Published By & For Maricopa County Master GardenersThe Mystery Master Gardener Award recognizes an...

Published By & For Maricopa County Master Gardeners

RGRP 2015 Tour Summary p. 3

Volunteer Recognition p. 4

Thank you Deb Sparrow p. 6

May MG Update p. 8

Design Charrette p. 9

Master Gardener Business Meeting p. 10

Turtles In Your Pond? p. 11

Insects p. 13

The Traveling Gardener p. 16

WHAT’S INSIDE THE MAY 2015 ISSUEPhoto by RICH LARSON

ROOTS & SHOOTS | MAY 2015 PAGE 2

JEAN UPDIKE Editor

Associate Editor: MEG PATERSON Associate Editor: KAREN SANKMAN

Art Director: KIRSTEN CARTER

Website Questions: JO COOK | 602.827.8211

Roots & Shoots, published monthly by and for Maricopa County Master Gardeners, is printed under the direction of:

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Maricopa County Office

4341 E. Broadway Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85040-8807Phone: 602.827.8200 Fax: 602.827.8292

Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday–Fridaywww.MaricopaMasterGardener.com

STAFFKELLY YOUNG

Assistant Agent, ANR/Urban Horticulture602.827.8219, [email protected]

REBECCA SENIOR Assistant in Extension, Ornamental Horticulture

602.827.8276, [email protected]

JO COOK Program Coordinator


JESSE DAVENPORT Program Coordinator, Food Access


SHARON DEWEY Speakers Bureau


MARINA ACOSTA Program Coordinator, School & Community Gardens


YVONNE COOPER Departmental Secretary

602.827.8239

SHERI SEMONESAdministrative Assistant


MASTER GARDENER CONTACT LIST For a complete listing, see the organizational chart under MG Business on the MG Central website

Ambassadors: PAULA PUTAO | 623.486.2356, [email protected] NEWHOFF | 602.943.1843, [email protected]

Technical Committee: CARRIE GOODE | 480.457.8840, [email protected] CHERYL SCHMIDTKE | 480.732.1527, [email protected]

Design Charrette: BETH KIRKPATRICK | 480.275.4833, [email protected] LANKER | 480.947.0552, [email protected] MURMAN | 602.863.9204, [email protected]

MG Update: OLIVETTE AVISO | 602.381.4318, [email protected]

MG and Public Calendar: KAREN SANKMAN LEE | 480.893.1066, [email protected]

RGRP Co-chairs: PAT ADLER | 623.939.2165, [email protected] KLITZKE | 602.433.0933, [email protected]

OFFICESMAIN OFFICE 602.827.8200 University of Arizona Cooperative Extension 4341 E Broadway Rd Phoenix, AZ 85040 Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.

NORTHEAST VALLEY 480.312.5810 Via Linda Senior Center 10440 E Via Linda Scottsdale, AZ 85258-6099 Tuesday & Thursday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

NORTHWEST VALLEY 623.546.1672 PORA Office 13815 Camino del Sol Blvd Sun City West, AZ 85375 Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m. – Noon

The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting Jo Cook, Program Coordinator, at [email protected] 602-827-8211. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Jeffrey C. Silvertooth, Associate Dean & Director, Economic Development & Extension, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Arizona.

Facebook.com/MaricopaCountyMasterGardeners


“I really liked that there was so much variety in the real gardens, fun, beautiful, awe-inspiring, ‘you can do this in the desert?’” — Comment by tour-goer at 2015 RGRP

With six private gardens and a community garden, the 2015 Real Gardens for Real People tour gave about 400 attendees an up-close look at the beauty that can be achieved in landscapes and gardens in the desert Southwest.

As always, the success of the tour was due to the many Master Gardeners who helped to plan and carry out the tour, which was co-chaired by Pat Adler and Peggy Klitzke. The gardens for the tour were selected in May 2014, and tour planning began in earnest in July 2014. Twenty teams of MGs worked before and on tour day. More than 50 volunteers, led by the 14 garden co-captains, prepped the gardens for several weeks before the March 14 tour. On tour day,

116 volunteers helped in the gardens, and 15 MGs served as floaters, traveling to multiple gardens as needed.

Fourteen vendors were stationed at the El Mirage Community Garden, and Ambassadors and MG sales booths were at two of the private gardens. Entering the gardens, attendees were greeted by 14 Master Gardener exhibits/educational interactive displays on topics that were coordinated to the specific gardens. The tour raised $5,748 for the MG program.

Kudos to RGRP co-chairs Pat and Peggy for all their work in leading the great 2015 tour!

The next Real Gardens for Real People tour will be on March 12, 2016. The garden selection team is already in the process of evaluating prospective gardens.

RGRP TOUR 2015 SUMMARY photo by CHRISTINE NIMITZ from the Riperian Preserve Garden MGs PAUL & BARBI HOLDEMAN


VOLUNTEER RECOGNITIONMaster Gardeners were recognized for their contributions to the program in 2013 and 2014 at the volunteer recognition event held on April 19. The gathering featured refreshments and door prizes that ranged from trees, ornamental plants, and succulents to restaurant gift certificates, as well as the presentation of awards by Kelly Young and Jo Cook.

TOP VOLUNTEER HOURS

2013 Top Volunteer Hours• Ed King (455.5 hours) • Sue Hakala (424 hours)• Pat Adler (386.45 hours)

2014 Top Volunteer Hours• Pat Adler (732.3 hours)• Linda Thieken (591 hours)• Pam Perry (497.5 hours)

TOP EDUCATION HOURS

2013 Top Education Hours• Cherie Czaplicki (338.4 hours)• Kris Coates (247.75 hours)• Candace Price (135 hours)

2014 Top Education Hours• Candace Price (385 hours)• Sue Hakala (146 hours)• Bob Smith (126 hours)

The following Master Gardeners were awarded Emeritus status, which is given to recognize MGs who have devoted significant time, volunteerism, leadership, dedication and more to the program:

2013 EMERITUS STATUS

Rick Kassel, Danny Schnell

2014 EMERITUS STATUS

Linda Huff, Cheri Czaplicki, Christine Bahto

The Helianthus Award is given annually to an MG who exhibits a bright, sunny disposition, an unfailingly positive attitude, and a buoyant personality. The award was presented to:

2013 HELINATHUS AWARD

Lee Ann Aronson

2014 HELINATHUS AWARD

Linda McCabe

The Mystery Master Gardener Award recognizes an MG who works behind the scenes, consistently putting in lots of hours, getting incredible things done with little fanfare. Receiving this award were:

2013 MYSTERY MG AWARD

Don Sutton

2014 MYSTERY MG AWARD

Marianna Hancin

The Sage Award is presented to an MG who is eminent in wisdom, wise through reflection and experiences, and prudent and philosophical in judgment and views. The award was presented to:

2013 SAGE AWARD

Pam Perry

2014 SAGE AWARD

Jan Baltzer

Sharon Dewey reported that 137 MG speakers presented programs at seminars, garden shows, and special events in 2014. The speakers with the most presentations in 2014 are Pam Perry, Lee Ann Aronson, Deborah Morris, and Jim Oravetz.


The Ironwood Award recognizes MGs who foster growth and learning in less experienced MGs. Receiving this award were:

2013 IRONWOOD AWARD

Pat Adler, Peggy Klitzke, and Linda Thieken

2014 IRONWOOD AWARD

Linda Thieken

Recipients of the Creosote Award are recognized for their indestructible spirit. This award was presented to:

2013 CREOSOTE AWARD

Carol Stuttard

2014 CREOSOTE AWARD

Pat Adler

The Caliche Award is given to “the rock of the program.” Receiving this award were:

2013 CALICHE AWARD

Cheri Czaplicki

2014 CALICHE AWARD

Bonnie Newhoff

Additional special awards recognized the following Master Gardeners:

• Star Volunteer Award to Carol Parrot for 2013 and to Deb Sparrow and Vineetha (Vini) Kartha for 2014.

• Gold Rising Star Award to Yvonne Cooper, Jan Baltzer, and Rob Mariani for 2013 and to Ken Smith for 2014.

• Silver Star Award to Debi Young and Steve Young for 2013 and to Donna Lorch, Frances Peake, and Karen Sankman for 2014.

• Bee the MG Special Award (most combined education and volunteer hours) to Lenora Stewart.

• Compass Award – Sue Lanker

25 YEARS – 2014 – John Kent

20 YEARS – 2013 – Cathy Cromell, Evelyn Helm, Augusta Polchow, Dan Rosinski, Bob Smith, Deb Sparrow

20 YEARS – 2014 – Marylou Coffman, Cherie Czaplicki, Linda Guy, Sue Hakala, Linda Overby, Danny Schnell, Lynne Senza, EstelleTaylor

15 YEARS – 2013 – Kristin Battafarano, Donna Chapman, Rose Parker, Mary Throop, Judy Tolbert

15 YEARS – 2014 – Sharon Dewey, Marianna Hancin

10 YEARS – 2013 – Christine Bahto, Burt Baker, Lydia Campos Brown, Monica Gillespie, Carolyn Hills, Barbi Holdeman, Paul Holdeman, Nicole Hynch, Karen Martin, Paula McMahon, Bonnie Newhoff, Jim Oravetz, Mary Ann Palmer, Doris Pingel, Faith Pipp, Sue Plosker, Julia Wawrzyniak, Vicki Woods

10 YEARS – 2014 – Olivette Aviso, Christy Fix, James Hardy, Amber Huntoon, Michael Levitt, John Markel, Debora Moritz, Susan Noack, Bob Scherer, Phyllis Schott, Teresa Stickler, Jerry Strass, Kristen Wagner

5 YEARS – 2013 – Joyce Allen, Emily Bartle, Elaine Berlinger, Marilyn Campbell, Kristine (Kris) Christensen, Ann Givey, Margerie Green, Joseph Hartung, Diana Hawkinson, Terry Hess, Linda Larson, Kathleen (Kathie) Leix, Jim MacKenzie, Lunn Martinson, Mary McIntosh, Paula Putao, Catherine Schoonmaker, Elizabeth Segal, Suellen Seifert, Linda Thieken, Joanne Toms, Jennifer Wadsworth

5 YEARS – 2014 – Carolyn Amy, Ron Brennan, Cynthia Christensen, Kristine (Kris) Coates, Cathie DiStefano, Tracy Dowdle, Lynn Friedman, Linda Grass, Lori Hartman, Sharon Hendrickson, Nanette (Nan) Holt, Susan Hughes, Rose Hurwitz, Mildred (Milly) Johnson, Vineetha (Vini) Kartha, Roylene Keilholtz, Patrice (Patty) Kennedy, Steve Lake, Susan Link, Elizabeth (Liz) Leonetti, Eileen Marrero, Marie McDermott, K Moss, Christine Nunez, Christine (Chris) O’Hara, Frances Peake, Jolene Peer, Marlies Plaggenborg, Marquita Porter, Judy Rubin, Michelle Schrade, Alexandra (Ali) Shafer, Kay Simmons, David Tejada, Carol Tripp

The following Master Gardeners earned pins for 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years as active MGs:

Volunteer Recognition Continued


One of the best things to happen to the Master Gardener Program was when Deb Sparrow agreed to coordinate speakers for the monthly Master Gardener Update over 15 years ago. In that time, Deb has provided interesting, relevant, educational speakers 11 months a year, inspired countless Master Gardeners to expand their horizons, and supported the MG program with her passion and knowledge. Deb has resigned as the Update coordinator to be able to spend more time on her art studio.

One of the many things I’ve learned from Deb is the power of networking and connecting the dots. Deb takes every opportunity to interweave current events, her love of gardening, and the educational needs of the Master Gardener program to develop delightful mini-programs every month. Many Master Gardeners have left an Update feeling uplifted, enlightened and ready to volunteer more, learn more, and support each other more.

Over the last month, several fellow Master Gardeners have shared their thoughts on Deb Sparrow.

“Deb is rock solid and kept the great monthly Updates always positive and growing during some stressful periods in our MCE MH program the last 7-8 years. She put in a lot of effort and energy keeping this MG training opportunity always fresh, with good topics and opportunities for learning.” — Mike Hills

“I’ve only been a MG since 2008 but during that time Deb Sparrow has been the emcee of the monthly Updates. She is one of the desert’s precious gifts. She has functioned as the go-to person to provide interesting, educational speakers 11 months a year. She has nursed the growth of multitudes of Master Gardeners over the years. Each month she did detailed write-ups of the programs for Roots & Shoots. To provide

these speakers she has made calls, requests, and I imagine, pleas for speakers to present at these events. She would arrive early, double check the set-up, greet the speaker, answer questions, introduce the presenter, watch the clock, call for the break, call us back and keep us on schedule. Her work has indeed fostered the establishment of other Master Gardeners as she provided a habitat that helped us to learn, foster connections and grow to help others in the community.” — Linda Larson

“She did a wonderful job bringing in a diverse group of qualified speakers and enhanced the sessions with insightful comments and questions. Our organization was fortunate to have such a dedicated volunteer for so many years.” — Debbie Wolfe

“For over 15 years Deb has recruited 10 speakers a year as well as established field trips to broaden MGs’ understanding of the ways horticulture in the Valley and the Master Gardener mission of promoting science and research based education to our community intersect on many levels. This is over 150 speakers! When we had no secretarial staff, we

THANK YOU DEB SPARROWwritten by JO COOK

Artwork by DEB SPARROW


did have Updates. If we had no support staff or MG Coordinator in place, we still had Updates. If we had no agent particularly responsible for our program, we had Updates. All these changes of faculty or staff were weathered more than once with Updates as regular as clockwork, providing continuity as well as UA recognized continuing education hours for Maricopa County Master Gardeners! She rarely duplicated presenters or topics, and all were timely. She did all this with the absolutely amazing budget of zero dollars. We were offered great bios and backgrounds of our speakers which helped develop a culture within Maricopa County where presenting to Master Gardener Updates was a welcome invitation. She was creative and imaginative in linking people and finding new programs for us. This was a program which, when she took it on, was poorly attended and irregular at best. It has become a pillar of continuity for Maricopa County Master Gardeners. Additionally, it has become a dependable source of ready income for many MG projects through the basket

drawings that run in conjunction with it. As attendance increased, now to the point where we often must use Sign Up Genius so as to not overfill the room, Updates offered various Master Gardener leaders opportunities to showcase upcoming events and projects while not imposing on the time allocated to speakers. She will be a hard act to follow!”— Pam Perry

Deb became a Master Gardener in 1993 and started coordinating the Updates in 1999. As an artist, she’s influenced by both Chinese and Western painting techniques. Her subjects are often music and dance, as well as plants.

We would like to honor Deb with your testimonials to her service over the years. Over the next month, please add your fond memories and stories about Deb on the gigantic Thank You Deb Sparrow card at the Cooperative Extension office.

And please continue to support the monthly Master Gardener Update!

Login to MG Central to view the calendar of events.

Please submit any calendar events to Karen Sankman at

[email protected].

Attention Writers!ARTICLES FOR THE JUNE ISSUE OF ROOTS & SHOOTS ARE DUE MAY 15, 2015Please submit all Roots & Shoots articles via email to Jean Updike at [email protected]

http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/mgcentral/


WHO: Pam Perry remembers planting tomatoes with her mom in Vermont when she was three years old. She grew up with gardening and feels lucky to have had the opportunity to turn this avocation into a vocation. Pam has worked as a grower and design consultant in both retail and wholesale nurseries. She is a graduate of the College of Agriculture and Life Science at the University of Vermont and a certified Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in three states, including ours.

When she lived in California, she was the grower for Morningsun Herb Farm, a wonderful place with demonstration gardens, trial gardens for heirloom vegetables and hoop houses for year-round growing. Here in Phoenix, Pam worked at a local resort, overseeing the design, installation, and maintenance of landscaping projects throughout the resort. She included vegetables in her ornamental beds of annuals there.

At our own Maricopa County Cooperative Extension offices, Pam has offered classes for the public through the Desert Garden Institute and the ‘Grow and Preserve Workshops.’ She teaches the vegetables chapter of the Master

Gardener training classes. And as the Director of the Extension’s Demonstration Gardens, Pam offers volunteers hands-on experience in desert gardening, fruit tree care, vegetable gardening, and the care of desert-adapted plants in the landscape.

WHAT: After gardening in several other states, Pam finds Arizona’s year-round gardening a real treat. She likes to explore just how to keep the vegetable garden producing interesting veggies all year round. It’s a worthy challenge.

If you want to grow vegetables year-round here, you can, too. We’re not talking about keeping particular plants alive forever. Most vegetables are annuals and are more productive as annuals. This is about making the seasons really work for us. Selecting appropriate varieties for the season is key.

Pam will show us how to plant a summer vegetable garden that makes the gardener look good and gives that gardener something to eat in the process. The trick is finding and planting the vegetable varieties that look good in the summer. When the plants look good, you will, too.

MAY MG UPDATE: Your Summer Vegetable Garden with Pam Perry

written by DEB SPARROW, update planner

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!9 a.m. Wednesday,

May 13, 2015, Extension Office

4341 E. Broadway Rd., Phoenix

SIGNUP GENIUS


The May Design Charrette is in Sun City West at the home of Kathy Church on Saturday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to noon. Experience is not necessary, so if you would like to learn some things about garden design, please consider joining us. We pair the less experienced with the experienced, so it is a great learning opportunity and a nice way to help a fellow Master Gardener while earning three volunteer hours. All you need to bring is your imagination, paper, pencil and a dish to pass for our potluck lunch.

Here is what Kathy has to say about her garden:

“My husband and I retired to Sun City West from the north woods of Wisconsin. I now have a smaller yard to work with, but I am anxious to make it my own little oasis in the desert. I am trying to incorporate a hacienda look throughout my home. I would like to introduce roses and desert plants to encourage butterflies and birds to visit my garden. I would consider expanding the outdoor sitting area, adding a small water feature or vegetable bed.

We have an old and very large lemon tree that we would like to remove from the backyard and replace with better choices for shade. I’m also looking for ideas for more privacy from my neighbors and ways to dress up a brick wall that runs along the back of my yard.

Our other consideration is our dog that spends time in the backyard, so we need pet friendly ideas.

I look forward to hearing all your suggestions.”

MAY DESIGN CHARRETTE

What is a Design Charrette...And How Can I Participate?A Design Charrette is a forum hosted by a Master Gardener to develop design ideas for a chosen landscape. As a Master Gardener, you can host a Charrette for your own property. This is a three-hour event that includes a tour of the grounds, potluck, and design discussion. The number of attendees is usually limited to 12.

HOSTS: Receive the benefit of free design ideas. As the host, you will provide a tour of your property, which includes plant identification and information, researched or experimental. The host provides a letter of intent for the property that prioritizes goals, needs and problems to be solved. A simple drawing of the property must also be provided to the group to use in their landscape design. Lastly, the host provides cups, plates, utensils, napkins and water. Guests will bring the food.

GUESTS: No formal landscape design education is required. But we do require that you bring your imagination! Come; enjoy the garden tour, plant identification and the opportunity to learn from fellow Master Gardeners as we share our design ideas. Each guest will need to bring a potluck dish. Design Charrettes are held on Saturday mornings, and the host and Design Charrette team determines the date.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!Saturday, May 9, 2015, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Design Charrette Team: BETH KIRKPATRICK, SUE LANKER, MATT MURMAN , & SUELLEN SEIFERT

Email us at [email protected] if you would like to reserve a spot in Kathy’s Charrette. Attendance is typically limited to twelve participants divided into teams of three people each.

This will be our last Charrette for this season. We will resume in the fall with our September Charrette. If you are interested in getting design ideas for your garden and would like to put your garden on the new season’s schedule, please email us at [email protected]


Have you ever wondered how many active Master Gardeners there are in the Maricopa County Master Gardener program? Have you ever asked yourself how many people call the plant hotline in a month or how many people we help at each of the Home and Garden shows? Do you want to know how the Master Gardener program is funded and how the money is spent? Answers to these questions and much more will be the subject of the MG business meeting to be held on Thursday, May 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cooperative Extension Office in Phoenix. Arrangements are also being made to provide an electronic way for Master Gardeners to participate.

Kelly Young and Jo Cook will host this business meeting that has been designed to be a highly interactive update on the state of the Master Gardener program in Maricopa County. Jan Baltzer and Linda Thieken, president and vice president of the MG Advisory Board, will also participate in the program. Topics will include a recap of our 2014-2015 activities, a presentation on the financial status of the program, an overview of the Advisory Board and its activities, a discussion of why evaluation of our efforts is so important, an overview of volunteer and leadership needs of the program, and a look forward to 2015-2016.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!6–8 p.m. Thursday,

May 28, 2015, Extension Office

4341 E. Broadway Rd., Phoenix

MARICOPA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER BUSINESS MEETING

written by: JAN BALTZER

Please plan to attend this very important meeting. Your participation is critical to our success, and we look forward to seeing you on May 28!


written by THE POND GNOME

You betcha! Many of our pond clients enjoy their turtle pets! That’s the short answer. Turtles can provide hours of entertainment and education and truly become members of your family. However, there are some considerations.

Types of Turtles for PondsIf it’s a non-native species, please remember that you need to be responsible about turtle ownership: it must remain contained, without the possibility of escaping from your yard into a natural riparian area. And since turtles do add a level of maintenance to your pond, be sure that you’re okay with that decision. As long as you’re fine with a little added maintenance, turtles are great pets!

There are many different species of turtles. Some are more welcome in Arizona than others. Please do your research before you get one. You can read more about turtles at www.azgfd.gov/turtle.

Pond Design for TurtlesYour pond should have been designed in a way that would take good care of these pets. Proper filtration is a must! Turtles do add quite a bit more to the water, in terms of bio-load, than just goldfish and/or Koi. You will need a good biological filter, or, better yet, a constructed wetland filter, but you at least need some kind of regeneration zone. If you don’t have either of these, more bacteria treatments will be necessary to keep your water quality up to snuff. A basking island is also necessary for many species.

Turtles can also be somewhat destructive, and since they’re at the top of the food chain, this could mean wreaking havoc on your tidy pond. They have zero respect for what

CAN I HAVE TURTLES IN MY POND?

http://www.azgfd.gov/turtle

http://www.azgfd.gov/turtle


you may consider aesthetically pleasing. For example, if they’re swimming along and there’s a lily pad in their way, they may simply munch right through the middle of it.

Along with large Koi, we do NOT recommend adding turtles prior to the establishment of a healthy ecosystem in the pond. They are the most destructive and ammonia-producing thing you can add to your pond. We don’t recommend them in any pond less than a year old if things are operating smoothly in a well-designed and constructed pond. You should plan on spending a couple of years building a healthy eco-system before you attempt to introduce turtles to the mix.

The physical aspects of your pond need to be considered when selecting your turtle species. Depth, water surface, slope, basking islands/spots and access to foraging areas are examples. The depth of the pond will vary a bit depending on the species, but all turtle ponds should have a relatively large surface area (provides better oxygen levels in the water). Red eared sliders and some other turtles can handle a deeper pond, while some turtles prefer to be in shallower water, so again consider the natural habits of the turtle

species when planning your pond. Try to have varied levels of water with slopes between them. A shallow area where the turtle can sit in the water with its head out of the water is desirable as well.

Pond Maintenance with TurtlesWith the bio-load that comes with having turtles, you should be adding some kind of bacteria/enzyme product on a regular basis to aid the micro-organism conversion of nitrite and ammonia into plant food. This means that if you plan to be away for a while, you’ll need to enlist the aid of someone to do this while you’re gone so that you don’t come back to a big pea-green mess.

Outside of your pond, turtles will want to dig into the soil for egg laying and over-wintering under plants. An area in which to forage, comprised of either a compost soil or sand next to the pond, is like heaven for turtles, especially for females looking to lay eggs. Therefore, be sure to have an area nearby where females can build a nest. This area may also serve as a basking spot.

If you’re considering a pond for your pet turtles, let us know – we speak turtle!


“ We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics.” —Bill Vaughan

INSECTS

Carpenter Bees – 10 Facts You May Not Knowwritten by SHERYL STRADLING

1. Carpenter bees are part of the Insect order Hymenoptera, Family Apidae, genus Xylocopa spp. They are solitary bees (they do not have a hive). Sometimes females will nest adjacent to each other in the same piece of wood or make tunnels off a main shared entrance.

2. Around 500 species are known. Xylocopa californica, the California carpenter bee, is found in the southwestern states and northwestern Mexico. Xylocopa varipuncla is found in the California Central Valley, Southern California and the Mojave Desert.

3. Females are the bees typically seen. Their large blue-black bodies with a metallic sheen are about the size of bumble bees or larger - ¾ to 1 inch long with a shiny abdomen. Males can be brownish/golden and have yellow face markings or be completely yellow. They can be the same size as females or somewhat smaller.

4. Carpenter bees are named for their ability to drill through wood and nest in the hole. They vibrate their bodies and rasp their mandibles against the wood to create a body-sized tunnel. They typically nest in dead tree trunks or other plants, firewood or exposed structural wood, yucca, agave or sotol stalks . Their nesting hole is approximately ½ inch in diameter and is usually located on the underside of a wood surface. They do not eat wood.

5. Their tunnels can be up to ten inches long. After boring the tunnel, the female lays an egg at the end of the tunnel on a mass of sawdust and regurgitated nectar and pollen, closes the end with wood pulp, and repeats her actions, creating additional brood cells. There may be six or eight cells in one gallery. As the larvae develop, they feed on the food mass and chew through the cell partitions. Adults overwinter in old tunnels. Females may re-use the tunnels,


change location or add to existing tunnels. Males are the first to emerge in spring and prepare for the mating season by feeding on pollen and nectar.

6. The female bee has the stinger (males do not) but is normally not aggressive unless provoked. Males are territorial and may act aggressively. They are not as commonly seen; by nest-building time in late spring, they’ve usually already performed their duties and have died.

7. Two mating systems are common – in species where the male has large eyes, they typically search for females by patrolling or hovering and waiting for passing females, which they pursue. In the other system, males typically have small heads but a large glandular reservoir containing pheromones which they release into the air while flying or hovering – this alerts the females of their presence.

8. Carpenter bees are not considered a true structural pest. They can weaken structures, make holes and cause staining, but they rarely cause severe damage unless they repeatedly use a specific area for nesting.

9. The primary management strategy is prevention. It’s recommended to paint exterior wood including areas not visible, such as under windowsills, banisters, and railings. Use treated wood for outdoor projects, cover wooden components with aluminum sheathing and eliminate spaces – they can enter any space ¼ inch or larger.

10. Carpenter bees are considered beneficial insects. They are pollinators of native plants, including trees and flowers, as well as landscape plants and agricultural crops.

Katydidswritten by Sue Hakala

Katydids blend in perfectly with their tree and bush environment, looking like green leaves as they sit motionless during the day. Moving about at night, katydids use their chewing mouth parts to eat leaves, flowers, stems, and fruits, not doing much harm. Some species prey on insects. It is believed that they get their green color from the chlorophyll in the plants they eat.

I noticed one sitting on a densely white-spined cactus in my yard or probably would not have seen it at all. About 1.5 inches in length, it looked like a leaf with an eye — definitely out of place on a cactus.

He or she started life in the fall as an egg its mother deposited on a leaf or in bark crevices. Emerging in the spring, the small katydid looks just like an adult without wings. Going through several molts, they are ready for mating.

Related to crickets and grasshoppers, males call for a mate by rubbing their wings together in a repetitive way sounding like, “katy did, katy didn’t,” at least to researchers’ ears. They sing mostly at night. To see one rubbing its wings together and to hear the sound, go to youtube.com and search for “katydid making noise.”

Birds eat them as a source of protein.


Wolf Spiderswritten by SUE HAKALA

From mountains to rain forests to deserts, wolf spiders can be found nearly everywhere there is prey to eat. During the day they hide in leaf litter or other vegetation and sometimes in tunnels they or other critters dig. They are nocturnal hunters that move about seeking prey like small spiders and other nuisance bugs. They do not make webs. Using their sensory body hairs and keen eyesight, they can track down a meal or sit and wait patiently for prey to come by. Then they pounce quick as a wink, pumping venom into their victims to paralyze them. After injecting an enzyme to liquefy the insides, the spider will suck up its meal. Wolf spiders are not a danger to humans but, when threatened, might leave an itchy, swollen bite site.

They can be scary looking, often mistaken for tarantulas. Arizona wolf spiders have a hairy tannish appearance permitting them to blend into the desert floor. Their eight eyes allow them to see in almost all directions at once. Not much escapes their attention in either predator or prey. You might see a wolf spider when shining a light around as their eyes reflect it back like a cat.

When a male wolf spider is seeking a mate, he will spin a small web of silk, placing his sperm on it. Bundling it up, he carries it as he travels about. He trails a dragline of silk, anchoring it to the ground periodically. If a female crosses it, she’ll know there’s a male in the neighborhood. She’ll produce a dragline, too, marking it with pheromones to announce she is ready to mate.

Mating can be a bit tricky for the male. When he finds his girl, twice his size, he will tap the ground and wave his appendages in a certain way so she notices him. If she gives the signal, he will approach, hoping not to be eaten, depositing his package in her. His job done, he scurries quickly away.

Mom spins a sticky silk to deposit her fertilized eggs in, carrying it around with her between her back legs up against her body. It takes about three weeks for the babies to hatch and climb up on their mother’s back. She does not feed them as they continue to consume the remains of their egg yolk as they develop. The offspring have a much better chance of survival just by hanging onto mom. To see a wolf spider with babies, go to youtube.com and search for “woman holding mother wolf spider with babies.”

When the time comes for the spiderlings to take off on their own, they leave in a dash so mom or a sibling will not eat them. They may climb to the top of a plant and spin a bit of silk to catch a breeze to carry them away to a new neighborhood.

Female wolf spiders usually live just one year (males just for the summer), enjoying the relatively cool environment of your backyard or home. During rains, wolf spiders have been known to seal up a desert burrow entrance with dirt or rocks.

They may look menacing, but wolf spiders are good spiders to have around to eat bugs like crickets and cockroaches. If you find one in your house, capture it in a glass, sliding a piece of paper over the top. Then relocate it to some new real estate.

Carpenter Bee Resources:

Arizona Bee Identification Guide, AZ Cooperative Ext., Yuma

California Master Gardener Handbook, Ed. Dennis R. Pittenger

Master Gardener Entomology Manual, Dave T. Langston & Roberta Gibson

How to Bug Proof Your Home, Dawn H. Gouge and Carl Olson, pub. AZ1320, Ref. 07/09

Information Sheet 21, Solitary Bees - http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/ahb/inf21.html accessed - accessed 4/14 at 3:06 pm

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_carpenter_bee - accessed 4/14 at 2:52 pm


A TRAVELING GARDENER, Wandering, Wondering, Noticing ...Donna’s Garden

written by LINDA LARSON | photos by RICH LARSON

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a birthday party in a beautiful private garden. The weather was perfect, the flowers were in bloom and joy filled the celebration of a special person and friendships of many years. The host of the event is a passionate Master Gardener with a sense of style and an eye for beauty. She has gardened in this small space (30’ x 45’) for over three decades. In that time, mixed among jobs, laundry, children, pets and life’s obligations, she has cared for her garden. During those years she was always thinking about her garden as she looked for ideas in magazines, on garden tours and in her travels. She generously shared her garden with others, opening it up for community garden tours.

The colors in this garden are based on black, white, and green with a sprinkling of silver for accents. This season the garden annuals are all in white. Black & white pillows on a chaise lounge provide a place to relax. Nestled among the plants there is a fountain adding music of falling water to mix with the bird songs. There are hanging baskets, window boxes, and in-ground beds filled with flowers and trailing vines. A Lady Banks rose covers the back fence and blooms in white. A large black buffet under the covered patio is used for entertaining and on this day held tea cups and spoons. Bistro tables and chairs provide a place to sit and enjoy a cup of tea. A collection of silver balls add sparkle to the setting. Strategically placed mirrors expand

“ Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, a place to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.” — John Muir


the space, and large Ficus trees add shade. From every angle one sees a beautiful touch.

A garden like this encourages conversation, laughter and storytelling. Relationships are strengthened and gratitude for life’s simple pleasures is increased. For the gardener, all the work done over the years has compounded like interest in the rewards of sharing such a beautiful experience.

So many times I hear people dismissively say “gardening is a lot of work.” But I see a beautiful garden as work of the heart. The fantasy of TV gardening entertains us with a magical designer who illustrates your perfect garden with the wave of a wand and transforms bare ground into full beauty in less than three days. It is a fantasy equal to winning the lottery to fund your retirement. Saving for retirement is hard work requiring a bit of effort every day. You must make choices, pay attention and take action. Growing a beautiful garden works in the same way; it requires a bit of effort every day. The returns in both efforts can be wonderful. But the results of investing effort in your garden come much earlier than retirement, and it can be shared so easily. And as with a retirement plan, expert help may improve results and provide additional assistance to reach your goal, so a passionate gardener seeks similar advice and help.

If your garden is a passion, you walk onto that patch of earth you hold dear, the place you

live, and you look to see what is growing and blooming, what is fading and spent. A morning coffee enjoyed on a bench inspires a burst of creative planning. A plant is moved, a new pot placed just so, a small figurine tucked into place. Each day a gardener nurtures, discovers, edits and enjoys the work of a garden. When a garden is your passion you bloom as it grows. It is your special place to begin and end your day. It gives you the best table in town to share a meal with people you love. You have a special place to celebrate life’s moments, be they very small or the memorable transitions worthy of great note. The butterflies, birds and bees will join you. You will get regular exercise, and you have your own private spa retreat for relaxing afterward. You, in the words of John Muir, have a “place to play in, a place to pray in” and your view of the world will be framed by nature’s beauty because we do “need beauty as well as bread.”

It is time to think about the gardens for the 2016 RGRP tour and the importance of sharing garden ideas. The opportunity to visit private gardens is truly a gift we can give. Every gardener has something to share, whether it be stories of great success, funny discoveries or failures. If your garden is new or lovingly mature, there will be something to see. Gardening is a scientific, whimsical, and artistic effort. If you love your garden, others will love it too.

In response to our Master Gardener Community, we are beginning a new Advanced Training Series. We plan to start with a spring and fall program this year and hope you’ll join us to enhance your Master Gardener initial training and hone

some professional skills as well!

Information, including registration information, will be available on the MG website, www.maricopamastergardener.com/mgcentral

Also check the MG calendar for updated information.

ADVANCED TRAINING

Spring Advanced Training— Public Speaking:Learning to be an effective and confident public speaker is critical to maximize your experience as a Master Gardener and is an invaluable life skill. Everyone is welcome, from new Master Gardeners to seasoned veterans; come learn with us in a fun and relaxed environment! Following an International Toastmaster format, we hope to graduate confident public speakers - there are lots of opportunities for practice with the Speakers Bureau!

THIS SERIES WILL BE FOUR CLASSES HELD AT THE EXTENSION OFFICES ON SATURDAY MORNINGS FROM 9 A.M. TO NOON ON MAY 9, 16, 30 AND JUNE 6. COST WILL BE $50.

http://www.maricopamastergardener.com/mgcentral

Published By & For Maricopa County Master GardenersThe Mystery Master Gardener Award recognizes an...

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