Master Gardener Enews 2014 Jan
Download JCMGF Enews 2014-Jan-7
Happy New Year Master Gardeners!
Thank you to everyone for all the valuable time that was put into the Jefferson County Master Gardener program in 2013. The records show that 3,986 volunteer hours were posted over the last year. Way to go, everyone! We hope to match or even break that record in 2014!
Our most important message this month is …
JC MG FOUNDATION MEETING THIS COMING THURSDAY January 9, 3-5pm
The January Foundation meeting is a VERY important meeting to attend. Our new State Master Gardener Program Leader, Nicole Martini, is coming to Jefferson County. She is excited about meeting with us and will be giving an inspiring presentation followed by Q&A. Please show your support for the WSU MG program and attend this meeting.
Sonja Henderson and Ali Dyche have volunteered to bring snacks for this Thursday’s meeting. Thanks to both of them! And many thanks to the previous months’ snack providers. These generous deeds make our program that much more enjoyable.
We will be continuing our popular raffles this year at the Foundation meeting, so any and all raffle items are welcome.
Also, as Roger McPherson emailed earlier this week, there will be hundreds of Plant Sale plants that will be waiting to go home with MGs for babysitting. Be ready to take a tray of plants home.
Location: Tri-Area Community Center, Chimacum
VOLUNTEER SATISFACTION SURVEY
Be on the lookout (by email) for the WSU MG “Volunteer Satisfaction Survey” later this month. A 100% return of the surveys would be most helpful in order to grow the state and local program.
MG FOCUS ON FOOD GARDENS
In 2014, the Jefferson County MG program is going to focus more on food production. Anita McCue and Juanita Thomas have been hard at work setting up a food demonstration garden at the Quilcene LID Demonstration Site (corner of 101 and Old Church Rd). Weekly veggie gardening classes will be starting there soon! More information is coming shortly.
Lys Burden has been putting in a lot of time at the PT High School garden over the last few years. Thousands of pounds of food have been donated to the Food Bank from her efforts. Please contact her if you’d like to help out.
Check out the following inspiring KSER radio podcast on the Snohomish County “Growing Groceries” program to see what our MG neighbors are doing. http://recyclewithkbk.podbean.com/ Scroll down to the KSER logo and click “Listen now”.
A FEW DISCOUNTED SPOTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR RAIN GARDEN TRAINING WORKSHOP
All Master Gardeners are being offered a special $25 rate for a two-day “Rain Garden Training for Professionals” workshop. The regular rate is $125. There are still a few open spots (2 as of today).
The event takes place February 12-13 and runs all day (8:30-4:30). The location is the Northwest Maritime Center. Lunch and refreshments are provided too so you can’t beat the price!
If you’re a landscaper (and MG) by profession, don’t miss this opportunity.
If you’re an MG with an interest in Low Impact Development and/or the beauty of rain gardens themselves, we encourage you to sign up. We would like those who sign up to be willing to help with some rain garden initiatives through WSU Extension (for example, helping to install a demonstration rain garden, leading a rain garden tour, spreading the word about the benefits of rain gardens, etc.).
The link to sign up is http://www.12000raingardens.org/get-involved/events/ Click on the February 12-13 option (Jefferson County). When you get to the “get tickets” page, just enter the code ” rg12000 ” in the password section and the $25 option will come up.
If you know someone else (non MG) who might be interested in the program, please pass this information along, but be sure to tell them that the price is $125.
LAST REMINDER FOR YARD AND GARDEN TICKETS
Ticket sales are going REALLY well for the Yard and Garden Lecture Series. We’re over goal for early ticket sales. If you still wish to purchase series or day tickets, please come to the 1st event this Saturday (January 11). Series tickets (six events) are $45. Day tickets are $10. The lectures take place at the Port Townsend Community Center this year at 10am (be there by 9:50 if have series tickets).
Yard and Garden Schedule:
Jan 11 – Year Round Bulbs – Andrew May
Jan 18 – New and Cool Plants for your Landscape – Heidi Kaster
Jan 25 – Wild Plants of the Rainshadow – Fred Weinmann &
Native Plants in the Garden and the Birds they Attract – Ron Sikes
Feb 1 – The Unseen Garden. Lichen, Pollen, Spiderwebs – the Lesser Known
Miracles – Mary Robson
Feb 8 – Soils II – Digging Deeper – Dr. Craig Cogger
Feb 15 – What is Killing My Tree? – Marianne Elliot
“PLANT CLINIC/ASK ME” TABLE AT YARD AND GARDEN LECTURES
We are in need of two MGs to staff the “Plant Clinic/Ask Me” table at the 4th Y&G lecture (February 1). You will receive one hour of Plant Clinic credit and two advanced education hours (if you listen to the lecture!). We also need one more person at the February 8th and 15th dates. Thanks to Sarah Fairbank and Barbara Arnn for already volunteering for the first three events and Lys Burden for committing to the last two events. Please email me if you’re available and willing to do any of the last three.
PLANT CLINIC BEGINS IN MARCH Every Monday, March 3 through September 29, 1-4pm
Plant Clinic will be starting up again in March at WSU Extension. Volunteers will be needed, so think ahead about setting aside some Mondays.
“APHIDS TO ZUCCHINI” BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURES Third Monday of each month, March 17 through November 17, 12-1pm
These increasingly popular lectures are beginning again in March. Our first presenter is our very own MG, Linda Pfafman, with “WIMBY (Worms in Your Back Yard)”. What a great way to get credit for an hour of education and then follow it up with three hours of Plant Clinic participation!
MG FOUNDATION BOARD MEETINGS First Thursday of each month, 3-5pm
Just a reminder that the Jefferson County MG Foundation welcomes attendance at the monthly Foundation Board meetings. Don’t let us have all the fun by ourselves! J
Location: Meetings are held at the WSU Extension Office in the Madrone Room
(The Board minutes for the December 2013 Board meeting are attached.)
INTERESTING PEST SIGHTING INFORMATION
Dave Pehling, Pest Management Extension Analyst in Snohomish County, sent the following: “We received our first two calls of the winter about aggregations of violet springtails that often emerge from the soil after a good thaw in our area. Information on this interesting (and alarming, to non-entomology folks) phenomenon is at http://snohomish.wsu.edu/garden/documents/SPRINGTAIL%20CLUSTERING.PDF ”.
ARCHIVED WEBINARS FROM WSU
Check out the following site for interesting online webinars (look for gardening related webinars):
http://extension.wsu.edu/pd/Pages/ArchivedWebinarsOnlineTrainings.aspx
UC Davis also offers some excellent online courses. Just be careful that they’re not climate specific:
http://ucanr.org/sites/MGvideosupport/
A third archived webinar site is the Extension Master Gardener website. Again, be sure they are NOT climate specific:
https://blogs.extension.org/mastergardener/emg/webinars/
MASTER GARDENER KUDOS GO TO…
-Our 2013 MG Foundation Board for their amazing patience and time commitment during our “transition year”. Board members included Bob Grindeland, Chair, Candice Gohn, Co-Chair, Sonja Henderson, Treasurer, Jill Bacchieri, Secretary, Pat Aniotzbehere, Mark Clark, Sharon Garrels, Janet Mizuguchi, and Diane Threlkeld. Also, thanks to Frances Loubere for her Board intern position.
-Joan Oakland for working over a year and a half on the Master Gardener Manual indexing!!! This was a major accomplishment to finish and took a lot of expertise and time. Every MG in the state will be grateful for your work for years to come, Joan.
-Sharon Garrels and Nita Wester for helping to organize our first 4H/Master Gardener/Beach Watcher after- school program. We’re looking forward to updates on this new program!
-Sonja Henderson and Roger McPherson for moving forward on the 2014 Plant Sale. Sonja and Roger will be contacting us with updates and volunteer needs.
-Sarah Fairbank for gearing up to teach the 2014 MG Training Course (starts March 19). This is a MAJOR commitment and we all appreciate her yearly spirit! Sarah is always in need of additional help, so please get in touch with her if you wish to help with training this year.
-Juanita Thomas, Roger McPherson and Erica Iseminger for preparing for the “seed propagation” presentation at the Quilecene/Brinnon Garden Club this month. 30-40 eager garden club members will be learning a lot of new tips thanks to our MG experts.
-Lys Burden (in PT), Juanita Thomas and Anita McCue (in Quilcene) for preparing their “food demonstration gardens” for the 2014 season. More information will be coming out soon with volunteer opportunities for other MGs to help out.
-And once again, because you can’t thank them enough, Roger McPherson, Ann Klosterman, and Susan Cronshaw (with veteran help from Diane Threlkeld and Lorna Ross) for continuing to organize the Yard and Garden Lecture Series.
Thank you again to everyone who helped to make 2013 a successful year for the MG program. And, I know that we’re all looking forward to a productive and fun 2014.
Best gardening practices always,
Jill
Ps – The MG Volunteer Database shows that a number of you haven’t completed entering your 2013 hours. Please do so asap so that you can get the credit. This also helps our program overall. The link to enter hours is http://ext.wsu.edu/volunteers/logon.aspx
—
Jill Bacchieri
Master Gardener Co-Coordinator
WSU Jefferson County Extension
380 Jefferson St.
Port Townsend, WA 98368
360 379-5610 ext 210
mastergardenerjefferson@gmail.com