Note from the editor:
There are no chapter meetings in July or August, but the chat rolls on...
I hope you enjoy the content!
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Events and IGS Sessions from June...
- June 3rd - Meet the Mason Bees and Friends - The weather was clear and the bees were plentiful as 85 adults and 45 children attended this 2nd annual event at the WCMGA Education Garden. A heartfelt thanks to the 15 Master Gardeners, 5 Oregon Bee Atlas members and 4 community volunteers who helped with set up, greeted attendees, ran the five activity booths, helped with take down and contributed to the success of the event. Lots of bees, lots of interest, lots of learning and lots of fun. Click here for a link to a photo album.
- June 10 - Raising Chickens in the Home Garden led by PCC Rock Creek Farm manager, Avery Thompson, who gave very informative presentation to a small but engaged group of attendees.
- June 17 - A mix of 18 adults and children attended the Bees in the Garden class. The session began in the classroom with a bee talk and related activity, then continued in the garden where we netted live bees to observe up close in vials. Capturing and releasing bees was the highlight of the session.
- June 24 - Robin Carpenter and Jack Shorr taught the Native Plants and the Backyard Habitat Certification Program session. Attendees could visit the Education Garden, which is certified at the Silver Level for Backyard Habitat Certification, to see how native plants look in the home garden setting.
- Thanks to Larina Hoffbeck and Inrun Kaur who diligently weeded on a Saturday. Still plenty of weeding fun remaining for wiling volunteers.
Work Parties and Upcoming Events
- 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 or Larina Hoffbeck hoffbeck@frontier.com.
- 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
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Learning Garden at THPRD Jenkins Estate, July 2023 Update
The garden is blooming and busy with many visitors. Vegetable harvesting is in full swing with all the produce donated to a local food pantry.
Tour the Learning Garden Herb Spiral and the Jenkins Estate’s historic Pioneer Herb Garden during the In-the-Garden Series Herbs! class on Saturday, July 22nd, 10 am – noon. Master Gardeners will share information about the growing and harvesting of herbs as well as their culinary uses, including making your own herbal teas!
Join us for the annual Learning Garden Fair, Saturday, August 12th, 10 am – 1 pm. Many hands-on activities for children and great information for adults. Tour the Learning Garden and explore ideas for your home gardens. If you would like to volunteer for this event, contact Kari Woyak at Kari_Woyak@hotmail.com.
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.
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The Oregon Master Gardeners Association of the Oregon State Extension Service is hosting the Joy of Gardening Conference at the OSU campus on July 7 and 8, 2023. Treat yourself to a 2-day immersion of gardening classes. Go deep with plant experts exploring native plants, raised bed gardening, growing root crops, peppers and tomatoes, garden pests, pruning fruit trees. Learn current science techniques for garden soil, pollinators, regenerative landscaping and more.
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This is a reminder that our registration for the Joy of Gardening Conference is open. This is a terrific opportunity for Master Gardeners to receive 10 hours of recertification credit and network with other Oregon MG chapters.
Registration is available at: https://omgajoyofgardening.regfox.com/omga-joy-of-gardening
Class descriptions are available at: https://omga.org/class-descriptions-2023/
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Herbs are among the most prized crops in any garden. In this class hosted by the Washington County Master Gardeners, we will 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! A great way to start planning for or adding to your own garden areas.
Program will be led by Anna Stubbs, Judy Fenker, Candy Wells, and Sarah Gramm Wolf
OSU Extension MG Volunteers
For more information, please go to:
https://washingtoncountymastergardeners.org/event/herbs/
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Connect with your fellow Master Gardeners, enjoy sharing your summer activities and a lovely fall afternoon.
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." Albert Camus
For more information about getting around the PCC Rock Creek Campus
PCC Campus Accessibility Map
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Lisa Barnhart has enthusiastically demonstrated a willingness to jump-in and help from the very outset of her joining the MG Program. And, she has been willing to do so, taking on large roles. Lisa readily volunteered to take on the Fundraising Director role as of 2023. During Gardenfest 2023 she also agreed to be one of the leads for the Gardenfest Set up and Take Down Team, another huge task with many logistics to make all of Gardenfest come together. She represented the Set Up and Take Down Team during Gardenfest planning and put countless hours into working through all the moving parts that make up Gardenfest, contributing to its great success.
Lisa is a regular member of the Education Garden team, helping with projects of all sizes whether it be the PNW hedgerow irrigation, assisting with the gravel pathway renovation, handling the dingo and compacter, maintaining the plant inventory database, and creating new plant labels---a very large project.
Lisa’s friendly approach, attention to details and interest in learning more about the MG Program has quickly led to the recognition of her many contributions to our organization. WCMGA is a grateful beneficiary of her generosity of time, organizational skills, and enthusiasm.
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As announced a while back, Gail Langellotto's time as the Statewide Master Gardener Program Manager is winding down. Below you'll find information about the final candidates. You can provide feedback after viewing the candidate presentations to help with the selection process.
The College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Horticulture and the Division of Extension and Engagement is conducting a search for a Statewide Master Gardener Program Manager.
Please view the presentation recordings of our final two candidates.
June 27 9:00-9:45am, Moses Wanyakha,
https://media.oregonstate.edu/media/t/1_unsjksv8
June 29, 9:00-9:45am, Lora Liegel,
https://media.oregonstate.edu/media/t/1_dxhowkvm
There is a feedback form we encourage you to complete by July 5 at 5:00pm, after you view the presentations. Feedback Form for Statewide Master GardenerIf you have any questions, please contact search chair, Wiley Thompson.
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Meet Treekeepers of Washington County
In March of 2021, a group of neighbors formed a grassroots organization, Treekeepers of Washington County. Our purpose is to protect and advocate for trees in urban unincorporated Washington County.
As the climate crisis worsens and summer heat increases, trees are more important than ever. Trees cool our homes, clean our air, and manage our stormwater. Trees are critical for our county’s ability to adapt to climate change.
But there’s a problem: Washington County is one of the only places in the Portland Metro area that does not have regulations to protect trees in its urban unincorporated area. That’s why we are urging our five commissioners who have jurisdiction for unincorporated areas to hire an urban forester. Urban foresters play a critical role in building green infrastructure in communities to improve livability by:
- Planning for adequate tree canopy
- Providing for public green spaces
- Developing regulations for tree protection and maintenance with local community input
- Advising residents on tree planting and management
While we know that development is inevitable and necessary inside the urban growth boundary, planning how that growth takes places is critical to saving our urban forests. Given the benefits of trees, housing with onsite or nearby large trees should be something we design for.
We engage with local communities to conduct tree walks, plan events and publish a newsletter. We have begun to locate and measure Washington County trees in the public right of way to build a database that will inform neighbors and county officials as they make choices about managing our urban forest. We pull ivy and look for ways to water and mulch trees in public areas. We work with the state’s urban forester to create green schools, especially for low income and underrepresented populations that lack tree cover.
We track new developments in urban unincorporated Washington County and work with neighbors to amplify their voices. We attend, testify at, and report on meetings where our words and actions may have the strongest impact. These include the Washington County’s Board of Commissioners, our County’s planning commission, and Community Participation Organizations, among others. We encourage community members to do the same, as policy change will not come about without participation.
We are always looking for new ways to preserve and promote the trees that provide us with so many benefits. Everyone is entitled to a healthy, green environment. Together we work toward that goal. We couldn’t do this work without our growing network of partners — and we hope to do it with you.
Ways you can get involved:
For more information, please visit our website:
https://www.treekeeperswc.org/
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As enchanting as the lovely blossoms and trees which were the obsession of Collingwood ‘Cherry’ Ingram, this book is a portrait of the man who led the network of “cherry guardians” in Japan to save the diversity of the Japanese cherry tree species. The author takes the reader on a journey covering the rescue of the disappearing species of one of Japan’s most iconic symbols with major moments in Japanese history, along with international implications. The cherry tree blossoms are an integral part of every stage of life in Japan, they have an evocative presence everywhere they are grown, and they are a symbol of diplomacy and reconciliation around the world.
Collingwood ‘Cherry’ Ingram, born in 1880, was an avid naturalist and ornithologist from an early age. The author describes nature as the “boy’s religion.” This is apparent in his sketch of four young birds in their nest, necks stretched to the sky with their mouths open, done by him in his preteen years. His interest in horticulture expanded with his purchase of The Grange in Kent. He traveled to Japan in 1902 and 1907 and then discovered he had two magnificent species of the cherry trees in his own garden; he developed his love of the sakura (cherry blossoms). On a return trip to Japan in 1926 to search for new specimens, he was shocked to find a cloned cherry tree, Somei-yoshino, was dominating the landscape and becoming a symbol of Japan’s expansionist visions. This was driven by modernization, neglect and a creeping ideology of the times. For him the absence of Taihaku, the brilliant great white cherry tree, which he had in his own garden, was the beginning of his quest to cultivate, preserve and return it and other species to Japan.
Naoko Abe spent four years researching for her book which transforms Ingram’s life from horticultural footnote into historical adventure. The lasting preservation of the cherry tree species is epitomized in the ‘cherry guardians’ establishment of the Great Wall of Cherry Blossoms to be visible from space and three designated national monuments of Japanese cherry trees ~1500 years old. Every spring we enjoy his legacy and this book gives the reader deeper insights to fall in love with sakura.
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