February/March 2013 March/April 2017...
Transcript of February/March 2013 March/April 2017...
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.
United States Department of Agriculture *
Local Extension Councils Cooperating
the cultivator newsletter for Champaign County Master Gardeners
Table of Contents:
1-3 Wildflower Plants in the Home Landscape 4-5 Jim’s Top 16 Must-Haves for a Work Day 6 R2D2 Rain Barrel 7 Continuing Education 8-10 CCMG Award Recipients 11 St. Louis Orchid Show photos
February/March 2013
the cultivator The newsletter for Master Gardeners serving Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion Counties
the cultivator The newsletter for Master Gardeners serving Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion Counties
March/April 2017
Wildflower Plants
in the Home Landscape
by Amy Betzelberger
Master Gardener Intern
Photos © 2017 by Dr. John Marlin
Along with a packed auditori-
um of my fellow Master Gar-
deners, I was thoroughly enter-
tained on the evening of Janu-
ary 24, 2017, by the presenta-
tion of John C. Marlin, PhD, on
the topic of “Wildflower Plants
in the Home Landscape.” Some
of you may already know John
and/or his children from their locally-legendary native woodland wildflower
sales.
By handing out a sheet of resources at the beginning of the evening, Dr. Marlin
was free to present mostly local photographs and follow a few common
threads while waxing rhapsodic about the joys and travails of growing wild-
flowers in yards, gardens, and landscapes (not to mention entomology, con-
servation, home ownership, and parenting!) instead of the text-heavy slides
some speakers prefer to read to their audiences.
The Illinois landscape we know is dominated by non-native plants but, even
now, soil seed-banks dating from all the way back to the “Big Grove era” can
be found in places like pioneer cemeteries filled with Spring Beauty and the
shady lawns of historical homes owned by “an old man with a bad leg” who let
them grow just wild enough to explode into solid expanses of bloodroot flow-
ers every spring, and settle into summer as “Clark Kent” residential lawns of
cool shade, patchy grass, and violets buzzing with bumblebees. I can’t wait to
explore my neighborhood this spring to find these ephemeral gems!
Pollinators like honeybees, bumblebees, and the nearly 300 other pollinating
insects that are native to Illinois, require basic resources—food, nesting sites,
water, and habitat—all at the right time. Bumblebees, for example, are active
An example of a more involved front yard area with
birdbath and mixture of native and ornamental plants.
Native plants include aster, purple coneflower, gerani-
um, and spiderwort. Photo © 2017 John Marlin.
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the cultivator milkweed as food, and the adults need
nectar in the spring and fall while they
migrate so they can survive their long
journey and have the energy to lay their
eggs on those crucial milkweed plants.
Monarchs aren’t the only ones, though! I
had no idea that you don’t get fritillary
butterflies without violets. Adults feed
on nectar from milkweed, coneflowers,
thistles, and many other things, as the
adult Monarch does, but they lay their
eggs on violets and the caterpillars feed
on the leaves of violets. You can help by
planting several different species of na-
tive and “maybe-not-native-but-still-
useful” plants. Even a few dandelion and
clover are helpful to bees because they
bloom a little bit outside of the others’
seasons. Woodland wildflowers tend to
be ephemeral, meaning they’re perennial
plants that emerge quickly in the spring
and die back to their underground parts
after a short growth and reproduction phase. By planting several species in the same area that appear and bloom
at different times, you can have your bases, er, your bare dirt spaces, covered. Dr. Marlin gave the example (if I’m
reading my own handwriting correctly) of dogtooth violets + trillium + Mayapple in the same spot and letting them
take turns.
If you have good neighbors, you can even go a step further (no—guerilla-planting violet seeds in your neighbors’
lawns is NOT being a good neighbor!). Eleven prairie plants generally available from native plant nurseries were
used by 165 of 297 Illinois native bees, and a similar mixture of woodland wildflowers would be similarly useful.
Between the two (or three, or ten!) of you, you can plant many different species across all your different “ecotypes”
of yards (dry, moist, sunny, shady, etc.) and make your own little “sanctuary city” for some of the more rare or spe-
cialized species of native pollinators. (It’d be one h*ck of a science fair project if you got one of your kids to do all
the work! . . . cough cough. . .).
Don’t let yourself be intimidated by the greatest possibilities, however. Even if you only feel up to adding a few
dogtooth violets + trillium + mayapple in the shady spot where nothing but patchy violets grow, Dr. Marlin taught
us, “The plants will work together, you can weed them to your own confidence level.”
After all, what’s a few violets among friends? It’s the Illinois State flower, you know!
Spring beauty under an oak tree, very early spring. This plant grows well in shaded areas
where grass struggles, and is extremely important for bees because it blooms very early and
feeds both long- and short-tongued bees. Fifty-eight species of bees were recorded on this
plant at Carlinville, IL! Spring beauty goes dormant in early May and the grass can then be
mowed normally for the rest of the summer. Photo © 2017 John Marlin.
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You don’t have to spend a lot of time or sacrifice lawn for native
plants! Here are several native plant species, including Liatris and
purple coneflower in front of a house. Photo © 2017 John Marlin.
(Right) An example of a more involved front yard area
with plenty of lawn, surrounded by a mixture of native
and ornamental plants. Photo © 2017 John Marlin.
[Author Disclaimer: My note-taking
handwriting is terrible. I take no responsibility
whatsoever for spelling these plant names
correctly. Always consult an expert before
buying plants by their common names. ]
Resources
Online sources of information
www.illinoiswildflowers.info/
http://plants.usda.gov
http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/~kenr/prairietable1.html
http://www.xerces.org
http://www.grandprairiefriends.org/index.php
The Very Handy Manual: How to Catch and Identify Bees and Manage a Collection. A Collective and Ongoing
Effort by Those Who Love to Study Bees in North America. Last Revised: October, 2010
http://articles.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/7/71/TheVeryHandyBeeManual.pdf
Nurseries with websites with good information [Please note, these are just examples, not recommendations.]
Prairie Moon Nursery in Wisconsin https://www.prairiemoon.com/
Pizzo & Associates, Ltd. in Illinois www.pizzo.info/
Cardno Native Plant Nursery in Indiana http://www.cardnonativeplantnursery.com/
Possibility Place Nursery in Illinois https://www.possibilityplace.com/
Books
Darke, Rick and Tallamy, Douglas W. The living landscape: designing for beauty and biodiversity in the home
garden. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 6454. Print.
Phillips, Harry R., et al. Growing and propagating wild
flowers. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press,
1945. Print.
Tallamy, Douglas W. Bringing nature home : how you can
sustain wildlife with native plants. Portland: Timber Press,
2009. Print.
Wilson, Joseph S., and Olivia Carril. The bees in your
backyard : a guide to North America's bees. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 2016. Print.
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the cultivator Jim’s Top 16 Must-Haves for a Work Day
By James Hoyt
[Editor’s Note: As the weather gets nicer (darned groundhog!) and the days get
longer, you may find yourself eager to get to work playing in the rich soil at the
Idea Garden. And if you are currently training, you are surely eager to start
checking off those required hours of lovingly tending to that magical spot on Lincoln Avenue. Now may not be the
time to get out there, but while waiting in anticipation, perhaps you might want to put together a work kit to take
with you. Seasoned pro, Jim Hoyt, has compiled this list of Must-Haves for an Idea Garden Work Day, and some of the
items may surprise you. So go ahead—start assembling your kit. It won’t be long now . . . ]
#16. Optics:
Extra eyeglasses or sunglasses help to shade the morning and evening glare. Some shades can even help
you see how to improve specific locations and arrangements of plants. And don’t forget the UV protection
for your eyes!
Magnifying lenses can help you see tiny details of plants for identification purposes. They may also make
you look cool.
Binoculars/monocular can you help identify a small bird or insect from a distance, and also works in a
pinch as a magnifier if turned around.
#15. Water or juice for hydration—Water is the most important nutrient for the body, and whether from working
hard or from handling the heat, you are bound to be losing some sweat while out there.
#14. Granola or a snack for energy—Or donuts and refreshments if you are a Garden Chair. This also encourages
others to show up and help. [If you feed them, they will come….]
#13. ID book suitable for the event. A small flyer or folder for identifying bees, birds, butterflies, weeds, flowers,
etc. can be helpful and may be kept in your car.
#12. 'Mini Mag' flashlight on a gardening belt—Or other light for seeing inside the dark corners of the shed.
#11. 'Leatherman' or similar multi-tool on a gardening belt—For tightening loose nuts and bolts, or bending wire
around fencing.
#10. Sunblock and skincare products, and insect repellent.
#9. Calendar and pencil—For notes about meeting times or other ideas.
#4. Map or diagram of area—To show others and for notes.
#7. Band-Aids, topical ointment, and tweezers—For the occasional splinter or thorn.
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the cultivator
SUBMISSIONS NEEDED!!! This issue is a short because not much was sent in, so I know you’ll have LOTS for the next issue... Please send all contributions for the Cultivator to Lori Garrett, Cultivator Editor; [email protected]. Submission deadline for the May/June edition is April 15th. All submissions must be your own original work.
#6. Two or three diaper safety pins—These are great for holding a(n extra) set of car keys safely in place, and for
organizing stuff in a belt pouch.
#5. Extra set of car and house keys—In case one loses keys in the garden. … And this is another reason that
flashlight is a good idea!
#4. Charged cell phone with appropriate phone numbers—Like the non-emergency U of I police number.
#3. A good watch—but sometimes it is not needed, if you have your phone.
#2. A good, small pouch—In which to put all the above.
. . And the #1 thing to take with you for a work day at the Idea garden is . . .
A garden buddy to help watch your back and help out! Two people working
together can do four times as much work as one person can by him- or herself.
. . . One final note . . . Jim remembered one other item that all Master Gardeners
should always have with them when working at the Idea Garden. Do you know
what it is? Can you guess? Hint: You should always be wearing it when work-
ing at the Idea Garden . . .
Hope SPRINGS eternal! It’s almost official! Spring begins on Monday, March 20.
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the cultivator
R2D2
Rain Barrel
[Editor’s Note: Anne Hudson sent me an email letting me know about what sounded like a pretty clever project. Mike
Lyon, I was told, had turned his rain barrel into an R2D2 robot (from Star Wars, if you aren’t in the know.)
Intrigued, I contacted Mike to get the story. And here is it.]
“I graduated from the MG program last year and as we finished the class on composting with Sandy Mason, I de-
cided that I needed to do something at our home to try to incorporate the yard waste back into our garden / flow-
er beds. It was good fortune that the timing was in line with the City of Urbana’s sale on rain barrels (which with
a lid and legs is a flippable compost bin) I think they make them available each spring/summer. When I picked it
up, the visual image just seemed so much like I had a generic R2 unit in my yard (the picture of it in my garden
cart). Luckily, I know a great local artist who attended school with my daughter, and I asked her if she was up to
the challenge. We dropped the composter off at her house and asked that she give it a try on a as-she-has-time
basis, no rush - a few weeks later we were blessed with our very own R2D2 unit. It currently resides in our back
yard nestled between hemlock trees (a little like the Star Wars return to Endor). Over the winter it has developed
its own patina; so we may retouch it and put a heavy lacquer over it to hold the paint to the black plastic of the
barrel. The local artist is a full time mom and realtor Amy Pellum;
she is okay with our giving out her contact info if we include that
she is a local realtor with the Nate Evans Group
—Mike Lyon
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the cultivator Things that Bug You
Monday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. – Champaign
The East Central Illinois Master Naturalists invite you to a presentation on “Things that Bug You: Mosquitoes and
Ticks” at the Champaign County Extension Office, March 20, 6:30-7:30pm.
Curious about mosquitoes and ticks? Does concern over Zika, West Nile, or Lyme Disease detract from your enjoy-
ment of the outdoors? Pam Leiter, Assistant Museum & Education Director for the Champaign County Forest Pre-
serve, will provide you with practical information on mosquitoes and ticks. She will discuss their life cycles, ecolo-
gy, and surprising facts! Tips on identifying the common mosquitoes and ticks found in east central Illinois will be
presented. Pointers for protecting yourself from mosquitoes and ticks will also be shared.
FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Click here to register for the program.
For more information, contact Maddy Kangas at 217-333-7672.
CE: Weed Prevention with Sandy Mason
Tuesday, March 21 at 6 p.m. – Danville
Join the Vermilion County Master Gardeners for their monthly program featuring State Master Gar-
dener Coordinator Sandy Mason. Sandy will present Weed Prevention highlighting the best practices
for home gardeners to be ahead of the weeds before the weeds take over!
The Program will be held at the Danville Public Library at 319 N Vermilion St, Danville. Fee for the
program is $5. You can register in advance or supply payment at the door. Click here to register.
Questions? Contact the Vermilion County Extension office at 217-442-4615.
CE: Water & Home Landscape Ecology Aesthetics
Tuesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. – Champaign
The Champaign County Master Gardeners welcome Eliana Brown as she presents Water & Home Landscape Ecolo-
gy Aesthetics. Eliana will describe the importance of water conservation and how we can implement it in our home
gardens, marrying ecology with aesthetics.
Eliana is the stormwater specialist with the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the Illinois Water Resources Center.
She is an expert in regulatory aspects of wastewater and stormwater programs and green infrastructure.
The program is Tuesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. and is being held at the Champaign County Extension office: 401 N.
Country Fair Drive, Champaign. This program is free and open to the public.
Click here to register.
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the cultivator And the Winner Is….
On February 21, Champaign County Master Gardeners shared some delightful desserts and convivial conversa-
tion before learning of this year’s annual award winners. After the awards were presented, we were treated to an
inspiring parade of gardening “Before and After” images, depicting almost unfathomable transformations and get-
ting us stoked for the promise of a new spring and fresh palettes. (That was before winter’s return…)
Here are the award-winners who were named that evening.
Art Porter, Rich Lampman, Dottie Davito, Emilie McGill, 100 Hour Volunteer Hours Milestone
and Kathy Young were recipients of the Golden Trowel Award Recipients
Award for their
contributions to the
Idea Garden.
Making a Difference Award:
Lynne Hellmer
Anne Hudson
Jessica Lopez
Alice Pfeffer
Diane Wardrop
Kathy Young
Friend of Master Gardener
Nathan Deppe
French Fraker
Frank Young
Tom Fehrmann
Bryon Hartstock
Derek Llebert
Brent Moore
Golden Trowel Award
John Bergee
Dottie Davito
Richard Lampman
Emilie McGill
Art Porter
Karl Radnitzer
Judy Yost
Kathy Young
Frank Young (center) - recipient
of the Friend of Master Gardeners
award for his contributions to the
Idea Garden Children's garden
and Crisis Nursery garden.
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the cultivator 100 Hours
Mary Ann Berg
John Bergee
Marsha Biddle
Kathryn Courtney
Carla Cravens Mansini
Donald Dayton
Diane Durbin
Julie En
Jan Fisher
Elizabeth Garrad
Japhia Ramkumar
Elena Kasper
Richard Lampman
Tess Larkin
Jennifer Livingston
Mike Lyon
Carol McClure
Emilie McGill
Karen Meier
Sally Mikel
Christina Nordholm
Arthur Porter
Carolyn Purcell
Karl Radnitzer
Kathleen Reed
Delores Ribbe
Kurt Ruthmansdorfer
Karen Semple
Bonnie Speccio
Diann Thoma
Pradyna Vakil
Rita Weisiger
Rachel Wilding
Kathy Wise
Julie Woller
Diane Yeazel
250 Hours
Carol Bosley
Juanita Brace
Carolyn Burrell
Dottie Davito
Debbie Day
Donald Dayton
Jerry DeWitt
Kate Dobrovolny
Jimmie Nell Duden
Jeanette Elliott
Linda Farrand
Richard Fiese
Rosalie Fisher
Bill Fisher
Lori Garrett
Janet Glaser
Joyce Goode
David Harley
Diane Hatch
Lynne Hellmer
Jim Hoyt
Anne Hudson
John Jones
Joy Kammerling
Joan Miller
Peggy Ore
Christie Roszkowski
Ann Sargent
Barb Schleicher
Susan Smith
Ann Swearingen
Sara Taber
Christine Tarant
Diann Thoma
June Van Vorst
Gwen Wilson
Jenny Wiman
Kathy Young
Kathy Zeiders
500 Hours
Sally Anderson
Carlo Anzelmo
Cathy Barnard
Rita Collins
Dottie Davito
Bill Ford
Lori Garrett
Joyce Goode
Bev Herman
Pam Hohn
Eva Kingston
Bruce Kloth
Sharon Lash
Jessica Lopez
Mary Munoz
Margy Palmisano
Alice Pfeffer
Richard Schroeder
Tom Seals
Penny Shaw
Susan Smith
Tony Soskin
Julie Steele
Patty Stoffel
Aporn Surintramont
Diane Wardrop
Becky Wauthier
750 Hours
Cheryl Anderson
Theresa de Valence
Patty Stoffel
Ann Tice
Jana Waite
Diane Wardrop
Don White
Phyllis Williams
Patty Stoffel
1000 Hours
Mary Nielsen
Patty Stoffel
Ann Tice
1500
Hours
Kathryn
Fletcher
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the cultivator Making a Difference Award Recipients
Anne Hudson (left)
Alice Pfeffer (center)
Diane Wardrop (left) Lynne Hellmer (left)
Jessica Lopez (right)