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The Lowdown
WSU Spokane County Extension Master Gardeners April 2017 The Lowdown
Inside this issue:
Foundation News 2
Book Review 4
Fact Sheet Update 6
Self-study Quiz 8
Upcoming Events 10
Extension Information
Dr. Jeremy Cowan 477-2145
Regional Horticulture Specialist
Tim Kohlhauff 477-2172
Horticulture Program Coordinator
Anna Kestell 477-2195
Food Preservation/Safety
Jackie Sykes 477-2193
Clinic Coordinator
Master Gardener County Site
http://extension.wsu.edu/spokane/
master-gardener-program
Master Gardener Foundation of Spo-
kane County
http://www.mgfsc.org/
WSU Master Gardener Site
http://mastergardener.wsu.edu/
HortSense Fact Sheets
http://hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu/
Home/HortsenseHome.aspx
On Line Timelog Reporting:
http://ext.wsu.edu/Volunteers/logon.aspx
MASTER GARDENING AT ITS BEST!
Ken Johnson planted ‘Glory of Enkhuizen’ last year. The cabbage from Holland, dates back to 1899.
He trimmed the plants to the ground when he harvested and they began growing in the fall.
Ken was sure winter would finish them off. After winter freeze and snow, however, here they are.
Amazingly strong plant!
Thanks for sharing, Ken!
The Lowdown Page 2
FOUNDATION NEWS
By Tim Stiess
Cabin Fever
Congratulations to Vivian Powers and her team for a very success 2017 Cabin Fever. The event con-
tinues to be an important part of community education and community
building. The numbers looked great… paid enrollment was up, we made a
bit of a profit (although food prices were up and company sponsorship was
down from last year).
I participated at the Foundation information table and from my position,
there were smiles everywhere – students, educators, and the Cabin Fever
team. The only frowns I saw were from a half dozen students who found
out that they had to wait nine months for the next MG training session.
Thanks to all who were involved.
Garden Fair and Plant Sale
Less than one month away from the biggest fundraiser/educational event of the year. If it is not on
your calendars, WHOOPS! - Saturday APRIL 29th 9am -2pm.
The Garden Fair is the one event that takes ALL of us working together to make happen. We have the
biggest community involvement. AND it is a great chance to catch up with friends that you may not
have not seen since Fall.
We are still looking for people to fill positions.:
*Set up on Thursday and Friday 8 -5
*Clean up Saturday 2-5
During event
*Raffle Sales
*Foundation Booth
*Cashiers
*And more
Contact me at 540-557-7992 or [email protected] – I will help you find a way to help.
More information will be coming your way soon. Be on the lookout.
(continued on page 3)
The Lowdown Page 3
We are so glad you are with us!
(continued from page 2)
Raffle Sales
As part of the Garden Fair, we include a Raffle with the drawing at
the end of the event. Here is what you need to know about the
Raffle:
*Tickets are available now at the extension office from
Tim K, Jackie, or Anna.
*The prize is a $500 gift card to an Apple store.
*This year we are offering prizes to the two people who
sell the most tickets.
*You do need to be a Foundation member to sell the
tickets.
*This year we would like to find out which MG class can
sell the most tickets. Can you put a value on
bragging rights?
Sather Janice April 8
Herring Ryan April 9
Munts Pat April 12
Bateham-Smith Jane April 13
Wadsworth Marilyn April 20
Lloyd Marilyn April 20
Ferguson Jill April 25
DeLuca Don April 28
The Lowdown Page 4
A Book Review by Susan Mulvihill
Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects
by the Xerces Society (Timber Press, 2016, 287 pp., $24.95)
Don’t you just love learning new things? I know I do. I’ve been wanting to find out more about attracting butterflies to our garden and found an ideal guide for that exact purpose.
Gardening for Butterflies is a collaboration between Timber Press and the Xerces Society that is beauti-fully organized and filled with wonderful photos of these amazing creatures.
As the authors explained it, “Whether you live in California’s Central Valley, upstate New York, or the panhandle of Texas, you can play a critical role right now in saving the earth’s butterflies. You don’t need a large space. A small yard with just a few native plants can attract and sustain dozens of butter-fly species. And beyond aiding butterflies, your yard can become a wildlife refuge for all of the crea-tures that pollinate crops and wildflowers in your region. Your efforts will support countless other creatures as well, from lady beetles to songbirds.” As I read these opening words, I thought, “OK, how do I get started?!” The authors began by explaining how butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepi-doptera and how there are 160,000 species of them found around the world. About 20,000 of those are butterflies and there are 800 species found in the United States.
They detailed the differences between butterflies and moths, and stated how butterflies are significant pollinators of some flowering plants, with pollination occurring while they’re in search of nectar.
The information on the commonalities between plants that are pollinated by butterflies was inter-esting:
They bloom during the day, nectar is found at the bottom of the tubular flower, they have a sweet fragrance, the flowers have a large enough platform for butterflies to land on, the flowers are in colors they can see, and they have “nectar guides” (often ultraviolet) which are lines that point toward to source of nectar.
Sadly, butterfly species are experiencing significant population declines due to a loss in habitat, far too much use of pesticides and climate change. The reason climate change has impacted them is primarily due to plants emerging and blooming either earlier or later than butterflies expect to find them.
(continued on page 5)
The Lowdown Page 5
(continued from page 4)
In the next section of the book, “Knowing butterflies and what they need,” the authors describe all the families and which butterflies are members of them. These include skippers; swallowtails; whites, marbles and sulphurs; gossamer-winged; and brush-footed butterflies. They also explain the stages of a butterfly’s life (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis or pupa, and adult).
But, what really caught my eye was the information on the needs of the adults and cat-erpillars. The adults lay their eggs on specific host plants, which the caterpillar then eats. Did you know the caterpillars go through multiple skin molts before entering the chrysalis stage?
There is information on host plants (wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, trees), how to create a butterfly feeder or mud puddle, and nectar plants. The authors also discuss the type of sheltering habitat butterflies require.
The following section, “Designing your butterfly garden,” contains several design plans to provide ideas for gardeners wanting to draw in butterflies to their landscapes. There are tables of the best butterfly garden plants by region, which include the bloom times and flower colors.
This is followed by the meatiest section of the book, “Butterfly garden plants of North Ameri-ca.” In it, the authors profile the wildflowers, grasses and sedges, vines, trees, and shrubs that will have butterflies knocking at your door. A lot of emphasis is placed on the im-portance of growing native plants and I found plenty of great ideas for my own garden.
At this point, they go into the nitty-gritty of actually choosing your plants, installing them in your butterfly garden and providing the small amount of maintenance it will require.
The primary goal is to create a wild habitat by patronizing local nurseries that specialize in native plants: in the Spokane area, think of places like Blue Moon Garden & Nursery, Plants of the Wild, Desert Jewels and the Spokane County Conservation District. But equally im-portant, don’t use insecticides.
Now, just in case moth-lovers feel they’re given short shrift in Gardening for Butterflies, the authors have devoted a chapter on how to garden for moths, which includes a guide to the many amazing moth families and moth garden plants.
At the end of the book, the authors discuss ways to both observe and enjoy butterflies in ways that are beneficial to these delicate creatures. There are many interesting resources included as well.
So, what did I learn from this book? Choose an open, sunny location that is protected from strong winds. Plant native host plants and nectar plants, especially wildflowers. Create sheltered areas. Plant en masse. And -- above all -- don’t use pesticides. A most excellent book!
The Lowdown Page 6
Fact Sheet Update
There are some great new fact sheets available for you and our clients to use in the garden! Let’s get
right to them.
County Fact sheets available on our web page:
Ornamental Grasses C080 This fact sheet has been updated to give the
reader an introduction to ornamental grasses and identify how they can
be used in the garden, where to go to see them, and the different types
including cool vs. warm season grasses and running vs. clumping types.
Thank you, Mary Beth Shinn for updating this fact sheet!
Gardening in Washington (statewide publications):
Soil Acidity Affects Soil Microorganisms FS247E Soils harbor more di-
verse microbial populations than any other habitat on earth. Only a very
small fraction of those organisms is responsible for any type of plant or
animal disease. In fact, the vast majority of these microscopic soil organ-
isms are highly beneficial in terms of nutrient cycling, soil tilth, and soil
health. Because of their important roles in these crucial soil properties
and their direct interactions with plants, beneficial soil microorgan-
isms are also absolutely critical to soil fertility and plant nutrition.
Unfortunately, the rapid acidification of soils in the inland Pacific
Northwest is having detrimental impacts on the populations and
effectiveness of beneficial soil microorganisms.
We cannot answer questions about food preservation and safety, but WSU
does have some new fact sheets covering some topics that we can use ourselves: Re-making Soft Jams and Jellies, and What You Need to Know About Botulism and Canned Foods
The Lowdown Page 7
29 APRIL 2017
GARDEN FAIR & PLANT SALE The Garden Fair and Plant Sale is an annual fundraiser sponsored by the Master Gardener Founda-
tion. Funds generated from this sale help provide financial support to the Master Gardener Program of
Spokane County.
This year the event is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, 2017 and will be located at the WSU Extension Cen-
ter and grounds at 222 N. Havana, Spokane just south of the fairgrounds. the fun begins promptly at 9:00
am so arrive early to get the best choices of veggies, perennials, and ornamental grasses.
There will be plants galore, some grown by Master Gardeners and others from local nurseries. There are a
number of vendors at the sale offering garden art, native plants, and speacialty plants. "There is some-
thing of interest for everyone!"
The Lowdown Page 8
APRIL 2017 QUIZ
1. Where did Ken Johnson’s hardy Glory of Enkhuizen old cabbage variety
originate?
2. Where were the only frowns found on people at Cabin Fever?
3. When does the MG’s biggest fundraiser/educational event occur?
4. What is that event called?
5. Is there anything you can do to help with that event? Who can suggest ways to help?
6. Where can you pick up raffle tickets to sell that would give you bragging rights as a member
of your MG class?
7. What is the raffle prize this year?
8. Are there prizes for top raffle sales Foundation members?
9. Who wrote the book Susan Mulvihill calls a ‘most excellent book!’?
10. What is the title of that book?
11. Can a small area gardener make a difference to the Lepidoptera population?
12. What are two thing we can all do to help sustain the butterfly population in our area?
13. Is corn pollinated by butterflies? Why or why not?
14. What is a sulphur?
15. To which family does the above creature belong?
16. What kind of plants should you choose for your butterfly garden?
17. Where can you find them in the Spokane area?
18. C080 publication gives us updated information of plants that come in clumping and running
types. What are they?
19. Are soil microorganisms affected by soil acidity?
20. Where can you find information about this topic?
21. Can MGs answer questions about food preservation and
safety?
The Lowdown Page 9
MARCH 2017 QUIZ ANSWERS
1. Seven
2. Lawns—first class gets rid of them, last class sustains them
3. March 3, 2017
4. April 29, 2017
5. All of them!
6. Tim Stiess
7. Matt Velasco
8. Share Facebook posts and emails
9. Love Letters to My Garden
10. Barbara Blossom Ashmun, Portland
11. Cuttings of favorite plants
12. Loveletterstomygarden.wordpress.com OR Amazon.com
13. Three days
14. Two
15. One
16. 3/1 to 3/15
17. 4 inches
18. Ken Johnson
19. When you have planted the seeds
20. YES!
21. Functional garden near the kitchen
22. Lynn Meyers
23. It will be in pots, mostly
24. Designing the New Kitchen Garden: An American Potager Handbook
Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, sex, religion, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origin; physical, mental, or sensory disability; marital status, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era or disabled veteran. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.
Calendar of Events
Wednesday 5 What’s That Plant ? (11 week series) 4 p.m.—7 p.m. SCC
Thursday 6 Basic Vegetable Gardening 5 p.m.—8 p.m. Northeast Community Ctr.
Saturday 8 Vegetable Grafting 9 a.m.—noon Extension Classrooms CANCELLED
Saturday 8 Small Fruits and Berries 12:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m. Extension Classrooms
Monday 10 MG Foundation Meeting 10 a.m. Extension Conference Room
Tuesday 11 MG Advisory Board Meeting 4 p.m. Extension Conference Room
Saturday 22 Sustainable Lawn Management 9 a.m.—12 noon Extension Classrooms
Monday 24 Clinic ID 3:30 p.m.—5 p.m. MG Clinic
24 Advanced Education 5:30 p.m.—7 p.m. Extension Classrooms
Thursday 27 Garden Fair set up 8 a.m.—5 p.m. Extension Grounds
Friday 28 Garden Fair set up 8 a.m.—5 p.m. Extension Grounds
Saturday 29 Garden Fair and Plant Sale 9 a.m.—2 p.m. Extension Grounds
29 Garden Fair Clean Up 2 p.m.—5 p.m. Extension Grounds
Monday 8 MG Foundation Meeting 10 a.m. Extension Conference Room
Tuesday 9 MG Advisory Board Meeting 4 p.m. Extension Conference Room
Saturday 13 Garden Expo 9 a.m.—2 p.m. Spokane Community College
Monday 22 Clinic ID 3:30 p.m.—5 p.m. MG Clinic
22 Advanced Education 5:30 p.m.—7 p.m. Extension Classrooms
Monday 29 Memorial Day Holiday
