I had the opportunity a while back to listen to one of Peoria County's Master Gardeners, John Armbruster, speak during a meeting. He articulated the scope of the Master Gardener program as he provided numbers of hours given by the volunteers as well as the impact of each of the respective Master Gardener projects. As he completed his presentation, I could feel a sense of pride welling up inside. I smiled, both externally and internally. Yet, that pride extends to the entire Master Gardener program. I could go into the lengthy list of programs that have touched so many, but space does not afford me that opportunity. The "Editor" may cut some out. But, suffice it to say, that each of those programs is much more than the sum total of pictures on a page or statistics to be viewed. Each of those programs represents hearts and minds touching other hearts and minds. Each is making a difference. And, that...is why I have a sense of pride.

The New Year is upon us along with the promise of new "growth." The time is approaching when gloves will be donned and shovels sharpened. Seeds will be sown with anticipation. A sweaty brow will become the order of the day. But, Master Gardeners, I assure you, your work...your sweat...your passion for the soil...has already reaped bountiful "harvests" of lives touched. Enjoy your new "growth."

Landscape Design Basics

by Stephanie Denton, Tazwell MG

Most of us have areas of our yard that could use some improvement, but how does one make it look nice without just "throwing" some plants down? What makes a "good" landscape design? There are many things to remember when planning your landscape, but I'll try to point out a few principles to keep in mind so that a hodgepodge of plants or a garden that doesn't seem to flow together doesn't become the end result.

When asked how I know which plants to use and where to put them, five categories come to mind. They are: climate, colors, theme, favorites and property layout.

1. Climate is whether the garden has sun, part sun or shade, if the soil tends to drain quickly or slowly, and how "good" the soil is. Group plants by similar watering/light needs. Remember that perennials tend to like fast draining soil, so if you have a wet area, plant plants that like that environment.
   
   
2. A theme could include a group of plants that naturally occur together or somehow "go" together (e.g. I have a "native corner" where purple coneflower, various grasses, Black- eyed Susans and daisies are located, or one could plant an area of various ornamental grasses).
   
   
3. Color. There are many ways to "spruce up" your garden, but foliage and flower color is probably the most obvious. Following are a few things to keep in mind. Too many colors create a chaotic, busy look. One probably wants to stick to three colors at the most to keep a unified look. "Cool" colors include blues, purples and greens which make the summer seem less hot. I planted cool colors around my patio for that very reason.
   
   Warm colors include yellows, oranges and reds. Since they attract attention, they should be used sparingly. Use only one "warm" for every three "cools" as a general rule. Also, cool colors tend to blend into the background, while warm ones tend to pop out, so you may want to plant your cools close by and your warms further away. Neutrals include white, silver or grey and make great unifiers. Use them to connect one part of the garden to another. Have some repetition throughout the garden by using the same flower color or foliage at various intervals–it carries the eye though when viewing from afar. Repeating elements such as certain flowers or textures creates rhythm, which draws the garden together. It makes the garden one big picture rather than having pieces or parts "stuck together."
   
   
4. Favorites. Pairing plants of similar color has a nice effect, such as purple coneflower and Russian sage, or you could compliment colors such as yellow and purple. Some combinations of flowers that I especially like are coreopsis (yellow) with catmint (small purple), licorice (silver) and purple petunias, dusty miller (white) and red Salvia, and the chartreuse sweet potato vine paired with deep purple/burgundy Coleus. Experiment to see what you like! If you want to stay "safe," try two shades of the same color, such as red and red/orange (I saw a tulip display using these two colors mixed together and it looked fantastic!).
   
5. Layout. Some other quick tips in planting around your house: your beds should be at least four feet from the house and of course, the tallest plants go in the back. A rule of thumb I like to use (within reason) is the deeper the bed, the taller the background plants. If you have a sidewalk close to the house, consider including it in your flower bed. I see a lot of homes that have too small a foundation planting and it just doesn't look "right," in my humble opinion. I think either people are afraid to put "too much" in, or they're just not sure what else to do. An easy thing to do is to make a quick overhead sketch of the house and then draw different bed shapes in. Experiment and see which one you like best. I believe there are some landscaping books available at the library that have lots of ideas. If you have a large yard, don't be afraid to make wide beds that curve around. The curves tend to soften the lines of the house. I've designed for people who have been wide-eyed at the prospect of such large beds, but I explain that it's amazing how quickly the space fills in when you have established perennials in place!

Starting from scratch. What if you're starting from scratch and don't have ANY trees, shrubs or flower beds? That's a whole other ball of wax, but don't be intimidated. Start small and add on every year. Remember that plants can always be moved if you don't like where they're located. When we moved into our house ten years ago, there was nothing except a few established Hackberry trees. Little by little, through experimentation, I have built up a nice garden that gets a lot of compliments. A great technique to use if your canvas is blank is the "backwards process." This is done by making a sketch or using a picture of the house and drawing different shapes around it to represent trees, shrubs and other plantings. Proportion is very important. Keep plants and trees in scale with your house. Don't let big trees dwarf a small house and vice versa. You may want to balance a small tree on one side with a few shrubs on the other, for instance. I've noticed that many people plant large trees smack dab in front of their houses. Unless you want to block your house out from the street, don't do this! Put them off to the side or to a corner. Once you have the general shapes (and heights) in place, look up plants that will fit the bill. I use a CD called the "Complete 3D Land Designer" by Sierra Home that has a plant search on it. I just plug in the attributes I want and it lists the plants to use.

Walk around your neighborhood and look at neighbors' landscaping that strikes you. Study it and try to observe what makes their landscape look nice. If you need ideas for plants to use, go to Luthy Botanical Garden or a nursery to see the plants "in person."

Once you have planted your garden, remember that it's not set in stone–you can always move the plants around and/or add other elements. Landscaping, like anything else, requires practice! Remember too that there is no "perfect" formula for landscaping. Don't get too hung up on the rules and be sure to have fun with it. After all, you're the one who's going to look at your garden and enjoy it most.

Remember last Spring and all the many Springs of your life when you walked outside and the little green tips of tulips were suddenly there? Remember the thrill that never gets old? It is a new miracle each time it happens and we respond deep within our inner core.

This year Nature threw me a curve that I wasn't ready for and the thrill wasn't there at first.

I pulled into my driveway and the garage doors didn't want to go up. It had been in the 60's and my mechanical mind figured the mechanism, or whatever, wasn't ready to respond to the warm weather. I do not pretend to be an engineer or whatever career choice makes garage doors go up when needed.

I got out of the car and wandered up the brick walk my daughter had laid for me and thought things like, "My car wouldn't die left outside for one night" and if it did, "I'd love having some time to just be at home." Then I saw green and thought, "No, let it be some green wreath stuff that blew in from next door. Please don't be my bulbs!"

But it was! The bulbs that had been a wash of color last Spring were trying to come up and it was January! I had done all the right things: the holes deep enough, the mulch heavy enough. But I couldn't control nature and the 60º in January had fooled the bulbs and me.

I can only wait until Spring and see what happens. I put more mulch on top in a desperate attempt to save the tulips and hyacinths but even as I did it I knew this was probably hopeless.

That was two weeks ago. The temperature has since dropped into the low teens and even below and a blanket of snow has covered the garden. It looks like my new down comforter; soft, white and warm. So maybe the thrill will still be there this Spring. If not what I expected when I planted the bulbs, maybe nature has something else up her sleeve, for this Spring or the next.

In the meantime I have an herb and a hosta garden to plan. So during these cold winter afternoons and evenings, with the indoor waterfall my son and his family gave me for Christmas, I have begun to map my front yard again.

Last Fall after planting 100 Daffodil bulbs I told my family that I had the front garden just the way I wanted it. But I didn't even believe myself as I said it.

- Terry Finan

The current popularity of ornamental grasses has not been so grand since the Age of Queen Victoria. Scores of ornamental grasses are now in use with many new forms continuously being added. Speculation as to the reasons for this astonishing rise in popularity appears to center around the practical, as well as aesthetic merit of ornamental grasses as a whole. As the public becomes increasingly aware of environmental forces in the Midwest landscape, many of the ornamental grasses that have an inherent ability to handle both the drought years as well as the wet years, are eagerly being sought. Another valuable environmental characteristic of some of the ornamental grasses is the ability to endure the continuous freezing and thawing of soils typical of the Midwest during the winter. There are also non-prairie type grasses that will thrive in relationship to water such as around ponds. Care should be taken in selecting ornamental grasses to match specimens to the extremes of a given site.

During the growing season, the ornamental grasses range in height from six inches to 14 or more feet and can be used as accent plants, ground covers, screens, border edgings, or as companions with a wide range of flowering herbaceous plants. Color of foliage in the growing season includes shades of green, green/yellow, green/blue, blue, red, brown, and variegated. Flowers vary in form, inflorescence, size, color and time of bloom providing a wealth of choices.

Dried foliage and flowers on many ornamental grasses are attractive and will gracefully sway with the wind in the cold months adding a new dimension to the winter garden. Many are excellent for use in floral arrangements.

CULTURE Ornamental grasses are propagated from seed or division, and can be purchased from seed companies and garden stores. Generally, the improved strains, which include most of the new varieties, will not come true from seed and must be propagated from divisions. Grasses do not transplant or propagate well after mid-summer because root growth slows dramatically. Container-grown plants may be transplanted into the landscape throughout the growing season. Since the foliage portion of the plant should be cut down to the ground and removed each fall or spring, fertilization is required to compensate for nutrient loss. A 10-10-10 fertilizer may be applied at a rate of one to two pounds per 100 square feet. A good deal of calcium and magnesium is lost when removing foliage, therefore a soil test for deficiencies of these elements should be carried out periodically and recommendations followed.

CAUTIONS As with most plants, there are common myths or misunderstandings about the ornamental grasses. For example, many durable and hardy ornamental grasses growing in Ohio are mistakenly called Pampas grass. Cortaderia selloava, the only true Pampas grass, will not grow in the state of Ohio. Ordering grasses under the name of Pampas grass will result in disappointment in this region.

Planting grasses whose dried foliage is to remain for the winter near combustibles such as a house or garage is not a wise practice. They can be highly flammable when dry. Remove foliage in the fall if a potential fire hazard is at all possible.

The first question to ask about a grass when purchasing or receiving a gift is if it is rhizomatous (spreading by underground stems) or a clump former. Rhizomatous types make excellent ground covers, erosion control plants, and dense cover plantings that resist the invasion of weeds. The rhizomatous types spread at different rates laterally, some as much as twelve or more feet a year. The clump formers simply increase in circumference requiring division every two or three years. Distinguishing between the two types and locating them in proper sites will prevent a great deal of difficulties in managing the garden, and results in great satisfaction from this very desirable group of plants.

From the: Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet Horticulture and Crop Science

- by Ed Thompson

Traditional indoor seed starting dates are between St. Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day; some seeds such as marigolds and nicotiana, it is better to wait until April Fool's Day to sow. Sow impatiens, petunias, wax begonias, and gerberas on February 1.

• Test viability of saved seeds by placing ten seeds between two damp paper towels which are then sealed in a clear plastic bag. Keep bag out of direct sunlight. Check daily to see if seeds have sprouted. If less than five sprout, toss out saved seeds.
  
• Take cuttings of geraniums, begonias, and coleus overwintering in pots. Root in moist sand under lights. They will become sizeable plants by Mother's Day.
  
• Paper whites can still be planted. Set on a bed of pea gravel in a shallow dish. Add water to bottom of bulbs. Place in a cool place while they root. Once tops start to sprout, move to bright cool place.
  
• As Christmas cactus, azaleas, and other plants finish blooming, trim plants to shape and reduce size.
  
• Watering plants indoors is an art. It is better to keep plants a little too dry than too wet. Dispose of drainage water that runs out of pots. Letting this drainage water be reabsorbed, may cause soluble salts in the pots to rise to dangerous levels.
  
• When bulbs are being forced, water carefully. If they are too dry, they will not develop; too wet, the roots may drown and the buds will blast.
  
• Plants planted in very light soils such as a Boston fern, may dry out and be difficult to rewet. Set plant in shower; plug drain, and water until water level is halfway up pot. Let sit for at least one hour before removing plug and draining water. Giving the plants a good shower is a good way to also reduce the mite population.
  
• Check dahlia tubers. Moisten if showing signs of shriveling; dust with Captan if any have begun to mold.
  
• If we get a wet, heavy snowfall, gently remove snow from evergreens by tapping branches with a broom or plastic rake.
  
• Branches of forsythia and pussy willow can be cut now– placed in warm water and "forced" into blooming for indoor color.
  
• Watch for crocus to bloom in sunfilled beds in late February.
  
• This is the last month to safely prune oaks. Prune apple and crabapple trees for improved circulation and more fruitful production.
• Get a calendar just for your garden. Record bloom time (beginning, optimum, ending), chore time and weather.

- Nancy Crawford