Iowa State University Extension Master Gardeners

March 2011  
In This Issue
Super Sleuth
March Mystery Plant
Summer Session Set
Search for Excellence
State Advisory Comm.
Vote for a Logo
Online IPM Modules
International MG Conf.
Benefits of Greenery
IPM3 Webinars
Calendar Photos
Milorganite Grants
Seed Donations
Featured MG Project
Upcoming Events
Quick Links
Join Our List

Join Our Mailing List


Find us on Facebook

New MG Logo


March 2013     Volume 4     No. 3
Super Sleuth

The February mystery plant was correctly identified by many of you. The first to respond with the correct answer was Marlys Anderson from Marion County, quickly followed by Barbara Hans from Polk County and Carol Geib from Wapello County (both of whom also knew that it is the Perennial Plant Association Plant of the Year for 2013). The correct identity of the plant is Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum', variegated Solomon's seal.

            This shade-loving perennial bears fragrant (thus the "odoratum" part of its name) white blossoms in spring in leaf axils on arching 3-foot-tall stems. Leaves are streaked with white, primarily around the margins. The plant gradually increases to form a large clump, but is not an aggressive spreader. If you have a shady site that needs perking up, consider planting this tough beauty.

 

Denny Schrock
State Master Gardener Coordinator
 
 FebMysteryPlant Featured Plant
from February


Variegated Solomon's seal
March Mystery Plant
What am I?
To become our Super Sleuth for this month, be the first to correctly identify this spring-flowering shrub both by its common and botanical name in your reply to Denny.
 

MarchMysteryPlant      

Master Gardener Summer Session Set

Save the Date

Dates have been set for the 2013 Master Gardener Summer Session. This year we will be meeting in Central Iowa, in and around the Ames campus on Friday July 12 and Saturday July 13. Friday evening we'll meet at Reiman Gardens for a dinner at which we'll recognize outstanding Master Gardeners from around Iowa and the projects that they have worked on. (See the following article on Search for Excellence applications.)  

 

On Saturday we'll start the day at the Iowa Arboretum near Luther then move to the Horticulture Research Farm at Gilbert for an update on several research projects run by faculty in the Horticulture Department. After lunch and more tour stops at the Hort Research Farm, we'll return to Reiman Gardens for a more thorough look at the indoor and outdoor displays there. Details will follow in future newsletters, but be sure to reserve these dates on your calendar now. SummerSession2012

Search for Excellence Awards

Tell Us Your Success Stories  New MG Logo

 

Applications are now being taken for the 2013 Iowa Master Gardener Search for Excellence Awards. We know that many of you are involved in noteworthy projects, but we don't always hear about them. Here's your chance to let others know what you're working on. As a guideline, consider the following categories for submission:

Demonstration garden

Youth  

Workshop or presentation

Community Service

Innovative Project

Special Needs Audience

Research (applied scientific methodology)


Application forms are available on the "For Staff" page of the Master Gardener website or the Master Gardener coordinator Wiggio group. (Your local coordinator can access the site and download the application for you.) Or request an application and have your coordinator submit it by April 1, 2013 to Denny Schrock
at the state Master Gardener office. Please limit the application to 3 pages and up to 5 supporting images. Members of the State Master Gardener Advisory Committee will review applications and make selections at their April meeting. Awards will be presented at the Master Gardener Summer Session dinner on Friday evening July 12.

    

Advisory Committee to Meet

The State Master Gardener Advisory Committee will be meeting on campus on April 12. Each area of the state has one Master Gardener and one Extension staff member representative. You may contact your representatives with items that you would like the committee to consider.  

Committee members and the year that their current term expires are listed here:

Northeast - Gary Whittenbaugh - Vice-Chair (MG,

Fayette County, 2013); Michelle Kenyon Brown (staff, Linn County, 2014)

Southeast - Jeri Bailey (MG, Wappello County, 2015); Duane Gissell (staff, Scott County, 2014)
Southwest - Cathy Booth (MG, Cass County, 2013); Denise Fikes (staff, Mills County, 2015)
Northwest -Julie Koster (MG, Sioux County, 2015); Margaret Murphy (staff, Sioux/O'Brien/Lyon/Osceola Counties, 2013)
Central - Megan Will - Chairperson (MG, Dallas County, 2014); Suzette Striegel - Secretary (staff, Mahaska County, 2015)

 

Help Us Choose a Logo

Vote for the Upper Midwest MG Conference Logo 
LogoChoices
The Upper Midwest Master Gardener Conference is set for June 25-28, 2014 in Davenport. An excellent team of Scott County Master Gardeners, led by Linda Kuffer, is serving as the steering committee. The theme for the conference is "Growing Along the River". The steering committee has come up with a couple of options for the conference logo, and you have a chance to weigh in with your preference. Cast your vote for your favorite here. Or go to the Master Gardener home page and click on the logos. Voting will be available through April 1.
Illinois IPM Modules Online

University of Illinois Extension currently has 8 free IPM modules online for Master Gardener continuing education. The topics are: bacterial leaf scorch, brown marmorated stink bug, sudden oak death, thousand canker disease, spruce problems, downy mildew on basil and impatiens, emerald ash borer, and bur oak blight. The modules include information and pictures of the pathogen or pest, host plants, symptoms, diagnosis, and management strategies.  

 

Participants must create a login and password to access the modules. After studying the material presented in the module, participants take a short quiz. They must repeat the quiz until they receive a perfect score and then they are directed to an online evaluation of the module. When finished, the participant is able to print out a certificate, which validates their completion of the module. Each module takes about ½ hour to complete. Check with your local coordinator in Iowa to get approval for Master Gardener continuing education credits (½ hour for each segment) for completion of these IPM course modules.

 

To access the modules go to: http://mg.cropsci.illinois.edu/ 

 

pink impatiens

International Master Gardener Conference

Alaska Flowers, Fjords & Friends 

Join nearly 1000 other Master Gardeners from around the U.S. and Canada at the 2013 International Master Gardener Conference, which will be held September 7-14, aboard an Alaskan cruise ship. If you go, you'll need to register for the conference and book your stay on the ship at the conference website

AlaskaIMGConfLogo 
Greenery Benefits Children with ADHD
Health Benefits from Plants

Research at the Landscape and Human Health Lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has shown that performing activities in green settings can reduce children's Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms.

 

In a nationwide survey, parents rated leisure activities--such as reading or playing sports--as improving children's symptoms more when performed in green outdoor settings than in non-green settings. A more recent study tested children with ADHD in a controlled setting after they had walked in one of three environments that differed from one another in the level of greenery: a park, a neighborhood and a quiet downtown area. The findings confirmed that the attention of children with ADHD functions better after spending time in more natural settings.

 

ADHD affects up to 7 percent of children. Those afflicted have chronic difficulty paying attention and focusing on tasks and can be impulsive, outburst-prone and sometimes aggressive. These behaviors often result in family conflict, peer rejection and academic failure. The current treatments of drugs and behavioral therapy do not work in all cases and in many cases offer only limited relief, said Frances Kuo, director of the Landscape and Human Health Lab.

 

"These research findings suggest adding trees and greenery where children spend a lot of time, such as near homes and schools, and encouraging kids with ADHD to play in green spaces may help supplement established treatments to improve children's functioning," she said.

 
AmericanElm
IPM3 Webinars

Starting now and continuing through June 30, 2013, all IPM3 courses can be taken at a time that you select. You can register at www.umn.edu/ipm3 and IPM3 will contact you to arrange a start/stop date for the course(s) that will be customized to meet your individual needs. Beginning July 1, 2013, IPM3 will be ending its current tuition discount program. Register now to combine scheduling flexibility with a 33% tuition discount. Program details, course outlines, cost, and registration information are available at www.umn.edu/ipm3.
Master Gardener Calendar Submissions

2013 calendar
Are you a photography buff? Each year the Iowa State University Extension & Outreach Calendar is based on a theme. For 2015 the theme will be garden whimsy. As you're out and about this year, if you see and photograph images that fit the garden whimsy theme, we'd be interested in seeing them for consideration for inclusion in the 2015 calendar. Minimum quality standards for the photos are: 300 d.p.i. for a 9 x 12 inches landscape orientation. Images may be jpg or tiff format. Deadline for submission of images will be March 1, 2014. That gives you plenty of time to create and photograph some fabulously fun garden art.

 

Please email your entries to Cindy or Denny or mail a DVD or jump drive containing the high-res images to us at 106 Horticulture Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011. Photographers will be credited in the calendar, but there is no monetary compensation for selected images.

Milorganite Community Garden Grants

Share your community garden's story and the garden could receive a one-year supply (56 bags) of Milorganite organic nitrogen fertilizer. Five community gardens will be selected as winners.

 

Visit Milorganite.com for details and the application form. All entries must be submitted by April 15th, 2013.

 

For more details call Erin Haubert at (800) 287-9645 ext. 6814.

Select Seeds Donates to Master Gardener Projects

Select Seeds, a company that specializes in heirloom open-pollinated flower seeds, donates leftover seeds to 4-H Clubs, Master Gardener Programs, Cooperative Extension activities, and schools all over the country. To request seeds for your projects write to them on Extension letterhead and tell them about your project and how they can help!

Send your requests to:

Select Seeds, 180 Stickney Hill Rd., Union, CT 06076, 800-684-0395.

SelectSeedsCatalog  

Featured Master Gardener Project

Cerro Gordo County Master Gardeners staffed a booth at the North Iowa Home Improvement and Landscaping Show. The educational topic this year was "pruning".  A team of 20 Master Gardeners volunteered at the booth throughout the weekend event. As you can see, the Iowa Master Gardener and ISU Extension & Outreach logos were prominently displayed!

CerroGordoHomeShow  

Upcoming Events

What: Siouxland Garden Show

When: Fri.-Sun., March 22-24

Where: Sioux City Convention Center

 Who: Woodbury County Extension

Price: $5 per day; siouxlandgardenshow.org 

 

What: West Pottawattamie Master Gardener Spring Conf.

When: Saturday, March 30, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Where: Council Bluffs Senior Center 

Who: West Pottawattamie County Extension Master Gardeners  

Price: $30 registration by March 22; $35 thereafter; call 712-366-7070 

 

What: Creative Gardening Series

When: Tues., Apr. 2, Apr. 9, Apr. 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Hall Room 234 Who: Linn County Master Gardeners 

Price: Free; no registration required  

 

What: Scott County Master Gardener Container Garden Sale

When: Order deadline, Tues., Apr. 2

Where: Scott County Extension Office 

Who: Scott County Master Gardeners 

Price: $25; call 563-359-7577

 

What: Spring Garden Classes

When: Thurs., Apr. 4, Apr. 11, May 2, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Where: Ely Public Library, Ely, IA  

Who: Linn County Master Gardeners 

Price: Free   

 

What: Knoxville Federated Garden Club Garden Gala

When: Sat. Apr. 6

Where: Knoxville Fairgrounds

Who: Federated Garden Clubs 

Price: $35 preregistration by March 22; call 641-842-2014

 

When: Sat. Apr. 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.  

 

Where: Iowa Arboretum

Who: Iowa Arboretum  

Price: early registration through March 29

 

What: Pocahontas Garden Show

When: Sat. Apr. 13, 10:00a.m-3:00 p.m.

Where: Pocahontas Expo Center, Pocahontas, IA 

Who: Pocahontas County Master Gardeners 

Price: $3

 

What: Spring Gardening Classes

When: Wed. Apr. 17, Apr. 24, May 1, May 8, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Where: Marion Public Library, Marion, IA 

Who: Linn County Master Gardeners 

Price: Free

 

What: Celebrate Spring Extravaganza 

When: Saturday May 11 

Where: First Lutheran Church, Belle Plain, IA 

Who: Brenton County Master Gardeners

Price: $15 by May 3; $20 thereafter 

 

What: Story County Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale 

When: Saturday May 11

Where: Reiman Gardens Maintenance Building, Ames, IA

Who: Story County Master Gardeners 

Price: Free admission to sale 

 

Do you have another educational opportunity coming up? Email Cindy or Denny with details. Thanks. 

Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University
Header image credit: Dr. Cynthia Haynes, Department of Horticulture, ISU
Other images credit: Dr. Denny Schrock, Department of Horticulture, ISU