Spring Is Finally Here

Crocus in lawn

Spring Is Finally Here!

The crocus in my front lawn are up and blooming and the daffodils are not far behind.  Last fall I planted more crocus in the back but it is shadier there and hence cooler so no sign of them yet.  I hope the squirrels didn't dig them up.  I do occasionally find blooming bulbs not where I planted them.  But that is okay because I naturalize my bulbs in the grass as well as designated flower beds so what could be more natural than bulbs planted by squirrels.

Naturalized scilla

A few years ago I planted scilla in the middle of the front lawn.  I just love those houses on Woodstock Street near Oak where the scilla has truly naturalized in the front lawns.  What a sight.  You should drive by and see it.  Mine hasn't done so well and I will have to remember next fall to add more.  I meant to do it this year, but by the time I got around to it the stores were sold out.  

Well, what better way to begin another gardening season here in Norther Illinois than by attending Garden Fest next Saturday at McHenry County College.  GardenFest is sponsored by the Master Gardeners of McHenry County, part of the University of Illinois Extension Service.  With all the funding cut backs going on this is one way to help support a group that gives so much to the community.  If you ever have a gardening question and call the Extension Office in Woodstock, it will most likely be a Master Gardener that answers it.  They get extensive training from the Extension Service and in return volunteer time at the office to answer garden related questions.

Kim Hartman and I will be there as speakers-- I am giving a talk on water gardening and Kim's topics are shade gardening and roses.  Kim's are at 9:30am and 1:15 and mine is at 2:45. 

Also going on this month, in fact as we speak, is the Macy's Flower Show at the Macy's on State Street.  I can't get there this year but I have gone in the past and the floral displays are outstanding.  Again, they also have classes and the Cook County Master Gardeners are there to answer any questions. 

And, finally, on April 16 Countryside is having another full day of seminars on gardening.  Kim will be filling you in on the best new plants for 2011, Karen Campney, Nursery Manager, will be talking about growing fruit and a tree specialist will be teaching you about insect management in trees, including how to deal with the emerald ash borer.

Garden Heroes

Community Gardens

The Harvard Community Garden germinated as an idea in 1999 when Dave Trumbell and Werner Heidtke got together with Kasey Murphy from the UI Cooperative Extension Service in Woodstock. The first garden was planted in 2001 and it has grown ever since, with the strong support of the City of Harvard and lots of community volunteers. Today, the garden sits on land donated by the City of Harvard and produces over 4,000 pounds of food for the Harvard Food Pantry.

The day I visited it was a great day to be out in the garden. It was cool and sunny and several volunteers had already harvested over 350 pounds of vegetables. There are several other community gardens in McHenry County, including one in McHenry at the Garden Quarter apartments, but the garden in Harvard is the largest. This year volunteers planted over 300 tomato plants, 100 plus peppers and lots of potatoes. They also grow broccoli, cabbage, peas, beans and zucchini. For the seniors that use the food pantry, they grow rhubarb, beets and turnips. To help keep down the weeds (and the work), the volunteers, who are mostly members of the county’s Master Gardener program, put down newspaper and straw between the rows. This also helps retain soil moisture.

The Harvard Food Pantry serves approximately 100 families, though this number fluctuates with the season. During the summer, when more people are working, it declines to 70-80 families. Senior citizens make up roughly 20-25 percent of the total families served.
The University of Illinois Extension Service helps coordinate the volunteers at the community gardens, gives cooking demonstrations at the food pantry and teaches nutrition classes. This government organization is funded by three sources: the federal government, the state and the county, hence the name "coopoerative." It is, I believe, an under-used resource in most communities. Originally founded to serve the agricultural community by taking the research done at our land grant universities and making that technology available to farmers, they soon realized that rural homemakers also needed information about nutrition. While still serving agriculture, they also focus on serving urban communities. The Master Gardeners volunteer to answer gardening questions and the extension staff does community outreach. A product of the 4-H program myself, I am an avid supporter of the extension service and hope that you take advantage of what they have to offer.

Still on my soapbox, if you have some spare time and would like to donate some of it to the community gardens, please give Kasey a call at 815.338.3737 or e-mail her at mailto:kmurphy@uiuc.edu .

And speaking of vegetables, it still not too late to get in a crop of lettuce or spinach. Stop by Countryside and get a pack or two of cool season vegetables we have already started for you.