INSIDE: Local Master Gardener News - 2 Upcoming Events – 4 Bits and Pieces - 5

/ February 2008 December 2016

Bennett Speaks To ECAMGs On Caring For Birds in Winter by Nina Logan

On November 15, Larry Bennett spoke to the Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Association (ECAMGA) about caring for birds in winter. The meeting was held at the Eau Claire County UW-Extension Office in Altoona at 6:30 p.m. Some of the birds we see that stay here in winter are our favorites, such as, finches, juncos, blue jays, cardinals etc. Their survival depends on elements such as cold, wind, predators, and windows. We can help them survive by feeding and especially by providing water since accessibility to water in winter is decreased because of freezing. Keeping screens closed on patio windows keeps birds from smashing into the glass.

Birds maintain a body temperature of 105 degrees but this fluctuates greatly in winter. They must increase the number of feathers in winter to conserve body heat. By fluffing out the feathers they can trap heat from escaping. Legs are scaly to conserve heat. They can also constrict blood flow to the legs to help hold in body heat. Winter birds tend to roost together to share body heat and have been known to cram into vacant birdhouses on cold nights. It’s important to not cut down shrubs and grasses during fall cleanup as they provide warm roosting places on cold nights. Also leaving the garden standing in winter provides food seeds for birds since there are no bugs and worms available in winter. Coneflower seeds, sunflowers, rose hips, zinnias, dried hanging fruit on trees and nuts provide good winter food. If we enjoy watching birds in winter it’s good to feed them but it’s not really necessary. Birds can survive on their own. Good winter food can be sunflower seeds, especially black oil sunflower seeds since they provide more protein. Other good foods are thistle, suet, peanut butter and safflower seed. Some birds prefer white millet but red millet is a poor winter food since it lacks as much protein. The best way we can attract birds is by providing fresh water for them. Put up a heated water supply and birds will flock to your feeding station. Try to supply some kind of perch above the water so they can observe the water area and can easily escape up to a safe place in case of a perceived danger. Remember, feeding birds in winter feeds their bodies and feeds our souls. The event was very well attended with questions from the audience keeping Bennett occupied for quite some time. Treats were served and door prizes awarded.

Photos by Jo-Ann Clark

The diagram in blue is of a 1/2-inch conduit pipe bent to hang a bird feeder on. The cross screw to hold a dollar store slinky. This keeps the squirrels off… they try to climb the slinky and keep sinking to the ground.

Page 2 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener New December 2016

NOTE: The ECAMGA Board minutes no longer appears in the newsletter. You may access them by going to the website at

eauclairemastergardeners.weebly.com

Changing e-mail? Moving? If you do, please remember to notify the ECAMG and the newsletter editor of your new e-mail address and/or mailing address so you don’t miss any Eau Claire Area Master Gardener happenings! Email you’re new Information to Carol Cox at c7w6c2200@charter.net Or notify her by snail mail at 1908 Hogeboom Ave., Eau Claire, WI 54701 (or call her at 715-861-4495).

ECAMGA BOARD MEMBER CONTACT INFO

NAME/TITLE E-mail address Phone number

Erin LaFaive Erin.lafaive@ces.uwex.edu 715-839-4712

Mary Jane Griffin mgriffinhlaa@gmail.com 715-835-6979

Dick Lienhardt dicklienhardt@yahoo.com 715-286-9917

Nancy Spak nancyspak@gmail.com 715-835-6546

Ede Strand edestrand@aol.com 715-8326775

Amy Boettcher myamybird@aol.com 715-577-9085

Carla Pelzl jcpelzl@gmail.com 715-835-6628

Nina Logan ninalogan@centurylink.net 715-878-4585

Deb Spickler rvsrfun@aol.com 715-577-8500

Lori Kempen lorikempen@charter.net 715-832-8088

Bulletin Board Postings Stories and Opportunities!!!! Bulletin Board Postings

ECAMGA 2016

Calendar All meetings at UW-Extension Office unless otherwise noted

December 6, 2016: Annual

Potluck, Christmas Party and Election of Board Members.

January 16, 2017: TBA January 28, 2017: ECAMGA

Ready, Set, Go… Winter Garden Seminar

February 2017 TBA March 2017 TBA April 2017 TBA May 2017 TBA June 2017 TBA July 2017 TBA August 2017 TBA September 2017 TBA October 2017 TBA November 2017 TBA December 2017: Annual

Potluck, Christmas Party and Election of Board Members.

MGV

Local Master Gardener News

Last Chance, only days remaining… Are you concerned that you might be bored this winter with no gardening activities to occupy you? How about nominating yourself to serve on the ECAMGA Board? That will keep you occupied with garden ideas for the organization and also snag some volunteer hours for yourself. The term is for two years and the qualifications are that you need to be an ECAMGA member in good standing and willing to serve. If you are interested contact Amy Boetcher at 715-577-9085 (or email her at myamybird@aol.com. The election will be held at the December meeting in conjunction with the annual potluck and Christmas party.

Gardens are a form of

autobiography. ~Sydney Eddison,

Horticulture magazine,

August/ September 1993

Sally Anderson sent this in saying it is, not the last rose of summer, but the last coneflower to bloom before frost hit it in early November.

Page 3 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener December 2016

Upcoming Events

It’s Christmas Party Time… by Lori Kempen The annual ECAMGA Christmas Potluck will be held at the UW Extension Office in Altoona (124 1st St. West) on Tuesday, December 6th, starting at 6:00 p.m. Spouses or significant others are welcome to join in celebrating the season. The meat and beverages will be provided. Please bring a dish to share. The evening highlights will be the presentation of the 2016 Digger Award; awarding prizes for the Annual Photo Contest and election of new ECAMGA Board Members. New this year will be a White Elephant Gift Exchange. If you have something around the house that you can't use, don't know what to do with or just want to get rid of wrap it up and bring it along. Remember: one person's Trash is another one's Treasure. You never know what may be under that gorgeous wrapping! This can be a fun experience for all and provides some good laughs. And NO, you can't wrap up husbands or kids! Let's all make this a festive event for everyone. We hope to see everyone on at the party! If you plant to attend, please call the UW-Extension Office so that we can have a headcount for the meat (715-839-4712).

Page 4 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener New December 2016

Classes: Saturday, December 10

th: 3:00 p.m.: Whimsical

Winter Miniature Garden Tea Party in the

Greenhouse – Don’t miss out on this fun outing

during the holiday season for you and your child or grandchild.

Enjoy a lovely lunch of mini sandwiches, mini desserts and

tea! Children will create a mini whimsical wintery garden to take

home. Start a new holiday tradition and join us in the greenhouse!

Cost: $35.00/child & $20.00/adult (Price of fairy garden included

in child ticket price). Limited to 30 people; Registration

required.

6025 Arndt Lane, Eau Claire, WI 54701

715-833-1234 or email home@downtoearth.com Website: http://www.eauclairelandscaping.com/

Winter Porch Pot Classes Dates: December 1st: 6:00 p.m. and December 3rd: 10:00 a.m.: Adorn

your front porch with a fresh evergreen winter porch pot. We will help you create one that matches your style and Christmas décor. Invite friends and make it an outing. It’s a fun way to socialize and decorate all at the same time. You will get basic materials and a pot to create a porch pot for a fee of $30.00. Decorations are extra. Sign up today. Register online at Maysfloralgarden.com or call 715-836-8220.

May’s Floral Garden Inc. 3424 Jeffers Road Eau Claire, WI Phone: 715-836-8220

http://www.Maysfloralgarden.com

Garden Dreams

January 21, 2017

7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Lettie W. Jensen

Community Center Amherst, WI

Speakers:

DianaAlfuth:“LandscapeDesign:TyingitAllTogether“

BuzzVahradian:“BeekeepingwithBuzz”

NeilDiboll:“PrairieandSavannaPlantsforPollinatorGardens”

Conference Fee ~ $30 which includes a hot lunch. Please contact us if you have special dietary needs Registration deadline: Wednesday, January 18, 2017.

Make checks payable to PCMGV No refunds, but registration is transferable. Mail Check & Registration Form (name, address, phone number & email address) to: Garden Dreams 2017 736 Union Street Stevens Point, WI 54481 Questions? Email: mhrice@charter.net Call or text: 715-340-8378

Sponsored by the Portage County UW-Extension and the Master Gardener

Volunteers

PhotobyPattiSoikPhotography

2016 Photo Contest entry from Mikel Reise. She may not have a bee in her bonnet but does have one on her sedum!

Page 5 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener News December 2016

Bits and Pieces

Rosemary – While the rosemary plant is a lesser-known holiday plant, it is making a comeback in stores as such. A few centuries ago, rosemary was part of the Nativity story in that Baby Jesus’ clothes were said to be dried on a rosemary bush. Christians then believed that smelling rosemary at Christmas brought good luck. Today, rosemary is often sold as a Christmas plant pruned in the form of a Christmas tree. The following article is excerpted from an article on Rosemary by Nikki Phipps (Author of The Bulb-o-licious Garden). You may access the website at: http://bit.ly/2gt8j48. Evergreen rosemary is an attractive evergreen shrub with needle-like leaves and brilliant blue flowers. The flowers of evergreen rosemary persist through spring and summer, filling the air with a nice piney fragrance. This beautiful herb, mostly used for seasoning dishes, is also commonly used as ornamental plantings in the landscape (Zone 6-9). The scientific name for rosemary plant is Rosmarinus officinalis, which translates to “mist of the sea,” as its gray-green foliage is thought to resemble mist against the sea cliffs of the Mediterranean, where the plant originates. When growing rosemary plants, provide them with well-drained, sandy soil and at least six to eight hours of sunlight. These plants thrive in warm, humid environments and cannot take extremely cold temperatures. Since rosemary cannot withstand winters below 30 F. (-1C.), it’s often better when growing rosemary plants to put them in containers, which can be placed in ground and easily moved indoors during winter. Rosemary prefers to remain somewhat on the dry side; therefore, terra cotta pots are a good choice when selecting suitable containers. These pots allow the plant to dry out faster. Thoroughly water rosemary plants when the soil is dry to the touch but allow the plants to dry out between watering intervals. Even indoors, rosemary plants will require lots of light, at least six hours, so place the plant in a suitable location free of drafts. Trimming Rosemary Pruning rosemary will help make a bushier plant. Most herbs thrive on being

trimmed every now and then, especially those used for flavorings. Snip sprigs just as you would when cutting back a houseplant, trimming rosemary once blooming has ceased. The general rule for trimming rosemary is not to take more than one-third of the plant at any time and make cuts just above a leaf joint. These can then be dried like any other herb by hanging tied bundles upside down in a cool, dry place. (Continued on page 7)

Page 6 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener December 2016

A Thrifty Christmas by the Foxy Lady

This Christmas I’m going to spend less. I’ll start by shopping early (yipes! it’s already December). I’m giving only one gift per relative, except maybe the grandkids. I’ll fix a simple Christmas dinner. We’ll sit around a cozy fire and just talk instead of watching football or playing with our new electronic devises.

First I tackle the gift buying. Remember, one gift per person. I’m doing well in the toy area when I see that toy my oldest granddaughter has been wanting “forever” and it’s on sale. Well, I’ll get it, but then I

need to get another gift for each of the other grandkids to even things out. They always count their gifts under the tree. I’m heading out of the mall being “done at last,” when I see in the window that kitchen gadget my daughter has been looking for, and it’s on sale, only $45. I just have to get it. But then I have to get another gift for the other daughter. I’ll get her a gift card at Macy’s. Now to the food buying. Remember, a simple meal. Maybe I’ll get an arm roast. They are usually cheaper and are just about as tasty as a better roast. But look at that sirloin tip roast, and it’s on sale. Well, it’s Christmas. I’ll get it. I can use my garden potatoes I have left and there are frozen vegetables in the freezer. And I still have an apple pie that is frozen. But look at those beautiful cauliflower bunches and potatoes are only eighty-nine cents a pound today. What a buy! Since this dinner is turning out so elegant, maybe I should get an ice cream cake to go with the apple pie. The day finally arrives. I spent a little too much on the house decorations, but it looks lovely. We sit down to a beautiful meal. Our gifts are opened and everyone oohs and aahs over their gifts. The men vacillate to the living room and football. The kids are busy with their techy toys. We women clean up the kitchen clutter and make another pot of coffee and sit down to some woman talk when everyone comes back in, hungry again! So we gather around the table and nibble on leftovers. All in all, it has been a wonderful day. We’re all together. We’re all happy and healthy and our bellies are full. We are all very thankful for what we have and vow to give to others who have less for our new year’s resolution. Can you ask for a better Christmas Day? Before you know it, the new year is upon us and the bills come rolling in. Who would have believed I spent so much at Christmas!!

Gardens... should be like lovely, well-shaped girls: all curves, secret

corners, unexpected deviations, seductive surprises and then still more curves. ~H.E. Bates, A Love of Flowers

Page 7 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener News December 2016

As I am doing my job, I have the pleasure to observe the bees doing theirs, and was able to capture this bumble bee in particular, 'beeing' a diligent workaholic.”

Rosemary…continued from page 5: Evergreen Rosemary plants are usually propagated by cuttings, as it can be tricky getting evergreen rosemary seeds to germinate. Successfully growing rosemary plants from seeds comes only when the seeds are very fresh and when planted in optimum growing conditions. Start new rosemary plants with cuttings from existing evergreen plants. Cut stems that are about 2 inches long and remove leaves on the bottom two-thirds of the cutting. Place the cuttings in a mixture of perlite and peat moss, spraying with water until roots begin to grow. Once roots have developed, you can plant the cuttings as you would with any rosemary plant. Rosemary plants are prone to becoming root bound and should be repotted at least once a year. Yellowing of the lower foliage is an early indication that it’s time to repot.

2016 Photo Contest Entry by Sally Anderson.

Sally said, “We were in Door County this week and came upon a beautiful garden in Ephraim in front of a gift shop. There were several Monarchs flitting from flower to flower. I waited patiently for one to land and then took this photo. I love the contrast between the milkweed and the coleus in the background. This was taken on Sept. 15th, 2016.” 2016 Photo Contest Entry by Anne Annis.

Anne tells us, “I am the Garden Designer at the Eau Claire Golf and Country Club, which is where this picture was taken on September 12, 2016. This bumble bee is on a "Sparkler Series White Cleome" flower. This time of the year, especially, the bees are very active as they are in "food gathering mode", trying to collect enough nectar to feed and maintain their colonies throughout the winter.

It pleases me to take amateur photographs of my garden, and it pleases my garden to make my photographs look professional.

~Robert Brault, http://bit.ly/2gwNPHC. Believe it or not this is a birdhouse. See: http://bit.ly/2gtb5WQ.

Page 8 Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Newsletter December 2016

EAU CLAIRE AREA MASTER GARDENER NEWSLETTER A newsletter for the Eau Claire Area Master Gardener Association members.

For more Eau Claire County UW Cooperative Extension information

go to our website: www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/eauclaire

Phone: 715-839-4712 Fax: 715-839-6277

M-F 8AM-5PM

Unless otherwise noted, articles for this newsletter are submitted and/or written by ECAMGA members or the newsletter editor, Carol W. Cox. Unless otherwise noted, graphics are from clipart. Newsletter layout by Carol W. Cox

The University of Wisconsin Extension provides affirmative action and equal opportunity in education, programming and employment for all qualified persons regardless of race, color, gender/sex, creed, disability, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital or parental, arrest or conviction record or veteran status.” If you need an interpreter, materials in alternate formats or other accommodations to access this program, activity or service, please contact Erin LaFaive at 715-839-4712 as soon as possible preceding the scheduled event so that proper arrangements can be made in a timely fashion Eau Claire County

Extension Office

227 First Street West

Altoona, WI 54720

Want to make a really cute wreath for Christmas out of paper? To the right is one from the Whoot newsletter). Just click on the hyperlink below to find directions to make it and other stuff: http://bit.ly/2filecM. Also, you can subscribe free to this newsletter which has lots of craft ideas and recipes.