I'm proud to report that the MG float took home 2nd place in the Argenta Prairie Festival Parade on Saturday, June 21st. Thank you to all who supported this project— especially Brenda Grider, Joanne Nixon, and Richard Zerfowski. Your enthusiasm and efforts are greatly appreciated!

Brenda and Joanne's husbands also deserve thanks for their creative contributions in creating a fountain powered by the tractor's PTO on this year's float.

Rumor has it that we didn't get first place because of a rule that says you can only get first place two years in a row (which we did). First place or not, we had a great time throwing candy and giving out flower seeds. My husband Chris enjoyed spraying the crowd with his orange and blue "Illini" super soaker.

The Argenta community has noticed the MG floats in past years— Brenda told me that a person stopped her the night before the parade and said she comes to the parade just to see our float. Others have commented that they like our float the best because we use all real plant material.

This year somehow Brenda, Chris and I managed to throw 28 pounds of candy and pass out seeds (& spray the crowd!) We really wished more people had come out to help— and to have fun with us! In order to have a float next year, we need more MGs to help. Please let me know if you are interested in planning a float for 2009.

-Jennifer

I suppose everyone has been extremely busy in the yard and garden since we had such a wet cold spring. It seems my grass and also weeds continue to thrive big time no matter the weather.

The Help Desk is receiving lots of inquiries concerning problems with trees, and now tomatoes. The drought last year and the wet cold spring have taken their toll on plants in Central Illinois. The office has an excellent resource that may help us answer these questions. The Home, Yard & Garden Pest Newsletter is a biweekly publication from the office of University Illinois Extension. The newsletters are current and full of great information about imminent pest and disease occurrences throughout the state. Articles focus mainly on insect pests and diseases, with occasional articles on weeds, pesticides and other topics of importance.

Sherry Martin has invited Master Gardeners and friends to join her at the Sandy Ellis Daylily Farm in Taylorville, on July 17th. Those who would like to go need to meet at Farm & Fleet at 5:30 p.m. Bob Ellis is selling seedling clumps (4 to 5 fans) at $4 a clump. Sandy has sold her day lilies throughout the United State and the lilies should be in bloom when we arrive. These seedlings are representative of the hundreds of lilies that Sandy was hybridizing. Please bring your own pitchforks, gloves and bags to take your plants home. The excursion will be in conjunction with the Camera Club. If you are interested, the secretary, Diane will have a sign up sheet at her desk. If you would like to attend, please call 877-6042.

-Cheryl

(Farmer's Market)

We have had a good response to supporting the Ask The Master Gardener table at the market. Hopefully, we will begin our participation Saturday, July 12, 2008.

Last year there were usually two volunteers for the table for each Saturday. A Master Gardener tote will be packed with all the materials you might need for your table. I will have the tote available in the office for pick up. You may find it easier to bring your own card table and chairs. Set-up for the market is between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Diane will have a sign up sheet at the front desk and we will make it available on line. For MGs, meeting the producers and customers has been a positive experience.

Work is continuing on the new cookbook, which should be wonderful.

If you would be interested in trying out some of the great recipes, please let us know. It would be good if we could have the recipes that are finalized given a test trial and to receive your comments on our directions and your success. Contact Jan Sickbert or the office.

Photographers Digital Photo Contest

Now is the time to start snapping pictures for the Illinois State Master Gardener Photo Contest. There are four categories of entries in the contest: Plants, Wildlife, Master Gardeners at Work & Illinois Public Gardens. Master Gardeners can submit one image per category, and only one image per entrant will be selected to win. Only amateur photographers are allowed to enter and they must submit the entry. Photos must be taken between August 24, 2007 and August 20, 2008.

All entries must be submitted electronically via e-mail before August 21, 2008.

Submit entries to Sarah Navrotski at this address: sarahnav@illinois.edu

Images must be submitted as a mail attachment in jpeg format and should be a minimum of 1200 x 800 pixels. The top entry in each category will receive $25. All entries will be displayed in a slide show at the convention.

July

July 2 Advisory Board Meeting, 9 a.m. (Illini Room)(Wednesday)

July 8 Telenet: Late Summer & Fall Blooming Perennials, Martha Smith, 1 p.m., (Illini Room) CEU

July 10 Telenet: Late Summer & Fall Blooming Perennials, Martha Smith, 7 p.m., (Illini Room) CEU

July 16-19 Midwest Regional Master Gardener Conference Registration is open at: http://sewmg.encumpus.com/

July 22 Telenet: Summer & Fall Blooming Trees and Shrubs, David Robson, 1 p.m., (Illini Room) CEU

July 24 Telenet: Summer & Fall Blooming Trees and Shrubs, David Robson, 1 p.m., (Illini Room) CEU

July 24-26 3 Day Trip—Bus o' Fun! Foellinger Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Ft Wayne, IN

July 29-31 Summer Horticulture Institute

Do you know of a horticultural event that should be included in the Calendar? Please call or e-mail Cheryl so she can include it in News & Notes.

Volunteers are needed at the WAND Garden. Garden tasks would include watering, harvesting veggies and delivering the vegetables to Good Samaritan Inn. You would be signing up for one week timeframe. So far, Richard has had only one person volunteer. If you would like to participate with this garden, please call Richard Zerfowski or Diane at the extension office.

THANK YOU!

A big Thank You to all the Master Gardeners who helped with the 2008 Garden Walk. An event of the size of the Garden Walk does not just happen...it requires inspiration, dedication and perspiration in large doses. To all of you who volunteered your time and talents we thank you. To the Master Gardener program as a whole we thank you for supporting the Garden Walk by selling tickets and by attending the Garden Walk.

We have enjoyed being co-chairmen of the 2007 and 2008 Garden Walks and now we wish new co-chairmen Shirley Swarthout and Margie Cook well as they begin to plan the 2009 walk.

Garden Walk "2009"

Margie Cook and Shirley Swarthout, our new Garden Walk chairs, have already been busy checking out gardens for our next annual Garden Walk. If you know of a garden site that would be a good candidate for the Garden Walk, please make Margie Cook or Shirley Swarthout aware of the particulars.

Elementary Teachers Interested in Learning about Plants

A Horticulture Institute for Pre-K to 6^th grade teachers interested in learning about how to incorporate plants into their classroom will be offered this summer. This three-day workshop will be offered twice: in Springfield on July 21, 22 and 23; and in Decatur on July 29, 30 and 31.

No green thumb is required. Learn how to bring the science of horticulture to your classroom. Get your hands dirty with hands-on activities learning about seed starting, plant cuttings, growing plants indoors, plant parts and insects. Plant information and hands-on activities will be presented by Horticulture Educators of the University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit and Macon Unit.

Other discussion topics include: healthy snacks; green spaces; child health and a discussion with a local physician. Participants will receive 19 CPDU's, a notebook of lesson plans covered in the institute, plants for use in the classroom, an Earthbox (self-watering container), lunch and snacks all three days. Registration fee is $75.

If you would like a brochure, visit our website or phone (217) 782-4617 or (217) 877-6042.
Registration is on-line at www.extension.uiuc.edu/sangamonmenard or www.extension.uiuc.edu/macon .

Join the Garden Grounds Gang for coffee Tuesday mornings at Panera Bread from 7:00-9:00 a.m.

Help Desk Happenings

The Help Desk committee, Fern Stinson, Virginia Schuler and Vennetta Joliff will be conducting a survey for the Help Desk. You will be receiving a phone call from someone on the committee asking a few questions concerning the Help Desk. This survey should enable us to provide better service at the Help Desk. Thanks in advance for your corporation.

Next time you are in the office, you will notice that we have made some changes and additions to the Master Gardener office. Hopefully, these on going efforts will make working in the office easier.

Master Gardeners of University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit are sponsoring a Garden Shed Sale in conjunction with Evening in the Garden on Thursday, July 17, from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm at the Sangamon-Menard Extension office, Building #30, on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

A wide variety of gently used outdoor garden tools and furniture, garden related household items, books, clothing, jewelry and one-of-a-kind artwork will be offered for sale by Sangamon-Menard Master Gardeners as part of this unique fundraiser. There will also be a silent auction area for the higher quality, unique items. There is no cost for admission to the sale and all sales will be final. "We held a similar sale two years ago and were amazed at the community's response, "said Jennifer Fishburn, Unit Educator, Horticulture. "We've already received a wide variety of donated items including tools and an assortment of gardening accessories including pots and birdhouses. We think the public is going to enjoy this unique opportunity to purchase gardening items in good shape from some of the best gardeners in the area."

Also offered that evening will be the annual Evening in the Garden which will feature walking tours of the Demonstration Gardens in front of the Sangamon-Menard Extension office. This includes a 5,000 square foot garden featuring a wide variety of annuals, herbs and perennials. Varieties of flowers planted throughout the State Fairgrounds are featured and labeled in the Identification Garden. The Herb Garden has more than 70 kitchen herbs. The Lorrraine DeSouza Perennial Garden contains plants of interest for every season. Other features of the garden include a grape arbor. The program is free and open to the public and Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions and provide handouts on maintenance issues. For more information call (217) 782-4617 or visit www.extension.uiuc.edu/sangamonmenard .

The 2008 edition of the Home, Yard and Garden Pest Guide has just recently become available. This handbook is written for the homeowner to assist in management of weeds, diseases and insect pests associated with lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables and fruit as well as insect pests indoors. Non-chemical as well as chemical control options are provided. THIS MANUAL IS THE ONLY REFERENCE TO BE USED BY MASTER GARDENERS TO GIVE OUT CHEMICAL PESTICIDE RECOMMENDATIONS IN ILLINOIS!

The new Home, Yard and Garden Pest Guide is available at our office for $25.00 or for $24.95 plus shipping and handling at pubsplus.uiuc.edu/C1391.html

Are you craving tomatoes? To satisfy that craving, the Master Gardeners are planning another Tomato Tasting day. More details will be available in the near future.