February 2021 Green Thumb

The Green Thumb

news & updates

for Polk County Master Gardeners

February 2021

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A Loss in Our Community

John Hagen, avid Polk County Master Gardener volunteer, passed away recently. John joined the program in 2016, and was a regular and dedicated presence at the PCMG Greenhouse. Since then, John had continued his volunteerism in many ways, including special projects utilizing his photography skills at the Demonstration Garden.

John's presence in our organization will be greatly missed.

Service details for John are listed as pending, but can be found here on the Hamilton's Funeral website.

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Message Regarding Covid-19

ISU Extension and Outreach, Polk County is working to adhere to local, state and national recommendations to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Our priority is the health and safety of our staff, volunteers and program participants.

Volunteer guidance in accordance with ISU:

In accordance with the governor’s proclamation, extension indoor programs and events are limited to 15 people, and outdoor programs and events are limited to 30 people. These limits apply to all extension-related activities, including activities of 4-H clubs and volunteers, Master Gardeners, and other extension volunteers. Masks are required when participating in extension-related activities.
No prepared food can be served, sold or provided by staff, volunteers or participants at any county extension hosted program or activity regardless of the program or activity location. Prepared food examples include: prepared food fundraisers, food stands selling prepared food, and activities such as barbecues, potlucks, etc. Individually pre-packaged food (ex. individually wrapped granola bars, bottles of water) can be provided.
The Open for Iowa committee will continue to monitor how the pandemic is impacting our organization and how to best implement the guidelines from the governor.

In-person gatherings relating to the Master Gardener Program are highly discouraged. You may want to host MG meetings online. Please work with the MG coordinator to set this up. People who are at higher risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19 should consider staying home and limiting contact with others. Those populations include older individuals (over the age of 65) or with underlying health conditions. To view a list of higher risk populations, view the CDC website.

A reminder that participating in Master Gardener volunteer opportunities is not obligatory at any time. While some garden activities continue on a small scale, and within guidelines placed by our local health department, ISU, and ISU Extension, we recognize that you may not feel comfortable participating in any activity during the current situation, and that is accepted. The health and safety of our volunteers and participants remains our highest priority during this time. If you have concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to contact Kalsa Parker Browning, the contact for the Polk County Master Gardener program at kparker@iastate.edu or 515-401-6068, or Paul Gibbins, Regional Director for Polk County Extension at pgibbins@iastate.edu or 515-229-9182.

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Message from Steering Committee Chair

and PCMG Volunteer Feature

Happy February fellow Master Gardeners!

This space is usually reserved to focus on specific people who lead our projects within the PCMG organization. This month my article will be a bit different from previous months.

This month, the leaders I’m going to focus on are you!

The COVID pandemic could not have come at a worse time for gardeners. Initial warnings and general confusion had most of us wondering just how and when this horrible bug was going to get us! Many of us were sent home from our workplaces, we were cautioned about leaving our homes and shamed into using health and safety protocols in ways we had not seen before. So, we didn’t go out. At first, we weren’t sure we could go out. As gardening season bloomed, we were eager to leave our houses and at least spend time in our gardens. Gardening soon became almost a national pastime!

And we figured out how to volunteer and maintain our project gardens. Of the 220 PCMGs still reporting for credential requirements, we completed over 9,000 hours of volunteer time in 2020! That is an amazing number of hours, given the circumstances and all of you should be commended for your dedication. In past years, we have recorded almost 20,000 hours of volunteer work in a single year.

This year our projects need our attention, our community needs to be aware of our purpose, and the organization needs you to step up and use your skills and talents as a leader. There are multiple leadership opportunities available and I’m asking you to raise your hand and volunteer. The first is a PCMG-wide plant sale, and the second is leadership for the Garden Tour. See the corresponding article below for additional information and how to reach out. Within both of these requests are multiple leadership opportunities. Leadership teams and co-organizers are most welcome (grab a PCMG friend and bring them along!).

Thank you for the time and talents you bring to our organization, and we look forward to the continued contributions you'll make!

Marietta Rives

Steering Committee Chair

Project Updates

Program Committee

Virtual Program Night: Feb. 11th, 6-8:30p.m.

Tivon Feeley Zoom Presentation

Tivon will be presenting 2.5 hours of education on Thursday, Feb 11, 6-8:30 p.m. via Zoom.

He will share information on Death of Trees & Unique Trees of the USA, as well as answer questions you may submit when you register.

Please sign up here, or by using the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdXNGWW5AeFQcuiXQLdFi2gYirAVKmDrnMOkuYAaaSCv1_oIw/viewform

If you are new to Zoom, check out this video on how to join.

You will be sent a Zoom link a day or two before the presentation.

Kalsa will record the session for later viewing.

A reminder: 10 hours of education are needed to maintain MG certification.

Plant Sale - Volunteers Needed!

We are looking to host a PCMG-wide Plant Sale this spring. Volunteers are needed to help organize sale details. If you are interested in serving on a planning committee or volunteering for a leadership role - please reach out to Kalsa via email: kparker@iastate.edu.

Demonstration Garden

We are very excited to announce the addition of Brenda Peshak to the Demonstration Garden Co-Chair team! We are looking forward to working with Brenda and her willingness to share her talents with us. Thank you Brenda for stepping up.

If you have not already ordered your seeds for the coming season, you may find that some of them are sold out. Take stock of your leftovers. Many of us have partially used packets or those we purchased last year and did not get planted into the ground. Some varieties (such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers) are viable for several years.

The Demonstration Garden has several openings within various bed teams. The gardens cover everything from annuals to perennials, flowers to vegetables, shade to sun, and multiple fruit trees. We recognize the need for flexibility and that some of you may simply wish to arrive and see what needs to be completed. That is ok. If you have an interest in the Demonstration Garden, contact any of the co-chairs.

Be safe, stay healthy and we hope to see you in the spring.

Co-Chairs:

Ruth Doxon

Sandie Sydnes

Brenda Peshak

Discovery Garden

Greetings all from the Discovery Garden. At this time, the fair for 2021 is moving ahead as scheduled. The Discovery Garden has openings on individual bed teams as well as openings for misc. general labor. If this is something that interests you, please send an email to DiscoveryGardenpcmg@gmail.com. We welcome any involvement in the Garden.

Take care all, stay safe, and looking forward to spring.

Co-Chairs:

General: discoverygardenpcmg@gmail.com

Enabling Garden

Hope everyone is having a beautiful winter season. We have been blessed with snow which allows all of our plants to rest under the covers. In the meantime, the volunteer team at the Enabling Garden has been busy getting our list of 2021 activities lined-up. We are hopeful that we will be able to conduct all of these sessions, but please understand that all are dependent on the prevailing COVID-19 guidelines as well as weather.

Please check on our Facebook site to ensure the status of the event.

April 17: Saturday, 12:00 to 4:00 PM - Spring Perennial Plan Sale / Pick-up
May 8: Saturday, 12:00 to 3:00PM - Hosta Sale / Pick-up
May 25: Tuesday, 6:00 to 7:00PM- “Oh Those Wonderful Herbs” Nancy Eichmann
June 15: Tuesday, 6:00 to 7:00PM - “Mother Nature’s Medicines” Mamta Israni
July 13: Tuesday, 6:00 to 7:00PM - “Vegetable Gardening” Eva Henderson
July 20: Tuesday, 6:00 to 8:00PM - “Children's Art in the Garden”
Aug 24: Tuesday, 6:00 to 7:00PM - “Heirloom Tomatoes” Bill & Judy Goshorn
Sept 14: Tuesday, 6:00 to 7:00PM - “New in the Rain Garden” Eva Henderson

We’ll have more descriptions and calls for volunteers in the coming months. Until that time, enjoy your winter. Many thanks to our dedicated volunteers!

Co-Chairs:

Garden Tour

We are looking for a leadership team for the Garden Tour! The next tour will take place in 2022, but there is plenty of planning and organizing that can be done this year to prepare.

Are you interested in making an impact in our community by leading this event? Share your time and talents with us! Leadership teams and co-organizers are very welcome (grab a friend within PCMG!).

Email Kalsa at kparker@iastate.edu if interested or for more info!

Continuing Education Opportunities

Saturday Webinars

ISU Extension and the University of Illinois Extension are partnering to offer Gardening in the Air webinars! Find more info here!

You can check out other statewide Master Gardener events here.

Iowa Master Gardener YouTube Channel

Check out these new additions!

View all webinars here.

Increasing Wetland Vegetation throughout Iowa - 1 hour
Becoming an Urban Water Steward - 1 hour
Forest Impacts to Water Quality - 1 hour

Review concepts from the MG Training with these webinars:

Plant Pathology - 1 hour
The Nature of Native Plants - 1 hour
Botany - 1 hour
Insect Pest Management - 1 hour

Learn on Saturdays

The Learn on Saturdays series at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens

is going virtual!

In 2021, catch one lecture each Saturday through April.

More info and tickets can be found online:

https://www.dmbotanicalgarden.com/programs/adult-education/learnonsaturdays/

About

Polk County Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources programs aim to help all Iowans, from the home hobbyist to the ag professional, make informed decisions through research-based education. Some programs and focus areas include farm management education, technical expertise for crops, livestock and pests, as well as our Polk County Master Gardener volunteer program; our signature horticulture education program. Our work supports clean water and healthy habitats, profitable farms, and a more secure food system.