The Best Dirt

The UW Extension—Ozaukee County Master Gardener’s Newsletter The Best Dirt 2nd Quarter 2009, Volume 8, No. 2 Spring/Summer 2009 Letter From The President Over the Garden Gate By Mary Reilly-Kliss The kildeers skitter through the garden plots at the Washington County Community Gardens, background "music" provided by gardeners chatting with each other and the metal clanking of post installation for a tomato trellis. We are open for the season, as are all of the other OMG projects. I attended my first Heirloom Plant & Herb Sale this year, and I was absolutely blown away by the organization of the event, the large number of OMG's involved, the variety of plants, and need I mention the FUN and the potluck? The final report of this event will be out soon, but I have already volunteered for next year. THANK YOU Melissa for all of the hard work which you and the various chairs put into this event! Publicly, our most visible project to date in 2009 is that of the redesign of our website. Rob Charlier-Anglim has put in many, many hours on the transfer of files, design, and tweaking of the OMG site. If you have not checked it out, do so at www.ozaukeemastergardeners.org. There you will find many of the old favorites such as the vegetable gardening sheets, along with special events, trip diaries, photos, archived issues of The Best Dirt, and many other sources of information for both OMG Volunteers and the public. Our garden-based projects, Pioneer Village, Tendick Park, the Liberty Memorial Library, Advocates Center, and Lasata’s Hort Therapy Project have plans in the works for 2009. The chairpersons for these activities are listed in the packet which was given out at the March general meeting, so if you have not yet begun to log volunteer hours, these projects await your time, trugs and trowels! As you begin to work in your personal gardens and in the varied OMG gardening projects, please consider this quote from Robert Rodale: “Gardens are great places to teach the important lessons of life”. What essential life lessons have you learned from a garden? If you were going to tell someone, ―Oh, you must become a gardener because ...―, how would you fill in the blank? I would love to use your responses to this question as the basis for a future writing project. Please email your thoughts to me at maryrk@charter.net. See you next time, over the garden gate. - Mary 2 Heirloom Plant & Herb Sale 2009 “A picture is worth a thousand words…” Channel 10 auction winners Thank you OMG volunteers, friends and family members, for helping to make the plant sale a huge success! - plant sale photographs continued on page 3 3 Plant Sale Photo Gallery Special thanks to Lou Hefle, Daniel O‟Neil and Jane Spalding for the great photos! 4 From Worms to Your Garden: Nature’s Organic Time-Release Fertilizer By Jean Schanen John Nowicki never dreamed that his hobby of raising worms would turn into a business that now keeps a number of his family members busy most of the year. John started worm farming in 2007 ―just for the fun of it.‖ The worms kept increasing and the hobby grew into the Squirmin’ Worm Farm in rural Plymouth. The worms are raised for a substance coveted by gardeners—worm castings, which are essentially worm manure. Raising worms for worm castings is known in horticultural terms as vermicomposting. Vermicompost is the end product of the breakdown of organic matter by some species of earthworms. The business is now run by John’s son-in-law and daughter, Dave and Deanna Wallace, with help from Dave’s sister, Carrie Jenss. When John first started raising worms he had about 5,000. Today there are about120,000 and the numbers of the three worm species raised at the farm—African night crawlers, red worms and European night crawlers—increase daily. All of the worms are raised in a heated space, but the African night crawlers have to be kept warmer than the other varieties, above 70 degrees, so they are stored in covered five-gallon pails. The other varieties are raised in elevated, open, flat bins. Though worms can be raised in any organic matter, the worms at Squirmin’ Worm Farm are raised in a special bedding mixture formula comprised of screened soil, grains and chicken laying mash. Worm castings are harvested constantly at the farm, but when the process is first started it takes about two weeks for the castings to be ready. In the harvesting process, the bedding mixture is screened to separate live worms, eggs and castings. The screen device used at the farm, which was designed and built by John Nowicki, is a bit rustic but does the job. The pails of worms are emptied into a motorized screening machine that vibrates the mixture through various sized screens. The worms and the left-over growing medium containing the eggs fall into separate bins, leaving the worm castings to be scooped up and bagged. After the worms are screened, they and the soil and eggs are put back into new growing matter and continue the cycle. Each egg that is returned to the production cycle contains from two to ten new worms. Worm castings are easy to apply to gardens, lawns or indoor plants. They are completely organic, are odorless and provide plants, trees, shrubs and grass with all the nutrients they need. ―You can use as much or as little as you want, and you can’t apply too much,‖ said Dave Wallace. ―They are completely safe to use around children, pets and ponds.‖ Worm castings do not have to be worked into the soil around established plants. Simply top dress the plants with one-half to one inch of castings. When planting new plants, such as tomato plants, mix some castings into the soil when digging the hole and top dress the planting with some additional castings. Dave called worm castings ―a natural time-release fertilizer.‖ Squirmin’ Worm Farm castings have been tested to show a chemical formula of 2-0-0, he said. The fastest way to get the nutrients from worm castings to your plants is to apply a ―tea.‖ Simply add one cup of worm castings to a gallon of water and shake vigorously. Let the mixture settle and strain out the castings. Use the tea as a foliar spray or to water the plants. ―This method of fertilizing your plants makes the nutrients easier and quicker for the plants to use,‖ according to Dave. The method works especially well with house plants. The worm castings can be reused to make more tea or used as top-dressing. Squirmin’ Worm Farm also makes organic potting soil, an organic blend of worm castings, screened soil and organic matter called ―fine,‖ which is the stuff the worms haven’t eaten from the bedding mixture. It is a completely organic blend. Worm castings are sold in 5, 10, 25 and 40-pound bags. The coverage is about 10 pounds per 100 square feet of garden space. It can be applied in early spring and throughout the growing season. The organic potting - continued on page 5 5 Worm Castings continued - soil is also available in the same size bags. Besides worm castings and organic soil, the farm sells worm bins, bait worms, tea composting kits and other organic products. Squirmin’ Worm Farm’s primary customers are garden centers, landscapers and organic farmers (including a number of CSA farms in Ozaukee County), but it also sells to individual retail customers. The shop does not have regular hours, but customers can order and arrange pick -up times by telephone. The Wallaces will also have a market this summer featuring organic produce and organically raised chickens. Squirmin’ Worm Farm is located at 4991 Hillwind Rd., Plymouth. It can be reached at 920-893-8304 or online at www.squirminwormfarm.com. Road Trip... There is nothing a gardener likes better, other than a beautiful garden that is, then a visit to a great garden nursery. And when a gardener stumbles across such a place, they can’t wait to tell others. Blooming Valley, owned by Douglas and Ina Lucas, is one of those places. Blooming Valley Perennial Nursery “Sustainably growing a more beautiful World” 2868 County Road I, Avoca, Wisconsin Blooming Valley is a family-run nursery growing an eclectic collection of perennials, ornamental grasses, and natives. Their mission reflects many of our own garden philosophies, “The art of growing is our passion, and bringing beauty into an ecologically respected world is our vision. This combination inspires our mission to grow the healthiest, happiest, and highest quality plants available, and to do so using sustainable methods.” Ina sent some great plant recommendations for us to think about for our gardens. Here are some of her favorites for being low-maintenance, having a long bloom time, being pest and disease resistant, and looking great all season long. And they are hardy too! Amsonia hubrichtii (Thread-leaf Blue Star) Amsonia tabernaemontana (Willow Blue Star) Astilbe 'Purple Candles' (Purpurkerze) Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' (Wild Indigo) ...this may actually be 2010's Perennial Plant of the Year Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta (Calamint) Calamintha nepeta 'White Cloud' (Calamint) Echinacea tennesseensis 'Rocky Top' (Tennessee Coneflower) Filipendula rubra 'Venusa' (Queen of the Prairie) Heliopsis helianthoides 'Summer Nights' (False Sunflower) Nepeta sibirica 'Souvenir d'andre chaud' (Siberian Catmint)- awesome all-season bloomer, hummingbird magnet Origanum herrenhausen (Ornamental Oregano) Physostegia 'Miss Manners' (Obedient Plant ... that is actually obedient) Salvia 'Plumosa' (Garden Sage) Salvia verticillata 'Purple Rain' (Meadow Sage) Stachys monieri 'Hummelo' (Betony) Thermopsis caroliniana (Carolina Lupine) Veronica longifolia 'Sonja' (Veronica- the best one) Veronicastrum 'Fascination' (Culvers Root) Grasses: Calamagrostis brachytricha (Korean Feather Reed Grass) Miscanthus 'Huron Sunrise' (Maiden Grass) Panicum virgatum 'North Wind' (Switch Grass) Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues' (Little Bluestem) Sporobolus heterolepsis 'Tara' (Prairie Dropseed) So if you are in the mood for a garden road trip, Blooming Valley is a great place to start. Visit their website at www.bloomingvalley.com for plant information and a map to the nursery. You can sign up and receive their informative newsletter as well. So what are you waiting for? Road trip! - Melissa Rasmussen-Plasz Douglas and Ina Lukas Newsletter – 2009 Dates and Deadlines Please submit all committee reports, project updates and articles to Melissa Rasmussen-Plasz at beechnuthouse@wi.rr.com. NEXT NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: August 15th Fall Issue (See the Calendar for information on submitting event dates.) Would you like to write an article or a book review? Are you working on a project you would like to tell us about? Would your committee like to do a regular column? I welcome all ideas and suggestions. THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ISSUE! 6 What’s ―GROWIN‖ On At The Community Gardens? By Mary Reilly-Kliss There were smiles all around at the recent sign-up sessions for the third season of the OMG Washington County Community Garden program in West Bend. Gardeners greeted old friends, shared tips with the ―newbies‖, and were in complete agreement that we can hardly wait to begin tending plots. This project has tripled in three years, from 20 plots in 2007, to 49 in 2008, to a ―full house‖ of 68 plots for 2009, and the start of a waiting list for 2010. Repeated instances of unsafe foods and produce from the grocery store combined with difficult economic times have created a heightened interest in such programs across the nation. Community gardens have long-played an important role in the United States, as I discovered when I prepared a presentation at a Community Garden Workshop at the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville. Consider the following: Following the Depression of 1894, when 35% of the population in the U.S. was unemployed, urban community gardens were first developed. Detroit, a city hard-hit by the depression, sought out vacant lots so that the unemployed could grow vegetables for themselves. In the first year, $12,000 worth of vegetables and potatoes were harvested. become an important part of our cultural heritage as well. For the past 40 years, community gardens have developed out of the activism of civil rights, alternative politics, and ecological concerns. Residents in cities large and small took the initiative to clear lots for garden spaces. Growing environmental concerns, the desire for self-reliance and the value of gardening as ―therapy‖ came together to create the gardens of the 1960’s -1990’s. No matter the era, the development of and interest in community garden programs parallels social, economic and political events. Thus, in 2009, we are again seeing an upsurge in vegetable gardening from the White House to my house, where the phone rings at least twice a week with calls from people who want a plot at our gardens or who are looking for advice on how to start a garden in another location. What ―grows around‖ comes around. - Mary During WWI, citizens planted Liberty Gardens which provided foods for the troops and allies overseas. From 1930-1938, relief gardens provided assistance to the citizenry of the Great Depression. In one of these years, almost 2 million gardens in 43 states produced over $47 million in food value, and over 36% of the nation’s fresh produce came from these gardens. During WW II, Victory Gardens were established to lessen demands on commercial growers, maintain citizen morale, and create a supply of food which could be used in the event of shortages. This garden program received much governmental support and publicity, resulting in a highly successful effort. For example, in 1943 a buyer’s panic for seeds ensued because nearly 54% of the nation was engaged in the Victory Garden program. Gardeners faced additional shortages of metal for new tools and rubber for canning since those materials were needed for the war effort. The Victory Garden movement’s publicity posters have 7 Hickory Road Rambling Gardening in the “Zen Zone” By Barbara McHugh June First, 2009 Daylight has just begun to flood the room where I sleep and it flickers with pulsing light. A low rumble accompanies the flicker and I understand this is not just morning but a storm brewing. I peel back the warm covers of my bed and slip into my sweats and bound down the stairs. I have forgotten my planting bag in the garden and it is still full of unused seeds and my garden map that I have so carefully crafted. Rain pelts me as I hesitate on the front steps… will this be the day to do something foolish like dash into an electrical storm and get struck by lightning? Daring rules out over caution and I figure if I run really fast I can beat the odds. Working against me is the fact that my bag is sitting right up next to a huge metal wheel that I have dug into the ground at the entrance to my garden. I dash, I grab, and I run back to the house with rain pelting me and bright flashes all around, I am awake now! Yesterday morning I got out of bed at 6:30 to beat the heat and put the last of my garden in the ground. I took my full cup of coffee with me and rested it on the edge of one of the 8 foot raised vegetable beds as I kneeled down and plunged my hands in the dirt. Those nice fingernails I had a month ago are gone for the summer, my hands are battered with slivers, cuts and my nails are cut short so I can use my hands like a garden tool. I can’t seem to make myself use gloves, I have to feel the dirt and the moisture and the cool of the soil for myself. Coffee forgotten, I run my hand through the black moist dirt to create short rows for my seeds and with the fine flat seeds of lettuce on my fingers I use my thumb to nudge each one until it drops into the shallow furrow. There are tools for this task, but I have no patience with reaching for one while I am in my planting fugue. On my knees, bent low I speak to them as I gently push the soil over the top and pat it down. Moving over to another square I use both hands to dig out a spot to place a habanera pepper, my mind flashing forward to late fall when I will turn Much as I would imagine an engineer would approach this task, I garden in 2 foot squares in a precise and formal way. Balancing the tall tomatoes with the shorter fern like tops of the carrots is no simple task. The carrots will use the space under ground while the tomatoes will use the space above ground. my kitchen into a canning factory. I will create a tomato sauce with my heirloom paste tomatoes and my hot peppers, fresh basil and German porcelain garlic. My back is killing me but I push on, poking slivers of onion sets into the earth and carefully placing fresh bright straw around each plant. The wind blows relentlessly and the straw spills into the paths between the beds. My fine, white spider-web hair flies about my face and there are streaks of dirt on my cheeks. This may seem like some sort of torture to the uninitiated, but I have been transported into what I call the ―Garden Zen-Zone‖. There is nothing but the earth and the wind and all thoughts of problems are centered on the task at hand. I know that some day I will plant my garden and may not be there to harvest its bounty. I have created a family with loving focus and by the same token will miss out on the fruits of this labor. I am so careful with these tasks because I want to leave behind something of worth… something that is good… be it a ripe red tomato or an apple cheeked grandchild. The storm passes quickly, the sun reaches across the land with long fingers of gold light and I have before me another day. I slip back under the down quilt and snuggle up to my husband for a little warmth, my cold wet feet carefully tucked into the folds of the bedding. Life is good. Love, Barbara Jean 8 For Something Delicious... Try one of these delicious recipes using Bay Laurel, the Herb of the Year and mouth-watering heirloom tomatoes. Mussels in Heirloom Tomato and Bay Broth 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 shallot, minced 4 bay leaves 11/2 cups dry white wine 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped fine 1 lb mussels, cleaned In a large pot combine the garlic, shallot, bay leaves, wine, tomatoes and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and reduce for 20 minutes. Add the mussels, cover and cook until the shells open, about 5 minutes discarding any unopened shells. Scoop into a large bowl and sprinkle with parsley. Serves two. Angel Hair Pasta with Heirloom Tomato Sauce 1 lb package of Angel Hair pasta 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 1/3 cup red wine 1 Bay leaf 2 Tbs chopped fresh oregano ¼ cup coarsely chopped basil ¼ cup chopped parsley 2lbs heirloom tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (reserve juices and add to the sauce) 2Tbs capers One chili pepper, cored, seeded and chopped fine Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. In a heavy sauce pan, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the wine and fresh herbs, bring to a simmer and continue cooking another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, capers and chili pepper until just hot. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until pasta is cooked. “Volunteer Now!"will let you know at a glance, which OMG projects are in need of help at this time. You can access it by pressing the "Volunteer" button on the upper right corner of our home web page at www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/MasterGardener. The Master Gardener program is a community outreach program. Please continue to support your community, UW Extension, and the Ozaukee Master Gardeners by volunteering beyond the minimum required hours. If you are interested, or have any questions about any of the opportunities, please contact Shelly Sullivan at 262-424-3960 or email her at Shea726@Juno.com. General Training 2009 Classes start September 1st. Check out the schedule on the OMG website at www.ozaukeemastergardeners.org. OMG members can sit in on up to three sessions at no charge. What a great way to brush up on a variety of horticulture topics! 9 Plant Profile: Amsonia hubrechti By Kathleen Awe texture. Then in the fall, the leaves turn an astounding gold-yellow color. I grow them in my garden next to Oenotheras because of their contrasting round blooms in spring and next to Sedum autumn joy division is not necessary. They do not even thin out in the middle. The leaves turn a brighter color in full sun, but the flowers will last longer in part shade. If the plant is cut back after flowering, the plant will be denser for the rest of the season. They are deer resistant, and have no insect or pest problems. I really cannot think of a plant that has such knock-your-socks-off attributes and is so easy to maintain. There are so many wonderful perennials that are unknown and underused. One of these is Amsonia hubrechti. Sometimes also called the Blue Star Flower, it was discovered by Leslie Hubricht in its native Arkansas. This variety of hubrechti has soft, feathery, willow-like foliage that the other varieties lack. Amsonia has 3 season interest. In late spring or early summer, fabulous clusters of blue stars top the 3 foot shrub-like plant. All summer the soft foliage gives the garden a great because of their contrasting colors in fall. Although amsonia will grow in average soil, it prefers even moisture in well-drained soil. Hardy to zone 3, they grow slowly at first, but are a very long lasting plant. Frequent Yard and Garden Line - Hot Topics by Darlene Emerald Ash Borer. A new 12 page factsheet, titled ―Insectide Options for Protecting Ash Trees from Emerald Ash Borer‖ is now available at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/# This publication, produced in collaboration with Ohio State University, Michigan State University, Purdue University, UW- Extension and the University of IL, contains the most up-to-date information and research on EAB treatment. It is important to note, however, ―based upon research that's been done at Michigan and Ohio and Indiana, they found that it's really not in the best interest of people to do preventative treatment unless the confirmed infestation for emerald ash borer is 15 to 20 miles away," What are we seeing in the YGL? Peony Budblast. Pea–sized peony buds abort and do not form flowers. This is somewhat common this year and is attributed to late frost and cold temperatures when the buds are forming. Anthracnose. Brown/black tissue on foliage, twig dieback and lesions on fruit we are seeing this spring are due to fungi that are proliferating in the cool damp weather we have been experiencing. For information on this disease, see UWEXfactsheet http://wihort.uwex.edu/gardenfacts/X1001A.pdf Maple Bladder Gall. Maple bladder galls look like small round red beads on the surface of of silver maple’s leaves. Leaves are unattractive, but otherwise healthy. No control measures are warranted. For more information, see UWEX publication http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/A2691.pdf Weeds. Tons of weed samples are coming in for identification, but we’re especially seeing an increase in Horsetail (Equisetum sp.) this year. Horsetail is a perennial weed most easily identified by its hollow jointed stems, sporangia on reproductive stems, and plume-like branches on sterile stems. This prehistoric weed prefers wet sites, and may be enjoying our wet springs. Management is difficult because the rhizomatic roots are often found 3 feet underground. To read more about history, uses and management see the following articles: http://128.104.239.6/uw_weeds/extension/ articles/conhorsetail.htm http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/PPDL/weeklypics/11-17-03.html 10 From Herbs to Heirlooms By Melissa Rasmussen-Plasz I love herbs. When I am showing-off my garden, I stop often to point out an herb. Mingling with an array of other plants, there are many wonderful herbs; everything from Dandelions, Violets, and Creeping Charlie to herbs I actually had to plant like Sweet Cicely, Lovage, and Winter Savory. A tour of my garden is truly an exploration of the senses. Leaves are plucked, smelled and tasted, fuzzy plant varieties are petted, dew drops resting in the folds of a Lady’s Mantle leaf are tapped into hands and then patted on to cheeks. Noses are buried in rose petals and now, thanks to the plants Ozaukee Master Gardener’s are growing and selling at their plant sale, there is a stop at the vegetable garden to taste an heirloom tomato or two, when ripe. Children are usually fascinated, adults are entertained. I enjoy the tour every time (I take it by myself at least once or twice a day smile). A sign of a good garden tour is when the oldest and the youngest member of the tour is still with you when you get to the end. Of course beautiful perennials, shrubs and my favorite weeds are included, but it is the herbs and heirlooms that captivate the audience. I thought I would share some of my favorite herbs and heirloom plants with you through a series of articles, and maybe, you would like to write and share some of your favorites as well. found online, ―anything that isn’t a vegetable or plain old grass!‖ Many people think an herb is only something you flavor your food with, others think it is ―medicine‖. It can be both. It can also be a plant used for making dyes or pesticides. According to some definitions, it can be a tree, shrub, moss or fungi. Confused? The term ―herb‖ is broad to be sure. So how about this; Wikipedia (we all like that website) defines a/an herb “as a plant that is valued for flavor, scent, or other qualities”. Let’s go with that. Just remember, not all herbs are edible, some are very poisonous. And yes, it can be pronounced ―herb‖ or ―erb‖. I have studied the medicinal use of herbs for many years, but my Allium schoenoprasum „Forescate‟ spectacular to look at, they have a delightful, mild onion aroma and taste wonderful. They are a member of a large family of onions, Alliaceae (and yes, I love alliums - oniony varieties in all shapes and sizes!). Chives grow in abundance which makes them a great plant to share with others. I have them in many different spots in my garden. They grow in nice clumps and get pretty lavender (or depending on the variety, pink) ball shaped flowers in May and June. The flower petals are great for adding to salads for a very mild onion flavor. The round, green, hollow leaves can be snipped at any time for adding to many different dishes. The flowers make a great garnish and are attractive in a bouquet. And, Chives are lovely in the garden, even if you don’t want to eat them. Chives thrive in full sun but can tolerate light shade. They can be Continued on page 11 - favorite herbs, or uses of herbs, are the ones that make our food delicious, and of course, herbs that have a beautiful fragrance. Those are the ones I visit on my garden tours, and those are the ones I will share here with you. If you were to visit my garden today, one of the herbs we would fuss over and nibble on would be chives, Allium schoenoprasum. I know, simple chives. Their blossoms are Herbs… Just what is an herb? My favorite answer to that question was one I 11 Heirlooms and Herbs continued - propagated by planting rooted clumps in spring, after frost danger has passed, or they can be started by seed. Chives grow best in welldrained soil rich in organic matter with a pH of 6.0 – 7.0. And truthfully, I have never met anyone who couldn’t grow chives! They even grow well indoors in a bright sunny location. You might have met Allium schoenoprasum’s ―cousin‖, the garlic chive, Allium tuberosum or Chinese chives. This variety has flat leaves and fragrant white flowers which bloom later in the season. They are tasty too! heirloom vegetables because we like the flavor. We also grow heirloom plants, of all kinds, because they remind us of our past. Heirloom plants provide us with a connection to our ancestors and we like that in our gardens. Many of us grow them because we love history, or the act of growing something in its natural form. One of my very favorite heirloom plants or ―antiques‖, as these plants Rosa Blanc double de Coubert book because I was interested in Josephine Bonaparte and by the time I finished the book, I was in love with roses. Ever since then, I have wanted to grow old roses. I have two incredible antique roses from this year’s plant sale (that I helped to pot from bare-root), Madame Hardy and Rose de Rescht. I also have a few from past years and they are spectacular! I grow them for their pretty flowers, intoxicating fragrance and the stunning hips that accompany my ―antiques‖. So like Josephine (notice the first name basis) who had more than two hundred roses in her garden at Malmaison (well, I have only a few), I love roses. Be it an antique Rosa alba or centifolia, damascena or gallica, I can’t wait to learn more about them and plant them in my garden! I make rose petal jam and put rose water in everything. If you were on a tour of my garden today, you would get a whiff of Rosa Blanc Double de Coubert, a rugosa hybrid that you can smell 100 feet away. I am not even going to attempt to tell anyone how to grow glorious roses. For that you will have to talk to the Hefle’s or my brother-in-law, Andy. They grow prize winning roses. Me? I share a part of my roses, literally, with pesty critters every year. But I can tell you that my antique roses bloom just once per season, with one long glorious display of fragrant flowers in early summer, many have outstanding rose hips later in the season, and all are in the heart of my garden. Oh, here is my disclaimer: I certainly don’t claim to be an expert in the area of herbs or heirloom plants, but like many gardeners, I find them extremely enjoyable. Heirlooms… Heirloom plants are newer to my garden. Everything about them appeals to me. From the beautiful fragrant antique roses to luscious tomatoes (ones that actually have a tomato taste), I am excited to learn more about them. When I think about an heirloom plant, I think about a plant that is age-old and cherished, handed down from ―old‖ gardener to ―young‖ gardener for generations. I think of a plant that has not been altered in any way, one that is true to its ―roots‖. I am not far off. An heirloom plant is defined by most as ―a plant that has been handed down for at least three generations in order to preserve the integrity of its seeds‖. Why do we grow heirloom plants? For so many reasons. In the process of breeding tomatoes and other vegetables to be more pest and disease resistant, many feel they have lost the flavor that the heirlooms possess. So we grow are more commonly referred to, are roses. And not surprisingly, roses are also an herb. I am not sure when I first started to love roses. It may have been the first time I touched a rose petal. There is no flower softer. Or, my love for antique roses may have started many years ago when I purchased my first book on roses, Roses For An Empress, Josephine Bonaparte & Pierre-Joseph Redoute (it is an out of print book that I paid a ridiculous amount of money for – but I just had to have it). I bought the The Best Dirt is published four times a year (winter, spring, summer and fall) by: Ozaukee Master Gardeners – University of Wisconsin Extension PO Box 994, 121 West Main Street, Port Washington, Wisconsin 53074 Phone: (262) 284-8288 or metro (262) 238-8288 www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/MasterGardener 12 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Garden Calendar of Events Around Town Gardening, horticultural and environmental events to explore around SE Wisconsin July 1, 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Star Spangled Garden Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top July 6 – 10 WORKSHOP: Ecological Geology UWM Field Station, Saukville http://www4.uwm.edu/fieldstation/ workshops/workshops_sumfall09.cfm July 8, 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Fragrant and Delicious Herbs Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top July 9, 6:30 PM CLASS: Botany of a Home Brew Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corners, WI http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/l2-5.html July 18, 8 AM- 9:30 AM WORKSHOP: Photography – Essence of Summer Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corners, WI July 21, 7 PM LECTURE: Ecology Underground – Tthe Hidden Life of Soil with Teri Balser Cedarburg Cultural Center, Cedarburg http://www.riveredge.us/default.aspx?id=175 July 15, 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Mixed Border Plant Combos Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top July 18 – 19 PLANT SHOW AND SALE Northshore Iris and Daylily Society Daylily Show and Sale Chicago Botanic Gardens http://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantshows/ index.php July 15, 9 AM – 4 PM EVENT: Secrets of the Prairie Riveredge Nature Center, Newburg http://www.riveredge.us July 11 - 12 PLANT SHOW: WI – IL Lily Society Show Chicago Botanic Gardens http://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantshows/ index.php July 14, 7 PM MEETING & LECTURE: Greater Milwaukee Rose Society Meeting and Program Boerner Botanical Gardens, lower level, Hales Corners Program: Tool Time with Jerry Seroka http://www.milwaukeerose.org/ July 18, 1 – 2:30 PM WORKSHOP: Rain Garden Workshop Outpost Natural Foods, Bay View Sponsored by Keep Milwaukee Beautiful http://www.kgmb.org/adult_programs.html July 18, 10 – 11:30 AM WORKSHOP: Rain Barrel Workshop Outpost Natural Foods, Bay View Sponsored by Keep Milwaukee Beautiful http://www.kgmb.org/adult_programs.html July 18, 9 AM – 3 PM GARDEN WALK: 13th annual “Gardens of West Bend” West Bend, WI http://www.ci.west-bend.wi.us http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/l2-5.html Mark you calendar… Ozaukee County Fair July 29 - August 2 Join the fun! Volunteer at the OMG Booth. Watch your email for volunteer sign-up information or contact Margaret Burton at 262-377-5539 (email) mburton@hga.com 13 Please e-mail Darlene at cottager@wi.rr.com with „events around town‟ suitable for the calendar. July 22, 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Dazzling Daylilies Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top July 23, 7 PM CLASS: Native Plants Rotary Gardens, Janesville, WI http://www.rotarygardens.org/education.htm July 24 & 25 WORKSHOP: WI Butterflies and Moths: Natural History and Identification UWM Field Station, Saukville http://www4.uwm.edu/fieldstation/ workshops/workshops_sumfall09.cfm July 29, 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Rose Walk Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top July 30, 6:30 PM CLASS: Behind the Scenes at Boerner Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corners, WI http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/l2-5.html July 31- Aug. 1 WORKSHOP: Grasses Identification and Ecology UWM Field Station, Saukville http://www4.uwm.edu/fieldstation/ workshops/workshops_sumfall09.cfm Aug. 5 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Habitat Gardening – Attracting Butterflies and Birds Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top Aug. 7 &8 WORKSHOP: Aquatic Plant Identification UWM Field Station, Saukville http://www4.uwm.edu/fieldstation/ workshops/workshops_sumfall09.cfm Aug. 12, 7 PM Greater Milwaukee Rose Society Meeting and Program Boerner Botanical Gardens, lower level Program: Never Say Die! http://www.milwaukeerose.org/ Aug. 12, 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Trial Gardens Show Stoppers Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top Aug. 14 – 15 PLANT SHOW AND SALE: Midwest Bonsai Society Show and Sale Chicago Botanic Gardens http://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantshows/ index.php Aug. 19., 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Harvesting Herbs Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top Aug. 22, 12 – 1:30 PM WORKSHOP: Composting Wehr Nature Center Sponsored by Keep Milwaukee Beautiful http://www.kgmb.org/adult_programs.html Aug. 26, 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Transitional Garden Plants for Late Summer and Fall Color Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top Sept. 2, 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Later Season Perennials Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top Sept. 8, 7 PM Greater Milwaukee Rose Society Meeting and Program Boerner Botanical Gardens, lower level Program: Backs, Hands, Hips and Knees – Gardening with Arthritis http:// www.milwaukeerose.org/ Sept. 9, 6:30 PM GARDEN WALK: Gorgeous Grasses Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e3-2.html#top Oct. 10 Symposium: Garden Trends Symposium Boerner Botanical Gardens http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org/ support/e4.html Oct 10 – 11 PLANT SHOW AND SALE: IL Orchid Society Fall Show and Sale Chicago Botanic Gardens http://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantshows/ index.php Oct. 12 10 AM – 4 PM SHOW: World Association of Flower Arrangers Conference and Show Chicago Botanic Gardens OMG HISTORIAN REQUESTS MEMORABILIA Jeanne Reuter, OMG’s historian, requests copies of photos of OMG meetings and activities as well as other memorabilia to compile a visual record of all our fun! Photos may be electronic or hard copy versions. Other memorabilia might include ticket stubs to gardens or events, empty seed packets, other documentation that would not be returned to you. Contact Jeanne Reuter at jeanne@bayside-travel.com 14 Ozaukee Master Gardener’s Summer Picnic! Thursday, June 25th, 6:00pm Place: Home of Heidi Janous - 4446 Weilers Way, Port Washington Directions: From Port take Cty LL north from Hwy 32 (by Sentry) - 3 miles north to Lake Drive. Take a right (east) 1 mile to Weilers Way. Turn right. It is the fifth house on the left, lakeside. Look for the good looking parking attendants. If you get lost please call: 262-573-9466 (Heidi's cell). Please bring a lawn chair, your own drinks and a dish to share… If your last name starts with A—I please bring an Appetizer, J—Q a Salad or Vegetable, R—Z a Dessert. Hamburgers and brats will be provided. DON’T MISS THE FUN! The Best Dirt T H E UW EX T E N SI O N —O Z A U K EE CO U NT Y M A ST ER G A RD E N ER ’ S N EW S L ET T E R U N IV E R S IT Y O F W IS C ON S IN – E XT E N S IO N O Z A U K E E C OU N T Y A D MIN IS T R A T IO N C E N T E R 1 2 1 W E S T MA IN S T R E E T , P . O . B O X 9 9 4 P O R T W A S H IN GT O N , W I 5 30 7 4 - 0 9 9 4 A D DRE S S CO RRE CT I O N R E Q UE S T E D