STOCKTON, Mo. — Sign up is now underway for the 2012 Master Gardener classes scheduled for Cedar and Barton Counties.

The Master Gardener Program is an intensive horticulture course offered statewide by University of Missouri Extension. The 30 hours of classroom training provided by area horticulture specialists set Master Gardeners apart from other home gardeners and programs.

The 2011 classes will begin on March 8 and meet every Thursday night through May 17. Classes in Stockton will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Lamar class will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Program topics include, plant growth, soils, composting, vegetable gardening, irrigation, composting, turf grass, flower gardening, home fruit production, hobby greenhouses, tool care, plant insects and diseases.

Participants who complete this training are Master Gardener interns until they complete 30 additional hours of volunteer service in horticulture education to become a certified Master Gardener. Most interns fulfill their volunteer service by working as part of a county Master Gardeners organization; serving as an advisor for community gardens; or helping to maintain the demonstration gardens.

Master Gardener tuition costs $135 per person or $225 per couple (one set of materials). Registration is due by Feb. 29. Call the Cedar County Extension Center at (417) 276-3313 for more information on the Stockton Class. For information on the Lamar class contact the Barton County Extension Center at (417) 682-3579.

Go to http://extension.missouri.edu/mg/ to find out more information about the University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener program.

Information provided by MU Extension Southwest Region News Service.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — More than likely, cold temperatures are on the way to the Ozarks. Typically, winter temperatures are cold enough to injure plants that grow in our gardens. How can we tell if our plants have suffered cold injury?

First, it is important to recognize that plants vary in tolerance of cold temperatures according to Patrick Byers, horticulture specialist, University of Missouri Extension.

“Some plants are hardy and tough, while others are less hardy and likely to suffer damage from cold temperatures,” said Byers. “Often extreme cold in the fall or spring is more damaging than midwinter cold to plants.”

The damage seen in plants can vary. For example, sometimes flower buds may be killed and the remainder of the shoot will survive; or sometimes the entire stem may die. “This type of injury will result in shriveled or browned shoots. If damage is not severe, plants may recover,” said Byers.

Frozen roots are uncommon in Missouri, but can occur with tender plants. A plant with frozen roots will usually die according to Byers.

Sun scald of leaves happens to plants that maintain foliage during the winter, such as holly, rhododendron, and conifers. If severe enough, this can weaken or kill plants.

Trunk injury and bark splitting can also be seen in this region. The tender area of a tress is the layers of cells below the bark so this type of injury can impact the tree. Severe injury can result in plant death.

“There are also some delayed symptoms where the plants can appear to survive cold temperatures, but later succumb to damage,” said Byers.

For more information on handling cold injured plants, or answers to your specific lawn and garden questions, contact Patrick Byers, horticulture specialist, University of Missouri Extension or the Greene County Master Gardener Hotline at (417) 881-8909. Information can also be found on the Greene County Extension website at http://extension.missouri.edu/greene.

Information provided by MU Extension Southwest Missouri News Service.

Greetings in the wonderful new year! The officers have been working to create a year of varied activities including daylily educational programs for three meetings and suggested dates for our work days, Daylily Display, local Gardens Tour, and Daylily Sale. So please make a copy of the following 2012 schedule and mark your calendars for all of our events.

February Meeting – February 11, 2012,  3-5 PM,  Botanical Center, 2400 S Scenic, Springfield.

Program: “More than Ditch Lilies”  by Dan and Jo Ann White, Kinder Place Gardens, Illinois. Dan and Jo Ann are members of the Greater St Louis Daylily Society. The presentation will include garden highlights from all seasons, the White’s hybridizing program/system from making crosses, keeping and tracking parent data, seed collection,  evaluation of seedling) to  introductions past and present as well as future.

Since Dan and Jo Ann are coming from Illinois and will have a very interesting program, we hope to have a large turnout of members and anyone who enjoys gardening.

Following the meeting we will be taking our speakers out to dinner at a local restaurant. We invite those in attendance to join us for more daylily talk.

Daylily Beds at the Botanical Center: 
This fall, club members led by Cliff Garland, replanted, added new plants, better spaced and labeled daylilies at the Daylily Garden at the Springfield Botanical Center. We have now completed replanting seven of the eleven beds.

We have identified the next bed for work and are in the process of identifying the flowers to keep and those to remove and sell.

The (Friends of the Garden) has installed a new watering system that should make it easier to water and to cover all of our daylily beds.

The first scheduled workday is March 31^st when we will be cleaning the beds of debris and then putting down new mulch.  Members are welcome to work independently at the gardens before or after the official workday.  We will schedule other group work days as necessary.

General Information:
Future Meetings and Programs:
We are always looking for suggestions for future programs. If you would like to present a program or have an idea for a program you would like us to find a speaker for please share your ideas.  

Daylily Garden at Close Memorial Park video link: http://www.youtube.com/user/hiltrudwebber?feature=mhw4#p/u/3/1gAf3syM6EE 

Botanical CenterVolunteer Background Screening:
For those planning to work 15 or more hours during the year at the botanical center or within the park maintaining gardens and/or offering public information, a background screening and ID Badge are now necessary. For those who have not already completed the screening, attached to this newsletter is the form to complete and bring with you to the meeting. Forms will be turned into the office at the Botanical Center. Once a volunteer passes the screening process, a permission slip will be sent by mail to have an ID made at the Chesterfield Family Center.

Dues:
Annual dues can either be paid at a meeting or sent by mail to Walt Long at 3618 W Blakey St. Springfield, Mo, 65810.
When you are writing any check to our club, please make sure that they are made out to the Ozark Daylily Society. The bank is very specific that they will no longer take checks that do not have this tile.

The amounts are as listed below:
Annual – 1 person $5.00            Dual (2 people in household) $8.00
3 years – 1 person $12.00          Dual $20.00
Youth (under 16) $3.00              Life Membership — $50.00 (no credit for past membership)

OFFICERS:
President:  Frieda Alexander  frieda.alexander@ozarkdaylily.org  Telephone: 417-877-9406
Vice President: May Moore 2109 E Cardinal Dr. Springfield Mo 65804 widomor@att.net
Secretary/Treasurer: Bev & Walt Long   waltandbevlong@sbcglobal.net  Telephone: 417- 886-7939

Ozark Daylily Society 2012 Calendar of Events
February 11, 2012 Meeting, 3-5 pm, Botanical Center,  2400 S Scenic, Springfield.
Program: Dan and Jo Ann White, Kinder Place Gardens,  Illinois entitled “More than Ditch Lilies” The presentation will include garden highlights from all seasons, the White’s hybridizing program/system from making crosses, keeping and tracking parent data, seed collection, evaluation of seedling) to introductions past and present as well as future.

2012 Growing Knowledge at the Farm Series 
Presented by University of Missouri Extension & Master Gardeners of Greene County