Gardener's almanac

Grubs are snug as bugs in rugs — A turfgrass specialist and an entomologist at K-State report that they've been asked questions about the effects of the cold weather on bug populations.

Entomologist Bob Bauernfeind's response: "If one exposed grubs directly to the cold air, you would freeze/kill them. But they are in the soil." And being buried in the soil protects them all winter long, says turfgrass extension specialist Rodney St. John.

Blueberry note — I mentioned a couple of readers' experiences with growing blueberries last week, and one of them, Betty Terbush, e-mailed to tell me she had forgotten to mention mulch: "We mulched our blueberry bushes heavily with sawdust, some of which we saved from my husband's woodworking projects and the rest we purchased from Waxene Products on North Broadway. That added some acid to the soil, and we never worried about extra watering at all."

Brussels sprouts seeds — Have you ever thought of starting Brussels sprouts from seeds? I've never thought of growing them period. But if you want to go the seed route, start your seeds in mid-February indoors, planting outside the third week of March. Expect to harvest in October to November. That's a long haul.

Free Family Fun Fair today at Botanica — Botanica's 19th annual free Family Fun Fair is today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It includes a variety of crafts and activities led by Botanica volunteers.

"Suitable for kids of all ages, the Family Fun Fair educates children about nature and wildlife while involving them in hands-on activities," Botanica says. "This event also gets families out into the gardens during the winter months to discover the berries, barks and foliage that shine during the winter."

Activities include grass heads, growing sunflowers, make a card, snowflake door hangers, butterfly magnet, plant sticks, feed the birds, snowman treasure keepers, Valentine bookmark, egg carton planters, garden rocks, coloring pages and snowflake stickers.

Admission to the gardens and all activities are free thanks to Target.

Daffodil Days — The American Cancer Society will be taking orders for daffodils today in front of Heads Shoe Store at Oliver and Douglas as part of the society's annual Daffodil Days fund-raiser. Orders will be taken in person from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can also order by calling 316-616-6500 or on the Web site http://daffodil.acsevents.org/sedgwick by Feb. 17. Daffodils will arrive the week of March 8.

A bunch of daffodils (about 10 stems) is $10. For $15, the daffodils come in a vase. Add a 10-inch Boyd's stuffed bear to a bunch of daffodils for $25. Proceeds are used for cancer research and programs and services in Wichita that help cancer patients.

Daylily meeting — The Wichita Daylily Club will have its first meeting of the year at 2 p.m. today in the Fireside Room at Botanica. The public is invited. On the agenda are a discussion of the Wichita Garden Show and looking at pictures from the 2009 national convention in Orlando, Fla.

"Life Is Too Short for Crummy Plants" talk — Dan Parcel of Kaw Valley Nursery will be at Botanica on Wednesday to talk about new annuals, perennials and shrubs. The lunchtime lecture, at 12:15, is included in Botanica admission. Syl's Catering will serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $6.

African violet meeting _ An open discussion with questions and answers about growing African violets year-round will take place at 1 p.m. Friday at Botanica. It will be part of a meeting of the African Violet Study Club, and the public is invited to attend.

Beekeeping weekend _ A beginning beekeeping class will be part of the spring meeting of the Kansas Honey Producers' Association on March 5 and 6 in Hays. The sessions will treat basic beekeeping and more advanced topics. The cost is $30 per person or $50 per couple by Feb. 26, $10 more after that date. Children under 18 get in free.

For more information, contact Robert Burns at 913-831-6096 or e-mail rburns@kc.rr.com.

Vegetable Growers Workshop — The Central Kansas Vegetable Growers Workshop is from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today at the Extension Center at 21st and Ridge Road. The cost is $15.