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March 2017

Muscatine County

A wise Teacher once said,

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Consider the opportunities provided by Master Gardeners to take advantage of this unique concept:

Plant an extra row to share your produce with others

Work in a donation garden to benefit the hungry

Share the bounty of your home garden with neighbors

Plant and maintain flower gardens to help beautify your community, and perhaps take bouquets to the lonely

Take advantage of time in the out-of-doors to enjoy nature and all the health aspects that accompany exercise and the contemplation of blessings

Newsletter Contents for a quick perusal

Upcoming Gardening Events: see pages 2 & 3

Krista’s News/Update: see page 4

General Meeting Minutes: see pages 5-6

Random Thoughts from Lynn: see page 7

Zoo Garden & MBO Updates: see page 8

Adventures of the Tulips: see page 9

Uses of Ashes in Yard and Garden: see pages 10-12

March Gardening Guide: see page 13

Master Gardeners Committees & Mentors: see page 14

PAGE 2 WORTH WH ILE D IR T MA R 2 017

Art of Gardening

MCC — March 18

Registration deadline for Art of Gar-dening is March 13, or sooner if all spaces are filled. This event, to be held at Muscatine Community Col-lege, promises to be one of the pre-

miere gardening educational conferences in the re-gion. Please contact Cindy Kress, Muscatine Com-munity College, phone 563-288-6161 for regis-tration information. Or contact Susan Cradick at

563-288-9809 if you want to volunteer to help out.

Here is the 2017 Art of Gardening Program:

Registration 8:00 am-8:30 am Welcome 8:30 am-8:50 am Session 1 9:00-10:00 am

Everything Whimsical-Lori Bailey New Plants for 2017-Maria McCulley Successful Hanging Baskets and Containers-Deb Walser Rain Gardening-Dan Mays

Miniature Fairy Gardens-Sylvia Kelley Landscaping with Fragrance-Chuck Porto

Session 2 10:15-11:15 am

Herbs for Butterflies-Judy Bemer Moonlight Gardens-Debbie Main Colorful Conifers Large or Small!-Peggy Burrows Stone Scaping-Todd Wiebenga Impacts of Small Space Gardening-Lee Falkena Blooms for the Birds-Sylvia Kelley

Lunch / Stump the Experts 11:30-1:00 (Choose Group 1 or 2)

Session 3 1:15-2:15 pm Steps and Stones-Debbie Main Color for the Shade Garden-Lori Bailey Extreme Gardening Challenges-Denny Schrock Gardeners Smart Phone Apps/Podcasts-William Brunkan Color All Season-Zora Ronan Healing Happens in the Garden-Jen Kardos

Session 4 2:30-3:30 pm

Raised Bed Gardening-Deb Walser Companion Plants - Works Well Together-Todd Wiebenga Ferns and Mosses as Garden Accents-Peggy Burrows A Taste of Herbs-Judy Bemer The Monet Garden-Zora Ronan Wildlife Friendly Gardening-Chuck Porto

Upcoming General Meeting Programs Muscatine Master

Gardeners

April 11 - General Meeting - (held at the Extension Office) Laura Irish from ISU Donation Gardening Program will provide results of 2016 gardening research (via webcast) .... then Bill Dyar director of Muscatine Food Pantry will speak on how we can help provide fresh produce in 2017. Also when and how to deliver the produce to the pantry. June 13—Member Garden Tours - We are still waiting for MG members to step forward and invite the rest of us to tour your garden this summer. Please let Jane know (563.272.1638) if we can come visit your place. The date is flexible and we can do more than one tour as we have opportunity.

Mark your Calendars for: 2017 Greenhouse Tours

Muscatine Master Gardeners

All tours on Tuesday’s starting at 6:30pm April 18 - Hilltop Greenhouse (11606 233rd St., Illi-nois City, IL) - 1/2 hour education presentation and 10% discount. April 25 - Meyer's Garden Center (9401 134th Ave-nue, Taylor Ridge, IL) - 1/2 hour education presenta-tion and 10% discount May 9 - Pending...Kellor and Kellor Landscape and Design (1301 Washington, Muscatine) Please wear your MG badge and shop with the discount before each educational presentation.

PAGE 3 WORTH WH ILE D IR T MA R 2 017

Muscatine County Master Gardener Events — Mark Your Calendar!

Mar. 1 Growing and Marketing Vegetables 6pm—8pm Winter Webcast; Extension Office

Mar. 14 Muscatine MG Board Meeting 6:30 pm Muscatine County Extension Office

Mar. 18 Art of Gardening 8am—4pm Muscatine Community College

Apr. 10 MBO Fund-Raiser 5pm—10pm Boonie’s Restaurant, Muscatine

Apr. 11 Muscatine MG General Meeting 6:30 pm Muscatine County Extension Office

Apr. 17 Muscatine Day of Caring 8am—Noon Zoo Garden — Weed Park

May 9 Muscatine MG Board Meeting 6:30 pm Muscatine County Extension Office

June 13 Member Home Garden Tours 6:30 pm (details to be determined)

Additional Upcoming Events Hosted by

Master Gardeners in & near Iowa

(Check ISU Website for Details)

What: Horticulture in the Heartland When: March 4; 8:00am-2:30pm Where: Clinton Community College

What: Henry County MG Symposium When: March 4; 9:00am-4:00pm Where: Mt. Pleasant

What: Wild Edible Plants & Fungi When: March 11; 10:30am - 12:30pm Where: Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

What: Heavenly Hydrangeas When: March 20; 7:00pm-8:00pm Where: Manchester

Additional Iowa Events (cont’d)

What: Orchids for Beginners When: March 23; 6:00pm - 8:00pm Where: Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

What: Siouxland Garden Show When: March 24-26; 8:00am-4:00pm Where: Sioux City

What: Day of Insects When: March 25, 2017; 8:00am-4:00pm Where: Reiman Gardens, Ames

What: Hardscaping and Plant Preview When: March 25; 10:30am - 12:30pm Where: Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

What: Beekeeping & Pollinators When: April 4; 7:00pm - 9:00pm Where: Mills County, Glenwood

What: Ten Mistakes Gardeners Make When: April 13; 7:00pm - 8:00pm Where: Waterloo

What: Digging Deeper into Raised Bed Gardening When: April 20; 7:00pm - 8:00pm Where: Waterloo

What: Backyard Habitat - Birds, Bees & Butterflies When: May 4; 7:00pm - 8:00pm Where: Waterloo

What: Year Around Color in Your Garden When: May 11; 7:00pm - 8:00pm Where: Waterloo

What: Creating Beautiful Container Gardens When: May 18; 7:00pm - 8:00pm Where: Waterloo

What: American Iris Society National Convention When: May 23-25; 8:00am - 4:00pm Where: Des Moines

PAGE 4 WORTH WH ILE D IR T MA R 2 017

Director’s Input

By Krista Regennitter , Muscatine County Extension Director,

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Telephone 563-263-5701

Hello Master Gardeners! March 20th, Spring Solstice, is right around the corner!!!! Though the weather already feels like we have turned that corner. Things at the Ex-tension office are marching into spring also. We have lots of 4-H day camps for spring break coming up, we are offering an Ouch! That Stereo-type Hurts training on March 22nd (can you hyperlink to: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/muscatine/sites/www.extension.iastate.edu/files/muscatine/Muscatine%20OUCH%20flier2017.pdf), and our Powerful Tools for Caregivers class starts April 4th(can you hyperlink to: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/muscatine/news/powerful-tools-caregivers-class-starting-april).

As summer approaches I am hoping we can set up a time, as an exam-ple Monday’s over the lunch hour, once a week to advertise that a Mas-ter Gardener would be in the office. Lynn has put out sign ups, but if you are interested in a rotating shift please email me at KristaR@iastate.edu. If we can even get once a week for a short time set for the summer I think this would be of great value to our community and help out staff.

Also, as spring heats up don’t forget to enter your hours!! I think a good goal is to enter at least once a month so it isn’t such a chore at the end of the year. Looking forward to seeing you all at Art of Gardening! Krista

Here’s an opportunity for Master Gardeners to share our gardening knowledge with the community.

Lynn Pruitt called the Master Gardeners Meeting to order at 6:30, February 14, 2017.

Featured Speaker: Shane Mairet from Mairet Farms (formerly Mairet’s Garden Center) was introduced. Shane shared his knowledge on PVC green houses, drip irrigation, weed control, and succession planting.

After a short break the business meeting started. Twenty-two member and two guests were present for the meeting.

Treasurers Report: Kathy Haltmeyer reported a balance of $6208.45.

Minutes: The December annual meeting minutes were approved with no additions or corrections.

Upcoming events:

March 14 Muscatine MG Board Meeting Extension Office

March 18 Art of Gardening, 8 am – 4 pm, Muscatine Community College

April 11 MG General Meeting 6:30 pm Extension Office

Laura Irish will talk on donation gardens and Bill Dyar will talk on

need for fresh produce at the Food Pantry.

Upcoming Tours:

April 18 – Hilltop Greenhouse – ½ hour of education – Il City

April 25 – Meyer’s Landscape and Design – ½ hour education

May 9 – Kellor and Kellor Landscaping and Design – board meeting before tour

Art of Gardening up date: Email or call Susan Cradick if you want to volun-teer. Sign up for the conference with Cindy Kress, Muscatine Community College, 563-288-6161. Get credit for volunteer hours and education hours by helping out and attending.

(continued next page, GENERAL MEETING MINUTES)

Muscatine Master Gardener’s Association

MINUTES OF GENERAL MEETING

February 14, 2017

PAGE 5 MA R 20 17 WORTH WH ILE D IR T

Set your calendar for every one of these exciting opportunities

Don’t miss Art of Gardening — March 18 at MCC

(continued from previous page, GENERAL MEETING MINUTES)

Krista reported on the mini grants for Muscatine County. West Liberty, Mulford Church, and Church of Christ are all doing grants.

Potential by-law changes will be discussed at a later date.

The Scholarship Committee is meeting to set up all the guidelines and forms needed for surrounding seniors to apply. The scholarship committee of Emma Mae Pruitt, Mary Wildermuth, and Ed Moreno are getting the in-formation about the scholarship for Horticulture and Service Learning.

Linda Wells talked about the Bucket Brigade for the Fair. The floral build-ings theme is “Across America”; the Bucket Brigade theme is “From Sea to Shining Sea”. The colors are blue, yellow & white.

Krista explained that the main Hy Vee is looking for employees from our Master Gardener “pool” to work at their garden center. She explained that you cannot use your Master Gardener title/badge on the job but you can use your knowledge.

LOG HOURS FOR MEETING: ¾ hour education; ¾ hour volunteer.

Next Meetings: March 18 – Art of Gardening and April 11 General Meeting

Meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted.

Kathy Haltmeyer

PAGE 6 MA R 20 17 WORTH WH ILE D IR T

Spring is coming soon!

Many of us were privileged to attend the February 14 (Valentine’s Day) presenta-tion by Shane Mairet from Mairet's Garden Center. He very adeptly presented how his successful commercial gardening practices could be utilized in our own backyard and donation gardens. Susan Cradick gave us updates on Art of Gardening which is coming very soon — Saturday, March 18 at Muscatine Community College. There is still limited time remaining for you and your friends to sign up, but the March 13 signup deadline is fast approaching. We especially want to encourage our MG Interns to take ad-vantage of this unique opportunity to hear professional and practical speakers from across the state (including Iowa State University Horticulture Department). Please check out the entire schedule of upcoming events on the first few pages of this newsletter to see what’s going on in the gardening field around the state as well as close to Muscatine. The Zoo Garden is getting ready to do spring cleanup and could use some volunteers. Muscatine Branching Out has scheduled a fund-raiser which also provides you with a nice dining out experience downtown. Emma Mae and I took a little tour around our yard a couple days ago to see what was coming up. Here are a few of the things we found:

Happy Gardening! Lynn

Random Thoughts

By Lynn Pruitt, Chair Master Gardener

PAGE 7 MA R 20 17 WORTH WH ILE D IR T

Hope to see you at Art of Gardening, March 18 !!!

See pages 2-3 for schedule details for all gardening events.

These brave plants are anxious to grow and show their beauty early this spring.

WORTH WH ILE D IR T PAGE 8 M AR 20 17

Zoo Garden Update

By Maryrose Peterschmidt, Master Gardener

Save the Dates: Saturday, March 18, 2017 The Zoo Garden Committee will have a booth at the Art of Gardening in case you want to sign up and become a part of the Zoo Garden team. Monday, April 17, 2017 is the United Way Day of Caring in Muscatine. Volun-teers will be hard at work from 8 a.m. till noon. Lunch will be provided. Master Gardeners as well as other United Way volunteers will be cleaning and trimming in the flower beds, putting down mulch and whatever else needs to be done to get the Zoo Garden flower beds ready for the new grow-ing season.

Day of Caring is a great way to share your talents, energies and concerns for the betterment of our community.

Mark your calendars April 10th for a fun and profitable evening with your MBO friends.

Muscatine Branching Out has had a busy winter

By Kathy Chalupa, Master Gardener

At our general meeting in January, we had an interesting speaker, Dr. Tom Rosman, from Drake University. His attention to detail and photography skills make his field guides informative and beautiful..

Dr. Rosman also gave us insight on our endangered native species.

Nick Gow, Parks Superintendent, explained the new GPS system that the City uses to map trees.

Finally, we had an open panel discussion which always brings forth lots of information.

Mark your calendars:

Muscatine Banching Out Fundraiser at Boonie’s April 10th 5-10pm

Just bring your friends and come out to eat. No reservations needed. Boonie’s will give MBO part of their sales.

WORTH WH ILE D IR T PAGE 9 M AR 20 17

This is our objective!

March 1 Update on

ADVENTURES OF THE TULIPS Emma Mae Pruitt & Maryrose Peterschmidt, Master Gardeners

We know you have all been waiting on the edges of your chairs for the latest on the “forced” tulips for table decora-tions at our March 18 Art of Gar-dening. At left you can see quite a bit of green in some pots but still others are lagging behind. Not sure why. In this close up you can get a feel for those tulip plantings that are making a “run” to-ward the finish line. Please keep cheering them on so we can avoid last minute purchases from commercial growers. This is where we were a month ago, so you can see we are making progress!

PAGE 10 WORTH WH ILE D IR T MA R 2 017

Use of Ashes in Yard and Garden

By Bill Koellner

Lifetime Muscatine County Master Gardener

I've long cautioned gardeners not to include anything other than very small quantities of wood ash in a compost pile—a little of this highly alkaline material goes a long way. But those of us with naturally acidic soils can (and should) use much larger amounts on our lawns and gar-dens—as a substitute for lime. What are our soil pH values? Recently, I had 80 acres in south West Liberty tested, and the pH was between 6.4 – 6.7, which is slightly acidic. In a similar manner, we tested soil near our home and it was 7.2 pH. So the first thing you need is a soil test. All soil tests report a mini-mum of pH as well as other nutrients — primarily the measure of your soil's acidity or alkalinity. These tests are available at Iowa State Uni-versity, or in some cases from a local farm chemical provider. The center of the pH scale is the number 7, or neutral. Most plants prefer soil to be a little acidic, around 6.5, for good growth. Some of our most popular plants require a more acidic soil such as azaleas, rhododen-drons, blueberries, mums, marigolds, oak, pecan and sweet potato, (4 to 5.5 range), to name a few. Keep your alkaline ashes far away from these. Burning fouls the air, adds greenhouse gases we don't need, and wastes lots of nutrients. Consider piling up your "garden/yard" com-post, especially with lots of leaves in the mix. Composting enables gardeners to dispose of large quantities of leaves and clippings in an efficient and cost-effective way. Iowa State University Extension horti-culturists state that the nutrient content of composted leaves is very small. The levels of nutrients vary somewhat from species to species. However, the nitrogen content of composted leaves on a dry basis usually varies from 0.5 to 1.0 percent. Potash amounts are in the same range. Phosphate amounts are around 0.1 percent. Increasing the organic matter content of the soil is the main benefit of incorpo-rating composted leaves into the soil. If you burn wood, only burn good quality hardwood ashes and don’t use ashes from BBQ grills, cardboard, plywood, painted, or pressure treated wood. Using soft-woods have a lot less value, but you shouldn't be burning soft wood in a stove or fireplace anyway. The best information is found in Alberta's department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

(continued next page: Ashes)

PAGE 11 WORTH WH ILE D IR T MA R 2 017

(continued from previous page: Ashes)

Typically, ash from good quality hardwoods contains potassium; at least 3% by weight. Also known as potash, potash improves root health and strengthens the very cellular structure of plants, helping them resist all kinds of stresses. In addition, wood ash also contains lots of micronutri-ents, and, on average, 15% calcium. Ashes can improve the structure and tilth of soils. But they must be used with care, as all that calcium makes them very alkaline, ranging between 9 to 13, and they can change your soil's pH. I suggest being cautious and applying the same amount of ash as lime was called for but avoiding possible alkalinity problems. Much easier to add a little more rather than exceed, you can add more later. The best time to add is in the fall, which, of course, is also when you have the least ashes. Ideally, save up this year's ashes for fall use. Otherwise, try and spread them over winter. Composting fireplace ashes allows the lye and salt to be leached away. Not all wood ash fertilizers are the same. If the fireplace ashes in your compost are made primarily from hard-woods, like oak and maple, the nutrients and minerals in your wood ash will be much higher. If the fireplace ashes in your compost are made mostly by burning softwoods like pine or firs, there will be fewer nutri-ents and minerals in the ash. The salt in the wood ash will kill bothersome pests like snails, slugs and some kinds of soft bodied invertebrates. To use wood ash for pest con-trol, simply sprinkle it around the base of plants being attacked by soft bodied pests. If the ash gets wet, you’ll need to refresh the wood ashes as the water will leach away the salt that makes wood ashes an effective pest control. Another use for ashes in the garden is to change the pH of the soil. Wood ashes will raise the pH and lower the acid in soil. Because of this, you should also be careful not to use wood ashes as fertilizer on acid loving plants like azaleas, gardenias and blueberries.

Wood ash has a very fine particle size, so it reacts rapidly and com-pletely in the soil. Although small amounts of nutrients are applied with wood ash, the main effect is that it is a liming agent. The average ash is equivalent to a 0-1-3 (N-P-K). The chemical makeup varies with the type of wood burned. Hardwoods produce three times as much ash per cord as do softwoods. Calcium and potassium are both essential to plant growth. Calcium is needed for root development, strong cell walls and protein formation in

(continued next page: Ashes)

PAGE 12 WORTH WH ILE D IR T MA R 2 017

(continued from previous page: Ashes)

the plant. Potassium is an important catalyst in photosynthesis and is es-sential for the movement of sugars, seed formation, protein synthesis and the use of nitrogen in plants. Wood ash should never be applied to areas where potatoes will be planted as ash can promote potato scab. For most garden soil, 20 pounds (about a 5-gallon pail) per 1,000 square feet can be applied safely each year. That equals about 6 pounds of ground limestone applied to the same area. The best time to apply wood ash is in the spring when the soil is dry and before tilling. In compost piles wood ash can is used to maintain a neutral condition, the best environment for microorganisms to break down or-ganic materials. Sprinkle ash on each layer of compost. This is especially good if you have oak leaves or pine needles in your compost heap. Summary when handling wood ash:

Protect yourself as you would if you were handling household bleach or any other strong alkaline material. Wear eye protection, gloves and a dust mask.

Do not use ash from burning trash, cardboard; coal or pressure-treated, painted or stained wood. These materials contain potentially harmful chemicals. The glue in cardboard contains boron, an element that can inhibit plant growth if applied in excess.

Do not scatter ashes during windy periods.

Do not mix ash with nitrogen fertilizer as ammonium sulfate or ammo-nium nitrates or urea. These fertilizers lose their nitrogen as ammonia gas when mixed with high pH materials such as wood ash. For a lawn, wait at least a month after wood ash is applied before putting down a nitrogen fertilizer to allow for the soil to reduce the alkalinity of the wood ash.

Never leave wood ash in lumps or piles. Concentrated piles of wood ash causes excessive salt build-up in the soil through leaching and can cre-ate a harmful environment for plants.

Don’t use ashes around acid-loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas, or on potatoes, which get scab disease if the pH is too high.

PAGE 13 WORTH WH ILE D IR T MA R 2 017

March Gardening Guide

(Courtesy of The Morton Arboretum)

Here is a checklist of gardening tasks that should be done in

March if you live in the Midwest:

Wait until new growth is established before removing

winter protection. Mulch protects plants from late spring

freezes.

Begin general clean up. Rake the lawn to remove leaves,

twigs, and debris.

Check for winter snow and salt damage. Prune dead tips

and broken branches.

Cut ornamental grasses back to a few inches before new

growth begins.

Prevent soil compaction. Avoid walking across saturated

lawns and garden beds.

Remove tree wraps applied last fall.

Before buds break, but when temperatures remain above

40°F, spray trees with dormant oil for overwintering in-

sects and scale.

Read label directions.

Prepare new planting beds if soil is dry.

Work organic matter and compost into the soil before

planting.

Fertilize trees and shrubs before new growth appears. A

soil test will indicate a nutrient deficiency. Follow recom-

mendations for fertilizer and pH adjustments.

Prune summer-flowering shrubs before new growth be-

gins in spring. (Abelia, butterfly bush, panicle hydran-

gea, beautyberry, and snowberry)

PAGE 14 WORTH WH ILE D IR T MA R 2 017

2017 Master Gardener Committees — Chair persons (There are still opportunities for volunteers)

Arboretum — Charles Rickey 563-260-5807

Art of Gardening – Susan Cradick 563-288-9809

Bucket Brigade -- Barb Woods 563-506-4506 and Linda Wells 563-263-0292

Community Donation Gardens – Krista Regennitter 563-263-5701

Fair Floral Hall — Bill Koellner 319-627-4545

Farmer’s Market Committee – Susan Cradick 563-288-9809

Helping Master Gardeners Enter Hours — Krista Regennitter 563-263-5701

Historian – Volunteer: Carol Gundrum

Hy-Vee — Mainstreet Garden — Laura McGinnis 309-791-0054

Manning Desk at Extension Office – Krista Regennitter 563-263-5701

Melpine School Garden — Sara Carroll 563-299-1809

Member’s Garden Tours — (Volunteers needed)

Mulford Community Gardens – Heather Harroun 563-554-0028

Muscatine Branching Out – Kathy Chalupa 563-299-0887

Muscatine County Fair Office Garden – Bill Koellner 319-627-4545

Newsletter — Lynn Pruitt 319-723-4362

Newspaper Articles — (Volunteers needed)

Muscatine Bridge Entry Sign Area — Laura McGinnis 309-791-0054

Publicity — Ed Moreno 319-331-0713

World Connection Garden — Volunteer: Linda Starcevich

Zoo Garden — Maryrose Peterschmidt 563-263-0846

Simple Tips for Gardeners

From “Garden Thoughts” by Dorothy Frances Gurney

There is no spot of ground, however arid, bare, or ugly, that cannot be

tamed into such a state as may give an impression of beauty and delight.

— Gertrude Jekyll

Interns & Mentors

for 2017:

Intern / Mentor

Karen Steinke

Bonnie Reeb

Linda Steinke

Jane Hodge

Teresa McKillip

Chris Humrichouse

Ron Jensen

Ed Moreno

Gary Kaalberg

Lynn Pruitt

Roberta Holliday

Emma Mae Pruitt

Karen Broden

Charles Rickey

Candi Whitmer

Jo Ann Christofferson

Shelly Maharry

Maryrose Peterschmidt

Chrisanne Watts

Mary Danner

Richard Crooks

Bill Koellner

Chris Sample

Susan Cradick

A special thanks to of our Mentors. Interns are en-couraged to contact them for any Master Gardening assistance.

Muscatine County Extension Office 1514 Isett Avenue Muscatine, IA 52761-4629 563-263-5701 or 800-992-0894

Krista Regennitter Muscatine County Extension Director Master Gardener Liaison

. . and justice for all

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

Iowa State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture coop-erating.

2017 Muscatine County Master Gardener Board

Board Members Lynn Pruitt (17) Chair Ed Moreno (18)* Vice Chair Kathy Haltmeyer (18)* Secretary Emma Mae Pruitt (17) Mary Danner (17)* Jane Hodge (17)* Heather Haroun (18)* Maryrose Peterschmidt (18)* Ron Jensen (Intern) Candi Whitmer (Intern) Bill Koellner (Past Chair Advisor) ( )Year term expires as of Dec. 31

* Going off Board Dec 31, 2017/2018

but eligible for re-election

Current Emails and Addresses As a reminder – keep both the Extension Office and Lynn Pruitt current on any changes of e-mail addresses, phone numbers, or mailing ad-dresses. These need to be current to keep you — our members — informed.

Simple Tips for Gardeners

From “Garden Thoughts”

by Dorothy Frances Gurney

Gardening requires lots of water — most of it in the form of perspiration. — Lou Erickson

God made rainy days so the gardeners could get the housework done. — Unknown

Love is like dew that falls on both nettles and lilies. — Swedish Proverb

I have never had so many good ideas day after day as when I worked in the garden.

— John Erskine

WORTH WH ILE D IR T PAGE 1 5 MA R 2 017

Editorial Comments:

Please remember, this is YOUR newsletter. Your articles, photographs and other tidbits are welcome. Send them by the end of each month to pruitt.lynn@gmail.com or call 563.260.0234

— Lynn Pruitt, Editor —