe Training Iowa's current food code has been in effect since January 1, 1999. One of the important additions to this code is the "Demonstration of Knowledge" requirement for food service personnel. One of the ways for a food service operation to meet this requirement is to have a ServSafe certified staff. Sixty people attended ServSafe classes in 2005. After attending ServSafe classes, the 2 most often mentioned ideas that participants learned and will implement in their foodservice operation are temperature control and/or use of thermometers and better hand washing procedures.