Master Gardener - page 3

The 'First Annual Fall Garden Day' of the Marion County Master Gardeners was held @ the home if David & Nelda Pealer. We enjoyed a perfect autumn morning with garden friends, old & new.

Download the 'First Annual Fall Garden Day' flier!

October 2006 Newsletter - 'At the Garden Gate' (pdf file)
Suzette Streigel - Horticulturist
Mahaska County ISU Extension Service
Oskaloosa, IA

Hello Master Gardeners!

This is just an itemized list of items discussed at the October 2 Master Gardener meeting.

• The group felt the 1st Annual Fall Garden Day was a success. Since we want this to move around the county, we would like for it to be in Knoxville next year. It was discussed that we may do it in the spring instead, in associations with one of the Habitat for Humanity houses in Knoxville. Mr. Hanna is going to check into that. Thank you to David Pealer for hosting the 1st one!
• We have recently purchased curriculum for the Junior Master Gardener program. It looks great! We would like to help prepare 4-H’ers for horticultural projects, but also make it open to the public. I have scheduled November 6 as our first meeting. I would like to have a few MG’s to help and maybe teach lessons and activities. A good way to earn some service hours during the winter! Please let me know if you can help!
• Marion County’s MG training will begin in January 2007. If you know someone that is interested in the course, please have them contact the Extension Office.
• We decided to do an activity at the Senior Centers in November. Mary Dee brought in a couple bags of silk flowers that we will use to decorate ink pens with. If anyone has floral tape or silk flowers they would like to donate, please drop it off at the Extension Office. The dates are as follows: Nov. 2 – Knoxville @ 11am, Nov. 7 – Pleasantville @ 10:30am, Nov 16 – Bussey @ 10:30am, Nov. 21 – Pella @ 11am and no date yet decided for Melcher. Please let me know if you can help at any of the sites.
• The Marion County Master Gardener Christmas party will be December 4 at the Extension Office. We will do a gift exchange again, so watch for $5-10 gardening gifts. 2007 meetings have been set for March 5, June 4, September 10, and December 3. If you would like to coordinate activities or speakers for these meetings, please let me know.
• Master Gardener Hours are Due October 31, 2006 to the Marion County Extension Office!
• Many kudos to Marlys and everyone that helped with our plot at the Butterfly Garden this year, it looked great. Marlys did ask that I pass on there will be a workday at the Bessie Spaur Butterfly Garden on Saturday, October 21. Bring your own tools and help clean out "abandoned" beds. Great way to earn service hours!
• Marlys also shared that there will be a Christmas Tree Contest at Marion County Park Museum, it could be a good group activity. Let Erin know if you have an interest in this. Please let me know if you have any questions about the above topics.

ISU Extension - Marion County / Erin Hiemstra - Ag Program Assistant
1445 Lake Dr PO Box 409
Knoxville IA 50138 / Phone 642-842-2014 / Fax 641-828-0884
www.extension.iastate.edu/marion

November/December 2006 Newsletter - 'At the Garden Gate' (pdf file)
Suzette Streigel - Horticulturist
Mahaska County ISU Extension Service
Oskaloosa, IA

Flowering Ink Pen Project

It was fun to visit with the old folks and make bouquets of silk flowers. We used florist tape to attach the stems of the artificial flowers to ink pens. The ladies found small vases to put them in and used them on their dinner tables as colorful centerpieces, Then later take them home with them.

Repeat Performance - Flowering Ink Pen Project / Only this time I remembered my camera. But then almost forgot to take pictures. It was fun! I had a good time!

Also see November 7th MG entry for more details.

January/February Newsletter - 'At the Garden Gate' (pdf file)
Mahaska County ISU Extension Service
Oskaloosa, IA

March Newsletter - 'At the Garden Gate' (pdf file)
Mahaska County ISU Extension Service
Oskaloosa, IA

April Newsletter - 'At the Garden Gate' (pdf file)
Mahaska County ISU Extension Service
Oskaloosa, IA

'At the Garden Gate'
April 2007 - Inside this Issue

Lawn Clipping Removal
Clematis Division
Preparing for Emerald Ash Borer
IUS Extension Publications - revised & of interest
Gardening Guide
Family Gardening
Junior Master Gardeners
Reasons Why Peonies Fail to Bloom
Types of Strawberries
Upcoming Events

May 19, 2007
Marion County Master Gardeners - Habitat for Humanity - Landscaping Project

The heart of the Master Gardener Program is education coupled with volunteer service hours. Marion County Master Gardeners combined the two aspects with our spring landscaping project for a new Habitat for Humanity House in Knoxville, IA.

Slices of the project plan were delegated out to members who might be considered experts in that area. The experts gave impromptu presentations on compost, mulch, & soil, favorite garden tools, tomatoes, transplanting & dividing perennials, shade plants, and annual flowers. Garden tips & secrets were shared among friends. Knoxville Federated Garden Club donated a flowering tree to the project. Many area businesses gave garden gifts to the new home owners. Everyone worked hard and together we got the job done. It was a good time, and a good feeling to have done such a good thing.

Learn more about the Marion County Master Gardeners' 2nd Annual Garden Demonstration Day. (pdf file)

May Newsletter - 'At the Garden Gate' (pdf file)
Mahaska County ISU Extension Service
Oskaloosa, IA

'At the Garden Gate'
May 2007 - Inside this Issue

Rabbit proof plants
Planting Trees in the Landscape
Planning a Butterfly Garden
ISU Extension Publications
Revised & of Interest
Gardening Guide
Pizza from the garden
At Family Gardening
Junior Master Gardeners
Is it possible to grow peanuts in Iowa?
Upcoming Events