Master Gardener Carol Lerner was a guest speaker at the La Porte County Convention and Visitors Bureau Idea & Information Exchange meeting on August 20th. The meeting was held at the Charles R. Westcott Gateway Park in Michigan City.

Carol is an author and illustrator of many books on birds and nature. She spoke about the upcoming fall migration of song birds and the difficulties these birds encounter on their way south.

Participants included many children who were fascinated by Carol’s presentation.

Art supplies were provided by the Michigan City Public Art Committee for kids to use and maybe even become artists themselves.

It was a beautiful afternoon with wonderful refreshments, and door prizes. Thanks, Carol, for a wonderful presentation.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

ASSOCIATION NEWS ___________ 2

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES ____ 3

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ____ 5

HOTLINE ___________________ 5

FALL MASTER GARDENER CLASS _ 5

MONARCH WATCH ____________ 6

MONARCHS AT WORK? _________ 7

SEPTEMBER GARDEN CALENDAR _ 7

2015 MEETING SCHEDULE Meetings will be held at 6:00 p.m. on

Thursdays (unless otherwise noted) at the Purdue Extension Office (O); the Swanson Senior Center (S); or the

La Porte Public Library (L) September 3 General Meeting Center Township Fire Station Dennis Brittain Vertical Gardens

October 1 Workshop (O) Bonsai Demonstration

November 5 General Meeting (O) Adi Veenendaal Pruning Elections

December 3 Holiday Lunch John Orick, State MG Coordinator SFE Award Presentation & State of the MG Program

If you have an article, photos, or

event you would like to submit to the newsletter, please e-mail to:

DONNAPOUZAR@COMCAST.NET EMATZAT@PURDUE.EDU

“THE LATEST DIRT” is published monthly. The next deadline is:

September 20, 2015

The Lates t Dir t La Porte County Master Gardener Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2015

Carol Lerner speaks at La Porte County Visitor Bureau’s Idea and Information Meeting

The Latest Dirt September 2015 Page 2 of 8

La Porte County Master Gardener Association

The meeting on August 6th was held at Bluhm County Park in Westville. Beginning at 6:00 p.m., 25 members were tempted with wonderful food prepared by the members. Oh, so many marvelous things from the gardens and kitchens graced the table.

The first ever “Baked Beans Cook-Off” was a hit. Members were able to vote for their favorite for the mere sum of one dollar. Thirty dollars was raised for our scholarship. The excitement rose when the winner was announced. It was….everyone who participated! Thanks Ann and Susan. It was fun. The winning baked bean recipe was in the September 2014 issue of The Latest Dirt (page 2).

The LPCMGA was lucky to have Russ “Pat” Klosinski and Jan “Vanna” Koss to conduct the auction. They got the crowd involved with terrific auction items. No one dared to scratch or lift their hand to cough since those motions were considered a new bid. “Pat” and “Vanna” worked hard to end up with $303.20. Thanks for an excellent job.

The auction finished just as a lovely sunset ended an evening of good food, fellowship and fund raising. Members headed for their cars with an amazing array of items from generous members.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

LEMON BARS Marcy Dailey

Printed from COOKS.COM

1 Yellow Cake Mix 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

softened 1/3 c. Sugar (I used lemon verbena

infused sugar.) 1 tsp. lemon juice

Mix dry cake mix (I added grated zest from 1 small lemon), 1 egg and 1/3 cup oil until crumbly; reserve 1 cup. Pat mixture lightly in an ungreased 13” x 9” x 2” pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Beat cheese, sugar, lemon juice and 1 egg until light and smooth. Spread over baked layer. Sprinkle with reserved crumbled mixture. Bake 15 minutes longer. Cool. Cut into bars.

NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER

KRISPIES Barb Merten

2 packages Butterscotch morsels

(8 oz. Nestle) ½ cup Peanut Butter

Melt in double boiler, then add 5 cups of corn flakes. Drop by the teaspoon on wax paper to set.

Keep in covered container. Can freeze them.

MASTER GARDENER PICNIC and AUCTION Bluhm County Park, August 6, 2015

CARAMEL BROWNIES Bev Johnson

28 caramels 1 18 oz German Chocolate cake mix 1 5.33 oz. can of evaporated milk 1 cup chocolate chips 3/4 cup margarine, melted 1 cup chopped nuts Heat oven to 350. Melt caramels in 1/3 cup evaporated milk over low heat in heavy saucepan, stirring often; set aside. Combine margarine, cake mix, 1/3 cup evaporated milk and nuts. Spread half of this mixture in greased 13x9x2 inch pan. Bake 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread with caramel mixture and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Crumble remaining mixture over chips. Bake 20 minutes longer. Cool; cut into bars. Makes about 60.

Some recipes from the Picnic

The Latest Dirt September 2015 Page 3 of 8

La Porte County Master Gardener Association

BOTANICAL GARDENS SEMINARS AND EVENTS Fernwood Botanical Gardens www.fernwoodbotanical.org LPCMGA is a member of Fernwood Botanical Gardens.

Membership card can be signed out at the Extension Office. Taltree Arboretum www.Taltree.org International Friendship Gardens

www.friendshipgardens.org LPCMGA is a member of IFG; Membership card can be signed out at the Extension Office

ADVANCED MASTER GARDENER TRAINING Master Gardener Seminars

www.hort.purdue.edu/mg/events.html - Check out some upcoming Master Gardener Seminars. Download registrations forms and get more information.

Date Event/Time Description/Fee Location / Contact Saturday, Sept. 12

Kosciusko Co. MGA Fall Symposium Gateway to Gardening 8:45 am to 3 pm EDT

Topics: Art of Fall Cleanup; Winter Trees, Shrubs of Interest; Using Bulbs for Spring Color/Interest; Holiday Decorations from your Garden $30.00 by Sept. 4

Warsaw Community Church 1855 S. County Farm Road, Warsaw, IN Contact: Kosciusko Co. Extension Office at 574-372-2340 or download a registration flyer at www.extension.purdue.edu/kosciusko

September 22-25

2015 International MG Conference: Horticultural Horizons in the Heartland

Full registration: $440.00 Single Day registrations available Registration closes 8/31/2015

Co-hosted by Iowa State University Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs, Iowa http://mastergardener.unl.edu/imgc2015

Saturday, October 3

Adventures in Gardening 8 am to 3:30 pm EDT

Hendricks Co. MGA hosting topics: Structures & Structures; Vines & Climbers; Container Gardening; Gardening in Unconventional Places. $40.00; add $20 for Container Wrkshp

Hendricks County 4-H Complex, 1900 E. Main Street, Danville, IN Hendricks County Master Gardeners On-line registration or download flyer at : www.hendricksgardeners.com

Saturday, October 3

Bus Trip to Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL 8:30 am to 3 pm CDT

Lake Co. MGA is hosting bus trip; cost is $36 per person

Bus departs from Lake Co. Extension Office, 880 E. 99th Court, Crown Point, IN Call 219-755-3240; ask for Phyllis

Saturday, October 10

It’s Harvest Time-What’s Next 8 am to 3 pm EDT

Noble Co. MG 1st Annual Fall Symposium –Variety of topics $30 by Sept. 25

Bridgewater Evangelical Church 210 Brian’s Place, Kendallville, IN Flyer at www.extension.purdue.edu/noble

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

While growing up, I enjoyed being outside and doing anything I could to be outside which mostly consisted of mowing the lawn and keeping up with the landscaping around the house. I thought that my passion for doing those things wouldn't amount to anything and that they would be something I did in my free time as gardening and landscaping were something I really enjoyed.

So, when I graduated from La Porte High School in 2013, I had already been accepted to Purdue and knew that's where I was going; however I was wary of what I wanted to study. I made a "rash" decision to study biology my freshman year, but was not very enthused with my classes. This led me to research other majors that Purdue offered, since I didn't do a very good job of that before entering my freshman year.

While I was looking through Purdue majors, the term "Landscape Architecture" (LA) caught my eye. The term was new to me, as I had never heard of that major, or profession before. I researched what Landscape Architecture was and what Landscape Architects did, and I instantly fell in love and knew I needed to switch my major to LA.

So I will be attending Purdue as a 3rd year student, but will only be starting my 2nd year in the LA program, and I couldn't be more excited. The La Porte County Master Gardener Scholarship is going to help me succeed in this program, and it definitely has given me even more motivation to excel in the field. Thanks again.

Note: Ann and Russ Klosinski will represent LPCMGA when they present the award to Nicolas at the Purdue College of Agriculture Scholarship Awards Banquet on September 23 in West Lafayette.

2015 La Porte County Master Gardener Scholarship Recipient By: Nicolas Francesconi

The Latest Dirt September 2015 Page 4 of 8

La Porte County Master Gardener Association

The Latest Dirt September 2015 Page 5 of 8

La Porte County Master Gardener Association

MONDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY

2 Susan Branch Ann Klosinsk

4 Annette Van Dusen

NEED ONE 7

CLOSED – LABOR DAY 9

Sharon Stuienske Stacy McGinnis

11 Lisa Gerardi

Karen Huskey 14

Joanne Gorecki Jeff Michaels

16 Susan Branch Ann Klosinski

18 Donna Allen NEED ONE

21 Joanne Gorecki

Jeff Michaels

23 Eunice Conway

NEED ONE

25 Eunice Conway

NEED ONE 28

Joanne Gorecki Jeff Michaels

30 Joanne Gorecki

NEED ONE

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Garden Hotline Schedule SEPTEMBER

The fall dates for School Tours at Pioneer Garden at La Porte County Fairgrounds have been set. The first tour starts Monday, September 14th. The tour continues through Friday, September 25th.

You will be receiving a phone call from Rita Ryder, if you participated in the School Tours this spring, to solicit your help with this project!

If you would like to volunteer for the School Tours, or if a specific date during this time period works best for you, please give Rita a call at 219-362-5984 (home), 219-575-4322 (cell) or email dart@csinet.net.

Thank you so much for your help with this wonderful educational program!

School Tours at Pioneer Garden By: Rita Ryder

Applications are now being taken for the fall Master Gardener training class, which begins on Thursday, Sept. 10. Thirteen weekly classes to teach horticulture basics for Master Gardeners will be held in the afternoon from 1-4 pm CDT at the LaPorte Extension Office. If you know of someone who is interested in taking this class, as soon as possible please have them call Tina DeWitt at the Extension Office at 219-324-9407 or visit www.extension.purdue.edu/laporte and click on “La Porte County Master Gardeners.” Applications are due by Friday, Sept. 4.

We are very close to forming a minimum class size of 10 participants! We will most likely conduct the fall training, but will ask that if any MG would like to “brush up” on information from any of the classes, you are invited to attend one or more classes (at no charge). Please contact the office to get a schedule of topics and dates they will be taught. The information will be good for you and the interaction with the new students can influence their involvement as a MG intern and the Association!

Fall Master Gardener Training Class By: Gene Matzat

The Latest Dirt September 2015 Page 6 of 8

La Porte County Master Gardener Association

So far we have released 102 Monarchs and have about 10 chrysalises. Unfortunately, I will be out of town in September and I’m not collecting eggs. The eggs that are being laid now will be the ones that will migrate to Mexico. So if you can still collect eggs to ensure a heavy migration to Mexico

it will benefit our gardens next season.

I was a little skeptical when I read and heard that Monarchs return to the area that their ancestors came from. However, I am starting to be a believer. I have had very few Monarchs in my garden. Even last year I got my egg start from Donna’s garden. This year I have

Monarchs all over the garden. I have always planted nectar plants for the butterflies, but not milkweed. So are they coming to my garden because of the milkweed or is it because they know it as the old homestead?

We had another tour group come through the garden and, although small, they had a big time with the release of 13 butterflies.

Monarch Watch By: Jan Koss

2015 EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT JEN KUZDAS VICE-PRESIDENT ANN KLOSINSKI SECRETARY BEV JOHNSON CO-TREASURERS SUSAN KIEFFER JEFF MICHAELS ED. COMMITTEE/ RIMA BINDER DONNA VISLER SPEAKERS BUREAU CAROLE WERNER PAST CHAIRPERSON TINA SONDERBY

2015 PROJECT COORDINATORS AG Days Kitty Knoll __________________ 219-778-4990 _________________ rknollandson@comcast.net Farmers’ Market – La Porte Frank Zolvinski _______________ 219-575-1090 _____________________ fjzolvo@comcast.net Farmers’ Market - Michigan City Dennis Brittain _______________ 219-874-4076 _____________________ dbrittain@gmail.com Sharon Kubik ________________ 219-561-5445 ___________________ sharonkubik@msn.com Habitat for Humanity Aimee Purcell ________________ 313-590-4870 _________________ aimeerpurcell@gmail.com Luhr Park Field Days Kitty Knoll __________________ 219-778-4990 _________________ rknollandson@comcast.net Pioneer Heritage Days Rita Ryder ___________________ 219-362-5984 __________________________ dart@csinet.net Pioneer Heritage Garden John Connors ________________ 574-654-8749 ___________________ jconnors5@comcast.net Sharing Meadows Sharon Cholewa __________________ 324-3637 _____________________ slcholewa@csinet.net Sunflower Fair Laurelle Miskowicz _______________ 326-7377 __________________ miskowicz@comcast.net Garden Show Ann Klosinski ________________ 219-872-8367 ____________________ annak47@comcast.net Pam Coker __________________ 773-490-2036 ____________________ pkcoker@frontier.com

Standing Committee Coordinators History Book Nancy Daube Hospitality Eunice Conway Librarian Karren Coplen Newsletter Donna Pouzar Speakers Bureau Ann Klosinski/Rima Binder Sunshine Nancy Jahnel-Barnes/John Connors Purdue Extension Office _______ 324-9407 Gene Matzat ___________ ematzat@purdue.edu Tina DeWitt ____________ dewitt8@purdue.edu

NEXT BOARD MEETING Monday, September 21st - Extension Office - 1:00 p.m.

WILDLIFE IN OUR GARDENS

Monarch Watch Release Program

# Released # Chrysalises Jan Koss 102 10 Barb Merten 27 20 Donna Pouzar 19 11 Sharon Cholewa 7 26

Total as of 8/26/15 148

Please contact Donna by the 20th of September to be included in the October issue.

THANKS SO MUCH!

The Latest Dirt September 2015 Page 7 of 8

La Porte County Master Gardener Association

About 8% of U.S. companies allow pets at work, according to a survey from the Society of Human Resource Management. Tech firms seem to be the most popular, especially startup companies eager to draw attention to themselves.

Jessica Dillman with the office of Foreign Policy magazine brings her Monarch butterflies to work. Staffers take time out from editing Middle East stories to watch her caterpillars hatch and butterflies flutter around her workspace, dining on cut up pieces of cantaloupe! She would also lead staffers out to DuPont Circle near her office to release them.

HOME (Indoor plants and activities) • Prepare storage areas for overwintering tender flower bulbs and

garden produce. • Thanksgiving (or Christmas) cactus can be forced into bloom for the

Thanksgiving holidays. Provide 15 hours of complete darkness each day, for instance, from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., for approximately eight weeks. Keep temperature at about 60-65 degrees F. Temperatures of 55F will cause flower buds to set without dark treatment.

• Dig and repot herbs, or take cuttings, for growing indoors over winter. • Store leftover garden seed in a cool, dry place. A sealable jar with a

layer of silica gel or powdered milk in the bottom works well. • Bring houseplants moved outside for summer indoors before night

temperatures fall below 55F. Gradually decrease light to acclimate the plants and help reduce leaf drop. Check and control insects and diseases before putting these plants near other houseplants.

• Poinsettias saved from last year can be reflowered for this year's holiday by providing complete darkness for 15 hours daily from about Oct. 1 until about Dec. 10.

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits) • Fall is a good time to plant many container-grown or balled-and-

burlapped nursery stock. Prepare a good-sized hole, plant at the same depth it grew in the nursery and water thoroughly. Mulching will help protect against large fluctuations in soil temperature and moisture. Be sure to stake or guy-wire tall plants to protect them from strong winds. Wrap tree trunks to protect against frost cracks or animal damage.

Continued on next page

The Latest Dirt is published monthly. The deadline for submission is the 20th

of each month. Our mission is to publish articles of interest to other

Master Gardeners and the community. Articles about personal experiences are

welcomed as are suggestions on gardening books, catalogs, helpful

websites, tips and tricks, book reviews, seminars you’ve attended to name a few

samples.

Submission requirements: Articles should be no longer than a page and

references must be included. Font type should be TIMES 12 and Latin names of plants should be italicized. We do

not accept articles pertaining to medicinal information. Master

Gardeners will get volunteer hours for time spent working on an article.

Buy, Sell, Trade at the Trading Shed

Have a garden item for sale or trade? Place your free ad in

The Latest Dirt What better place to reach gardeners

than this? Tools, tillers, mowers, plants, or anything garden related. Keep ads brief

and don't forget your phone number and/or e-mail address. Ads will be limited

to space available. Send ads to donnapouzar@comcast.net by the 20th of

each month.

www.facebook.com/MasterGardenersOfLa

PorteCountyIndiana

PURDUE UNIVERSITY, INDIANA COUNTIES AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

COOPERATING AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY INSTITUTION

September Garden Calendar By: B. Rosie Lerner, Extension Consumer Horticulturist,

Purdue University

Taking a Butterfly to Work????? Article from the Wall Street Journal

The Latest Dirt September 2015 Page 8 of 8

La Porte County Master Gardener Association

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits – continued from page 7) • Do not be alarmed if your evergreens, particularly white pine and arborvitae, drop some older needles. All

evergreens shed needles at some time, but not all at once as deciduous plants do. • Harvest apples, pears, grapes, and everbearing strawberries and raspberries. For most fruits, flavor is the best

indicator of ripeness, although color change also can be a good indicator. However, pears are best ripened off the tree, and grapes change color long before they are fully flavored, so sample the fruit to be sure.

• Remove raspberry canes after they bear fruit. • Clean up fallen fruits, twigs and leaves around apple (including crabapple) and other fruit trees to reduce disease

and insect carryover • To promote the lawn's recovery from summer stress, apply high-nitrogen fertilizer at the rate of 0.5 to 1 pound

actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. More information on lawn fertilization is available at https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?item_number=AY-22-W

• Reseed bare spots or new lawns using a good-quality seed mixture. Seeding in late summer allows the turf to maximize its establishment and rooting prior to the next summer's heat and drought. For more information, see http://purdueturftips.blogspot.com/2014/08/start-seeding-cool-season-turf-now.html

• September and October are good months to apply broadleaf weed killers. Be sure to follow all label directions, and choose a calm day to prevent spray drift.

GARDEN (Flowers, vegetables and small fruits) • Dig onions and garlic after tops fall over naturally and necks begin to dry. • Plant radishes, green onion sets, lettuce and spinach for fall harvest. • Thin fall crops such as lettuce and carrots that were planted earlier. • Harvest crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, melons and sweet potatoes before frost, or cover plants with

blankets, newspaper, etc., (but not plastic) to protect them from light frost. • Mature green tomatoes can be ripened indoors. Individually wrap fruits in newspaper, or leave them on the vine,

pulling the entire plant out of the garden. Store in a cool location - about 55-60F. • Harvest winter squash when mature (skin is tough) with deep, solid color, but before hard frost. Some cultivars

will show an orange blush when mature. • Plant, transplant or divide peonies, daylilies, iris and phlox. • Save plants such as coleus, wax begonias, impatiens or fuchsia for indoor growing over winter. Dig plants and cut

them back about halfway, or take cuttings of shoot tips, and root them in moist vermiculite, soil mix or perlite. • Watch for garden chrysanthemums to bloom as days grow shorter. Some may have bloomed earlier this summer,

which will decrease the number of fall blooms. • Plant spring-flowering bulbs beginning in late September. Planting too early can cause bulbs to sprout top growth

before winter. However, allow at least four to six weeks before the ground freezes for good root formation. • Dig tender bulbs, such as cannas, caladiums, tuberous begonias and gladiolus, before frost. Allow to air dry, and

store in dry peat moss or vermiculite. • Cut flowers, such as strawflower, statice, baby's breath and celosia, for drying and hang upside down in a dry,

well-ventilated area.