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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

United States Department of Agriculture *

Local Extension Councils Cooperating

the cultivator newsletter for Champaign County Master Gardeners

Table of Contents:

1-3 Wildflower Plants in the Home Landscape 4-5 Jim’s Top 16 Must-Haves for a Work Day 6 R2D2 Rain Barrel 7 Continuing Education 8-10 CCMG Award Recipients 11 St. Louis Orchid Show photos

February/March 2013

the cultivator The newsletter for Master Gardeners serving Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion Counties

the cultivator The newsletter for Master Gardeners serving Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion Counties

March/April 2017

Wildflower Plants

in the Home Landscape

by Amy Betzelberger

Master Gardener Intern

Photos © 2017 by Dr. John Marlin

Along with a packed auditori-

um of my fellow Master Gar-

deners, I was thoroughly enter-

tained on the evening of Janu-

ary 24, 2017, by the presenta-

tion of John C. Marlin, PhD, on

the topic of “Wildflower Plants

in the Home Landscape.” Some

of you may already know John

and/or his children from their locally-legendary native woodland wildflower

sales.

By handing out a sheet of resources at the beginning of the evening, Dr. Marlin

was free to present mostly local photographs and follow a few common

threads while waxing rhapsodic about the joys and travails of growing wild-

flowers in yards, gardens, and landscapes (not to mention entomology, con-

servation, home ownership, and parenting!) instead of the text-heavy slides

some speakers prefer to read to their audiences.

The Illinois landscape we know is dominated by non-native plants but, even

now, soil seed-banks dating from all the way back to the “Big Grove era” can

be found in places like pioneer cemeteries filled with Spring Beauty and the

shady lawns of historical homes owned by “an old man with a bad leg” who let

them grow just wild enough to explode into solid expanses of bloodroot flow-

ers every spring, and settle into summer as “Clark Kent” residential lawns of

cool shade, patchy grass, and violets buzzing with bumblebees. I can’t wait to

explore my neighborhood this spring to find these ephemeral gems!

Pollinators like honeybees, bumblebees, and the nearly 300 other pollinating

insects that are native to Illinois, require basic resources—food, nesting sites,

water, and habitat—all at the right time. Bumblebees, for example, are active

An example of a more involved front yard area with

birdbath and mixture of native and ornamental plants.

Native plants include aster, purple coneflower, gerani-

um, and spiderwort. Photo © 2017 John Marlin.

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the cultivator milkweed as food, and the adults need

nectar in the spring and fall while they

migrate so they can survive their long

journey and have the energy to lay their

eggs on those crucial milkweed plants.

Monarchs aren’t the only ones, though! I

had no idea that you don’t get fritillary

butterflies without violets. Adults feed

on nectar from milkweed, coneflowers,

thistles, and many other things, as the

adult Monarch does, but they lay their

eggs on violets and the caterpillars feed

on the leaves of violets. You can help by

planting several different species of na-

tive and “maybe-not-native-but-still-

useful” plants. Even a few dandelion and

clover are helpful to bees because they

bloom a little bit outside of the others’

seasons. Woodland wildflowers tend to

be ephemeral, meaning they’re perennial

plants that emerge quickly in the spring

and die back to their underground parts

after a short growth and reproduction phase. By planting several species in the same area that appear and bloom

at different times, you can have your bases, er, your bare dirt spaces, covered. Dr. Marlin gave the example (if I’m

reading my own handwriting correctly) of dogtooth violets + trillium + Mayapple in the same spot and letting them

take turns.

If you have good neighbors, you can even go a step further (no—guerilla-planting violet seeds in your neighbors’

lawns is NOT being a good neighbor!). Eleven prairie plants generally available from native plant nurseries were

used by 165 of 297 Illinois native bees, and a similar mixture of woodland wildflowers would be similarly useful.

Between the two (or three, or ten!) of you, you can plant many different species across all your different “ecotypes”

of yards (dry, moist, sunny, shady, etc.) and make your own little “sanctuary city” for some of the more rare or spe-

cialized species of native pollinators. (It’d be one h*ck of a science fair project if you got one of your kids to do all

the work! . . . cough cough. . .).

Don’t let yourself be intimidated by the greatest possibilities, however. Even if you only feel up to adding a few

dogtooth violets + trillium + mayapple in the shady spot where nothing but patchy violets grow, Dr. Marlin taught

us, “The plants will work together, you can weed them to your own confidence level.”

After all, what’s a few violets among friends? It’s the Illinois State flower, you know!

Spring beauty under an oak tree, very early spring. This plant grows well in shaded areas

where grass struggles, and is extremely important for bees because it blooms very early and

feeds both long- and short-tongued bees. Fifty-eight species of bees were recorded on this

plant at Carlinville, IL! Spring beauty goes dormant in early May and the grass can then be

mowed normally for the rest of the summer. Photo © 2017 John Marlin.

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the cultivator

You don’t have to spend a lot of time or sacrifice lawn for native

plants! Here are several native plant species, including Liatris and

purple coneflower in front of a house. Photo © 2017 John Marlin.

(Right) An example of a more involved front yard area

with plenty of lawn, surrounded by a mixture of native

and ornamental plants. Photo © 2017 John Marlin.

[Author Disclaimer: My note-taking

handwriting is terrible. I take no responsibility

whatsoever for spelling these plant names

correctly. Always consult an expert before

buying plants by their common names. ]

Resources

Online sources of information

www.illinoiswildflowers.info/

http://plants.usda.gov

http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/~kenr/prairietable1.html

http://www.xerces.org

http://www.grandprairiefriends.org/index.php

The Very Handy Manual: How to Catch and Identify Bees and Manage a Collection. A Collective and Ongoing

Effort by Those Who Love to Study Bees in North America. Last Revised: October, 2010

http://articles.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/7/71/TheVeryHandyBeeManual.pdf

Nurseries with websites with good information [Please note, these are just examples, not recommendations.]

Prairie Moon Nursery in Wisconsin https://www.prairiemoon.com/

Pizzo & Associates, Ltd. in Illinois www.pizzo.info/

Cardno Native Plant Nursery in Indiana http://www.cardnonativeplantnursery.com/

Possibility Place Nursery in Illinois https://www.possibilityplace.com/

Books

Darke, Rick and Tallamy, Douglas W. The living landscape: designing for beauty and biodiversity in the home

garden. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 6454. Print.

Phillips, Harry R., et al. Growing and propagating wild

flowers. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press,

1945. Print.

Tallamy, Douglas W. Bringing nature home : how you can

sustain wildlife with native plants. Portland: Timber Press,

2009. Print.

Wilson, Joseph S., and Olivia Carril. The bees in your

backyard : a guide to North America's bees. Princeton:

Princeton University Press, 2016. Print.

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the cultivator Jim’s Top 16 Must-Haves for a Work Day

By James Hoyt

[Editor’s Note: As the weather gets nicer (darned groundhog!) and the days get

longer, you may find yourself eager to get to work playing in the rich soil at the

Idea Garden. And if you are currently training, you are surely eager to start

checking off those required hours of lovingly tending to that magical spot on Lincoln Avenue. Now may not be the

time to get out there, but while waiting in anticipation, perhaps you might want to put together a work kit to take

with you. Seasoned pro, Jim Hoyt, has compiled this list of Must-Haves for an Idea Garden Work Day, and some of the

items may surprise you. So go ahead—start assembling your kit. It won’t be long now . . . ]

#16. Optics:

Extra eyeglasses or sunglasses help to shade the morning and evening glare. Some shades can even help

you see how to improve specific locations and arrangements of plants. And don’t forget the UV protection

for your eyes!

Magnifying lenses can help you see tiny details of plants for identification purposes. They may also make

you look cool.

Binoculars/monocular can you help identify a small bird or insect from a distance, and also works in a

pinch as a magnifier if turned around.

#15. Water or juice for hydration—Water is the most important nutrient for the body, and whether from working

hard or from handling the heat, you are bound to be losing some sweat while out there.

#14. Granola or a snack for energy—Or donuts and refreshments if you are a Garden Chair. This also encourages

others to show up and help. [If you feed them, they will come….]

#13. ID book suitable for the event. A small flyer or folder for identifying bees, birds, butterflies, weeds, flowers,

etc. can be helpful and may be kept in your car.

#12. 'Mini Mag' flashlight on a gardening belt—Or other light for seeing inside the dark corners of the shed.

#11. 'Leatherman' or similar multi-tool on a gardening belt—For tightening loose nuts and bolts, or bending wire

around fencing.

#10. Sunblock and skincare products, and insect repellent.

#9. Calendar and pencil—For notes about meeting times or other ideas.

#4. Map or diagram of area—To show others and for notes.

#7. Band-Aids, topical ointment, and tweezers—For the occasional splinter or thorn.

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the cultivator

SUBMISSIONS NEEDED!!! This issue is a short because not much was sent in, so I know you’ll have LOTS for the next issue... Please send all contributions for the Cultivator to Lori Garrett, Cultivator Editor; Lorikgarrett@gmail.com. Submission deadline for the May/June edition is April 15th. All submissions must be your own original work.

#6. Two or three diaper safety pins—These are great for holding a(n extra) set of car keys safely in place, and for

organizing stuff in a belt pouch.

#5. Extra set of car and house keys—In case one loses keys in the garden. … And this is another reason that

flashlight is a good idea!

#4. Charged cell phone with appropriate phone numbers—Like the non-emergency U of I police number.

#3. A good watch—but sometimes it is not needed, if you have your phone.

#2. A good, small pouch—In which to put all the above.

. . And the #1 thing to take with you for a work day at the Idea garden is . . .

A garden buddy to help watch your back and help out! Two people working

together can do four times as much work as one person can by him- or herself.

. . . One final note . . . Jim remembered one other item that all Master Gardeners

should always have with them when working at the Idea Garden. Do you know

what it is? Can you guess? Hint: You should always be wearing it when work-

ing at the Idea Garden . . .

Hope SPRINGS eternal! It’s almost official! Spring begins on Monday, March 20.

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the cultivator

R2D2

Rain Barrel

[Editor’s Note: Anne Hudson sent me an email letting me know about what sounded like a pretty clever project. Mike

Lyon, I was told, had turned his rain barrel into an R2D2 robot (from Star Wars, if you aren’t in the know.)

Intrigued, I contacted Mike to get the story. And here is it.]

“I graduated from the MG program last year and as we finished the class on composting with Sandy Mason, I de-

cided that I needed to do something at our home to try to incorporate the yard waste back into our garden / flow-

er beds. It was good fortune that the timing was in line with the City of Urbana’s sale on rain barrels (which with

a lid and legs is a flippable compost bin) I think they make them available each spring/summer. When I picked it

up, the visual image just seemed so much like I had a generic R2 unit in my yard (the picture of it in my garden

cart). Luckily, I know a great local artist who attended school with my daughter, and I asked her if she was up to

the challenge. We dropped the composter off at her house and asked that she give it a try on a as-she-has-time

basis, no rush - a few weeks later we were blessed with our very own R2D2 unit. It currently resides in our back

yard nestled between hemlock trees (a little like the Star Wars return to Endor). Over the winter it has developed

its own patina; so we may retouch it and put a heavy lacquer over it to hold the paint to the black plastic of the

barrel. The local artist is a full time mom and realtor Amy Pellum;

she is okay with our giving out her contact info if we include that

she is a local realtor with the Nate Evans Group

(amyp@TheNateEvasGroup.com).”

—Mike Lyon

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the cultivator Things that Bug You

Monday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. – Champaign

The East Central Illinois Master Naturalists invite you to a presentation on “Things that Bug You: Mosquitoes and

Ticks” at the Champaign County Extension Office, March 20, 6:30-7:30pm.

Curious about mosquitoes and ticks? Does concern over Zika, West Nile, or Lyme Disease detract from your enjoy-

ment of the outdoors? Pam Leiter, Assistant Museum & Education Director for the Champaign County Forest Pre-

serve, will provide you with practical information on mosquitoes and ticks. She will discuss their life cycles, ecolo-

gy, and surprising facts! Tips on identifying the common mosquitoes and ticks found in east central Illinois will be

presented. Pointers for protecting yourself from mosquitoes and ticks will also be shared.

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Click here to register for the program.

For more information, contact Maddy Kangas at 217-333-7672.

CE: Weed Prevention with Sandy Mason

Tuesday, March 21 at 6 p.m. – Danville

Join the Vermilion County Master Gardeners for their monthly program featuring State Master Gar-

dener Coordinator Sandy Mason. Sandy will present Weed Prevention highlighting the best practices

for home gardeners to be ahead of the weeds before the weeds take over!

The Program will be held at the Danville Public Library at 319 N Vermilion St, Danville. Fee for the

program is $5. You can register in advance or supply payment at the door. Click here to register.

Questions? Contact the Vermilion County Extension office at 217-442-4615.

CE: Water & Home Landscape Ecology Aesthetics

Tuesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. – Champaign

The Champaign County Master Gardeners welcome Eliana Brown as she presents Water & Home Landscape Ecolo-

gy Aesthetics. Eliana will describe the importance of water conservation and how we can implement it in our home

gardens, marrying ecology with aesthetics.

Eliana is the stormwater specialist with the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the Illinois Water Resources Center.

She is an expert in regulatory aspects of wastewater and stormwater programs and green infrastructure.

The program is Tuesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. and is being held at the Champaign County Extension office: 401 N.

Country Fair Drive, Champaign. This program is free and open to the public.

Click here to register.

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the cultivator And the Winner Is….

On February 21, Champaign County Master Gardeners shared some delightful desserts and convivial conversa-

tion before learning of this year’s annual award winners. After the awards were presented, we were treated to an

inspiring parade of gardening “Before and After” images, depicting almost unfathomable transformations and get-

ting us stoked for the promise of a new spring and fresh palettes. (That was before winter’s return…)

Here are the award-winners who were named that evening.

Art Porter, Rich Lampman, Dottie Davito, Emilie McGill, 100 Hour Volunteer Hours Milestone

and Kathy Young were recipients of the Golden Trowel Award Recipients

Award for their

contributions to the

Idea Garden.

Making a Difference Award:

Lynne Hellmer

Anne Hudson

Jessica Lopez

Alice Pfeffer

Diane Wardrop

Kathy Young

Friend of Master Gardener

Nathan Deppe

French Fraker

Frank Young

Tom Fehrmann

Bryon Hartstock

Derek Llebert

Brent Moore

Golden Trowel Award

John Bergee

Dottie Davito

Richard Lampman

Emilie McGill

Art Porter

Karl Radnitzer

Judy Yost

Kathy Young

Frank Young (center) - recipient

of the Friend of Master Gardeners

award for his contributions to the

Idea Garden Children's garden

and Crisis Nursery garden.

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the cultivator 100 Hours

Mary Ann Berg

John Bergee

Marsha Biddle

Kathryn Courtney

Carla Cravens Mansini

Donald Dayton

Diane Durbin

Julie En

Jan Fisher

Elizabeth Garrad

Japhia Ramkumar

Elena Kasper

Richard Lampman

Tess Larkin

Jennifer Livingston

Mike Lyon

Carol McClure

Emilie McGill

Karen Meier

Sally Mikel

Christina Nordholm

Arthur Porter

Carolyn Purcell

Karl Radnitzer

Kathleen Reed

Delores Ribbe

Kurt Ruthmansdorfer

Karen Semple

Bonnie Speccio

Diann Thoma

Pradyna Vakil

Rita Weisiger

Rachel Wilding

Kathy Wise

Julie Woller

Diane Yeazel

250 Hours

Carol Bosley

Juanita Brace

Carolyn Burrell

Dottie Davito

Debbie Day

Donald Dayton

Jerry DeWitt

Kate Dobrovolny

Jimmie Nell Duden

Jeanette Elliott

Linda Farrand

Richard Fiese

Rosalie Fisher

Bill Fisher

Lori Garrett

Janet Glaser

Joyce Goode

David Harley

Diane Hatch

Lynne Hellmer

Jim Hoyt

Anne Hudson

John Jones

Joy Kammerling

Joan Miller

Peggy Ore

Christie Roszkowski

Ann Sargent

Barb Schleicher

Susan Smith

Ann Swearingen

Sara Taber

Christine Tarant

Diann Thoma

June Van Vorst

Gwen Wilson

Jenny Wiman

Kathy Young

Kathy Zeiders

500 Hours

Sally Anderson

Carlo Anzelmo

Cathy Barnard

Rita Collins

Dottie Davito

Bill Ford

Lori Garrett

Joyce Goode

Bev Herman

Pam Hohn

Eva Kingston

Bruce Kloth

Sharon Lash

Jessica Lopez

Mary Munoz

Margy Palmisano

Alice Pfeffer

Richard Schroeder

Tom Seals

Penny Shaw

Susan Smith

Tony Soskin

Julie Steele

Patty Stoffel

Aporn Surintramont

Diane Wardrop

Becky Wauthier

750 Hours

Cheryl Anderson

Theresa de Valence

Patty Stoffel

Ann Tice

Jana Waite

Diane Wardrop

Don White

Phyllis Williams

Patty Stoffel

1000 Hours

Mary Nielsen

Patty Stoffel

Ann Tice

1500

Hours

Kathryn

Fletcher

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the cultivator Making a Difference Award Recipients

Anne Hudson (left)

Alice Pfeffer (center)

Diane Wardrop (left) Lynne Hellmer (left)

Jessica Lopez (right)

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