This is a place to focus on what's currently happening in the gardens. I want to share fun seasonal garden stories & events with you. Josh is going to archive the posting as seasons evolve. We hope you will embrace it with a fun-filled spirit.

Weed & spread soil conditioner / mulch all growing areas

Get watering system in working order

Plant all my caladium & the rest of my calla lilies somewhere or in pots!

Send out hostas to my secret trader from the Hallson's Spring Secret Trade

June 4 - ROHS Spring Mtg

June 7 - garden tours - Knoxville Federated Garden Club

June 13 - Monthly Mtg. Knoxville Federated Garden Club / Garden Tour @ Dixie Roorda's Garden

June 14 - Marion County Master Gardener mtg & Garden tour @ Julie Schuck's home

June 15-17 / Master Gardener Regional Conference - Cedar Rapids, IA

June 24 - Pella Historical Society Garden Tour including Marlys' Gardens

June 30 - July 1 / Ag Days @ town square - Knoxville, IA
Chair Planter Contest - sponsored by Knoxville Federated Garden Club

• Pinch out shoots of black and purple raspberries when shoots reach height of 3&1/2 feet.
• Stake or cage indeterminate tomatoes.
• Keep the compost pile moist and turn frequently.
• Prune spring-flowering shrubs immediately after blooming.
• Stop harvesting rhubarb in mid-June.
• Control cabbageworms with Bt (Bacillius thyringiensis).
• Place 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the base of trees.
• Harvest herbs for drying before they flower.
• Remove spent blooms on geraniums and marigolds.
• Visit a local farmers' market.

ISU University Extension 2006 Calendar

June Newsletter - 'At the Garden Gate' (pdf file)
Suzette Streigel - Horticulturist
Mahaska County ISU Extension Service
Oskaloosa, IA

The rose has a long history of symbolism and meaning. The ancient Greeks & Romans identified the rose with Aphrodite & Venus, goddesses of love. Every girl wants to get red roses from her sweetheart, especially on Valentine's Day.

Traditionally, I have not grown roses in my gardens. They seemed like too much work & always got that awful Black Spot stuff on their leaves. Plus every time I tried to grow a rose, it died. Finally, a pure white miniature rose lived for me in Grandma's Garden - Bed #3. Recently I heard an rose expert say the minis are frequently more hardy than the big ones.

My neighbor, Trudy grows the most wonderfully beautiful, perfect roses. They don't even look real. My mom loves growing roses too. The two of them keep encouraging me to keep trying with the roses. Two years ago, I saw a climber that gets tiny little pink blossoms that was too much to resist. I brought it home to my then, new sun garden Bed #11. It has lived over 2 winters now. I'm so excited! It makes me smile. I also got a bright yellow rose bush to try. It has struggled but had 3 perfect blossoms this week.

Last June, Trudy sneaked into my yard & left a shrub rose in a big pot sitting in the middle of my newest flower bed #13. It's 'Dart's Dash Rose' & she guarantees me it is "No-Care" at all. It had a few blooms last year & it lived! & is now putting on a array of vigorous, very fragrant, mauve roses. Maybe my rose jinx is broken!

For more roses see Bed #11 and Bed #13

Roses

The Meaning of Roses

The spring mtg of the ROHS was held late this year to accommodate Mike Shadrack speaking to the group on the subject of mini-hosta garden. After our usual pot-luck & business mtg Mike was on-stage with his British accent & entertaining sense of humor.

His first direction was to dig up a big one (hosta) & plant 100 little ones in its place; esp. if space is an issue in the garden. He talked about how big is big & how small is small? He says it's the size of the hosta leaf that answers that.

Mike is a retired police officer from England where the garden spaces are very small. He recommends to "Think Small" integrating hostas into the garden; Not growing a hosta garden.

Mike thinks beginning gardeners should start with the green ones (hostas). He says they are easier to grow. Then with experience try growing the mediovariegated plants. Mike denotes H. 'Tiny Tears' as a wondrous little plant.

Mike stressed the importance of all-season interest in the garden. If hostas start taking up too much space, Mike says to chop them in half & give them to a friend. Hosta is the Friendship Plant.

If you garden on a tight budget, Mike recommends investing in water.

Growing hostas in raised beds was explored, where good soil & good drainage can be achieved. Mulch is a good thing esp. pine straw. Container gardens using minis were also discussed.

It is touted that Pandora's Box was the mini-hosta that convinced the world to grow minis. Pandora's Box is everyone's favorite mini-hosta! Several other sports of Baby Bunting (Pandora's Box parent) are rivaling for fame; Cherish, Cameo, & Hope. Planting these tog. was advised for an exceptional mini-hosta bed.

Companion plants rec. by Mike were dwarf daffodils, crocus, muscari-grape, hyacins, snow drops, & anemone. He further warned to beware of laminum. He feels moss is good, also colored lettuce, & dwarf geranium. Sedums are nice along the pathway.

Other 'best little hosta' named were Plum Fairy, Allan P. McConnell, Cracker Crumbs, Muffy, Plumb Bob, Haku Chu Han, Lemon Ice, Hydon Sunset, & Apple Court. H 'Little Jim' was pronounced according to Mike, the best little hosta for breeding mini-hostas.

After the official mtg was over we ventured outdoors to see the 'Iowa Collection'. Plants from several Iowa hosta hybridizers grow just out the back door of the Harold Hughes Center at the Iowa Arboretum under the shade structure that the ROHS was instrumental in supporting/funding. It is really a nice addition to the facility.

And there was a hosta sale in the new greenhouse just next to the other hosta display beds north of the old visitor's center. Who can pass up, "buy one / get one half-price"??? Hostas, Hydon Sunset & Gold Seer were added to my hosta list.

It was a good day! Reconnecting with other hosta-holics is always a good thing!

No garden is complete without spots to sit & absorb the tranquility of nature's gifts to us.

I would have more 'sitting spots' but Ron thinks I 'over-do' it.

A friend gave me this old porch swing the other day. I dragged it home knowing my potting shed porch was awaiting a new swing. However it was white with stenciled, green vines adorning it. I sort of liked it but it needed to fit-in around here. Ron went right to work, fixing it up for me & painting it our 'Hunter Green' color.

We hung it the next day & even took time out to sit & hold hands. Fun!

Garden Tours Knoxville Federated Garden Club - Members Gardens

The garden club sets up several fun, informal garden tours each summer. I love garden tours. Each garden is an expression of "she who gardens" there.

I've never met a garden I didn't like.

'Love In A Mist' : Is there a more mysterious or romantic name for a flower? Maybe: 'Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate'

"The Love-In-A-Mist, 'Nigella damascena', has delightful papery-textured flowers with thread-like foliage. Love-In-A-Mist is a quick blooming, cool season plant with flowers that look great in the garden, and as cut flowers. The flowers are 1 to 2 inches with white, light blue and dark blue blooms.

Love-In-A-Mist prefers full sun but will withstand some partial shade. The soil needs to be well drained and have average organic material. Spent flowers should be continually cut off to promote more blooms. Plant in the early spring, 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost or in warm winter climates plant in early fall. Used for borders, dried flowers, cut flowers, and the seed pods look great in dried arrangements."

Jack & Bonnie Snow-Crook are not garden club members but were included in our Wednesday tour.

Knoxville Federated Garden Club Monthly Mtg.

Our mtg was held on Dixie's Roorda's front porch after touring her gardens & 3 neighbor's gardens. I think Dixie likes pink.

See more pictures on the Master Gardener page.

My friend & fellow master gardener, Marilyn Van Wyk and I attended the regional Master Gardener conference in Cedar Rapids, IA. We had a great time. On Friday we were joined by Eve Vanden Broek & Erin Hiemstra (our group coordinator).

Thursday was non-stop garden tours, then outdoor dining at Bruce More Mansion. We returned to the motel 12 hours after our departure time. It was a very good day.

Friday was filled with gardening related presentations by various expert speakers. There were vendors too and dinner Friday evening in the motel.

Saturday morning was breakfast & more presentations, then an expert panel discussion forum for our questions. Vendors were still there!

It was a good time.

See more pictures on the Upper Midwest Master Gardener Conference page.

One thing for certain - the gardens are ever-changing.

Garden Bed #8 began with preformed plastic molded, shallow pond & a lot of river rock. The pond shell was disappointing. A 20 gallon tub pond liner replaced it after a couple years. That was fun with a few gold fish & a few floating plants. But then I wanted a little bubbling fountain-thing.

Ron helped me create a new little water feature. He cut a 'hog panel' (heavy wire) to cover the tub top, then screen to lay over it. We pulled the fountain head up thru a center hole then I tried to create a bubbling rock thing. (Picture #1) It just wasn't quite right. So Ron butted-in & redid it. Now it's perfect!

I watched a robin really enjoy a bath in it the other day. Our cats think it's a drinking fountain. I enjoy the tranquil bubbling sounds. It makes me smile!

We were invited to open our gardens for the 2006 Pella Historical Society's Garden Tour & Tea. The funds help maintain & rejuvenate the Historical Village & Gardens in downtown Pella.

Our gardens were also included on the tour 3 years ago.

The event was eagerly & anxiously awaited. Preparation consumed our lives.

Now it's done! What a lovely day it was with near perfect weather.

Our family, friends, & fellow Master Gardeners put on garden hats to welcome & guide guest, answer questions, & give away free plants!

It was a very good day!

My best hosa friend, Connie Dingeman also opened her gardens for the Pella Garden Tour & Tea.

The "Sitting Pretty Contest" held in conjunction with "Ag in the City" on the Marion County Courthouse lawn was a really fun event!

It wrapped up a very busy month for me with such a good time!

I can't wait to do it again next year.

We are considering auctioning off the entries as a fund raiser for the Bessie Spaur Butterfly Garden. I can't part with my chair tho. I'll have to do one just for the event.

See the Sitting Pretty Contest Slideshow for more pictures!