I want you to know how well our transition is going. Mary, Sarah and Joan are super organized (something you already know); and even though we are in the middle of our busy season, things are running very smoothly. I anticipate working in DuPage through mid-summer.

On June 19^th, I had the good fortune to attend the All America Selection (AAS) luncheon celebrating their 75th Diamond Anniversary. Nona Wolfram-Koivula, Executive Director of AAS, gave a wonderful presentation on the legacy of AAS. She then challenged all of us to continue in the charge of educating and spreading the word about good plants, good culture and care, and the right plant in the right place. The event was held at Cantigny Gardens. In honor of this anniversary, Cantigny planted many former AAS winners in their Idea Garden and in the AAS display gardens. If you haven't been to Cantigny lately, I encourage all of you to stop by – there are many changes. In addition to the wonderful and beautiful new rose garden, there is a new prairie planted on the eastern side of the grounds. The formal flower beds have a new look – many of the arborvitae hedges are gone; now you can see through from garden to garden and enjoy whole new vistas. Interestingly, many of the specimen trees seem more visible and spotlighted since the hedges have been removed.

Have a wonderful summer!

We all wish Susan Grupp the best in her new position as Extension Educator in Environmental Sciences. The Horticulture programs in DuPage County will continue as usual, with many thanks to all the Master Gardeners who contribute to its success. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the office and you will be directed to the appropriate staff person. Remember that Sarah and Mary work part-time hours (usually not on Fridays), but they will respond to you as soon as possible.

Many of you have been by the new office and taken one of Sarah's tours. If you are in the Naperville area, stop by and see our new "digs". Sarah or Mary would be happy to give you a tour. We are settling in and getting more organized each day. The new conference room with the ceiling projectors will be a great addition to the Horticulture classes.

Please note:
With our new office layout, the secretaries are not near the printer/fax machine. Please do not call to see if your fax has arrived. You can email Joan at (dupage_co@extension.uiuc.edu) to let her know that you have sent a fax. She will contact you if there is a problem.

"Growing in Lincoln's Yard"
September 6^th, 7^th and 8^th
The Crowne Plaza, Springfield, IL

Mark your calendars, adjust your schedules and come join us at the 2007 Master Gardener Conference in Springfield. Since we are hosting the 2008 conference, it will be helpful to see how a MG conference operates. It also is a wonderful opportunity to attend workshops, tour gardens and meet Master Gardeners from around the state.

Get out your digital cameras - the 2007 MG Conference is sponsoring a "Master Gardener Digital Image Contest". Begin taking pictures now and throughout the summer. There are four categories: Plants, People, Wildlife and Before & After. Only one image can be submitted per entrant. All entries must be submitted electronically between May 23^rd and Aug. 23^rd. See the May/June Imagine newsletter for complete contest rules.

Conference registration will be available mid-June.

Hope to see you in "Lincoln's Yard"!

Speaking of Master Gardener Conference... DuPage County is hosting the 2008 Master Gardener Conference! We hope over 500 Master Gardeners from around the state will attend. It will be held September 11, 12, &13, 2008.

We need suggestions for the following areas:

• Workshop topics
• Keynote Speaker suggestions
• Tours (can be located in NE IL, including Chicago; individual gardens, MG projects, botanical gardens, rooftop gardens, Arboretum, etc.)
• Vendor ideas (We might have a retail trade show area.)

Put on your creative and artistic caps...a logo and "tag line" are needed. Master Gardeners can get together and brainstorm or come up with an idea on your own. The logo is used throughout the conference on shirts and other items, banners, etc. We need the logo in time to advertise our 2008 conference at the Springfield conference in September.

Please get back to us by August 1^st with your suggestions.

When the Garden Help Line phone rings, it will be a client. Joan and Carolyn will put the calls directly through, so be sure to answer with, "Hello, this is the Master Gardener." Try to answer before 3 rings so the call will not go into voicemail.

The Help Line computer is now connected to our main office printer located in the workroom. Directions for printing are posted on the computer. Please do not change any of the printer settings without checking with Sarah.

Please remember to ask callers for all contact information. Joan cannot enter clients into our database unless she has a full name (first and last), complete address and phone number.

Please remember to refer clients to University of Illinois Extension websites (or other state extension sites) only. These are the only sites where we can be sure the information is research-based and contains correct information.

Since we have reached the halfway mark in our reporting year, it is time to run our summary reports. We will be sending out friendly reminders to those of you who may be in danger of not completing your required hours. It will save lots of paper and postage if all volunteer and continuing education hours have been reported by July 5, 2007. If you report online, please log on and enter your hours. If you are a paper reporter, please submit your forms to the office. Thank you for your cooperation

We want to thank Elaine Weil for being Team Leader of the DuPage Easter Seals Therapeutic Horticulture program since 2001. Elaine developed the monthly program for special needs preschoolers and her leadership of the program led to its success. The team under Elaine's guidance developed a butterfly garden and 2 other small patio gardens where the children can learn in the garden and observe changes. Since Elaine will be student teaching next year, she is turning over her leadership of Easter Seals to Ellen Meyer and Pat Menzenberger. Once again, THANK YOU, Elaine, and THANKS to Pat and Ellen for taking on new roles!

We have something new to offer this year! For your convenience, you may now register for these classes (with the exception of the EAB update) online. Please go to our website (www.extension.uiuc.edu/dupage), click on "Horticulture & Environment", then click on the program registrations on the right side of the page. You will be able to pay by credit card or check.

EAB Update
June 25 – 1 – 3 p.m.

This telenet update, presented by Dr. Phil Nixon, Extension Specialist, Entomology, is for Master Gardeners only. There is no charge for this session, but you must call the office (630-955-1123) to reserve your seat.

Rain Gardens: A Wise Way to Use Runoff
July 31 – 12:45 – 2:30 p.m.
August 2 – 6:45 – 8:30 p.m.

A rain garden, designed with wildflowers and native vegetation, collects runoff from roofs and allows the water to filter slowly into the ground. This session shows you how to properly design a rain garden to enhance the beauty of the yard and provide habitat for birds and butterflies. Instructor Duane Friend, Extension Educator – Natural Resources via telenet. Registration fee: $10.

Home Lawns: Conquer the Problems!
Two-Part Series
August 9 and 16 – 6:45 – 8:45 p.m.

Get ready! Fall is the most important time for lawn care. Find out how to grow a healthy lawn. Topics include proper watering, fertilizing, dealing with drought, grubs, weeds, thatch and more. Lawn care notebook included. Instructor Susan Grupp – Extension Educator, Environmental Science. Registration fee: $20.

Controlling Garden Weeds
August 14 – 12:45 – 2:30 p.m.

Is crabgrass making you crabby? Bindweed got you in a bind? Perhaps nutsedge is driving you nuts? Weeds can quickly put you and your plants under stress. Learn how to control common garden weeds. Instructor Michelle Wiesbrook – Extension Educator, Horticulture via telenet. Registration fee: $10.

Would you like to be a part of the "Worm Team"?
Worms in the Classroom presents worm lessons to elementary school children in DuPage County classrooms (primarily 3^rd grade). The lessons deal with worm anatomy, the food chain and worms in the environment. Master Gardeners go to the schools, usually in teams of 4 or 5, and each Master Gardener has a worm lesson kit and a worm bin of red wigglers. This hands-on experience is rewarding and enjoyed by the children immensely.

"Worms in the Classroom" Training
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
9:30 a.m. - Noon

DuPage County Office
1100 E Warrenville RD, Suite 170
Naperville, IL 60563
(630)955-1123

Please RSVP by August 3, 2007
If you would like to be a part of the "Worm Team" but cannot attend this training, please contact Mary Horek.

Would you like to learn PowerPoint to enhance or develop a Speakers Bureau presentation? Mary Horek will conduct a beginner to intermediate PowerPoint Training class for interested Master Gardeners.

Beginner to Intermediate
PowerPoint Training
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
9:30 AM – Noon

Please RSVP by September 7, 2007

Where: DuPage County Extension Office
1100 E. Warrenville Rd., Suite 170
Naperville, IL 60563
(630)955-1123

If you are interested in this class but cannot attend, please let the office know so we can put you on a list for future training.

Please find below a list of opportunities to judge at the DuPage County Fair. If you are interested, please contact the office at (630)955-1123.

Community Involvement and Global Citizenship (Tuesday, 7/24 – 3 p.m. – evening),
Foods (Wednesday, 7/25 – 8:30 a.m. – late morning),
Mechanics and Technology (Tuesday, 7/24 – 3 p.m. – evening),
Visual Arts (Monday, 7/23 – 3 p.m. – evening).

Travel time should be reported as Activity Hours, not Planning Hours. Please report "pick up and drop off" hours on the same date as the event where the materials will be used. So if you pick up or drop off a tote for a help desk, worm program, etc., the hours would be included in the activity time for that event.

As requested, a link to the MG Reporting Database can now be accessed from our DuPage County Extension website (www.extension.uiuc.edu/dupage). Click on Horticulture & Environment, scroll down to Local Programs, click on Master Gardeners, then click on Program Links. After you click on the database link, you can enter your username and password, and be all set to report your hours.

4-H Judging

If you are looking for a rewarding, once-a-year volunteer commitment, look no farther than judging 4-H exhibits at the DuPage County Fair. Master Gardeners have been serving in this capacity for several years now. Christine Birns, 4-H coordinator, has worked with Susan Grupp to fill some of the volunteer judge positions with Master Gardeners. Susan, in fact, judged the Entomology projects when she started at Extension.

While it is helpful to have some background in the category you are judging, it is not essential. One judge is assigned to each category, and training is provided. Each has access to the DuPage County Fair Book, which includes an itemized list against which each project is judged. The projects are not judged against one another, so it is possible for each project to win a blue ribbon if all the criteria are met. Are there any downsides? Well, yes. If a category goes on to state, the judge must pick only one child's project in the category to represent DuPage County at the State Fair. The quality of the projects is so outstanding that it becomes a very difficult decision.

One of the Master Gardeners who has enjoyed judging 4-H for the last few years is Manijeh Mieville. Manijeh, who has Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees, started out judging the gardening projects and moved into judging the visual arts. Her favorite part of being a judge is meeting and talking with the children one at a time. She loves being able to encourage them and give them direction, and she would volunteer to participate in this "forever". In fact, she has talked some of her Master Gardener friends into doing it this year for the first time.

Linda Jegen is another Master Gardener who has been volunteering to be a judge for the last four years. A nurse, she has judged the Health projects and has taken on the Read-A-Book category as well. Linda has found the 4-H people to be very helpful to the judges. She has enjoyed seeing the children advance from one stage to another as the years go by.

Both Linda and Manijeh find this to be a valuable experience for the children, but it sounds as if they have gotten as much, or more, out of the experience of judging!

- Debbi Heinze

And now there are two. Herb patches, that is. About to add nearly a flat of new herb plants to my garden, I suddenly realized that the nectarine tree nearby had grown (surprise!) and now provided dappled shade to a substantial part of my herb garden. The mints and two curly-leafed ornamental onions didn't seem to mind, but what about the basils, the new santolina, the lemon verbena, the "Herrenhausen" ornamental oregano? The sunniest corner of the vegetable garden has always been home to the flat-leaf parsley, close to the kitchen door for quick dashes in the rain. So the pepper plants that usually grew in the vicinity would have to be planted elsewhere (a little crop rotation never hurts); a new herb patch is now taking shape in this area.

We gardeners are the most vigilant of folks, noticing one new slug-munched hole in a hosta leaf, or when the tiniest perennial flower first appears. Other change in our gardens is so gradual, though, that we often miss it entirely. Since the vast majority of herbs need as much sun as they can get, attention to the increasing shade patterns of nearby trees and shrubs or, conversely, to a newly sun-drenched space opened up by the loss of a tree, can result in happy herbs planted in ideal locations.

One herb I left in its original, but still sunny, spot is a good sized stand of tarragon – Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa. This is French tarragon, the culinary variety, a hardy perennial with narrow, smooth dark green leaves. It grows to two feet high or so, six to eight inches wide. Here it dies back to the ground in winter. A graceful plant, tarragon welcomes some support since it can get floppy late in the season. Tarragon grows best in very well-drained soil – like many other herbs, it doesn't like wet feet in winter. It may be dug and divided in spring. Some writers say that it loses flavor as the plant matures; this has not been my experience with a now eight-year-old plant.

These writers also disagree about the taller, coarser-leaved Russian tarragon, Artemisia dracunculoides. Some say it lacks flavor, others that is much harsher. Of the two, Russian tarragon is the only one to set viable seed; if someone tries to sell you seed for French tarragon, there's no such animal!

The leaves of tarragon have a licorice-like, somewhat bitter flavor that goes especially well with eggs, in salad dressings, and with chicken. It is the primary flavor in the classic béarnaise sauce. A few leaves minced into the mayonnaise will perk up the blandest potato salad!

- Sandy Lentz

Flowers everywhere! It's exciting when new plants are introduced each summer. I enjoy adding them to my shopping list of favorites. Once planted, I look forward to watching them grow and adding them into my journal. I would like to suggest some of the newest plants for your garden that will add color where needed and are favorites for 2007! Please look for these at local plant stores and Farmer's markets! I have selected a little bit of everything!

'Berry Basket' zinnias grow in gorgeous colors that branch well and add long-lasting color to bouquets. A coreopsis hybrid named 'Jethro Tull' tickseed is a yellow perennial with bright yellow fluted petals much like the 'Fanfare gaillardia' which was new to me last year. Here's a new grass called 'Piglet' fountain grass, a petite perennial that grows 6-8 inches tall and 18" in flower and looks great in borders or can be tucked into that last open space in the garden. 'Ruby Volcano' phlox is a full-sun perennial that grows on sturdy stems and has a heavenly fragrance with a rich red color. 'Purple Butterfly on the Wind', a tree peony, has 8 inch flowers that last for weeks! Another deep pinkish purple plant is 'Candy Mountain' Foxglove that grows on a sturdy stem that may reach up to 56 inches tall with no need to stake! Lastly, a yellow rose with 5-inch blooms that are long lasting named, Strike it Rich, rosa 'WEKbepmey' with a sweet and spicy fragrance.

As with all plants, follow directions for planting and care that come on the packaging and water in well. The time spent taking extra care as you plant and tend new additions to your garden will reward you in countless ways. (Time spent in the garden is always well spent!) A gentle reminder... Early mornings are the best time to water and enjoy the start of your day! Flowers with their beauty and bouquet soothe the soul. I hope you will add and enjoy these beautiful new plants to your garden. May they bring you hours of joy, butterflies and birds!

- Judy Karlin

In 2000 I had the opportunity to create a new garden space at the home I recently bought. Having spent the latter half of 1999 looking at the bare and weedy ground, the garden plan was formulated. That winter was spent, researching plants, flowers, and drawing up the plan. This garden developed with a predominately red theme.

When it finally warmed up enough to work in the garden several factors had to be considered; these included drainage (as one area sloped dangerously toward a storm drain), easement restrictions, and erosion control due to the dangerous slope. This was also the perfect opportunity to install a low voltage light system around the edge. The one thing that was not factored into this plan was the arrival of a seven week old Chesapeake Bay Retriever whom we named Determined Savanna Belle. She was (and still is) substantial.

Many hours were spent outside that summer which was beneficial to the garden (weeding and mulching) and to housetraining the pup. The plants were taking on that healthy green glow and some additional plants were added for color and to fill out some holes. We even had a spot for some tomato plants.

Savanna grew faster than the plants, and that is when I learned that puppies do not have an auto-stop. The first things to go were the low voltage lights, as they were metal and low to the ground (she still has scars from running into them). Following the lights, the holly bushes (toxic to dogs) had to be relocated, a red bud was chewed and finally pulled out of the ground, and lastly two cranberry bushes were also nibbled to death. The only plants she left alone in that area were the tomato plants, and they thrived.

As the tomato plants were the focal point of this end of the garden we all anticipated the arrival of the first ripe tomato, Savanna must have anticipated it too. I remember looking out at her and wondering why she had a red ball in her mouth until she bit down on the red ball. That red ball was the first ripe tomato and she ate the entire thing. She ate a tomato every day until frost.

Savanna and the garden are almost seven years old now and both have changed for the better. The metal lights have given way to thinner lantern like lamps that are more forgiving to dog paws, all plantings are now more dog friendly, there are butterfly bushes and zinnias attracting butterflies for her to chase, and lilacs for the good smells, and of course, tomatoes (an extra plant or two for Savanna), because this is gardening with a TLC-Tomato Loving Chesapeake.

- Sally Mabbitt

"The Garden Thymes" is the official newsletter for DuPage area MG's. If you misplace your copy, it can be found at our DuPage County Extension website. From time to time, you may have something you would like to share with fellow MG's or perhaps include an article of your own. We would love to hear from you!! As always, your comments and suggestions are most welcome. Please note the change in issue numbers to reflect our program year.

· Issue #4 - August 29, 2007
· Issue #1 for 2008 - November 28, 2007

June 25
EAB Update – Extension Office

July 31 & August 2
Rain Gardens: A Wise Way to Use Runoff

August 8
"Worms in the Classroom" Training

August 9 & August 16
Two-part series
Home Lawns: Conquer the Problems!

August 14
Controlling Garden Weeds

September 6-8
State Master Gardener Conference
Crowne Plaza, Springfield
Pre-registration required

September 11 & September 13
Vegetable Insect Pests

September 12
PowerPoint Training

September 25 & September 27
Household Insect Pests

October 16 & October 18
Growing Backyard Grapes

DuPage County
Extension Office
1100 E Warrenville RD – Suite 170
Naperville, Illinois 60563
Telephone: 630-955-1123
FAX: 630-955-1180

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

The Extension Service of the University of Illinois provides educational programs and unbiased research-based information to help Illinois residents improve their quality of life, develop skills and solve problems, by helping you put knowledge to work.

The Illinois Extension Service provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.