The monthly "News & Views" publication would like us to submit garden/plant related articles. This publication is delivered to Peoria area doctors offices each month. Choose a garden related topic of your choice, keep it to 500 words, and submit it to Sunita Shastry before the 1st of any month. Anyone who is interested, contact Sunita to let her know you will have an article for her, so you both will not be writing articles for the same month. Don't forget, mark your time spent on this writing, it counts as volunteer time. Please contact Sunita: sunitashastry@yahoo.com, and please put "News & Views" in the subject.

We have speakers who can talk to your group on a variety of subjects. Here are just a few topics that have been covered in the past: Ponds / Garden Design / Pruning / Bees / Plant Propagation / Lawns & Lawn Care / Herbs / Soil / Trees / Perennials / Backyard Habitats / Composting / Hypertufas / Gourds. If your group is looking for a speaker please contact us. You may reach us through the Peoria County Extension Office at 309-685-3140. Ask for the Master Gardeners. We will request the name of the group and a contact name and phone number and/or email. We will have someone from the Speakers Bureau get in touch with you.

- Terry Flagherty

With the passing of Landscape & Garden Day and the end of summer we are turning to new tasks. There are seeds to be collected from a number of plants. We also want to start cuttings from several plants for wintering over in the greenhouse; in the spring they could either be replanted or sold. Dahlia and canna tubers will need to be dug up and stored after the first frost. We have done a lot of structural improvements this year, and are considering staining the gazebo, bench, and raised beds to match the new fence.

- Phil Adams

At Bel-Wood, the great watermelon/pumpkin debate has ended and a new one has started. Now the debate is about which is the biggest pumpkin. The message from the gardens this year is smile, laugh, slow down and enjoy life. We would like to invile everyone to come see and enjoy the courtyards. The Bellevue courtyard has over 18 pumpkins of various sizes growing everywhere in it.

- Dixie Krisher

Luthy continues to be a good volunteer project, there is always something to learn and can share with others. With fall here, the chores mostly removing many summer annuals and replacing with fall color. Manager Bob Streitmater will be taking time out soon to do a tree identification walk-about for the volunteers.

- Melanie Martin

Thanks to the newly appointed nominating committee of Floyd McMahon, Pat Middleton and Stan Strickler. They are looking for us to step up to the plate and contribute to the group. If you have any extra time and can help them out by volunteering to take up a position on the board, (see front page of newsletter for positions), don't hesitate to contact them. We all need to do our share to help our group move on in a positive, productive, cohesive direction. Most positions really don't take up as much time as you think. Please think about volunteering.

Just as a reminder, this is a newsletter for all of us. Please feel free at anytime to send me your contributions. Each month I usually have left over space I have to fill with articles I think you might get something out of. This could be the space that you could contribute to as well. The deadline for each month is in the Grapevine on page 2. If you would also like to be put on my monthly reminder email list, feel free to let me know. Vice versa too, if you are on my reminder list and don't want to be, let me know. Also, if you want to send me something and it will be a day or so late, don't forget to drop me an email or call so I won't fill the space. Thanks, and I hope you contribute!

- Melanie Martin, Editor

Thanks to all the Master Gardeners who helped at the tables at I.C.C.'s Landscape and Garden Day. The demo garden was incredible, the weather was great, and we all had a lot of fun talking to people about their gardening interests and concerns, both in the garden and at the tables. Aren't gardeners a nice bunch! A special thanks to Norm Meyn for picking up the tent and the water and for helping set up and take down.

The table in the vendor area was well-staffed with Master Gardener's from Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties. Woodford supplied four books which were raffled. We had information about the upcoming training classes and got some requests to be added to the newsletter mailing lists. At the EAB table, the purple trap got a lot of attention as did the captured bug from the i.d. kit.

This is a great event both to attend and participate in. Be sure to save some time for it when next year's chairperson, Bonnie Williams, gives the call.

- Bonnie Hunt

For the following events, please refer to the Extension website: eb.extension.uiuc.edu/mg/events/default.cfm

• October 1 – 6, 2009 - University Of Illinois Master Gardener Program: Fall tour to the "GARDENS OF CHARLESTON, SC" (See the March/April "Imagine" for more info.)

• Nov. 21: Organic Gardening Day. Hawthorne Suites, Champaign, IL. (More information to follow.)

• April 30 – May 11, 2010 - Gardens of France (Trip is full)

• Sept. 20 – October 1, 2010 - Gardens of France - Due to the overwhelming response for the spring France trip, we are adding a second trip in fall 2010. The fall trip to France is scheduled for September 20 to October 1st and the itinerary will be the same as the spring trip. France in the fall will be highlighted by warm sunny days with gardens full of roses, asters, dahlias, rudbeckias, cosmos, other late summer perennials, a full palate of annuals as well as lovely kitchen gardens. Destinations for this trip include stops on the French Riviera in Nice, Monaco and Eze; Arles, Aix en Provence and Avignon; the bullet train to Paris with free time to explore Paris and finally visits to five famous chateau gardens and Giverny in the Loire Valley. The complete itinerary is posted on the Master Gardener website at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mg/events/ Please contact Robyn Gulstrom as soon as possible to hold your spot. rgulstrom@comcast.net or 269-629-9249.