Master Gardeners of Clark CountyPO Box 158, Springfield, Ohio 45501-0158 Volume 26 Number 9 Sep., 2019

Blades and BloomsCFAES OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Index

Mark Your Calendar ................. 1President’s Message ............... 2Pam’s Posies ........................... 2Rich’s Remarks ........................ 3Jo’s Notes ................................ 3Committee Reports ..............4-8Plant of the Month ................... 7 Birthdays .................................. 7

Mark Your CalendarHELPLINE First three weeks of September2 Labor Day Office Closed3 10-12 Hort staff meeting 12-2 OSU Ext. Offic Conference4 9-12 Garden Clean up5 6:30-8pm Garden Walk9 9-12 Early OH Settlers workday 9-12 Utzinger workday11 4:45-5:30 Perennial Cmte Mtg. 5:30-6:15 Social 6:15 General Mtg. SPGA13 9-2 Utzinger setup for FSR

Master Gardener Volunteers waiting for the start of Snyder Park Garden and Arboretum Jubilee 2019.

16 9-2 Utzinger workday/set up17-19 Farm Science Review20 B&B Articles Due23 9-12 Utzinger workday 10-12 Early OH Settlers Wrap up- OSUE sm conf rm24 11:30-1 Altrusa Sting (Spelling Bee) @ Courtyard by Marriott 1:30 Springfield Proud field trip25 6-8pm Seed Saving Workshop @ Garden of Eatin’27 1-3 Wildflower Walk location TBA

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Pam’s PosiesIt really is getting closer! Some of us are

losing sleep over it! It will be fantastic – when it’s completed! What is IT? The Pavilion!

After two years of planning and raising the money for the Pavilion, it’s going to become a reality this fall. The process has been slow but we have had an incredible committee led by Missy Hawley and LaDonna Lowe working to ensure that everything has been reviewed, vetted, and we are getting the best price while at the same time working as much as possible with local providers. We are in the process of getting the contract reviewed and signed, and then construction begins. We will keep you abreast of the process.

Another accomplishment this year has been the installation of irrigation. We are working out final kinks and getting used to not having to haul hoses around. Dennis Latimer is thrilled with the system as he has been the one hauling most of the hoses to the gardens. He is going to miss this, right Dennis?

And finally, one more big accomplishment that is almost complete – the fence around the barn. Working with the court-appointed BOYAC program, the youth and their adult supervisors have installed the fence, with the materials for the fence provided by the Springfield Foundation. If you know of anyone on the Board of the Springfield Foundation, be sure to say thank you for their support. The $10,000.00 that they gave us and a little extra from MGVs allowed us to build this fence. We’ll talk more about this and the other projects at the September General meeting. Be sure to come to this meeting to learn about everything happening at SPGA.

Once the pavilion is completed, it’s on to fundraising for the sidewalks. These are integral to the overall access to the garden and to encourage people to visit, walk, stroll, run, or just plain enjoy the area.

I recently visited the University of Tennessee Gardens as well as Kentucky Arboretum. Both are quite nice; it was great to see what others are doing. They had AAS evaluations (and some looked as bad as ours did – made me feel a little better!) as well as Proven Winner and other trials. I want for SPGA what I saw at Kentucky Arboretum (in Lexington, part of the UK campus). We pulled into the parking lot on Saturday morning, about 8:45 a.m., before

President’s MessageHave You Ever Wondered...

• When are the dog days of summer?• Why are the dog days of summer so hot?

What do you like to do during the dog days of sum-mer? Sure, these can be the hottest days of the sum-mer, but some activities are perfect during the heat of summer. Do you like to swim? Boat? Take a hike in the woods? How about gardening? Whew! I don’t need to tell anyone it’s hot.

What exactly does “dog days of summer” mean?Many people believe the phrase “dog days of sum-

mer” refers to the fact that dogs tend to be a bit on the lazy side during the hottest days of summer. The phrase doesn’t come from lazy dogs laying around on hot summer days. Of course, who can blame them? We don’t walk around with heavy coats on like a lot of dogs do.

The ancient Romans called the hottest, most humid days summer “diēs caniculārēs” or “dog days.” The name came about because they associated the hot-test days of summer with the star Sirius. Sirius was known as the “Dog Star” because it was the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. Sirius also hap-pens to be the brightest in the night sky.

Sirius is so bright that the ancient Romans thought it radiated extra heat toward Earth. During the sum-mer, when Sirius rises and sets with the Sun, they thought Sirius added heat to the Sun’s heat to cause hotter summer temperatures

For the ancient Romans, the “dog days of sum-mer” occurred from about July 24 to around August 24. Over time, though, the constellations have drifted somewhat. Today, the Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the “dog days of summer” as being July 3 until August 11. Although the dog days of summer are usually the hot-test, they don’t have anything to do with either dogs or the star Sirius. Instead, the tilt of the Earth explains

Pam’s Posies cont. on pg. 3Presidents Message cont. on pg. 6

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Thoughts and PrayersSue Ann Dill had foot surgery recently. Sue’s address is 1436 Northgate Road, Springfield, OH 45504.

Susie Anderson had a successful knee insert on Tuesday, August 6 at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. Her address is 2150 Collier Road, Springfield, OH 45506.

Mary Ellen Martin had knee surgery on August 12, 2019. Her address is 4115 South Charleston Pike Springfield, Ohio 45502.

Jo’s Notes:

Pam’s Posies cont. from pg. 2

the welcome center opened at 9:00. The parking lot was full and there were a great many people in the gardens. We thought that there was an event or a 5K going on. There were people everywhere, surely there must be something going on, we thought. I talked with the volunteer in the visitor center and asked what was going on and why it was so crowded. She said, “oh, it’s like this every Saturday!” That’s what I want for SPGA! I want SPGA to be busy with people.

Let’s keep the vision going! Pam

Pamela J. Bennett State Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator Extension Educator, Horticulture Ohio State University Extension

RICH’S REMARKSAugust and summer draw slowly to a close; but not

without some fun with limited rain, high temperatures, and high humidity! That is nothing that some frequent watering won’t cure! Fortunately August “came in like a lamb” and gave us beautiful weather for SPGA Jubilee. That was an amazing event! Kudos to ALL for a seemingly easy, well-orchestrated set up and well attended and served festival. I heard so many visitors with only positive comments. Great job everyone!

Since our last Blades and Blooms get together some projects are completed and some are nearing the finish line. The Early Ohio Settlers Garden has an amazing 150 year old looking brick walkway at its entrance. Everyone who helped sort and stack all those bricks should have a look…maybe even do a little dance on it! The end product is professional and high quality and born of the organized and cooperative labor of so many of you. Many hands made several pallets of precisely sorted, staked, and counted bricks!

Oheil Irrigation completed the installation of vast expanses of irrigation line – passed the Turf Plots, way back into the future (developments), to the Victory Garden, the Children’s Garden, and back again to the Garden of Eatin’ and the Early Ohio Settlers Garden. Also included are spurs to water the Hydrangea beds, Peony Garden, soon future Pavilion beds and existing Field Trials. What used to take Dennis a pile of hoses and days to water can now be done almost all at one time!

The much awaited fence around the barn is all but complete. At this writing, there remain only 16 panels to install and the gates to assemble and hang! We are so thankful for the dedication of the BOYAC program to hanging in there through many obstacles. Unloading and hand carrying 90 posts and 75 fence panels to safe dry storage, jack hammering and finish digging 150 +/- post holes, carrying uncounted

Rich’s Remarks cont. on pg. 6

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CoMMittee rePortsUTZINGER MEMORIAL GARDEN

The Farm Science Review is September 17-19, 2019!!!

The MGV Garden fairies have maintained the Utzinger Memorial Garden since Spring and Summer this year with sweat and zeal! The time has come for everyone to help us spruce up by removing abnormal green foliage and sprinkle magic dust on the entire garden. Our deadline is looming! We want the Clark County Master Gardeners to share the calm serene magical garden, the Utzinger Memorial Garden, with all of Ohio.

We want to look our very best!All hands on deck…September 9 from 9:00 a.m.

until noon.Carpooling available. Delicious lunch and cold wa-

ter provided. Weight loss available.For questions or further details, Contact:

Connie Mitchell 937-536-6004 - conrn73@aol.comDonna Myers 937-206-6506 - djmyers16@hotmail.com Marilyn Hinderer 937-828-1589 - mkh1324@aol.com

Unusual species of caterpillar at the

Utzinger Memorial Garden.

SOCIAL COMMITTEEThe next General Meeting will be at the

SPGA Clubhouse on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. The Social meeting will begin at 5:30 and the General Meeting will start at 6:15. We know everyone is now ready for cooler temperatures, fall colors, and football games to begin. We will be having a Fall Tailgate potluck theme. Any food contribution you would like to share will be greatly appreciated. Thank you all very much for making our General Meetings a wonderful time to enjoy being a member of MGV.

Jan O’Neill, Terry Reid, and the Social Committee

SPGA JUBILEE COMITTEEThanks to all the ideas and input from MGVs, the

2019 SPGA Jubilee was a great success. It just keeps getting better every year! Over all, things went very smoothly, and we received lots of positive feedback from our visitors. We even got lucky with the weather- no thunderstorms or tornado warnings and not even any rain or oppressive heat.

Even though it has been a banner year for weeds (too much rain, then not enough rain) our MGVs, after much hard work, prevailed and the gardens were beautiful.

Many of the changes we introduced this year were very successful. The Ambassadors were an outstanding addition. They really helped pull everything together and guided our guests, helping them with their questions, giving directions, and promoting the MGV program. Tent set-up, largely thanks to Dennis, went much more smoothly this year. The Farm Science Review trailer that Pam was able to borrow was a very nice addition- hope we can get it again next year!

The music was amazing- we hope to have both Noah Back and Joseph Glenn back again next year. Moving Joseph Glenn closer to the main welcome area worked out well, allowing more people to appreciate his music.

The SPGA Jubilee wrap up meeting was Thursday, August 22 from 1-3:00 at the SPGA clubhouse. Thanks to all of you who provided important feedback about the event. It’s that feedback that allows us to continually improve. Rita has compiled all your ideas and suggestions for next year.

Thank you to everyone- working together we put on the best SPGA Jubilee yet. You all did an amazing job! We can’t wait until next year’s SPGA Jubilee when we get to show off the new pavilion!

Co-chairs Rita Lane and Susan Smith

Ohio Plein Air Society member painting in the Early Ohio Settlers Garden.

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EARLY OHIO SETTLERS COMMITTEEBricks! Jubilation! Woodchuck War!The excitement of it all! Most importantly, the brick

sidewalk now graces the front of the Early Ohio Settler’s Garden and it is amazing. B.J. Hamilton installed it at an incredibly low price and because we used the bricks from the floor of International Harvester’s foundry, it looks old, in keeping with the early pioneer theme. Looks old, but performs like new: it’s flat, sturdy, and solid. People using the walkway will have no trouble with strollers, wheelchairs, walkers, etc.

The SPGA Jubilee in the garden was wonderful. We received so many compliments for our Early Ohio Settlers Garden and all the other gardens in Snyder Park. People enjoyed our hand-made brooms, tasted the wares that we made from our crops this year, and seemed genuinely interested in the folklore about the plants.

As for the War, yes, it’s true. One of those evil groundhogs (our Arch Enemy), took up residence right smack dab in the middle of the garden. It dug a monstrous hole in the lettuce patch. Well, we may have won a battle with that one. But we are planning our strategies for more battles in this Woodchuck War!

Peggy Shank

GARDEN OF EATIN’ COMMITTEEIn appreciation of the strong, dedicated team of

The Garden of Eatin’, a dinner was held to celebrate. What a beautiful setting and great food we all enjoyed. Thanks Susie and Steve for hosting!

The Seeding Program will continue with Seed Saving II, scheduled for Wednesday, September 25 at 6:0 p.m. The event will be held in the garden, weather permitting. If there is bad weather the event will be moved to the clubhouse. Attendance will be limited.

The Garden of Eatin’ weekly workdays will continue to be on Thursdays through August. With the heat,some volunteers are arriving early. The scheduled time is 9-11 a.m.Thanks again Team, for your hard work!! Teresa Magill

Garden of Eatin’ during the Jubilee

FUNDRAISING COMMITTEEIf you haven’t heard, the 2019 SPGA Jubilee was a

“huge”success. Thanks for all the hard work Rita and Susan put in to make it a great day. The weather was pleasant until about 1:00 p.m. When it was time to start packing up at 2:00 p.m. it got very warm. Not as hot as last year though.

The fundraising raffle brought in $272.00, also better than last years raffle. Glove & tool sales were excellent, also.

Kroger rewards for 5/1/19 - 7/31/19 were $88.38. If you shop Kroger and don’t use the rewards program now would be a good time to sign up and help the MGV program increase this income. Thanks to everyone. Fabenne Brandenburg, ChairmanVICTORY GARDEN

The master gardeners are in the final stages of having all the vegetables harvested and taken to Second Harvest. Over 5200 pounds have been recorded with tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes still remaining at this writing.

Ed Wozniak

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5 gallon buckets of water to set the posts, and then making it all fit while working around a few heavy storms, high temperatures, and administrative delays were all part of their path for this project.

***Something for all committee and work group chairs to take away from this: we will now have a secured large “yard” around the barn. There will be 2 @ 16 ft. delivery gates and 1 @ 6 ft. people gate, each with a lock. We have on hand enough locks to secure all of the gates and both of the barn doors with common key locks. All committee and work group chairs MUST contact me to receive a new key for access to the site.***

Contact me at my email: pearson.6@osu.edu to arrange pick-up of your key; alternatively, I will have copies at the next general meeting coming up September 11. Please bring me your existing key at the general meeting as well. Those locks will be retired but may be needed again.

Our next big event is the Farm Science Review. Thank you all that have responded to host the multiple garden areas in the Utzinger Memorial Gardens there. We have a good number of MGV’s from across the state coming too! This will be a great opportunity to serve as ambassadors and recruiters for the Master Gardener Volunteer program, for which we have a new class coming up in 2020. And speaking of recruits, please check your VMS calendar and/or contact the tri-chairs for the Utzinger Garden to help out with that big final push to make it the spectacular garden it is! This is a big deal and we need to look our very best. This group has been working very hard and could use a hand putting the final details in place!

Please continue to update your volunteer hours on VMS. It is very important to update your hours by deadline of October 1st in preparation for the October 28 Recognition Celebration awards.

Thank you ALL for ALL you do! Rich Pearson

Rich’s Remarks cont. from pg. 3

why these days tend to be the summer’s hottest.During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the

tilt of the Earth causes Sun’s light to hit the Northern Hemisphere at a more direct angle, and for a longer period of time throughout the day. This means longer, hotter days during the summer.Referenced from wonderopolis.orgFabenne Brandenburg, President

Presidents Message cont. from pg. 2

FAIR FLOWER SHOW COMMITTEEJust when I thought I was finished with the Fair

Project for awhile, we had our Wrap-Up Meeting!Changes will be made: Pick Of The Garden

Bouquet Contest will move to Tuesday to coincide with Senior Day, trying to help increase the number of entries.

We may re-instate “Artistic Interpretation Category.” The theme “Snyder Park Going Back in Time,” must include something related to its history. The size requirement is same as Fairy Gardens and must include a live plant.

Fairy Gardens tentative size allowed: 9”x13”x12”.Donna Meister and Deb Dean are working on

getting a copy of Judges Book from OAGC.We are working on training on how to complete

online fair entries at various locations in Clark County (Senior Centers, Libraries, OSU Extension office, Plant Sale and Garden Fling.) We will be emphasizing the horticultural flower names since “Teaching the Community” is our purpose as Master Gardener Volunteers. Also, judges take off points if flower type is unknown. Several comments in our Suggestion Box indicate people cannot find Fair Forms online.

Judy Hopper is requesting more SMALL CLEAR BUD VASES. IF ANYONE HAS SOME TO DONATE WE WOULD APPRECIATE THEM.

We NEED a computer oriented person to replace Joan Corbitt, who has retired from the Fair Flower Show Committee. The work can be done at your home and will count for Service Hours.

We would like to thank Joan for all the years she has donated her great talents and time to making the Fair Flower Show successful! We will miss you!!

Thank you All for making The Fair Flower Show and Silent Auction a huge success!!!!! Here’s to 2020!Jani Malowney and Marianne Ober

SAVE THE DATEOSU Extension and Master Gardeners of

Clark County’sRecognition Celebration

Monday, October 28, 2019Time: 5:00 Social

5:45 Welcome6:00 Dinner

Location: Courtyard by Marriott100 South Fountain Ave., Springfield, OH

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Aphids could show up on your plants in summer. Get rid of them with a spray of water from the hose. To keep powdery mildew at bay, give the plants space so air can circulate. Look for resistant varieties such as ‘Moonbeam’ or ‘Full Moon’

You might also consider planting coreopsis in containers. The easy care and long bloom time allows them to fit in well with annuals or tender perennials of all kinds.Dot Burkholder

Plant of the MonthCOREOPSIS (cor-ee-OP-sis)Tickseed

I’ve grown this plant in the past and liked it but when it died out I didn’t replace it. After doing research for this article I wonder why I waited so long. It’s on my list of plants for next year.

Coreopsis is easy to grow, hardy, disease resistant, has a long bloom time, is a butterfly magnet and comes in many shapes and sizes. It will grow practically anywhere in North America. There are many species of the plant, including a few annuals, but I’ll focus on the perennial coreopsis.

Coreopsis can be divided into two main groups: big-leaf and threadleaf. Threadleaf foliage is so fine that it is hard to see from a distance. Big-leaf types like ‘Jethro Tull’ have bigger and coarser looking leaves. If you plant both groups, you can have flowers from spring to fall.

Big-leaf varieties will start sending up blooms in late spring and bloom for several weeks. The threadleaf types begin flowering in early summer and slow down in the heat. If you deadhead, you can get a second, smaller flush of flowers.

The color options used to be light, bright, or golden yellows. Now we can choose white, pink, coral, and bi- colors. Some of the newer colors could fizzle out after a year or so. The height of these plants can range from 6 inches to 2 feet tall, be sure to check the label if you buy plants.

This easy to grow plant will do best in full sun and well-drained soil. Coreopsis doesn’t last as long in heavy clay soil- it tends to rot. Division is the easiest way to get more plants. To divide plants, dig in the spring as new growth emerges. You can also divide in fall if you forgot to do it in the spring. When the plant is out of the ground, cut into smaller pieces with a sharp spade. Replant and water well.

https://www.bluestoneperenni-als.com. Coreopsis verticillata Creme Caramel

September

3rd Marilyn Hinderer5th Connie Kersey7th Dorothy Burkholder8th Joyce Studebaker8th Cathy Zernechel11th Kathy Eckell11th Jane Skogstrom13th Penny Dunbar21st Katie Poppe24th Janet Hannel29th Sonya Ryhal30th Katherine Frazier

HELPLINE COMMITTEEThis summer season we expect about 60 to 70

phone calls for garden help. September is the last month of the season for Helpline. We thank the Master GardenerVolunteers who worked hard on the Helpline.

We have the following MGVs to respond to phone calls at home during September.Sept. 1 to Sept. 7 Carrie MooreSept. 8 to Sept. 14 Lola WalstonSept.15 to Sept. 21 Lola WalstonSept. 22 to Sept. 30 Kathy McConkey

Thank You, Carrie, Lola and Kathy.

Ed Wichael and Rick McKinstry

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FIELD TRIP COMMITTEETime out!We’ve all worked hard this summer ending with the

Farm Science Review, now time for some R & R!Please join us on September 24, 2019 for a

Springfield Proud Tour.Meet at the Famous Frank Lloyd Wright

Westcott House at 1:30 for a guided tour, followed by a tour of the Hartman House, 105 Russell Ave.

(FYI. We originally planned to tour Ferncliff Cemetery earlier in the day, but the Altrusa Spelling Bee is at the same time. In addition the guided trolley tour was going to cost us $200.00 divided by number of attendees. There are tours given later in September by Ferncliff that are free. (Suggest checking on internet. We’re told the tours fill quickly.)

On October 18, our last trip for the year is planned to attend the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, guided tour and possibly the Tissue Lab. We will car pool and our tour begins at 10:00 a.m. There are several venues for lunch at the Garden as well as other nearby places to visit: Findlay Street Market, Cincinnati Art Museum just to name two. Perhaps you want to form your own carpool to visit other interests.

The costs are as follows: September 24: Springfield Proud Westcott House: $15.00 per person Hartman House: no charge

October 18: Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden: $20.00 per person (Includes $5.00 donation to research).

Adult guests are always welcome.Deadline for Springfield tour registration is Septem-

ber 14.You may register for both trips at the same time,

mark your check accordingly.Mail to: Master Gardeners of Clark County PO Box 158 Springfield, Ohio 45501-0158

GREENHOUSE COMMITTEEThe task of cleaning nursery pots for our Mitchell

Blvd. Greenhouse is our last job of the season.Our workday for cleaning nursery pots and trays

has been completed. We ended up with a great turnout and finished cleaning everything in one day!!

Linda, Theresa, and I want to extend our sincerest thanks to everyone who helped to get this accomplished. We are looking forward to working with everyone again next year.

Cathy Zernechel, Theresa Gregory and Linda McCann

MGVs getting pots ready for next season

PERENNIAL COMMITTEEAugust has flown by and I can’t believe this article

is for September! After a beautiful SPGA Jubilee Day, our focus was just weeding, dead heading, dead leafing, cut-backs and general garden beautification. Kathy intends to apply pre-emergent herbicide mid September or early October to prevent winter annual weeds from germinating.

We are looking ahead to the last workshop in our “Garden Maintenance through the Season” series. This hands-on workshop, called “Putting Your Garden to Bed,” will be Saturday, October 5 from 10-12 a.m. at SPGA. It is open to the public and MGVs. Cost is $10. Wear your garden clothes and join us! You can bring your tools or use ours. MGVs can receive 2 hours CE for attending.

Working MGVs need to arrive by 9 a.m. for set-up. Bye Bye Summer! Dot Burkholder, Fabenne Brandenburg and Kathy McConkey

The Westcott House by Frank Lloyd WrightSource - Rob Kearns Author - R Raphaelfrom wikipedia.org

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Clark County Extension clark.osu.edu

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Dates: Monday, September 23, 2019 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Location: Ohio State University Extension Clark County 3130 East Main Street Springfield, OH 45505 Large Conference Room

OPEN HOUSE (Two opportunities)

Informational Program on Becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer

CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu. For an accessible format of this publication, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.

Are you interested in becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer in Clark County?

Do you want to learn more about plants and gardening?

Are you eager to participate in a practical and intensive training program?

Do you enjoy sharing your knowledge with others?

Do you have the time to attend training and serve your community?

If “yes,” plan to attend one of the Open Houses listed below.

Master Gardener Volunteer training starts Wednesday, January 29, 2020 for 9 consecutive Wednesdays. If you cannot attend the Open House and would like

more information, please call 937.521.3860.

Ohio State University ExtensionClark County3130 East Main StreetSpringfield, OH 45505www.twitter.com (user name OSUEclarkcounty)

The Master Gardener “Blades & Blooms” is a publication of the Ohio State University Extension, Clark County, 3130 East Main Street, Springfield, Ohio, 45505, 937-521-3860. The Master Gardener Advisor is Pam Bennett. http://clark.osu.edu/program-areas/master-gardener-volunteers/blades-blooms-newsletters

CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more informa-tion, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu. For an accessible format of this publication, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.

Garden clean upSeptember 4th

MGV Dennis Latimer driving visitors around SPGA during our Jubilee.