Master Gardener Enews 2014 April
Download JCMGF Enews 2014-April-4
Dear Master Gardeners,
Spring gardening fun is here, but so are the weeds! In between your fulfilling gardening activities and your dreadful weed pulling, please take time out to engage in some continuing education and volunteer activities.
But…before you add the fun stuff to your calendar, don’t forget to take a minute out to fill out the Master Gardener Re-Applications. We had a good return last month, but we’re still missing quite a few. I’m attaching the two forms again. You can drop them off or mail them back to the WSU Extension Office (380 Jefferson St. PT 98368; attention MG office). Another option is to scan and email them back to mastergardenerjefferson@gmail.com. We will also have them at the next Foundation meeting if you’d like to do them in person.
ARE YOU A GOOD WRITER?
Do you have a background as a writer? Are you familiar with the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual? Do you like to research? Are you good at meeting a weekly deadline? If yes, you have a lot of talent and you’re hired! We’re looking for the perfect person who is willing to write a weekly gardening column for the PT Leader. Christina Lacie has been faithfully writing fantastic gardening articles for the PT Leader for years, and unfortunately, she needs to step down. Please email me if you have an interest in taking over this important role.
REVISING FLORA OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LECTURE Tuesday, April 8, 7pm
Ben Legler, from the UW Herbarium, will talk about a second edition of Flora of the Pacific Northwest, including the taxonomic changes that affect flora.
Location: Natural History Building, Marine Science Center, Fort Worden, 532 Battery Way
MG Hours: counts for continuing education
JCMG FOUNDATION APRIL MEETING April 10, 3-5pm
The Foundation meetings are open to the public, so please invite your friends to our next lecture. The April Foundation meeting presentation topic is “Growing Food Together: Community Gardening in Jefferson County”. In 2006, there were only a few community gardens around Jefferson County known to the public. In 2007, the Food Resiliency Action Group of Local 2020 took on providing organized support for starting several more community gardens, mostly planted in neighborhoods of the members involved. Now, there are well over 25 community gardens, at least 5 of which are dedicated to donating fresh food to local Food Banks. In tandem with Master Gardener, Lys Burden, Judith Alexander will share a power point visual summary of these community gardens, many of which have been recipients of financial support from the Master Gardener Foundation grants. Experience the impact that your financial and other support has helped to create.
Candice and Lorna have volunteered to bring snacks for this meeting. Thanks to both of them!
Please remember to bring raffle items to add to the table. If you need an example, last month, Erica brought some primulas and other plants that were very popular as giveaways.
Location: Tri-Area Community Center, Chimacum
MG Hours: 1/education and 1/program support
PLANT AND SEED EXCHANGE AT QUIMPER GRANGE Sat., April 12, 11am-3pm
The Third Annual Plant and Seed Exchange sponsored by Quimper Grange will be held on Saturday April 12th from 11-3. The event will be held outdoors under canopies and in the Quimper Grange hall. Bring your extra seeds, plant divisions, spare potted plants, trees, bare roots, bulbs, and whatever else needs a new garden to thrive in. Many books will be on hand to help answer plant and seed questions and Mountain Spirit Herbals will be providing hot tea. For more information call: Ashley Kehl at 360-821-2092 or visit the Quimper Grange website –quimpergrange.com .
Location: Quimper Grange, 1219 Corona St. St., PT
ONE MORE MONTH FOR PT COOP “BEANS FOR BAGS” PROGRAM
When you shop at the PT Co-op through April 30, please pick the Master Garden Foundation as your “Beans for Bags” choice. If you’re not familiar with this program, Beans for Bags allows Co-op members the choice of receiving a 5-cent refund for each container or bag they bring for their groceries, or a bean worth 5 cents that they can drop in their choice of glass gallon jars designated for three local nonprofit organizations.
PLANT CLINIC Every Monday, March 3 through September 29, 1-4pm
We need one or two more reliable plant clinicians for our weekly plant clinic and a few fill in people. Please email me directly if you’re willing and available any Monday from now through the end of September.
Location: WSU Extension Office (380 Jefferson St., Port Townsend; Madrone Room)
MG Hours: 3/plant clinic (3 hours for each week you participate)
BASICS OF BACKYARD SEED SAVING (PART A) April 13; all day
In this class, participants will learn the crops that are easy to save seeds from, fundamentals of breeding and selection, isolation for trickier seeds, simple genetics, cleaning and storage techniques, and planning your garden for seed saving. In the fall, they will offer PART B, where students will winnow, clean, sort and package their own seed! See www.cedarrootfolkschool.org for more location, cost and other information.
MG Hours: hours count for continuing education
“APHIDS TO ZUCCHINI” BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURES Third Monday of each month, March 17 through November 17, 12-1pm (next one is April 21)
Our second WSU Master Gardener educational lecture series subject of the year is “Spring Vegetable Gardening from Seed and Starts”. This free brown bag garden lecture takes place April 21, 12-1, at the WSU Extension office in Point Hudson. This lecture will be presented by Jefferson County Master Gardener, Roger McPherson. Roger has been a Master Gardener since 1999 and has a wealth of knowledge about growing vegetables. Roger will give tips on how to grow the best vegetable garden possible! Questions and sharing personal growing experiences are encouraged throughout the lecture. Bring your lunch and have fun learning.
Location – WSU Extension Office, 380 Jefferson St., Port Townsend
MG Hours – 1/education
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR PORT HADLOCK BUILDING SUPPLY 7TH ANNUAL GARDEN SHOW AND SALE Saturday, April 26, 9am-4pm
Port Hadlock Building Supply has generously offered the JC Master Gardeners a table at their popular annual show. This will be an outreach table (giving out information about the MG program and recruiting new members). The hours can be split between 2-3 people. A bonus for volunteering is that Valerie Easton, Seattle garden writer, author of “Plant Life” in
Pacific Northwest magazine, and the author of five gardening books, will be speaking and signing books while you’re there. Her lecture will give tips on how to cultivate a lower maintenance garden that is still beautiful, productive and satisfying. Bring your questions. Val will leave plenty of time to chat, sign books, and answer questions.
Location: 901 Ness Corner Road Port Hadlock
MG Hours: All hours manning the MG booth / program support
SPRING GARDENING WORKSHOP PRESENTED BY MASTER GARDENERS OF SAN JUAN COUNTY Saturday, April 26 9am-4pm
There are 15 gardening workshops offered at this event to guide you in garden sustainably. Erin Benzakein, owner of Floret Flower Farm in Mount Vernon, WA, is the keynote speaker. She will talk about her adventures with sustainable flower gardening in the Pacific Northwest. See http://sanjuan.wsu.edu/mastergardeners/documents/SpringGardeningWorkshop2014PRINTOUT.pdf for more information.
Location: Friday Harbor Middle School, Friday Harbor
MG Hours: most hours count / continuing education
FRIENDS OF FORT TOWNSEND ANNUAL MEETING Saturday, April 26, 10am
Cheryl Lowe, from the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee, will discuss the currentproject of nearshore restoration at Fort Townsend State Park — removing the rip-rap and giving public access to the restored beach. A park walk by Ann and Fred Weinmann will follow the meeting at 12:30pm. For more information call 385-2998 or email foft@broadtripe.net .
Location: The Friends Barn at Fort Townsend Park.
MASTER GARDENER PLANT SALE Saturday, May 10, 9:30am-12:30pm
Roger McPherson is looking for a few more people to help with this event. We are also in need of another person to ID plants and work on signage for the sale. Mark your calendar for a day volunteering and also a day of purchasing a wonderful variety of plants, including a large selection of native plants.
Location: HJ Carroll Park, 9884 SR 19, Chimacum.
MG hours: All hours are considered program support.
HOME CANNING ADVICE Third Monday of each month, March 17 through November 17, 1-4pm (during plant clinic)
Get answers to all your food preservation questions from Jefferson County Food Safety/Preservation specialist and Master Gardener, Dianna Wiklund. Whether you are just getting started or would like to update your knowledge of home food preservation, Dianna will be available for walk-in clients to get their questions answered. Pressure gauge testing will also be available for $5.
Location – WSU Extension Office, 380 Jefferson St., Port Townsend
QUILCENE VEGGIE GARDENING CLASSES Every Monday at Noon
MGs, Juanita Thomas and Anita McCue invite everyone to join in on their vegetable gardening classes. These classes take place every Monday at noon. Head on over to learn some new vegetable gardening tips!
Location: Corner of 101 and Old Church Road, Quilcene (meet at the church)
MG Hours: 1/education; demonstration garden hours can be accrued if you help them prepare the gardens and/or organize lectures
4H/MASTER GARDENER/BEACH WATCHER AFTER-SCHOOL EXTENSION PROGRAM Every Tuesday through the end of July, 3:30-5:30
Sharon Garrels and Nita Wester are in their 4th month of running the Master Gardener segment of this after-school Extension program. Please spread the word and invite other children to join in. 4H, Beach Watchers, and MGs will continue to present exciting, interactive programs, through July.
Location: WSU Extension Office, 380 Jefferson St., Port Townsend
MG Hours: all preparation and teaching hours/youth outreach
Here’s a cute picture of some of the Jefferson County 4H kids engaging in their latest gardening workshop.
MG FOUNDATION BOARD MEETINGS First Thursday of each month, 3-5pm
Here’s another reminder that the Jefferson County MG Foundation welcomes attendance at the monthly Foundation Board meetings. The minutes for the March 2014 Board meeting are attached.
Location: WSU Extension Office, 380 Jefferson St., Port Townsend
MG Hours: Program support hours for Board members, intern member, and state rep
OTHER INFORMATION
Very important!! The following MG State program website gives you approved references for pest management recommendations – http://mastergardener.wsu.edu/approved-references-for-pest-management-recommendations/
WSU PESTICIDE TRAINING VIDEOS – 2 HOURS CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR WATCHING
This 2013 video is of WSU’s Catherine Daniels’ pesticide training, which she did for Skagit County. The training is divided into four 30-minute parts—2 hours CE for watching all four. This is a refresher for all MGs. Here are the links to the YouTube videos: If you get an error message when clicking on them, then copy and paste the links into your browser.
Part 1: http://youtu.be/lv_w0w0XMdI
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIChwPRQXL8
Part 3: http://youtu.be/PM1KnWUD9Hs
Part 4: http://youtu.be/yDRzUGHX9qA
I’ve sent this link before, but it’s worth sending again. It’s the new 29-page WSU manual, “Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington” – http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/EM057E/EM057E.pdf
Here’s an interesting article that may be of use to MGs who are working with community gardeners. http://www.joe.org/joe/2014february/tt9.php
Kathi Boyker’s grandson found a great new website that calculates the “value/benefit” of a tree in your landscape – http://treebenefits.com/calculator/index.cfm
MASTER GARDENER KUDOS GO TO…
-Susan Cronshaw for hosting our Yard and Garden wrap party. The group had a great time celebrating the success of our first fundraiser of the year
-Judy Johnson and her volunteers for keeping the Master Gardener Park looking beautiful! Judy lists her groupies as Erica Iseminger, Betty Petrie, Kathy Grace (Judy said she really helps a lot!), Clara Mason, Christina Lacie, Danna Owens, Carol Brannon, Diane Threlkeld, and Janell Jelliffe. Her biggest supporter (moral and physical) is Shirley Williams.
-Laurel Solana for donating 100 dahlias to the upcoming MG Plant Sale!
-Judy Johnson for donating plants to the MG Plant Sale
-Christina Lacie for her latest entertaining and educational articles in the PT Leader
-Roger McPherson for his continued work on the 2014 Master Gardener Plant Sale
-Susan Cronshaw and Candice Gohn for helping Roger!
-Vicky for her many changes this month on our Jefferson County Master Gardener Foundation web site: https://jcmgf.org/mg2/ and to Bob Grindeland for being the filtering liason
-Sharon Garrels and Nita Wester for continued help organizing the after-school WSU Extension program
– Anita McCue and Juanita Thomas for their continued veggie garden classes at the Quilcene LID Demonstration Site
-Our Foundation Board for monthly organizational support AND for all the extra meetings required to finish business!
May the gardening force be with you this month.
Jill
Ps – As of yesterday, 1159 hours were recorded in our Master Gardener Volunteer Database for 2014. The 2013 final number has increased to 4,382. If you haven’t recorded hours for 2014 (or any months in 2013), please do so in order to get the credit. The link to enter hours is http://ext.wsu.edu/volunteers/logon.aspx If you need help, please don’t hesitate to let me know.