Johnson County Master Gardener

THYMES

April 2019 MG Steering Committee Meeting Wednesday, Apr. 10, 7 P.M.; Johnson County Exten-sion Office. All MGs are invited to attend! Thymes Deadline Information/articles for the Thymes should be sent to Chris Sedrel at oscarsgram@aol.com or Doug Geraets at dougrph@aol.com.

Please send news, volunteer opportunities, sto-ries, pictures, gardening book reviews, etc., for the March issue by Friday, Apr. 26.

FREE NEWSLETTER! Do you want to receive some free garden inspiration? Sign up for a free newsletter from Garden Design. Click on this link: https://www.gardendesign.com/newsletter.html

Donated Plants Needed JCMG seeks donations for 2019 Plant Sale and Flea Market IOWA CITY - Calling garden-ing enthusiasts! Johnson County Master Gardeners (JCMG) seeks donations for its 12th annual Garden Sale and Flea Market that will be held Saturday, May 11, from 8 to 11:30 A.M.

Garden-related items MUST BE OPERATIONAL and CLEAN. In addition to peren-nial, annual and vegetable plants, the JCMGs will accept tools, yard art and holiday decorations. Do-nations may be taken to the Johnson County Fair Grounds, Building B, between the hours of 9 A.M. and 6 P.M., Thursday, May 9, and Friday, May 10.

Donated plants MUST BE IDENTIFIED by plant name (cultivar if known) and flower color. Master Gardeners are also asked to pot donated plants into CLEAN POTS USING POTTING SOIL. This process will help avoid spreading unde-sirable insects to other gardens.

Shrubs and woody plants WILL BE accepted and sold for the first time. Individuals who need help with pick-up and delivery to the Johnson County Fairgrounds, may call to arrange. Individu-als who have questions about plant donations may contact Shannon Bielicke at bielicke@iastate.edu, 319-337-2145.

Master Gardeners can also donate items for a silent auction to support the Butterfly House at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. Please identify clearly each item with your name, description and value.

Proceeds from the annual JCMG Plant Sale and Flea Market support 4-H Awards, Kirkwood

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Community College Horticulture Scholarships and JCMG programs and operations.

Seed Share 3.0 will be offered at the annual Plant Sale and Flea Market. The project—a compo-nent of the JCMG Growing Together grant efforts to reduce food insecurity among individuals and families in Johnson County communities—provides free seeds to gardeners. More than 30 varieties of vegetable, herb and flower seeds are available. # # # Prepping for the Annual Plant Sale By Linda Schrieber Cautionary concerns for plant sales Don Lewis, Ph.D. professor and Extension Ento-mologist, Iowa State University Department of En-tomology, outlined “Iowa’s Latest and Greatest Invasive Insects” at the recent Winter Garden Fair on the Kirkwood Community College campus.

His precautionary message for Master Garden-ers from the area to be wary and alert for pests while planning for annual Master Gardener garden sales. Dr. Lewis outlined species of concern: nonnative (introduced to the area), adventive (has arrived), likely to spread and likely to cause eco-nomic harm.

If you’re a listener of Iowa Public Radio’s Fri-day Hort Gang programming, you’ve probably heard him discuss the top four pests—Emerald Ash Borer, Stink Bug, Spotted Wing Drosophila and the Asian Jumping Worm. He outlined best practices and treatments to battle undesirable bugs.

Dr. Lewis also reminded Master Gardeners to use care while preparing for annual plant sales. When digging donated plants, knock off soil at the location and remove plants to another clean potting location site. He suggests using potting soil and re-potting plants a few weeks ahead of the sale to give plants an opportunity to recover from transplant shock. After potting, shelter plants from the sun and wind to help them get established ahead of the sale.

In recent years, the Johnson County Fair-grounds have allowed JCMGs to repot and get plants established near the Butterfly House/Heritage Barn where water is available. Potting soil, pur-chased last fall using grant funds, is available to re-pot plants. All used containers should be washed as a precaution.†

Master Gardeners who donate plants and bring them to the annual sale are encouraged to follow the same practices—remove the garden soil from plants that will be donated, repot with potting soil into clean containers.

A reminder to Master Gardeners: You must identify donated plants by plant variety and flower color. Plants may be brought to the JC Fairgrounds on Thursday preceding the sale on Saturday, May 11. The hours of the sale are 8 to 11:30 a.m. Many volunteers are needed to help with the annual plant sale. To help, please contact Janice Hining at janni.h@att.net or 319-351-6304.

†Editor’s note: We encourage JCMGs to use a bleach solution 10-minute soak (1-part chlorine bleach: 9-parts water) on all pots before repotting or planting. Second Sunday Garden Forum: ‘Tree Health Challenges’ By Doug Geraets

The Project GREEN’s March Second Sunday Gar-den Forum hosted the very popular Mark Vitosh, Iowa DNR Wildlife Bu-reau District For-

ester for the Wildlife Bureau spoke on challenges to Iowa tree health. His message to an audience of more than 110 was “diversity, diversity, diversity” when planting trees in your landscape.

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Audience at Second Sunday Garden Forum

He also spoke about the many issues for

commonly-used landscape trees. For each concern, Mark discussed management options including early tree removal, active treatment, and exploration of biocontrol. The solution is tree diversity. Mark suggests selecting the right tree.

To do so, take the following into consideration when deciding which tree to plant: soil, sun/shade, soil pH, utilities, selection, size/shape and diversity. He considers the following trees suitable for home-owner landscaping, with a focus on planting diverse species, including: Chinkapin Oak, disease-tolerant American Elm, Silver Linden, Honey Locust, Ginkgo, Kentucky Coffee Tree, London Planetree, Serviceberry, Crabapples, Magnolia, and Hornbeam (or Musclewood).

Just in case you are wondering, Mark said this past Winter wasn’t cold enough for long enough pe-riods to appreciably reduce the Emerald Ash Borer!

From a Gardener’s Bookshelf by Mary Lynne Hensley

Perennials for Midwesern Gardens: Proven Plants for the Heartland By Anthony W. Kahtz

f you are inspired by beautiful perennial displays and plan to try new ideas in your flower garden

this year, a wonderful reference and guide is Peren-nials for Midwestern Gardens: Proven Plants for

the Heartland, by Anthony W. Kahtz published in 2008. This book available in the Iowa City Public Library, is the source I turned to for information af-ter admiring gorgeous purple spikes of Liatris spi-cata (spike gayfeather) in so many gardens along my favorite walking paths last year.

An experienced horticulturist, Dr. Kahtz’ use-ful book features perennials that can be successfully grown in the challenging climate and conditions of the Midwest. The author, who holds a Ph.D. in hor-ticulture from the University of Illinois, often pro-vides insights and experience from his own Midwestern garden. The book focuses on the region comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. The book‘s goal is to make your perennial gardening easier and more enjoyable!

Selected perennials are profiled in alphabetical order by botanical name, followed by common name and family. Along with a beautiful illustra-tion, you will find a handy reference box summariz-ing key information: hardiness, origin, mature height, mature spread, landscape use, season of bloom, and key ornamental characteristics. For readers who want to learn more about a particular plant, included is a concise, interesting narrative with description of the plant and its habits plus dis-cussion of other relevant topics: the plant’s require-ments for growth, any pest or disease problems, propagation, selected cultivars of interest, suggested companion plants etc.

I was delighted to learn that the dramatic L. spicata is a reliable, tough, and long-lived native plant. It is suitable for fresh or dried flower arrange-ments and is also a plant much loved by bees and butterflies!

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Highlights from MG Winter Meeting & Potluck

MG interns of 2017 (lef to right) Chuck Mills, Jo-anne Grey, Darlene Clausen, Beth Gehring, and Marge Jensen who completed 40 or more volun-teer hours.

Certificates for over 400 volunteer hours in 2018 Joyce Miller (far left) and Carolyn Murphy (far right). 500 Hours of Service pins awarded to Marian Foster (second from left), Ramona McGurk (center), and Sharon Rude (second from right). Jeff Koepp is not pictured.

15 Years of Service certificates awarded to (left to right) Jeff Smith, Janice Hining, Joan Dinnel and Barb Krug.

Hours of Service Pins awarded to Joyce Miller, 2,000 hours, and Mike Murphy, 1,000 hours.

20 Years of Service certificates were presented to Marian (left) Foster and Tracy Hufford (right)

New Staff at ISU Extension Office

Jen Lamos is the new Healthy Food Access Specialist based in Johnson County. Part of her work will support nearby Grow-ing Together Iowa projects with Master Gardeners, as well as, working with food pantries and

their clients to make healthy food more accessible. Prior to starting this position, Jen worked with Ex-tension in Wapello County as a Local Food Coordi-nator. There, she partnered with local schools to offer Farm-to-Summer and Farm-to-School pro-gramming, and coordinated Produce with a Purpose, a local food access project. Jen is a Master Gar-dener, with a love for growing veggies and a mild

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houseplant obsession. She now lives in Cedar Rap-ids with her husband, a crazy dog, and a sweet five-month old girl. Johnson County MG Education Day By Lavon Yeggy On Sunday March 17, at the JC Extension Office, the fifth annual continuing education day for Master Gardeners took place. This was a great afternoon, and more than 30 JCMGs enjoyed learning new in-formation about gardening in Iowa. Speakers and topics are highlighted below:

Jeff Koepp, JCMG, shared information about starting plants at home indoors, along with using hoop houses, and other growing methods.

Don Pfeiffer, Washington Co Master Gardner, shared his knowledge on iris, cannas and gladio-luses including beautiful pictures from his gar-den.

Dena Davis, Iowa City Landscaping, shared the latest trends in houseplants, and basic plant care. She also did some houseplant troubleshooting for us.

Andrew Dahl, University of Iowa arborist, dis-cussed propagating trees from seed. He was very entertaining and described efforts by UI facilities management to save old trees, beautify the cam-pus, and its tree inventory.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Project GREEN Open Gardens Weekend, July 13–14, 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. http://www.projectgreen.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/www.project-green.org

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Planting Party → North Liberty Community Pantry On Thursday, April 25, from 4:30–6:30 P.M. North Liberty Community Pantry will host their annual Planting Party. This event is open to the public and it is chance for the community to help start the growing season in their Growing Together Garden.

The Pantry’s Garden Committee will run the event, however, there are quite a few children that attend and two or three Master Gardener's are needed as volunteers to help the children plant. If interested Email Amanda Vincent at garden@northlibertycommunitypantry.org.

Plum Grove Spring Clean Up Saturday, April 27, 9 A.M. to Noon (cancelled if raining) Please come and help us prepare for our summer gardens. Bring your own gloves, rakes, pruners and other garden tools with you. We will continue to need help on Saturdays mornings through the spring. If you have any questions con-tact Lavon Yeggy, Doug Geraets, Betty Kelly or Carolyn Murphy (319-541-7079; candmmur-phy@aol.com).

MG Hortline The Master Gardener Hortline, located in the John-son County Extension Office, needs additional vol-unteers! Using Email and phone lines you will help gardeners with their garden and landscape ques-tions. Current Hortline hours during the growing season are Monday/Friday 9 –11 A.M. and Wednes-day 1–3 P.M.

If interested or looking for volunteer hours contact Esther Retish at eretish@mchsi.com or Jackie Wellborn at jwellborn@gmail.com. Raptor Center Cleanup All are welcome to the Raptor Center Annual Spring Cleanup Saturday, April 20, from 9–11 A.M. helping clean up at the Macbride Nature Center!

Bring your tools and gloves and meet some awesome fellow gardeners during our annual clean up. We’ll take a break for refreshments and a quick

meeting to discuss summer maintenance. All are welcome even if you are not interested in summer maintenance. Come out and get your gloves dirty! See you there!

For questions or more information contact: Alice Linhart, 319-621-8073 or Email, mikeandal-ice@southslope.net. Macbride Nature Recreation Area 2095 Mehaffey Bridge Rd NE Solon, Iowa 52333 How to find us: from North Liberty or Solon take Mehaffey Bridge Rd NE to the Macbride Nature Recreation Area (MNRA) and follow the signs for about 2 miles to the Raptor Center parking area. The Raptor Center is located past the gate down the gravel road, about a quarter mile.

MG Birthdays April 2019

3 .............................. Susan Ahrens

5 .............................. Carole Hanna

10 ............................. Jean Holzhammer

12 ............................. Betty Alfaro

13 ............................. Joni Jones

24 ............................. Michael Hesseltine

24 ............................. Kathy Erenberger

27 ............................. Janice Dallas

28 ............................. Jackie Wellborn

30 ............................. Gail Johnson

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March 2019 Thymes… Mystery Plant

Goosegrass (Eleusine indica)

There were no answers submitted for the mystery plant in the March Thymes. The plant is Goosegrass (primarily in genus Eleusine). It can actually be any of a variety of grasses which get the general name for being used as food for geese or the blades look-ing like the foot of a goose. Synonyms for this plant include: Crowfoot-grass, Indian goosegrass, Silver-crabgrass, Wire-grass, and Yardgrass.

It is a summer an-nual with bunching habit which propagates by seed. Goosegrass thrives in compacted, poorly drained soils, thus, is commonly found in high traffic areas. According to ISU Extension, goosegrass is often mistaken for crabgrass. It is of-ten incorrectly referred to as “silver Crabgrass” be-cause of silvery appearance of the lower sheaths.

Mechanical removal is possible and can be ef-fective but is a labor-intensive method. Goosegrass is difficult to control, even using preemergence herbicides (several options are available; see refer-ence #3). Postemergence one of the effective op-tions is a nonselective herbicide (e.g., glyphosate). References:

1. https://plantscience.psu.edu/research/cen-ters/turf/extension/plant-id/grasses/goose-grass

2. https://www.exten-sion.iastate.edu/turfgrass/blog/unusual-sep-tember-weeds-and-diseases-iowa

3. https://extension.tennessee.edu/publica-tions/Documents/W170.pdf

MYSTERY Plant Contest & Education

Contest Rules: 1. The 1st person to correctly identify the plant, wins $10 prize credit at our Johnson County Extension. You can choose from variety of booklets. 2. Anyone wanting education credit, can earn one hour by researching accepted resources (i.e. ISU Web site), writing 1-2 paragraphs, & citing sources used. Send to: dougrph@aol.com

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MG Upcoming Events/Volunteer Opportunities

April 2019 Backyard Abundance http://backyardabundance.org/ Saturday, April 6 9:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. Seed Starting—Low-Maintenance Vegetable Gardening Series at Edible Classroom, Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, 220 S Gilbert St, Iowa City. Take all seven classes for $115 or register for individual classes for $22 at Iowa City Parks and Recreation. Taught by Fred Meyer, master gardener and permaculture designer at Backyard Abundance and Jennifer Kardos, horticultural therapist and health coach. Classes limited to 30 so registration is necessary. Saturday, April 27 9:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. Edible Plant Sale Fundraiser at Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, 220 S Gilbert St, Iowa City. Vegetables, herbs, berries and pollinator-friendly plants available. Worms for vermicomposting bins will be available. Purchases help fund environmental education events. Bur Oak Land Trust info@BurOakLandTrust.org Tuesday, April 23 5 P.M. to 8 P.M. Big Grove for Good, 1225 S Gilbert St, Iowa City. Big Grove Brewery will donate 10 per cent of sales to benefit Bur Oak Land Trust. Celebrate Earth Day! Friday, April 26 5:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Bur Oak Land Trust’s Annual Membership Meeting, Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, Park Lodge, 579 McCollister Blvd, Iowa City. Every Monday in April 4 P.M. to 9 P.M. Pizza for Prairie @ Pagliai’s, 302 E Bloomington St, Iowa City. Bur Oak receives 20% of your receipt when you mention Bur Oak Land Trust. This share the profit partnership every Monday in April. Eastern Iowa Bird Watchers/IC Birds http://icbirds.org/newsletter.html The Iowa City Bird Club and Johnson County Conservation Department are offering a 6-week Introduction to Birding Course. There will be six Tuesday evening sessions along with six weekend field trips to area birding hot spots. Tuesday evening sessions are $5 for adults, free for children and free to birding club members. Weekend field trips are free. For more information call Karen Disbrow at 319-430-0315. Tuesday, April 2 7 P.M. Where to Bird in Johnson County by Bruce Gardner. Well known and lesser known and secret places to watch birds and study nature in and around Johnson County. Conservation Education Center, Kent Park, 2048 Hwy 6 NW, Oxford. $5. info@icbirds.org. Saturday, April 6 8 A.M. Field Trip to Hawkeye Wildlife Area near North Liberty. Expect to see ducks, geese, American White Pelicans, and other spring migrants. Wear boots for walking in wet areas. Meet at the Conservation Education Center at Kent Park, 2048 Hwy 6 NW, Oxford. Free. info@icbirds.org.

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Tuesday, April 9 7 P.M. Backyard and Feeder Birds by James Scheib. This session will cover the common birds found in our backyards during the year and what types of feeders and food to use to attract them. Conservation Education Center, Kent Park, 2048 Hwy 6, Oxford. $5. info@icbirds.org. Sunday, April 14 8 A.M. Field Trip to Lake McBride or other local areas. Meet at the Coralville Kohl’s parking lot across from McDonald’s. Free. Tuesday, April 16 7 P.M. Birds of Terry Trueblood and Waterworks Park in Iowa City by Jim Scheib. Learn the variety of birds that are found throughout the year at these nearby parks. Conservation Education Center, Kent Park, 2048 Hwy 6, Oxford. $5. Saturday, April 20 8 A.M. Field Trip to Waterworks Park. Visit this Iowa City park with great trails for woodland, prairie, and wetland. Meet at Waterworks Park off Dubuque St. Free. Tuesday, April 23 7 P.M. Warbler Identification and Review by Karen Disbrow. Warblers are among our most colorful birds, but identification can be a challenge. Compare and contrast similar species. Conservation Education Center, Kent Park, 2048 Hwy 6, Oxford. $5. info@icbirds.org. Sunday, April 28 8 A.M. Field Trip to Hickory Hill Park. May is prime time for viewing warblers in Iowa and this park is an eastern Iowa hot spot for viewing migrant warblers and other songbirds. Meet at Hickory Hill Park at the parking lot at the end of Conklin Lane, off N. Dodge St. Free. Johnson County Conservation http://www.johnson-county.com/conservation salgreen@co.johnson.ia.us Beginning Birder Course will be offered by Johnson County Conservation in conjunction with Iowa City Birding Club. For class information see listing above for Iowa City Birds. Other offerings for Johnson County Conservation follow: Friday, April 5 7 P.M. to 8 P.M. Turkey Vultures on the move! Presenter Joan Schnabel from Raptology will introduce us to Gonzo the Turkey Vulture and the amazing seasonal migration his wild kin take every spring and fall. Registration is required by Monday, April 1, for this free program. Registration by emailing fowen@co.johnson.ia.us. Conservation Education Center, F.W. Kent Park, 2048 Hwy 6 NW, Oxford. Wednesday, April 10 10 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. Nature Buds: Animal Homes, at F.W. Kent Park Conservation Center, 2048 Hwy 6 NW, Oxford. Nature Buds is a monthly program for children 3 to 5 years of age. This series encourages interaction of parent/grandparent and child through indoor stations and outdoor activities; one adult to every two children is required. Registration requested at fowen@co.johnson.ia.us or call 319-645-1011. Thursday, April 11 7 P.M. to 8 P.M. Gladys Black: The Legacy of Iowa’s Bird Lady, Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A, 123 S Linn St, Iowa City. This program was made possible thanks to Humanities Iowa. The late Gladys Black of Pleasantville, IA was widely known throughout Iowa as a conservationist, educator and amateur expert on birds. Presenters Larry Stone and Jon Stravers will detail this colorful woman’s impact on so many Iowans. Free and open to the public.

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Friday, April 12 10 A.M. Hike it Baby: Naturalist Walk. Hike it Baby is a national group with the goal to raise a generation to love the outdoors. Bring little ones (all ages invited, not just babies!) on this free naturalist-led hike on a paved stroller friendly trail. No registration necessary. Arrive 15 minutes early. Clear Creek Trail, 3196 Half Moon Avenue NW, Tiffin. Sunday, April 14 1 P.M. to 3 P.M. Say YES to Foraging in Spring, at Conservation Education Center, F.W. Kent Park, 2048 Hwy 6 NW, Oxford. Take a walk with Johnson County Conservation naturalist and learn about some foods and medicines that can be foraged in spring. Program is outside and features a walk over uneven terrain. Registration required at email fowen@co.johnson.ia.us or call 319-645-1011. Saturday, April 27 3:00 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. Earth Fest at Terry Trueblood Park Lodge, 579 McCollister Blvd, Iowa City. Fun for all ages with indoor and outdoor activities related to the environment, animals, and sustainability. The event is hosted by Green Iowa AmeriCorps in collaboration with Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department. Family event is free. Johnson County-ISU Extension http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson// Sunday, April 7 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. Johnson County Master Gardener RETREAT! Shannon Bielicke, ISU Johnson County Extension Program Associate will be teaching sessions meant to inspire thought and share resources related to the workings of the Johnson County Master Gardener program. All Johnson County Master Gardeners are welcome. Free event. Please register by emailing bielicke@iastate.edu or calling 319-337-2145. Wednesday, April 10 7 P.M. to 9 P.M. Johnson County Master Gardener Steering Committee Meeting. Johnson County Extension, 3109 Old Highway 218 S, Iowa City. Contact Shannon Bielicke at bielicke@iastate.edu or 319-337-2145. Linn County-ISU Extension http://www.extension.iastate.edu/linn/ If you missed the Linn County Winter Garden Fair—Library Talks (all class times are 6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.; contact Jean Wilson at 319-377-9839). Tuesday March 5 The Art of Starting Garden Transplants from Seed at Cedar Rapids Ladd Library Wednesday, March 6 Earth Friendly Lawn Care at Lisbon Library Wednesday, March 6 Living with Bambi at Marion Library Thursday, March 7 Discover Butterflies at Mt Vernon Library Thursday, March 7 Native Bees at Hiawatha Public Library Tuesday, March 12 Gorilla Gardening at Cedar Rapids Ladd Library

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Wednesday, March 13 Spring Garden Maintenance at Lisbon Library Wednesday, March 13 Daylilies: The Perfect Perennial at Marion Library Thursday, March 14 Starting Seeds and Transplants at Mt Vernon Library Thursday, March 14 For the Love of Monarchs at Hiawatha Public Library Wednesday, March 20 Mediation, Healing and Stress Relieving Gardens at Lisbon Library Wednesday, March 20 Planting Salsa Gardens Correctly at Marion Library Thursday, March 21 Everything Whimsical at Mt Vernon Library Thursday, March 21 Create Your Own Backyard Habitat at Hiawatha Public Library Tuesday, March 26 Hosta Landscape Design at Cedar Rapids Ladd Library Wednesday, March 27 Taste of Herbs at Lisbon Library Wednesday, March 27 Green With Envy at Marion Library Thursday, March 28 Gardening Folklore at Mt Vernon Library Thursday, March 28 Pleasing the Bees and Butterflies at Hiawatha Public Library Wednesday, April 3 Perennials in 2019 at Coggon Public Library Thursday, April 4 Perennials in 2019 at Ely Public Library Thursday, April 4 Planting Salsa Gardens at Central City Public Library Thursday, April 4 Gardening Folklore at Fairfax Public Library Linn County Creative Garden Series Tuesday, April 16 6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. The Facts of Light by speaker Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, The Houseplant Guru, author of Houseplants, The Complete Guide to Choosing, Growing and Caring for Indoor Plants and her second book Grow in the Dark will be published in May. Her presentation covers all aspects of light and the different exposures that are in our homes. Cedar Rapids Public Library. Tuesday, April 23 6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. Designing Gardens that Draw Us In: Learn the Tools by speaker Judy Nauseef, a landscape designer and writer working in Eastern Iowa, fellow of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, and an Iowa Certified Nursery Professional. Recent book, Gardening with Native Plants in the Upper Midwest: Bringing the Tallgrass Prairie Home. In this talk, the speaker

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will cover useful tools to learn why design works and how to use them in our own landscape or when assisting others with theirs. Cedar Rapids Public Library. Tuesday, April 30 6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. Green Peace: Mindful Practices with Plants by speaker Rita Perea, inspirational speaker, business consultant, writer and celebrated gardener. She is a Master Gardener and Regional Director of the International Garden Writers Association. She connects audiences with creative ideas and encourages mindfulness in the garden, yet practical enough to begin using right away. Rita is a frequent contributor to the Iowa Gardener magazine. Her latest book From Frantic to Fabulous—How to Raise Your Energy, Tame Your Work and Transform Your World in the Digital Age, encourages readers to unplug and use the garden as a tool for mindfulness. Cedar Rapids Public Library. Iowa Water https://www.facebook.com/iowa.city.stormwater.volunteers?sk=wall Sunday, April 7 12 P.M. to 3 P.M. Ralston Creek Cleanup Volunteer Event. Ralston Creek flows near the downtown behind the Iowa City Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St, Iowa City. Volunteers will be removing invasive species, trash and other woody debris from the banks and stream bed. Contact Carol Sweeting at carol-sweeting@iowa-city.org or 319-541-2385. Sunday, April 14 12 P.M. to 3 P.M. Volunteer for Ralston Creek Cleanup. Meet at the parking lot behind the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St, Iowa City to help remove invasive species, trash and other woody debris from the banks and stream bed. Contact Carol Sweeting at carol-sweeting@iowa-city.org or 319-541-2385. Saturday, April 27 3 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. Earth Fest at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, 579 McCollister Blvd, Iowa City. Join Iowa City Green Americorps team and Iowa City Parks and Recreation for activities for all ages. Free. Trees Forever http://www.treesforever.org/Events Tuesdays, April 2, 9, 16, and 23 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. TreeKeepers in the Corridor, a four-class series that trains volunteers to identify and care for trees. Since each hands-on lesson builds upon the knowledge of the previous session, we ask participants to attend all four classes. Registration fee of $30 includes dinner, TreeKeepers handbook and TreeKeepers t-shirt. Trees Forever Office, 80 West 8th Avenue, Marion. Contact Aaron Brewer at 319-373-0650 ext. 114. 100 Grannies http://100grannies.org Monday, April 8 11 A.M. to 2 P.M. The University Environmental Coalition (students’ organization) have invited 100 Grannies to help with their annual reusable bag give-away on the Iowa City ped mall.

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Monday, April 15 4 P.M. to 5 P.M. Good Neighbor Committee Meeting, Iowa City Public Library, Room E. This new committee meets the third Monday of the month. Please join our group or just come check us out. Prior sign up not necessary. We’re working on this campaign goodneighborsiowa.org/ and partnering with Backyard Abundance, New Pioneer Coop and AmeriCorps. Contact Linda Quinn at 319-330-3328. Wednesday, April 17 7:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. Steering Committee Meeting meets every third Wednesday. Monday, April 22 7 P.M. to 9 P.M. Road to a Green New Deal. On Monday April 22, hundreds of Iowans will gather in Des Moines to listen to stories of loss to climate change and hope that can be found in the Green New Deal. This is a celebration and call to action featuring musical performances, art, and compelling speeches from young people, political movement leaders at the forefront of the environmental justice movement. RSVP here: http://sunrisemovement.org/tour. Tuesday, April 23 5:30 P.M.to 7:00 P.M. General Monthly Meeting, Trinity Episcopal Church, 320 E College St, Iowa City. We have a general meeting for all members or interested women who wish to become members. Information at 100granniesiowacity@gmail.com. Wednesday, April 24 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown, at Prairiewoods, 120 East Boysen Road, Hiawatha. This is a free two-hour workshop that will invite you to see both the possibility of reversing global warming and your important role to play in the process. Project Drawdown is a scientific study that identifies 100 solutions that implemented together, can begin to roll back global warming by 2050. Free and open to the public. For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700. Thursday, April 25 10:30 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. Iowa City Public Library Storytelling, Earth Day Theme. Saturday, April 27 3:00 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. SAVE THE DATE! Earthday Celebrations at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area.

Additional Resources/Event Opportunities Blue Zones www.bluezones.com https://iowa.bluezonesproject.com/activities ECO_Iowa City http://www.icgov.org/?id=2256 Check website for events. Iowa State Extension http://www.extension.iastate.edu/calendar/ Nothing scheduled at press time

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New Pioneer Coop http://www.newpi.coop/new-pi-classes-and-community/2015-02/ Check the website for events and activities. Seed Savers http://www.seedsavers.org/Education/ Nothing at press time

The Johnson County Master Gardener Thymes is published monthly, except January and August. It is distributed under the auspices of Iowa State University.

Mail can be sent to: Johnson County Extension Service Attn: Master Gardener Newsletter 3109 Old Highway 218 S. Iowa City, IA 52246 Iowa State University Extension and Outreach does not discriminate on the basis of age, disabil-ity, ethnicity, gender identity, genetic infor-mation, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeco-nomic status, or status as a U.S. veteran. Direct inquiries to the Diversity Officer, 515-294-1482, extdiversity@iastate.edu. Send email to: bielicke@iastate.edu