Over the Garden Gate

Monthly Newsletter

Clinton County Master Gardeners

Editor: Carol Machael, cmachael@gmail.com; 563-357-7537

Published on the first Monday of the month except during January and December.

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. If you are mailing something to me please use new contact info: 502 Apple Valley Lane, Clinton.

Volume 7 Issue 3 April 2016

The photo to the left showcases two fabulous MG/ Arboretum

volunteers working in the country garden. Alice Machande

( sitting) and Carol Miller standing and doing all the work... or

at least that is what she told David Horst when he snapped

this photo. Both ladies are great volunteers and were co-

chairwomen of the Master Gardeners Executive Board. Meet-

ings were always constructive, informative and fun when they

were at the helm. Carol might not totally approve of this

windblown photo however it showed who she really was. She

was a wonderful person who took jumped in and took on any

task put in front of her. Alice and Carol worked many volun-

teer projects together. I was and am still impressed at what

they have done over the years.... I also know that when they

were done the highlight of their day was going to

lunch! Carol, It goes unsaid that we all loved you and will

hold dear memories of you close to our heart. Margo Hansen

Remembering

Carol Miller

Local residents had an opportunity to

learn how to make a rain barrel for their

yards. Participants received hands on

help, tips for making the rain barrel as

well as decorating it, safety precautions

when setting it up, and additional web-

site resources for future refer-

ence. The class was facilitated under

the direction of Horticulturist Margo

Hansen. Master Gardeners Paul Outzen

and Todd Dierks were on hand to pro-

vide instructional and hands on sup-

port. Master Gardener Deb Monroe

demonstrated techniques for decorating

CLINTON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES

Volume 7 Issue 3 Page 2 April 2016

Advisory Board Mtg-March 15, 2016-9AM Extension Office-DeWitt

Roll Call-Deb M., Linda L., Brenda C., Bonnie M., Willard L., Roger R., Jerry R., Todd D.,

Margo H., Mark S.

Approval of Feb. Minutes-Approved

Financial Report-Mark-Balance of $4023.20

Mark's Report-Need to put our local MG events on the State Calendar. Lots of good info on

State Website to print off.

Bickelhaupt Arboretum-Margo-April 16-Propagation Class, Bus trip to Des Moines Botanical

Center & Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge in July. Call Arb for more info.

Committees/Projects/Events

OLC-Roger-getting ready to redesign both side of North Fence area and Gazebo area. Will

have workday on March 23 weather permitting.

Hort in Heartland-Margo-About 120 people attended. Having wrap up meeting to go over

results of questionnaires. Jackson County MG's table was well received. Other vendors were

also happy with turnout.

Publicity-Deb M.-Spring social on April 7 coming along.

Plant Sale-Brenda-Spoke to Diane Miller about MG info on Craft Sale fliers-OK, can we dig

some of Iris in planter boxes at the park to sell-OK Willard-Need help at DeWitt site to

get things going, Willard will help with setup & general sale info. Will have Garden Treas-

ures sale again this year. Willard will send plant sale info to Carol to put in newsletter.

Garden Walk-Bonnie-have 4 gardens committed, need 2 more. Bonnie talking with others

on possible sites.

MG Day at Fair-Willard-Denny Shrock will be one of the speakers this years. Talk about

have photo contest this year, inviting art students from local schools to participate.

Old Business

MG Room-nothing done yet. Take some items and bundle for plant sale treasure sale.

New Business-Flowers were sent in remembrance of Carol Miller. Was discussed about

small fee for OLC garden from wedding parties. Will draft up some type of letter to give to

interested parties using the OLC gardens that will cover any problems or concerns.

Next meeting April 19, 2016 at Bickelhaupt Arboretum.

Respectfully submitted, Brenda Council, Secretary

Volume 7 Issue 2 Page 3 March 2016

2016 Master Gardener Calendar

Meetings, Events & Educational Opportunities

April 7 Spring Garden Social Potluck at Fairgrounds Auditorium, DeWitt

social gathering at 6 pm (see details in this newsletter)

April 16 Plant Propagation Class at Bickelhaupt Arb, Clinton, 10 am – 11 am

April 19 Advisory Board Meeting at Bickelhaupt Arb, Clinton at 9 am

May 14 & 15 Plant Sale at Clinton (Lyons Park) & DeWitt (Fairgrounds); Hours to be announced

May 17 Advisory Board Meeting at Extension Office, DeWitt at 9 am

June 21 Advisory Board Meeting at Bickelhaupt Arb, Clinton at 9 am

June 26 Garden Walk, various locations, noon – 4 pm

July 6 Master Gardener Day at the Clinton County Fair, DeWitt

Outdoor Container Contest, Vegetable Contest, 4 workshops TBA

July 19 Advisory Board Meeting at Extension Office, DeWitt at 9 am

August 16 Advisory Board Meeting at Bickelhaupt Arb, Clinton at 9 am

Sept 20 Advisory Board Meeting at Extension Office, DeWitt at 9 am

Sept Fall Picnic (Potluck), location & date to be announced

Also, see the note below regarding the first time you log in to the hours reporting system this year:

Annual Agreement: When Master Gardeners log in to the Volunteer Reporting System<http://mastergardenerhours.hort.iastate.edu/> this year, they will be asked to agree to the Annual Agreement terms. They may have to clear their cache if they get a "Page Not Found" error when trying to log in for the first time this year.

OLC

There will be an OLC planning day on Tuesday, April 5, starting at 9, to check out the gardens, see

how things survived the winter, and do some planning. On April 11 at 9, there will be a cleanup day

and a chance to divide plants in preparation for the plant sale. Come if you can.

Volume 7 Issue 3 April 2016

. . . 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

MASTER GARDENERS VOLUNTEER :

Extension Office Plant Partners: Willard Larsen willardllarsen@gmail.com 563-249-2476

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

OLC/County Fair: Roger Rittmer rogr@iowatelecom.net

Bickelhaupt Arboretum: Margo Hansen mahansen@eicc.edu

Have you Saved the Date?

The Spring Social Garden Party April 7th at 6:00 pm

It’s a potluck at the Outdoor Living Classroom – Fairgrounds Auditorium in DeWitt.

Please bring a dish to share. Table service, lemonade, coffee and water

will be provided. Ice cream will be served in celebration of SPRING!

We are starting our 2016 Master Gardener activities with this social gathering.

Everyone is welcome; hope to see you there!

Clinton County Master Gardener Advisory Board

Skunk Cabbage

Skunk cabbage is a perennial wildflower that

grows in swampy, wet areas of forest lands. This

unusual plant sprouts very early in the spring, and

has an odd chemistry that creates its own heat,

often melting the snow around itself as it first

sprouts in the spring.

While the first sprout, a pod-like growth, looks

like something out of a science-fiction movie, the

skunk cabbage is a plain-looking green plant once

the leaves appear. There are two common types: Eastern skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), which is purple,

and Western skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus), which is yellow. Skunk cabbage gets its name from the fact

that, when the leaves are crushed or bruised, it gives off a smell of skunk or rotting meat.

That disgusting smell is like perfume to bees, butterflies and many other beneficial insects. If you’re having a

hard time attracting pollinators or beneficial wasps, mixing a few skunk cabbage plants in with the rest of your

garden may be a good solution.

Besides the putrid smell, another distinguishing feature of the skunk cabbage is its ability to emit warmth. Skunk

cabbages are one of the few plants that exhibit thermogenesis, meaning they have the ability to raise their own

temperature. Much like a warm-blooded mammal, the wildflower can regulate its temperature well above the out-

side temperature throughout the day and night. This attribute also allows the skunk cabbage to melt its way

above the frozen ground.

PLANT SALE

The annual Master Gardener plant sale will be May 14 and 15. This is the major fund raiser of the year for the organization. How can you help?

1) By providing perennial divisions from your gardens or gardens from neighbors

or relatives.

2) Help the day of the sale

3) Help divide plants at the OLC.

4) Spread the word about the sale

5) Help set up or clean up for the sale

6) Start some annuals, herbs, or vegetables for the sale

We would like a variety of plants.

Larger plants (hostas, day lilies, etc,) look best if they are potted three to four

weeks prior to the sale if possible.

No shrubs/woody plants this year.

This year we will again be selling gently used tools, containers, and yard art at the DeWitt site.

If you know someone who has plants that they would give to us for the sale but

need help to divide contact any of the co-chairs.

Pots will be available at the OLC and Bickelhaupt Arboretum

Co-chairs of the Clinton portion of the sale are Deb Neels and Brenda Council.

Co-chairs of the DeWitt portion of the sale are Jerry Richter and Willard Larsen.

In the May News Letter there will be details for signing up to help, when and

where to take plants etc.

Spring Garden Displays

Iowa State University

Clinton County Extension

400 East 11th Street

DeWitt, Iowa 52742

Does the Word “Biochar” Mean Anything to You?

It should and probably you will hear more about it in the future! This 2,000 year-old practice converts agricul-

tural waste into a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost food security, and increase soil biodiversity, and dis-

courage deforestation. The process creates a fine-grained, highly porous charcoal that helps soils retain nutri-

ents and water.

Biochar production is modeled after a process begun thousands of years ago in the Amazon Basin, where islands

of rich, fertile soils called terra preta ("dark earth") were created by indigenous people. Anthropologists specu-

late that cooking fires and kitchen middens along with deliberate placing of charcoal in soil resulted in soils with

high fertility and carbon content, often containing shards of broken pottery. These soils continue to "hold" car-

bon today and remain so nutrient rich that they have been dug up and sold as potting soil in Brazilian markets.

Carbonization is the process of converting a feedstock into biochar through reductive thermal processing. The

process involves a combination of time, heat and pressure exposure factors that can vary between processors,

equipment, and feedstocks. There are two main processes: pyrolysis

or gasification. Energy products in the form of gas or oil are pro-

duced along with the biochar. These energy products may be recov-

erable for another use, or may simply be burned and released as

heat.

Teachers and students are starting to discover biochar as a won-

derful new classroom project. Older kids are doing science fair pro-

jects. Check out this website: www.biochar-international.org