Muscatine Community College’s Continuing Education Department and Muscatine Master Gardeners offer the popular one-day Art of Gardening Seminar in March. The goal is to educate and inspire others to seek pleasure and fulfillment through a variety of home gardening topics and activities.

The seminar will be held March 12 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at MCC’s Strahan Hall, 152 Colorado St., Muscatine. Registration costs $45 and includes lunch. Participants will have the opportunity to attend four breakout sessions on the topic of their choice.

The sessions are aimed at both the experienced gardener and the new gardener, with information on creative backyard designs, new perennials for 2022 and vermicomposting. Vendors will also be on hand to showcase the latest gardening-related products.

To register, visit eicc.edu/artofgardening or call 563-336-3357. The deadline for registration is March 7. Muscatine County Master Gardeners is a program at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Muscatine County. To ensure everyone’s safety and provide the best possible experience, staff and all visitors must follow health and safety guidelines. See guidelines at eicc.edu/covid19

Frederick Myers Perkins Jr. passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 27, 2022 at his home in Houston. He was 93 years old.

He was born on October 7, 1928 in Tallahassee, Florida, spending his childhood in Jacksonville, Florida. He often spent his summers with his grandparents Thomas Eugene Perkins and Marie Myers Perkins (Papaa and Mamaa) in Perkins Beach, Florida.

It was at a young age that Papaa taught Fred how to fish and hunt small game in coastal Florida, outdoor passions that Fred nurtured throughout his life.

He graduated from Landon High School in Jacksonville in 1946 and was always eager to reconnect with alumni at reunions and other events. Immediately after graduation, at the age of 17, Fred joined the United States Army. He was eventually stationed in Japan during the reconstruction period after the end of World War II.

Like so many of the greatest generation, after his discharge from the military, Fred used the GI Bill of Rights to attend the University of Florida where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering with honors. He has also been accepted into three academic honor societies: Sigma Tau, Gamma Epsilon, and Phi Kappa Phi. Additionally, Fred became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

It was through a blind date arranged by a frat friend that Fred first met Rosemary Ross. Fred and Rosemary were married on December 21, 1950. They remained married until Rosemary passed away in 2016, just weeks after their 65th wedding anniversary. Fred and Rosemary have remained active in University of Florida events over the decades and have always watched their Gators play football.

In 1952 Fred started working for Humble Oil & Refining Company in the research department in Houston. After 10 years working in production research, he took a job as a petroleum economist at Standard Oil of New Jersey’s headquarters in New York.

During this first stint in New York, the family lived in Darien. Within a year, he was transferred to Houston as an area engineer at Humble’s production headquarters.

In 1965 the family moved to New Orleans where Fred became a division tank engineer. After a short stay in New Orleans, in 1966 the family moved to Corpus Christi, where Fred was first appointed assistant division manager and then full division manager in 1968.

In 1970 the family moved to Sydney, Australia where Fred was appointed Deputy Managing Director of Esso Australia Ltd. The family moved back to Houston in 1972 when Fred was appointed general manager of natural gas for Exxon Company, USA.

In 1976, Fred became vice president of production for Exxon. In 1979, he transferred to corporate headquarters in New York and held several positions, including assistant production manager, vice president of gas, and vice president of production.

During this second assignment in New York, the family once again lived in Darien. Fred’s last transfer was back to Houston in 1986 when he became president of Exxon Production Research Company. During his time in research, Fred received three US patents.

Fred and Rosemary loved to travel and have visited dozens of countries in their lives. One of the specific purposes of their travels was genealogical research, which took them to Salt Lake City, various locations on the eastern seaboard of the United States, and even to the United Kingdom.

As a teenager, Rosemary began researching her family’s genealogy, which piqued Fred’s interest in researching her own family roots. After decades of extensive research, Fred and Rosemary have traced parts of their family history back over 400 years. Both also documented their family history in books.

In addition, Fred has written an autobiography which his children will publish soon. If you are looking for the 1,000 page version of this obituary, please speak to one of his children for a copy of Fred’s autobiography.

As overseas travel ended in the 1980s, Fred bought a beach house near his home on Galveston Island. This nearby location allowed for frequent weekend visits to relax, cook, fish, and entertain friends and family.

Another interest shared by Fred and Rosemary was gardening. They were master gardeners and created gardens in many of their homes. Fred’s specialty was tomatoes, which he grew from seedlings.

He was very particular and noted the weight of each tomato he harvested. From fig trees to apple trees, butternut squash to green beans, Fred and Rosemary’s gardens produced delicious fruits and vegetables.

So it was only natural that gourmet cooking would emerge as another favorite pastime. Fred was an avid cook and was known for many culinary delights. He was probably best known for his salsa, jellies and jams, one of which earned him an honorable mention at the Texas State Fair.

Another area of ​​specialty was cakes, pies and desserts. He generously shared his desserts with Buckingham’s senior community, earning him a mention in the Houston Chronicle.

Fred could cook food in many genres including Cajun, Mexican, Italian and BBQ to name a few, always from scratch.

Of course, with all of these edible masterpieces, the obvious next step was hosting dinner parties and celebrations, which must have numbered in the hundreds over the decades. It looked like Fred and Rosemary were always cleaning up or getting ready to throw the next party. They have been honored to be able to host family reunions in Connecticut, Houston and Galveston over the years.

As home maintenance became more of a chore, Fred and Rosemary decided to move to the Buckingham seniors’ community in 2013. Ever the patriots, they chose their second floor, centrally located apartment based on the fact that he had an excellent view of America. Flag.

They remained active in various groups. After Rosemary passed away in 2016, Fred explored many new activities at Buckingham to occupy his time. He took singing lessons and participated in the Buckingham Choir where he was featured in two solo performances.

He also joined an art group that exposed real hidden talent. Despite advanced macular degeneration, with help Fred was able to complete over 50 acrylic paintings consisting primarily of landscapes and seascapes.

After he suffered a stroke in 2017, the family hired babysitters to ensure he could maintain his healthy active lifestyle. His most recent guardians were Yanique, Sabrina, Dionne and Amanda.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to these caregivers for watching over Fred around the clock to ensure he was happy and healthy during his final years. The family are especially grateful to their caretaker Amanda for helping Fred with various activities ranging from cooking to socializing at Buckingham until his last day.

Fred and Rosemary were active in many charities and organizations wherever they lived, including the Boy Scouts of America, the Chamber of Commerce, and United Way, to name a few.

Frederick was predeceased by his parents, Frederick Myers Perkins Sr. and Nancy Turner Perkins; and his sister, Marie Perkins Lloyd. He is further predeceased by his wife, Rosemary Ross Perkins.

He is survived by his three children: Lucile Perkins Reed, wife of Tommy Reed of Star, Texas, Nancy Perkins of Austin County, Texas, and Matthew Myers Perkins and his wife Kim Aleah Perkins of The Woodlands. Fred is also survived by five grandchildren: Rosemary Reed Jones, Gene Frederick Reed, Travis Weldon Reed, Caroline Elizabeth Perkins and Jaxson Myers Perkins; five great-grandchildren: Sarah Lucile Jones, Tommy Alan Jones, Gene Frederick Reed, Robert Weldon Reed and Abigail Grace Reed.

Friends are cordially invited to a family visit from 4 to 6 p.m., Friday, February 4, at Geo’s library and grand foyer. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive, Houston.

A funeral service is to be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, February 5, in Geo’s Jasek Chapel. H. Lewis & Sons, where the Reverend Beth Case, Minister of Christian Education and Welfare, Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, is to officiate.

Later, the family will gather for a private burial at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery.

— an obituary of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors, where online condolences can be filed.

Question: My outdoor garden kale plants have little holes and pits in them. How do I know what is eating my plants and how can I better protect them?

A: There are two different types of reasons why your plants can be damaged:

1. Diseases such as bacterial pathogens or fungi,
2. Pests such as flea beetles, cabbage worms, birds and other wildlife.

Take a close look at your plants and their surroundings. How big are the holes? Do you see insects – perhaps camouflaged – under the leaves or near the roots?

Since you are not mentioning discoloration which is a clue associated with some pests, we are assuming the leaves are otherwise green and healthy in appearance and not infected with a disease such as bacterial spot or black rot, which will discolor also the leaves; or cabbage aphids, which reveal a white waxy coating.

Here are some examples of potential parasites based on your description:

• Flea beetles. These leave many small holes. Black beetles are bright and jump like fleas.
• Cabbage worms. These leave large jagged holes in the leaves. The hairy green caterpillars turn into yellowish butterflies with a green head.
• Ringworm of crucifers. These leave holes at the bottom of the leaves that are visible from the top. The larvae are tapering at both ends and the butterflies are brownish white.
• Slugs or snails. These leave large bite holes in the leaves. Slugs and snails will also leave a slimy mark on the plant.

For more information on detecting potential kale pests, visit UC’s Integrated Pest Management for Cabbage website at https://bit.ly/3IrJUcU.

You can also send a photo of the leaves with the damage to our Master Gardener Help Line at [email protected] Our volunteers will help you identify the type of pest or disease causing the damage.

You can try one of the following solutions based on your best estimate of the cause of the damage:

• Use floating blankets or netting to deter wildlife, flea beetles and other insects. Make sure to secure the bottom to the ground.
• Water at the base of the kale to minimize fungus growth. Try not to spray the leaves.
• Invite beneficial insects such as spiders and ladybugs to control unwanted insect eggs and larvae.
• Mulch the soil to minimize splashing fungus spores on the plants.
• Use a spray containing Bacillus thuringiensis to rid plants of cabbage worms or other moth larvae.
• Apply diatomaceous earth around plants to deter snails and slugs, or use snail bait.
• Eliminate pests, such as caterpillars and beetles, with your hands and keep them away from the garden.
• Allow good air circulation between plants to reduce the spread of disease.
• Consider purchasing heat-treated seeds in the future to minimize bacterial disease.

Following:How to start new plants from hardwood cuttings, prunings

Limit sprays of insecticides or fungicides. These will damage or kill the beneficial insects that make your garden healthy and can potentially pollute the water supply.

The Shasta Master Gardeners program can be contacted by phone at 242-2219 or by email at [email protected]. The Gardener’s Office is made up of volunteers trained by the University of California to answer gardeners’ questions using information based on scientific research.

Recently, as part of the Master Gardener Program, we saw a video of an entomology professor in Florida advocating for better public education on insects.

He also presented some very interesting research he has done on how moths escape predation by bats. Bats and moths are nocturnal and are natural enemies. A butterfly with long swallowtails would sacrifice its tail to the bat to live another day. Another butterfly was making sounds that disturbed bats. It was interesting new research, but the main focus was the loss of insect biodiversity.

There are 5 million species of insects and their biomass is equal to that of all other animals and plants combined. That’s a lot of bugs.

According to a Guardian article, 40% of insect species are in decline and a third are endangered. The rate of extinction is 8 times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles which are also in decline.

Total insect biomass is decreasing by 2.5% per year, according to the best available data, suggesting they could be extinct within a century. Butterflies and moths are among the most affected.

For example, the number of widespread butterfly species fell by 58% on cropland in England between 2000 and 2009. Researchers say insects are “essential” for the proper functioning of all ecosystems, as food. for other creatures, pollinators and nutrient recyclers. .

The reason for this decline is the number of humans and our consumption of habitats for our use at the expense of other life forms on the planet. Climate change is also a factor. The conversion of natural spaces for agricultural purposes to feed a growing world population and the widespread use of pesticides are the main cause of the decline of insects.

We are nature’s worst enemy and rarely recognize that we ourselves are part of nature and destroy many of the planet’s ecosystems for our food. Much of our food supply requires pollinators, so we need them if we are to continue to eat melons, chocolate, and many other fruits and vegetables.

So what can we as gardeners do to prevent this decline in insects? Kristin Green in an article in “Fine Gardening” magazine suggests that we do not clean the garden in the fall as was routine, but rather leave the plants in place to provide habitat.

“Traditional methods are changing because our priorities have changed: aesthetics are tied to a higher purpose. Gardens, however carefully designed, maintained and flowering, are also living ecosystems, providing habitat and sustenance for all kinds of wildlife, ”she said. “Many gardeners have become naturalists and stewards, more likely to measure success by the number of pollinator species buzzing around their combinations than by the beauty of those plants together. Many insects, bees, butterflies, moths and spiders overwinter as adults, eggs or cocoon pupae. Some need the insulating shelter of the leaf litter; others attach themselves to stems and twigs.

Amen to that. I am fortunate to have a front yard that is not grass. The previous owner was a master gardener who employed another master gardener with extensive knowledge of native plants and together they converted the lawn to native plants which are excellent habitat for insects. It has become a wilderness area that all the cats in the neighborhood love to explore, apparently in search of prey and sometimes taking a lizard home with them.

In the back garden I have a passion vine which is the habitat of the Fritillary Gulf butterfly caterpillars. Therefore, I have a lot of Gulf Fritillary butterflies visiting the flowers in my garden along with other butterflies such as the Western Swallowtail (Papilio Rutulus), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), and Dusky Wing (Erynnis) funeral). You can find a long list of butterflies that can be found in San Joaquin County here: https://bit.ly/3rt0rqQ.

Observing and identifying the insects in your garden keeps the mind active and engaged with the world around us. I have also observed praying mantises in the garden and they often appear unexpectedly on flowers where they are ready to catch pollinating insects. Praying mantises do not choose between which insects are beneficial to us and which we consider to be harmful. Nature has rules that are different from what we humans might want. Good conservation of insects in your garden.

If you have a gardening-related question, you can contact UC’s Master Gardeners at (209) 953-6112. You can find more information on our website: http://sjmastergardeners.ucanr.edu/CONTACT_US/.

By Nisqually Valley News staff

The application period for the 2022 Washington State University Volunteer Master Gardener Education Program is now open.

The training is presented by the Master Gardeners of the Thurston County WSU Extension.

WSU extension staff and regional experts will teach trainees how to research and teach best gardening practices.

“The trainees will also learn how to answer horticultural questions from the public,” said a press release. “Training topics include basic botany, integrated pest management, soil science, plant identification, pests,… disease diagnosis and more. “

With approximately 75 hours of full virtual, classroom and field instruction, the 2022 training course begins on Friday January 28 and ends on Friday June 10.

The statement said that trainees will be required to complete homework assignments between class sessions.

“After the training is completed, participants are encouraged to share what they have learned through community service related to horticulture,” the statement said.

In accordance with all statewide COVID-19 security mandates and procedures, the WSU Master Gardener program will require all interns to be fully immunized by the first day of class.

The $ 350 training fee covers all course supplies and field trips.

“Payment plans and a limited number of full or partial scholarships are available,” the statement said.

The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, December 10 at 5 p.m.

For more information and to apply for the 2022 WSU Thurston County Extension Master Gardener training, go online at extension.wsu.edu/thurston/gardening/wsu-master-gardener-volunteer-training.