Note from the editor:
I've now learned that Mailchimp does not directly support writing emails to PDF files. I must use my web browser's PDF writing capabilities. This makes creating a PDF file for posting on the web a bit tricky. Regrettably, I have not figured out how to write a PDF that maintains the functionality of the buttons. If anyone knows about writing PDFs from web browsers and may be able to help me figure this out, please contact me at wcmgachapterchat@gmail.com. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the content!
|
|
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
7:00 - 8:00 PM PDT - Free Webinar, Open to All
Registration Required
8:00-9:00 PM PDT - Members Meeting
|
|
Please join the Washington County Master Gardeners for a presentation by Chip Bubl, OSU Extension Agent from Columbia County. This webinar will cover preparations for planting garlic, varieties, locations, fertilizer, weed management, irrigation, pests, diseases, harvest timing and storage issues.
Bring your questions about garlic!
Chip Bubl grew up in Corvallis, OR. He has a B. S. in Botany and Plant Pathology and a M.S. in Horticulture. Chip’s interest in garlic began when he spent some time with a company that grew thousands of acres of onions and garlic for dehydration. He joined OSU Extension in the late 1970s.
|
|
|
|
It’s winter then summer then rain then mild now dry, all within six weeks! People are asking what has happened to the bees. Other people have loads of hummingbirds at their feeders; they are shunning mine. This is the year for lupines, though, in my yard! Maybe this is normal now.
I hope you all know that Gardenfest was a huge success, thanks to all of the efforts of the many volunteers for months before, the day before, the day of and the weekend after.
Another success was Grow 1 Give 1. Over 500 plants were given out at four locations, nine separate events. People were thrilled to get tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables to grow in their gardens or on their balconies or patios.
So, everyone, sit back and take a break now – NO! We have classes, events and volunteer opportunities all summer.
Oh, and make sure you work in your own gardens as well.
How Could You Not Grow Garlic with Chip Buhl on June 6 will be our last chapter presentation until September. Until then, the Chapter Chat will be published in July and possibly August, and the Board will take a break and not meet in July.
|
|
|
May was a busy month for the Education Garden
- May 6 - Gardenfest Plant Sale. Over 1000+ adults and children attended the sale. The Passport Scavenger Hunt was a big hit. Children went from booth to booth asking questions and receiving answers and free giveaways. The Hummingbird Facts activity, located in the Education Garden, helped to bring folks to see the garden as well.
- May 13 - Clearance Plant Sale for plants remaining from Gardenfest. This was a joint sale with the PCC Rock Creek LAT students. Fun to work with the students on this sale and both groups made money too!
- May 13 - IGS session: Gardening for Birds and Bird Walk led by Eric Butler. Lots of great information and a fun walk through the natural area on the north end of campus.
- May 20 - IGS session: Dwarf Conifers for the Small Garden. Elizabeth Price and Lisa Hansen gave an excellent presentation on selection, planting, and care of dwarf conifers in the garden. The classroom presentation was followed by a tour of the many dwarf conifers in the Education Garden.
- Continued garden help from PCC Rock Landscape Technology Students. It’s wonderful to have the extra hands and younger bodies helping with some of the heavier lifting chores.
- Replacing old plant labels. Much thanks to Lisa Barnhart for updating our plant label spreadsheets, printing the new labels, and coordinating the replacement process. It’s a lot of work and we so appreciate Lisa’s dedication.
- General spring clean up - Now with five years of growth, there was a need to thin out, prune back and relocate several plants in the garden, and, of course, continual weeding and placement of arbor chips.
- More native plants were added to the Insect & Pollinator Garden (thank you Jack Shorr)
- Signage was placed for ground-nesting bees and Top 10 Native Plant Picks for Pollinators from OSU Garden Ecology Lab research.
Work Parties and Upcoming Events
- June 3rd - The second annual Meet the Mason Bees and Friends family event will run from noon-3pm. Thanks to all the MGs who have volunteered to help at this fun event that celebrates bees in Oregon. And thanks to our regular work party crews who have whipped the garden into shape.
- June 17 - IGS Session, Bees in the Garden - Ages 5+ up are welcome.
- July 15 from 10am-1pm, WCMGA Education Garden Open Garden. This year’s theme, “Vertebrates & invertebrates” includes various partner organizations with related information and activities, and a live petting zoo with a few animals from the PCC Rock Creek Farm. Interested in volunteering? Please contact Susan Albright albright.becker@gmail.com or, Sue Ryburn sueryburn@comcast.net
- Our standing Wednesday work parties are from 8 AM-1 PM. Everyone is welcome and there are many ways to contribute and share, both through hands-on gardening projects and projects using the computer and/or doing research. If you would like to be added to our email list for routine updates or you have any questions, please contact Susan Albright albright.becker@gmail.com or, Sue Ryburn sueryburn@comcast.net
- Saturday work parties continue to draw a dedicated group of Master Gardeners. If you are interested in being added to our email list for information about Saturday work parties, contact Larina Hoffbeck hoffbeck@frontier.com
|
|
|
The recent In-the-Garden series classes have been very successful. The Plant Propagation class led by Karen Anderson and Cindy Muir had a large turnout. Many of the plants in the Companion Garden were used for a "learning laboratory" in the Jenkins greenhouse for the hands-on portion. Everyone left with new knowledge, up to 4 little propagated starts and a smile!
Venerable Veggies by Dan McDonald and Jeannine Rychlik was quite informative. Class participants were very active and inquisitive and enjoyed seeing all the examples of gardening methods, watering techniques, and tools. Annette Bell has been providing great support for all the instructors.
Join us for Herbs on July 22nd, 10 AM – noon, and tour the Learning Garden ’Herb Spiral’ and the Jenkins Estate’s historic ‘Pioneer Herb Garden.’ Master Gardeners will share information about the growing and harvesting of herbs as well as their culinary uses, including making your own herbal teas!
Keeping up with the weeds is an ongoing challenge throughout the Learning Garden and harvesting in the Vegetable Garden is starting to accelerate.
Regular work parties are on Thursday mornings. Come volunteer at a time that is convenient for you between 9 am and 1 pm. For more information contact Steve Kister kansammy@yahoo.com or Robin Burnham robin.e.burnham@aol.com.
|
|
|
Thank You 2023 Gardenfest Plant Sale Volunteers !!
|
|
|
Together, we did it! Thank you to everyone who had a hand in making our 2023 Gardenfest Plant Sale such a resounding success. With the help of over 50% of the WCMGA chapter membership we provided great plants, helpful gardening advice and fun activities for +1,000 of the general public (adults and children). And, we had fun too!
Thanks to the many, many hours of work done by our dedicated volunteers. As a result, we had a very successful fundraiser with net revenue of ~ $14,500. These funds support the many WCMGA activities and our outreach to the public in several different venues.
Months of planning and work were devoted to all the components that make up the Gardenfest Plant Sale with plant propagation and purchase planning beginning in 2022; the steering team starting to meet in the fall of 2022, followed shortly by the start of volunteer recruitment, publicity, education outreach planning, sale layout, plant information signage and logistics coordination, event signage, set up, staffing the sale itself, event headquarters, takedown and our clearance sale. And so much more… All this took careful planning and coordination with the generosity of the time and expertise of our volunteers. All were important to making Gardenfest such a success. MGs added spouses, partners, friends, and family to help with the final stretch. Feedback was so positive that we know we'll do it again.
Have some fun scrolling through the Google Photos album with images for Set Up Day, Gardenfest Plant Sale and our Pop up Sale https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMseKy3AgAOouKRgQ9YbA_yBbionbkSkprfefeX5dE-IeGYdyYAaacWN-qEE9W2xQ/photo/AF1QipPqNGU2xxFX_JCad8xyHYHlkCmwswffU0arU2km?key=aGJwRzlXYTdERzZNRk9xN3QzSGNOYXZwWW5yMzZB
So many smiles and so many volunteers.
Thank you to All !
|
|
|
OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers and volunteers from the Oregon Bee Atlas will help you Meet the Mason Bees and Friends! Children and adults are invited to join the Washington County Master Gardeners as we celebrate the emergence of the mason bees. Learn about the Blue Orchard Mason Bee and other Oregon native bees – their life cycle, habitat needs and more! Live displays and hands-on activities for all ages.
No registration needed. Free parking.
For more information:
https://washingtoncountymastergardeners.org/event/meet-the-mason-bees-friends/
|
|
|
Learn how to distinguish bees from wasps and flies; what our native bees need in terms of shelter, food and nesting areas; what you can do to provide habitat for native bees in the garden. Time will be spent looking for bees and other pollinators in the WCMGA Education Garden at PCC Rock Creek. Adults and school age children are invited to this event.
For more information, please go to
https://washingtoncountymastergardeners.org/event/bees-in-the-garden/
For more information about getting around the PCC Rock Creek Campus
PCC Campus Accessibility Map
|
|
|
Join the Washington County Master Gardeners to learn about the native plants that thrive in the PNW garden, how to naturescape in support of wildlife and pollinators, and the possibilities the Backyard Habitat Certification Program offers through its customized yard assessment. OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers Robin Carpenter and Jack Shorr will lead this In the Garden Series workshop.
Prior to a career in international finance, Robin Carpenter taught English for the Japanese Ministry of Education and French at UNC-Charlotte. In 2022, Robin was certified as a Master Gardener. Her vegetable bins attest to the fact that her interests lie in native plants and the guidance provided by the Backyard Habitat Certification Program. She also volunteers at the Portland Audubon Society and as a Master Recycler.
Jack Shorr became a MG in 2006 and a Master Naturalist in 2012 after retiring from teaching in Portland Public Schools. Jack focuses on sharing information about the use of native plants, pollinators that like them, and marginalized groups like the Indigenous History of the Kalapuya/Atfalati of the Grand Ronde. He also volunteers with the Backyard Habitat Certification Program, the Master Gardener Speakers Guild and the WCMGA Education Garden at the PCC Rock Creek Campus.
For more information and to register, please go to:
https://washingtoncountymastergardeners.org/event/native-plants-and-the-backyard-habitat-certification-program/
|
|
|
|
This month our Chapter is recognizing Dan McDonald and Stephanie Clift as Master Gardeners of Note for their leadership of the Grow 1 Give 1 Team. This is the second year for this ambitious team which includes Leslie Ray, Karen Graham and Jan Mitchell. They began holding nine events on May 12th at four different food pantries and had 560 plants in Root Pouch Grow Bags with soil and fertilizer from Clean Water Services. The plants include tomatoes, jalapeños, zucchini and cucumbers grown by 16 Chapter members and the Plant Propagation Team.
Along with the planted grow bags, there were 200-400 seed packets for zucchini, cucumbers, cilantro, lettuce, thyme and basil. Additional members assisted with filling, transporting, and distributing the grow bags with plants to the food pantries: Centro Cultural in Cornelius, St. Vincent de Paul in Hillsboro, Holy Trinity in Beaverton and Packed with Pride in Tigard. All the materials printed for the events were in English and Spanish.
Sincere thanks to Dan, Stephanie, their team members, member volunteers, and community partners including the food pantries, Root Pouch and Clean Water Services for their donation of materials to make the Grow 1 Give 1 project such an impressive success.
|
|
|
2023 Master Gardener of the Year Award – Marilyn Berti
2023 Behind the Scenes Award – Bob Campbell
Special Acts/Making a Difference Award – Karen Anderson
|
|
|
At the May Board meeting our Chapter Award certificates and gift cards for Master Gardener of the Year and Behind the Scenes Awards were presented to Marilyn Berti and Bob Campbell. A Special Acts/Making a Difference Award and gift card were presented to Karen Anderson later at the PCC – Rock Creek Campus.
A synopsis of their contributions to our Chapter:
Marilyn Berti is a paragon who epitomizes the best in volunteer service to WCMGA and our community. She has impacted our organization with leadership in the positions of Vice President, Publicity Director, Program Director, and establishment of the Learning Garden, which has thrived under her many years of dedicated direction. While it is impossible to lists all her activities, some examples are establishing the In the Garden Series, organizing and teaching at WCMGA public events, working in the Seed to Supper Programs in Washington County, Clackamas County and Inverness Jail, developing all-weather educational materials and displays at the Learning Garden, contributing as a member of Budget, Nominating, and Gardenfest Steering Committees, helping to organize our Welcome Back social event, and co-leading the last two plant sales before Gardenfest.
A most remarkable aspect of Marilyn’s contributions and volunteering is how she inspires others to step up and participate.
Bob Campbell’s contributions to WCMGA span more than a decade, first at the Demonstration Garden at Washington County Fairgrounds as member of the Leadership Team and then at the Learning Garden. He has used his carpentry skills, general knowledge of building projects, and shared his expertise in these areas. Some of the many projects for which he has provided leadership and completed are the tool and storage shed, an exterior wall for educational gardening materials, installed cabinetry, built the carnivorous plants bed, and installed solar lighting. He is the go-to person for anything that needs refurbishment, rehabilitation, and his invaluable make-it-work knowledge. He also pitches in to help set up events.
Besides his hands-on work, Bob shares his extensive garden knowledge with other Master Gardeners and the public at the In the Garden Series.
Karen Anderson’s contributions include working on the Propagation Team, being the lead and self-described “Elf” for the renovation of the greenhouse at the Learning Garden, writing articles for Chapter Chat, teaching topics at the 2022 Intern Workshops, and volunteering at various WCMGA public events such as the Grow Together family event at the Learning Garden. Her dedication is described as contagious, having the ultimate gardening attitude, and always recognizing and appreciating the contributions of others.
She lives and gardens by the motto, “It takes a team!”
|
|
|
Also of note is that Marilyn Berti is our Chapter’s nominee for the OMGA State Master Gardener of the Year and Leslie Ray is our Chapter’s nominee for the OMGA State Behind the Scenes award. The award recipients will be announced at the OMGA Conference in July.
Marilyn was nominated by our chapter for the State award because her contributions not only benefit the Washington County community, many of her activities also support the OMGA statewide community.
Leslie was nominated by our Chapter for the State award for her enhancement of WCMGA’s DEI work by initiating the translation project for our information to be available in Spanish. These translations are also used by other State Chapters. She also worked with Food Heroes and extension nutrition educators for the translation project which led to the idea of Grow 1-Give 1. This project is now in its second year with WCMGA members growing tomatoes, peppers, zucchini & cucumbers for distribution to foodbank clients. Her involvement continues with distribution and finding sources for contribution of materials.
Leslie has worked at the Phone Clinic Help Line since becoming a Master Gardener. As Publicity Director on the WCMGA board she increased connections such as with Mike Darcy and Garden Time magazine to advertise WCMGA activities to a larger audience. After leaving that position, she continued the work on rebranding and our logo change. She led the board on how and where to use the new logo and website to strengthen our infrastructure in supporting our educational work. Leslie also worked on the WCMGA strategic planning and bylaws committees. After volunteering as our OMGA representative, she stepped into a OMGA vacancy for vice president and is chairing the bylaws committee, working on policies and procedures, the OSU advocacy group and planning for the OMGA Mini-college Conference.
|
|
|
This book unabashedly extolls, as the sub-title suggests by the use of “Earth-Friendly Garden”, the benefits of using native plants in our gardens, and just about everywhere: parking strips, school gardens, community spaces, restoration projects and more. The authors are transplants from Ohio and New England to Oregon, specifically the Columbia River Gorge where they established Humble Roots Nursery, a native plants nursery. Having been published this year by Timber Press, their book is dedicated to the native plants of Oregon, Washington, southern British Columbia and both sides of the Cascades.
Kristin and Andrew have written a comprehensive sourcebook detailing 225 native wildflowers, grasses, ferns, shrubs, and trees. There is a section listing plants for specific purposes such as shade, drought tolerance, wetlands and riparian areas, evergreen plants, low-growing groundcovers, aromatic plants, and great hummingbird, butterfly and bird attracting native plants. Also covered are descriptions of the many varieties of habitats in the Pacific Northwest. The appendix sections include a broad listing of online resources.
The overall message is about the beauty in biodiversity to “bring your garden to life – and life to your garden,” making a garden that is both beautiful and beneficial. The authors urge their readers to, “complement rather than compete with nature” and along with the environmental benefits we can reduce the maintenance required in our gardens. Win – Win!
|
|
|
|
|
