August 2010

MG EVENTS

Steering Committee Meeting

Extension Office August 3 • 6:30 pm

Home Demonstration Garden Field Day ISU Research Farm August 7 • 4:00 pm August 9 • 6:30 pm August 11 • 6:30 pm

Rain Gardens in Iowa Extension Office

August 24 • 6:30-8:30 pm

Brucemore Art & Garden Show

August 28 • 9 am—4 pm

Coordinator's Comments By Bev Lillie

Challenges face gardeners every year. This year has been especially so. The

Garden Walk is history, and those

who were trying to prepare for it were really challenged. Rain, rain! But

true to form, Master Gardeners persevered, and the gardens were

well received by those who attended

the walk. Good job.

My vacations this year have taken me from Pennsylvania to Utah. What a

difference in the terrain of our

country. Pennsylvania was clothed in trees, green and lush even though

they had not had rain for three weeks. Utah, snow capped

mountains, the heat and dry air of the desert. Irrigation brings beautiful

flowers and plants to Utah. Of

course, the desert has some natural growing plants, but for the most part

what you see is watered – but not by rain.

VHS tapes that were on the shelves in the front office have now been

transferred to DVDs. The DVDs are ready to be checked out. They are in

my office, on the filing cabinet. You may find a particular DVD by looking

at the listing. Each DVD is numbered,

and titled. In the front of the DVD case is a check out card with a place

(continued on page 2)

Vol. 22, No. 8. Editor: Mike Anderson August 2010

S M T W Th F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

August

―Earth laughs in flowers.‖ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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(Coordinator’s Comments continued from page 1)

for your name, and the date you are checking it out. After you have completed the card please place it in the box that is also on the file

cabinet. I may not be here when you need to check one out, but come on back – but please, please be sure to fill out the card and leave it.

Thanks again to Darrell Hennessey and his crew.

Garden Walk 2010 By Dolly Brown

The rains stopped and the crowds came. For the third straight year, rains, down pours, and floods were the prelude to the Master Gardener’s

Garden Walk. And like last year, it stopped in time to let us welcome

approximately 450 visitors from all over the state to the featured gardens. Each garden had its own unique treasures to offer the garden

visitors. One lost, persistent visitor even showed up at 5:15 to see her last garden at Zora Ronan’s.

This successful walk started months ago with the many hours and hours of work the host gardeners put in. We appreciate their great effort and

thank them for their dedication to excellence. The host gardeners make the annual walks possible. And, we also want to thank all the volunteers

and committee members that worked in gardens, committees, in

whatever was needed to make the project happen. The Linn County Master Gardeners are some of the best volunteers when it comes to

getting things done.

A follow-up meeting will be on August 12, at Dolly and Nate Brown’s home at 6:30. Bring a lawn chair along with your observations and

suggestions. Thanks again to all whom in any way contributed!

Garden Walk Chair, Dolly Brown with volunteers Shelby Foley and Pam Brackey.

Charlene Woeste in her perennial garden.

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Phil and Jeanie Pfister in front of their extensive Vegetable Garden.

Carol Bruch in her Japanese Garden. Karla McGrail in her Woodland Garden.

Debbie Main in her Victorian Garden. Zora Ronan next to a lily bed in her American Hemerocallis Society National Display Garden.

Volunteers Barb Brown, Phyllis Olson and Sue Usher with Carol Bruch ready for customers.

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Volunteer Spotlight on: Phil Pfister Interview by Judy Peek

It’s been said that music makes the world go round. Do you remember the folk group, Peter Paul and Mary? They had a big hit titled: If I Had A Hammer. As you hum this tune, it’s time to shed some green light on Phil Pfister. (That’s Pfister with a silent "P‖). Not only does Phil have a hammer, but a few other tools he is talented with. Phil, and the assembly team have put much energy into the construction of the new green house project. You can be assured that a few other tools were

touched by his hands in the raising of this building. Phil has many activities he is involved with MG: Co-chaired the Winter Gardening Fair, helped at Lowe Park, assisted at the WMT Garden Show, co-chaired the Greenhouse Project, serves on the Steering Committee and has provided plants (mostly vegetables) for the plant sale. Based on his interests in 4-H, Phil majored in horticulture at ISU. Although he didn't receive a degree in horticulture, friends and coworkers knew of his background and he was frequently asked questions about a variety of topics. Some he knew the answer to, some required research, and some were

referred to the experts. As he got closer to retirement, he looked seriously at the MG program as a way to expand his knowledge, talk with the experts and formalize responses to questions. His gardening interests are mainly vegetable gardening. They are a major part of our diet and he enjoys experimenting with new vegetables and different ways to cook them. Phil and his wife Jeanie grew up in families where the vegetable garden was an integral part of the family. They have carried this legacy to their own family when they were raising their sons. Favorites: Food wise...anything in season, and local, or out of season if we can

import it without a lot of issues. The constant in his diet is apples. Loves them year round. Favorite gardening month: January. Phil, Jeanie, and friends gather for food, fun and conversation to plan their garden orders. Every day from then on builds from starting seeds, to transplanting, to setting out, to harvesting and storing. Each of these events is a challenge and opportunity he enjoys. Before MG, Phil was with Rockwell Collins for thirty two years. The last seventeen years or so were spent managing the Commercial Subcontract Group. When the weather is not conducive to gardening, Phil's other hobby is woodworking, and he still does some consulting on supplier and contract management. Phil and Jeanie have been married for 39 years this past June. They have two grown sons; Adam (landscape architecture) and Paul (computers). If you don't know Phil, you should. He's the one around the tools.

August 2010 5

Things We Love: Tiny Bumbles in the Vine By Laura Appleget

I remember moving to Iowa as a teenager and being terrified of bees.

I’m not certain when that fear vanished but along life’s road I find it no

longer exists. Indeed, it has been transformed into a deep passionate appreciation and love for my winged garden partners.

Imagine my anxiety when in June I realized there was not a single bee

on my pink bee balm and in my corn flowers! I had not seen a bee all spring. I have been aware the last few years no honey bees have been

blessing my flowers with their lovely spirits. I have been in deep mourning due to this circumstance. This year there were no bumble bees! I paced my gardens, I called my mom, I called my Master

Gardener friends; they checked with Iowa State……where are the bees?!

Everyone I called started thinking and noticing the absence of bees this

year. My garden felt like a house suddenly bereft of the laughter of children. My cone flowers began blooming and still there were no bees.

Suddenly, around the fourth of July, I was visited by one bumble bee. I knew I was in the presence of a miracle and I was swift to acknowledge

the divine intervention.

My English Cottage Gardens are now alive and joyful. I have counted 9

bumble bees at one time singing their ballads in the blossoms. They have brought their friends the Monarchs, Swallowtails, and Painted

Ladies. They are performing their delicate pirouettes in accompaniment to the bee’s soft singing. There is now beauty as a result of their

presence. The fireflies rising in the evening renew my awareness and

thankfulness for being surrounded by the miracle of these precious beings.

I now know I don’t have a beloved garden without my friends the bees.

I made a pact in that silent spring that I would not use any more

chemicals including Round Up if the bees came home. I will honor that pledge and be supervised closely by my tiny bumbles in the vines.

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Home Demonstration Garden Field Day August 7 • 4:00 pm ISU Research Farm • Northeast/

Nashua, IA (One mile west of the Highway 218 and B60 intersection in Nashua, one mile south and a quarter mile east) Cost: Free Sponsor: ISU Horticulture Dept.

Home Demonstration Garden Field Day August 9 • 6:30 pm ISU Research Farm • Muscatine (111 North St., Fruitland, IA) Cost: Free Sponsor: ISU Horticulture Dept.

Home Demonstration Garden Field Day August 11 • 6:30 pm ISU Horticulture Research Station • Gilbert, IA (55519 170th St.) Cost: Free Sponsor: ISU Horticulture Dept.

Rain Gardens in Iowa (ISU Webinar Series) Dr. Ann Marie VanDer Zanden August 24 • 6:30-8:30 pm Extension Office • Marion, IA Cost: MGs Free; Public $5.00 Registration: 377-9839 Sponsor: ISU MG Program

Brucemore Garden & Art Show August 28 • 9:00am—4:00 pm

Heirloom Vegetables and Fruits, by Bill Oliver,10-11:00 am. Brucemore • 2160 Linden Dr., Cedar Rapids Shuttle service from Washington High School Sponsor: Brucemore Admission: $6.00 More info: www.brucemore.org

2010 Upper Midwest MG Conference Sept. 16-18 Clock Tower Resort, Rockford, IL Registration: $155 Sponsor: Univ. of Illinois MG Program More info: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/mg/conference2010/

Education Opportunities

Request For Speakers By Deb Walser

Requests for speakers for 2010-2011 are now starting to come in. If you

would like to be part of the coming year speakers please contact Deb Walser at wadeborah@mchsi.com.

August 2010 7

From The Ground Up By Pat Ervin

During the month of August the From The Ground Up schedule for the

2010-2011 school year will be completed. If you are interested in volunteering, and have been approved to work with youth please call Pat

Ervin at 377-1293. Plant Exchange By Kay McWhinney

Fall is a great time to divide perennials that have outgrown their space or need a new location in the garden. September is also a great time to plant

new perennials. If you are interested in adding new plants, perennial flowers, herbs, or woody plants to your garden, come to the first Master

Gardener Plant Exchange. It will take place at Lowe Park on Saturday,

September 25, from 9:00 to 11:30. You may bring any number of plants and take home an equal number of ―new to you‖ selections. Not only will

you enjoy the process, but also tour the new green house at Lowe and see a demonstration on greenhouse culture. Refreshments will be served.

Bring your plants and a lawn chair. Please call the Extension Office by

Wednesday, September 22nd if you plan to attend. Call Kay McWhinney at 377-6612 if you have questions.

Roof Raised on Lowe Park Greenhouse By Devon Deitz

After delays caused by rain and high winds the roof is raised on the greenhouse at Lowe Park in Marion. Members of the Linn County Master Gardeners and the staff of the City of Marion Parks and Recreation Department install the "skin" of the greenhouse which is the final phase of the construction.

Almost ready to move in. Raising the roof on the Lowe Park Greenhouse.

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Hot Topix The following Q&A’s that are frequently asked of Hortline volunteers in August.

Q1: When and how should day lilies be divided? I would like to

take some to a plant exchange.

A: Daylily clumps can be divided every 4 to 6 years in the spring as they emerge or during September after blooming. Cut the clump into rooted segments each with about 3 shoots (fan) and plant with the crown about an inch below the soil surface. Plants prefer full sun to partial shade. Light colored cultivars need full sun to bring out their color, but many red and purple cultivars will benefit from partial shade in the hottest part of the day. Dark colors absorb the heat and don't tolerate the sun as well as the lighter colors. Heavy fertilizing will result in more foliage than blooms. Daylilies do not grow well near broadleaf trees such as maples, poplars or beeches because the tree roots rob the soil of moisture and nutrients. However they can perform well under pine trees because of the dappled shade and lack of competition with the pine's deep root system. References: RG 303 – Daylilies; Perennials on Parade by Charlene Woeste; and The American Hemerocallis Society website www.daylilies.org/daylilies.html

Q2: Is it possible to over-winter my fuchsia indoors?

A: Fuchsias are popular flowering plants that are commonly grown in

hanging baskets. They are not cold hardy, however they can be over-

wintered indoors. Before the first frost, place the plant in a cool (40‑45 degrees F) dimly lit location, such as a basement or an

unheated bedroom. Water only enough to prevent the stems from

drying up. Remove the plant from its over-wintering site in March. Severely prune the plant back and water thoroughly. When growth

resumes place the plant in an east or west window or under artificial light. Water regularly. Fertilize once or twice a month with a dilute

houseplant fertilizer solution. Move the fuchsia outdoors again when

danger of frost is past.

Reference: HHPN, Nov. 8, 1996

Q3: The leaves on my bee balms were covered with a grayish

white "powder." Some of the affected leaves fell off. What is the

problem and how can it be prevented?

A: The symptoms on your bee balms (Monarda) are likely caused by

powdery mildew. Disease symptoms are most severe on crowded

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plants and growing in partial to full shade. Cultural practices can reduce the severity of powdery mildew. When planting bee balms, select a site in full sun. Space plants 2 to 2½ feet apart, divide plants every 2 or 3 years to prevent overcrowding. Remove and destroy disease infested plant debris in the fall. Fungicides, such as Bayleton, Daconil or Funginex, can also be used to control powdery mildew. To avoid powdery mildew, home gardeners should select resistant varieties that possess good growth habits. Recommended cultivars include – “Marshall Delight,” which grow 2½ to 4 feet tall and produces bright pink flowers, “Grand View Scarlet” are 3 to 4 feet tall and produce purple flowers, “Colrain Red” grow 3 to 4 feet tall and produce purplish-red flowers. References: HHPN July 2, 1999; and The Iowa Horticulturist Magazine ‑ Fall 2000

Q4: Why is part of my lawn developing irregular patches of wilting

and dying grass? I have also seen birds hunting for insects in

these areas.

A: White grubs (the larva stage of masked chafers, Junebugs and

Japanese beetles) may be feeding on the turfgrass roots. Cut and pull back the sod from a square foot area to determine the level of

infestation in mid-August. If you find 10 or more grubs per square foot

in a healthy, watered lawn an insecticide treatment is warranted. Granular form of insecticides, such as trichlorfon (Dylox and Proxol)

Sevin, Oftanol; or imidacloprid (GrubEx or Merit), are most effective and should be watered in with ½ inch of sprinkler irrigation to move the

insecticide into the soil where the grubs are living. If the infestation is

less than 10 per square foot, keep the lawn well watered to reduce stress on the grass and enable the root system to recover from the grub

damage.

Heavy infestations of grubs may attract raccoons and/or skunks that dig

up the turf in their search for morsels of grubs. If that happens, restore the sod to its initial spot and irrigate the same as if starting a newly

sodden lawn.

Source: HHPN, July 29, 1992.

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Steering Committee Minutes July 6, 2010

Attendance: M. Anderson, B. Brown, D. Dietz, S. Foley, D, Johnson, K. McWhinney, D. Main, J. Michels, T. Roe, L. Slattery and L. Smith

Guests: B. Lillie Announcements: None

Approval of Minutes of June 1, 2010 Meeting: Minutes were

approved unanimously. Financial Report (T. Roe): 2010 fiscal year financial report was

distributed. Income was $16,931.78 and total expenses were $22,545.04. We spent $9,396.46 against a 2010 budget of $16,400 –

57% of the budgeted amount. With a beginning balance of $24,289.00 we have a balance going forward to 2011 of $18,675.54.

Committee Reports:

Lowe Park (S. Foley): Gardens are looking great with ample rain. Kirkwood Garden (B. Lynch): The gardens are progressing nicely.

The Hosta bed will be planted in mid July. Creative Gardening Series (Roof, Hennessey): Nothing to report.

Winter Gardening Fair (D. Main): Agreement has been reached with

KCC to return to Iowa/Cedar/Benton Halls, Mansfield Center and Ballantyne Auditorium for the 2011 WGF. KCC will provide the

facilities at no cost. This change in location has required changing the date to February 19th. The split track for classes will be continued.

The keynote speaker will be Kelly Norris from Rainbow Iris Farm in Bedford, Iowa. His presentation is tentatively called ―On Garden

Design: Practical Artistry in the Home Garden‖. The next meeting of

the WGF Committee will be scheduled in the next two weeks. Art in the Park/Brucemore (D. Main): Meeting of the committee will

be scheduled soon to begin the process of selecting the Mainstage speaker and availability of MG’s for table demonstrations. The intent is

to participate as much as possible in the 100th Anniversary of this

event. Children’s Garden/Lowe Park (D. Main): Met with the Marion Parks &

Recreation Department to discuss the gardens development. They were extremely pleased with the concept and made a number of

suggestions for additional funding and material resources. An

additional meeting is required to confirm a formal proposal. Work will begin in late August or September based on availability of Parks crews.

Garden Walk (B. Brown): Need more MG volunteers to work at the various gardens as guides.

Expert Education/Continuing Education (D. Smith): The trip to Oelwein and Independence was well worthwhile with 14 attending.

Zora Ronan will have her lily garden open Wednesday July 21 from 9

AM to 6 PM. Note the garden will not be open on July 22 as previously

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announced. If you are unable to attend please contact Zora at 319-438-

6838 to make other arrangements. Media (D. Dietz): Garden Walk publicity has been distributed; additional

copies are available if needed. Article in a recent Gazette regarding

various garden walks coming up. A new Gazette blog, ―Eastern Iowa Life‖, is available that includes MG articles.

Financial Planning (T. Roe): Nothing to report. Speakers Bureau (D. Walser): Nothing to report.

From the Ground Up (P. Ervin): Nothing to report.

Granger House (J. Dillon): All plants/seeds have been planted except for some cool weather vegetables to be planted late summer. Markers will

be made for each herb/vegetable planted. A teepee for the beans will be constructed and place this week. Granger House and 4-H volunteers will

take over weeding and watering. Heritage House (D. Bopp): All 6 raised beds are planted and growing.

An area is being prepared for asparagus and to grow vining plants

vertically. Pumpkins will be included. Residents are participating in the planting and maintenance of the beds.

Project Independence (G. Johnson): Nothing to report. Master Gardener Coordinator Report (B. Lillie): D. Fouts will chair the

Expert Ed committee. L. Hinzman and B. Johnson will chair the Creative

Gardening committee. MG’s will attend the Linn County Fair on kid’s day showing them how to make toad houses.

Mg Intern Interview Committee consists of M. Anderson, Chair and L. Hayward, J. Kash and D. Walser. One additional individual would be

desired for the committee. If interested contact B. Lillie. Old Business:

Greenhouse Update (P. Pfister/M. Anderson): The metal structure is up

and the roof and sidewall glazing has been installed except for 3 panels on the south side. Once this is completed the doors and utilities will be

installed. The rainy weather has resulted in delays in completing this activity.

New Business: None

Next Meeting: August 3, 2010 The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully Submitted: Tom Roe, Secretary

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.

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