Coffee Cans Needed by September 4

Three pound coffee cans are needed for the upcoming Cut and Dried demonstration. If you have one or couple please drop off at the Extension office by September 4. Contact Shirley W. if you have questions.

Emerald Ash Borer

As you know, Emerald Ash Borers are knocking at our backdoor. They have been found in the Bloomington area.

Here are a couple of items to consider when asked questions while volunteering at the Master Gardener desk:

1. Verify that the tree in question is an ash tree (Fraxinus species).

2. Complete the U of I Extension, Emerald Ash Borer Screening form.

For information on proper identification of an ash tree, photos of the emerald ash borer and other problems of ash trees, visit the Emerald Ash Borer website, http://www.emeraldashborer.info .

The following is a message from Phil Nixon.

"As emerald ash borer spreads throughout Northeastern Illinois and is found in other parts of Illinois, the following is provided for your assistance in handling inquiries from clientele.

Although the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) has the lead role in Illinois in dealing with emerald ash borer, Extension is functioning to screen the many inquiries from clientele. The more that we can do in this manner not only eases the burden on IDA but also keeps Extension as a local source of information. Likely infestations can be investigated more thoroughly as your time allows or forwarded on to me or IDA for further assistance.

There are two fact sheets on emerald ash borer at: http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/landturf/insects/index.html for your use and distribution to clientele."

Thanks for everyone's help during the State Fair!

Thank you to everyone who worked in the Demonstration gardens during the 2008 Illinois State Fair. The Fair was an excellent opportunity to showcase our gardens and the Master Gardener program in general.

Master Gardeners recorded 1,400 fairgoers walked through the garden. Not only were questions answered in the gardens from fairgoers, but also calls we received in the office were answered promptly. Congratulations to everyone on a job well done!

Prairie State Orchid Society

Saturday, September 27 – Prairie State Orchid Society is sponsoring a bus trip to the Chicago Orchidfest. The bus will leave Springfield at 7 a.m. and return about 9 p.m. Trip will include stops at Windsong Orchids, Orchids by Hausermann, Oak Hill Gardens and Natt's Orchids.

Cost is $25 for PSOS members and $40 for non-members. For questions or to make a reservation, George Kloppe, 488-6129. Reservation deadline is Sept. 8.

Master Gardener Advisory Committee Meeting

The Sangamon-Menard Master Gardener Advisory Committee will meet Monday, September 15, 9:30 am.

Diane Mathis, Southwind Park Project Coordinator for Springfield Park District, will present information on the Sensory Garden project at the Park.

If you have items you would like discussed please contact a committee member or attend the meeting.

Southwind Park Project Meeting

Southwind Park Project committee members are asked to attend the Master Gardener Advisory meeting on Monday, September 15, 9:30 a.m.

Diane Mathis, Southwind Park Project Coordinator for Springfield Park District, will present information on the Sensory Garden project.

To view a map and more information about the park visit the Springfield Park District website at http://www.springfieldparks.org/ (click on Southwind Park Project in the upper left corner).

Master Gardener Help Desk-Days Available

The desk will be open 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

Master Gardener Weekly Volunteer Programs:

Sangamon County Juvenile Center garden

Anyone interested in helping with the vegetable/flower garden at the Sangamon County Juvenile Center is welcome to join us. On the average we work about an hour a week. The center is located at 2201 S. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield. Questions contact Shirley W.

Activities at 4:30 pm: September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and October 7, 14.

St. Joseph's Home Garden Therapy

St. Joseph's Garden Therapy meets every Thursday at 1:30 pm. Various gardening programs have been planned for the residents. MG's are encouraged to join us at St. Joseph's Home, 3306 South 6th St. Rd. Programs last approximately 45 minutes. Questions may be sent to Mary K.

Activity dates are Thursdays at 1:30 pm: September 4, 11, 18, 25.

Plant a Row For the Hungry

Master Gardeners are encouraged to donate produce to the Central Illinois Foodbank or local food panty. Also encourage other gardeners to plant extra in their garden. Need more information, contact one of the co-chairs.

Demonstration Garden Committee Meeting Dates

Herb Garden/Grape Arbor Committee:
Next meeting is Tuesday, September 9, at 9:00 am at the Extension Building.

Committee co-chairs for 2008: Terri C.

Identification Garden Committee:

Next meeting is Tuesday, September 23, at 6 p.m., Extension Building

Committee chair for 2008: Kathy J.

Perennial Garden Committee:

Next meeting is Monday, September 15, at 8 a.m. in the Extension Building.

Committee co-chairs for 2008: Darrell M. and Sue D.

Compost Committee:

Master Gardener volunteers have joined with the city of Springfield waste and recycling and DCEO to sponsor a compost demonstration area as part of our Demonstration garden. New committee members are welcome.

Complete your continuing education NOW!!! Remember an active Master Gardener needs 10 hours of continuing education each year. The year is winding down and so are educational opportunities.

Cut and Dried Program

University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit Master Gardeners will be hosting a demonstration on "Floral and Herb Arrangements: Cut and Dried" on Thursday, September 4, at 5:30 p.m.

Herbs can add an extra touch to floral arrangements and a wonderful aromatic quality, too! Bring your own vase(s) and experiment with cuttings from our gardens: herbs and flowers, both perennials and annuals. Presentation will last 30 minutes, followed by a question and answer session.

Program will be held in the demonstration garden- Herb and Identification Gardens located in the Master Gardener demonstration garden in front of the University of Illinois Extension Building, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield. Program is free and open to the public. If you have any questions call 782-4617.

Invite to EAB Field Day in Chenoa on Sept. 4, 2008

The Mayor of the City of Chenoa, Walter Hetman, and his City Council would like to invite everyone and anyone who are public works directors, city park directors, tree care companies and arborists all across the Central Illinois Region to come to Chenoa on September 4 for a Field Day surrounding EAB. The first session will be at 10 a.m. and a second session will be at 1 p.m. Please RSVP your attendance and indicate which session you plan to attend to juliann.heminghous@illinois.gov

The field day will be held at the main pavilion located in the Main City Park near Zubeck Field.

We will set up a peeling station and train everyone who attends, on what to look for and how to examine ash limbs for evidence of EAB larvae.

If you would like to see the agenda or would like to carpool, contact Jennifer.

Four Seasons Gardening Program Continues with Fall Series

It is time for the fall gardening series. This is the final series for the 2008 season. The season is winding down but there is always time to learn something new for next year. Tree Identification and Maintenance, Going Green with Evergreens, and Backyard Composting will be presented. Each program will be offered twice for your convenience.

The first topic in the series is on Tree Identification and Maintenance. The program is offered on Tuesday, September 16, at 1 p.m. and again on Thursday, September 18, at 7 p.m. Kari Houle, U of I Extension horticulture educator, will present the program via teleconference. The seminar focuses on properly identifying trees and caring for them to help ensure a long life. The program includes a color slide presentation accompanied by the voice of the instructor as people from all over the state participate.

Going Green with Evergreens is the second program in this 3-part series. The program is offered on Tuesday, September 30, at 1 p.m. and again on Thursday, October 2, at 7 p.m. Chris Hilgert, U of I Extension horticulture educator, will present the program via teleconference. Participants will learn about hardy, low-maintenance evergreens that can beautify your home. The seminar features a color slide presentation accompanied by the voice of the instructor as people from all over the state participate.

Programs will be held at the U of I Extension Building #30, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield. If interested please register on-line on our website at www.extension.uiuc.edu/sangamonmenard. If you don't have internet, call (217) 782-4617. Cost to attend is $2.

Advanced Training in Tree I.D.

Do you have trouble telling a white oak from a burr oak? Or maybe you really can't tell if it's a maple or an oak? Then the Advanced Training in Tree I.D. class may be for you. Class involves 6 sessions of classroom and field instruction with an optional review session. All sessions are held on Fridays from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM: Sept 5, 19, 26, Oct 3, 10, 17 (optional review) and October 24 (open book quiz). Classroom sessions are held at UI Extension Champaign County auditorium with field instruction at area parks and on campus. The 27-32 hours of instruction count toward annual continuing education requirement. You will discover over 70 ornamental and native trees with instructor Sandy Mason and Master Gardener program coordinator Karyn Traum. Registration is limited to Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists. To receive a completion of advanced training you will be expected to attend all six class periods and successfully complete the quiz. Please note that all class periods will involve walking to observe trees in the field. Register today! Class size limited to 25 students. Cost of the class is $75, payable to the UI Extension Champaign County and includes binder, plenty of handouts to help in identifying trees, and a hand lens for seeing fine details of buds and twigs. To register send your $75 to UI Extension office 801 North Country Fair Drive Champaign IL 61821 or register online at our Master Gardener website. http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/champaign/mg/ Registration is completed once payment is received. Questions? Contact Sandy at slmason@illinois.edu, phone 217-333-7672.

If you plan to attend and would like to carpool, contact Jennifer.

Illinois Native Plant Society Central Chapter Programs

The Illinois Native Plant Society Central Chapter meets at the Washington Park Botanical Gardens at 6:30 pm.

Next meeting is September 11. Program is Jim Schuster, Botanical Crime Scene Investigation, Examining the Evidence.

Introduction to Prairies Seminar

Join Ken Robertson, prairie expert and author of the Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois website, and Don Gardner, prairie restorationist, as they present a synopsis of the ecology, history and diversity of prairies, along with information on restoring prairies to the landscape.

This statewide teleconference, which includes a PowerPoint presentation filled with prairie images, is set for Tuesday, October 21. The seminar begins at 1:30 p.m.. and is repeated at 6:30 p.m. Program will last approximately 90 minutes.

Programs will be held at the U of I Extension Building #30, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield. If interested please register on-line on our website at www.extension.uiuc.edu/sangamonmenard or call (217) 782-4617. Cost to attend is $2.

Home Study Courses for Education

Sangamon-Menard Unit is offering several home study courses and stepping stones programs to assist Master Gardener's with completion of educational hours. These programs are typically offered as weekly mailings but will be offered to Master Gardeners as a packet. There are six topics to choose from: Environmentally Friendly Gardening Home Study Course, Stepping Stones to Trees, Stepping Stones to Landscaping, Stepping Stones to Perennial Garden Design, Stepping Stones to Lawn Care, and Composting Happens Home Study Course.

· Environmentally Friendly Gardening Home Study Course contains six lessons aimed at instructing the home gardener on how to reduce environmental impact in the landscape. This series focuses on more efficient watering, reducing use of chemicals, attracting wildlife, and the benefits of composting. This will count as 5 1/2 hours of continuing education hours.

$5 if pick up, $10 if mailed

· Stepping Stones to Trees is an eight lesson series designed to teach basic principles concerning tree care. This series will cover selection, planting, and maintenance of trees in the home landscape. This series will count as 5 continuing education hours.

$5 if pick up, $10 if mailed

· The Stepping Stones to Landscaping series is directed toward helping the homeowner develop a landscape plan. This is a sixteen-lesson program that includes landscaping rules, tree and shrub selection, and nightscaping among others. This will count as 12 hours of continuing education. $10 if pick up, $15 if mailed

· Backyard Basics Composting Home Study Course is a six lesson course that explains the do's and don't of home composting. The series covers what, when, where and why to compost. This will count as 5 hours of continuing education hours.

$5 if pick up, $10 if mailed

· Stepping Stones to Lawn Care covers various aspects about the home lawn. Topics from mowing, renovation, pest management, and fertilization are covered in this eleven lesson series. This series will count for 6 hours of continuing education hours.

$5 if pick up, $10 if mailed

· Stepping Stones to Perennial Garden Design is designed to assist the homeowner in choosing and creating a perennial garden. The course will cover site assessment, style, plant selection and placement, and maintenance in six lessons. This series will count as 9 hours of continuing education hours. Available as paper copy or on U of I Extension website, http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/gardendesign/ $7.50 if pick up, $12.50 if mailed

There is no charge for reading the lessons at the office. They will be available for purchase if you would like to take a stepping stones set home. Please call Jennifer or Sandy in advance if you would like to purchase a set. To count as education, submit a short report outlining what you learned from the lessons.

International Master Gardener Conference

Registration is now open for the International Master Gardener Conference that will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Conference will be held on March 22- 26, 2009.

Registration fees are: $260 early bird; $310 regular registration.

Hotel rates are $129 for Monarch standard suite (double-double, queen or king)

Keynote Speakers:

Jeff Lowenfels, author "Teaming with Microbes" and founder "Plant a Row for the Hungry"

Dr. Marvin Miller, Ball Horticulture Co. and "America in Bloom"

For regularly updated information on the 2009 International Master Gardener Conference visit: www.unce.unr.edu/imgc

Bonsai Society

The Springfield Bonsai Society will be having a bonsai workshop Saturday, October 4, from 9 am to 3 pm at Washington Park Botanical Garden Exhibit Hall. Advanced techniques will be discussed. Beginners are welcome to come observe. There is a fee for the workshop. Contact: Manish Sumant for more info at 217-652-9619 or msumant1@netscape.net.

Mill Creek Farm Tour – October 3

Mike and Theresa Roegge planted their first crops of strawberries and pumpkins

in 1995. Today their farm has grown to include sweet corn, asparagus and an educational

agri-tourism business complete with a corn maze. Roegge's Mill Creek Farm in Quincy, is

the site of the final University of Illinois Extension small farms tour this year. The tour will run

from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 3.

On the tour, Mike and Theresa Roegge will talk about how Mill Creek Farm grew to what it is

today and why growing local food is important. "Theresa will be hosting school classes and

we'll listen in on her educational message that she gives to a class that day," said Mike

Roegge. "And if we can get some warm weather, we'll venture out to the corn maze."

Roegge said that the corn maze was planted late so it needs some warm days to grow.

"Mill Creek Farm is a great example of a local foods operation that has grown and flourished

by responding to what the community wants," said Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, Extension

Specialist, Small Farm and Sustainable Agriculture.

A registration fee of $20 per person will be charged for the tour, which includes lunch.

Registration at least one week in advance is required. Visit

web.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm/ to register and for more details about each of the tours

including a map and agenda. To register by phone, contact Donna Cray at 217-241-4644.

For more information, contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant (217-968-5512;

cvnghgrn@uiuc.edu).

For more information about Mill Creek Farm, visit www.millcreekfarmquincy.com/.

EDU- Education

VOL- Volunteer

Unless otherwise noted, all meeting locations are U of I Extension Building, IL State Fairgrounds, Bldg. #30.

September 4, 11, 18, 25- Garden Therapy at St. Joseph's Home, 1:30 p.m. (VOL)

September 4- Cut and Dried, 5:30 pm (VOL)

September 9- Herb garden committee meeting, 9 am (VOL)

September 9, 16, 23, 30 at 4:30 p.m. Juvenile Center Vegetable Gardens at the Center (VOL)

September 15- Perennial garden committee meeting, 8 am (VOL)

September 15- Master Gardener Advisory Committee meeting, 9:30 am (VOL)

September 16- Tree Identification and Maintenance telenet, 1 pm (EDU)

September 23- Identification garden committee meeting, 6 pm (VOL)

September 18- Tree Identification and Maintenance telenet, 7 pm (EDU)

September 30- Going Green with Evergreen telenet, 1 pm (EDU)

October 2- Going Green with Evergreen telenet, 7 pm (EDU)

October 14- Herb garden committee meeting, 9 am (VOL)

October 14- Backyard Composting telenet, 1 pm (VOL)

October 16- Backyard Composting telenet, 7 pm (VOL)

October 20- Perennial garden committee meeting, 8 am (VOL)

October 20- Master Gardener Advisory Committee meeting, 9:30 am (VOL)

November 17- Master Gardener Advisory Committee meeting, 9:30 am (VOL)