Notes from the editor:
This edition is coming to you a little earlier than normal in order to let you know more about Gardenfest which is this Saturday! A big thanks to newsletter contributors who sent me their content in time to help me get this out early.
The Washington County Master Gardener Association class, Garden Refresh, which was to be held May 31st at PCC Rock Creek, has been cancelled due to a scheduling conflict with the presenter.
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Tuesday, May 6, 2025
7:00 - 8:00 PM PDT - Free Webinar, Open to All
Registration Required
8:00-9:00 PM PDT - Members Meeting
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Srijana Shrestha, Metro Area Master Gardener Program Leader, Assistant Professor of Practice, Oregon State University, will present the 2024 program highlights, showcasing key achievements, outreach efforts, and impacts.
Additionally, she will share insights into some of the research projects she has worked on such as melon grafting, sweet potato production, biodegradable mulches, and tea plant propagation and production, focusing on their relevance to sustainable gardening practices.
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I walk around my yard everyday pulling up horsetail and Canada nettle. I think I’ve eliminated the Spanish bluebells, but I’ll never get all the creeping buttercup. I hope you are all enjoying your gardens.
I have up-potted my G1G1 tomatoes and will be devoting this weekend to Gardenfest. I hope to see many of you there and at Srijana’s presentation on the 6th. Lots of good things going on, see below.
Happy spring, all.
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It was a very busy April!
Welcoming New Interns
The Ed Garden welcomes 2025 Interns! To date-- Cyrene Domogalla, Esther Dunn-Fellows, Andrea Flint, Jill Hageman, Badri Kashyap, Ross Nolte, Rosa Seda, Devin Turner and Wendy Whitebirch visited for orientations and jumped into hands-on tasks for spring garden care or IGS Set Up and, for some, already joining in assisting with our educational outreach and community events.
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Spring Colors at the Ed Garden
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Friday and Saturday Work Parties
Additional Friday and Saturday work parties have been added to accommodate Intern/MGs who would like to volunteer but are not available for our standing Wednesday morning work parties. See the Ed Garden weekly emails for the schedule and more information.
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MG Elizabeth Price provided training on the electric chainsaw and MG intern Wendy Whitebirch practiced plant removal on our declining Arctostaphylos manzanita ‘Monica’
Spring Tasks in Full Swing
Spring is bustling at the Ed Garden! Volunteers are tackling the updated Ed Garden Task List, focusing on spring plant care such as pruning, weed control and prepping for events. Training is available for using battery-operated tools (see picture!). New Birds of the PNW signs are being installed, a Polywood bench is being assembled, and arbor chips are ready for use. The team is also addressing irrigation over spray issues to keep the garden thriving.
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Larina Hoffbeck and Jill Hillman-Staffing Spring Cleaning in the Garden IGS
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IGS: Spring Cleaning In the Garden Attendees learning about spring pruning from MG Lisa Hansen
Soil School 2025
The April 5th Soil School hosted ~ 120 attendees. Susan Albright and Lisa Barnhart presented a breakout session on Lawn Be Gone. For the 5th year the Education Garden participated in Soil School with 40 attendees joining an MG-led garden tour focusing on soil protection, irrigation, and soil sampling. Another ~ 40 attended the Soil Water Infiltration demo trailer sited at the Ed Garden and staffed by the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRSC).
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Soil School 2025 Lisa Barnhart and Susan Albright presenting
LAT Student Collaboration
The Ed Garden hosted two fun and informative sessions for the PCC Landscape Technology Department (LAT) Plant Establishment and Maintenance Class on 4/7 and 4/9, engaging 18 and 12 students respectively, alongside 7-8 MGs/interns per session. Students were guided by MGs in spring tasks as part of their curriculum. In addition, students can fulfill their 8-10 hours for Community Based Learning during spring Ed Garden work parties. This marks the 5th year the Ed Garden MGs/Interns have served in a teaching role for the LAT Plant Establishment and Maintenance Classes.
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LAT Plant Establishment & Maintenance Class with MG Volunteers
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LAT Plant Establishment & Maintenance Class learning from MGs about PNW Pollinator Hedgerow plants.
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A Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Blauer Eichzwerg’ ) was moved from the Education garden to a larger space on the PCC campus so it can grow to be all it can be.
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Upcoming Events
The next Ed Garden Team Meeting is May 21 (6pm-7pm) via Zoom - the 4/16 meeting was canceled due to our busy schedules.
If you’d like to join the Education Garden email list, contact Susan Albright albright.becker@gmail.com or Sue Ryburn sue@sueryburn.com
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April was a whirlwind of activity in the Learning Garden, with every corner buzzing with pruning, planting, and construction projects. Volunteers worked tirelessly, installing hundreds of feet of bunny fencing to guard precious crops, building sturdy new raised beds, and spreading mulch to protect the soil. A fresh load of soil arrived just in time to fuel the flurry of gardening efforts. With several enthusiastic interns joining the team this month, the projects moved along quickly, infusing the garden with their energy and teamwork!"
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Devin Turner (Intern) dug a section of trench for the bunny fencing. Photo courtesy of Quoc Tran (community volunteer).
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Jean Ratalsky helped Mary Hewitt plant a new olive tree. Photo courtesy of Robin Burnham.
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The vegetable team faced a challenging start to the season, replanting lettuce and other greens multiple times after an ambitious early start clashed with the lingering cold weather. Their persistence paid off, though, with the season’s first successful harvest finally arriving in mid-April. This year, the fruits (and veggies!) of their labor are destined for a new food bank partner, the Holy Trinity Food Closet near Cedar Hills Crossing, where they’ll make a meaningful difference in our community.
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Quoc Tran, Dan McDonald, and Lorill Hirschberger built a new keyhole raised bed. Photo courtesy of Anna Stubbs.
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James Galbreath, Marti Farris, Lorill Hirschberger, Cyrene Domogalla (Intern), Dan McDonald, and Jeannine Rychlik building a new raised bed. Photo courtesy of Robin Burnham.
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A heartfelt shoutout to the ever-resourceful Dan McDonald, who swooped in on a Saturday to rescue a fallen Mason Bee house after its post succumbed to rot. And to Ron Spendal, whose craftsmanship came to the rescue as he replaced the rotted post and securely remounted the house, ensuring these industrious pollinators have a haven once more. Bravo to both for their swift action and dedication!
Learning Garden regular work parties are on Thursdays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. - feel free to come at any time during those hours. For more information contact Steve Kister kansammy@yahoo.com or Robin Burnham robin.e.burnham@aol.com.
Planning is underway for the Learning Garden Fair on Saturday, June 28th, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Please contact Jennifer Rosenquist at jrosenquist12@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer at the event.
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It’s Here! On Saturday, May 3 at PCC’s Rock Creek Campus!
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The sale runs from 9am to 1pm with free parking and admission. You can find more details on our Gardenfest page here: https://washingtoncountymastergardeners.org/gardenfest-plant-sale/
If you signed up to volunteer for setup on Friday, May 2 and/or the sale on Saturday, May 3 you should have received emails from hoffbeck@frontier.com the last week of April. Please check your spam folder if you didn’t receive them as they’re full of important information like where to park, when to arrive, what to bring, and where to check in and out. If you signed up for the clearance sale, you’ll be receiving information on that on May 4. Please contact Larina at the above email address if you have any questions.
Thanks so much for volunteering for WCMGA’s biggest fundraiser event of the year!!
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Joy of Gardening Conference/Silent Auction
Oregon Master Gardeners Association
The Oregon Master Gardener Association (OMGA) is hosting its annual event, Joy of Gardening, on July 11th and 12th. The conference includes educational sessions, statewide awards (candidate nominations are made by each of the MG county chapters, including WCMGA), and a silent auction. As a dues-paying member of WCMGA you are automatically registered as a member of OMGA.
The silent auction is the biggest fundraiser of the year for OMGA and funds their statewide programs and awards. For its success OMGA is reaching out to all Chapters, their members, local businesses and organizations to gather donations for the silent auction.
You can help make the OMGA silent auction and OMGA programs successful by donating items that would be a good fit for the silent auction or know who to ask for donations. Drop your donated item at the WCMG office at the Extension office, 1815 NW 169th Pl, Suite 1000, Beaverton. There are Donor’s Official Tax Report forms on the table in the WCMG office. Complete Donor name, Item Description and Retail Value and I will return your verified document for your tax deduction purposes.
Items do not have to be garden related and items that have done well in the past:
- Unique handbags/purses
- Practical books
- Garden art
- Garden supplies/books
- Food or drink items/baskets
- Adventure or themed baskets
- Gift cards
- Handmade items such as quilts, towels, planters
WCMGA contact for questions or details:
Terry Wagner, Chapter Relations Director
tawerwkgw@gmail.com
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Helen Dorbolo is recognized as Master Gardener of Note for May. Helen is an integral member of the Plant Propagation Team using her extensive knowledge of propagation to not only produce plants but also to educate other Master Gardeners on the process. In 2023 she was a contributor of content and format for our new website. She continues contributing to our website acting as an administrator. She is also a presenter for the In the Garden Series and the hands-on workshops for Interns. Helen has months-long involvement with Gardenfest for plants and plant signs.
Our Chapter appreciates your many and on-going contributions, Helen, and thanks you for your support.
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Marti Farris
Marti Farris is being recognized in 2025 as a Community Volunteer for WCMGA.
Marti contributes to all aspects of keeping the vegetable beds productive at the WCMGA Learning Garden. This includes winter bed preparation, starting seeds, growing and sharing plant starts, weeding, fertilizing, and harvesting vegetables. In addition, Marti has helped with the construction of new and replacement beds and hauling soil and chips for the beds. She has a broad base of gardening knowledge and is a pleasure to work with in the garden.
Marti is also recognized for her technical writing skills, occasionally offering her editing skills to written materials for the WCMGA. As an Intel retiree, Marti is a great resource for volunteers from Intel as she can assist in navigating the volunteer charitable donation program.
Thank you, Marti, for your volunteer commitment and ongoing support of the WCMGA. You are appreciated!
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Three intrepid MGs after an invigorating Gathering Gardeners hike at the Cooper Mountain Nature Park.
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The May Gathering Gardeners Event is the "Introduction to Nature Journaling' class hosted by MG Terri Rottman, for Master Gardeners, their family and friends.
When: Wednesday, May 7, 2:00–4:00 pm (plus optional additional journaling time at the end)
Where: PCC Rock Creek, Building 7, Room 108
Parking: Since it is a weekday, you will need to purchase a parking permit at one of the vending machines on your way in ($3 for 3hrs, see campus map for locations). Closest parking lot is Lot C. Room 108 is in the far left front (NW) corner of the building if you are looking at it from Lot C. You can also park at the Ed garden parking spaces, if any are available.
Opportunity
Learn how to use simple prompts and materials to more deeply connect and engage with nature, truly see the world around you, and draw and write about what you see. Reap the benefits of spending some nature-focused time with other MGs and discuss how nature journaling could be useful in conjunction with other MG activities.
Terri will show examples and guide you through the process of creating a nature journal page in a fun, interactive environment.
We'll start indoors studying provided nature objects (or you can bring your own) and then (weather permitting) do one final activity outside. You'll take home your first couple of pages and the inspiration and knowledge you need to start your own journey of discovery anywhere you have access to nature.
What to bring?
Bring your own unlined journal (mixed media paper is great but anything will do), a fine point black pen (and a few other colors if you like), a regular pencil and eraser, and some regular colored pencils or watercolor pencils (with a waterbrush pen or paintbrush/water cup and rag) to class.
We'll also have some extra paper and writing/drawing materials available if you are missing anything.
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