Over the Garden Gate Clinton County Master Gardener Newsletter Volume 8 Issue 4 May 2017 Editor: Carol Machael, [email protected]; 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, please provide articles 10 days before the first Monday of the month. Coming Soon - the 2017 Plant Sale! May 20th & 21st Wanted: a variety of perennials, vegetables, herbs, annuals, & houseplants. (Plants look the best if potted as long before the sale as possible) NO shrubs or woody plants, please If you know of someone (ie: relatives, neighbors) who have plants they would like to donate, but need help dividing them, please contract Willard Larsen at 563-249-2476 ([email protected]) for the DeWitt location or Brenda Council at 815 -589-2569 ([email protected]) for the Lyons/Clinton site. Plants may be dropped off at the DeWitt fairgrounds on Friday, May 19th between 11:30 am and 4:00 pm. or Saturday morn- ing between 7:30 am and 8:45 am. At the Lyons/Clinton site (Lyons 4 Square Park), plants will be accepted after 5:00 pm, Friday May 19th or the morning of the sale, May 20th. If you need containers, they are available in various sizes at the Outdoor Learning Classroom, DeWitt Fairgrounds and Bickel- haupt Arboretum, 340 S. 14th St in Clinton. Please label your plants with identification cards which can be obtained at the th Iowa State Extension Office, 400 E. 11 St. in DeWitt, the Arboretum, or at the plant sale site when you drop off your plants. Volunteers are needed at DeWitt site Lyons/Clinton Site Setup: Friday, May 19th Friday, May 19th 9:00 am – 4:00 pm after 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Sale: Sat., May 20th Sat. May 20th 8:00 am – 2:00 pm 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Sunday, May 21st Sunday, May 21st 9:00 am – Noon 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Cleanup Noon – 1:00 pm 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm Volunteers may work for several hours, or only an hour, whatever their schedule permits. Likewise, please contact Willard at 563-249-2476 ([email protected]) for volunteering in DeWitt and Brenda at 815-589-2569 ([email protected]) for volunteering in Clinton. If you have any questions concerning the sale at either location, please contact the respective chairman. This is the major fundraiser for our organization. Volume 8 Issue 4 Page 2 May 2017 CLINTON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES Advisory Board Mtg. April 18,2017, Bickelhaupt Arboretum, 9AM Roll Call-Linda L., Deb M., Brenda C., Bonnie M., Willard L., Heather C., Deb N., Mark S., Gayle P. Bonnie H., Kathy S., Margo H. Approval of Minutes-approved by all Financial Report - Heather -have a new bookkeeper and she is transitioning to our methods Mark's report-Our group events were in the Iowa St. Newsletter 4 times. Mark needs at least 3-4 week notice to get items in. Honey Bee Queen may be at MGDay at Fair this year. Butterfly lady & bus will be at Grace Camp on June 1st. Application has been submitted for MG Scholarship. New possible project in area called Donation Gardening where the items are donated to the local food pantries & other worthy causes. Bickelhaupt Arboretum-Margo-No Child Left Inside starts soon. Art at the Arb is featured again this year. Volunteer hrs can be counted for helping with either event. Committees/Projects/Events OLC-Willard-Clean up done. Gazebo work of clean-up and re-staining will be done. New raised bed planters & Handicap accessible planter is done. Need to divide a few plants in garden for Plant sale. Need 6" pots or larger if anyone has some. Publicity-Deb-Spring Social-28 people attended. Events- Let's Get Growing-April 21-2-4. Has been in local papers and on radio. Plant Sale-over 200 plants acquired from private garden for plant sale. Lots of good help and fun for everyone. Garden Walk-6 gardens are secured. June 25 from 12-4. MG Day at Fair-1 category changed for Container Contest (edible to succulents). Still looking for full roster of speakers. Old Business Shirts-have been handed out to most. Kathy S. in working on a tablecloth to use at MG events. New Business Arb is putting a display in Van Allen Building front windows. Possible idea for promoting the new classes. Please continue to submit your hours. Next Meeting-May 16, 2017, at Extension office, DeWitt, 9AM Brenda Council, Secretary , Volume 8 Issue 4 Page 3 May 2017 Dates to put on your calendar for fun with fellow MGs, learning new things and earn- ing hours! Plant Sale May 20 & 21 Garden Walk June 25 MG Day at the Fair July 12 JUST A THANK YOU NOTE: SPRING GARDEN SOCIAL on April 6t Special thanks to Master Gardeners & Interns who were able to come to our spring event. We did not have rain or a tornado; it was a lovely evening. The food was excellent, good conversa- tion, and happy people. Brief summaries were presented regarding our upcoming events as SPRING CLEANING & THE TREASURE SALE As Master Gardeners look at their gardening tools, containers, and perhaps old garden art in anticipa- tion of enjoying one of our favorite activities, please consider donating those gently used items which you want to discard to our “Treasure” sale. The “Treasure” sale is part of the Clinton County Master Gar- deners’ plant sale in DeWitt on May 20th & 21st. We request that the items are clean and useable. Craft items for the garden may also be donated. So, as you go through your gardening belongings in the process of “spring cleaning”, kindly remember the Clinton County Master Gardeners DeWitt plant sale on May 20th & 21th. Please contact LeAnne Larsen at 563-259-1871 for drop off information. Proceeds from this “Treasure” sale as well as the plant sale Thanks to Mary Swanson for allowing Bonnie Meyers, Brenda Council and her granddaugh- ter, Ashley, and Carol Machael to raid her garden for plant sale materials. We dug lots of iris, perennial geraniums, black-eyed susans and rust colored lily plants just before the rain hit. If there are other gardens that need thinning, contact Brenda or other MGs who might be willing to dig and pot—all for a great cause! Don’t forget to photograph your garden, the OLC or the Arboretum for the photo contest, July 6. More Volume 8 Issue 4 May 2017 Sunday June 25 Volunteers needed!!!! 12-4 pm Call Brenda Council, 212-5474 or All the gardens are in the DeWitt area. 1. The Outdoor Living Classroom, (OLC) at the Clinton County Fairgrounds 2. Judy Williams, 125 5th Ave. DeWitt 3. J.C. & Deb Monroe, 1213 6th St. DeWitt 4. Wayne & Janis Harbison, 1020 14th St. DeWitt 5. Lowell Gehrls & Madonna Sagers, 2606 244th St. DeWitt 6. John & Jean Moffit, 2446 255th St. No Space Is Too Small for an Herb Garden! A Vertical Garden in old gutters A Teacup garden A Spiral Garden A Ladder Garden 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 . 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- .. A pollinator gar- A two-for –one tomato den to attrct plant that is well- hummingbirds. adapted to contain- Here, Salvia 'Myst ers...Burpee’s Take Two ic Spires', red and Combo. purple verbena (Verbena canaden- The Bush Steak grows 30 sis), and coral -36” with large flavorful and raspberry fruits, and the Baby autumn sage Boomer cherry tomato (Salvia greggii) will produce 300 toma- add a pop of in- toes per plant. viting color to the landscape. Buddleia, or butterfly bush, can now be grown in a pot with some of the newer varieties. One is called “Lo and Behold Blue Chip, growing to be only 2-3 feet tall. It flowers and attracts butterflies all season long. If combined in a container with Cordyline “Red Sensa- tion” used for height and texture and Sedum “Angelina” for its draping quality, it can fill a large pot placed in full sun. Gardening Tips You may Not Know Spray your shovels with a silicone lubricant. This will make your shovel slick and make getting deep in the dirt so much easier. Place forks, with the handles in the ground and the prongs pointing up around your plants and herbs to deter animals from using your garden as their bathroom. Make your own weedkiller with one gallon white vinegar mixed with one cup of table salt and one tablespoon of dish soap. Spray on weeds and be done. Be aware that this can harm grass as well so be careful where you spray.