This document provides information about the False African Violet plant. It discusses that the plant is a member of the true African violet family native to East Africa. It has small, soft, oval-shaped leaves and delicate blue-violet and white flowers on long, thin stems. The plant prefers temperatures around 70F during the day and 55-60F at night, and light shade. It can attract pests like mites and diseases but the author has grown it with little difficulty by keeping it healthy.

1. False African Violets
Nancy Carls
Woodford County Master Gardener
One of my Master Gardener Trainee sessions last year covered the topic or propagation. We had an oppor-
tunity to propagate several plants in different ways. One of the plants I selected to make a stem cutting
from was Gesneriaceae or commonly called False African Violet.
The False African Violet is a member of the true African violet family and is native to east Africa. This year,
it has been the sign of spring for me as mine bloomed for the first time this March. It has small soft, fuzzy,
oval-shaped leaves that vine and droop. I have made several cuttings from it and have twined it around a
plant support. Even then, I have had to pinch it back to keep it in the shape I want. It has delicate blue-
violet and white flowers that cascade out on long thin hairy stems.
I am planning on putting several of my cuttings in a hanging basket this spring. I will need to keep it in a
sheltered location as it prefers temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 55 to 60
degrees at night. This plant is frost sensitive and sensitive to direct sunlight. Light shade is best for grow-
ing healthy plants with plenty of flowers. They thrive in 20 to 40 percent humidity and need a potting mix
that drains well.
False African Violets occasionally attract pests including cyclamen mites and spider mites. Diseases in-
clude viruses and stem and root rot. I have enjoyed growing this plant with little difficulty in keeping it
very healthy.
Woodford County
MASTER GARDENER
JOURNAL
Volume 8, Number 2

2. Woodford County State Master Gardener Award Winners
The State Master Gardener Award winners
are in. Congratulations to the following:
2014 State Outstanding Master
Gardener Award
2014 Sustained Excellence Master
Gardener Award
Pamela Terry
Kenneth Smith
2014 State Master Gardener Teamwork Award
Simpson-Bandeko
Learning Garden
At Germantown Hills Middle School

3. University of Illinois * U. S. Department of Agriculture * Local Extension Councils Cooperating
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable
accommodation to participate in any University of Illinois Extension programming, please contact your local Extension office.
Woodford County Welcomes
Two New Master Gardener Interns
The Woodford County Master Gardeners are excit-
ed about welcoming two new interns to our ranks.
Penny Bocelli and Barry Ankney are both from
Washburn and completed their Master Gardener
training this year. I believe they are the first
brother-sister duo we have had in the county.
Bee-neficials:
It's All About The Bees This Year
Pollinators are an essential requirement for many
of our favorite food crops. “News on bee and other
pollinator populations is everywhere this spring,”
says Rhonda Ferree, University of Illinois Exten-
sion horticulture educator.
Pollination is a process that takes place in a flower
to transfer pollen from the male to the female flow-
er part, thus producing a fruit (or vegetable). There
are many ways that plants are pollinated, including
wind and animals. Most people think of bees and
butterflies when thinking about pollinators, but
bats, beetles, moths, flies, hummingbirds, wasps,
and more also spread pollen in some plants.
Kelly Allsup, University of Illinois Extension horti-
culture educator, provides the following tips to
help you choose the right plants and herbs for
your pollinator garden.
Pollinator gardens typically contain native
perennials such as the aromatic anise hyssop
(Agastache foeniculum), drought-tolerant coreop-
sis (Coreopsis grandiflora), spring-blooming wild
indigo (Baptisia australis), and the white-
flowering foxglove penstemon (Penstemon digital-
is). Native insects have evolved with native plants
and prefer them to non-native ornamental plants.
Pollinator gardens also incorporate flowering
herbs such as lavender, marjoram, oregano,
thyme, chives, fennel, and parsley. Their aroma
and consistent flowering make them attractive to
pollinators, and are sources of nectar and pollen
for beneficial insects and wasps.
“Provide pollen and nectar sources all throughout
the growing season by planting perennials, herbs,
and ornamentals that flower at different times,”
said Allsup.
Plant flowers of different colors and contrasting
shapes in the pollinator garden. Butterflies are at-
tracted to orange, red, and yellow and need a land-
ing platform. Bees are attracted to blue, yellow,
and white and can see ultraviolet markings, the
nectar guides, leading them to the source of nectar
and pollen. Hummingbirds prefer plants with long
tubular flowers in shades of red.
Allsup urges gardeners to include a decorative bird
bath to serve as a source of water for pollinators,
birds, and other wildlife.
She warns that chemical pesticides should not be
used on pollinator gardens and surrounding areas.
Accept some insect damage, or use organic pesti-
cides.
- Rhonda J. Ferree,
Extension Educator,
Horticulture
Nature never goes out of style.
-Unknown

4. Gretchen Strauch—Woodford County’s Very Own Superstar!
Earlier this year, Gretchen Strauch and Bunny Randall were talking
about upcoming educational programs that the Woodford County
Master Gardeners sponsor with their partner, the Eureka Public
Library District. Gretchen mentioned that she had read a great book
by Joel Karsten entitled “Straw Bale Gardening.” Bunny asked if she
would want to develop an educational program for presentation at
the library. Little did Gretchen know at the time how successful the
program would be. The first offering closed almost immediately.
Gretchen quickly agreed to do a second presentation which was an
instant sold out performance also. So, what could she do but offer a third presentation. Some of us Master
Gardeners who were tardy to register finally got to enroll in the third one. Thank you Gretchen for a
fantastic program! Watch for an article from Gretchen in an upcoming Woodford County Master
Gardener newsletter on straw bale gardening.
Straw bale gardening works well with
either flowers or vegetables.
Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts
are the seeds. You can grow flowers.
Or, you can grow weeds.
--Unknown

5. Landscape Maintenance Calendar
June
Flowers
Deadhead flowers to encourage additional blooming, reduce reseeding and to reduce disease.
Trim back some perennials such as aster and beebalm to lessen the need for staking and delay or
stagger bloom times.
Monitor roses for black spot fungal disease. Remove and destroy infected leaves.
Lawn
Mow and water as necessary.
Fertilize in mid-June if making four applications per year and only if adequate water will be supplied
in summer. Slow-release nitrogen forms are preferred.
Continue post-emergence herbicide treatment for weeds if necessary.
Establish or renovate lawn with sod only.
Tree/Shrubs
Early June- when catalpa starts to bloom- scout for and apply control for euonymus scale.
Trim pine candles if reduction of growth is needed.
South of interstate I-80, monitor for bagworms feeding on plants especially junipers, arborvitae and
spruce.
Mulch with organic mulches to at least the drip line of the tree.
General
Remove any stagnant water to avoid mosquito problems. Consider flowerpots, gutters, and birdbaths.
July
Flowers
Fertilize container plantings.
Continue deadheading.
Renew organic mulches.
Lawn
Mow and water as necessary. Raise mowing height to 2 ½-3 inches as temperatures exceed 85° F.
Decide if lawn will be irrigated adequately to keep it from going dormant. Do not bring cool season
grasses in and out of dormancy by watering sporadically.
Treat for grubs depending on product and past pest history.
Trees/Shrubs
Water newly planted trees and shrubs.
Scout for fall webworm nest building near ends of branches.
General
Monitor for insects and diseases. Early management is best.
Do not let weeds go to seed. “A year of seeding equals 7 years weeding.”
Water plants if not receiving at least one inch of water per week. Water deeply and thoroughly. Avoid
light sprinkling.
Sandra L. Mason
Extension Educator, Horticulture
Special thanks to all the Woodford County Mas-
ter Gardeners for the hard work and donations
to the May 17 plant sale. Thanks to all of you
and the community, it was the most successful
plant sale to date. And, it was probably
the coldest day we have had the sale.
One of the most delightful things about a
garden is the anticipation it provides.
--W. E. Johns

6. Woodford County Extension
109 East Eureka Avenue
Eureka, IL 61530
(309) 467-3789
web.extension.illinois.edu/lmw
University of Illinois
Woodford County Master Gardeners
Jack Pfaffmann
Bunny Randall
Karen Ruckle
Linda Simpson
Ken Smith
Gretchen Strauch
Pam Terry
Joni Wolffe
Bruce Brown
Roger Burdette
Nancy Carls
Lisa Garber
Karen Kaufman-Dickson
Karel Kaufman
Mary Niemi
Interns:
Barry Ankney
Kat Arnold
Penny Bocelli
Amy Kiefer
Four-Seasons Gardening Webinars
Home Orchards
June 24 at 1:30 p.m. at the El Paso Public Library
June 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Eureka Public Library
One of the most rewarding gardening activities is the production of fruits in the home garden. Nothing
equals the taste of tree or vine-ripened fruits wherever you are in Illinois. This presentation will focus on
the general considerations for getting started in developing and cultivating your own orchard; it will also
provide you with growing tips for several types of small fruits.
Starting a Youth Garden
July 8 at 1:30 p.m. at the El Paso Public Library
July 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Eureka Public Library
Whether you call it children's garden, youth garden, or school garden, gardens created as educational and
play spaces for youth can be very rewarding to create. These gardens allow space for children to connect
with nature and help them make the connections with where their food comes from. We will discuss the
benefits of youth gardens, the important steps to planning a youth garden, and ways to get youth engaged
in gardening. The presenter will also share some tips on how to make the garden as sustainable, success-
ful, and rewarding as possible.
Mosquitoes and West Nile Virus
July 22 at 1:30 p.m. at the El Paso Public Library
July 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Eureka Public Library
Control northern house mosquito in your neighborhood, and you control West Nile
Virus. The annual threat of West Nile Virus builds in early summer and continues into
the fall. The number of cases has been higher during the last two summers, with about a dozen deaths in
Illinois each of those years. Learn how to control and cope with northern house mosquitoes, floodwater
mosquitoes, and other mosquitoes to protect yourself and your community from bites and diseases.
There is no registration fee to attend this program, but advance registration is needed. Please register at
web.extension.illinois.edu/lmw/register or call the Extension office at (309) 467-3789.
Gardeners are artists, their brush a tiny seed, an ever changing picture emerges from their deed.
- Unknown