WSU Master Gardeners of Jefferson County Announces Spring Awards
The Grants/Scholarship committee of Jefferson County Master gardeners awarded over $5000 this spring for six community projects and one scholarship. Funds are raised through Jefferson County Master Gardener events, Yard and Garden series, the recent plant sale and the upcoming Secret Garden tour.
Scholarship Award:
The committee awarded $1500 to Griffin Weir Hoins, a senior at Chimacum High School. He plans to major in biology with a focus toward marine biology. One of Griffin’s interests is to explore the impact of our activities on land and how it impacts the health of the water that surrounds us. This summer, he will take a job with the Department of Natural Resources Submerged Vegetative Monitoring project conducting eel grass surveys in Puget Sound
Grant funds awarded to:
Jefferson County Historical Society for the Rothschild House’s New Lavender Garden. The roses planted in 1956 were declining and ravaged by deer. The volunteer gardening staff determined that deer resistant lavender would be more appropriate since lavender was widely planted in Victorian gardens and the harvested lavender could be sold to provide funds for maintenance of the garden.
Castle Hill Community Garden: a New Deer Fence. A community garden is maintained and enjoyed by persons on limited income and those with disabilities. They grow year round crops. Master Gardeners provided funds to start the garden in 2009 with a net deer fence, which is now beyond repair. The volunteers plan to extend the garden and build a substantial wire deer fence.
Quilcene Beautification Committee for the Irrigation System, Quilcene School Entrance Garden, Quilcene School, Highway 101 Quilcene, WA: This committee was established in 2011to renovate existing public landscaping and add public gardens to enhance the local community, the most notable recent completion, the Gateway Garden south of Quilcene. This volunteer committee asked for money to install a drip irrigation system to water installed plantings along the school fence line which fronts Highway 101. It will provide educational opportunities for the school garden club to maintain the plants that are appropriate for this climate zone.
North Beach Community Garden:This active garden, which has been ongoing for 24 years, grows food for residents as well as the food bank.
Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building, for Tools and fencing, the Tree Planting Project, 42 N.Water St, Port Hadlock, WA.:The school is located on a hillside that was a former rock quarry. The volunteers have begun clearing scotch broom and blackberries from the hill around the workshop. They have planted 200 native trees and 50 shrubs but need fencing to protect the smaller plants in a holding nursery and some tools. The school determined that students should have an appreciation for the material that they work with in boat building along with conservation and stewardship on a local level.
Kul Kah Han Native Plant Demonstration Garden, HJ Carroll Park, Chimacum For Permanent, Self-Guided Educational Signage : The volunteers at this garden have worked hard over the years to create a native plant garden for this public park. They will create self-guiding ecosystem I.D signs and laminated metal plant signs, with the plant names as well as descriptions of the plants.