Date: Wednesday, July 16

Time: 1:00 pm meeting, with garden tour to follow

Place: ICC Horticultural Building & ICC Demo Gardens

Topic: After a short business meeting inside, we will tour the ICC Demo Garden

so wear appropriate shoes and sun protection.

(Note: Have a topic of MG interest or a guest speaker you would like to have at any our

meetings? Please tell our President, Ray Ellington or V. Pres. Bob Coppernoll.)

First, a hearty thanks to Tracy Heuerrmann for hosting our monthly meeting at her home

in June, and allowing us to enjoy her gardens. I am sure that all of us appreciate the

tremendous amount of dedication and work that she has invested in her property. The

growing season seems to be at its peak and gardens are looking good. Unfortunately, the

weeds are enjoying the same opportunities, so that MG's are busy doing battle with them

to prevent their overtaking the gardens. Congradulations to you all for the efforts that are

producing the nice garden plots at Bel-Wood, Luthy, ICC, Greenway and others. As

announced elsewhere in this newsletter, we will meet in July at ICC to see the demonstration

gardens.

- Ray Ellington, Master Gardener

(June minutes not available at time of printing. Instead, how about some gardening

humor???) The following was submitted by Bob Coppernoll:

An old man lived alone in New Jersey . He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden,

but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used

to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his

predicament: Dear Vincent, I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able

to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden

plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to

dig the plot for me, like in the old days. Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son: Dear Pop, Don't dig up that garden.

That's where the bodies are buried. Love, Vinnie At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents

and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They

apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter

from his son. Dear Pop, Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do

under the circumstances. Love, Vinnie

- Bob Coppernoll, Master Gardener

For a fee of $5 a year, you can have this newsletter mailed to you. Please contact Julann at the

Peoria County Extension office to sign up.

To Our Readers: The Peoria Extension is looking for stories on how our Master Gardener projects

have influenced or helped you with your gardening projects. If you have a story, please send it to

the Peoria Extension Office. We are trying to "Help Others Learn to Grow". Let us know if we are

doing our job.