​North Country Master Gardener Volunteer’s perennial garden is located at Spooner Ag Research 
Teaching and Display Garden.  It was completely redesigned and replanted with pollinator friendly 
and native plants completed in spring 2016.  We saw the perennial garden as an ideal space for 
creating a Monarch and Pollinator Sanctuary (MAPS).

We undertook this project as we learned more about the loss of pollinator habitats. Habitat loss is 
a result of disease, parasites, environmental contaminants and development of pristine land. 
Habitat loss contributes to the decline of many species of pollinators. The well-known and 
celebrated annual Monarch Butterfly migration south for winter and back north in Spring is a huge 
natural phenomenon, but has faced diminishing numbers of butterflies.

Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators to reproduce.  Most fruit, 
vegetable, seed crops - and other plants that provide fiber, medicine and fuel are pollinated by 
animals.  A significant portion of the food we eat exists because of animal pollinators such as 
bees, butterflies and moths, birds and bats, beetles and other insects.

Bees are the main pollinators for fruits and vegetables.  They nest underground, in twigs and dead 
trees.  There are over 250 species of bees native to North America.  Bees are often considered 
pollinator superheroes, having adaptations which allow them to collect and transport pollen and 
nectar.  They have the unique ability to “buzz pollinate” plant species with pollen but  no nectar, 
such as tomatoes, cranberries, apples, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, alfalfa, red clover, 
snapdragons and foxglove.

Butterflies seek nectar in the daytime, moths at night. Monarch caterpillars need milkweeds to grow 
and develop – common milkweed is most important although a variety is recommended.  Monarchs need 
nectar to provide energy to breed, to sustain their migratory flights and to build reserve for w 
nter.  Butterflies can see red, and love colorful flowers in
warm colors.

Hummingbirds are the most common avian pollinators in the US, and they love the color red.  Two 
species of bat are major pollinators in the desert Southwest.

Beetles and other insects are common flower visitors and pollinators.  My personal favorite is the 
Midge fly, the only animal small enough to pollinate the cocoa flower, giving us billions of pounds 
of chocolate annually!

MAPS provides habitat for pollinators to help them thrive.  Measures incorporated into the garden 
include:
•   pollinator friendly plants, shrubs and trees
•   mix of plants with various colors and bloom times
•   no insecticide use
•   bee nesting boxes
•   natural compost for fertilization
•   removal of invasive species
•   thinning and mulching plant beds
•   trees, shrubs and vines as well as fruits and flowers

Our Monarch and Pollinator Sanctuary continues to thrive, and is a designated Monarch Way Station.

You are welcome to visit – we are always open!

Author:  Janet Mangold, Master Gardener Volunteer

​Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening. Registration opens July 18, 2022!
Take your next step to growing plants successfully using research-based methods! You’ll leave the course with a combination of practical gardening skills to try plus the knowledge of why they work.
Plan your calender now!
Course dates: September 11, 2022 - December 10, 2022

If you have questions or want to learn more, please visit UW's  website!
Sign up for the waiting list to be reminded when registration begins. 
​
This is an approved learning opportunity for individuals interested in the Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener Program, To find out more check out the Master Gardener website.

​WISCONSIN CELEBRATES POLLINATOR WEEK
 
June is designated National Pollinator Month to bring attention to what we can do to support habitat for pollinators.  There are several programs throughout the month showing how we can help pollinators in our backyards.  
 
The North Country Master Gardener Volunteers invite you to join them on June 23, 2022, between the hours of 4:00 and 7:00 p.m., to tour the Monarch and Pollinator Sanctuary Garden at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station’s Teaching and Display Gardens.  Volunteers will be on-hand to give guided tours, answer gardening questions and showcase the dozens of different pollinator species established in the gardens.

The Teaching & Display Garden is open to the public for self-guided tours during the growing season and is located 1 ½ mile east of Spooner on Orchard Road, off Highway 70. 
 
Wisconsin Celebrates Pollinator Week, June 20-26, 2022, raising awareness through statewide and local activities and events. By increasing knowledge and adopting pollinator friendly practices, we can improve pollinator health and habitats. National Pollinator Month is an annual event managed by the Pollinator Partnership to help spread the word about what we can do to protect pollinators.

​Pollinator Week Webinars hosted by UW-Extension/Horticulture.  Webinars are free, but registration is required for each one. Webinars will be recorded for later viewing. 
For more information and links to register, go to https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/pollinator-week/
 
*June 20 - Pollinator Gardens: Plant Selection and Garden Care
*June 21 - Join in Community Science with the Wisconsin Wild Bee App
*June 22 - Wisconsin’s Busy Bees: Getting to Know the Bees in Your Area
*June 23 - 10 Things to Consider for Weed Management When Establishing Pollinator Plantings
*June 24 - How Do Pesticides Affect Pollinators and Songbirds in Your Yard
 

June is designated National Pollinator Month to bring attention to what we can do to support habitat for pollinators.  There are a number of programs throughout the month showing how we can help  pollinators in our backyards.  

Wisconsin Celebrates Pollinator Week, June 20-26, 2022, raising awareness through statewide and local activities and events. By increasing knowledge and adopting pollinator friendly practices, we can improve pollinator health and habitats. National Pollinator Month is an annual event managed by the Pollinator Partnership to help spread the word about what we can do to protect pollinators.

​Pollinator Week Webinars hosted by UW-Extension/Horticulture.  Webinars are free, but registration is required for each one. Webinars will be recorded for later viewing.   Click here for more information on each program and links to register. 
*June 20 - Pollinator Gardens: Plant Selection and Garden Care
*June 21 - Join in Community Science with the Wisconsin Wild Bee App
*June 22 - Wisconsin’s Busy Bees: Getting to Know the Bees in Your Area
*June 23 - 10 Things to Consider for Weed Management When Establishing Pollinator Plantings
*June 24 - How Do Pesticides Affect Pollinators and Songbirds in Your Yard

​Register now for Saturday's Garden & Landscape Expo Virtual Spring Kickoff!

Garden & Landscape Expo’s Virtual Spring Kickoff is just two days away! Be sure to register for the free event. Registration is quick and easy to do!

The virtual event will be held Saturday, April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST. This online event will include interactive educational presentations with live Q&A, a 360-degree video tour of Green Bay Botanical Garden, a gallery of images from our annual garden photography competition, online kids’ activities and more! More details are available at wigardenexpo.com.
​
Register for Garden & Landscape Expo's Virtual Spring Kickoff.

​Some of these peppers are the traditional bell shape while others are conical.

• 65 days New Ace. Nearly every flower will produce a fruit on this bell shaped pepper plant. Fruit is medium sized and can be eaten green or ripened to red. Well adapted to a cooler climate where other bell peppers may not produce as well. F1 Hybrid.
• 65-70 days Ruby King (Heirloom). Bell pepper (1902!) bears heavy crops of sweet fruit. Open pollinated, which means great for seed saving!
• 68-70 days King of the North.  (Sold out) This tall plant will produce 4-6 inch long sweet bell shaped peppers great for stuffing and eating fresh, green to red. Great cool, short season producer. Open pollinated!!
• 70 days Giant Marconi, (2001 AAS Winner) a great producer with huge 8 inch by 3 inch fruit, this F1 hybrid has a sweet smoky flavor eaten green to red.
• 75-80 days Wisconsin Lakes, developed at the University of Wisconsin for northern climate, this medium sized thick walled bell shaped pepper is a good producer with thick, juicy, sweet walls eaten green to red. Open pollinated.

​
We offer one hot pepper:

• 60-65 days Early Jalapeno. Ideal for Mexican dishes. Deep green, sausage-shaped, 3 1/2" x 1 1/2" fruits mature to red and are great for pickling, too. Just like Jalapeno, but earlier and better adapted to cool, coastal conditions. Compact, non-brittle bushes.

For more information on growing tomatoes and peppers in Wisconsin, check out:
https://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/a3687.pdf

Please note:  This year’s plant sale will have a “twist” from prior years, as we are requesting pre-orders from February through May 1 or until supplies are sold out. There will be a new pickup location at the City of Spooner Front Street Public Parking Lot (north of the Canoe Heritage Museum) on May 21. The sale is pre-order only with pick-up on Saturday May 21st, 2022, from 8:00 am - Noon. The pre-order form is available on our website at www.northcountrymgv.org/plantsale and at the Spooner Memorial Library, Shell Lake Public Library, Larsen Family Library in Webster, the Sherman Weiss Library in Hayward and the Washburn County Tourism office.
 
Article submitted by Roseann Meixelsperger MGV

We have tomatoes with a noticeably short "Days to Maturity" rating. Since our plants are well started when you get them you will have about a 15 to 30 day  head start on the how long you will have to wait for your first crop depending on a number of variables including how you harden off the plants before planting, what the soil temp is when planting, how much sun, wind and moisture the plant gets, and what the daily high and low temperatures are. Days to maturity is a rating to help us determine what plants are best suited to our zone (3-4) and the limitations that makes on the plants we raise.

Most of the varieties we offer will continue to set fruit until frost kills the plant. Others which are called "determinate" will set fruit until the plant reaches it mature size. Once these ripen the plant will die back. All determinate varieties that we offer are indicated.

The earliest varieties tend to be the cherry tomatoes. We offer:

• SOLD OUT-Sungold 55-65 days This is an F-1 hybrid that is exceptionally sweet, an orange gold cherry tomato that will bear right through the season.

For mid-sized early tomatoes, we have:

• SOLD OUT - Early Girl will give you crimson red fruit in about 57 days with a good tangy taste.
• SOLD OUT -Sweet Valentine, a great container plant, yields mid-sized heart-shaped red fruit in about 60 days. Determinate.

Large slicing tomatoes take longer to maturity. We offer:

• SOLD OUT German Johnson pinky-red fruit can reach up to 1.5 pounds and has few seeds in about 76 days. It is productive with some disease resistance.
• SOLD OUT Beefsteak yields bright red ribbed fruit up to 2 lbs. in about 80 days. Consistent moisture will help prevent these giants from cracking during ripening.
• SOLD OUT Cherokee Purple if a flavorful deep pink to purple tomato with a sweet aftertaste. Fruits up to one pound in about 80 days.

​
If you have experienced "early blight," watch for our article on early blight and how to avoid it in a coming post.

​Please note:  This year’s plant sale will have a “twist” from prior years, as we are requesting pre-orders from February through May 1 or until supplies are sold out. There will be a new pickup location at the City of Spooner Front Street Public Parking Lot (north of the Canoe Heritage Museum) on May 21. The sale is pre-order only with pick-up on Saturday May 21st, 2022, from 8:00 am - Noon. The pre-order form is available on our website at www.northcountrymgv.org/plantsale and at the Spooner Memorial Library, Shell Lake Public Library, Larsen Family Library in Webster, the Sherman Weiss Library in Hayward and the Washburn County Tourism office.
 
Article submitted by Roseann Meixelsperger MGV

The pre-order form is available on our website at www.northcountrymgv.org/plant-sale and at the Spooner Memorial Library, Shell Lake Public Library, and other local organizations.

Tomatoes, Peppers, and our popular 6 Packs of Pollinators and Herbs 

• Specific Tomato varieties are Beef Steak, Cherokee Purple, Early Girl, German Johnson, Sungold, and Sweet Valentine Container. (ALL VARIETIES ARE SOLD OUT)
•   Specific Pepper varieties are Early Jalapeno (Heirloom), Giant Marconi (2001 AAS Winner), King of the North (SOLD OUT), New Ace, Ruby King (Heirloom), and Wisconsin Lakes.
• The Pollinator Collection has Native Perennial Plants; Wild Lupine, Butterfly Weed, Black-eyed Susan, New England Asters, Swamp Milkweed, and Blazing Star Liatris.  (SOLD OUT)
• The Herb Collection has Six Herbs for the Senses: Thyme, Rosemary, Giant from Italy Parsley, Genovese Basic, Garlic Chives, and Bouquet Dill.  (SOLD OUT)

The proceeds go toward supporting the Teaching and Display Garden that is open to the public on Orchard Lane, just east of the Ag Research Station; for garden-related grants; for promoting horticulture outreach and education in Sawyer, Washburn, and Burnett counties; and other horticultural projects. According to Kevin Schoessow, Area UW-Extension Agriculture Development Educator, “Master Gardener volunteers come together from many backgrounds. They find common ground in their appreciation for growing plants, whether edible or ornamental. They are trained horticulture volunteers who help people in the community better understand horticulture and the environment, and they donate thousands of hours’ worth of their time each year toward that end.”
​
Further information about the sale is available at www.northcountrymgv.org/plant-sale or e-mail ncmgva@gmail.com.

Sept. 30, 2021 - Shade Gardening for Beauty and Pollinator Appeal presented by Melinda Myers
6:30 p.m. (Webinar) - Shade gardening doesn't need to limit plant selection or pollinator appeal. There’s no doubt that the shady areas of a landscape however can be a challenge when it comes to gardening. Melinda will share lots of colorful and interesting options beyond hostas for those shady spots in your landscape that add seasonal interest and pollinator appeal. Plus, learn more about planting and care to ensure success.
The webinar is free, but registration is required.
Register here
Melinda's appearance is sponsored by:  American Transmission Company  and Grow Smart

Oct. 27, 2021 - Pruning Tips for Shrubs presented by Melinda Myers
6:30 p.m. central (Webinar) - Learn the basics on how and when to prune shrubs. Pruning paranoia is common among gardeners, but once you understand the basics you will make better pruning decisions in less time and with much less stress. We will cover a variety of shrubs commonly found in the landscape. Melinda will also share information on the what and when to prune shrubs for optimal health and maximum beauty. 
The webinar is free, but registration is required.
Register here
Melinda's webinar is brought to you by:  Corona Tools
​

​For updates on appearances and to watch past webinars on demand visit www.MelindaMyers.com

A “Fall Garden Walking Tour” will be held on Saturday September 25 from 10 am until 11 am at the Spooner Ag Research Station Teaching and Display Garden.  This outdoor walking tour and discussion is sponsored by UW-Madison Division of Extension and North Country Master Gardener Volunteers.  There is no cost to attend.  The Display Garden is located on Orchard Lane ½ mile east of the stop lights in Spooner off Hwy 70.  Watch for Garden meeting signs.
 
Master Gardener Volunteers will walk participants through the Monarch and Pollinator Sanctuary Garden and explain appropriate fall clean up techniques for perennial and annual plants, seed saving and other fall gardening activities.  Kevin Schoessow, Area Agriculture Development Agent will discuss protecting fruit trees from winter injuries, fall lawn maintenance, and how leaves can be turned into next year’s mulch.
 
For more information and contact Kevin Schoessow at the Spooner Area UWEX office at 715-635-3506 or 1-800-528-1914.