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Over the Garden Gate
Monthly Newsletter
Clinton County Master Gardeners
Editor: Carol Machael, [email protected]; 563-357-7537
Published on the first Monday of the month except during January February and March.
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 6 Issue 6 July 2015
Prickly Pear Cactus (fOpuntia humifusa )
from garden of Dave and Mary Meyer.
They prefer full to partial sunlight, mesic to
dry conditions, and sandy or rocky soil.
Plants are best started using pads, rather
than seeds; detached pads form new roots
in the ground readily. This is the easiest cac-
tus to grow in the midwest because of its
tolerance of moisture, humidity and cold
winter weather.
From the garden of Skip and Judy Carstensen.
Many of these are growing in pots which are in-
serted into the ground during the growing season
and removed during the winter. This also allows for
a display that may vary from year to year.
According to Judy, the wagon is brought
inside during winter months and located
under a grow light When the weather is
rainy as it has been this June, rain water
must be dumped from the wagon periodi-
cally.
CLINTON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES
Volume 6 Issue 6 Page 2 July 2015
June 21, 2015 Bickelhaupt Arboretum-9AM
Roll Call- Carol, Brenda, Tom, Willard, Deb, Jerry, Todd, Roger, Linda, Mark
Approval of Agenda -Approved
Approval of Minutes-Approved
Financial Report-Mark-Balance of $6,995.78
Background check: Will only do checks on MG's that are active. Are moving toward the national standard. Information can be obtained at the Extension Office.
New Master Gardener Class forms- Motion made by Willard to approve new Master
Gardener Class forms for 2015 classes-Second by Linda- Approved
Handouts for Garden Walk & MG Day at Fair-50 are in the Ext. office Reports: Committees/projects/events
Bickelhaupt Arboretum-Bus Trip in July to Chicago Botanical Gardens still has seats
available and can be used towards MG education hours. Publicity-Deb Neels
Garden Walk-brochures done, in kiosk on riverfront and ext. office. All local papers &
QCTs have done nice notices on walk. Mark & Margo will mention on radio segments.
MG Day at Fair-Deb will update papers as we get closer to event . 4 speakers have been obtained. Education hours for all speaker classes attended. Willard made motion to give 2
lunch tickets to each Clinton County MG attending and each judge, Brenda second. Motion ap-
proved. Willard made motion to allow up to $150.00 for advertising. Linda second. Motion ap-proved
Container Contest- Linda Lampe -fliers about the Container Contest will be at each site at
the Garden Walk Coordinator of Interns: Jerry Richter-Interns have finished the project at the Clinton Li-
brary. They had a workday with 4 interns doing the project. Custodian has been instructed on
how to water and care for new plants.
Old Business: Thank-You's-Willard- Thank -you's will be sent to Glen Peterson & Lisa Rhodes for dona-
tion of Potting Table & Bench & plants for DeWitt plant sale. Letter will also be sent to 4H club
for their help at the OLC. Big thank-you to all volunteer who helped at the OLC during resto-ration project. Also thanks to Jerry Richter for removal of trees at the OLC.
New Business: OLC-Roger-On budget for spending at the garden. Half payment will be made to Jeff
Rathje for plants.
Fundraiser for OLC-Roger-$600 collected so far. Will possibly send notices to MG's
via email to help promote this gracious gift. Will contact Peg at Ext. office Budget request for MG Day at Fair-Willard- Motion made by Willard to budget $390.00
to pay for events and judges at MG Day. Tom Powell second. Motion approved.
For the Good of the Cause: Hour requirements: Members need 20 volunteer hrs and 10 hrs education to remain ac-
tive. Please be sure to enter your hours as soon as possible to the state site.
Webinar Series can possibly be viewed later in the year to get Education hours. Would require viewing at Ext. office.
Respectfully submitted: Brenda Council, Secretary
Volume 6 Issue 6 Page 3 July 2015
2015 Garden Walk
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU The Garden Walk Committee would like to thank everyone who assisted with the garden walk and made it
a success. It was a great day & did not rain until the last half hour of the walk. Visitors were pleased and im-
pressed with the gardens. Everyone had a nice time even though it got a little soggy near the end.
Special thanks to those who opened their gardens for the walk. We appreciate all of the hard work that
was involved. The gardens were beautiful!
Again, many thanks to all of the volunteers involved with the garden walk and the owners of the gardens!
VOLUNTEER AND EDUCATION HOURS
A reminder that this year twenty (20) volunteer and ten (10) education hours are required to meet state re-quirements. During Master Gardener Day at the Fair members who attend the seminars and the critique of the Outdoor Container Contest would be able to get 4 plus hours of education. There are also opportunities to get volunteer hours by working at the OLC during the fair.
VEGETABLE AND CONTAINER CONTEST
A reminder that Master Gardeners sponsor the Vegetable Contest and Outdoor Container Contest at the Clinton County Fair. Consider having an entry in one or both of the contests. Entries can be made on July 15 between 9:00 and noon. Entry rules and requirements can be found in this edition of the News Letter or on the fair web site.
MASTER GARDENER DAY AT THE FAIR
Master Gardener Day at the Fair is July 15. Plan on attending this event. There are a several activities as noted elsewhere in the News Letter. This is an ideal time to get together with members of our or-ganization as well as others interested in gardening who attend the seminars. Members will be given a ticket for lunch paid for by the organization.
Think twice before spraying pesticides. These treatments control aphids, squash bugs and other vege-
table-destroying insects, but pesticides aren't selective. They'll kill bees, lady-
bugs and hover flies just as quickly as they take down a stink beetle. Keep
in mind these sprays don't simply kill on contact; the residual chemicals re-
main on the plant, and the visiting bee picks up poison in addition to pollen. Avoid spraying pesticides
whenever you can. If you must spray, target small areas where the destructive insects congregate.
Aphids, for example, prefer the undersides of leaves, while squash bugs often remain near the base of
pumpkin vines. Wait to spray until the vegetable's flowers fade.
Volume 6 Issue 6 July 2015
. . . 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.
M
OUTDOOR CONTAINER CONTEST
Just a reminder to enter the Outdoor Container Contest at the Clinton
County Fair on Wednesday, July 15th. The contest will be held in the large tent near the Outdoor Living Classroom (OLC).
Classes to be judged are:
Most Colorful, Outstanding Use of Foliage,
Best Use of Edibles, Best Design,
Most Unusual Container, Kids Class (12 & under)
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, 563-659-5125
Looking for Volunteering Opportunities?
The Clinton County Fair (July 15th thru July 19th) is an ideal opportunity to gain volunteer hours. Vol-
unteers are needed to “work” at the Outdoor Learning Classroom (OLC) during the fair. Time periods are 1 ½
hours in length:
Wednesday 2:30-4:00; 4:00-5:30; 5:30-7:00
Thursday – Saturday 1:00-2:30; 2:30-4:00; 4:00-5:30; 5:30-7:00
Sunday 1:00-2:30; 2:30-4:00
Volunteers may work more than one time slot and more than one day. Any amount of time you are
able to work will be appreciated even if it does not quite match the times listed above. We will be promoting
the Master Gardener program & showing our garden to fairgoers.
Please contact Willard Larsen at 563-249-2476 or email him at [email protected] if you
would like to volunteer or have any questions.
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
Another successful garden walk...and an opportunity
to marvel at the creativity and individual expression
demonstrated in each garden.
Different garden styles ...each beautiful in its own
way. Comment most often heard: “I got lots of new
ideas!”
Pollinators are responsible for 1 out of 3 bites of
food we take each day, and yet pollinators are at
critical point in their own survival. Many reasons con-
tribute to their recent decline. We know for certain,
however, that more nectar and pollen sources pro-
vided by more flowering plants and trees will help im-
prove their health and numbers. Increasing the number of pollinator-friendly gardens and
landscapes will help revive the health of bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators
across the country.
Pollinators Gardens should: use plants that provide nectar and pollen sources, provide a water source,
be situated in sunny areas with wind breaks, be planted in
drifts or clumps of at least 3-5 plants, establish continuous
bloom throughout the growing season, and eliminate or mini-
mize the impact of pesticides.
Check out this website: http://
millionpollinatorgardens.org/
And consider registering YOUR garden through
the Pollinator Partnership.
The Million Pollinator Garden Challenge is being
launched by The National Pollinator Garden Net-
work,an unprecedented collaboration of national,
regional, conservation and gardening groups to
support the President’s Executive Strategy to “Promote the Health of Honey Bees
and Other Pollinators.”
The National Pollinator Garden Network collectively represents nearly one million active gardeners and 15,000 schoolyard gardens. The Network is challenging the nation to reach the goal of one million additional pollinator gardens by the end of 2016. The Network will work to provide resources for individuals, community groups, government agencies and the garden indus-try to create more pollinator habitat through sustainable gardening practices
and conservation efforts.
Located at 5890 Monches Rd, Colgate, WI 53017 in southeastern Wisconsin
Monches Road is part of the Wisconsin's unique "Rustic Road" system, established to
help preserve what remains of Wisconsin's scenic, lightly traveled country roads.
Monches Road was selected for having outstanding natural features along its borders
that uniquely set this road apart from other roads.
According to a 2013 article, Monches Farm strives to provide “the new and unusual for the discerning and ad-
venturous gardener.” Chose a Flyer from the red wagon lot to carry your outdoor selections as you meander
through the fields of hardy perennials, annuals, herbs and vegetables. Your wagon will wait for you as you make
your way inside the greenhouse to admire its beautiful tropical topiaries. The greenhouse is also home to two
aviaries, one featuring gently cooing doves and the other filled with small, tropical birds. The farm’s shop is a
delight for the eyes, with dried flowers and herbs hanging from the rafters and pottery, cookbooks, woolen
items, home décor, art, natural soaps and
other gifts and antiques displayed in pleasing
arrangements throughout the store’s two lev-
els.
July is daylily season. Visit the farm to see
the vast array of colors and scents available in
the over 300 varieties grown there. This year
the Harold Steen lilies from his fine personal
collection are for sale. Steen is known in day-
lily circles as having an extraordinary collec-
tion. Cultivars for sale can be seen on their
website pages.
Monches Farm is open 9am-5pm, Thursday-
Sunday this July. Check the website for spe-
cific events. www.monchesfarm.com.
Iowa State University
Clinton County Extension
400 East 11th Street
DeWitt, Iowa 52742
Master Gardener’s Day at the Fair!
July 15, 2015 Free Gate Admission
Come out to the fair & enjoy Master Gardener’s Day! Have a relaxing time, gain knowledge, roam
our garden (Outdoor Living classroom) and enjoy yourself. Bring your family & friends.
Vegetable Contest
Outdoor Container Contest
Additional Information & Rules regarding these contests is available at: www.clintoncountyiowafair.com/countyfair.html or the Iowa State Extension Office, 400 East 11th Ave in DeWitt at 563-659-5125
Mini workshops (4 Educational Hours Available)
10:00 am Structures in the Vegetable Garden (Willard Larsen)
11:00 am Delightful Flower Design (Jennifer Maas)
12:00 pm Monarchs/Butterflies/Butterfly Garden (Kathy Anderson)
1:00 pm Changes to the Garden at the Fairgrounds (Roger Rittmer & Deb Monroe)
Lunch from the lunch stand: 2 free lunch tickets for each Master Gardener
At 1:00 pm Judging of the Vegetable Contest & Outdoor Container Contest (closed to public)
At 2:00 pm Announcement of winners for the Outdoor Container Contest, with the award of prizes, & critique of containers by Judges
And on Saturday, July 19th at 5:00 pm, Announcement of the People’s Choice Award
