June

Vol. 27, No. 6 Editors: Julie Stark/Lisa Slattery

LINN COUNTY

MASTER GARDENER EVENTS

Steering Committee Meeting Extension Office

June 6 • 6:30 pm

Extension Council Meeting Extension Office

June 12 • 5:30 pm

Growing in Raised Beds

Lowe Park Greenhouse

June 20 • 6:30-8:00 pm

All Volunteer Garden Walk Meeting

Extension Office

June 27 • 6:30 pm

"Kind hearts are the gardens; kind thoughts are the roots; kind words are the flowers; kind deeds are the fruits." - English Proverb

What’s Inside…

Plant Sale Article and Photos—Pages

1-3

Polk County Demo Gardens Tour—

Page 3

Garden Walk Plans and Locations—

Pages 4-6

Mother’s Day Showcases at

Noelridge—Page 7

Coordinator Comments—Page 8

Growing in Raised Beds—Page 8

Volunteer Spotlight—Page 9

Steering Committee/Project Reports—

Pages 10-12

June 2017

2017 Charlene Woeste Plant Sale By Karen Woeste & Phil Pfister, Co-Chairs

The weather might have been a bit cold, windy and wet, and impacted the number of attendees who came to the sale, but it certainly didn’t put a damper on the volunteers working the sale. Master Gardeners are awesome, and endured some pretty raw weather to make the sale a success. Another awesome group were the 10 4-H volunteers, and their leaders who helped from start to end with the sale. This group of hardy individuals helped with setup, assisted during the sale and shutdown and cleanup. Many thanks to MG Coordinator, Shelly O’Neal, and 4-H Office Assistant, Mary Dlouhy, for

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arranging with the 4-H youth council to assist us with the sale. It was a win-win for all. The MG’s got a lot of assistance with heavy lifting and the 4-H Youth Council received a $400 contribution from the MG’s, which launched a fundraiser for a new 4-H concession stand at the fairgrounds (photo right).

As to the sale, attendance was down significantly, which was a shame as we broke records on the quantity and quality of plants available for purchase. There were 32 tables full of plants, plus four large benches from the greenhouse. You can display a lot of plants on that many tables, but even still we had more plants than could be displayed and every group had plants stored under the tables. Quite amazing when you consider these were all donations from the Master Gardener gardens, and grown at the Lowe Park Greenhouse.

Eighty-seven Linn County Master Gardeners volunteered their time and skills to make this year a success. This included helping dig plants at their own gardens and assisting others digging their plants, preparation and pricing of plants donated, and all the tasks involved with the sale the day before and the day of the sale. Thirty-Two Master Gardener’s donated a total of 2,545 plants this year. This is 800 more plants than were donated last year, and may be a record. The blooming side of the Lowe Park Greenhouse added 1056 arrangements, herbs, geraniums, and blooming plants to the count, and the veggie side of the Lowe Park Greenhouse added another 628 tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. All totaled we had 4,226 plants available for sale, along with some

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The Linn County Master Gardeners say “thank you” to the 4-H Youth Council.

Umbrellas, rain coats and flowers combine for a colorful sight.

Phil Pfister and Polly Tsamis check out the vegetables for sale.

Thousands of plants prepped, tagged and ready to go.

June 3

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miscellaneous items and house plants. Even though the weather was downright unpleasant, we are proud of the work and contributions everyone put into making this sale a success. I know Charlene Woeste, founder and longtime chair of the Linn County Master Gardener Plant Sale would be. Revenue for the sale should be available next month.

Special thanks to Shelly O’Neal, our Coordinator, for all her help and support with the prep and the sale, Mary Dlouhy for coordinating with the 4-H youths, and Johanna Rahbusch and Janice Savel for their help and support, in the prep and during the sale.

Despite the unpleasant morning weather, Master Gardeners were always smiling! Photo Left: Johanna Rahbusch, Shelly O’Neal and Janice Savel; Photo Middle; Gene Nassif; Photo Right: Benton County Master Gardener, Bev Witmere.

This stylish pup got lots of attention from both MGs and customers.

Polk County Demonstration Gardens Tour By: Linda Hayward, Expert Ed Chair

Tuesday, July 11 is the date for the Tour of the Polk County Master Gardeners Gardens. There will be a Polk County Master Gardener at each of the gardens to share information about that garden. The first garden on the tour will be the Enabling Garden in Altoona, next the Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fair Grounds, and after lunch, the Demonstration Garden in Urbandale. We will have lunch at a local restaurant. After touring the Urbandale garden, we will be able to visit the Ted Lare Garden Center, 2710 Cumming Ave, Cumming, Iowa.

We will plan to carpool from the Extension Office, leaving about 7:30 AM. Each person attending will cover his/her own expenses. Linn County Master Gardeners may bring a guest.

If you would like more information about each garden, check out this link. http://www.extension.iastate.edu/polk/page/polk-county-master-gardeners (There is a link to each garden under Master Gardeners Projects in Polk County.)

To register, please contact Linn County Extension by calling (319) 377-9839 or by emailing soneal@iastate.edu by June 30.

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Garden Walk Plans in Full Swing By: Beula Dvorak and Kathy Hughes, Co-Chairs

Be sure to add the 2017 Master Gardener Garden Walk to your list of summer activities. Five gardens are featured for the walk on Saturday, July 8. These gardens represent a diverse array of styles from community gardens to more formal gardens. The gardens are all located in the Southeast quadrant of Cedar Rapids.

As always, volunteers will be needed to help our hosts prep their landscaping as well as greet our guests as they attend the Garden Walk event. Typically, the Garden Walk volunteers are scheduled in two shifts, morning and early afternoon.

Please complete the volunteer form attached to the May 23rd email or at the end of the May Germinator and return it electronically to: soneal@iastate.edu or drop off/mail to the Extension Office by Friday, May 26, 2017.

2017 Garden Walk Hosts include:

Wellington Heights Community Gardens: 1449 4th Ave SE From 1st Ave turn south onto 15th St. Go four blocks and the garden will be on the right at the corner of 15th St and 4th Ave.

The Wellington Heights community garden located on the corner of 4th Avenue and 15th Street is designed to be inclusive and features both raised and elevated beds which can be used by seated gardeners. Volunteers from Transamerica created the hardscaping, the pergola and raised beds using materials donated by Home Depot and Lowes. The picket fence was painted by students from the Johnson STEAM Academy and installed on the United Way’s Day of Caring in 2015.

Under the supervision of Master Gardeners, students from McKinley Middle School and Johnson STEAM Academy are learning garden management skills and planting and tending vegetables. The original Community Garden is located a half block north on 15th St. The perennial garden in the rear yard has been restored over the past 3 years by neighborhood volunteers.

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June 5

Catherine McAuley Community Garden: 1209 5th Ave SE The Gateway Garden is located on the corner of Cobbin Court and 5th Ave SE across from Tanager Place Offices on 5th Ave. The garden is also in close vicinity to McKinley Middle School.

The Catherine McAuley Center facilitates the community garden with the help from various organizations and grantors. The garden features 12 raised beds, a wild flower bed, and a pollinator center. The raised beds have increased access for gardening to individuals with physical barriers. Over the past two years, 800 lbs of produce has been made available to residents and students at the Catherine McAuley Center.

Carol Elliott Garden: 2038 4th Ave SE From First Avenue, go south on 19th Street SE. Turn left on Fourth Avenue SE. The Elliott garden is at 2038 4th Ave SE, near the end of the second block on the left.

For a glimpse of garden outdoor living spaces, visit the Elliott gardens. The property is divided into numerous outdoor room spaces. To the side of the house, shade gardens surround comfortable outdoor patio living areas and features an outdoor oven. As the Elliott children grew up, the landscaped changed with family. Playground space and sandboxes made way for shade beds. The shaded front yard is filled with hostas and other shade loving perennials. Still, the Elliott’s succeeded in finding a sunny spot for perennials, vegetable gardens, pollinators, and a Monarch Zone habitat for raising monarchs and swallowtails.

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Diane Wiesenfeld Garden: 4325 Pioneer Trail SE From Mt Vernon Rd SE:turn south on 42nd St SE (at HyVee), follow 42nd St for 1/2 mile, turn left on Pioneer Trail, follow Pioneer Trail for 1/4 mile.

To view a garden that has featured on-going experiments, stop by the Wiesenfeld’s garden which sits on about 2 acres and has experienced 27 years of development. The “let’s give it a try” attitude features a landscape and garden that has been designed to fit the natural surroundings. You will find pollinator gardens, shade gardens, and vegetable gardens as well as developed woodland, prairie, and open areas which are shared with a variety of wildlife.

Larry Nelson Garden: 6313 Berry Road SE Going east on Mt. Vernon Rd. turn right on Bertram Rd. (Touch of Class), cross the blue bridge and stay to the left on Berry Rd. for .4 mile. Going west on Mt Vernon Rd. from Highway 13, turn left on Squaw Creek Rd.. Turn right at the T intersection Berry Rd. Continue on Berry Rd. for .8 mile. Be Aware: Mt. Vernon Rd. will be under construction this summer to build a third lane.

To experience a bit of garden whimsy, stop by Larry and Julie Nelson’s gardens. These gardens feature perennials, annuals, shrubs, small conifers and ornamental trees all amassed with hand crafted garden art, water features, and an amazingly unique garden railway. Two hundred tons of rock and large stones were brought in and hand placed by Larry as the garden evolved. The metal structures and spectacular bridges for the railway are also handcrafted by Larry. This garden is sure to provide you with a creative and unique approach to gardening, enjoy wandering the paths and enjoy the vistas of this backyard gem.

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June 7

Mother’s Day at Noelridge Greenhouse Celebrated

Anniversary By: Diane Stevens

This was a special year for the Mother's Day Showcase at the Noelridge Park Greenhouse. This year's date was exactly 45 years to the date from when the first Mother's Day open house was held in 1972, showcasing 28,000 plants that were planted in public areas. Attendees enjoyed seeing 68,000 plants that will be planted throughout the city in 2017.

Educational exhibits featured bonsai, hosta, orchids, beekeeping, pollinators, and the Master Gardener informational table. Over 2,150 visitors stopped by to make this a successful event.

In addition, professionally designed hanging baskets, coleus plants, perennials, annuals, glass birdbaths and bird feeders, cactus cocktails, succulent sundaes, container gardens, and handcrafted cards were available for sale. Everyone received a free tropical milkweed plant while supplies lasted.

Thank You to the Master Gardeners and Interns for their volunteer time and talents at Noelridge.

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Coordinator Comments By: Shelly O'Neal Hello Everyone!

I have enjoyed a very busy May doing many different things. As you read the project reports and the Germinator, you will see all the different activities and events that have been presented by the Linn County Master Gardeners. I am always impressed with the dedication, knowledge of strength of you all. The Charlene Woeste Plant Sale was wet, however, it was still a good time. Thank you for all you do!!!!

I have also been busy by participating in professional development opportunities. The classes I am taking will go for a Nonprofit Leadership Academy Certificate. As a part time employee (30 hours per week), I was able to accept the opportunity for a temporary assignment to plan the academy. Now that the assignment is done, I can attend the classes. So far I have been in the courses “Communication With Meaning” and “Data for Decision Makers”. The academy has a total of 10 courses to take in order to acquire the certification and is open to anyone interested. The 10 courses do not need to be completed within 1 year. Individuals have the option to take some this year, next year, or any following year. It is an inexpensive way to obtain some exceptional training on subjects relative to nonprofits. I have already started using some of the communication tools, and will be looking forward to creating analytics on the Master Gardener Program so everyone can see how the program is progressing in different areas.

The Extension Council has asked for a presentation about the Linn County Master Gardener Program at the June 12 meeting to be held at the Extension Office in the large conference room at 5:30 pm. This is a public meeting, so all are invited. I will be giving an overview of the program and the projects that the Master Gardeners are volunteering for, along with some statistical information.

I will be having new volunteer opportunities available to you soon. Stay tuned!

Happy June Shelly

Growing in Raised Beds-Family Gardening Food and Fun Lowe Park Greenhouse—4500 N. 10th Street, Marion, IA June 20, 2017 (6:30-8:00 pm)

Interested in building and growing in a raised bed? Join the Linn County Master Gardeners at the raised bed demonstration gardens located by the greenhouse at Lowe Park. We will talk about various styles, including handicap assessable, materials and growing techniques.

June 9

Volunteer Spotlight—Julie Clemens

By: Linda Skvor

Meet Julie Clemens—

Julie applied and was accepted into the MG Program last fall, after retiring from Aegon in July 2016 after 26 years of service. Julie was a programmer/analyst and software analyst and has always been the kind of person who liked to putter outside. “Over the last 12 years, flowers have become my "passion" as I found it a very good way to relax after a stressful work day! I had looked into the Master Gardener Program but didn't feel I could give it my full attention while I was still working but once I retired I knew that was what I wanted to do.”

Julie grew up around Cedar Rapids and currently lives in CR with her husband, Dan. They have five boys (all married) and twelve grandkids (Not all boys!) So far the count is 6-6, ranging in ages from 4 months to 18 yrs. Julie says she keeps busy with kid activities and babysitting. Julie and her husband love to go to different antique stores around Iowa, and she also likes to do mosaics, stained glass and beading, not to mention her hand and loom crochet. As Julie says, “I like to keep busy!”

Julie was amazed at how much she learned in the MG classes and continues to be amazed at how much she continues to learn from other Master Gardeners. “Every MG I've encountered has graciously shared their expertise and knowledge of gardening with me.”

Julie assists with the Harding COG Garden and has found it to be great working with the middle school students and seeing their excitement with gardening. “It's great to know that we are passing on our knowledge to these school kids. This summer we will be conducting a series of working classes with them in their garden.”

Julie is also going to assist at NewBo in their demonstration garden and continue to assists out at Lowe in the demo gardens. Julie is on the Garden Walk Committee this summer and has done some volunteering over at Noelridge. But it’s Lowe Park where Julie thinks she found her niche. “It was great to be involved in the start of the growing season with planting/transplanting, watching plants grow and to know that I had a small part in that process.”

Julie was quick to add, “I look forward to many years of learning and evolving as a MG and being able to pass on my knowledge to others.”

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May 2017 – Steering Committee Minutes—DRAFT (Abridged for Germinator)

Present: Glenn Babinett, Steve Bartlett, Kathy Carew, Cindy Fagan, Peggy Green, Linda Hinzman, Sam Krumbholz, Jackie McLaren, Kay McWhinney, Linda Shepard, and Jean Wilson; Absent: Beula Dvorak, Sylvia Kelly, and Diane Wiesenfelt; Guests: Shelly O’Neal, RaeAnn Barnhart. Roll call: Quorum established, and Minutes approved from April.

Financial Report: Our goal is to keep our carryover money at $25,000 (from $35,000). Ideas to spend down our balance include the following: Signage at COG gardens, a shed at Lowe Greenhouse of $2,200-$3,000, carts for Lowe Greenhouse, cash registers for Plant Sale and other events, Aprons for the Plant Sale, and picnic tables at the Hiawatha school gardens. An e-mail will be sent out to committee chairs for other ideas.

MG Coordinator Report: MGs not completing their 20 volunteer hours were notified by letter (7-8 are dropping from the program).

Shelly is working on updating the handbook to reflect lifetime status to be 10 years and 1,500 hours of service. There will also be information on terminally ill MGs to be eligible for their lifetime badge.

All groups need to complete the Civil Rights Reporting.

We are looking for interest in how to develop the 200 acres at the Indian Creek Nature Center into an organic, self-sustaining farm; $500 will go to a separate project to include flower beds.

The 550 books stored at J&A Printing will no longer be stored there and will be sold for $5.00 at various events (“Getting your Hands Dirty and Your Feet Wet”).

A meeting will be held this summer to select new Chairpersons for the From the Ground Up.

A request for several MGs to attend the June 12 Extension Council Meeting to inform Council members of the MG programs and projects and answer questions. They will be Shelly O’Neal, Linda Hinzman and Jean West.

A request for MGs to assist at the Linn County Fair “Youth Day” on 6/29 and 6/30 from 9:00am – 1:00pm on each day.

The MG Flipped Classroom handout from Laura Klavitter was given to the committee.

Old Business: A suggestion that MGs only have a g-mail account was dismissed.

New Business: The Budget Committee (Linda H., Glenn, Cindy F., Phil and Diane W.) approved the new budget requests.

Project and Committee Reports

Awards Banquet (Beth Roof): The 2017 Awards Banquet was held March 30 at the Flamingo Event Center; 114 guests including Master Gardeners, spouses and special guests in attendance. See the May Germinator article for list of award winners. Centerpieces were grown in the Lowe

June 11

Greenhouse. Masters of Ceremonies, Nancy Sutherland and Larry Dawson, were entertaining, paired with a PowerPoint of the 2016 year in review.

Community Outreach Gardens (Beula Dvorak): Requests continue to be made to become a MG community garden partner. If we do not get more MGs/Interns to join our group, we will be forced to turn these gardens away as our current committee members are being way stretched. Several of our garden partners are using the United Day Way of Caring for additional gardening assistance. We would love to encourage MGs & Interns to also get involved by volunteering for a few hours on Thursday, May 11 at one of our gardens to show our support for the great things happening in these gardens. If willing/able to help in either of these ways, please let Shelly O’Neal know at the Extension Office or Beula Dvorak, Project Chair for Community Gardens (bdvorak4@aol.com; 895-8206).

Expert Ed. (Linda Hayward): Polk County Garden Tour: I have heard back from the Polk County Master Gardener Coordinator regarding having a tour of their three gardens in that area. She said to send dates and she would check with the garden co-chairs. Then they could line up hosts for each garden. I am going to send back first choice - Tuesdays in July and second - Thursdays in July. (I am suggesting week days; weekend days may have scheduled events in some of the gardens.) The coordinator asked about the number that would be attending. Is 20-30 people, wishful thinking? For input about this garden tour, let me know by Thursday, April 13. Summer Webinars: The committee is working on lining up three summer Webinars; topics may include Urban Tree Selection, Gardening with Youth with Food Corps Staff, and Landscaping to Attract Wildlife.

From the Ground Up (Pam Bracky): From the Ground Up Master Gardeners are visiting classes at Grant Wood Elementary and Echo Hill Elementary in April & March, 7 classrooms totaling about 170 students.

Garden Walk (Beula Dvorak): Plans continue for the Garden Walk 2017. Publicity will begin soon. Garden Hosts and Leads will be meeting on Monday, May 1 for additional planning. A Volunteer Form is included in the May Germinator for MGs & Interns to sign-up to help in a variety of ways. Completed forms are due back in Extension Office on May 26. An all-volunteer meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 27.

Lowe Park Gardens (Phil Pfister/Shelby Foley): The monthly series of Family Gardening For Food and Fun at Lowe Park, kicked off Tuesday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m. This event is scheduled for the third Tuesday of the month, running from April through September. Doug Smith and Steve Bartlett led the discussion on pruning. They covered shrubs, roses, grasses and fruit trees. Ten people took advantage of the session, which ended with rhubarb dream bars and ice tea. The next session will be May 16, starting at 6:30. The subject will be planting trees, and will include planting the new trees for the Lowe Park orchard. Work sessions continue every Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 a.m. to noon, and are open to everyone interested in working in the greenhouse, learning about seeding and transplanting and socializing with people with like interests. In addition to the 14 Master Gardeners who tend the greenhouse, we are averaging around 10 volunteers per work session.

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Newbow City Gardens (Peggy Green): Committee had kickoff meeting and devised our overall plan for the season. Barb Brown will lead the two Saturday education events: preparing the beds April 29 and planting early season vegetables May 6. We'll have regularly scheduled work sessions on Tuesday at 5:30 pm once the season starts. Produce will be donated to local food banks. Joan West will coordinate the watering schedule.

Noelridge Greenhouse (Diane Stevens/Kathy Rhodes): During April, volunteers at Noelridge Greenhouse have been busy transplanting seedlings, propagating, and potting. The hard work getting ready for the annual Easter Showcase and Open House was appreciated by the 1550 plus attendees on Easter weekend. Twenty MG's/Interns volunteered for that weekend event. Preschool tours have been organized and lead by MG Linda Eggleston the last three weeks. March MG volunteer hours=66.3.

Plant Sale (Karen Woeste/Phil Pfister): The Charlene Woeste Plant Sale is Saturday May 20, 2017 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Linn County Extension & Outreach Office parking lot. The volunteer form, Q&A, and guidelines will be sent out the week of the 24. If you need help with transplanting, please contact Karen Woeste (hab319kiowa@gmail.com) Shelly O’Neal (soneal@iastate.edu), or Phil Pfister (ppfister47@gmail.com). If you need containers, please let Phil Pfister know.

Pollinators (Becki Lynch): The Planting for Pollinators Project is very happy to receive the Search for Excellence Award from the Iowa Master Gardeners for 2017. Thanks go to ALL Linn County Master Gardeners who are responsible for a banner "Year of the Pollinator" in 2016. The co-chairs met April 18 to plan the coming year. The Project will be represented at EcoFest April 22 with information and planting pollinator plants for children, as well as a keynote speech on Pollinators, and a plant sale. Presentations will continue in May. A presentation on Planting and Maintaining a Pollinator Garden is being finalized for 2017.

Winter Garden Fair (Phil Pfister/Larry Dawson/Larry Edwards/Sam Krumbholz): Final numbers the 2017 Winter Gardening Fair: 368 people attended with the net revenue to the MG Program of $7,732.93. Many thanks to all the volunteers who worked to make this event a success.

Respectfully submitted, Sam Krumbholz, Secretary

Next Steering Committee Meeting June 6; 6:30 p.m.; Next Executive Meeting May 22,2017; 9:30 a.m.

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.

Linn County Extension Master Gardeners

383 Collins Road NE, Suite 201 • Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

ph (319) 377-9839 • Hortline (319) 447-0647