Space is still available for persons interested in becoming Master Gardeners in 2007; however, time is running short to go through the application process.

If you are over 18, interested in gardening and have a volunteer spirit, you are an excellent candidate for the program.

This year's training will be held at Highland Community College in Freeport beginning January 26 through March 27. Classes meet once a week from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Trainees are expected to attend all sessions which include such topics as Botany, Soil, Woody Ornamentals and Vegetables to name a few.

After the training, Master Gardener Interns volunteer 60 hours of service to become an Active, Certified Master Gardener.

To learn more and receive an application packet, contact your local county office In Jo Daviess County call 815-858-2273. In Carroll County call 815-244-9444.

The Four Seasons Gardening program is your chance to learn from some of Illinois' leading lawn and garden experts. Whether you need advice on controlling those pesky insects, weeds and diseases, or you want to improve your lawn, or learn how to grow grapes in your backyard, you'll get the answers you need at the Four Seasons Gardening program.

Three seminars for each of the four seasons are offered–that's a total of 12 different lawn and garden topics! Each topic is offered at two different times and is presented via teleconference by a University of Illinois Extension horticulture expert. You can attend any topic that interests you–whether it's just one or two sessions or the entire series.

The Winter Series starts with the presentation: Emerald Ash Borer and other Invasive Species. It will be presented on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. and repeated on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.

Phil Nixon, U of I Extension specialist, will present the program which focuses on identifying and coping with these devastating landscape pests.

The seminar features a color slide presentation accompanied by the voice of the instructor as people from all over the state participate.

Other topics in the 2007 series are:

• Spring Lawn Care
• Aggressive Thugs in the Flower Garden
• Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials
• Culinary Herbs in the Landscape
• Using Tropical Plants to Add WOW to Your Garden
• Landscape Maintenance
• Rain Gardens: A Wise Way to Use Runoff
• Controlling Garden Weeds
• Vegetable Insect Pests
• Household Insect Pests
• Growing Backyard Grapes

All sessions will be presented in each County Office. There is a fee of $3 per session and pre-registration is required.

The entire series runs through October 18.

More information will be provided as the dates draw closer and brochures outlining the full schedule will be available early next year.

Again in 2007, Carroll County Master Gardeners will present their winter gardening workshop, Know & Grow, on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 18, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Six topics will be presented four of which have been finalized at this writing. Ornamental Grasses conducted by Sherry Long of Long's Gardens (formerly Bald Eagle Nursery) in Fulton; Seven Deadly Sins Home Landscapers Make presented by Carroll County Master Gardener Patt Caldwell; Late Spring Wildflowers by Carroll County Master Gardener Nancy Gmitro; and Vermicomposting presented by Maggie Friedenbach of the University of Illinois Extension and Jo-Carroll Solid Waste Agency.

The Vermicomposting program will be offered as part of the full Workshop and as a separate portion for families wanting to start a Vermicomposting bin in their homes since children, especially, enjoy working with the bins.

Other subjects in the offing include Seed Saving and Heirlooms and a program on Houseplants/Tropicals.

Full details will be in the next issue of Good Gardening.

Plans are being made for "Growing of the Green", a cooperative project of the Jo Daviess County Master Gardeners and the Jo-Carroll Area Vocational Center in Elizabeth.

This innovative, day-long horticulture program will be held on Saturday, March 17 at the AVC. Details are still in the planning stage and will be available in the next edition of this newsletter.

Mike Bolin, Extension Forester UIUC, offers the following advice for folks with live Christmas trees in their homes.

• Make sure your base will hold at least one gallon of water. A rule of thumb is to use one quart of water for every inch of diameter of the trunk.
• Research has shown that plain water will keep a tree fresh.
• Check the cords on your lights, be sure to use only UL approved electrical decorations and cords.

Once the tree skirt is in place and presents are surrounding the tree, it is very difficult to water. Here's an easy solution: Buy a funnel and a 3 to 4 foot length of vinyl tubing to slip over the funnel outlet. Fasten the funnel/tube with a twist tie or twine in an out-of-the-way but reachable part of the tree. Extend the tubing down the tree trunk and into the tree stand reservoir. Now you can easily water the tree.

Jan. 25 – 8:30 to 11:45 am. Winter Horticulture Workshop organized by University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners of Henry/Stark and Rock Island, includes three programs by local experts on Garden Art, Container Gardens and Raised Garden Beds. Location: Geneseo Community Center, 541 East North Street. $10 general admission, $7 for Master Gardeners, you can register on-line by going to the Rock Island Extension website.

Feb. 17 – Stephenson County Master Gardeners present Joys of Gardening at Highland Community College.

Feb. 24 – Nursery School presented at The Mark of the Quad Cities by the Rock Island County Master Gardeners.

A new year. A "do over." I love gardening in Illinois. Every spring is a required "do over." The cold, gray days of winter are a perfect time to plan next year's garden while you can still remember last year's and are not yet caught up in the day-to-day garden chores.

Maybe you have decided to eat more veggies and exercise more in 2007. Gardening can help you with both resolutions and it's a lot more fun than slurping green alfalfa shakes and trudging along on a treadmill. Or maybe you have decided that in 2007 you will be a better gardener. So if you need one more new year's resolution, try one or more of these.

1. Use more compost during planting to enrich the soil. Rather than relying on synthetic fertilizers to "feed" plants, use compost to "feed" the soil. Compost contains important plan nutrients, but also helps to improve soil structure and water retention.

2. Be more realistic about the amount of time available for gardening. Author and landscaper Janet Macunovich figured out just how much time she and her company workers were spending in landscape maintenance throughout the season. According to her book Caring for Perennials, perennial flowers require the most time per month compared to other landscape plants.

• Per 100 square feet lawns require an average of 8 minutes a month (spring -10 minutes, summer - 5 minutes and fall -10 minutes);

• Trees and shrubs on average require 10 minutes a month (spring - 20 minutes, summer - 5 minutes, fall - 5 minutes);

* Annual flowers require on average 20 minutes a month (spring 25 minutes, summer – 15 minutes, fall – 20 minutes);

• Perennials require 60 minutes a month on average (spring 95 minutes, summer – 35 minutes and fall – 30 minutes).

Plus most of us have a garden larger than 100 square feet so multiply the required time by the size of your garden. Does this mean I'm going to reduce the size of my garden? Of course not, I get way too much enjoyment out of it even with all its "imperfections".

3. On a similar note vow to take regular breaks or at least switch movements or activities every 15 minutes to save muscles and joints from the abuse of repetitive motions. Can you say carpal tunnel syndrome? You will be saying it to your doctor if you spend all day pruning without taking breaks.

4. Encourage the good bugs by planting appropriate flowers such as alyssum and asters. You may not realize it but insect predators and parasites are helping you in the battle of the bad bugs. Learn what you can do to help them.Remove diseased plant parts. Many diseases and some insects will hang out on infected plants all winter only to infect new plant growth in the spring. Good sanitation goes a long way in preventing plant problems.

6. Plant more herbs and use them in cooking. Generally herbs are easy to grow and beautiful in the landscape. Try growing a few annual herbs such as purple basil or 'Fernleaf' dill; or a few perennial herbs such as sage or oregano. You will be amazed how much better the taste is compared to dried herbs plus people will think you are quite the chef.

7. Don't let weeds go to seed. "one year's seeding equals seven year's weeding."

8. Use more native plants for their beauty and durability.

9. Pet more bumble bees.

10. Sniff more flowers. Did you know purple coneflowers have a fragrance?

11. Enjoy gardening more. Sit on a garden bench every day. Ok, maybe every week. Well, at least every month. Baby steps. Baby steps.

- Sandy Mason, Champaign Co. Unit Hort. Educator