If you are interested in volunteering to work the Jackson County Master Gardener Booth on Friday, May 17th, contact Barbara Low barbaralow@msn.com.
April
- Articles for the May Garden Beet due by April 15th. Send articles to jcmgabeet569@gmail.com
- Have nominations for Oregon Master Gardener Association Awards and Jackson County Awards – April 15th (see article in this Beet)
- Earth Day Event at Blue Heron Park – April 20th (see flyer in this Beet)
May
- Spring Garden Fair – May 4 and 5 at SOREC (see flyer in this Beet)
- Medford Open Streets Event – May 17th (see flyer in this Beet)
- JCMGA Board Retreat – May 24th from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
June
- JCMGA Annual Membership Meeting – June 14th from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
- JCMGA Monthly Board Meeting – June 14th from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
- JCMGA Annual Picnic and Awards Ceremony – Saturday, June 29th. We will have a guest speaker, Robert Coffan. He is with the Monarch Advocacy. Details will be in the May Garden Beet.
I hope that you are enjoying our “false spring” weather. I’ve been busy in my own yard implementing garden plans which I made this past winter.
While working in my garden one day, I realized how much is involved in making my garden work.
I realized how many things I do to “work in my garden.” These include pre-planning, researching, drafting, editing, putting everything together – modifying as needed – and finally enjoying the fruits of my labor. The same is true for the Jackson County Master Gardeners Association. Our Board of Directors meets monthly to review the working groups’ accomplishments and their future plans.
Over the past three months, our board has been working on the 2024 Jackson County Master Gardener Association Strategic Plan. This plan shows how all the working groups function together to accomplish the board goals. The 2024 Strategic Plan is a working document and is a guide for us to follow. I am including our Strategic Plan in this Garden Beet. Please look it over and let me know if you have any questions.
We are very fortunate to have dedicated board members who are willing to think outside the box and work together to solve the inevitable challenges that arise. Thanks to the creativity and dedication of these many talented individuals, we have some wonderful events planned for this year. These include:
- Starting a new volunteer program – The Friends of the Gardens.
- Participating in the Earth Day Fair at Blue Heron Park, Phoenix, on April 20th. We will have an informational table. This event is from 12-4 p.m
- Holding the Spring Garden Fair on May 4 and 5 at the SOREC Extension grounds, 569 Hanley Road, Central Point. Practicum students from the Class of 2024 Master Gardeners have been working tirelessly planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, monitoring the greenhouses to make sure that the plants have optimum growth opportunities, etc.
- Participating in Medford Open Streets on May 17 from 4-8 p.m. We will have an information table at this event and a tomato transplanting activity.
- Holding the JCMGA Membership Annual Meeting on June 14th at 9:30 a.m. in the Auditorium in the SOREC Extension building.
- Hosting the JCMGA Annual Picnic on Saturday, June 29th, starting at 5:30 p.m. We moved the picnic from August to June, hoping it would be less hot and the skies would be smoke-free. This year we are planning on having a guest speaker. Stay tuned for details.
- Coordinating the Plant A Row project. As we did last year, we will collect extra produce from your gardens to distribute to Medford Access to help feed those in our community who need the extra help.
These are the activities for just the first half of the year. More activities are being planned as we speak. We love to celebrate all that we have accomplished!
Many thanks to everyone for all that you do in our community to make it a better place. We are a great organization with many wonderful people all working to share our love and knowledge of gardening.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, ideas, or concerns. You can contact me either at barbaralow@msn.com or 541.840.1615
Take care and happy gardening, Barbara
Garden for Life
Spring Garden Fair – May 4 and May 5
Help Needed!
We are still in need of volunteers! 
We are needing volunteers specifically in the following areas:
- Parking Lot Area – physical work
- Parking Lot Money Taking Area – light physical work
- Plant Drop Off Area – light physical work
- Children’s Rock Painting Area – light physical work
If you can help with any of the above,
please contact Barbara Low at barbaralow@msn.com
The OSU Plant Clinic is here to help you.
We are located at 569 Hanley Road, Central Point.
You can contact us at sorec.plantclinic@oregonstate.edu or 541-930-8420.
Change of Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. (April-October)
Samples are always appreciated when you have a plant or insect questions.
Please bring samples, whether insects or plants.
Go to https://beav.es/ScJ for how to collect samples.
|
Spring is here! Daffodils, grape hyacinth, and tulips are popping up. 
I am continuing this series of articles and hope that you find them helpful and inspiring. In April, there is quite a bit to do in the garden depending on what you want to grow. Our gardens still need to be cared for so that they will do well in the spring and summer. By caring for our gardens, we are also caring for ourselves – physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The Jackson County Master Gardener Association has a great resource for gardeners to use. It is the Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley – Year-Round & Month by Month. This great reference book for gardeners is mainly about growing vegetables, berries, and melons.
April is the time to:
- Plant grapes
- Plants which you plant as seeds to transplant later
| o Basil | Cantaloupe |
| o Cabbage | o Celery |
| o Cucumbers | o Eggplant |
| o Peppers | o Squash |
| o Watermelon | o Tomatoes |
- Plants which you can plant as seed outside
| o Beets | o Carrots |
| o Chervil | o Chives |
| o Collards | o Cilantro |
| o Corn, sweet | o Dill |
| o Florence Fennel | o Kohlrabi |
| o Kale | o Leeks |
| o Lettuce | o Parsnips |
| o Parsley | o Peas |
| o Radishes | o Potatoes |
| o Salsify | o Scallions |
| o Swiss Chard | Tomatillos |
- Plants to transplant this month
| o Broccoli | o Cabbage |
| o Cauliflower | o Chinese Cabbage |
| o Endive, Escarole | o Jerusalem artichokes |
| o Leeks
o Onion o Pak Choi o Rhubarb |
o Lettuce
o Oriental Greens o Parsley o Tomatoes |
- Time to fertilize
- Established artichokes
- Established blackberries
Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley – Year-Round & Month by Month. This book contains a wealth of gardening information. You can purchase it at our local Grange Co-op or at the OSU Extension office for $21.00. It can also be purchased on-line at https://jacksoncountymga.org/shop/. Note that a shipping fee will be applied.
Happy Gardening and Stay Warm
Garden For Life
During this time our community has many families who are struggling to feed their loved ones. We have an opportunity to help. JCMGA wants to encourage people to participate. ACCESS Community Action Agency of Jackson County will again accept our produce this year.
Plant A Row started in Anchorage, Alaska, when garden columnist Jeff Lowenfels asked readers to plant an extra row of vegetables to donate to the local soup kitchen. Gardeners took up the challenge, and garden-fresh vegetables piled into the kitchen. The program went national in 1995, as gardeners across the country promoted planting extra crops for donation. Since then, gardeners have donated more than 20 million pounds of produce to food banks, soup kitchens, and related charities across the U.S. as part of the program.
Would you like to donate produce to people in need? There are three steps to participating.
- Grow food! Whether you have a community garden plot, or just a few tomato plants, every pound helps.
- In the June Garden Beet, we will have details on where your harvested produce can be dropped off. Details are being worked out now.
- Once you’ve dropped off your donation, we will have a record sheet which you may use to record how much produce (by weight) you have donated so we can keep track! Every pound counts! The Members Services Working Group and the Community Outreach Working Group are working on this.
Last year JCMGA members donated over 700 pounds of produce.
Please consider planting another row to contribute produce to Medford Access.
Oregon State University Extension
