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Barbara Low

Feb 28

Annual Jackson County Master Gardener™ Association Photo Contest Winners

By Beet 2023 03 March

 

 

The Jackson County Master Gardener™ Association Member Services Working Group (MSWG) would like to announce the winners of its annual photo contest for 2023.

Thank you to those who submitted photos for the front cover of our JCMGA 2023 Chapter Directory.

With many wonderful pictures to choose from, it was a difficult decision.

 

The overall winner was Janine Salvatti (2019) with her photo “Monarch Butterfly and Asters”.

“This photo was taken as my hubby and I were headed out for a long weekend before Covid hit.  The day was glorious, and we stopped along the way as the whim struck us. We saw a sign for a butterfly garden and headed down a little potholed road.  In a wide clearing we found a small butterfly house filled with milkweed and many other plants. Several varieties of butterflies were busy flitting from flower to flower and we saw our first monarch eggs ever on the milkweed.  Such a treat. “  Janine Salvatti

 

 

 

 

The four runners-up are —

  • Alexius Lucas (2023) for her “Red Hisbiscus” photo 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Linda Millus (2023) for her “Stargazer Lily” photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Trina Stout (2022) for her “Rainbow Over Garden” photo 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Lora West (2020) for her “Bleeding Heart” photo 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the upcoming Garden Beets we will highlight the Four Runner-Ups – stay tuned……..

 

Congratulations everyone!

Feb 28

March in the Garden

By Beet 2023 03 March

Spring is nearly here! Daffodils and grape hyacinth are starting to pop up. 

Hopefully the weather will start to get warmer, and we can spend more time in our gardens.

I am continuing this series of articles and hope that you find them helpful and inspiring. In March, 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.

March is the time to:

  • Plant cane fruits
o   Blackberries o   Boysen
o   Cascade o   Logan
o   Marion o   Nectar
o   Olalla o   Raspberries
o   Santiam o   Youngberries
  • Set out rhubarb roots
  • Plants which you plant as seeds to transplant later
o   Artichokes o   Broccoli
o   Brussels sprouts o   Cauliflower
o   Cabbage o   Chinese cabbage
o   Eggplant o   Leeks
o   Oriental greens o   Pak choi
o   Peppers o   Tomatoes
  • Plants which you can plant as seed outside
o   Arugula o   Carrots
o   Chervil o   Chives
o   Collards o   Corn, salad
o   Cress, garden o   Fava beans
o   Kale o   Kohlrabi
o   Leeks o   Lettuce
o   Mustard greens o   Onions
o   Parsley o   Peas
o   Radishes o   Scallions
o   Spinach o   Swiss chard
o   Turnips and turnip greens
  • Plants to transplant this month
o   Asparagus roots o   Broccoli
o   Cabbage o   Cauliflower
o   Lettuce, head o   Onion
o   Onion sets, plants o   Strawberries
  • Time to fertilize

Established asparagus

Established raspberries

Established strawberries

Established grape vines

Happy Gardening and Stay Warm

Garden for Life

 

 

 

 

Feb 28

What’s on the JCMGA Website

By Beet 2023 03 March

Did you know that we have several “In the Garden” videos on our website?

 

There are videos from the Clackamas 10-minute University dealing with cane fruit and grapes.

 

We also have two recent videos by speakers from our Speakers’ Bureau.  Both presentations are very well done and have lots of good gardening information.

 

 

In the Member Portal you will locate the following —

  • 2022 Chapter Directory
  • 2022 Membership List
  • JCMGA Membership Renewal Form
  • JCMGA Member Bylaws
  • JCMGA Articles of Association
  • JCMGA Policy Manual
  • And many other documents

 

Feb 28

What’s going on?

By Beet 2023 03 March

If any of these working groups interest you, please contact the chair of that group.  Their contact information is in the JCMGA Chapter Directory and on the JCMGA website.

 

Community Outreach Working Group –

Our meetings are held on the third Friday of each month.

In February we discussed:

  • Medford Open Streets Project
  • Speakers’ Bureau
  • Friends of the Master Gardener program
  • Articles for The Garden Beet

Fundraising Working Group and the Spring Garden Fair Working Group–

In February we discussed:

  • Sale of the JCMGA Garden Guides
  • Spring Garden Fair on May 6th from 9-3 p.m.
  • Fall Festival on October 14th
  • Will start working on creating a priority list of items for possible grants

 

Garden Working Group –

Our meetings are held on the 4th Monday of each month.

At the February meeting we discussed:

  • Status of the Native Plant Nursery
  • Irrigation for the gardens
  • Practicum update
  • Water Catchment update
  • Garden Enhancement Committee update
  • Janine Salvatti is now the Chair of this Working Group.

 

Marketing and Technology Working Group —

Our meetings are held on the second Monday of each month unless it works out to be a national holiday.  In February, we discussed many topics such as:

  • The focus of the Garden Beet
  • Working on QRL codes for gardens
  • Exploring Google Workspace for Nonprofits
  • The Marketing Brochure
  • Updating the website

If you are interested in joining our group for a discussion or to lend a hand or if you want more information, please contact Sandy Hansen, Chair at sandyhansen08@gmail.com or 707-332-4934.  All are welcome.

 

Member Services Working Group –

We are continuing to work on updating the Chapter Directory for 2023.  Our goal is to have the directory ready for you by the end of March.   We are starting to work on a possible Field Trip later this year – details to follow.  In trying to meet the needs of our members, we are creating a survey to email later in March.  Please take the time to complete it for us.  We are also going to be surveying our past members to find out how we can serve them.   If you are interested in being a part of our group, contact Barbara Low at barbaralow@msn.com .

 

Program Support Working Group –

The Program Support Working Group has been focused on restarting engagement and learning

activities. We have held the first Practicum sessions since the shut down and are building a

Community Education Class schedule! The Plant Clinic has been busy with updates and

preparing mentors to train all our new Master Gardener Students. We will soon have a current

list of reportable pests. The Plant Clinic loves puzzles so much that we have been holding a

scavenger hunt through the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon Department of

Forestry websites to update our reportable pest list.

 

 

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Working Group –

Our group has started meeting on a regular basis to plan for the WDSG 2023!  We have brainstormed possible presentation topics and speakers.

If you are interested is being a part of this group, please contact Colet Allen coletallen1@gmail.com , Susan Koenig srkoenig@aol.com or Barbara Low barbaralow@msn.com .

 

Feb 28

How to Record My JCMGA Recertification Hours for OSU

By Beet 2023 03 March

Recording your recertification hours is a very important part of being a Master Gardener.  Our organization is based on gardening education and volunteers’ hours.  In addition to providing documentation for your recertification, these hours are needed to provide funding for Oregon Master Gardeners.

This task may seem daunting at the beginning, but the more you do it the easier it becomes. 

Currently we are required to have

  • 20 hours of approved volunteer service. Half of these hours must be in the category of direct or indirect education efforts – which are detailed on the OSU website https://vrs.osumg.org/sec_Login/
  • 10 hours of approved continuing education.
  • These 30 hours (minimum) are to be earned from November 1st to October 31st.

The steps are easy to follow as long as you take your time –

This takes you to the OSU Master Gardener Volunteer Reporting System (VRS)

  • In the left-hand side of this page you will find lots of good information. Take time to check out the following –
    • Report Hours button – where you choose if you want to record Volunteer Service Hours or Continuing Education Hours.
    • Documentation Button – there is information here explaining.
      • what is required for re-certification
      • what the new categories are what can be included in each category
    • How To Videos – shows you step by step what to do
  • If this is your first time reporting your recertification hours, you will need to click on the link Enrollment in VRS and follow the directions.
  • If you have recorded your recertification hours before, you should put in your email address and password. Since this is a new website and to strengthen security, OSU has changed their requirements for a password.  You may have to update your password.

 

People keep track of their hours in a variety of ways before they input them into the OSU Volunteer Reporting System.

  • Many people use a calendar or log to keep track of them.
  • Some people officially report their hours weekly, monthly, etc.
  • You can enter your hours for each individual event, or you can “bundle” them. By bundle, we mean you can take the number of volunteer hours – as long as they are the same coding – for a month or longer.  You would need to explain it in the description box.

If at any time you have questions about this process, please feel free to contact Grace Florjancic, Barbara Low, Sandy Hansen or Jane Moyer.

Have a wonderful year gardening!

 

Jan 31

Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements — February 2023

By Beet 2023 02 February

 

The Plant Clinic is open at the OSU Extension office on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 – 2:00 p.m.

 

Speakers Bureau Schedule for February

  • February 4th Susan Koenig will be speaking on “Understanding Vegetable Garden Fertilizers” from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at the Medford Library.

 

  • February 18th Janine Salvatti will be speaking on “No-dig Lasagna Gardening and Spring Garden Cleanup” from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at the Medford Library.

 

Jan 31

February in the Garden

By Beet 2023 02 February

Good morning on this very cold day. Frost on the windows, grass, and shrubs. I’m sitting by my window watching the birds in our backyard – some in the bird feeders, others in the bushes.  I see several different kinds of birds – each with their own habits.

Last month, I talked about what we should be doing in our gardens during the month of January. I am continuing this series of articles and hope that you find them to be helpful and inspiring. With that said, our gardens still need to be cared for so that they will do well in the spring and summer.

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 book.  This great reference book for gardeners is mainly about the growing of vegetables, berries, and melons.

In this article, I will briefly refer to what we should be working on during the month of February based on the information in this book and articles on the OSU website.

February is the time to:

  • Continue to plan what you want to plant in spring – if you haven’t done it already. What seeds do you want to order? Do you want to try some new or different vegetables and/or berries?   
  • Plants which you plant as seeds to transplant later
    • Cabbage * Chinese Cabbage
    • Lettuce (head)                         * Endive, Escarole
    • Parsley * Leeks
    • Onions * Oriental Greens
    • Pak Choi
  • Plants which you can plant as seed outside
    • Peas (if there are the right soil conditions)
    • Arugula * Cress, Garden
    • Corn salad * Mustard greens, turnip greens
    • Radishes * Spinach
  • Plants to Transplant this month
    • Asparagus roots * Herbs, perennial
    • Horseradish * Lettuce (head)
    • Onion sets, plants * Strawberries
  • Time to prune your established grapes
  • Remove mulch from established asparagus beds and fertilize.
  • Fertilize over-wintering vegetables with high nitrogen fertilizer
  • Fertilize rhubarb – OSU publication “Grow Your Own Rhubarb” https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec797

 

The Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley – Year-Round & Month by Month 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.

 

 

 

Other Resource:

Happy Gardening and Stay Warm

Garden For Life

 

Jan 31

Winter-blooming Plants to Nourish Bees

By Beet 2023 02 February

This week, I ran across an article, 7 winter-blooming plants to nourish bees, from OSU, written by Kym Pokorny.  Her source for this article was Andony Melathopoulos.  Andony was one of our Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022 presenters. He spoke about the many different types of bees and their importance to our environment.

This caught my eye because I really enjoyed his presentation. Andony, the Oregon State University Extension Service pollinator specialist and assistant professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences, is a very good presenter with a great deal of knowledge about his topic.

In the article, I learned that black-tailed bumblebees can be out and about as early as January.  With bees starting to come out that early, it is important that we have plants which are starting to bloom to provide them nutrition.

The winter-blooming plants which he suggests having in our yards are:

  1. Hazelnut (Corylus):Members of the Corylus genus – including the popular contorted and weeping hazelnuts – are one of earliest sources of pollen for bees.
  2. Oregon grape (Mahonia):No garden – or bee – should be without one of these evergreen shrubs, especially since it’s designated as Oregon’s state flower. But an even better reason are the insanely yellow flowers that last for weeks.
  3. Heath and heather (Erica and Calluna):Bees zoom in to heaths and heathers like they’re approaching a runway. In shades from purple to copper to gold, these low-growing plants make a mat of color throughout the year, including winter.
  4. Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflora):Though it doesn’t have the fragrance of other jasmines, this vining shrub has bright yellow flowers that are a welcome sight in winter.
  5. Witch hazel (Hamamelis):Bees get fired up over witch hazel with its crepe paper-like flowers in orange, red and, most famously, yellow.
  6. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis):The periwinkle-colored flowers of rosemary will pop out all winter but really provide a spectacular spread of nectar and pollen in late winter when many bees and hummingbirds are gearing up.
  7. Manzanita (Archtostaphylos):These evergreen shrubs explode with white flowers that bumblebees and hummingbirds flock to. Manzanitas are native to the western United States and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from large, treelike shrubs to ground covers.
  8. Chaparral currant (Ribes malvaceum):Bees go gaga over this California native, which blooms after Christmas and keeps on blooming through the end of winter.

“Even a small amount of habitat will sustain bees, even rare species,” Melathopoulos said. “These are tiny creatures. Well-thought-out landscapes can provide all the food they need in winter. Gardeners can really help with that.”

He also suggests checking out the Extension publication Trees and Shrubs for Fall and Winter Bloom.

These are plants that I will consider planting this spring for blooming next year.

Resources

By Kym Pokorny,  kym.pokorny@oregonstate.edu

Source: Andony Melathopoulos, melathoa@oregonstate.edu

 

Dec 31

Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements — January 2023

By Beet 2023 01 January

Class of 2023 Master Gardener Volunteers

If you know anyone who would be interested in becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer, registration for 2023 OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training in Jackson County will be open later this Fall!    Please call the OSU Extension office at 541.776.7371 and leave your name, phone number, and email.  We will contact you when registration is open.

 

January 25th   Class of 2023 OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training starts.

 

                                                   

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