August 2021
July 2021
WE WANT YOU on the JCMGA Board!
We are looking for new and experienced Master Gardeners to serve on our JCMGA Board for 2022. Could that be you, or someone you recommend (with their permission)? Please consider…
Read MoreOSU Extension Master Gardener Program Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiative
By Jim Buck Master Gardener 2018 Gail Langellotto, Statewide Master Gardener Coordinator, and LeAnn Locher, Statewide Master Gardener Outreach Coordinator, are facilitating a DEI Task Force. The Task Force includes…
Read MoreReopening and other program updates
Dear Gardeners, This month, I have a few program updates to share with you, as Oregon ‘reopened’ on June 30. Read the full announcement from the governor’s office here. While…
Read MoreWhy native plants? Plant choice matters!
By Lynn Kunstman Master Gardener 2012 Part One of a four-part series You may be aware of the nationwide movement to grow native plants in urban, suburban and rural landscapes….
Read MoreJCMGA WANTS YOU!
Greetings, gardeners! June provided us with a small, early, cool respite from the heat in late May. If July is anything like normal, we can expect lots of hot weather….
Read MoreJune 2021
OMGA Mini-College scholarships available
By Patrice Kaska Master Gardener 2016 The Oregon Master Gardener Association’s (OMGA) 2021 Mini-College is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, July 16-17. It will be all- virtual and the cost…
Read MoreSummer creeping in after a scorching May
Greetings Master Gardeners. Summer is almost upon us. May was quite the scorcher, and it looks like that will be the default setting for this month as well. Like me,…
Read MoreCommunity veggie start donations a success!
Dear Gardeners, Happy June! This month, I’d like to highlight incredible work done by some members of the 2020 class, plus include some other program updates. Community Veggie Start Donations:…
Read MoreJune is for leftovers
Remember last month I wrote that I think of May as a “race to the beginning” when I try to get everything in the ground to start growing as soon…
Read MoreWatching out for the birds
By John Yuker Master Gardener 2019 We’re losing birds, by the billions. Which is why I wanted to mention a movement in which you devote 2/3 of your land to…
Read MoreSecond annual JCMGA photo contest opens
By Patrice Kaska Master Gardener 2016 The Jackson County Master Gardener Association Member Services Working Group (MSWG) announces its second annual photo contest. Although the actual contest will not take…
Read MoreThe root of all purple
Have you ever wondered what might have happened if Peter Rabbit’s pilfering Mr. McGregor’s garden had presented him not with an orange, but a purple carrot? He surely would have…
Read MoreMay 2021
Hurray for May! Spring has fully arrived in the Rogue Valley!
This time of year always brings to my mind a line from Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll: “O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! He chortled in his joy.” I have been chortling…
Read MoreMaster Gardener activity updates and fun dates for your calendar
Dear Gardeners, As many folks are probably feeling, this is such a beautiful time of year. The fresh pops of green on the trees and bright wildflowers really invigorate the…
Read MoreMay in the garden: A race to the beginning
May is the busiest month in the garden. You can run yourself ragged watering and fertilizing everything you’ve already planted, direct sowing new crops as the soil warms up, weeding,…
Read MoreApril 2021
Spring brings out the gardeners in us
The spring equinox has passed, meaning our days are now longer than our nights. With the sunny days and longer daylight, all of us are getting out into our gardens…
Read MoreProgram updates regarding COVID-19, and a new Josephine County appointment
Dear Gardeners, As I write this column in mid-March, the hellebore and daffodils have been in full bloom, the days are longer, and that spring-time quality is in the air!…
Read MoreDates set for native plants garden tour
By Sherri Morgan Master Gardener 2008 This first annual native plants garden tour sponsored by the Jackson County Master Gardener Association is happening in May! The tour focuses on gardens…
Read MoreApril in the garden
If March was the time to “start your engines,” then April is the time to zoom away from the starting gate. There is so much do this month and so…
Read MoreOMGA Recognition Awards for JCMGA
By Marcie Katz Master Gardener 2019 A huge congratulations to the nine 2021 Jackson County Master Gardeners who received Recognition Awards from OMGA this February! Normally, we would have an…
Read MoreMarch 2021
Spring!
Greetings, Master Gardeners! And happy spring! As we wait impatiently for reopening, your Jackson County Master Gardener Association is hard at work doing the daily business of the association. Our…
Read MoreUpdate on the 2021 Elevated Skills Training
Dear Gardeners, Happy March! I would like to start by sharing an update about the 2021 Elevated Skills Training from Gail Langellotto, statewide MG Program Coordinator and Professor of Horticulture…
Read MoreFree well testing offered to wildfire victims
The Oregon Health Authority will provide free well water testing vouchers to private or domestic well users impacted by the 2020 Oregon wildfires. Applications will be open until May 15,…
Read MoreHeartfelt ‘thank you’ to Janice Alderman, our Facebook master
By Lynn Kunstman Master Gardener 2012 The Jackson County Master Gardeners Association wants to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Master Gardener, Janice Alderman, who is stepping down from running…
Read MoreBlue Heron Park Community Garden restoration
By Mary Foster Master Gardener 2007 and Lynn Kunstman Master Gardener 2012 The Jackson County Master Gardeners Association is helping restore gardens and landscapes around the valley that were damaged…
Read MoreBetter know a gardener!
By Lynn Kunstman Master Gardener 2012 Mary Foster has been a Master Gardener since 2007 and is the chair of the Community Gardens Committee for JCMGA. While Mary has long…
Read MoreMarch: Start your engines
If January is the month to get ready, set, and plan, then March is the month to start your engines to put that grand plan into action. March is one…
Read MoreWhat is a Master Gardener?
By Ronnie Budge Master Gardner 2011 The mission of the Master Gardener Program in Oregon is: Cultivating resilient and healthy communities through sustainable horticulture education and gardening projects that are…
Read MoreFebruary 2021
What’s in a lawn?
By Sherri Morgan Master Gardener 2008 Do you have a large, mowed green space around your home? That space is an artifact of landscape design imported from the British Isles,…
Read MoreGrow a living landscape
By Lynn Kunstman Master Gardener 2012 Want more birds and butterflies in your life? Want to support pollinators and wildlife? Here’s some information for small and large property owners to…
Read MoreIt’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s de-lovage
It’s finally February – when gardening hearts are struck by Cupid’s trowel. Once Cupid smiles upon you, it’s time for a new romance – falling in and for lovage. You’re…
Read MoreNew for 2021 from JCMGA: Horticultural Study Groups
By Susan Koenig Master Gardener 2016 Have you ever wanted to take a deep dive into a gardening topic such as growing tomatoes, succulents, native plants, mushrooms, house plants, herbs…
Read More2021 resolutions of a Master Gardener
I’m not much on resolutions…but this year I cogitated through January and there are a few things I really want to do: 1. I have a few plants that have…
Read MoreLooking for the Plant Clinic? It’s gone virtual
By Maxine Cass Master Gardener 2015 When the SOREC Plant Clinic closed last March 12 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, four volunteer mentors, supported by Master Gardener Program Coordinator…
Read MoreMy friend, Kate Hassan
By Jane Moyer Master Gardener 2005 My friend, Kate! How lucky am I to have Kate Hassen as a good friend! I first met Kate when she took the Master…
Read MoreJanuary 2021
Homage to JCMGA Demonstration Garden gardeners
By Janine Salvatti Master Gardener 2019 Our JCMGA gardeners are amazing in their dedication to seeing the Demonstration Gardens not just survive but thrive. Looking back on 2020, we were unable…
Read MoreA call to action
Happy New Year, Master Gardeners. I hope everyone is well and staying safe while we await an end to the COVID-19 crisis. I am a bit nervous about taking the…
Read MoreThank you notes to Ronnie
When Ronnie Budge took over the reins of JCMGA as President in January, 2020, she could not have foreseen what a topsy-turvy time we would experience this year due to…
Read MoreLynn Kunstman: A teacher finds her tribe
By Maxine Cass Master Gardener 2015 “Keep ’em flying!” Lynn Kunstman, Jackson County Master Gardener™ Association President, signs her emails. Cheering on Monarch butterflies mirrors her ardent approach to gardening….
Read MoreWatch JCMGA on YouTube
By John Yunker Master Gardener 2019 If you missed the recent virtual Winter Dreams Summer Gardens event, you’re still in luck – the presentations have been recorded and are live…
Read MoreTraining and volunteer opportunities for 2021
Community Science Projects (adapted from the OSU Master Gardener Coordinators’ blog, December 2020): Community science projects, such as climate or invasive species tracking, are reliant on observant volunteers on the…
Read MoreJanuary: The ‘ready, set – wait’ month
“Plant so your own heart will grow.” – Hafiz *** We are greeting 2021 with more hope than we’ve had in nearly a year. Although Gardeners have not been spared…
Read MoreThe pine connection: Currants, gooseberries and white pine blister rust
By Katy Mallams Master Gardener 2012 Currants and gooseberries, members of the genus Ribes, are all hosts of the non-native and virulent fungal pathogen Cronartium ribicola, cause of white pine…
Read MoreDecember 2020
Git yer learnin’ on! Master Gardener training ahead
One of the most frustrating aspects of the current COVID-19 pandemic is our inability to attend master gardener and community education classes. If you are like me, you are missing…
Read MoreNew board to take the reins
Voting is completed and results are in. Returning to your JCMGA Board of Directors in their elected positions are: President Lynn Kunstman; Past-President Ronnie Budge; Recording Secretary Jane Moyer; Membership…
Read More2020 was not what I expected when I started my term
When I volunteered to run for the office of JCMGA vice-president/president-elect in August 2018, it was because I’d been a little bored. I figured a couple of extra meetings a…
Read MoreThe indoor gardener’s winter playbook
This morning (Nov. 20) when I got up at 7 a.m. it was 27 degrees and promising to be a beautiful day…except, did I mention it was 27 degrees? I…
Read MoreJCMGA membership renewals due
JCMGA membership renewal for 2021 is just about to begin. You will soon receive a Mailchimp letting you know how and when to renew. If you want to be included…
Read MoreLots of training in store for Master Gardeners
Dear Gardeners, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. It probably looked a little different this year than in past years, but I hope you all had the chance…
Read MoreNovember 2020 Beet
Gardening as a mental health benefit
When your Board of Directors met via Zoom a couple of weeks ago, we remarked at how well everyone was looking. We seemed like a pretty cheerful bunch too, despite…
Read MoreArt in the garden
By Janine Salvatti Master Gardener 2019 Art in the landscape runs the gamut from simple to the sublime. Rustic, whimsical, modern, English, or French garden style? Mine is decidedly eclectic,…
Read MoreNovember Garden Checklist
Goodnight, sweet garden… Except for cool weather veggies, November heralds the end of the gardening season for most folks. The dazzling leaves of orange, yellow, and red that caused us…
Read MoreA tale of five chicks
As President Ronnie Budge reported in the September Garden Beet, I’m keeping busy and entertained these past months by a small flock of chickens. Last March when COVID-19 hit, I…
Read MoreHave you voted for JCMGA?
If you have not yet voted in the JCMGA election for 2021 Board members, today is the perfect day to do so! At least it is if you are reading…
Read MoreHappy New Year! (for Master Gardeners)
Nov. 1 is the first day of the Master Gardener year and November signals the beginning of our membership renewal season. This year, in an attempt to make renewing as…
Read MoreOctober 2020 Beet
By Patrice Kaska Master Gardener 2016 Thanks to everyone who submitted photos for our first annual photo contest! The JCMGA Member Services Working Group is pleased to announce the winners….
We were delighted to have Gail Langellotto, Master Gardener Coordinator for the state of Oregon, join us for the JCMGA Board of Directors meeting on Sept. 11. Gail updated us…
Dear Gardeners, I hope this finds all of you well. As I write this, it has been almost 3 weeks since the devastating fires began. I hope that you, your…
This is still a busy month for gardeners with some harvesting to do and lots of readying the garden for winter. The garden never sleeps. The leaves may be falling…
By Sydney Jordan Brown Master Gardener 2000 Even if it’s unlikely that you won’t find any little tricksters tempting you to toss them treats this Halloween, it doesn’t mean that…
October has arrived and that means that the election to choose the 2021 JCMGA Board of Directors begins this month. Similar to last year, the election will be held online…
By Janine Salvatti Master Gardener 2019 Our creative muse has time in the Winter months to create garden art, be it sublime or whimsical. I’m planning a November Beet article…
By Ronnie Budge Master Gardener 2011 If you’ve ever received a note of thanks or condolence from JCMGA, it probably was sent to you by Joan Long of the Member…
By Janine Salvatti Master Gardener 2019 Mulching is a perfect task for October and November. You’d think that’s enough said but not so quick! There is a lot of discussion…
Gardening Gourmet By Sydney Jordan Brown Master Gardener 2000 While maybe not the top green, it’s “arugulably” the best leafy green. An annual herb in the mustard family (Brassicaceae), arugula…
September 2020 Beet
Although Monday mornings are my usual time to be at Extension where I help out in the native plants nursery, I stopped by on a Thursday to see what the…
Dear Gardeners, Happy September! Fall is just around the corner. I want to give a big “thank you” to all those who have been working so hard in the demonstration…
By Jane Moyer Master Gardener 2005 In the August Garden Beet, the need for finding ways to replace JCMGA’s usual fundraising efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic was explained along with…
By Sandy Hansen Master Gardener 2017 We have just launched a new program to help you navigate all of those questions and help you, although get the answers you are…
By Lynn Kunstman Master Gardener 2012 As many of you know, at our Annual August picnic, we always honor our “decades” members – those members who have been with JCMGA…
Book review By Lynn Kunstman Master Gardener 2012 The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden By Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy Timber Press, 2016 Gardening…
By Jack Ivers Master Gardener 2019 Noxious weeds and a bug larva have been found in the mystery seed packets from China that were sent unsolicited to thousands of residents…
About now you may be questioning why you love gardening so much. The heat, the weeding, the bugs, the inexorable growth of plants now hiding your garden pathways… Oh! Enough…
By Lynn Garbert Master Gardener 2014 Summer and fall of 2019 were grand as three bright red flowering common geranium (Pelargonium spp.) plants and two poignant deep blue Lobelias filled…
Gardening Gourmet by Sydney Jordan Brown Master Gardener 2000 A rose by any other name would smell like … Mama Mia! Now, “That’s Italian!” Even if you’re not a resident…
It takes a lot to keep us moving. Here are some of the ways you can pitch in and help. ••• Do you have skills in photography, video development and…
August 2020 Beet
Master Gardeners WANT YOU! on the JCMGA Board We are looking for new, and experienced member Master Gardeners to serve on our JCMGA Board of Directors for 2021. Could…
Jackson County Master Gardener Association Board of Directors Executive Committee Meeting July 10, 2020 Announcements At the June meeting, the board approved getting a ZOOM subscription. However, Ronnie learned…
Directory photo contest begins By Patrice Kaska Master Gardener 2016 Will your photograph be on the cover of next year’s JCMGA Chapter Directory? The JCMGA Member Services Working Group…
Getting back in the Demonstration Gardens is a delight President Ronnie Budge Master Gardener 2011 It has been a joy for me to be back working in the demonstration…
What did you do during quarantine? By Marcie Katz Master Gardener 2019 I have found that as gardeners, we seldom sit still, always looking for that stray weed, plants that…
This Rad is a Dish Sydney Jordan Brown MG 2000 Nothing will dazzle your dinner salad or your dining guests like the ruby-fleshed root of the watermelon (also known as…
By Lynn Kunstman Master Gardener 2012 This year, we have chosen a team of FOUR individuals to be our JCMGA MG of the Year. Steve Hassen, Bill Elliot, Doug Kirby…
Grange graphicBy Jane Moyer Master Gardener 2005 WAIT! Before you decide you’re not interested in reading an article about finances, stop and ask yourself some what-if questions. What if the…
Garden Guide by Janine Salvatti Master Gardener 2019 It’s August and like the song says, it’s going to be Hot-Hot-Hot! Here are a few things to keep your garden in…
Dear Gardeners, Can you believe August is already here? I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy while enjoying the beautiful weather. I will outline some program updates below, plus…
Reclaiming the Demo Gardens by Marcie Katz After a three month hiatus due to the COVID-19 stay at home order, the GEM’s slowly returned. It was a sight for sore…
By Lynn Kuntsman Master Gardener 2012 Dee has been a Master Gardener for six years. Her contributions during that time have been most impressive. For the last four years, Dee…
By Lynn Kuntsman Master Gardener 2012 Our very own Barbara Davidson has been honored by being named OSU Master Gardener for 2020. We are so happy that Barbara has received…
July 2020 Beet
Gardening Gourmet By Sydney Jordan Brown MG 2000 No, not a typo. But more a gardener’s “Oh!” if it’s the first time you’ve heard about Perilla frutescens var. crispa, more…
By Janine Salvatti Master Gardener 2019 Well, summer is now in full swing. I don’t know about you, but despite knowing it’s coming, it always surprises me to see…
Editor’s note: Cora Lee wrote this note to thank Ronnie and the Master Gardeners for the obituary in the May issue of The Beet about the passing of her husband,…
By Erika Szonntag OSU Program Advisor Dear Master Gardeners, Happy July! Summer is in full swing, and I hope this finds you and your families healthy and stable. I…
By Sydney Jordan Brown | Master Gardener 2000 Garden Beet July ‘20 Get out for the pick-off, Every gardener go shout Decide on your shiso, Then plant some out. No,…
By Ronnie Budge Master Gardener 2011 JCMGA President The frustration was palpable. When businesses reopened in Oregon and we could, if we chose, again visit museums, art galleries, and…
Jackson County Master Gardener Association Board Meeting (by Zoom) 6/12/20 Announcements Jane Moyer announced that Practicum mentors who took seedlings home were able to get containers from the Practicum supply…
Taking a few minutes to remove mosquito breeding habitat around your property can reduce your risk of mosquitoes spoiling your barbecues, or worse, spreading diseases such as West Nile Virus....
By Janine Salvatti Master Gardener 2019 Rose lovers, are you aware of Rose Rosette Disease, RRD? There is no cure for this deforming and highly contagious virus transmitted by wind-blown...
By John Yuker Master Gardener 2019 Dandelions. Bull thistle. Kudzu. Japanese knotweed. Himalayan blackberry. From front lawns to woodlands, these are among the most despised of plant species. Species that,...
By Lynn Garbert Master Gardener 2014 The sun was hidden a little, but not much on this May morning. The cloud cover brought the perfect weather for gardening in my...
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