Skip to main content
0
All Posts By

Grace Florjancic

Apr 29

Coordinator’s Column

By Beet 2025 05 May

Hello Gardeners,

Many gardeners across Jackson County have small home orchards and love to eat all their apples and pears each fall. (I am a sucker for an apple cobbler.) Right now is the time of year to think about management of that pesky codling moth so gardeners can have a bountiful harvest of caterpillar-free fruits!

Did you know that it is required in Jackson County to perform management steps for this pest to help protect our commercial pear growers? The Southern Oregon Research Extension Center Plant Clinic sends out a codling moth newsletter each year with information about moth management for our county residents. Our newsletter has been updated this spring to be better than ever. There are many different management methods, from non-chemical to chemical options. Reach out to sorec.plantclinic@oregonstate.edu to get added to our newsletter email list!

How do gardeners know when it is time to manage for codling moth? Each year the spring temperatures and weather are slightly different. On average, late May and early June is the start time of chemical sprays. There are various non-chemical management options that can be done throughout the year to reduce this pest’s population. The SOREC entomologist, Robert Orpet, is tracking the Degree Days, or temperature heat units, to determine when the moths will emerge from their overwintering spots. Once these adults are out and about, undoubtedly chatting each other up over a drink of nectar, it is called the Biofix Date. We can track Degree Days to know when the eggs will hatch. The vulnerable caterpillar eggs and juveniles that appear next are what chemical sprays target. This is why timing is very important for effective spray management. Thankfully, the Plant Clinic shares that information with gardeners, and you don’t need to do the calculations yourself!

For more codling moth information, reach out to the SOREC Plant Clinic to get on our newsletter email list and check out the OSU Solve Pest Problems page on codling moth. https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/plant-problems/codling-moth

Happy orcharding,

 

 

Photo from Wikipedia

Mar 30

Coordinator’s Column

By Beet 2025 04 April

Hello Gardeners,

Have you noticed more intense heat waves the past few decades? Increased Douglas fir die back? Or maybe you have needed to change the way you water your garden? Maybe you haven’t seen any changes in your area! The Statewide Master Gardener Program is working on addressing all of these changes and similar questions.  We received a grant to develop a new initiative: our Garden Future project. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/garden-future

Garden Future focuses on creating resilient gardens across Oregon that are better prepared for the curveballs nature throws at us. There are many ways to accomplish this goal. The first step is to gather input from our local gardeners on what changes they see in their gardens.

Please take the anonymous survey found on the website cited above to share your observations and join the email list to keep in the loop!  Data on what you see (or don’t see) changing in your gardens helps us prepare useful information for Jackson County residents.

We hope to get information from local gardeners who have been here for varying lengths of time. Whether you grew up here, moved here when you were young, or transplanted to the area later in life, your input is valuable. The survey asks what county you are in, so it helps us develop a more precise focus.

At the statewide level, results from the survey will be shared with our volunteers and local gardeners in a variety of ways. For example, we will educate Master Gardeners by developing an online learning module for volunteers to learn about local changes observed in our weather patterns. Each area of Oregon is unique and has its own set of challenges in gardening. Did you know that in the past few decades gardeners have noticed it has been getting windier in central Oregon?

Beyond training ourselves, the Garden Future project focuses on our communities. A set of tabling supplies will help gardeners to think about adaptations to better prepare gardens for drought, fires, and other struggles gardeners face. The Garden Future volunteer guide has tips on using all these materials and starting conversations to engage residents in this conversation. Our new tabling materials include…

  • A large Garden Future banner to catch attention
  • Paper surveys and a QR code to an online version of the survey
  • Posters, stickers, and pins explaining how to take the survey
  • Firewise garden publications, regional specific waterwise plant list, pollinator plants for west of the Cascades, and any other items we think would be good to add!
  • A spin wheel question game focused on native plants and waterwise techniques
  • Last but not least, a garden design activity with sample plants for folks to imagine a redesign of their yards.

As you can see, there are a lot of parts to this project and a variety of tabling materials. Earth Day at Blue Heron Park would be a good time to promote the survey and offer an activity. The Spring Garden Fair would be another fruitful event to share resources. If you missed the March launch of this project – don’t worry. The statewide MG program will develop a video on using these items.

The survey and the Garden Future project will help us better serve our Jackson County residents as we adapt to local changes in weather and environment.

Happy Gardening,

Grace Florjancic

 

Feb 28

Coordinator’s Column

By Beet 2025 03 March

Hello Gardeners,

The 2025 Master Gardener Training Course is well under way! We have another class of superstar students eager to learn and volunteer in their communities. The class of 2025 has 35 students ready for action. I had never seen so many hands eager to volunteer to be the student representative at the JCMGA Board meetings.

In my third year of coordinating this training class I can really see how each year gets better and better. For myself I have a better idea of how to smoothly run activities in class, fill in gaps of knowledge I didn’t cover as well my first year, and provide a variety of volunteer opportunities for the students. I am excited to see our returning MGs be actively engaged with our students beyond class time by bringing them into the fold of various working groups, helping them join ongoing education efforts like the Garden Beet, and encouraging the students to reach out with questions and sharing ways to get involved in JCMGA.

Many of our eager beavers have been asking “What volunteer opportunities can I hop in on early?”. Some of you recertified Master Gardeners may be asking yourself the same thing. Spring is a busy time of year for us volunteers filled with demonstration garden clean up, Spring Garden Fair, tabling events, and educational planning. Keep an eye out for those mailchimp emails from JCMGA about upcoming garden work parties, sign ups for tabling events, and a host of opportunities to help out with Spring Garden Fair.

For students swamped this spring with class time and studying; do not worry! There will be plenty of time to get your hours in this summer. The last day of class, April 30th, we will be holding a volunteer fair for you to learn more about the JCMGA working groups and those behind-the-scenes volunteer opportunities. It is a great time to ask questions, learn what roles are needed, and what can fit into your schedule.

Here’s to a great spring full of learning and sharing our gained knowledge with our community.

Feb 27

Program Support Working Group Report

By Beet 2025 03 March

Community Classes

On February 22nd we held a rose pruning class for the community taught by Master Gardener Rosenell Florencechild. It was a great time to see Master Gardeners and Jackson County residents come together to learn about rose care. Many great questions were asked and discussions held. We had plenty of time to get our hands working and our pruners snipping.

Seed to Supper

Seed to Supper is back in action! This year we have scheduled classes at Rogue Retreat’s Hope Village to serve residents of their three shelters; Hope Village, Kelly Shelter, and The Crossings. Classes are scheduled from the end of March through the end of April. Participants receive a helpful workbook full of the activities done in class, basic gardening information, and nutrition information to keep with them after the course ends.

Next year, we hope to continue this relationship with Rogue Retreat as well as expanding to more locations. In the past, this course has been offered throughout the county at housing authority locations, community gardens, and other community spaces.

At the Statewide MG level there are future updates on the way for Seed to Supper. Currently the format is 6 weeks of 2-hour classes for participants. This can be difficult for people to fit in their schedules. The first week’s topic of the course is a heavy hitter with designing a veggie garden. The instructors will be providing feedback to the Statewide MG Program to help the Seed to Supper working group think about updates and improvements to the program.

Cultivating Companions

We will be back in the libraries this fall for more Cultivating Companions: Growing Connections Through Plants! We have dates and times set up to serve older adults with Talent Library and Gold Hill Library. As we approach the start dates of the programs, I will have fliers you all can share with your friends, family, enemies, and neighbors in these towns. We have some instructors from last year’s groups excited to be a part of this program again as well as space for new instructors to join us.

Gold Hill Library: Thursdays Sep 4 – Oct 16  12:30pm-2:30pm
Talent Library:  Thursdays Sep 4 – Oct 16  2:00pm-4:00pm

 

 

Jan 31

MG February Updates!

By Beet 2025 02 February

Did you lose your MG badge? Need a Replacement?

Don’t worry, a replacement badge can be ordered for you! Each replacement badge costs $6 and can be paid for at the front office. In the mean time, I will print you out a temp paper badge to wear. Please add your name and graduation year to the list for a replacement badge. Badge Replacement List

Upcoming Classes

Master Gardener Trivia Night:  Thursday February 6th  7:00pm – 8:00pm   Online Via Zoom and Slido

A smorgasbord of unrelated garden trivia. Questions may be drawn from the nooks and crannies of the giant Master Gardener handbook, plant clinic experiences and questions, or horticultural pests of concern in Oregon. Challenge yourself and your fellow Master Gardeners—this season closer will be tough (and fun)!

MG Trivia night counts as an hour of continuing education credit. Certified MGs are eligible to win prizes during trivia nights. Join us on Zoom here!

Why Natives?: Saturday Febrary 15 1:00pm-2:30pm Online Only

Join JCLS and the Jackson County Master Gardeners to learn about native biodiversity! Native plants are crucial to ecosystem health and protecting life on earth. Choosing native plants helps restore vital ecosystem services in our landscapes. This presentation outlines seven steps you can take to create healthy, productive gardens and help save our disappearing pollinators and birds. Register here!

Green Your Garden With Graywater: February 20  6:00pm-7:30pm  Online Only

Concerned about landscape water usage during fire season and drought? Interested in installing a graywater system, but don’t know where to start? In this presentation, we will discuss:

  • How a household graywater system helps conserve water in times of drought, while keeping landscape plants hydrated

  • Assessing your site

  • Designing, building, and operating different graywater systems—legally, safely, and effectively

  • Oregon DEQ graywater codes and local permits

Register here!

Rose Pruning:  Saturday February 22  10:00am-12:00pm In Person Only

Have roses you are not sure how to prune? Join the Master Gardeners in our Rose Demonstration Garden as we teach you the ins and outs of pruning the perfect roses. Bring you gardening glove and pruners if you have them!

Class size limited to 12 participants. Register here!

Maintaining and Preparing Gardening Tools: Saturday March 1 1:00pm-2:30pm Online Only

Whether a garden consists of a few pots of flowers or multiple acres for growing food, gardeners will inevitably need a variety of tools, from pruning shears and trowels to shovels and hand saws. In order to keep the garden looking fresh and disease-free, these tools need to be maintained regularly. Join JCLS and the Jackson County Master Gardeners to learn about common garden tools, the importance of keeping them clean, and tips and tricks for maintaining, sharpening, and preparing tools for your spring garden just around the corner. Register here!

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities!

Spring Garden Fair: May 3 & 4

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming ways to be involved in the Spring Garden Fair planning and planting. There are many ways to get involved from helping with advertising, transporting plants to the Expo Center, event set up, and being a cashier. The bulk of help needed will be on the 3rd and 4th but there will be opportunities to help out before and after!

Cultivating Companions: September – October

Dates are set with Talent and Gold Hill Libraries to hold Cultivating Companions classes this fall. Some Instructors from last year will be rejoining the fun but there is space for new volunteers to join the fun. Email grace.florjancic@oregonstate.edu to become an instructor.

Gold Hill: Thursdays Sep 4 – Oct 16  12:30pm-2:30pm

Talent:  Thursdays Sep 4 – Oct 16  2:00pm-4:00pm

Seed to Supper: March-April

We are set to launch our first Seed To Supper class since 2019! We have volunteers and dates set with Rogue Retreat to get out there and teach veggie gardening on a budget. If you missed joining the fun this year, keep an eye out this winter for next S2S season.
Remember to submit your volunteer hours!
Submitting your hours shows the county the extent of all the hard work you all put into making this program amazing! Every hour counts. You may find it easiest to submit all your hours at the end of each month. Submit your 2025 volunteer and continuing education hours in the VRS!
Dec 31

Coordinator’s Column 

By Beet 2025 01 January

Hello Gardeners!

As we enter 2025, it’s a good time to celebrate the successes of the past year and focus on the goals for the upcoming year. We have awesome highlights from the Jackson County MG Program of 2024. Thank you all for making this great work happen!

In 2024 the Master Gardener Volunteers….

  • have a total of 9,300.1 volunteer hours!

  • have 1,009.75 hours of learning for Continuing Education Credits!

  • have donated 1,082 pounds of produce from the Plant a Row Campaign and MGs bringing produce to their local pantries!

  • have 39 graduates from the 2024 MG Volunteer Training Class!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year a success. I am proud and amazed at all the hard work you have done for each other and the community.

Some other successes I want to highlight from the past year include, but by no means are limited to….

Cultivating Companions: Growing Together Through Plants

This program was a 7 week series we ran in some of the rural libraries around the county. Participants and instructors learned a lot and we had fun bringing people together. We reached 6 libraries and 48 program participants. The librarians were very helpful and enjoyed hosting us in their libraries. We are looking forward to running this program again in the libraries next year. I have reached out to their lead programming coordinator to get us set for a few more libraries. I have also reached out to the Jackson County Disability Services to set up a series with their audiences. Stay tuned for more information as we work out dates!

 

Jackson County Community Garden Network

One of the MG Programing priorities is local foods. In addition to financially supporting community gardens, we have meetups with community garden leaders around the county. Now we even have a Facebook group for keeping our gardens connected and easily sharing information. Check out what’s happening by searching “Jackson County Community Garden Network” on Facebook!

Demonstration Garden Events

Our demonstration gardens may not be in a busy public park, but that doesn’t stop us from spreading education with them! There have been many garden groups from across the valley who have toured our gardens. This has been a great opportunity for us to connect with more gardeners in our area as well as share what we each know. In the summer we invited artists to a plein air to paint, draw, and take photos of the flowers. Many artists were happy to read the informational signs scattered through the gardens to learn more about their muses. More formal educational opportunities like pruning classes continue to be a popular way for education to be shared in our demonstration gardens.

I cannot say it enough. Thank you to all you wonderful volunteers for making these things happen. As an organization we have our fingers dipped into many different pies and do a wide variety of education outreach. From the seemingly small jobs to the more dauntingly large tasks, it all helps and makes a difference. I can’t wait to have a great 2025 with you all!

Oct 31

Coordinator’s Column

By Beet 2024 11 November

Hello Gardeners,

As we wrap up the Master Gardener Volunteer year, we have many accomplishments to look back on. We have a great group of students moving on to graduate this month, a plentiful second year of our Plant a Row Campaign produce donations to ACCESS food pantries, and a successful kick off of the Cultivating Companions program.

Our MG class of 2024 were wonderful students to work with. Many students have carved out their niche spaces of where they like to fit into the organization. This year’s students have been seen around the Demonstration Gardens, Plant Clinic, across the county in tabling events, and out teaching in the libraries this past year. Congrats on all your hard work and we can’t wait to see what you all get up to next year.

Our second year of the Plant a Row Campaign to collect produce donations was a ringing success. We collected 812 pounds of produce this summer at our Wednesday collections! We had additional donations to food pantries outside of our campaign, bringing our total number of produce donated to 952 pounds. This produce has been greatly appreciated by ACCESS and our community members that receive fresh produce from them. Much of our Wednesday collections left the ACCESS warehouse on Thursday to be delivered to ACCESS housing locations around Medford. This partnership has been a huge success that we will continue to foster in the upcoming years.

The Cultivating Companions program was piloted this year in rural libraries around the county. We found it fun for both the instructors and the participants. People ended up befriending neighbors they didn’t know, learning skills about growing plants, and laughing with each other. The libraries have been amazing hosts for these group classes, assisting with scheduling and technology.  Our extra supplies from our generous grant means that next year’s program activities are already set to go.

Thank you everyone for a great year of volunteering, educating, and community building! I am looking forward to working with you all in 2025!

 

 

Aug 31

Coordinator’s Column

By Beet 2024 09 September

Hello Gardeners,

The Statewide Master Gardener Program has exciting news about our Garden Future Across Oregon. We received a grant to educate gardeners about upcoming changes and challenges we are facing in our gardens. Each region across the state is experiencing different impacts of the changing weather on their garden beds.

Step one for us Master Gardener Coordinators is collecting stories and data about what is happening in your gardens. At the Joy of Gardening conference, we got some input from gardeners across the state. Many gardeners are having to use shade cloths, wind barriers, water conservation techniques, and change their planting times to keep their gardens successful. You can join the conversation by signing up for the Garden Future mailing list https://beav.es/q9t and filling out the survey on what changes you see in your garden https://extension.oregonstate.edu/garden-future. We hope to get more survey participation across the state from non-MGs at tabling events, educational classes, and the plant clinics.

The next steps for the statewide team include putting together an educational module for you volunteers to learn about how our climate and gardens are changing. This module will include regional information for gardeners across the state. We are also assembling resources and teaching kits for volunteers to share with their local communities. Handouts for tabling events and class teaching kits will be developed based on the needs we see from the above survey. Currently, a drip irrigation kit like the one I borrowed from Klamath County will be our first kit to expand upon.

Happy gardening and stay tuned for more upcoming information!

 

 

 

Aug 31

Jackson County Volunteer Opportunities

By Beet 2024 09 September

 Do you need to boost your volunteer hours as the end of the year is drawing closer? We are looking for volunteers in the areas described below.

 

Demonstration Gardens:

We have many beds around the extension office that require regular maintenance. There are usually people working in the gardens on Wednesdays from 9-12. For people who live further away, it may be easier to set up work party days where once or twice a month folks carpool from Grants Pass to the extension office. Check out our webpage for more information on each demonstration garden. https://jacksoncountymga.org/demonstration-gardens/ .  Contact Marcie Katz marciek10@gmail.com

 

Plant Clinic:

Our Plant Clinic is open M/T/Th/F from 9 am-2 pm during the spring through fall and open Tu/Th from 10 am -2 pm in the winter. We have quarterly Mentor meetings and trainings in the winter. The mentors help students take client questions and find solutions.  Contact Grace Florjancic grace.florjancic@oregonstate.edu

 

Speakers Bureau:

Master Gardeners are often asked to give talks to libraries, garden clubs, and other groups around the county. You can volunteer by giving presentations, helping new members make presentations, or assisting others in giving presentations that you have made. Some talks are done in person and some via zoom. https://jacksoncountymga.org/speakers-bureau/ .

Contact Colet Allen coltetallen1@gmail.com

 

Tabling Events:

There are many events in Jackson County where the JCMGA has a presence. We mostly just share information, publications, and talk with the public. This year we were in Phoenix for Earth Day and Medford for Medford Streets and Pride. We had a static table display at the County Fair in July.   Contact Ronnie Budge rleebudge@gmail.com

 

JCMGA Working Groups:

These groups help with the flow of getting things done. Each group has monthly meetings via zoom or in person at the extension office. Marketing and Technology, Members Services, Community Outreach, Fundraising, Spring Garden Fair, Program Support, Winter Dreams Summer Gardens, and many JCMGA board positions help make decisions. We need your involvement to keep these groups going strong.  Contact Barbara Low barbaralow@msn.com

 

Spring Garden Fair:

The SGF is the first weekend in May. We will need many hands to help with this big undertaking next year. Preparing plants in the greenhouses takes place from about February – May.  Contact Marcie Katz marciek10@gmail.com or Lucy Pylkki lalapylk@msn.com

 

MG Student Mentors:

Returning master gardeners are mentors for the new students in the training course. This is a good dual volunteer and continuing education opportunity.  Contact Grace Florjancic grace.florjancic@oregonstate.edu

 

Volunteer from home options:

Garden Beet: We have a monthly newsletter called The Garden Beet with program updates and gardening information. Those interested in writing are welcome to contribute articles to the newsletter. https://jacksoncountymga.rg/beet/

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens: This fall conference is all virtual via zoom. Each talk has a host who introduces the speaker and helps facilitate audience questions. There are about 16 talks over two weekends.  Contact Susan Koenig srkoenig@aol.com

Marketing and Technology: For tech savvy folks there are many ways to assist this working group, including website maintenance, designing flyers, and sending out bulk mail chimp emails.  Contact Barbara Low barbaralow@msn.com or Keltie Nelson kknelson2@charter.net

Libraries: One of my goals is to offer more programming in the Josephine County (JC) Libraries. Rouge River, Jacksonville, and Ruch may be closer to some JC residents. Now that we have a staffed 4H team, I will be working with them to develop curriculum for youth activities that volunteers can be involved with in the communities. There will be train-the-trainer days to review the activities and prepare volunteers for teaching others. This is a work in progress and not near completion yet.

I encourage you to reach out to those involved in whatever area interests you. Help our organization flourish while also earning your volunteer hours for the year!

Jul 27

Coordinator’s Column

By Beet 2024 08 August

Hello Gardeners,

We have some awesome updates from the Cultivating Companions: Growing Together Through Plants program. Just this past week, we finished up in our Medford and Shady Cove Library locations. We had great feedback from participants saying they learned a lot, had fun, and met more people. Some participants found they were neighbors! We even had a request for a Part Two of the program.  The other programs in Butte Falls, Ruch, and Rouge River are currently underway.

The librarians have been happy to have more programs happening at their branches. Some even joined us for classes and got a chance to learn and have fun. The libraries are a great space for these hands-on activities that bring our program closer for the residents of Jackson County outside of the Medford hub. I hope we are able to continue and grow this partnership in the future.

As with any pilot program, it has not always been smooth sailing. For instance, we found out there was an error on the library website saying the class was full in Ruch, so we are hoping to have more late comers join us in that library. Those that did make it to Ruch were really excited to get out of the house and have a fun time learning about plants. The class on pressed flowers did require some troubleshooting and may take a little more brainstorming to perfect, as I found out contact paper is not the easiest to work with.

With feedback from this year’s participants, we will be able to apply for more grant funding opportunities to keep the program going in more libraries. There are many directions this program could take to reach more people in the county. The grant we received this round was specifically for programming with older adults and focused on rural areas. I am excited to see what is next for this program.

A massive thank you to all the Master Gardener volunteers that made Cultivating Companions: Growing Together Through Plants possible. Thank you all for sticking with me through the maybes and unknowns as we got this new program off the ground. Many of the volunteers have said the classes are a blast of fun to teach.  If you are interested in volunteering with Cultivating Companions, keep an eye out next year for more opportunities!

 

 

 

 

Shady Cove Cultivating Companions Crew

Close Menu