April 2015
/ February 2008
!
THANKS!!
!
Thank you to all
the Master
Gardener
volunteers who
helped make
the “Make and
Take Wind
chimes
Workshop” a
success.
The attendees
had a great time
and their wind
chimes were all
uniquely
different.
Beautiful color
combinations
made each one
show the
individual
talents of their
creators.
Also, a special
thanks to Nancy
Spak who
donated her
time and talent
to the event.
Pictures by
Cindy Ferver.
Photo by Jo-Ann Clark
Patty Martin, From Green
Oasis Gardens, To Speak
At The ECAMGA
At April 14th Meeting
On Tuesday, April 14th, at 6:30 p.m.
at the UW-Eau Claire Extension
Office in Altoona, Patty Marten, from
Green Oasis Gardens will be on
hand for a presentation on new
annual and perennial varieties. Shrub
and tree cultivars will be included in
the discussion.
This event was previously to have
been held on April 21st but due to a
conflict with another event it was
rescheduled to the 14th of April.
This program is free and open to the
public. Refreshments will be served
and door prizes awarded. Come and
bring a friend along to enjoy the
presentation.
To obtain maximum attention,
it’s hard to beat a good, big
mistake.
- David D.Continued
Hewitt pg. 7
INSIDE:
Local Master Gardener News - 2
Bits and Pieces
-8
Upcoming Events
–3
Page 2
Eau Claire Area Master Gardener New
April 2015
Local Master Gardener News
ECAMGA Board
Changing e-mail? Moving?
If you do, please remember to notify the
ECAMG and the newsletter editor of your
new e-mail address and/or mailing address
so you don’t miss any Eau Claire Area
Master Gardener happenings!
Email your new Information
to Carol Cox at
[email protected]
or notify her by snail mail at 1908
Hogeboom Ave., Eau Claire, WI
54701 (or call her at 715-861-4495).
MGV
Bulletin Board Postings
Stories and
Opportunities!!!!
Bulletin Board Postings
ECAMGA BOARD MEMBER CONTACT INFO
NAME/TITLE
E-mail address
Phone number
Erin LaFaive
[email protected]
Cindy Ferver
[email protected]
715-839-4712
715-606-0006
715-514-1544
Gary Mathis
[email protected]
715-878-4031
Ede Strand
[email protected]
715-8326775
Amy Boetcher
[email protected]
715-577-9085
Nancy Spak
[email protected]
715-835-6546
Nina Logan
[email protected]
715-878-4585
Lori Kempen
[email protected]
715-832-8088
Deb Spickler
NOTE: The ECAMGA Board minutes no longer appears in the
newsletter. You may access them by going to the website at
eauclairemastergardeners.weebly.com
Hello,
Two volunteer opportunities below.
#1 The date for the L.E. Phillips Public Library Seed
Library Open House is slated for April 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
-They need help repackage seeds for distribution.
-They have 3 options for this activity and will one date based
on availability of volunteers:
* Saturday, April 11, 10:30 a.m.
* Saturday, April 11, 2:30 p.m.
* Sunday, April 12, 1:30 p.m.
Depending on the number of volunteers, it will take between 1 to 2
hours. Supplies and refreshments will be provided.
#2 Set up a display to promote MGVs/UW-Extension on April 18 from
10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. I can provide the display but just need a
volunteer to pick it up from the office, set the display up at the library,
and stay to answer questions (if possible).
Let me know if you are interested.
Thank you,
Erin
Erin LaFaive, M.S.
Horticulture Educator & Co-Dept. Head
Eau Claire County UW Extension
227 First St. W. Altoona, WI 54720
715-839-4712
For more volunteer
opportunities see
pages 6 and 7.
ECAMGA
2015
Calendar
All meetings at UW-Extension
Office unless otherwise noted
April 4, 2014 – “Native Plants and
Wisconsin Wetlands” presentation at
L.E. Phillips Library. See page 3 for
details.
April 14, 2015 – at 6:30 p.m. Patty
Marten (Green Oasis Gardens) “Introducing New Annuals, Perennials,
Trees and Shrubs for 2015.”
May 19, 2015: Carrine Baldwin from
MoonRise Farm near Nelson,
Wisconsin will be doing a presentation
on Community Supported Agriculture.
June 2015: Tour of Mondovi area
gardens and a Healing Garden.
Details TBA.
July 2015 – TBA
July 31 – August 1, 2015 – WIMGA
Annual Conference, La Crosse, WI
August 2015 – Annual Plant
Sale at the Expo Center
September 2015 – TBA
September 30, 2015 – Volunteer
hours due in
October & November 2015 – TBA
December 2015 – Annual Potluck
and Election of Officers
Page 3
Eau Claire Area Master Gardener News
Upcoming Events
April 2015
Page 4
Eau Claire Area Master Gardener News
April 2015
Comments Open on Stinger® Use
on Strawberries
CSA?
What’s That??
MADISON – Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade
and Consumer Protection
What is CSA you may
ask? Well, it stands for
Community Supported
Agriculture.
Public comments are open through
March 30 on a proposed special pesticide registration that would allow
strawberry growers to use Stinger® to control weeds.
The registration would help strawberry growers control broadleaf weeds,
especially dandelion, Canada thistle, bull thistle, and perennial clovers.
These weeds have become a problem in Wisconsin strawberry
production in recent years. They compete with strawberries for
nutrients, water and light. In addition, thistles create uncomfortable
picking conditions, especially at pick-your-own operations, and may
present a human health liability for growers. Therefore, it is important for
growers to eliminate these weeds before harvest begins, but no other
pesticides exist that can be used pre-harvest.
Dow AgroSciences LLC is the manufacturer, and the active ingredient is
clopyralid. Stinger® is registered for use on other crops, tree
plantations, pastures, fallow cropland and some non-crop areas, and for
special use on cranberries. Its use on strawberries has been allowed
previously under two successive five-year permits. The most recent one
expired Dec. 31, 2014. The department has not received any
reports of adverse effects from the previous special registrations.
The preliminary environmental assessment indicates that the proposed
registration will not require a full environmental assessment. This
special registration will expire December 31, 2019.
For more information or to comment contact: Donna
Gilson, by phone at 608-224-5130, or by email at:
[email protected] or contact Jim Dick, Communications Director,
(phone) 608-224-5020, or email at: [email protected]
On Sunday, March 22, 2015
the ECAMGA members
were invited by the Northern
Wisconsin Hosta Society to
a presentation by Chris
Cole of the DNR. He spoke
about Wildlife Management
and brought along an owl, a
red-tailed hawk and a
snake. His presentation
was excellent and enjoyed
by all those present. The
event was held at May’s
Greenhouse.
On Tuesday, May 19th,
Carrine Baldwin from
MoonRise Farm near
Nelson, Wisconsin will
be presenting on this
exciting venture in our
area. She will discuss
the advantages of
knowing where and
how your fresh food is
grown.
This program, starting
at 6:30 p.m., will be
held at the Eau Claire
UW-Extension Office
in Altoona. The event
is free and open to the
public. Refreshments
will be served and
door prizes awarded.
Grab a couple
gardening friends and
come on over!
Page 5
Eau Claire Area Master Gardener News
April 2015
How to Enter Flowers, Houseplants & Floral Design at the
Northern Wisconsin State Fair
Horticulture and Floral Design Department Superintendent Kerry Ingraham along with Muriel Shervey will
present information about registering and preparing horticulture entries for the Northern Wisconsin State
Fair. Learn how to follow the entry schedule, select and prepare plant material, interpret a floral design
theme along with tips on floral design techniques. The presentation will be Monday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m.
at the Chippewa County Courthouse, Room 003, 711 North Bridge St., Chippewa Falls.
The Northern Wisconsin State Fair will run from July 8th – 12th. The deadline for entries is June 17th for
mailed entries and June 22nd for online entries. Fair schedules and department
entry information will be available online after April 6th. For more information
about the Fair, please see their web site at www.northernwistatefair.com.
Hosted by the Chippewa Valley Master Gardener Association. If you have any
questions regarding this program, please call Kerry Ingraham at 715-271-4916.
Chippewa Valley Growers
is inviting
members and friends of
the Eau Claire Garden Club and
the Eau Claire Area Master Gardeners
to a
2015
New Variety Plant Preview.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
6:00 - 7:00 PM
(Rain or shine!) This is a special evening to receive a
personal tour of the greenhouse and
learn about 12 new perennials and 12
new annuals for the 2015 season! Purchases will be allowed that evening. A
ll
those attending will receive a coupon for $10.00 off a $50.00 purchase. ( Coupons will be
good for that evening or a later date.) Chippewa Valley Growers
7825 Prill Road, Eau Claire
Don’t Forget!!!
The ART IN
BLOOM
BUS TOUR
MAY 1, 2015
The Eau Claire Garden Club
(ECGC) is sponsoring a bus
trip to the 32nd annual ART IN
BLOOM at the Minneapolis
Institute of Art (MIA), Como
Park Conservatory, and
Bachman’s Greenhouse.
Cost: $35 (includes coach
bus, driver tip, and
miscellaneous – lunch on
your own at MIA’s AGRA
Culture dining area). Make
checks payable to Sharon
Daniels and send to 10606
24th Ave., Eau Claire, WI
54703
For more information see the
March issue of the ECAMGA
Newsletter (page 5) or
contact Sharon Daniels a
715-830-1403 or by email at
[email protected].
Page 6
Eau Claire Area Master Gardener News
Plant Sale Donations Needed!
by Erin LaFaive
April 2015
Beaver Creek Reserve
I think this is the easiest way to get Master Gardener
Volunteer hours. Here’s why:
- Can be completed on your own schedule
- Right in your own yard – no travel
S1 County Road K, Fall Creek, WI 54742
[email protected]
Phone: 715-877-2212
The annual plant sale is in August. The Eau Claire Area
Master Gardener Association (ECAMGA) plant sale is
later in the year because many area plant sales happen
in the spring and early summer. We think it’s considerate
to wait on our plant sale so those organizations have a
large audience of buyers for their fund raising purposes.
April 26, 2015 from 2 until 4 pm at
the Citizen Science Center
What kind of plants should I donate?
-“Gracious volunteer plants.” - Dig up those small
“volunteer” plants that pop up throughout the
garden and give them a new home in a container.
-“It has to go” plants. - This is the type of plant that
is no longer welcome in the landscape for a
variety of reasons.
-“Downsizing Plants.” - These plants are lovely but
your back can’t handle caring for them anymore.
Because of time or energy constraints sometimes
a plant in the garden just has to find a new home.
-“I have to share it!” - This is plant is especially
super fantastic and you can’t wait to shout it out at
the rooftop!!! If it needs dividing or has “baby”
plants consider sharing it at the plant sale.
What do buyers like to buy?
I’ve noticed that buyers are looking for native plants
(prairie), herbs, and roses. Some buyers are looking for
inexpensive ways to fill in large areas especially ground
cover for hillside stability.
What happens to the plants that aren’t bought?
As the plant sale winds down discounts start happening
such as buy 2 get 2 free. The last hour of the sale we’ve
done carload sales if large amounts of plants are left.
Most everything finds a home or goes to a local public
garden project.
How do I log my volunteer time?
Guesstimate the time it takes to dig, repot, label, water,
and anything else you do to care for the plants. Include
the time it took to transport the plants to the sale.
Labeling plants is a HUGE draw to buyers. Not just the
name but the color of a flower, sun requirements,
pruning needs, size, etc. take a picture or find one on the
internet, print it, and add it to the pot at the sale. All that
time making a nice label adds to the volunteer time too.
Getting to Know Mosses
Wisconsin is loaded with different
kinds of moss and here's our chance
to learn about them. UW-EC
Professor, Dr. Joseph Rohrer, has
spent years studying moss and he
will describe what makes mosses
different from other plants, how they
reproduce and spread, where they
grow, their value in the world, and
how to identify common species.
The workshop will include an indoor
classroom period, followed by a trip
outdoors to observe and identify local
mosses around the Reserve.
Register early, as there will be space
for only 16 attendees, allowing Dr.
Rohrer time to help each participant
with moss identification. The
workshop will be based largely on the
recently published field guide,
Common Mosses of the Northeast
and Appalachians, which is for sale
in the BCR Nature Center. Copies
will be available for participant use.
Registration and full payment
required by April 22. Cost:
$5 for Friend; $8 for Nonmembers
11 spots available.
Page 7
Eau Claire Area Master Gardener
April 2015
Hello Volunteers,
I’m looking for people to be on the Teaching Garden Planning Committee. Let me know if
you are interested or have questions.
The Teaching Garden is going to go in the area around the building by the Extension office.
All shrubs will be removed to make way for raised beds. The goal is to create a learning site
for horticulture education programs that incorporate cultural and education experiences for
visitor of all ages. The focus is to show case various ways to make raised gardens for mainly
edible plants. We’ll also showcase pollinator, native, and agricultural plants.
I’ve already made some headway by:
-Writing 2 grants for funding (still waiting on decisions)
-Funds donated by Eau Claire Area MG Association
to get started
-CVTC horticulture class made several raised garden
bed options including dimensions and pricing.
-I started a layout in a program called SmartDraw
-The Grounds Dept. with Eau Claire County gave
approval to start the process.
Help is needed to find donations for materials; refine the layout plans, and create the beds
during construction day.
Here’s a list of items that will be incorporated into the plan.
-Signage
-3 sisters garden
-agricultural plants - soil sampling area
-veggies
- herbs
-vertical gardening -square foot gardening
-lasagna garden
-edible shrubs
-edible flowers
-beds made from logs, bricks, cider blocks, cedar, treated lumber, feed tanks
-compost bins
Thank you for considering helping with
this project,
Erin LaFaive, M.S.
Horticulture Educator & Co-Dept. Head
Eau Claire County UW Extension
“ASK A MASTER GARDENER”
BOOTH by Andy Heren
The “Ask a Master Gardener Booth” will
start Saturday, May 23, (8:00 a.m. –11:00
a.m./12:00 p.m. - depends how busy we
are). We will be at the Farmers Market at
Phoenix Park each Saturday until Labor
Day (except for July 31 and August 1
when we will be at the County Fair).
We are excited about making some
changes this year. Last year we started
making our booth more interactive. We
would bring in “odd” plants to spark
discussion and also gave a piece of
candy if a question was asked.
After Farm City Days, we got some new
ideas. Besides answering questions, we
want an activity/game for people to take part in,
especially kids. That is in the works and we are hoping
it will make people even more aware of our presence in
the community. Also, through a WIMGA grant, we will
be able to buy a laptop to use in answering questions.
I recently spoke to Earthbound Environmental Solutions.
There will be a delayed Earth Day celebration (“Jam It
For The Planet”) they are hosting at The Plus (formerly
Pizza Plus) on Saturday, April 25. They will have local
musicians as well as local businesses and other groups
with displays from noon until 5:00 p.m. We will have our
booth there, as it is the perfect time of year to answer
any garden questions. If you are interested in
volunteering, let me know (you get free admission).
As always, we are looking for people to volunteer at our
booth on Saturdays. If you have helped in the past I will
keep you on the list. If you would like to be added, let
me know. No one is ever put on the spot. If you are
apprehensive about this, just come and hang out with us
and see what goes on.
You can contact me, Andy Heren, at
[email protected] to be put on the schedule or if you
have questions.
Page 8
Eau Claire Area Master Gardener
April 2015
Bits and Pieces
INCREASING IMPACT by Erin LaFaive
Over the last few years, the Wisconsin Master Gardener Volunteer
Program has been looking to focus volunteerism toward activities
which demonstrate an increased level of educational outreach and
additionally, reduce high labor volunteer activities.
This focus will better align with the MGV program mission of assisting
Extension faculty in achieving program goals. The Eau Claire County UW-Extension Master Gardener
Volunteer Program and the Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Association have been supporting this
process by approving projects that support the missions. Another reason to move to approved
volunteer projects is for liability concerns. UW-Extension (UWEX) needs to know where volunteers are
representing UWEX.
It’s very important to know what the impact of our volunteer program is having in the community and if
they’re benefiting UWEX programming and the UWEX mission. It’s my hope that having volunteers
working on a more focused list of volunteer programs will equal greater impacts in the community.
At this time we are not accepting recertification hours that are completed as a board member for other
organizations besides the Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Association (ECAMGA). We certainly
think these service hours benefit the community and we aren’t discouraging anyone from continuing
those services.
What if my current volunteer project isn’t on the list? Please contact me if you feel your current
volunteer project isn’t on the list. It’s possible that we just need to add an educational component;
many volunteers have done so already.
Approved volunteer projects for the Eau Claire County UWEX, Master Gardener Volunteer
Program:
• Answer horticulture questions at the UW-Extension Office
• Youth Gardens at North River Front, McDonough, and Bolton Transitional Apartments
• Session Street Assisted Living Garden
• Community Gardens such as: Jeffers Road Rental Gardens; Forest Street Community
Gardens; Stepping Stones Garden in Menomonie
• Ask-A-Master-Gardener-Booth
• Writing articles for the ECAMGA newsletter
• ECAMGA Board, Committees, Winter Garden Seminar, Plant Sale
• Wisconsin Master Gardener Association Board
• Schlegelmilch Garden
• Beaver Creek Reserve
• Lower Long Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District
• Giving presentations
• Working with school gardens or other environmental education programs
• Eau Claire EcoTeams
• Giving garden tours that have an educational component
• 4-H educational programs focusing on horticulture and natural resource sciences
Page 9
Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Newsletter
“Love and a Lady Fox” Update
April 2015
by the Foxy Lady…
Well, our lady has been busy this week. The dirt has been flying as she
rehabs 3 dens around the place. Dad Fox came by once and watched her
efforts, then lost interest and left. I’m looking forward to seeing little foxes
around the place, but now am beginning to have a few misgivings about
the safety of my cat with a hungry mom fox living so close to the house.
(Editor’s Note: If you missed the first installment see page 5 of the
February, 2015 issue of the ECAMG Newsletter.)
EAU CLAIRE AREA MASTER GARDENER NEWSLETTER
A newsletter for the Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Association members.
Unless otherwise noted, articles for this
newsletter are submitted and/or written
by ECAMGA members or the
newsletter editor, Carol W. Cox. Unless
otherwise noted, graphics are
from clipart. Newsletter layout by
Carol W. Cox
For more Eau Claire County UW
Cooperative Extension information
go to our website:
www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/eauclaire
Phone: 715-839-4712
Fax: 715-839-6277
M-F 8AM-5PM
The University of Wisconsin Extension provides affirmative action and equal opportunity in education, programming and employment for all qualified persons regardless
of race, color, gender/sex, creed, disability, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital or parental, arrest or conviction record or
veteran status.” If you need an interpreter, materials in alternate formats or other accommodations to access this program, activity or service, please contact Erin LaFaive
at 715-839-4712 as soon as possible preceding the scheduled event so that proper arrangements can be made in a timely fashion
Eau Claire County
Extension Office
227 First Street West
Altoona, WI 54720