Barron County Master Gardeners Offer two $ 150 Grants

Barron County Master Gardeners are offering two $150 dollar grants for worthy community garden projects. Projects must be gardening related and located in Barron County.  The applicant must be a non-profit group or organization.

Include the following information on your application:

• Name and location of the group or organization
• contact person’s phone number
• email and mailing address
• description of the project and expected accomplishments
• Include a simple plan if appropriate

Please print and fill out the application and mail to: Kim Grover, Barron County Extension Office, 335 E. Monroe Avenue, Barron ,WI 54812.  

Here is the link to the application:  Barron County Master Gardener Grant Application
Deadline to apply is April 10, 2023.

Barron County Master Gardeners Offer a $500 Dollar Scholarship

The Barron County Master Gardeners offer a $500 dollar scholarship that is available for an eligible Barron county student interested in pursuing an education in horticulture, landscape design or turf management.  Interest students should obtain an Application form from the Student Service Department of their local high school or here is the link to the Application for the scholarship, but you must turn it into your local student services office in your local high school.

This is the criteria for the scholarship:

• Must be in a horticultural program, landscape design, or turf management.
• Must be a Barron County high school Senior or have graduated from a Barron County high school and are attending an accredited 2 or 4 year school.
• Must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Provide a transcript.
• Should be or have been an active participant in school and community activities.

Scholarship Application:  Barron County Master Gardener Scholarship Application
Deadline to Apply is April 10, 2023

PLANT DISEASES

Wisconsin Celebrates Pollinator Week, June 19-25, 2023, is dedicated to raising awareness through statewide and local activities and events to support National Pollinator Week. By increasing knowledge and adopting pollinator friendly practices, we can improve pollinator health and habitats. National Pollinator Week is an annual event managed by he Pollinator Partnership to help spread the word about what we can do to protect pollinators.

A pollinator is any animal that visits flowering plants and moved pollen from flower to flower, which helps plants reproduce, making fruits and seeds. In North America, pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, flower flies, beetles, wasps, hummingbirds, and in some parts of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, nectar feeding bats. Some animals, like butterflies, move pollen while they are feeding on plant nectar. Bees are the most efficient pollinators because they also collect pollen as a protein source for their offspring, so they move the pollen around as they visit flowering plants. There are approximately 20,000 bee species in the world, 3,600 in the United States and over 400 in Wisconsin (DATCP Wisconsin Pollinator Protection Plan).

Learn more with these Free Webinars – 2023 Schedule

Bee Lawns: Using Your Lawn to Provide Food for Pollinators

Date: May 9, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm

You may have heard of “No-mow-May” with the goal of not mowing lawns in May to allow early-season flowers to bloom for pollinators. Because turf grass alone doesn’t provide food for pollinators, an even more proactive way to provide food resources for pollinators is to intentionally incorporate flowers in your lawn that have the right type of nectar and pollen for bees – a “Bee Lawn.” In this presentation, you will hear the University of Minnesota researcher, Kristine Moncada on the research behind bee lawns, about the best bee lawn plant species, how to establish and maintain bee lawns and much more.

Time: 12:00 p.m.

Registration: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_c_kr0iu4SaSbbFR4M5j9PQ

Gardening to Protect Pollinators

Date: June 6

Time: 12:00 pm

Communities are eager to help pollinators. Discover which pollinators live in your garden or landscape and how you can foster them. Considering the stressors they face, learn gardening practices to support pollinator habitats and health.

Presented by: Susan Carpenter, UW-Madison Arboretum

Susan Carpenter is the Native Plant Garden curator and gardener at the UW-Madison Arboretum. With students and community volunteers, she manages sand monitors a 4-acre garden representing the plant communities of southern Wisconsin. She also leads students and the public in documenting native bumble bees, including the endangered rusty-patched bumble bee, Bumbus affinis.

Registration: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aRUHBz1DSYe4opGwNmIPpw

What Would We Eat Without Bees?

Date: June 19

Time: 12:00 pm

What would we eat without bees and what should we do to guarantee a healthy food supply? We will discuss the importance of bees in pollinating fruits and vegetables and how we can promote pollinators for a healthy food supply and healthy ecosystems. Healthy bees make healthy people!

Presented by: Christelle Guedot, UW-Madison Department of Entomology

Christelle Guedot is an Associate Professor, Fruit Crop Entomologist and Extension Specialist for UW-Madison Department of Entomology. Her research focuses on developing and refining effective, economical, and environmentally sound insect pest management (IPM) strategies and determining the importance of pollinators and developing strategies for conserving and enhancing pollination services for fruit crops in Wisconsin. Dr. Guedot provides up to date, research-based information to Wisconsin fruit growers on effective and sustainable IPM practices and on pollination services.

Registration: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eu80Z3oGRvGgIrXVt3Vz3A

The Hidden World of Bees – Unveiling a New Discovery

Date: June 20 2023

Time: 12:00 pm

Scientists have unveiled the secret microbial world that is vital to bees’ populations, and our food supply. This exciting new discovery beckons a new perspective for gardening practices that would not only safeguard adult and larval bees, but also protect the invisible partnership they share with their microscopic allies.

As part of this 6–minute webinar, our presenters will show a new short film that unveils the secret microbial world of bees. SymBEEosis is an informative yet cinematic documentary, part of which was filmed at the UW Arboretum. After the film there will be time for questions.

Presented by: Prarthana Dharampal and Shawn Steffan, UW-Madison Department of Entomology

Shawn A Steffan is a food-web ecologists and agricultural entomologist, investigating ways to understand animal and microbial ecology as a means to protect pollinators and agricultural productivity. Pranrthana Dharampal is a microbial ecologist, with the overarching research question: how do microbes shape the structure and function of food-webs and the biology of other organisms within them?

Registration: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mL2InroWSHq2LvxpfwextA

Making Space for Pollinators

Date: June 21, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm

You can integrate pollinator friendly habitats and practices into any size space. (Hint: it doesn’t have to be a new or separate garden.) We will discuss practical suggestions for incorporating pollinator conservation efforts into a range of environments, from urban spaces to rural landscapes. By promoting foraging resources, nesting and overwintering habitat, and protection from pesticides, you can contribute to pollinator conservation in your community. We hope to inspire and empower you to take action to protect pollinators in any setting!

Presented by: Julie Hill, UW-Madison, Division of Extension, Walworth, Rock and Jefferson Counties

Julie Hill is the UW-Madison Division of Extension Horticulture Outreach Specialist serving Walworth, Rock and Jefferson counties. Working with local, regional, and statewide partners, Julie provides horticulture education to help improve the productivity and sustainability of residential gardens and landscapes.

Registration: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J2Tg1wpCRFa5wTxcoL4xEw

A Mutual Attraction: Trees and Shrubs for Pollinators

Date: June 22, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm

Native and non-native trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers can attract numerous pollinators to your garden and landscapes. Learn what woody plants can attract bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, and other pollinators to your garden. In addition, proper environmental considerations for attracting pollinators will be covered.

Presented by: Dr. Laura Jull, UW-Madison Horticulture

Laura Jull is an Associate Professor and Woody Ornamental Extension Specialist, UW-Madison. She has been at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for almost 25 years. Jull teaches undergraduate courses in woody and herbaceous landscape plants, houseplants and plant propagation at UW and is the state extension specialist for ornamental horticulture.

Registration: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2-JOoz9pRgW5cNJ5VM-tdA

Butterfly Garden Design

Date: June 23, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm

Learn about how butterflies live and how you can support them in you garden. We will mostly focus on elements to include in a butterfly garden, designing the garden and recommendations for plants that attract butterfly adults as well as ones that support their caterpillar stage.

Presented by: Lisa Johnson, UW-Madison Division of Extension Dane County

Lisa Johnson is a Horticulture Educator in Dan County. She oversees the Extension Dan County Teaching Garden, provides continuing education for green industry professionals and provides public horticulture classes such as the Green Thumb Gardening series. She has a weekly column in the Wisconsin Journal and is a frequent guest on PBS Wisconsin’s Garden Talk’ radio show.

Registration: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9bx4YEvYQPOuM3jQqwxODg

WEBINARS FOR WISCONSIN GARDENERS

FLOWERS AND GARDENS

COMPOSTING

LAWNS

FRUITS – BERRIES

FRUITS – TREE FRUITS

DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS

EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS

VEGETABLES

LANDSCAPING

TOPICS OF INTEREST

HORTICULTURAL LINKS OF INTEREST