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Barbara Low

Sep 29

October in the Garden

By Beet 2023 10 October

I am continuing this series of articles and hope that you find them helpful and inspiring. In October, there is quite a bit to do in the garden depending on what you want to grow.  Most of our produce has been harvested and we are getting our vegetable beds ready for winter. 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.

October is the time to:

  • Check temperature forecasts and cover frost-sensitive plants when needed.
  • Put mulch around perennials and over-wintering crops.
  • Later in the month, cut globe artichokes back to 6” and mulch.
  • Jerusalem artichokes have tubers which should be ready to dig as needed.
  • Cut perennial herbs back to about half their height before winter.
  • Horseradish should be ready to dig. Harvest all roots, if possible.
  • Prepare garden tools for winter storage.

 
  • Direct Seed
o   Fava Beans
  • Transplant
o   Garlic cloves o   Shallot bulbs

 

 

  • Control Pests and Diseases
    • Use copper sprays on cane berries – if leaf and cane spot fungus have been a problem.

 

 

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

Garden For Life

Sep 29

I Love This Tomato Because…

By Beet 2023 10 October

Do you have a favorite tomato variety that you grow every year? Or have you recently discovered a new favorite? We are looking for personal recommendations from local gardeners to include with our tomato ‘varietal information’ signage for the Spring Garden Fair 2024. I realize this may seem early, but right now those tomato qualities that you love are fresh in your mind, and fresh in your garden!

Your recommendation should have the specific tomato variety name and describe the qualities that you value the most (taste, appearance, vigor, size, etc.). You could also include how long you’ve grown it, how you use it (fresh, slicer, paste, salsa, etc.), and any other aspects that you think are important.

Please email your glowing recommendation of 100 words or less, in Word or Rich Text format, to Barbara Low at <barbaralow@msn.com> and include your name as you’d like it to be listed in our signage.

 

Sep 29

October JCMGA Working Groups Summaries

By Beet 2023 10 October

Community Outreach Working Group

Speakers Bureau:

Colet Allen, chair of the Speakers Bureau, is continuing to work enlarging the Speaker Bureau.

Friends of the Gardens:

The new program for non-MG volunteers to become “Friends of the Gardens” was approved at the last Board meeting. It is time now to consider how best to implement the program. COWG members want to continue to be involved along with the Member Services WG.

Community Gardens:

Mary Foster has scheduled a meeting of the Community Gardens Network for Thursday September 28, from 10:30 to noon, in the Talent branch library. This is an opportunity for rejuvenating JCMGA’s support for and participation in the network.

School Grants:

The deadline for applying for 2023 school grants is November 3. John Kobal has updated the application form on the JCMGA website and will be using various methods to let all the schools and teachers in Jackson County know about this opportunity. Sandy Hansen offered to promote it on our Facebook page.

 

FUNDRAISING WORKING GROUP

chair is Sandy Hammond

The 1st annual Fall Festival is set for October 14th at the extension. This will be a 1-day event. The hours are 9:00am to 2:00pm.

A fun day was had by all on September 15th making glass garden art. Some volunteers made their art project to keep and some made garden art to sell at the Fall Festival. There will be 6 outside vendors along with our wonderful Native Garden nursery. The event will be outside and in Greenhouse #2. We will even have Sanctuary One bringing their goats for petting and viewing. There will be holiday items such as wreaths and decorations along with garden art. Cookies and beverages will be provided for free. Thanks to Jane Moyer there will also be beautiful Christmas cacti for sale. Parking will be in the parking lot only so carpooling is a good idea.

 

Garden Enhancement Working Group

Chair, Janine Salvatti

We are continuing to work in the gardens and are now getting them ready for the cooler temperatures.

 

Marketing and Technology Working Group

chair is Marcia Harris

We didn’t meet in September.

 

Member Services Working Group

chair is Barbara Low

We are continuing to update the membership files.

We have made detailed plans for the MG Class of 2023 Graduation Celebration on November 4.

The Friends of the Gardens proposal was approved by the Board.  Community Outreach Working Group and Member Services Working Group will continue to work together to work out the details.

 

Program Support Working Group

Chair is Grace Florjancic

The Program Support Working Group is looking for Master Gardeners interested in becoming Plant Clinic Mentors. We are hoping to gain enough Mentors to staff weekend events to accommodate our Master Gardeners and our community members with questions who are busy during the week. Reach out to Grace Florjancic grace.florjancic@oregonstate.edu if you are interested in getting involved with the SOREC Plant Clinic!

 

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Working Group

chairs are Colet Allen, Susan Koenig, and Barbara Low

Registration is now open Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2023 Symposium.  This virtual event will be October 27, 28, November 3, and 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sep 29

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2023

By Beet 2023 10 October

~~~ Registration Now ~~~

The Jackson County Master Gardener Association is back, virtually!

 

Dates: Fridays, October 27 and November 3 and

Saturdays, October 28 and November 4, 2023

9:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Comfort of your own Home via Zoom

 

We have a variety of top-notch speakers who will be speaking on many interesting

and time relevant topics.

 

 

All sessions will be recorded and available for a limited time for paid participants.

Cost is $30 for 14 presentations.

Landscaper Board CEH re-certification available.

 

https://jacksoncountymga.org/winter-dreams-summer-gardens-symposium/

Email us at jcmgawdsg20@gmail.com if you have any questions

 

Make it a family reunion & invite friends, family

and all your known far flung Gardening Enthusiasts!

OSU Extension Service prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials.

     

Aug 31

Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements — September 2023

By Beet 2023 09 September

Every Wednesday in September

 

Friday, September 8th

  • JCMGA Board Meeting from 9:30-11:30 a.m. This will be a hybrid meeting – via zoom and in person at SOREC Extension.

 

Friday, September 15th

  • Glass Art Class – Update
    • From 9-12:00 p.m.
    • At the SOREC Extension in the Greenhouse

 

Registration open for Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2023

https://jacksoncountymga.org/winter-dreams-summer-gardens-symposium/

 

Aug 31

Plant a Row Opportunity Update

By Beet 2023 09 September

 

 

  • We are off to a great start!   
  • We have collected 236 pounds of produce so far!
  • A BIG thank you to everyone who has contributed produce!
  • 40% of the produce collected – so far – is from our JCMGA Vegetable Demonstration Garden. The garden’s GEM is Seán Cawley.  Thank you to Seán and his team for their hard work in the Vegetable Garden!
  • All collected produce is being donated to the Access Community Action Agency of Jackson County. Access will distribute it to help feed others.
  • Plant a Row provides a great opportunity for us to help others who need a little extra help to feed their families.

 

Here’s how to donate produce to Access:

  1. Produce can be dropped off at the SOREC Extension at the Gathering Garden on Wednesday mornings from 9-10:30 a.m.
  2. Once you’ve dropped off your donation, we will have a record sheet on the table with the scale in the Gathering Garden. Record how much produce (by weight) and what kind of vegetable/fruit you have donated so we can keep track!
  3. We have a beautiful Plant a Row Food Donated Thermometer to record how much food we are able to donate to Access (by pounds).
  4. Encourage friends to participate even if they are not Master Gardeners.

 

If you have questions, please

contact Barbara Low at barbaralow@msn.com.

Aug 31

The JCMGA Board Needs YOU!

By Beet 2023 09 September

We are looking for new, and experienced, members of Master Gardeners to serve on our Jackson County Master Gardener Board of Directors for 2024.  Could that be YOU, or someone you can recommend?

Please consider becoming a member of the board – the governing body of the association. The board adopts the budget, sets policy, and generally oversees the present and future direction of JCMGA.  Meetings are held the second Friday of each month.  Most board members also sit on one or more of the association’s working groups.  Your input is important, and fresh perspectives on how we move forward are the key to our success.

The following positions are to be elected this fall:

  • Vice-President/President-Elect
  • Membership Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Assistant Treasurer
  • Recording Secretary
  • Archivist
  • Oregon Master Gardener Association Representative
  • Five Members-at-Large

 

Contact Barbara Low, President-Elect, at barbaralow@msn.com if you want to nominate yourself or someone else.

Please submit any nominations by September 22nd.

Aug 31

September in the Garden

By Beet 2023 09 September

I am continuing this series of articles and hope that you find them helpful and inspiring. In September, 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, and we will have a plentiful harvest. 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.

September is the time to:

  • Mid-month, pickoff blossoms and very small fruits from peppers and eggplants to all remaining fruit to mature.
  • Cover the flower heads of sunflowers to keep from the birds.
  • Time to prune tips and flowers from tomatoes to allow the plant to concentrate on maturing the remaining fruits.

  • Direct Seed
o   Arugula o   Chervil
o   Corn Salad o   Cress
o   Fava Beans o   Kale
o   Lettuce o   Mustard Greens
o   Turnip Greens o   Onions
o   Radishes o   Spinach
  • Transplant
o   Broccoli, fall variety o   Broccoli, sprouting types
o   Cabbage – fall or winter varieties o   Cauliflower – late variety
o   Celery o   Chinese Cabbage
o   Garlic o   Pak Choi
o   Shallot bulbs

 

  • Control Pests and Diseases
    • Breeding season for slugs and snails starts in the fall. Bait for them for the next two months.
    • Bacterial canker is a problem for blueberries. Use of fixed copper sprays starting before the rainy season and repeated in early January, may help to control this disease.
    • Bunch rot can be a problem for ripening grapes. Pick off damaged leaves.

 

 

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

Garden For Life

Aug 31

JCMGA Annual Picnic August 19, 2023

By Beet 2023 09 September

 

 

 

 

The Jackson County Master Gardener Association annual picnic was held at the SOREC Extension on Saturday, August 19th.  We had a wonderful time – good friends, delicious food, wonderful conversations. As part of our picnic, we briefly reviewed what we have accomplished as an organization this year!  Lots to celebrate!

  • Special thank you to Joe Alvord for stepping up at the last moment to BBQ our meat for the picnic!
  • Special thank you to Colet Allen for doing all the grocery shopping for this event!
  • Special thank you to our hard-working Member Services Working Group – Lucy Pylkki, Marcie Katz, Grace Florjancic, Linda Millus, Sandy Hansen, Trina Stout, Colet Allen and Barbara Low – for their work behind the scenes.

Also, a BIG thank you to Marcie Katz, our president, for her support, energy, and positive attitude during this challenging year.

Several people were recognized during this event for what they have done for JCMGA.  Below is a list of the awards that were given out.

Special Recognitions –

  • Grace Florjancic- “Compassionately Committed Coordinator” for stepping up and giving your full support and more to JCMGA
  • Jane Moyer & Lynn Kunstman — “Leadership through Example” for their above and beyond planning, teaching and leading the Practicum and its Mentors smoothly through new waters.
  • Keltie Nelson – “Master of the MailChimps” for her clever doctoring and timely ability to send the MailChimp communications to the members.
  • Sandy Hansen – “Fabulous Facebook Facilitator” for keeping our Facebook page looking professional, current and fun.
  • * Sean Cawley & Keltie Nelson – “Financial Wizards” who laboriously work with QuickBooks to manage our accounts, keeping us on track and out of the red.
  • Janine Salvatti – “Having A Keen Eye” producing the 2023 Directory cover photograph and inspiration for beautifying the gardens with Mosaic Glass.
  • Sandy Hammond, Lucy Pylkki, Sandy Hansen – “Event Organizers Extraordinaire” for their ambitious dedication and hard work bringing the Spring Garden Fair back to life in a new venue.
  • Heidi Gehrmann – “Amazing Program Support” for stepping up to facilitate the JCMGA through our transition between Program Coordinators.
  • Laurel Briggs – “Webmaster Wonder Woman” for expert problem solving and updating our JCMGA presence in the digital world.
  • Lisa Brill – “Excellence in Editing” for all the wonderful work “spit and polishing” our Garden Beet submissions.
  • Susan Koenig, Colet Allen, Barbara Low – “Virtual Ambassadors” for successfully leading the way taking Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens from limited capacity in-person classrooms to virtual classes and finding excellent speakers that teach plant science which now reach a much larger expanded audience.

 

State Master Gardeners Awards Nominees (these people were nominated for the specific award by JCMGA)

  • Susan Koenig – State Behind the Scenes Award
  • Jim Buck – State Growing and Belonging Award

State Master Gardener Awards Recipients 2023

  • Lynn Kunstman – State Master Gardener of the Year Award

 

County Master Gardeners Awards Recipients 2023

  • John Kobal – County Master Gardener of the Year Award
  • Regina Boykins – County Behind the Scenes Award
  • Trina Stout – County Growing and Belonging Award

 

Oregon Master Gardeners Association Longevity Awards

20-year Recipients:

FIRST NAME LAST NAME YEAR
Jim Becker 2001
Vickie Rader Belknap 1996
Richard Brewer 2003
Sydney Jordan Brown 2000
Jean Buck 2003
JoAnn Dixon 1994
Sheila Gleim 2000
Linda Holder 1998
Richard Hoskins 1998
Bob Law 1997
Claudia Law 1996
Joan Long 1998
Susan Maesen 1999
Lupe McHenry 1995
Regula Pepi 2003
Linda Robertson 2001
Carol Robinson 1999
David Rugg 2000
James Scannell 1997
Donna Smith 2000
Nicki Van Vleck 1998
Darcy Van Vuren 2002
Shannon Wolff 1996
Jody Willis 2003

 

30-year Recipients:

FIRST NAME LAST NAME YEAR
Becky Belau 1990
Peggy Corum 1989
Sam Elliott 1993
Betty Hewitt 1989
Liz Koester 1988
Ron Nitsos 1986
Ellen Scannell 1993

 

 

Aug 31

Jackson County Master Gardener Association Membership Options Available

By Beet 2023 09 September

Did you know that you have JCMGA Membership Options?

If you have successfully taken the OSU Master Gardener Course, you can be an Active Member of the Jackson County Master Gardeners Association by either –

  • Paying your $25 annual dues – nothing else required

OR

  • Paying your $25 annual dues, recording 20 hours of volunteer service on approved projects, and 10 hours of approved continuing education. This allows you to be an Active JCMGA Member and be recertified as an OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer.  The recertification allows you to teach gardening topics.