Plant a Row for the Hungry - Mid-Iowa Gardeners

1. Horticulture
Happenings
An Iowa State University Extension Newsletter for Mid-Iowa Gardeners
Spring 2007 - Vol. 4, No. 1
It’s Back? – Spring - When!
In This Issue: Yes ! I think it may pruning care in the past - a too
At our last Mid-Iowa
be safe to say – drastic pruning job could be fatal.
Horticulture Council,
Spring is almost here Overgrowth should be pruned
Events Calendar.......…p. 2 John Eveland, the
once again! annually - in stages - to achieve
County Extension proper recommendations.
Recipe Corner……......p. 2 Education Director
Many of you will be For best results, as in most other
for Humboldt County
participating in plant types of pruning, do not remove
Dividing Perennials in and Leroy Jensen,
sales or exchanges more than ⅓ of live growth at one
Spring……………….....p. 2 this spring. Now is the County
the Wright time to time.
Extension Education plants that may
think about which Director, (isn’t
that a nifty tie to horticulture as theyto
need dividing that you may want But why prune you may ask?
Meet the MG are CEEDS (seeds?:), hadthe article
share. Be sure to read an idea. Proper pruning will promote larger,
Interns …………….......p. 3 on page 2 for some division ideas. quality flowers & healthier foliage.
Okay-maybe you don’t appreciate
my humor, but I do think you will Well, with spring just around the
Awards Night Now if this snow ever melts, we
appreciate their idea to compile a corner, why not consider Planting a
will be able to walk around in our
Potluck Held…………. p. 4 listing of area Master Gardeners Row for the Hungry this year?
gardens! Late March is the time to
with specialties in such topics as Many Mid-Iowa gardeners are
clean out those bluebird houses
vegetables, lawn care, flowers, fruit, participating as to celebrate ISU’s
Plant a Row and prune back some types of
houseplants, water gardens, etc. 150th Sesquicentennial. More on
For the Hungry….…….p. 4 clematis. Did you know that there
This will allow people with this program is found on p. 4.
are different types of clematis,
horticultural questions to be given
each with their own best time to
Corinth Red Stars the name of a Master Gardener with ”Happy Days”* will soon be here!
prune? You can discover more on
Workshop………..…….p.5 expertise in that area to contact with
clematis at:
specific horticultural questions. Yvonne Nilles, ISUE Horticulturalist
www.extension.iastate.edu/Publica
tions/RG307.pdf
This will be a great opportunity to be *For a gardener (and farmers) this
able to chat with someone “who has
The robin in the photo above seems An important point to remember means being outside working in
and done that” for valuable hands-
to be waiting for Spring… when pruning old, established the dirt… Whoops - I meant to say
on, experienced
plants which have not had correct SOIL!!
Hardin County Master Gardener
Marsha Roland of Alden snapped this
shot of robin red breast sitting outside Mid-Iowa MG’s to meet in
her door.
Wright County
The Mid-Iowa Master Gardeners will
be meeting on Tuesday, April 3, at
Wright Co. ISU Extension Office in
Clarion at 6:30 p.m. to carpool for a
garden tour in Kanawha.
Jan Libbey, owner One Step at a
Extension programs are available to all Time Gardens, will give us a tour of
without regard to race, color, national her gardens and discuss CSA
origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.
gardening. All area Master
Gardeners are invited to attend.

2. MID-IOWA AREA Dividing Herbaceous RECIPE CORNER
HORTICULTURE Perennials in Spring
by Richard Jauron, ISU Horticulture Dept.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Perennials are divided to contain
Mar 14&15…Shade Tree Shortcourse their size, to rejuvenate declining Apple Streusel Pumpkin
$150 registration - ISU, Ames plants, and to propagate prized Muffins
perennials. Vigorous perennials may 2 ½ c. flour
Mar 16….Emerald Ash Borer Webcast grow so rapidly that they crowd out 2 c. sugar
9 – 11:30 am, Free to Public neighboring plants in the flower bed. 1 tsp. baking soda
Hamilton Co. Extension Off. In contrast, the performance of some 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
perennials begins to decline after a 1/2 tsp. salt
Mar 17…Spring Garden Seminar number of years. One of the easiest 2 eggs, beaten
9:00 – Noon, ICCC, Ft Dodge ways to propagate a prized perennial 1 c. canned or fresh pumpkin pur'eed
1/2 c. vegetable oil
is to divide the plant into two or more
2 c. finely chopped apples
Mar 17…Home & Garden Show smaller plants.
Hamilton Co. Fairgrounds, WC Combine flour, sugar, baking soda,
The best time to divide perennials pumpkin pie spice & salt. In another
Mar 20....Fort Dodge Fed Garden Club varies with the different plant bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin filling & oil;
Izaac Walton, 1 pm. Program: species. Early spring is an excellent stir just until blended. Add apples; blend
“Landscaping Knowledge” by time to divide the following perennial well. Add to dry ingredients, stir just until
Brian Dreith, Mar Jo’s Flowers moistened.
plants.
Mar 21….Spring Arrives! Spoon batter into 24 prepared muffin
• Aster (Aster species) tins, filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle with streusel
Mar 24...Growing Roses in Iowa, 3 pm • Astilbe (Astilbe species) topping:
Home & Garden Show-Ft Dodge • Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
Streusel topping
• Bellflower (Campanula spp) 2 Tbsp. flour
Mar 28...Town & Country Garden Club • Blanket Flower (Gaillardia ) 1/4 c. sugar
Program: New for Spring 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
7 pm at Trinity Lutheran, WC • Blazing Star (Liatris species)
4 tsp. butter
• Catmint (Nepeta species) Combine flour, sugar & cinnamon. Cut
Apr 3…Mid-Iowa Master Gardeners • Chrysanthemum in butter: mix until coarse and crumbly.
6:30 pm, Wright Co. ISU • Coneflower
Ext. Office. Program: “CSA Bake at 350º for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Coral Bells (Heuchera ssp) Test for doneness with toothpick.
Garden Tour” by Jan Libbey
Meet & carpool to Jan’s garden • Coreopsis
Remove from oven & cool completely
• Cornflower (Centaurea spp) before removing from muffin tin.
Apr 5…..Ft. Dodge Area Gardeners • Daylily
7 pm, Webster Co. Extension • Ferns -from Sara Thill, Webster County MG
Apr 12….’Sitting Pretty’ Contest/ • Goatsbeard (Aruncus spp)
Container Garden Workshop • Gooseneck Loosestrife
Hamilton Co. Ext. Office • Hardy Geranium WILLOW TRELLIS PROGRAM
6:30 pm - 1st Prize - $100 • Hardy Zinnia The Town & Country Garden Club
• Hosta (Hosta species) met at the Hamilton County ISU
Apr 24…Landscape Design Workshop Extension Office in Webster City on
Wright Co. ISU Extension Office • Meadowsweet (Filipendula) Feb. 28. Garden Club member
6:30 pm • Obedient Plant Richard Carlson gave an informative
• Ornamental Grasses program on making Willow Trellis.
For further details on these events,
call 515-832-9597 • Perennial Salvia
• Phlox, Garden
Please submit your events to: • Shasta Daisy
Horticulture Happenings • Speedwell (Veronica spp)
311 Bank Street • Spiderwort (Tradescantia)
Webster City, IA 50595-2303 • Stonecrop (Sedum species)
Phone: 515-832-9597 • Wormwood (Artemisia )
Fax: 515-832-9599
• Yarrow (Achillea species)
Or
E-mail: ynilles@iastate.edu 2

3. Meet the 2006 Mid-Iowa Master Gardener Interns…
From Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt,
Webster & Wright counties
The Mid-Iowa Master Gardner training of 2006 was attended by of 24
student trainees. These students completed 40 hours of training by ISU
professors & staff, and in return, will offer 40 hours of volunteer service to
their communities to become certified Iowa Master Gardeners. The new
Interns who completed 40 hours of training are:
Hamilton County Interns Hamilton County:
L-R: Sharon Villier, Berniece Hostetler, Deb Rohlfs, Jane Adams, Pat
Kesler of Webster City; and Renee Mosbach, Stanhope. Not pictured:
Lynn Flowerday, Webster City.
Hardin County:
L-R: Rita Kaufman, Hampton; Connie Rameyer, Ackley; Ray Klemme,
Hubbard; Judy Olberding and Clara Monson, both of Iowa Falls; with Dr.
Donald Lewis, ISU Entomologist.
Wright County:
L-R: DeAnne Wyllie, Clarion; Monica Halverson, Belmond;
and Rhonda Thompson, Eagle Grove.
Hardin Co. Interns Lewis
Webster County:
L-R: Judy Touney, Fort Dodge; Becky Geisler, Callendar;
Lisa Zigrang, Dayton; and Kathy Geisler, Gowrie.
L
L
Wright Co. Interns
Do you need a Master
Gardener’s advice?
These Interns are Webster Co. Interns
waiting for your call!
Humboldt County Interns
Humboldt County:
L-R: Susan & Gary Flurer; Donna Day;
and Wendy Lensing, all of Humboldt.
Thank you Interns, for all the many hours of volunteer service you will provide!
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“ZZZZZZZZ”, by Dean Shipp
3

4. Mid-Iowa Master Gardener Awards Night held in
Fort Dodge …
Mid-Iowa Master Gardeners, Interns and guests enjoyed a potluck of delicious
appetizers at their annual Awards Night held March 6, 2007 at the Webster County
Extension Office.
A video explaining the Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign was Humboldt County
shown and awards were presented following the dinner. MG’s are excited
to be planning
Loretta Daisy, pictured at their 1st annual
left, of Lake City, has now Open Class
graduated. She has Horticulture Show
received her Iowa Master for their fair to be
Gardener Certification held Aug.4, 2007!
following the completion of
over 40 hours of volunteer
service in Webster County!
Congratulations Loretta!
Loretta Daisy was presented
with a pin, name badge and L-R: Wendy Lensing, Humboldt;
Master Gardener certificate. Susan Owen, Gilmore City; Doyle
Darnall and LeRoy & Jan
Jorgensen, all of Humboldt.
Giving from the Garden …
Plant a Row for the Hungry
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 25 million people,
including 9.9 million children, have substandard diets or must resort to seeking
emergency food because they cannot always afford the food they need.
In the past year, the demand for hunger
assistance has increased by 40%, and research
shows that hundreds of hungry children and
adults are turned away from food banks each year
because of lack of resources. Planting a Row for
the Hungry allows area gardeners to contribute
their extra garden produce to this effort.
Hamilton Co. Master Gardener Free seeds were made available for participating
Sherry Lambi, left, will head up gardeners. For further information on the Plant a
the local Plant a Row campaign. Row for the Hungry program, contact your local
Also shown are Diane Madoerin ISU Extension Office. Limited supplies of free
and Leo Lambi, all of Webster seeds are still available – call 515-832-9597 for
City. further information.
Renee Mosbach, Stanhope & Pat
Kesler, Webster City selecting seeds.
4

5. Corinth Red Stars 4-H Club holds Corsage Workshop
A corsage workshop was held on March 4, at the Humboldt County ISU
Extension Office. These 4-Her's are planning to use their newly acquired
corsage making skills in order to prepare corsages for local nursing home
residents.
Enjoy this “Corsage Collage” of the day’s events!
Fun was had by all…
…during this hands-on learning activity!
If you have a community group or club that would like to hold a Corsage Workshop,
call your ISU Extension Horticulturalist at (515) 832-9597.
Not on the Horticulture Happenings mailing list?
Contact Yvonne Nilles at ynilles@iastate.edu or
call 515-832-9597
to have your name added to our mailing list!
5