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Vol. 12, No.2

March/April 2008

University of Illinois Extension, Pike County Horticulture Newsletter

Pike County 1301 E. Washington St. Pittsfield, IL 62363 Phone: (217) 285-5543

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any program we offer, please contact University of Illinois Extension, Pike County at 217-285-5543.

Articles in This Issue: Upcoming Events ................................................. 1 Germinating Flower Seed Isn’t Always Easy ..... 2 Easter Lilies ......................................................... 2 Azaleas – A Striking Flower ................................ 3 Control Scale Insects on Trees ............................ 4 Pruning Trees in Spring ...................................... 4 Spring Landscape Activities ................................ 5 Gardening with Allergies in Mind ....................... 6 A Passion for Purple Vegetables ......................... 7 Announcing Perennial Plant of the Year............ 8 The Wonders of Woodland Wildflowers ............. 9 Small Native Trees for A Flower Spring Show ... 10 Washing of the Salad Greens .............................. 11 The Master Gardener’s Plot ................................ 11

Upcoming Events Program costs for each telenet is $2 or $5 if you would like color handouts. If you would like a CD of the program there is a $2 charge for each CD. All telenets will be held at the Pike County Extension office beginning at 1:00 p.m. Spring is here and it is time for the University of Illinois Extension spring gardening programs. The spring series is the second of four seasonal offerings for gardening enthusiasts! Orchids 101, Containers with Pizzazz, and A Palette of Annuals: From A to Z will be presented. Each program will be offered twice for your convenience. Horticulture Programs Offered during Spring 2008:

Orchids 101 is for beginners who want to learn the basics of orchid growing. Have you ever wanted to grow orchids but got scared off by their “diva” reputation for high maintenance and their often high

price tag? Learn how to select orchids suitable for the home, and how to keep them alive once you get them there. Join Jennifer Nelson, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension, as she presents tips on growing orchids in the home. Included will be a discussion of selecting orchids wellsuited for the home, and their basic care and troubleshooting. Orchids 101 will be offered on Tuesday April 8, 2008 at 1:00 pm. Deadline to register: Friday, April 4. Containers with PIZZAZ will give you new ideas for old containers. Think beyond geraniums and vinca vine in a clay pot! Throw away the old traditions. Why not plant a pair of old boots with purple petunias for your home’s front entrance? Or plant an old sink with sweet potato vines and ornamental millet. Tired of clay pots – bring in some bright blue or lime green containers. The great thing about container gardens is they can add PIZZAZZ to otherwise dull areas such as patios, decks, balconies and walkways. Jennifer Fishburn, Horticulture Educator, University of Illinois Extension, and Karen Grant, Master Gardener, will present ideas for Containers with Pizzazz. Included will be a discussion of container selection, plant selection, design considerations and proper planting and maintenance to help ensure success. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 1:00 pm. Deadline to register: Friday, April 18. A Palette of Annuals from A to Z will surely get you inspired! Say the word "flowers" and most people think of annuals. Of course there are many types of flowering plants, but annuals win hands down for color, dependability, diversity, versatility, and minimal maintenance. How can you not love plants that knock themselves out all the way to (and sometimes through) autumn. Join Jim Schmidt,

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Horticulture Specialist, as he shows various annuals from cool season stars, to classic standards, to those for hot, dry locations, as well as other categories. Jim will discuss merits of growing these plants, give cultivar suggestions, and tips for success just in time for your spring planting. Plan on attending A Palette of Annuals from A to Z on Tuesday, May 6 at 1:00 p.m. Deadline to register: Friday, May 2. All programs offered in this Spring Series will be held at University of Illinois Extension, Pike County, 1301 E. Washington St., Pittsfield, Illinois (inside the Pike County Farm Bureau building.) If interested please call the Pike County office at 217285-5543 and reserve a seat and packet of information.

Germinating Flower Seed Isn’t Always Easy Flower seeds are often much smaller than vegetable seeds. Some are so tiny, almost like dust, that handling them is a real challenge. So if your flower seeds fail to germinate, you—rather than the seed— are probably at fault. Good germination of flower seeds takes proper temperature, moisture and oxygen. The procedure is a lot easier to do indoors than in an outside flowerbed.

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germination, 70 to 80 degrees F in some cases. Sometimes a plastic tent over the lights will hold sufficient heat around the seed flats. Use a light, porous medium for germinating the seed. The ready-made brands available from your local greenhouse or seed store work well. These mixes are sterilized, so be sure you take every precaution to maintain sanitation. Don't use dirty old containers or tools. Timing is often the most difficult decision for starting annuals indoors. If you start too early, you will need a lot of room and light to keep the plants spaced so they don't become leggy. If you start too late, plants are too small to set out and you lose the advantage of the early start. As a general rule, plant seeds of the slowest-growing varieties about 12 to 15 weeks before planting out time, May 1 or so in central Illinois. That means sowing seeds as early as the first week of February. Fast growing seeds such as marigolds can be sown as late as April 1 and still make sizeable plants by early May. Growing your own seedlings is quite a challenge. Expect to have a few problems the first time you try. But, once you master it, there is a lot of satisfaction in knowing you did it yourself.

Easter Lilies Small seeded flowers such as begonias, impatiens, geraniums, snapdragons or salvia need to be sown in February so that plants are large enough to set out by Memorial Day. To grow your own plants, a small greenhouse would be best, but few of us are fortunate enough to have one. The next best option is use of fluorescent lights in an area of your home where you can have some control over temperatures and where spilled water won't be inconvenient. A corner in the basement or an unused room work well. The use of 40 watt, cool, white fluorescent tubes about six inches apart and set just above the plant tops should provide enough light to keep the plants growing normally until time to move them outside. In addition to light, you'll need to figure out some way to give the seeds the right temperatures they need for

The Easter season is a time of gloom-dispersing freshness, whether it comes in mid March or mid April. What better symbol for all the promises of spring than the Easter lily in its splendor with beautiful, clear bell-like flowers and an entrancing fragrance? In return for the pleasure the Easter lily provides, moderate light and simple care are all that are needed to enjoy it indoors for some time after the plant is received. Even better, with a little care, you can plant it outdoors after flowering, and it will bloom again the same year. Easter lilies will tolerate extremes that many other plants won't survive.

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However, you can enjoy the blossoms longer if you keep the plants out of direct sunlight or warm drafts. It is worthwhile to place the plant on an unheated, but frost-free, porch at night. To keep the plant looking its best, remove the lily flowers as soon as they wither, and clip any leaf ends that may brown. After all the flowers have been removed, you can keep the plant in a sunny window for its pleasing foliage or remove it to a basement window until danger from frost is over. Should the plant begin to go into a rest period, the leaves will start to yellow and fall. The plant should then be kept on the dry side to discourage rots. The lily can be planted in a sunny garden spot as soon as danger from frost is past. Remove the plant from the pot by inverting it; and, while gently holding the top, tap the edge of the pot on a step or heavy board. Open the root ball by pulling upward and out from the center of the ball. A few torn roots are better than an undisturbed dense root mass that may not be able to establish new roots in the soil. Clumped and matted roots are more likely to die and even injure the bulb. Place the bulb a few inches deeper than it was in the pot; open the root as much as possible, and work soil through them. Thoroughly water the plant. One-half teaspoon of a 10-10-10 fertilizer per gallon helps promote new top and root growth. Soon after the old tops die, new shoots will start. These will flower later, usually in July or August, if given ordinary garden care. Be sure that trees, weeds or other plants do not shade the lily. Although many people report good results, none of the lily varieties are reliably hardy. If the ground is well drained, you can cover plants with mulch during the cold winter months—just as is done for roses. Mulches of straw, leaves, evergreen boughs, wood chips or ground corncobs are satisfactory. Most of the lilies are killed by exposure to winter winds and sun. Mulches limit the heaving action of the soil and, thus, prevent bulb exposure.

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Azaleas—A Striking Flower One of the most striking flowers on display in florist shops is the azalea. Available in various patterns and shades of pink, rose, red crimson, orchid and white, azaleas give just that brilliant touch of spring that is needed in homes at this time of year. Don't confuse florist azaleas with varieties planted outdoors in the landscape. Although they have similar growing requirements, florist azaleas are not hardy if planted outdoors. To extend flowering, place azaleas in a cool spot with bright light. Although azaleas will hold up amazingly well in a warm, dry location, they will bloom quickly and blossoms will only last a short time. Plants benefit from humidity and an occasional syringing of foliage with tepid water is desirable. Azaleas like to be kept moist, but not sopping wet. Most soils are lightweight and composed of mainly peat moss. They’ll dry out quickly, and the plant will wilt. Plants may need to be watered daily or every other day. Containers should have drainage holes. Leave it in the water until bubbles stop rising, then remove and allow the excess moisture to drain off. Azaleas of all kinds require acid soils. Yellow or chlorotic foliage usually indicates that the soil is too alkaline, resulting in an iron deficiency within the plant. Adding either chelated iron or iron (ferrous) sulphate will help remedy or prevent this condition. A variety of houseplant fertilizers are available which acidify the soil while they provide an iron supplement. Use one of these to avoid or correct problems. A word of warning: yellow leaves may also be the result of growing plants under conditions that are too warm and dry. Reblooming your florist azalea for continued enjoyment next year is possible, but can be challenging. After you have enjoyed the blooms, and when outdoor temperatures are above freezing, place your azaleas outdoors for a summer vacation. Avoid direct sun, and be sure to check the plant daily for watering needs.

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Before midsummer (July 1), carefully shape the plants by removing tips of all rapidly growing shoots. Continue to water and fertilize regularly. In September, bring the azalea indoors to a cool room with full sun. Provide temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees F from November until the first of the year. Cool temperatures are needed for flower bud development and without them few, if any, flowers will form. Withhold fertilizer applications, and reduce watering. As buds continue to develop and swell in January or early February, move your plant to a sunny window in a somewhat warmer room and apply fertilizer. The temperature for forcing flowers should be near 60 degrees F at night (10 to 15 degrees warmer during the day), with plenty of humidity in the air. In a few weeks, flowering begins—and your efforts will be lavishly rewarded. At excessive temperatures, buds may "blast." To prolong flowering, remove green shoots as they develop around the flower buds.

Control Scale Insects on Trees Scale insects on shade and fruit trees as well as shrubs can usually be controlled in late winter with a dormant oil spray. Dormant oil is lightweight petroleum oil usually sold as dormant oil, superior oil or Volck oil spray. It is applied to deciduous woody plants while they are dormant to kill exposed overwintering insects. Cottony maple, lecanium, euonymus and San Jose scales, as well as European red mite, are the most common pests controlled because they are difficult to control at other times of the year. Scales are protected from insecticides for most of the year by either a hardened body wall or a secreted waxy covering. Outside of dormant oil treatments, scale insects are only susceptible to pesticides as crawlers shortly after egg hatch. The crawler stage lasts only for a few days before the insect settles down into a leaf or branch to feed. It then molts to the next nymph stage and develops its protective covering.

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Mites are difficult to control during the summer because they reproduce quickly and are not controlled by most insecticides. Even the use of miticides may kill mite predators that were keeping the harmful mites in check. When dormant oil is applied, it covers the overwintering mite eggs, the overwintering scale insects and any exposed insect eggs. This coating of oil shuts off these animals' air supply and suffocates them. This pesticide is used while the plant is dormant because the oil can also be toxic to the plant. Applications before leaves start to emerge reduce this problem. For the same reason, dormant oils should be applied only if the temperature for the 24 hours after treatment stays above 40 F, so that the oil quickly evaporates off the bark. Evergreens and hard maples, such as sugar maple and Norway maple, should not be sprayed with a dormant oil spray due to possibilities of damage to these plants. However, it is possible to spray Euonymus vines (Big Leaf Wintercreeper) and lilacs to control scales on them. Don't worry if the leaves fall off the plants on the Euonymus. They would have dropped when new growth starts in a few weeks. Dormant oil only needs to be applied once every three or four years. Make sure to spray the areas beneath the plant as well.

Pruning Trees in Spring There is an old saying that you can prune a tree whenever the saw is sharp. However, the effects of pruning a tree can vary with the season and according to how much of the tree is pruned away. Early spring pruning of trees is often preferred because plants are approaching a period of rapid growth and pruning wounds will heal quickly. In general, if all you want to do is trim out dead, weak or diseased parts of the tree, this type of

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pruning can be done at any time of the year without drastic effects on the tree. If you prune to thin the trees—to allow light for grass and shrubs—prune in late winter or early spring. Heavy pruning done after growth starts in spring can weaken a tree because it forces the tree to use stored food for re-growth instead of for new growth. Heavy pruning during late summer should also be avoided because it can stimulate lush, succulent growth. Elm, ash and oak are an exception. Prune elm and oak during late summer, fall or winter to avoid the change of infection with Dutch elm disease and oak wilt disease. Insects can spread these diseases, and fresh wounds made during the growing season are likely attractants. Ash trees under stress should not be pruned during June or July because of the likelihood of an infestation with ash borer. Birch and maple are known as bleeders and will "bleed" clear sap if pruned in early spring. Bleeding will not harm a tree but causes concern to owners because of sap loss. To avoid sap loss, prune after trees are fully leafed out. Many people feel large trees should be topped. This is an unfortunate misconception. Rather than eliminating "top heaviness," topping produces a weak tree subject to major problems. When a tree is topped, large branches are drastically cut back in length. A majority of the small, leaf bearing branches is also removed. Topping a tree leaves many large stubs that can provide an ideal entrance for insects and diseases. The shearing effect results in a mass of growth the following year, near the end of each cut. These branches are weak and easily broken. A more severe problem caused by topping occurs in the root system. A delicate balance exists between the leaf and root area. When a large amount of branches are removed, portions of the root system will die as there are not enough leaves to manufacture food for the root system. Disease organisms that lead to rotting frequently attack these dead and dying roots. Improper pruning of limbs can also lead to weak, hollowed trunks. Pruning cuts should be made close to the trunk, a bud or branch. Do not leave stubs. Stubs are an open invitation to rot and decay and eventually

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can lead to rot entering healthy tissue and the trunk. Proper pruning averts this problem. Proper pruning techniques include: removing dead or dying branches, eliminating narrow, v-shaped crotch angles, trimming out limbs that grow towards the center of the tree, removing limbs that rub together, making cuts close to the trunk or branch and not leaving stubs.

Spring Landscape Activities The seasons wax and wane. We experience rakes and rain. Spring is almost here according to the calendar but the weather has us on a temperature roller coaster ride. Rising warm spring temperatures fuel our sense of omnipotence in our gardens. Then a cold wave slaps us back into the reality of spring weather. Rolling temperatures bring questions about when to do what. So get out your red pen and start checking. General Average last frost date is approximately April 21. For tender plants such as impatiens, coleus, canna, basil, and tomatoes, wait until after May 10 before planting. (You will probably plant them the first nice day in April, but hey, I tried to warn you).

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Finish pruning apples and grape vines. Plant hardy vegetables such as kale, leaf lettuce, potatoes, spinach, and turnips.

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Prune trees and summer flowering shrubs while still dormant. Many shrubs can be reduced in size by using renewal or heading back methods. Sterilize tools in between each cut with 10% bleach when pruning diseased plants. Summer flowering shrubs bloom on new wood after mid June. Renewal pruning method is the removal of the oldest stems leaving the younger stems to develop. Wait to prune early flowering forsythia and lilac until after flowering. If needed, rejuvenate shrubs such as Anthony Waterer spirea, honeysuckle, redtwig dogwood and privet by cutting stems down to 4 to 6 inches.

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Transplant or plant trees and shrubs. Plants preferring spring transplant over fall include most oak, birch, bald cypress, dogwood, and magnolia. Inspect trees with a past history of tent caterpillar. Look for dark brown or gray egg masses that encircle the twig. Destroy by pruning or scratching off with thumbnail. Apply dormant oil spray to euonymus to control the insect euonymus scale. Dormant oil sprays will also give partial control of pine needle scale. Temperatures should be above freezing for 24 hours after spraying. Some scale species such as oystershell scale are not controlled by dormant oil sprays. Get accurate identification of insect to determine control program.

Flowers  

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Clean up any plant debris that wasn't removed last fall. Gradually pull back mulch from plant crowns. Cut back ornamental grasses to 4-6 inches before growth starts. The cool season grasses such a Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora) green up quickly in spring so don't wait. The popular Miscanthus cultivars are warm season grasses so a little more time is available to prune them. Late March – early April gradually pull back mulch from roses. Be on the look out for rabbit damage on newly emerging perennials and spring bulbs. Fencing or inverted wire mesh baskets provide the only complete protection. Repellants may give some control.

Lawns     

Wait until broadleaf weeds are actively growing before treating with postemergence herbicides. Get lawn mower ready. Sharpen blades, change oil and clean air filter. Wait until late April to early May for first fertilizer application. Rake up any twigs and debris. Wait until April to apply crabgrass control otherwise a second application may be necessary to control late season crabgrass seed germination.

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Establish lawns by sod throughout season as long as adequate water is available. Establish or renovate turf by seed. Prepare soil properly and get good seed to soil contact. Select turf mixes and blends appropriate to the site and to maintenance practices. Southern Illinois – March; Central Illinois – March15-April 15; Northern Illinois – April.

Gardening With Allergies In Mind A snort, a sneeze, followed by two sniffles. Ah it's the call of the allergy sufferer. It's estimated that 50 million people suffer each year from allergies. Many of us look forward to spring, but for others it can mean a season of suffering from sneezing, runny nose, and itchy watery eyes. Allergy symptoms range from being an annoyance to life threatening. Although many things can trigger allergies including pet dander, work, mold, and fragrances, pollen is a common allergen. Not all plants have the same likelihood of causing allergies. Plants that are wind pollinated have the most potential to create allergies. These plants produce vast quantities of pollen grains that are carried by the wind to a receptive female flower. Unfortunately the cloud of pollen can also end up in our noses and eyes. Wind pollinated plants tend to have relatively small green or brown flowers. The flowers may go completely unnoticed by most people. A good example is ragweed, a common allergy producing plant. Many tree and shrub flowers are barely noticed visually, but pack a punch nasally. Most people blame goldenrod for their allergies when it is more likely the ragweed that blooms at the same time that is causing their symptoms. Goldenrod is insect pollinated. Insect pollinated plants tend to have heavy sticky pollen so it will stick well to bees and other insects as they travel from flower to flower. These plants are much less likely to cause allergies since the pollen isn't in the air. Bright, highly colored, showy flowers are usually insect pollinated. People's sensitivity to certain plants can vary widely so always discuss your allergies with your health care professional. Plants shed pollen at different times of the year so a look at the calendar might help to narrow

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down the culprit. Trees and shrubs are some of our first bloomers. Plant sex can also be the source of sniffling and sneezing. Some plants are both male and female while others have male plants and female plants. Since it's the males that shed pollen, beware of male plants. Unfortunately for allergy sufferers male plants are often selected for planting since the fruits of many female trees such as ash or Kentucky coffeetree are considered unsightly or messy. Here are a few trees with allergy causing potential: Ash (male), cottonwood, elm, hickory, juniper/cedar, mulberry, oaks, walnut, pine, poplar (male), sycamore, Russian olive, and willow. Other allergy producing plants can include: Kentucky bluegrass (if allowed to flower), orchard grass, timothy grass, castor bean, pigweed and lamb's quarter. Since many of these plants are throughout our communities it's not practical to completely eliminate the source of pollen but if you are adding plants to your landscape and are an allergy sufferer, consider the allergy potential of a plant before planting. We may also want to reevaluate plant selections in playgrounds. Once you determine which plants may be causing your symptoms, you can then figure the worst and best times to work in the garden. If you do go outside during the worst times, reduce your exposure by wearing gloves, a long sleeved shirt, hat, and sunglasses or goggles. Also wearing a pollen mask may be necessary. After working outside take a shower and thoroughly wash hair and clothes. You also have a good excuse to delegate certain garden chores to others. Such as:  Working in the compost pile where molds may be prevalent.  Working with mulch or straw.  Raking or mowing lawns. Mowing can be particularly bad since it causes grass, pollen, and mold to go airborne. In the mean time, look to the bees to tell you which flowers are best for a sneezeless spring.

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For more information, check out Tom Ogren's book, Allergy-Free Gardening.

A Passion for Purple Vegetables To be healthy humans we are encouraged to eat a rainbow of foods everyday; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and even purple. At first glance fruits reign supreme for blues and purples with blueberries, plums, grapes, and raspberries. However with some fanciful selections vegetables can include the entire rainbow including the elusive blues and purples. Eggplant is the quintessential purple vegetable. As a member of the tomato family eggplant grows as well here as its pepper and tomato cousins. Eggplant varieties range from purple, violet to white. If harvested too late eggplant can be tough with large chewy seeds. One new variety gives us plenty of opportunity to pick eggplant at the peak of purple perfection. Eggplant 'Hansel' is a 2008 All America Selections winner. Clusters of fruit are produced on compact upright plants of only three feet tall. 'Hansel' has very few seeds, and stays tender whether it's picked at three-inch length or even at ten-inch length. Our passion for purple extends into carrots, cauliflower, peppers, and snap beans. Carrot 'Purple Haze' is a 2006 All America Selections winner. It's a tie-dye dream with its deep purple skin and bright orange flesh. At 7-8 inches long 'Purple Haze' carrot provides many fresh slices for quite the savory sight in a salad. Tired of plain ol' white cauliflower? How about the deep purple of 'Violet Queen' with its open broccolilike heads? Or 'Garffiti' cauliflower with its intense purple heads? Both look dramatic served raw with dips. The deep purple pods of 'Purple Queen' snap bean are easy to spot on the bushy plants. Another snap bean variety 'Royal Burgundy' can be used raw in salads to show off the deep purple at its best. If dark purple is a bit too bold, why not try 'Tanya' bean with its large flat pink pods. Purple beans don't keep their color after cooking, but they will be a favorite for their excellent taste and texture.

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Peppers offer a pantheon of purple. 'Islander' bell pepper has lovely light lavender skin with pale flesh. If left on the plant peppers go through their own rainbow of colors as they continue to ripen. Once 'Islander' turns light purple it will age to dark red passing through multi-colored phases of yellow and orange along the way. Some peppers are so purple they appear black as with 'Black Pearl' and 'Pretty in Purple'. Several tomato varieties such as 'Cherokee Purple' proclaim purple, but none are the pretty purple of peppers. Our penchant for purple includes 'Early Purple Vienna' kohlrabi with its deep purple skin and white flesh, deep purple scallions, purple salad greens, and purple tomatillos. Purple basil is as lovely in the garden as it is on the plate. Numerous varieties of purple basil are available including: 'Ararat' (mottled green and purple); 'Dark Opal', 'Osmin Purple'; 'Red Rubin'; and 'Purple Ruffles'. Plant purple basil with pink petunias for a spectacular look in the garden or in containers. Taste is on the tongue of the betaster, but some purple varieties are said to be sweeter than their green counterparts. 'Purple Passion' asparagus is reported to be sweeter and more tender than green asparagus. Unfortunately the purple color fades to green during cooking of most vegetables. To retain as much nutrition and color, don't overcook vegetables. Also adding a little lemon juice or vinegar to the vegetables during cooking may help to produce a prettier final product. Farmers markets and some grocery stores have added color oddities to their veggie varieties, but you may have to grow your own purple preferences. But be forewarned. These veggies are so pretty in the garden you may feel a slight pang of purple pain at picking time.

Announcing Perennial Plant of the Year Angelina, Hillary, Fergie, Cher - just a few of the ladies recognized by their first names. In the gardening world a lovely lady named Rozanne has become a perennial favorite. The Perennial Plant Association has elevated Geranium 'Rozanne' to high priestess of the flower garden as the 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year.

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This winner is not just another pretty face in the garden. Award winners are chosen by the members of the Perennial Plant Association for the plant's beauty, but also for its durability, suitability to a wide range of climate types, low maintenance, multiple seasonal interest, and easy growing nature. As far as I know no superdelegates were involved. The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) is a trade organization comprised of growers, retailers, educators, and garden writers that are dedicated to the improvement of perennial plants through education that enhances production, promotion and utilization of perennial plants. One look at Geranium 'Rozanne' in the garden quickly seals a gardener's love for her. She is draped in iridescent violet-blue, slightly cup-shaped flowers with purple-violet veins streaming through the white centers and blue petals. The bloom period is remarkable with flowers starting in late spring and continuing well into fall. The dark green leaves have deeply cut margins and a slight hint of chartreuse colored marbling. In fall the leaves turn a lovely coppery red for a bit of late color in the flower garden. 'Rozanne' has a noteworthy stage appearance in the garden at 20 inches tall mounding to 24-28 inches wide. She is a tough gal surviving cold, heat, and drought. She appears to have no insect or disease problems. She doesn't take much maintenance; however, similar to many perennial geraniums her appearance is improved with a severe haircut down to three inches in August. This year's winner has multiple uses in the landscape as a ground cover or in the front of the flower garden as a border or single specimen plant. 'Rozanne' is attractive paired with some of the past winners of the perennial plant of the year such as the white daisy Leucanthemum 'Becky', the white Phlox 'David', or deep purple-blue spiked flowers of Salvia 'May Night'. Pink flowers of Salvia 'Rose Queen', Salvia 'Pink Friesland', Veronica 'Tickled Pink' or Purple Coneflower 'Magnus' are also dramatic in combinations with 'Rozanne'. Let her ramble around daylilies, peonies, or roses. Give 'Rozanne' a backdrop

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with ornamental grasses such as Feather Reed Grass 'Karl Foerster' or Miscanthus 'Morning Light'. The majority of the time I have whole-heartedly agreed with the Perennial Plant Association picks for perennial plant of the year. This year is no exception. I have found Geranium 'Rozanne' to be a winner in every way. Just a couple past perennial plants of the year, specifically Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue' with its powdery mildew problems and Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue' with its propensity to die every winter, have been disappointments. For reliable perennial performers, check out past winners at Perennial Plant Association's website www.perennialplant.org Don't forget to order your daffodils during The American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days. The flowers will bring hope and cheer to cancer patients while raising money to support cancer research, prevention and early detection education, advocacy, and patient services. The daffodils you purchase will be delivered anonymously to cancer patients during the week of March 17 but you must order before February 22. Bunches of 10 daffodils are only $10. Potted bulbs, vased flowers, and even a stuffed bear to accompany the flowers is also available. For more information on ordering daffodils or to volunteer to assist the campaign, please call The American Cancer Society at (217) 356-9076. Ordering information is also available on-line at daffodil.acsevents.org or www.cancer.org/daffodils.

The Wonders of Woodland Wildflowers Tulips and daffodils aren't the only spring flower show offs. One of the best spring displays is occurring in the local woodlands. Jack-in-the-pulpit, dutchman's breeches, toothwort, trillium, dog tooth violet and blue-eyed Mary – the names are as delightful as the flowers. Look quick because these guys and gals are a bit shy at showing their bloomers. Jack-in-the-pulpits are preaching in a woodland near you. Their unusual flowers are on a cylindrical column – alias Jack. The flowers are surrounded by a tubular petal-like structure with an arching hood – alias the pulpit. Why it isn't Harry-in-the-pulpit or Jane-in-the-pulpit seems to be a mystery.

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Mayapples are very obvious right now. Their colonies of miniature green umbrellas are prefect candidates to protect wood nymphs from the rain. Their white flowers are held underneath the large leaves, but only on plants with twin umbrellas. The lacy blue-green leaves of dutchman's breeches are reminiscent of their relatives the bleeding hearts. The flowers dangle like pants (or breeches) on a clothesline. The batman-looking bloodroot leaves are visible but the flowers have long since shown their glory. Spring beauties are a chorus line of pink and white flowers dancing among the other lovelies. These beauties are just about the first and last of the spring wildflowers to bloom. Purple trillium shows off its dappled leaves in whorls of three. The purple flower is held erect above the leaves and is also known as purple wake-robin. Virginia bluebells, wild sweet William and blue-eyed Mary are never disappointing. The pink buds of Virginia bluebells open to blue bell-like flowers dangling in arching clusters on the two feet tall plants. Look close and you will see a few white or pink bells among the sea of blue. Wild sweet William has blue phlox-like flowers with sweet fragrance. Blue-eyed Mary flowers have a split personality with 2 petals of white and 3 petals of blue. Solomon's seal will soon be in bloom with its arching stems and dangling flowers. A variety of Solomon's seal with green and white leaves is available in garden centers. Once established native wildflowers are durable and well adapted to our climate. Generally woodland wildflowers grow and flower before the leaves appear on the trees. The best planting spots recreate a woodland setting. Add leaf compost to the soil before planting and mulch with shredded bark and leaves after planting. Additional fertilizers are not necessary. Since most spring wildflowers are not visible during the summer, grow them with groundcovers such as sweet woodruff, vinca or wild ginger. Tuck some wildflowers next to hostas, ferns, fringed bleeding hearts or astilbes.

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Do not dig plants from the wild, no matter how plentiful you think the plants are. First many wildflowers do not transplant well from the wild especially when they are in flower, so they are likely to die. Also digging flowers may damage nearby plants and disturbs the forest floor for invasion of weedy non-native plants. When purchasing wildflowers, look for plants designated as "nursery propagated". Plants labeled "nursery grown" may still have been dug in the wild.

Small Native Trees for A Spring Flower Show It is that time of year when we are reminded of some of the true mysteries of life. Why aren't redbud trees called "pinkbuds"? Why is that pink flowered weed covering fields right now called "henbit" and not "turkey chew"? Why aren't male lady bugs called "gentleman bugs"? For now we will leave these questions to the great thinkers of the world. We don't always have a chance to plant a large tree, but just about any landscape has a spot for a small flowering tree. Redbud flowers add a pink blush to the spring landscape. Redbud, Cercis canadensis, grows as a native under story tree throughout the forests of the eastern US. It can grow to 30 feet tall and a bit wider at maturity. The heart shaped leaves emerge with a reddish tinge. Although it is generally not a long lived tree in comparison to oaks, it is fast growing when given a bit of water and fertilizer. Redbud also blooms at an early age of 4-7 years. The trunks of older trees will often bear flowers. I would rank Flowering Dogwood as the tree most often killed, then replanted, then killed again by wellmeaning home gardeners. We love its large white bracts (those actually aren't the petals) of Flowering Dogwood in spring. Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida is native to a large range of the eastern US. We are about as far north as it is found in Illinois. Because of its wide range, southern plant sources are not reliably hardy here. Ask the garden center personnel where the trees were grown. Also Flowering Dogwoods need special attention for them to thrive. They are understory trees so they like afternoon shade, wood mulch, plenty of organic matter and moist well-drained acidic soil.

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In my experience the Illinois native Pagoda Dogwood, Cornus alternifolia is much better adapted to our landscapes. The small white flowers are held in clusters along horizontal branches. It has a pretty fruit show with red to black berries held on red stalks. Birds love the berries. Pagoda Dogwood also prefers some shade and mulching. If you have killed too many flowering dogwoods, consider the Pagoda Dogwood. Another small native tree is the Carolina Silverbell, Halesia tetraptera (H. Carolina). It is not as well known, but is probably one of the nicest small trees for shady sites. The white bell shaped flowers appear in clusters in late April. Carolina Silverbell has very few insects and diseases, but does need a slightly acidic soil. It makes a nice companion with rhododendrons and azaleas. The cultivar 'Arnold Pink' has rose pink flowers. 'Wedding Bells' bears larger flowers. Few flowers rival the 4-8 inch long panicles of red flowers of Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia. As a large shrub or small tree it can grow to 10 to 20 feet tall. Even though it flowers in dense shade, a partial shady site with plenty of organic matter and mulch is best. Keep in mind Red Buckeye does produce the poisonous buckeye nuts. Another small buckeye is the Bottlebrush Buckeye, Aesculus parviflora. Its 12 foot tall thickets make a lovely transition from landscape to forest. Its white one-half-inch flowers are held in huge 8-12 inch upright panicles. A large mass of Bottlebrush Buckeye is a spectacular sight. It blooms later than most trees and shrubs in June into July. Even later blooming is the cultivar 'Rogers' which was introduced by the late U of I Professor Joe McDaniel.

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Washing of the Salad Greens You love salad greens, but after the 2006 spinach recall, you wonder what to do to handle the greens safely. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a few tips on handling produce like greens…safely. When buying produce, including greens, buy produce that isn’t bruised or damaged. In the grocery cart and when bagging foods to take home, separate greens from meat, poultry or seafood products to avoid crosscontamination. For storage—keep greens in a clean refrigerator with a temperature of 40 F or below. If greens are pre-cut, they should be refrigerated within two hours to maintain quality and safety. Regarding food preparation—pre-washed, bagged produce can be used without further washing. If it’s pre-washed, it will be stated on the package. As an extra measure of caution, you can wash the produce again just before using. Pre-cut or pre-washed produce in open bags should be washed before using, as should bagged greens that do not state they have been prewashed. All unpacked vegetables and greens as well as those packaged and not marked pre-washed, should be thoroughly washed before eating. This suggestion from the FDA includes produce grown conventionally or organically at home as well as produce that is purchased from a grocery store or a farmer’s market. To wash fruits and vegetables, place them under cold, running water just before eating, cutting or cooking. The FDA does not recommend using soap, detergent or commercial-produce washes. Drying produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel may further reduce bacteria that may be present. Lastly, start food preparation with clean hands, cleaning with warm water and soap for 20 seconds. Wash hands before and after preparing fresh produce. Also be sure your kitchen is clean. Counters and equipment like knives and cutting boards should be cleaned before and after each step of food prep. For more information on how the FDA works to keep produce safe, visit them online at: www.fda.gov.

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Garden Spinach Salad 1 pound fresh spinach 1/4 cup fresh green onions, including tops, sliced 6 radishes, sliced 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced 3 hard cooked eggs, sliced 4 slices of bacon, cooked, crumbled 1/2 cup light Italian salad dressing Wash and rinse spinach, green onions, radishes and fresh mushrooms with cold water and dry thoroughly on paper towels. A salad spinner works great for drying the spinach. Tear spinach into bite size pieces in salad bowl. Slice green onions, radishes and mushrooms and add to spinach. After boiling eggs, cool, peel and slice the egg. Place on the salad. Add cooked and crumbled bacon. Top with salad dressing and gently toss before serving. Makes 4 servings. Nutrient analysis per serving: 234 calories, 11 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 16 grams fat, 174 milligrams cholesterol, 202 milligrams potassium, 920 milligrams sodium.

“A little Madness in the Spring “Is wholesome even for the King.” Emily Dickinson

The Master Gardener’s Plot by Duane Lanchester

I have been to Seattle. I returned bearing news: Spring was coming! Although those Pacific breezes of February which encouraged pansies, flowering bushes, and spring bulbs in Western Washington had not yet reached Western Illinois, I told people it would soon be warm enough for the joy of gardening! (And for ticks, weeds, high humidity, moles, thunderstorms, dusty rural roads, gardens full of rabbits...!) And I was right! N.B., Preparing for Spring madness is not the same as preparing for March Madness. In Seattle I talked to a rabid Duke fan; Duke was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA play-offs. While we were in Seattle we spent two days at the 2008 Northwest Flower and Garden Show. I’ve been to the Garden and Flower Show before - several times. And I’ve written about it - several times. And if you’re tired of reading about it, I’m pleased; that means somebody remembers something I wrote.

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This year the headline event at the NWF&GS was an appearance by that noted garden guru, Sally Field. (Well, she won an Oscar for playing a cotton farmer, didn’t she?) But the heart of the show was still the exhibition gardens. These are huge and elaborate displays of stone walls, waterfalls, full grown trees, boulders and buildings and all sorts of plants. Impressive! And helpful - if you want to learn how to decorate your garden with candelabra and musical instruments; how to build a really ugly fence out of skis; how to tie red apples on the branches of a bare tree; fill your garden with recorded bird songs; have metal crows staring at your scarecrow; or put flowering dogwood and tassel ling corn and full blown sunflowers all in the same arrangement. In the past, I have said the crowds around the exhibition gardens were so thick you had to be satisfied to look at the backsides of people looking at exhibition gardens. This year it seemed to me those Pacific Northwest backsides took up less room than a similar number of Pike County backsides. Do you think this is because people in Seattle: a. Drink more coffee; b. Spend more time in the rain; c. Eat less and exercise more? In one of the hundreds of commercial and educational booths at The NWF&GS, I picked up a neat little pamphlet, “Garden Wise: Non-Invasive Plants for Your Garden”. The booklet has descriptions and color pictures of 16 invasive plants and three noninvasive alternatives for each one. The web site (www.invasivespeciescoalition.org) says “These booklets were compiled by master gardeners and horticulturists to help gardeners choose alternatives to invasive species.” There are versions of this pamphlet for both Western and Eastern Washington; plants invasive in one region may not be invasive everywhere. Butterfly bush {Buddleja davidii) is clogging streams and crowding out native plants in the Seattle area. It is considered one of the twenty worst invasive plant pests in Great Britain. New Zealand would like to eradicate it. But it’s never been a problem in Pike County. Some kinds of ivy in the Pacific Northwest are worse than morning glory or bindweed in Western Illinois. A tree on the Olympic Peninsula can be covered with a ton of ivy. I pulled all the ivy off our trees but I don’t think I needed to do that. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a “Garden Wise...” or some similar publication for Illinois or Missouri. So I don’t know if Porcelain

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Vine is a non-native, invasive threat or a useful and attractive spreading vine suitable for my dog pen. I don’t even know if the plant my nursery calls Porcelain Vine is the same plant you may find in your nursery called Porcelain Vine. This is why it may be important to use scientific names. In the last issue of “Down to Earth” there was a clever and helpful article about berries. Along with raspberries and cranberries and blueberries there was mention of huckleberries. The writer of the piece was not fond of the huckleberries he knew and if huckleberries are the plant he described, I don’t think I would be either. But “real” huckleberries have a different scientific name and grow at high elevations in the western mountains. Huckleberries are the state fruit of Idaho. I’ve never had a truffle, but a huckleberry pie baked in a lattice crust with a generous amount of sugar has to be at least as desirable gourmet treat as that French fungus. Did you notice this column sets a record by not containing even one useful piece of information? I need to get out and plant some radishes, spread some lettuce seed, look at the crocuses -- and let the madness that is a garden in the spring save me from my late winter cynicism. Good gardeners, go crazy! You’ll feel better. The articles in this newsletter have been provided for you by University of Illinois Extension, Pike County office. The following have contributed articles to this newsletter: Duane Lanchester David Robson Martha Smith Sandra Mason Jananne Finck

Pike Co. Master Gardener Horticulture Educator Horticulture Educator Horticulture Educator Nutrition and Wellness Educator

Compiled and Designed by Cheryl Westfall, Secretary If you have any questions or comments regarding the issue of “Down To Earth”, please contact University of Illinois Extension, Pike County, at (217) 285-5543. Jennifer Mowen, County Extension Director University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences United States Department of Agriculture • Local Extension Councils Cooperating University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.