105 Horticulture Hall, Ames, IA 50011
Iowa Master Gardener Program
Questions?James
Romer |
News Update June 1, 2007
Announcements and news for ISU Extension staff, Master Gardeners, and faculty IN THIS ISSUE
NATIVE PLANTS WORKSHOP JUNE 15 Come one come all June 15 to the native plants workshop located at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge. Enjoy programs in the morning from Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge Research Biologist Pauline Drobney and Urban Conservationist Jennifer Welch. There will also be a guided tour of the Refuge in the afternoon. Lunch will be catered by BT-BAR-B-QUE. Pauline will give an overview of the botany of plants that are native to Iowa with a focus on learning how to identify plants used in tallgrass prairie and savanna sites. As a research biologist at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, Pauline Drobney directs and develops programs showcasing tallgrass prairie and savanna research and management. She has a master's degree in biology and bachelor's degrees in biology and art from the University of Northern Iowa. Jennifer will show the importance of incorporating native plants into the urban landscape in ways that help protect water quality and beautify our communities. Native plants will be shown in gardens, landscaping, rain gardens, and as turfgrass to highlight the ways they can work to improve urban areas. Jennifer Welch is an urban conservationist with Urban Resources & Borderland Alliance Network (URBAN), serving four Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD). The mission of URBAN is to improve water quality and natural resource conservation in urban and developing areas by providing education, information and technical assistance to governmental units, the development community and citizens in central Iowa. She also is co-founder of the Iowa Storm Water Education Program (ISWEP) a membership organization that provides storm water educational resources and leadership to cities across Iowa. Jennifer is a certified professional in erosion and sediment control (CPESC). She has an undergraduate degree in agronomy and a graduate degree in water resources from Iowa State University. To access the registration form, visit the link below. Forms will also be coming to county offices early next week. http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/MG71.pdf GRIFFITH BUCK'S ROSES CONSIDERED AMONG THE BEST Former horticulture Professor Griffith Buck's roses have received much acclaim lately from several sources. Reader's Digest judged his Carefree Beauty the "best carefree rose" as part of its Best of America 2007 collection published in the May 2007 issue. The shrub rose was introduced in 1977, and was named rose of the year in 2006 by Texas A&M University's Earth-Kind program, according to the article. The June 2007 issue of Midwest Living magazine contains an article, "Roses Made Easy", about Knock Out and Earth Kind roses that mentions Buck and Reiman Gardens. The May 2007 issue of the nationally distributed Horticulture magazine has a three-page story about Reiman Gardens and Buck roses. It's titled "Open to the Public: Reiman Gardens" and the subtitle is, "In Ames, Iowa, everything is coming up roses." Buck was at ISU from 1948 to 1985 where he hybridized nearly 90 rose varieties. HOME DEMONSTRATION GARDEN FIELD DAYS Gardening with plants that prefer the cool season is great! What is a cool season crop, you ask? In Iowa, a cool-season crop is defined as a plant that performs best during the cool weather of spring and fall. Cool season crops can withstand light frosts and cool soil temperatures, but are often intolerant of high summer temperatures. There are many reasons to love planting, tending and harvesting a cool season garden. Plants can be planted earlier, so we don't have to be so patient and wait until the last frost. The plants themselves are quick, too -- often producing harvestable yields before the weather turns blistering hot. Cool season plants also offer a wide variety of colorful produce. This year's Iowa State University Extension Home Demonstration Garden will feature the many hues of lettuce, collards, spinach mustard, chard, kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, carrots, radishes, peas, pansies and dianthus. The selected cultivars for the garden will take you past cool green colors through vibrant purples, oranges, yellows and whites that will illuminate anyone's patch of earth. Field Days Iowa State University Horticulture Extension and the ISU Research Farms will host Field Days for the public to tour one of the many Home Demonstration Gardens on display. The Field Days schedule will be: Research Farm City/Town Field Date Time Muscatine Island Fruitland June 12 6:30 p.m. Armstrong Lewis June 13 6:30 p.m. McNay Chariton June 14 6:30 p.m. Horticulture Farm Gilbert June 18 6:30 p.m. Northern Kanawha June 25 6:30 p.m. Northwest Sutherland June 27 6:30 p.m. Northeast Nashua June 28 6:30 p.m. So even if you didn't get the chance to plant your own cool season garden this year, come check out ours! For more information, contact Cynthia Haynes, Horticulture, (515) 294-4006,at chaynes@iaste.edu "Garden Gems in June" is a garden walk around Ames featuring seven master gardener's yards. The garden walk is Saturday, June 9 from nine AM to one PM. The tickets are seven dollars and will be available at each of the gardens on the day of the walk. The Story County Master Gardener Association is introducing "Garden Gems in June" as a new event in 2007 to educate interested gardeners on home gardening and to showcase the different style gardens that can be designed for specific gardening conditions and gardener's style. Tickets will be available at each garden the day of the garden walk. For additional information please contact Craig Seymour, 515.233.2636, or any of your garden master neighbors. In case if rain the gardens will be open on July 10 from eleven AM to three PM. EXTRAORDINARY GARDENS BY ORDINARY PEOPLE The Polk County Master Gardeners "Extraordinary Gardens by Ordinary People" tour is coming up. The tour is from 9 to 4 on June 23 and tickets include a map of all eight gardens. Tickets will be available soon at the Polk County Extension Office or several local garden centers. Master Gardeners and all garden lovers mark your calendar and save the date!! Dr. Donald Lewis, ISU extension entomologist, will be the featured speaker Saturday, June 23 at Reiman Gardens. The Story County Master Gardeners' Association, in cooperation with Reiman Gardens, is introducing Master Gardeners' Presents, a new adult education series on gardening ideas, advice and workshops. "These are Some of My Favorite Insects" by Dr. Lewis is the first in a four part series, "Water, Weeds, and Winged Things". Topics on water management concepts and tips to help gardeners better understand insects and their control will be discussed. A game of "Weed or No Weed" will help define weeds and systems for control. Each session qualifies for master gardeners' education credits and is open to the public. The June 23rd session will be from 9 a.m. to noon, check-in starting at 8:30 a.m. Registration is $15 for each attendee and includes admission to the Gardens. Future education programs will be held in August, September and October. To register call Reiman Gardens at 515-294-2710. Celebrate the dedication of the re-planting of the Jones' Rose Garden Saturday, June 16, 10:00 a.m. at Reiman Gardens. The garden is one of the first rose gardens in the country that is designed and planted using sustainable concepts and practices. Paul and Helen Jones were long time Ames residents and Helen loved roses. When Helen passed away, Paul and her family established the Helen Latch Jones Garden in her memory. The garden now honors the memory of both Paul and Helen. Simply put, there will be no Update for the next two weeks. Look for the next exciting issue June 22! Master Gardener Update is robustly published Friday by the Iowa Master Gardener Coordinator. Please send your news via email to James Romer. For questions, call (515) 294-2336.
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Iowa Master Gardener Program, 105 Horticulture Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.
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