January is rolling along quickly with much of my attention focused on the MG class of 2001. As a veteran remarked to me last week after class, "what a GREAT group of new MG's!" Enthusiasm is the word for this group! Welcome to all new folks and all returning MG's...it's always humbling and gratifying to see the support and dedication that all of you bring to our program.

Included with this newsletter is your volunteer opportunity booklet and sign-up form...take a look at all the projects! I believe there is something for everyone. Be sure to return it to me no later than Feb. 14 so that all the schedules and commitments to other organizations can be finalized by March 21.

Several of you have mentioned you would like to get together with other MG's throughout the season. Beginning in April, I would like to offer a "Gardeners Gathering" each month. This will give you a chance to get to know each other, share information, hear about the latest hot topics at the MG desk, and to find out about new volunteer requests. If you want to bring a snack to share, that might be nice, too! Check the Important Dates section at the end of the newsletter.

Finally, I would like to invite all of you to our last day of training for the 2001 MG Interns. See page 3 for further details.

See you soon!

Classes are already underway for the 32 new Master Gardener Interns for this year. As you can see from the list below, it is the largest class to date. We would like to officially welcome you to the program and look forward to meeting you and working together in the coming year. A "special" welcome goes out to Melissa Kaye, a Veteran MG, who has transferred to the DuPage Unit from Cook County.

Linda K. Armacost
Maureen Benavides
Margaret C. Boback
Patricia Canavan
Susan Crady
Candace Crossley
Jo Ellen Dakin
Karen Del Campo
Sue L. Demo
Mary DePirro
Patricia DePirro
Patricia C. Diedrich
Katie Dittman
Linda L. Durec
Joyce Ernst
Susan Hoppenrath
Lou Horton
Linda Jegen
Barbara Kuminowski
Katherine Lacewell
Mary Joan Marrs
Edward G. Matz
George A. McCoy
Manijeh Mieville
Beth Olin
Ambi Pellegrini
Dee Rushing
Mary Schmitt
Joseph Z. Valdez
Sally Vargo
Elaine Weil
Mary Wiertelak

We are also pleased to have three professionals joining us from O'Donovan's Landscape. They are:

Ellen Hedstrom
Susan Maya
Elizabeth Moore

In addition, we have 8 new MG's from the North Suburban Cook County office joining our group each week.

As you can see from the list of new Master Gardeners entering the program for 2001, we have expanded and will be quite busy in the coming year serving DuPage area residents. This Garden Thymes also has an enclosure listing the possible areas where you can fulfill your required hours. There are several "new" projects that we'd like to highlight. In future newsletters we will take some time in Forget-Me-Nots to update everyone on how these are coming along.

The emphasis for 2001 is reaching a greater number of people in the DuPage area, especially those areas where our presence is not as well known. One way this can be accomplished is developing and disseminating traveling displays on various topics of interest and concern to area residents. Topics such as vegetable gardening, herbs, or perennials could be developed, to name just a few. This is a great opportunity to put your creative talents to work. Also, it can be done in your own home at your convenience.

Another targeted area is introducing youth to the wonders, pleasures and satisfactions that can be experienced through gardening. This will be accomplished through the Junior Master Gardener Program (JMG) and our other after-school programs. The JMG curriculum has already been developed by Texas A & M. University of Illinois Extension launched this program in January, and there are already 5 veteran MG's working with Susan to implement it. Both group and individual activities allow for flexibility in customizing a program.

Finally, if you like to get your hands and knees dirty, there are plenty of opportunities. In addition to the Lombard Compost/ Demonstration site, we have added several new projects this year. One is working with fellow Veteran MG Betty Jeppsen at Kline Creek Farm in Wheaton. This hands-on living museum needs help maintaining its garden plot. For those of you that enjoy designing a garden, there is an opportunity with the small raised bed at the DuPage County Fairgrounds. It is in a highly visible area, which is great for us to show our talents.

So, take your time to read over the enclosure. Perhaps there are several projects that you are interested in. As fellow MG's can tell you, the work is challenging but the rewards come more from seeing our clients' faces when we have shared our knowledge and love of gardening with them. It will be a great 2001 for us all.

As you heard at Fall Wrap-Up, U of I Extension is expanding its outreach by providing a free-standing touch screen computer kiosk for gardeners. It has up-to-date information about pests and diseases, annuals and perennials, lawn care, roses, trees and shrubs, herbs, vegetable crops and gardening basics. The committee, Extension educators Greg Stack, Bruce Spangenberg and Susan Grupp developed this with campus staff. The Gardeners Kiosk is ready and will be piloted at Wannemakers Home and Garden Center in Downers Grove for the spring season.

Be sure to stop by and check it out. It should be in place around mid February.

You are all invited to our last day of MG training to meet the Class of 2001 and to congratulate them upon their completion of all the training classes. As in the past, we would like to have a celebratory buffet of snacks and breakfast type fare. Please consider bringing a dish to share.

• Wednesday, March 21
• Wheaton Park District Community Center, 1777 S. Blanchard Rd., Wheaton
• Time: 9 AM – Noon
• RSVP: Please call the office at 630/653-4114 to let us know if you will be joining us.

If you find yourself staring at a particular critter or family of critters on your new blooms, find out if it is a good guy or a bad guy before you reach for the spray bottle! Here is an excellent resource to identify the pest(s) that like many garden plants.

There are three sets of laminated cards available with color photos of the insect on one side and the scientific name, identification method, potential danger or benefit, and management practices on the other. Each set comes with a key ring and can fit in your pocket.

The Good Guys! Natural Enemies of Insects is $8. Learn which insects will help you out in the garden and make your job easier. Includes tiger beetle, firefly, praying mantis, and damsel bug, among others. 1998. 29 cards.

The Bad Guys! Set #1 - Garden Pests is $8. Learn to control aphids, flea beetles, white grubs, iris borers, slugs and more. One insect per card. 1998. 30 cards.

The Bad Guys! Set #2 - Landscape Pests is $8. Learn about caterpillars, borers, and more. One insect per card, 1998. 32 cards.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these, they are available through the Extension Office. There is a special price of $22.00 if you would like all three sets.

March 2 - "Artistry in the Garden"

Sponsored by Planter's Palette at the Cantera 30 Theatre in Warrenville. Annual symposium featuring:

• Tracy DiSabato-Aust, a landscape designer, writer and lecturer. She is the author of The Well-Tended Perennial Garden.
• Pam Duthie, author of Continuous Bloom: A Month-By-Month Guide to Non-Stop Color in the Perennial Garden,
• Tony Avent, owner of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina specializing in rare and unusual perennials, hostas and natives. A contributor to Fine Gardening and American Nurseryman, he is also responsible for Plant Delights "wild and crazy" catalog.

For information, registration and fee, call 630-293-1040.

March 2 and 3 - Sid's Greenhouses

Sid's Spring Home & Garden Show 's theme this year is "Making Beautiful Gardens Come Alive." 708-974-4500

March 7 & 9 - Chicago Botanic Garden

Gardening Program Start Early! Extending the Growing Season - Fruit & Vegetable Garden - 1 - 2 p.m. - free. 847-835-8261

March 10 & 11 - Wannemakers

Spring Open House

March 10-18 - Navy Pier

Chicago Flower & Garden Show
Ticket info: 312-321-0077 or http://www.chicagoflower.com/

March 31-April 1 - Chicago Botanic Garden

Spring Orchid Show

The Master Gardener Speakers' Bureau has gotten off to a strong start this year, with eleven talks already scheduled. It is a wonderful opportunity for MG's to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with organizations all around DuPage County.

As we continue to expand and strengthen the Speakers' Bureau, we would like to give other MG's a chance to "come on board." Your commitment to the Speakers Team can be as infrequent as one talk a year. You may specify topics that are of special interest, and ask to be notified should a request arise. We want to make opportunities available to you to "try your wings" in this rewarding area.

We currently have requests for talks on Butterfly Gardening and Water Gardening that we would love to schedule. Maybe these areas, or others, are strengths of yours!

If you think you are interested, please call Joan Swanberg, scheduling coordinator, at 630/778-9587 for more information.

January 11 – Container Gardening, Wheaton Garden Club – Perry Woodward

February 15 – Putting Together a Pleasing Container, Daisy Garden Club – Sandy Perakis

April 2 – Putting Together a Pleasing Container, Darien Park District – Sandy Perakis

April 7 – Perennials for DuPage County, Illinois Education Association Retirees Group – Warren Senneke

April 7 – Beginning Flower Gardening, Indian Prairie Library – Don Obuch

April 10 – Shade Gardening, Village Garden Club of Villa Park – Pat Pieper

April 10 – Gardening in the Space You Have, West Chicago Public Library – Perry Woodward

May 5 – Perennials, Hawthorn Garden Club of Glen Ellyn Woods – Warren Senneke

May 15 – Shade Gardening, West Chicago Public Library – Pat Pieper

July 18 – Vegetables, Bloomingdale Garden Club – Art Feid

September 28 – Designing for Autumn/Winter Interest, Lombard Garden Club – Don Obuch

January and February is the time to begin to plan your garden, order seeds and supplies and to get ready for spring. Here are a few tips to keep in mind for this time of year.

Tip #1 - Amaryllis care after flowering

After your amaryllis bulb has finished flowering, don't give up on it. With proper care it will flower again for you next year. Cut back the flower stalk, but don't touch the leaves. Place the bulb in a brightly lit window and keep it well watered and monthly fertilized. In summer, place it outdoors in a protected area and bring it in this fall. Hopefully, next winter it will delight you with more blooms.

Tip #2 - Tools

Before the season heats up, take time to inventory your tools. This is especially true for any pruning tools, because the "pruning season" is right around the corner. Many hardware stores offer a sharpening service for a minimal fee if you don't have the necessary equipment at home to do it yourself. In addition to your saws and pruners, don't overlook the value of a SHARP shovel.

Tip #3 - Pruning

Heavy snowfalls and damaging ice storms this winter may have caused damage to your trees and shrubs. If you have trees or shrubs that have been damaged, correct the problem now! Look for branches that may have been weakened due to winter storms. Trim those that you can safely do yourself. If in doubt, be sure to call a professional arborist or tree service, especially for plants near power lines.

Carefully brush off any blankets of snow from evergreens, especially yews, to prevent the weight from misshaping them or breaking limbs. Any ice coverage should be left alone to melt -- removing it could break off branches.

Tip #4 - Clematis from Seed

'Radar Love' is a canary yellow clematis that can be started from seed and will bloom 4 months from sowing.

Tip #5 - Slick Snow Shovel

A good way to alleviate some of the hassle from shoveling is to coat the shovel with household floor wax, either liquid wax or paste will do. This helps snow slide off the shovel and keeps the scoop from rusting. If you find the snow sticking again, simply re-apply the wax.

Tip #6 - Grocery Bag Galoshes

A pair of plastic grocery bags near the door will come in handy if you need to duck inside and catch a phone call without tracking in mud. Just slip them over your shoes. Take care though -- they can become slippery on a tile floor.

Tip #7 - Hide a Downspout??

Check out this new product: a handy trellis made of 8-gauge powder-coated steel wire that won't rust. Its semicircular shape attaches over down-spouts and/or poles. Add your favorite flowering vine. (Choose a plant carefully.)

Tip #8 - Seed Rack

If you or someone in your circle of acquaintances is handy, there is an excellent light stand that can be easily built for starting seeds. A diagram, with complete instructions, can be found in the Dec 2000 issue of Fine Gardening, page 8.

Tip #9 - Lawn Mower Care

As crazy as it may seem now as you look out your window and see snow, the time really WILL fly. Before you know it, the snow blower will recede into that dark corner of your garage and out will come the lawnmower. To beat the rush have your lawnmower tuned up if necessary, and even more important, have the blades sharpened.

TIP #10 – Less than 55 days until spring!!

All-American Rose Selections

Each year the All-America Rose Selections names outstanding roses that have been evaluated by rose experts during rigorous trials across the United States. Each AARS winner was evaluated in gardens across the United States for two years. Fifteen traits were reviewed, including disease resistance, hardiness, color and novelty. Only truly exceptional roses are awarded AARS honors. The three winners for 2001 were judged to be the best overall.

'Glowing Peace' - Large, round buds open to reveal full, 3-inch blooms featuring 26 to 42 golden yellow and cantaloupe orange blended petals. Deep, glossy green foliage serves as a backdrop for the luminous blooms and gives way to stunning, burgundy fall color. A round, bushy grandiflora, it grows to 4 feet by 3 feet and is resistant to disease. The rose exhibits a light tea fragrance completing a package that stands out in any garden and commands attention.

'Sun Sprinkles' is a shining example of disease resistance. It produces bright, yellow blooms set against a backdrop of petite, dark green, glossy foliage. Its high, pointed oval buds spiral open to reveal 2-inch, petite, double blooms with 25 to 30 petals and a moderate spicy fragrance with overtones of musk. Upright and rounded, 'Sun Sprinkles' will grow to 18 to 24 inches.

Miniatures are among the most versatile of rose classes, ideal for lining walkways, growing in containers, accenting formal rose beds. 'Marmalade Skies' has brilliant, tangerine orange blooms that engulf it from the beginning to end of the blooming season. Healthy, medium olive green satiny foliage provides the perfect backdrop for the constant show of color. The floribunda produces clusters of 5 to 8 blooms a complete bouquet on each strong stem. Oblong buds open to reveal 2 1/2 to 3-inch double blooms with 17 to 25 petals. Unlike the flowers in the song that "grow so incredibly high," this compact, round plant grows to 3 feet by 3 feet, making it the perfect rose for a hedge or a stellar addition to any existing rose bed.

Hosta of the Year

Since 1996, the members of the American Hosta Growers Association have selected a hosta based on outstanding merits. These hostas have exceptionally decorative foliage, showy or fragrant flowers, and perform well throughout their hardiness zones 3-9. The AHGA is an organization for nurseries that specialize in the growing and sale of hostas. Its purpose is to foster interest in hostas through marketing and educational programs, disseminate information on cultural practices and pest problems of hostas, and help standardize hosta nomenclature.

The winner for 2001 - 'Hosta June' grows 30 inches wide and 12 inches high. The gold centered, blue-green margined, heart shaped leaves are 6 inches long, by 4 inches wide. Lavender flowers appear on 20 inch scapes in August.

Perennial Plant of the Year

The Perennial Plant Association has awarded the title of Perennial Plant of the Year 2001 to Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster.' Commonly known as Feather Reed Grass, it is a clump forming grass with excellent features: its flowers and seed heads. The flowers that appear in June can grow up to 5 feet tall and have a pink color to them as they age; the flowers become very narrow seed heads, which turn to a light, golden tan. Even the slightest breeze will put the seed heads into motion, and the movement is beautiful. This grass is stunning as a specimen plant, or makes a statement in combination with other perennials such as coreopsis or purple coneflower.

All-American Selections Winners

AAS is a non-profit organization that evaluates new seed-grown flowers and vegetables each year. These plants are judged to be superior in quality to other varieties that are currently on the market. There are nine winners: two flower, three bedding plants and four vegetable selections.

In the flower category, 'Profusion White', a zinnia, outshines the others because of its ease in growing, length of flowering season and resistance to powdery mildew. No pinching or pruning is required. This daisy-like zinnia will produce 2.5" single blooms from spring through fall, all with minimal care. The second flower, Portulaca F1 'Margarita Rosita', has a compact mounded habit and looks like a rock garden or alpine plant. Large 1.5" semi-double blooms adorn 3-4" tall fleshy leaved plants with a 12" spread. Heat and drought tolerant, this one will flower continuously.

As a bedding plant, Eustoma F1 'Forever Blue' will produce large 2.5" single flowers on its distinct, dense branching habit. 'Forever Blue' will mature to about 12" and will adapt to containers. Deadheading will benefit this heat-tolerant Eustoma. Next is Nicotiana F1 'Avalon Bright Pink', a dwarf that will produce bright pastel pink blooms throughout the season. Heat-tolerant, it will grow 10" high and spread up to 12" with no deadheading required. The last flower in the bedding plant category is the sunflower 'Ring of Fire'. Its 5" flower diameter has golden petal edges and a ring of dark red-brown surrounding a chocolate-brown center. Although it requires 120 days to bloom, it offers a bi-colored late season display. It will grow 4-5' tall and 2 to 3' wide with a long flower stem for cutting.

The first of the veggies that made the grade is a sweet corn F1 'Honey Select', which has 8-inch long ears with a sweet honey-like flavor and tender quality. It is a Triple Sweet x variety that matures in 79 days.

The second, Tomato F1 'Jolly', is a meaty, sweet, pink tomato. This vigorous indeterminate vine produces clusters of 1-5 oz peach-shaped fruit.

A pepper has also made the cut. Pepper F1 'Giant Marconi' is an improved Italian grilling pepper that grows to about 8" long and matures to red. It was applauded for earliness (fruit in 72 days), yield, size, flavor and resistance to potato virus and Tobacco Mosaic virus.

Last but not least, and a veggie we all use for flavor, is Onion F1 'Super Star.' This improved mild, white sweet onion is great for spring gardens. When seed is sown and transplanted early, onions can weigh about one pound when mature in 100 days.

Herb of the Year

The herb for 2001 is sage. As a result of the interest in this culinary delight, look for new and improved varieties this spring.

http://www.gardenguides.com/catalogs/

Your one-stop source for gardening catalog information. These are divided by category and include addresses.

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/dupage/thymes/index.html

Website for "The Garden Thymes."

http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/mg/

Our own University of Illinois MG site.

February 17

4-H Project Day

March 21

Last day of MG training

March 28

MG update for veteran MGs
(Required recert class #1, option 1)

April 10

MG update for veteran MGs
(Required recert class #1, option 2)

April 16

MG's begin staffing the office

April 24

Gardeners Gathering

May 15

4-H Budding Gardeners Day

May 22

Gardeners Gathering