/ February 2008 March 2015

Another Successful Ready, Set, Grow…Winter Garden Seminar!

With well over 160 people in attendance (when one would count vendors, etc.) the event was another success story for the Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Association (ECAMGA). The whole day was characterized by educational nature of the event with plenty of things to learn about, see and experience. The meal was delicious and the vendors had many new and interesting products to look at, envision in our gardens, and purchase. From Erin’s reading of the “Love and the Lady Fox” by the Foxy Lady from the February ECAMGA newsletter to Phil Pellitteri and his bugs to the 4-Hers and their seeds, it was an interesting and eventful day. Below are some of the pictures that capture just some of what the event was all about.

Erin LaFaive welcoming guests. (Photo by Dana Cox)

Keynote Speaker, Phil Pelletteri. (Photo by Dana Cox)

Above - Faye from Fryszki’s Garden Center. Below – Registration. (Photos by Jo-Ann Clark)

INSIDE: Local Master Gardener News - 2 Upcoming Events – 3 Bits and Pieces - 6

Continued pg. 7

Page 2 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener New March 2015

Local Master Gardener News

NOTE: The ECAMGA Board minutes no longer appears in the newsletter. You may access them by going to the website at

eauclairemastergardeners.weebly.com

Changing e-mail? Moving? If you do, please remember to notify the ECAMG and the newsletter editor of your new e-mail address and/or mailing address so you don’t miss any Eau Claire Area Master Gardener happenings! Email you’re new Information to Carol Cox at c7w6c2200@charter.net Or notify her by snail mail at 1908 Hogeboom Ave., Eau Claire, WI 54701 (or call her at 715-861-4495).

ECAMGA Board ECAMGA BOARD MEMBER CONTACT INFO

NAME/TITLE E-mail address Phone number

Erin LaFaive Erin.lafaive@ces.uwex.edu 715-839-4712

Cindy Ferver cferver@charter.net 715-606-0006 715-514-1544

Gary Mathis Garym5811@live.com 715-878-4031

Ede Strand edestrand@aol.com 715-8326775

Amy Boetcher myamybird@aol.com 715-577-9085

Deb Spickler

Nancy Spak nancyspak@gmail.com 715-835-6546

Nina Logan ninalogan@centurylink.net 715-878-4585

Lori Kempen lorikempen@charter.net 715-832-8088

MGV

Bulletin Board Postings Stories and Opportunities!!!! Bulletin Board Postings

Educational Opportunity Make and Take Workshop

March 17th - UW-Extension Office in Altoona

Nancy Spak, Master Gardener and owner of Azure Glass Studio will be doing a "hands on" workshop on stained glass wind chimes at 6:30 p.m. This is a chance to build your own wind chimes using stained glass and beads. The cost for the workshop is $21. Class size is limited to 30 people so reserve a spot by contacting the UW-Extension Office at 715-839-4712. The event is open to the public so bring a friend.

ECAMGA 2015

Calendar All meetings at UW-Extension Office unless otherwise noted

March 9, 2015: at 6:30 p.m. ECAMGA invited by ECGC to presentation by Rick Rock, at 1st Baptist, 416 Niagra St. (details pg. 5). March 17, 2015 – “make and take” workshop – see article to the left. March 22, 2015 – Invited by N. WI Hosta Society to presentation by Christian Cole/DNR. 1:30 at May’s Greenhouse. April 21, 2015 – at 6:30 p.m. Patty Marten (Green Oasis Gardens) - “Introducing New Annuals, Perennials, Trees and Shrubs for 2015.” UW-Extension Office/Altoona. May, June and July 2015 – TBA July 31 – August 1, 2015 – WIMGA Annual Conference, La Crosse, WI August 2015 – Annual Plant

Sale at the Expo Center September 2015 – TBA September 30, 2015 – Volunteer

hours due in October & November 2015 – TBA December 2015 – Annual Potluck and Election of Officers

Thanks to those Master Gardeners who helped make our Winter Garden Seminar another great success. We on the committee could not have done it without you. Every year you, your spouses and families have come forward to help set up tables, greet guests and vendors, and make the task fun as well. Also we would like to thank the Chippewa Valley Technical College for their efforts to make our event a success. Their office schedule planners, the printing department, the janitor service, tech support, the chef and the kitchen personnel all were kind and helpful. We look forward to seeing you all again next year. !

Garden Seminar Planning Committee.

Page 3 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener News March 2015

Upcoming Events

Page 4 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener News March 2015

Managing Wetlands

The Eau Claire Area Master Gardeners in conjunction with the Prairie Enthusiasts Chippewa Chapter will be sponsoring a presentation on “Managing Wetlands and Wet Spots in the Garden.” This presentation will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the L.E. Phillips Library either in late March or early April. Speakers for the event are Tracy Hames, Director of Wisconsin Wetlands Association, speaking on ”Ephemeral Wetlands and the Value of Wet Spots,” and Dr. Mandy Little from UW Stout. Dr. Little will be presenting on “Native Plants to Foster in Those Wet Spots and Which Plants to Avoid. In addition, Dr Jim Church will be talking about the value of wetlands in our environment. An email will be sent out on the details at a later date.

Garden “U” - SCVMGA's Spring Conference – Saturday, March 21, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Hudson House Grand Hotel (1616 Crest View Dr., Hudson, WI)

Speakers are: Lisa Wolff, Herbalist speaking on “Herbal First Aid;” Lee E. Frelich, UW-MN, speaking on “Climate Change and Forests;” and Janna Jonely, Prairie Restorations, Inc., speaking on “Need for Prairie Restoration.”

Cost is $30, which includes lunch on site (Make checks payable to SCVMGA and mail to SCVMGA – Barrette, 1358 Cty. Rd. V, Houlton, WI 54082). For more information phone 715-549-6438 or email stcroixvlymga@pressenter.com.

Spring Expo

Saturday March 28, 2015

WITC Conference Center (1900 College Dr) Rice Lake, WI 8:30 am – 2:30 pm

!Keynote'Speaker,'Jeff'Epping,'Director!of!Horticulture!for!

Olbrich!Botanical!Gardens!in!Madison!speaking!on!“Creating'Spectacular'Container'Gardens”!and!“Sustainable'Gardens:'

Design'and'Plants'for'a'Greener'Garden.”!!

Other!speakers!are:!!Brian'Hudelson,'Director!of!the!University!of!WICMadison’s!Plant!Disease!Diagnostics!Clinic!will!be!speaking!on!”Double'Trouble:'Diseases'in'the'Vegetable'and'Herbaceous'Ornamental'Garden.”!

And!Linda'Degner'from!Bashaw!Valley!Farm!and!Greenhouse!

will!be!speaking!on'“Tried'and'True'and'Maybe'New'Vegetables.”!

!The!cost!is!$30!per!person.!This!includes!continental!breakfast,!regular!and!vegetarian!lasagna!lunch,!and!afternoon!coffee.!Tickets!at!the!door!will!be!$35!and!lunch!cannot!be!guaranteed.!Please!mail!in!or!drop!off!your!form!and!payment!at!the!Extension!office!at:!335!E.!Monroe!Ave.,!Room!2206,!Barron,!WI!54812C1540!before!the!end!of!the!day:!Friday,'March'20,'2015'!Checks!should!be!made!out!to:!BCMG.''!

'''''''''''' ' ' OR''

Register!online!at!http://barron.uwex.edu!.!!Use!Visa,!Master!Card,!or!eCheck.!A!modest!fee!will!be!charged!for!online!payment,!or!you!may!register!online!and!send!a!check!to!the!address!above.!You!will!not!be!registered!until!your!check!has!been!received.!!If!you!have!questions!you!may!call!715C537C6250.!!!

Page 5 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener News March 2015

Invitation From The Eau Claire Garden Club… The Eau Claire Garden Club would like to invite the Eau Claire Master Gardeners to a seminar on March 9th at 6:30pm at the First Baptist Church, 416 Niagara St., Eau Claire. Our speaker will be Rick Rock of Rock Landscaping and Gardens, Baldwin. Rick will be speaking on designing with hostas, shade gardens and shade garden plants. His nursery has hundreds of hostas, various perennials, conifers and ornamental trees. Her focus is on plants, trees, shrubs and conifers that perform admirably with little or no care. Please join us for an informative evening and some camaraderie between garden clubs.

ART IN BLOOM BUS TOUR MAY 1, 2015

The Eau Claire Garden Club (ECGC) is sponsoring a bus trip to ART IN BLOOM at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA), Como Park Conservatory, and Bachman’s Greenhouse. Join the ECGC as they travel to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to enjoy the 32nd annual ART IN BLOOM where you will enter a world of timeless art and fresh flowers. Delight in over 150 floral arrangements designed to interpret pieces of art from the MIA’s permanent collection. Afterwards there will be a stop at Como Park Conservatory and Bachman’s, a premier garden center. Cost: $35 (includes coach bus, driver tip, and miscellaneous – lunch on your own at MIA’s AGRA Culture dining area). Make checks payable to Sharon Daniels and send to 10606 24th Ave., Eau Claire, WI 54703 The bus will leave the Target parking lot in Eau Claire at 7:30 a.m. sharp and return about 7:45 p.m.

VALENTINE’S DAY – Did You Know? Did you get a floral bouquet for Valentine’s Day last month? Did you know that? Valentine’s day originated in the third century in Rome? Legend has it that a priest, named Valentine, secretly performed marriages for soldiers

and their brides when soldiers were forbidden to marry. By the eighteenth century lovers started sending cards and notes to their loved ones for the holiday. Flowers were unavailable for a token of love because of the bitter cold in the month of February. But by 1910 florists made an effort to provide hothouse flowers for the occasion. But about the only flowers available were violets, sweet peas and lilies of the valley. Corsage bouquets were arranged to be worn at the waist. They were boxed in red heart shaped containers. Violets were so popular that purple became the common color for Valentine’s Day. As carnations and roses became more popular, pink and red gradually took over. Roses came into favor in 1940. Florists were adding cherubs, teddy bears and balloons to beef up the value of a bouquet with very few roses. Today the Society of American Florists estimates that 175 million roses are sold on Valentines Day. One third of a florists sales occur during this time. The holiday is the busiest time of the year for them. It is more hectic than even Christmas because Christmas sales are spread over a 2 week period where as Valentine deliveries must go out on the exact day. Almost one third of Americans buy flowers on Valentine’s Day. Half of them want red roses and 80% of those are sold to men who send to wives or lovers. Women send to themselves or their mothers, but 18% of those women send to husbands or lovers also. Florists know that people will procrastinate. Over one third or the orders come in on February 13th and another 22% order on the day itself. About 1% will order on February 15 possibly thinking they will get a better deal, or maybe to keep them out of the “doghouse.” Unfortunately, red roses are still full price even on February 15. Interestingly, florists can predict their sales estimate according to what day of the week Valentine’s day falls on. If the day falls on Wednesday or Thursday they are in luck. If it falls on Saturday or Sunday, sales will fall. Preparation for the day begins early for florists. They will order bulk lilies, irises, tulips, and freesias and keep them out of refrigeration in buckets of water so they will bursts into bloom just before they are sold. Roses begin their journey early. They take 7 years of design to reach a market value item, then travel 6000 miles from Amsterdam to a farmer in Ecuador; then, after 3 months of careful growth, they travel by two airplane rides and several truck drives to arrive at the florist taking 5 days in all for travel. They still arrive in tip-top condition to the door of a loved one invoking that special romantic feeling. (Information obtained from “Flower Confidential” by Amy Stewart.)

Page 6 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener News March 2015

Northern Wisconsin Hosta

Society Invitation…

Late breaking news! The Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Association has been invited by the Northern Wisconsin Hosta Society to a presentation by Christian Cole. Cole, from the DNR, will be presenting on developing a habitat in your own yard to enjoy nature (and it’s critters). He may bring along a hawk, owl or another critter with him. Come prepared to listen, learn, and enjoy.

This event will be on held on Sunday, March 22, at 1:30 pm at May's Greenhouse on Truax Blvd (corner of Truax Blvd. and Jeffers Road) .

Bits and Pieces

Page 7 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener March 2015

Garden Seminar continued from pg. 1…

Above - Young Entrepreneurs – 4-H club selling seeds. Below: Just a little bit about the little artists who sent the thank you message to the MGV's with their mom. On February 7th, Judy Wibel, a new MGV (2014 class), attended her first Ready, Set, Grow... garden seminar. She arrived early to, help vendors move in and set up. After lunch she went home to check on 10-year old twin daughters, Lucy and Madelyn, who had made this colorful card with a bit of spring to bring back to the ECAMGs. (Photo by Jo-Ann Clark) (Photos by Jo-Ann Clark)

To the right – One of the breakout speakers, Wm. Dougherty speaking on “Iris For Northern Gardens.” (Photo by Dana Cox)

Above – A future ECAMGA member with Mom!!! Below - one of the seminar’s perennial vendors, Smith Brother’s Landing. (Photos by Jo-Ann Clark).

Page 8 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Newsletter March 2015

EAU CLAIRE AREA MASTER GARDENER NEWSLETTER A newsletter for the Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Association members.

For more Eau Claire County UW Cooperative Extension information

go to our website: www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/eauclaire

Phone: 715-839-4712 Fax: 715-839-6277

M-F 8AM-5PM

Unless otherwise noted, articles for this newsletter are submitted and/or written by ECAMGA members or the newsletter editor, Carol W. Cox. Unless otherwise noted, graphics are from clipart. Newsletter layout by Carol W. Cox

The University of Wisconsin Extension provides affirmative action and equal opportunity in education, programming and employment for all qualified persons regardless of race, color, gender/sex, creed, disability, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital or parental, arrest or conviction record or veteran status.” If you need an interpreter, materials in alternate formats or other accommodations to access this program, activity or service, please contact Erin LaFaive at 715-839-4712 as soon as possible preceding the scheduled event so that proper arrangements can be made in a timely fashion

Eau Claire County

Extension Office

227 First Street West

Altoona, WI 54720

APPLE TREE PRUNING CLINIC - Sponsored by the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Class Apple, 5198 Sunset View Drive, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The instructor will be Brian Smith (to be confirmed). There is no charge for the event. Bring your loppers, please sterilize them with alcohol or chlorine before bringing. Dress appropriately. The clinic is held regardless of weather and you will be outside. No need to register – there will be a sign-in at the clinic. For more information contact Anna M. M Maenner at 920-478-4277 or by email at office@waga.org.

“ I don’t have to attend every

argument I’m invited

to.” -unknown