12th Annual Buchanan County Master Gardener Symposium Article based on Symposium Flyer

Please join the Buchanan County Master Gardeners for their annual public gardening symposium, to be held on Saturday, February 24, 2018. This year’s event will be the 12th annual gardening symposium offered by the Buchanan County Master Gardeners. The annual gardening symposium is the fundraiser from which the Buchanan County Master Gardeners are able to provide horticulture and garden-related programs, projects and outreach to the communities in and around Buchanan County. Each year the planning committee works hard to bring new and exciting topics for our guests to enjoy!

The symposium will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 116 6th Ave NW, Independence. Our annual symposium is a bright spot to garden enthusiasts and anyone who is looking forward to spring and warmer weather! Registration fee after February 1st is $35. Registration includes light breakfast items and a hot lunch provided by the Presbyterian Women.

The day consists of four main speakers, a variety of breakout sessions, shopping with an assortment of vendors (which includes retuning favorites and as well as exciting new vendors), door prizes, and a silent auction for our guests to enjoy. The main speakers for 2018 are: Liz Burke & Marilynn Cech presenting Gardening through Life, Rose Milden presenting Houseplants, Alicia Potter presenting From Sunshine to Syrup and Dr. Donald Lewis presenting Japanese Beetles and Other Significant Garden Pests. Our five breakout session topics will consist of: Back Protection while Gardening, Plants, Pollinators, and People, Plant Propagation & Seed Starting, Terrariums (hands on), and “But Wait—There’s More!”

 To register, please send contact information and a check made payable to ‘Buchanan County Extension’ to Buchanan County ISU Extension and Outreach, 2600 Swan Lake Blvd. Ste. A, Independence, IA 50644 or call Ashley Sherrets, Master Gardener Coordinator 319.334.7161 for more information. Space is limited—registration will remain open until full.

Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability

OFF SHOOTSB U C H A N A N C O U N T Y M A S T E R G A R D E N E R

February 2018 Issue 2

E-V

-E-N

-T-S

12th Annual Buchanan County Master Gardener

Symposium

February 24, 2018 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

First Presbyterian Church

116 6th Ave NW, Independence

To register call 319-334-7161

Open to all Master Gardeners

Submit articles to rbrandt@wildblue.net by the 1st Wednesday of the month.

Buchanan County ISU Extension and Outreach

2600 Swan Lake Boulevard, Suite A

Independence IA 50644

Phone: (319) 334-7161 Fax: (319) 334-6641

E-mail: xbuchanan@iastate.edu

Office Hours Monday - Friday

8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Breakout sessions

Vendors

Speakers

Enter Volunteer and Education Hours at: https://mastergardenerhours.hort.iastate.edu

2018 - Issue 2 Buchanan County Master Gardener Off Shoots Page 2

Buchanan County Master Gardener Project Meeting cancelled for February 20, 2018

The Buchanan County Master Gardeners will be not be holding their regular project meeting in February. The 12th Annual Buchanan County Master Gardener Symposium will be held February 24th from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. To register, please call 319-334-7161

Meetings are open to all Master Gardeners and the general public. * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *

Additional Educational Events Can Be Found at:http://www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener/events Currently events are listed through September 30,

2018

Welcome New 2017 Master Gardener Graduates

Graduates of the 2017 Fall Master Gardener Class are standing (from L to R): Sue Schneider, Becky Sweeney, Ginny Schmitz, Ruth Hamilton, Ruth Schneider, Mary Steuben, and Rita Knutson.  Not pictured: Shelly Ohrt

CONGRATULATIONS to our newest Master

Gardeners!

- * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *

Master Gardener 2018 Winter Webinar Series Mar. 1, 15, 29, 2018, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Free Buchanan County ISU Extension and Outreach, 2600 Swan Lake Blvd, Independence

A flyer at the end of this newsletter includes a list of presentations. Winter Gardening Fair - Linn County Master Gardeners Mar. 3, 2018, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids.

For list of classes and registration information: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/linn/content/winter-gardening-fair

Mondays in March - Delaware County Master Gardeners Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26, 2018, 7:00 p.m. Cost: $2 donation Our Savior Lutheran Church, 116 Guetzko Court, Manchester.

A flyer at the end of this newsletter includes a list of presentations. Luck of the Garden - Dubuque County Master Gardeners Mar. 17, 2018, 7:30 a.m.-Noon /Cost: $20-25 NICC Town Clock Business Center, 700 Main, Dubuque

Information at <https://www.extension.iastate.edu/dubuque/news/dubuque-county-master-gardeners-host-spring-gardening-seminar-march>

Upper Midwest Regional Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Conference Theme: Our Plants, Our Planet, Our Volunteers June 13-16, 2018, at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, MN

Information now available at <http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/EMGConference2018.aspx>

Keynote Speaker Tom Smarr is Horticulture and Natural Areas Director at 21st Century Parks, Inc. in Louisville, KY.

Tom speaks widely on the importance of modern parks in urban society along with current horticulture design trends with plants and ecologically sustainable practices. He is committed to the preservation of our cultural landscapes through sensible design, horticulture practices, and public education.

2018 - Issue 2 Buchanan County Master Gardener Off Shoots Page 3

January 16th

February 20th

March 20th

April 17th

May 15th

June 19th

July 5-9

August 21st

September 18th

October 16th

November 20th

December

Great Spaces @ Heartland Acres Business Meeting

Review plans for Symposium Sign up for committees

Open to all Master Gardeners and general public

No Project Meeting Don’t forget the Symposium

February 24th 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Open to all Master Gardeners and general public

St. James Episcopal Church 202 2nd Ave NE, Independence

Project Meeting 7:00 To Be Announced

Open to all Master Gardeners and general public

St. James Episcopal Church 202 2nd Ave NE, Independence

Project Meeting 7:00 To Be Announced

Open to all Master Gardeners and general public

Great Spaces @ Heartland Acres Plant Exchange 6:00 Business Meeting

Open to all Master Gardeners and general public

St. James Episcopal Church 202 2nd Ave NE, Independence

Project Meeting 7:00 To Be Announced

Open to all Master Gardeners and general public

Buchanan County Fair Join us in the

Master Gardener booth in the Garden Gate Building

Great Spaces @ Heartland Acres Business Meeting

Open to all Master Gardeners and general public

St. James Episcopal Church 202 2nd Ave NE, Independence

Project Meeting 7:00 To Be Announced

Open to all Master Gardeners and general public

St. James Episcopal Church 202 2nd Ave NE, Independence

Project Meeting 7:00 To Be Announced

Open to all Master Gardeners and general public

No Regular Meeting—Happy Holidays Be sure too log your volunteer and

education hours on the online Volunteer Reporting System by 11:59 p.m., December 31st. See you in 2019

Master Gardener Calendar 2018

Great Spaces @ Heartland Acres

Business Meeting Elections

Open to all Master Gardeners and general publicSite addresses verified August 11, 2017 Many articles are now indexed in the Yard & Garden

FAQs Database <https://expert-hort.sws.iastate.edu/> Current Yard & Garden and Horticulture & Home Pest

News articles <https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu>

Reiman’s Pick (No archives - now published as one of four blogs. Others are Nathan's Notes, Plant Particulars, and Intern's Perspective) <http://www.reimangardens.com/education-ideas/blogs/>

Gardening Publications from ISU Extension

Available from the ISU Extension Online Store: <https://store.extension.iastate.edu/ProductArea?

TopicID=10> Many of these publications are free to download.

Start early this year! DEADLINE: 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31. 2018

Make sure to enter your hours online for 2018. Ten hours of continuing education and 20 hours of volunteer service are required to maintain an "active" Master Gardener status.

All links in this newsletter were verified and working February 15, 2018.

Buchanan County Master Gardener Symposium

February 24, 2018 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

2018 - Issue 2 Buchanan County Master Gardener Off Shoots Page 4

Horticulture & Home Pest News <http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/> is published 19 times a year (monthly, October through February and biweekly during gardening season, March through September).

Articles in the January 12, 2018, issue include Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic: What We Were Up to in 2017 / Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic: What’s to Come in Spring 2018 / Pine Cone Musings / Planting Onions in the Home Garden / Get a Start on Geraniums for Summer / Winter Care of Houseplants / Food Safety Training Offered for Fruit and Vegetable Growers / Revised Ornamental and Turfgrass Pest Management Certification Manual Available / News for and about Master Gardeners

Articles in the February 9, 2018, issue include Beauty and Basics of Bark / Native Perennials for Moist to Wet Soils in Partial to Full Sun / 2018 Morel Mushroom Certification Workshop Dates Announced / Master Gardener Impact Felt Across Iowa / All about Raspberries / All about Milkweed / Start Tuberous Begonias and Geraniums Now for Summer Blooms in the Garden

Master Gardener Impact Felt Across Iowa Master Gardener projects help give back to and improve communities

by Susan DeBlieck, Department of Horticulture (released February. 1, 2018)— complete article may be found at <https://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/master-gardener-impact-felt-across-iowa>

Growing healthier, happier and more equitable communities is at the heart of the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Master Gardener program. Master Gardeners spent 2017 working to reach these goals through a variety of projects.

“This was a great year for the Master Gardener program as we have brought in a group of new people who are passionate about volunteering,” said Susan DeBlieck, Master Gardener assistant coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach. “Master Gardeners are able to help expand the work of yard and garden extension staff. The impact they have and their commitment to their communities is truly incredible.”

Nearly 2,000 Master Gardeners were active across the state in 2017, compiling 115,055 volunteer hours. That averages out to nearly 60 hours worked per volunteer, significantly more than the 20 hours Master Gardeners are required to volunteer. Those volunteer hours are valued at $2.7 million spent improving Iowa.

In the past year Master Gardeners spent their time:

• Growing produce to be donated to nearby food pantries. In 2017, 74,937 pounds of fresh produce was donated to food pantries across the state. Nearly a third of that total – 24,000 pounds – came from Woodbury County through the Up From the Earth project. Since starting in 2014 this project has grown and distributed 64,256 pounds of produce to food pantries throughout the county. The program also developed a partnership with the Blue Zones project to educate families about growing fruits and vegetables.

• Influencing others. Three other land grant institutions – the University of Wisconsin, Purdue University and the University of Nebraska – finished the first year of a program modeled after ISU Extension and Outreach’s program.

• Innovating their approach. In an effort to better meet the needs of those who wanted to become Master Gardeners, the program has begun using a flipped classroom model for its training where much of the instruction is done in a hands-on environment. This provides a more flexible schedule while giving opportunities for trainees to work in a garden sooner than the traditional model. The trainees are also able to meet and learn from Master Gardeners.

• Impacting pollinators. Master Gardeners in Linn County won the ISU Extension and Outreach Search for Excellence award for their work creating pollinator habitat. A partnership between Master Gardeners and the Monarch Research Project has provided for the distribution of 30,000 milkweed plugs in Linn County and 5,500 acres of pollinator habitat created. There are plans to add an additional 1,000 acres of pollinator habitat over the next five years.

“The commitment of Master Gardener volunteers is truly incredible,” DeBlieck said. “Master Gardeners come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a diverse skillset to their projects. Their projects are able to reflect what is happening in a county and what the needs and interests of a community are.”

If interested in becoming a Master Gardener, trainings are held in the fall across Iowa. Contact your ISU Extension and Outreach county office for training dates near you or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener.

About the Author: Susan DeBlieck, Master Gardener Program Specialist, 515-294-6764, deblieck@iastate.edu

2018 - Issue 2 Buchanan County Master Gardener Off Shoots Page 5

2018 Master Gardener Officers and Committee Lists

Yard and Garden News Articles are published one to four times a month on an irregular schedule. They may be found at

<https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/aggregator/sources/1>

These are the articles listed since December 13, 2017: 2/14/18 Select Cold Hardy Fruit Tree Cultivars 2/13/18 Fruit Tree Workshops Offer Hands-on Apple Tree Grafting 2/13/18 High Tunnel Workshops to Explore and Address Common Challenges 2/13/18 Growing Together Mini-Grants Awarded to 26 Iowa Counties 2/8/18 Forcing Blooms Indoors 2/6/18 Morel Mushroom Certification Available through Workshop 2/1/18 All about Raspberries 2/1/18 Master Gardener Impact Felt across Iowa 1/25/18 Getting Tuberous Begonias Started Indoors 1/18/18 All about Milkweed 1/12/18 Master Gardeners Offer Three Winter Webcasts 1/10/18 Get a Start on Geraniums for Summer 1/4/18 Acreage Management Improved through Small Farms Conference 1/3/18 Winter Care for Houseplants 12/20/17 Keep Amaryllis Plants Growing 12/15/17 Master Gardeners Work to Decrease Food Insecurity 12/13/17 Caring for Low Maintenance Indoor Plants

If you want to work with any of these projects, please contact Ashley Sherrets, Master Gardener Coordinator, 319.334.7161, or sherrets@iastate.edu.

Steering Committee Officers, 2018

Gean Cummings, Chair Shelley Schafer, Vice Chair Jean Gillpatrick, Secretary Nancy Weber, Treasurer

2019 Symposium Committee Cindy Walton Mary Steuben Ruth Schneider Ruth Hamilton Mary Davis Lynda Fiester Nancy Weber

Cedar Rock-‘Agnes Mathilda’ gardens

Rita Knutson Jean Gillpatrick JoAnn Crain

Wapsipinicon Mill gardens (prairie and south/front garden)

Leanne Harrison Offshoots newsletter - articles/ interviews

Ruth Brandt Mary Davis

Farmers market booth and educational programs

Cindy Walton Becky Sweeney Mary Steuben Ruth Schneider Ruth Hamilton Gean Cummings Lynda Fiester

ABCM West Village Jean Gillpatrick Rosalind Gibbs

Educational gardening programs/public speaking opportunities

Nancy Weber Project meetings (monthly at St. James Episcopal)

JoAnne Van Cleave Jean Gillpatrick Lynda Fiester

Design a Scarecrow contest Mary Lou Weepie Mary Davis Gean Cummings Lynda Fiester Nancy Weber Ashley Sherrets

Master Gardener Booth – fair Sue Schneider Becky Sweeney Rita Knutson Ruth Hamilton Mary Davis JoAnne Van Cleave Jean Gillpatrick Hazel Kout

April 7th – Storytime with Dan Wardell

Sue Schneider Becky Sweeney Rita Knutson Mary Lou Weepie Mary Davis Gean Cummings Lynda Fiester Nancy Weber

Independence Library Butterfly Garden

Sue Schneider Jean Gillpatrick

Hazleton City Park/Hazleton Veteran’s Park/Main Street Planters/Trails/Skateboard Park

Mary Davis Ginny Schmitz JoAnne Van Cleave Hazel Kout

Flower & Garden Show- fair Becky Sweeney Ruth Schneider Mary Steuben Ruth Hamilton Cindy Walton Mary Davis JoAnne Van Cleave Mary Lout Weepie Jean Gillpatrick Lynda Fiester Hazel Kout

Lee Mansion Gardens Shelley Schafer Nancy Weber Rita Knutson Hazel Kout Leanne Harrison JoAnn Crain

Independence Library (planters & statue)

Ashley Sherrets Jakway Heirloom Gardens

Mary Davis Ginny Schmitz

Hospice Garden Rita Knutson Ginny Schmitz Mary Lou Weepie Shelley Schafer

Rowley Community Center/Welcome Sign & Kenny Nielsen Park

Rita Knutson JoAnn Crain

First Presbyterian Sharing Gardens

Ruth Hamilton Hortline

Sue Schneider Pioneer Prairie Schoolhouse Garden

Mary Steuben- chairperson Ruth Schneider Ruth Hamilton Nancy Weber

Buchanan County Veteran’s Garden at Buchanan County Courthouse

Gean Cummings Lynda Fiester Nancy Weber Ashley Sherrets

Holiday Workshops/Programs Sue Schneider

Master Gardener Scrapbook/Photographer

Sue Schneider First United Methodist Church- Jesup

Mary Steuben STEMfest

Gean Cummings Animal Shelter

Buchanan County ISU Extension & Outreach

2600 Swan Lake Boulevard, Suite A Independence, IA 50644

“Gardeners are real experts, they are often outstanding in their gardens.” adapted from <http://www.gardendigest.com/humor.htm>

Mission Statement

The mission of the Iowa State University Extension Master

Gardener Program is to provide current, research-based, home

horticulture information and education to the citizens of Iowa

through programs and projects. Through their participation in

educational activities, Master Gardeners also increase their

own personal knowledge in horticulture. Master Gardeners

extend Iowa State University Extension’s consumer horticulture

education programs through volunteer activity.

Buchanan County

GROWING TOGETHER Master Gardener 2018 Winter Webinar Series

The Buchanan County Master Gardeners are offering these educational programs FREE for anyone who wishes to attend!

All webcasts county towards your Master Gardener educational hours.

RSVP Requested Contact Buchanan County ISU Extension and Outreach at 319-334-7161 or email sherrets@iastate.edu.

Garden Helpers Thursday, March 15 | 6:00PM to 8:00PM Buchanan County ISU Extension and Outreach (2600 Swan Lake Blvd– Independence) Explore best practices for managing volunteers from Reiman Gardens staff. Then, learn about how Master Gardeners are volunteering as citizen scientists contributing to research.

Food Security Partners Thursday, March 29 | 6:00PM to 8:00PM Buchanan County ISU Extension and Outreach (2600 Swan Lake Blvd– Independence) Hear how Master Gardeners are building projects that increase community food security. Also, find out how to expand project partnerships with 4H youth and volunteers.

From Seed to Table Thursday, March 1 | 6:00PM to 8:00PM Buchanan County ISU Extension and Outreach (2600 Swan Lake Blvd– Independence)

Learn tips for starting vegetable seeds and growing transplants. Also, get to know local food system resources in Iowa.

March 5 Crazy Plant Geek-Unleased Keith Kovarik, K & K Gardens

March 12 Heavenly Hydrangeas Deb Walser Linn County Master Gardener

March 19 Growing Strawberries and Raspberries using Modern Production Practices Ray Kruse ISU Extension and Outreach Dubuque County Food Systems Coordinator

March 26 Native Plants for the Gardener: Sustainable Choices for Iowans Judy Nauseef Landscape designer and writer

Everyone is Welcome!

Mondays at 7:00 p.m.

Our Savior Lutheran Church 116 Guetzko Court Manchester

$2.00 donation

Door Prizes to be given away!

In case of inclement weather listen to KMCH Radio 94.7