Over the Garden Gate · 2014-06-04 · Over the Garden Gate Monthly Newsletter Clinton County...

Over the Garden Gate

Monthly Newsletter

Clinton County Master Gardeners

Editor: Carol Machael, [email protected]

Published on the first Monday of the month.

To submit an article it must be sent by E-mail as a Microsoft Word attachment to the above e-mail address. To be accepted for publication in the

next newsletter, articles must be received 10 days before the first Monday of the month. Articles will be accepted or rejected at the discretion of the

editor.

Volume 5 Issue 5 June 2014

Master Gardener’s Day at the Clinton County Fair

July 16, 2014

Free Admission

Outdoor Container & Vegetable Contests

Register begins at 9 am & ends at noon

Workshops on Vertical Gardening, Bees, Barn Quilts & Rain Barrels

Scheduled for 10 am, 11 am, Noon, & 1 pm

4 Educational Hours available

Lunch from the lunch stand (eat while learning)

2 free lunch tickets per Master Gardener

Announcement of Outdoor Container Contest Awards at 2 pm

Bring your family & friends. Everyone welcome!

If you would like to help on Master Gardener’s Day, please contact Willard Larsen at 249-2476 or email at

[email protected]. For the container contest, please contact LeAnne Larsen at 259-1871 to volunteer.

Get some education hours… attend Clinton County Forestry Field Day

on Thursday June 12 at Bickelhaupt Arboretum. The program will address current infor-

mation on the Emerald Ash Borer. It will be presented by the DNR and Iowa State Uni-

versity Extension Forester. The program will cover Ash and EAB identification, how and

when to treat and a demonstration on drenching and tree injections. Registration is

at 12:45 pm and the program is from 1 to 4pm. It is free and open to the public.

mailto:[email protected]

CLINTON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES


May 20, 2014 Clinton County Extension Office

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Jerry Richter, Carol Miller, Alice Machande, Tom Powell, Roger Rittmer, Willard Larsen, Deb Neels

Others present: Mark Schroeder, Margo Hansen, Jan Rittmer

Minutes of the April meeting: Tom moved to approve the minutes; Roger 2nd; motion carried

Financial report: Balance of $1511.71

Reports: committees/projects/events

Bickelhaupt Arboretum The bus trip to Wisconsin will be July 12 and cost will be $50. Make checks payable to Clinton Trees For Ever. The Arb plant sale will be May 24. There will be a leaf cast class on July 19 taught by Deb Monroe.

Publicity: Deb Neels reported that brochure for Garden Walk is done, and tickets are now available to sell for the garden walk. Adv. Bd. members were urged to take tickets to sell and material to be posted

for advertisement.

Women’s Exp: Carol and Alice said the event went well. There were about 13 people who signed up as being interested in joining Master Gardeners.

Coordinator of Interns: At present we do not have any new projects. Jerry said we are still in contact with the Library in Clinton and Clinton County Conservation about helping with projects at each but do not hear back from either.

Plant Sale: From Clinton: $1433; From DeWitt: 2395.25; Total: $3829.25. Of the total, $449 was from the sale of the garden “treasures”. Plants not sold were taken to Habitat Restore in Davenport.

Mark Schroeder:

1) There will be a fall class (2014) but no spring class (2015) Class will run from September 16 to No-vember 4, with Sept 5, as deadline for registration. All class members must do the background check before they take the class Mark will put notices in the news papers and will talk about it on his weekly

radio show

2) A major concern from members about the background check was to enter their social security num-ber on hard copy. ISU will now permit members to enter their ss number on the computer at the ex-tension office. No written copy of the number will be on record.

3) The new MG room has been cleaned of all molds, the roof has been repaired, sheet rock put in place, and painting will be completed this week. We should be able to start to move into the room the

last week of May.

Old Business

Master Gardener Day at the Fair: Willard moved to appropriate $1100 for expenses for MG Day at the Fair: Deb 2nd; Motion carried.

New Business

We will have a float in the 4th of July Day Parade in DeWitt and Clinton. Carol and Alice will chair the committee for this..

At the Clinton portion of the plant sale there were a number of people who showed interest in becoming Master Gardeners. At present we have a list of about 25 who have showed interest. We need twelve to have a class.

During the regional Master Gardener meeting in the Quad Cities at the end of June some of those at-

tending will be visiting the Arb.


Minutes, cont.

For the good of the cause

Before we move into the new room we need to decide what materials will be kept. We do not need to keep all that we now have.

Respectfully submitted, Willard Larsen

MANY THANKS!

We would like to thank all of the Master Gardeners that helped with the plant

sale at DeWitt and Clinton. Thank you for digging plants, potting, assisting with the set up for the sale, volunteering during the sale, and clean up after

the sale or any other thing you may have done to help us out. Also, special

thanks to those outside of the organization who donated plants. The plant

sale was a total success, even the Treasure Sale for the first time in DeWitt. All of your efforts were very much appreciated.

Clinton CoChairs Brenda Council & Debbie Neels

DeWitt CoChairs Willard Larsen & Jerry Richter

LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY?

Try participating in a parade. Be a volunteer to promote Master Gardeners in the Fourth of

July parades in Clinton & DeWitt. The DeWitt parade is in the morning of July 4 th and the Clinton pa-

rade is in the afternoon. For further information, please contact Carol Miller at 563-243-4744 or Alice

Machande at 563-243-8917.

Master Gardening Classes for Fall 2014

Date Focus Presenter

Tuesday, Septem-ber 9

Introduction and Orienta-tion

Local MG Coordinator/Board Members


Soils & Botany Lee Burras: Denny Schrock


Plant Pathology/Entomology TBD & Donald Lewis


Weed Management, IPM, and Pesticides

Kristine Schaefer & Laura Jesse

Tuesday, October 7

Turfgrass Management Ryan Adams

Tuesday, October 14

Animal Ecology Rebecca Christoffel

Saturday 10/18 or 10/25

Saturday Class - On Cam-pus

Campus Instructors

Tuesday, October 28

Fruits TBD


. . . 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 format

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 202-702-5964.

CLINTON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS CALENDAR Dates subject to change.

Advisory Board Members to contact: Alice Machande, 563-243-8917; Carol Miller, 563-243-4774;

Jerry Richter, 563-357-3257; Brenda Council, 815-589-2569; Deb Neels, 563-242-0338; Sandra

Hughes, 563-659-9594; Roger Rittmer, 563-659-8074; Clinton County Extension Office: Jessica,

563-659-5125.

June 21 Saturday at the Arb Workshop - 10 - 11 am “Tabletop Workshop” Make a simple self-contained water feature for a deck or patio. Pre-registration required. $25 (MGEd-1)

July 19 Saturday at the Arb Workshop - 10 - 11 am “Leaf Cast Bird Bath” MG Deb Mon-roe will demonstrate how to create your own bird bath. Materials included. Pre-registration required. $25 donation. (MGEd-1)

August 2 Saturday at the Arb Workshop - 10 - 11 am “Making an Herb Wreath” Arbore-tum volunteers will instruct you in making a beautiful fresh herb wreath to take home. Pre-registration required. $20 donation. (MGEd-1)

August 23 Saturday at the Arb – 10 am – 1 pm “Bugs and Butterflies” Explore the interest-

ing life cycles of insects and butterflies. What they eat, where they live and how

they survive. Program & displays. Join in tagging and releasing Monarch butter-

flies. Arboretum Volunteers (MGEd-3)

(MGV = Master Gardeners Volunteer Hour) (MGEd = Master Gardeners Education Hour) (MGC = Master Gardener Credit Hour)

Looking for Volunteering Opportunities?

The Clinton County Fair (July 17th thru July 20th) is an ideal opportunity. Volunteers are needed

to “work” in and adjacent to the Outdoor Learning Classroom during the

fair. Specific hours are:

Thursday – Saturday 1 pm to 7 pm

Sunday 1 pm to 4 pm

Volunteers may work two hours, an afternoon or during multiple

days. Any amount of time will be appreciated. We will be promoting the

Master Gardener program & showcasing our garden to fairgoers.

Please contact Roger Rittmer at 563-659-8074 with any questions or if

you would like to volunteer. His email address is [email protected] .


MASTER GARDENERS VOLUNTEER :

Extension Office Plant Partners: Willard Larsen [email protected] 563-249-2476

Eagle Point Nursing Home and Rehabilitation or Community Garden: Willard Larsen

OLC/County Fair: Roger Rittmer [email protected]

Bickelhaupt Arboretum: Margo Hansen [email protected]

Curtis Mansion: Liz Clements 563-243-3254

Other community opportunities: Jerry Richter, 357-3257

Don’t forget ! It’s almost time for the fair! Jan and Roger Rittmer have sent suggestions for MG’s

working at the fair (which hopefully will include most of us!) They are as follows:

“The Fair Committee hopes that volunteering to work at the Fair can be more than a

boring baby-sitting job. Ideally volunteers are basically hosts for the Garden and for the MG tent, promoting Master Gardening by providing information about the program and answering

gardening questions when they can.

Here are some specific suggestions that the two people on each work shift might use:

1. Talk to as many people who walk through the Garden or stop at the Tent as possi-ble. (The contact numbers are recorded with your hours)

2. Try to station one volunteer towards the East, and the other closer to the MG Tent, using

extra time to acquaint your self with the Garden. Also, feel free to do any light maintenance as needed :). Bring your favorite pruners, maybe? Make sure containers in the tent are kept

watered and in as good shape as possible – they are somebody’s labor of love left in our care.

We will leave equipment and instructions.

3. Offer to show people around the Garden, and offer a chance to vote for the people’s choice

container.

4. Answer questions if you can. But if you can’t, “I don’t know,” is an okay answer, none of

us are experts. You’ve got additional options, though. We will try to have some reference ma-terial in the tent, and you can suggest the Extension and the internet as two great resources.

You can offer to find an answer and have someone get back to the person if you get contact

information. Also, remember that your personal experience as a gardener is a very important resource.

5. Ask people about their own gardening experiences, as many people love to talk about what

they are doing. Also, we all learn a lot that way.

6. Offer to take people’s names and give them some literature if they might be inter-

ested in the MG program. We will have writing materials in the tent.

7. If your shift is the final one for the day, put anything vulnerable to theft or wind in the shed

and turn off the fountain.

Shed lock combination will be available – Push lock together, then pull apart.

Turn off fountain by pulling the plug at the pole by the West Auditorium door.”





Most gardeners plan their gardens for their visual appeal, but little else. Many

plants have features that appeal to our other senses. Consider taking your garden to a new level.

Think about appealing to your auditory senses by placing wind chimes where they will musically

dance in the breeze or planting tall ornamental grasses that rustle in the wind to stimulate our sense

of hearing. Using fragrant plants in garden design adds another level of complexity beyond the visual

appeal of a garden. There are many annual, perennial, herbaceous and woody plants that can con-

tribute fragrance through their flowers or foliage.

Try these: Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), Basil (Ocimum basilicum), Bearded iris (Iris germanica,

some cultivars), Beebalm, bergamot (Monarda didyma), Borage (Borago officinalis), Butterfly bush (Buddleia

davidii), Camphor (Chrysanthemum balsamita), Catmint (Nepeta sp.), Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)

More at http://www.northerngardening.com/fragrance_list.htm.

Master Gardener’s Day at the Clinton County Fair

July 16, 2014

Free Admission + 2 free lunch tickets per MG

Outdoor Container & Vegetable Contests

Register begins at 9 am & ends at noon

Workshops on Vertical Gardening, Bees, Barn Quilts & Rain Barrels

Scheduled for 10 am, 11 am, Noon, & 1 pm

4 Educational Hours available

Lunch from the lunch stand (eat while learning)

Announcement of Outdoor Container Contest Awards at 2 pm

Bring your family & friends. Everyone welcome! If you would like to help on Master Gar-dener’s Day, please contact Willard Larsen at 249-2476 or email him at [email protected].

ENTER THE OUTDOOR CONTAINER CONTEST

This is the most fun part of the fair! It will be held in the large tent near

the Outdoor Living Classroom. Early planting provides for the best results.

Classes to be judged are:

Most Colorful, Outstanding Use of Foliage, Best Use of Edibles

Best Design, Most Unusual Container, Kids Class (12 & under)

and for the first time, the People’s Choice Award

There are cash prizes for each class: First $25.00, Second $10.00 Third $5.00, Best of Show Award $25.00, People’s Choice Award 25.00

For complete information and rules, please refer to the Clinton County Fair Book http://

www.clintoncountyiowafair.com/

Or contact the Iowa State Extension Office, 400 East 11th Ave, DeWitt, Ia 52742

http://wimastergardener.org/?q=basil

http://wimastergardener.org/?q=NepetaWalkersLow


JUNE EVENT: 2014 GARDEN WALK

It’s June and time for the 2014 Clinton County Master Gardeners Garden Walk on Sunday, June 22nd

from Noon to 4:00 pm. This year, five private gardens and the Bickelhaupt Arboretum are included in

the walk. Come see these beautiful gardens. They are all located in the City of Clinton:

Carol & Ewing Miller, 3340 Allie Lane

Carol & Dan Mabee, 215 Thorwaldsen Place

Bickelhaupt Arboretum, 340 S. 14th St.

Kathy & Dan Anderson, 1027 Carriage Hill Court

Canticle-Sisters of St. Francis, 841 13th Avenue N.

Regina & Jerry Dahl, 2228 Roosevelt St.

Tickets cost $5 and are available for purchase at the Clinton County Extension Office at 400 East 11th

Street in DeWitt, the Bickelhaupt Arboretum at 340 S. 14th Street in Clinton, and at each garden site

during the walk.

If anyone is interested in selling tickets in advance for the walk, please contact Jerry Richter at 563-

357-3257.

Come & enjoy a beautiful summer afternoon. Bring your family & friends!

A Groundcover Plant for Shade

Sweet woodruff is one of those rare plants that flourishes in dense shade. Plant it below trees and shrubs where its tiny white spring flow-

ers will bloom about the same time as crabapples. Reaching 6-12 inches tall, sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) behaves nicely, forming well-behaved clumps of deciduous green foliage on upright stems.

Iowa State University

Clinton County Extension

400 East 11th Street

DeWitt, Iowa 52742

Gardener’s Delight 2014 Bus Trip on July 12, 2014

Rotary Botanical Gardens - Janesville, WI, 16 acres of display gardens with new and unusual peren-nials, shrubs and trees. Self-guided tour, gift shop

Flower Factory - Hardy and Unusual Perennials —One of the largest perennial retailers in the Mid-west with new releases and beautiful display gardens. Room for your plant purchases under the bus.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens – Madison, WIOver 16 acres of outdoor display gardens including a rose garden in full bloom and a 50-ft tropical conservatory.

Brennan’s Cheese and Fresh Market - Monroe, WI

$50 per person, payable to Clinton Trees Forever - payment secures your reservation. Depart 7:00 a.m. from the Clinton City Park at corner of 3rd St and 3rd Ave in Clinton, IA.

Return 7:00 p.m.

Cost includes transportation and all admittance fees to Gardens. It does not include your lunch. Your ticket is non-refundable if there is a waiting list.

We go rain or shine… we are nature people!

Over the Garden Gate · 2014-06-04 · Over the Garden Gate Monthly Newsletter Clinton County...

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