An owl in the garden

I just heard an owl outside.

I could not see the owl but it sounded close.

It is nice to have an owl in the garden.

Maybe it can reduce the vole population.

Master Gardener Week 5

February 19, 2009 was the Week 5 meeting of the master gardener class at Boerner.

The topic was fruits.

The emphasis was on the fruits most often grown in Wisconsin (apples, pears, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, cherries, etc.)

Exotic fruits like medlars were not covered.

The laboratory exercise was investigating questions about fruits using the many UW-Extension bulletins. Our table studied cherries, and my question was on diseases of cherries (e.g., black knot fungus).

Master Gardener Week 4

February 12, 2009 was the Week 4 meeting of the master gardener class at Boerner.

The topics were houseplants and vegetative propagation.

The laboratory exercise was potting up cuttings, offsets, etc.

I potted a pelargonium cutting and a sempervivum offset.

Master Gardener Week 3

February 5, 2009 was the Week 3 meeting of the master gardener class at Boerner.

The topic was plant pathology.

The laboratory exercise involved analyzing cards showing cases of IPM (integrated pest management).

Master Gardener Week 2

January 29, 2009 was the Week 2 meeting of the master gardener class at Boerner.

The topic was entomology.

The laboratory exercise was matching photos of insects and larvae.

Master Gardener Week 1

January 22, 2009 was the Week 1 meeting of the master gardener class at Boerner.

The topic was botany.

The laboratory exercise was tearing apart flowers (roses, daisies, lilies, etc.) to learn about the various parts.

Be Your Own Plant Doctor

Last Saturday (2-14-2009), we attended the Be Your Own Plant Doctor course at Boerner Botanical Garden.

It was interesting and informative.

We all had fun investigating a sample of Black Knot fungus that I brought in for show and tell.

There were four web sites that got special mention:

Virginia Tech Dendrology

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/DENDROLOGY/main.htm

University of Minnesota Plant Disease Diagnostics

http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/diagnostics/

University of Maryland Plant Diagnostics

http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/

Cornell Vegetable MD Online

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/

McKay Nursery

http://www.mckaynursery.com/

Waterloo, WI

Listed in UW-EX publication A1960 Growing Currants, Gooseberries, & Elderberries in Wisconsin

Poorman

‘Poorman’ is a red gooseberry cultivar. It is a compact, mounding, deciduous shrub that typically grows 3-4’ tall. This is an old American variety (introduced in 1888) that produces medium sized fruit. Clusters of greenish-yellow flowers bloom in spring, but are not particularly ornamental. Flowers give way to oval-rounded gooseberies that ripen in late season (July in St. Louis). Lobed, medium green leaves are aromatic when crushed. Gooseberries may be eaten ripe off the shrub or used to make jams, jellies and pies.

- Missouri Botanical Garden

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=A837

Chipmunk

First chipmunk sighting of the new year today.

Dangerous for them with the Cooper hawk in the yard every day.

Cast Iron Plant

http://www.plant-care.com/aspidistra-elatior-cast-iron-plant.html

On my wish list for a house plant.

Black Ball

http://www.tmseeds.com/product/1328.html/?OC=N3184

Centaurea cyanus 'Black Ball"

Bluestone Perennials

http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/index.html

As recommended by Ken Druse in The Collector's Garden:

"Small, inexpensive perennial plants."

Deer resistant plants

http://www.deerresistantplants.com/

Deer Resistant Landscape Nursery
3200 Sunstone Court
Clare, MI 48617-8600

As recommended in The Collector's Garden by Ken Druse (1996, 2004)

Erythronium americanum

http://sunfarm.com/images/erambarnescu.jpg

Trout Lily

Dog Tooth Violet

Pest repellent plants

Rue, mint, tansy, lavender, sage, rosemary and wormwood all deter a variety of pests. so include these herbs.

- Horticulture magazine (link here)

Sempervivum x New American Hybrids

http://www.tmseeds.com/product/9112.html/?NC=N3182;OC=N3182

Probably worth trying.