October 2022
Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements
Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements October 2022 Native Plant Sale Pollinators Dates: Sunday, October 9, 2022 10 AM – 4 PM Parking lot behind The Pollination Place…
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Native Plant Sales are a BIG SUCCESS!
Our Native Plants Nursery is up and running at full capacity. And our recent Pop-up Sale in September proved to be enormously successful. Volunteers spent August potting nursery stock…
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Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022 — Saving the Best for Last
This is the last Garden Beet article showcasing our Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens presenters. Have I saved the best for last? Well, who knows what will be the best…
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Unsung Hero — Sandy Hammond, Busy and Smiling
Most of you know Sandy Hammond. But just in case, let me tell you Sandy is one of the most delightful people in the Master Gardener Association. Sandy graduated in…
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Come Back to Us!
Dearest Master Gardeners, This is a call to action from your JCMGA Board of Directors. The last 2½ years have been a struggle for our association: COVID-19, loss of our…
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Looking For a New Master Gardener Program Coordinator
Jackson County Master Gardener Association (JCMGA) has been without a coordinator since March 31 when Erika Szonntag left for Colorado. Have you started wondering if there will ever again be…
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Catching the Rain
This year we have had two very successful water projects. First, we had the Emergency Water tanks when the well pump was offline. More recently came the installation of the…
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Gardening Safari
While most may never venture to view the giants of the vast Serengeti, one needs to go no further than their own garden safari to see Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum. Elephant…
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September 2022
Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements
Adelinia grandis Members and friends, we are back on campus and desperately need your help in our demonstration gardens. Come on any Wednesday, from 9 am to noon, from now through October. Our…
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JCMGA Picnic Food a Great Success
One of the favorite dishes was Susan Koenig’s Carrot Cake. Many people asked her for the recipe. Enjoy! Carrot Cake Ingredients …
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Highlighting JCMGA Experts Presenting at Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens
Last month began our Garden Beet series of three articles on the instructors and their presentations for the upcoming Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens Symposium October 28-29 and November 4-5. This month,…
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JCMGA Unsung Heroes
We have all heard the phrase “Unsung Heroes” which often describes folks who work behind the scenes, doing the necessary work that makes the finished product look easy. The Master…
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The Picnic is Back with Master Gardener Awards!
After two long years, the annual Master Gardener August Picnic is back! Although our numbers were not what they were before COVID-19, we had a wonderful turn out of about…
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Over the Fields and Through the Woods…
...to grandmother’s winter garden we go. Grandmother sure knew what she was doing when she sowed onion seed in autumn! Allium cepa, specifically in this case, overwintering onion varieties, are…
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August 2022
A Preview of the 2022 Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens Symposium
Planning for the 2022 Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens Symposium is well underway. The Symposium will offer 16 different class sessions, four per day on October 28-29 and November 4-5. With so…
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Four Paws Approved!
This article is derived from my experiences over many years with my pets in my garden. Whether with canines (or felines), after a long winter’s wait, we bolt from our…
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Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements
Members and friends, we are back on campus and desperately need your help in our demonstration gardens. Come on any Wednesday, from 9 am to noon, from now through…
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July 2022
Par-Tea
Wow, what a wonderful event! The Membership Working Group put on a “Tea” to bolster membership in the Master Gardener program. Marcie Katz came up with the idea to have…
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Jackson County Master Gardeners Association Announcements
An Introduction to Household Greywater Systems class July 19th, 2022 6:00-8:00 p.m. Location: OSU Extension Auditorium at SOREC, 569 Hanley Road, Central Point OR. To Register: Sign up online at https://beav.es/UcY or…
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Better Know a Native
You are all well aware that I have been beating the Native Plants drum for some time now. Last year, I wrote a four-part series outlining the reasons for growing…
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No Strings Attached
Beans, beans, the magical fruit The more you discover, the more you’ll toot… You’ll certainly toot your horn for Phaseolus vulgaris, specifically French filet beans, (also known as haricots verts). Once you’ve…
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June 2022
Bottle Drive Reminder
Looking for a quick and easy way to help Jackson County Master Gardeners? Consider donating your redeemable beverage bottles and cans. It’s easy! Pick up a BLUE BAG or two…
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Speakers Bureau: Red Wigglers Are Very Prolific in Home Worm Bins
Eisenia fetida, known under various common names such as manure worm, redworm, brandling worm, panfish worm, trout worm, tiger worm, red wiggler worm, etc., is a species of earthworm adapted to decaying organic material. These worms thrive in rotting vegetation, compost, and manure. They are epigean, rarely…
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“Catch the Rain” Reminder
In September of 2021, the irrigation wells on the OSU Southern Oregon Research and Education Center campus, at 569 Hanley Road, in Central Point ran dry. Watering of all campus…
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Somewhere Growing Over the Rainbow
Somewhere over the rainbow Skies are blue And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true This is especially true if you sow, Beta vulgaris subsp, cicla, Swiss chard,…
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Pyrethrum – A Very Incomplete History……or how the Dalmatian Daisy helped build the Panama Canal
Dalmatian Daisy - Chrysanthemum cinerarifolium Gardeners are all familiar with one of the oldest insecticides still in frequent use, the extract of the dried flower heads of Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium or…
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May 2022
Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022
~~~~~ Exciting News! ~~~~~ The Jackson County Master Gardener Association is back, virtually! Dates: Fridays, October 28 and November 4 and Saturdays, October 29 and November 5, 2022 In the…
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Par-Tea in the Gardens
Spring is in the air, calling us into our gardens to enjoy the rebirth of the land! Just like at home, the Demonstration Gardens at the Extension are in…
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Why Natives
Elle Anderson of the Ashland Library contacted JCMGA and asked if we would consider participating in the Jackson County Library System’s career development day. She was looking for a…
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Don’t Be Gloomy! Get Yourself a Sweet Goumi!
Elaeagnus multiflora, Goumi berry, also known as Cherry Silverberry, Cherry Elaeagnus Cibie, Longpipe Bush, and Daio-Gumi has many names and many benefits. Not so well known in the USA,…
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April 2022
Growing for the Green!
It’s been a stiff competition, but we have a finalist for our Gardener’s “Olympic Green Medal.” 2022’s winner is…Brassica oleracea, for team Heirloom Cabbage! And what a huge family team it…
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Due Annual Master Gardener of the Year Award Nominations
Due Soon! Nominate Someone for the Annual Master Gardener of the Year Award It’s that time again to recognize those Master Gardeners who have gone above and beyond in their…
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JCMGA Speakers Are Off to a Great Start
I would like to thank Susan Koenig for her excellent and enlightening presentation on Caring for Roses via the Medford Library Zoom class on March 12th. She kept 21 attendees on…
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March 2022
Bottle Drive
Looking for a quick and easy way to help Jackson County Master Gardeners? Consider donating your redeemable beverage bottles and cans. It’s easy! Pick up a BLUE BAG or two…
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Master Gardeners Teach Vegetable Gardening at OLLI
Two of JCMGA’s outstanding gardeners, Susan Koenig and John Kobal, will again be teaching during OLLI’s (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) spring session. Their online Zoom class, REC112 Vegetable Gardening in…
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It’s an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Tom that’s Truly Keenie
While Tom Thumb, no larger than his father’s thumb, may have been a long-ago fairy tale figure, Micro Toms are quite real. Not familiar with this little tomato…
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February 2022
2022 MG Training Program
Hello Master Gardeners, It’s February and time for Master Gardener Program training once again! This year, we have a new class of 28. The training will be a hybrid model,…
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Love Lettuces for Your Sweetheart
Prefer propagating to penning a love letter? Instead of verses that aren’t quite flowing, get out and do some sowing! Lay aside those lackluster letters and send your love a…
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Be a Rock Star!
I love rocks. They connect my soul to the planet, to the millions of years they have been slowly metamorphosing into their current form. Connection to that geologic time puts…
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So Long…and Thanks for All the Fish!
For those of you who are fans of the “trilogy” of six books, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, this title will make sense to you. For…
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January 2022
JCMGA Membership Renewal!
Remember that if you would like to be included in the 2022 JCMGA Chapter Directory, you need to have completed your member renewal by January 31, 2022. You may renew…
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December 2021
Time to Renew Your JCMGA Membership
JCMGA membership renewal for 2022 is now in progress. Periodic Mailchimps are being sent to remind you how to renew and to provide you with links to your chosen…
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November 2021
Why Natives Part 4
Why Native Plants? Plant Choice Matters! Part 4 of a four-part series In past articles, I discussed the importance that native plants play in providing ecosystem services. Part three of…
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Congratulations Class of 2020!
Greetings and congratulations, Graduates! We have celebrated a momentous occasion, honoring your perseverance and determination to complete the Master Gardener Program. I welcome you all as fully certified Master Gardeners…
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October 2021
Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Symposium
The Jackson County Master Gardener Association is back, virtually! Dig into three days of virtual garden immersion seminars taught by 15 presenters, all designed to help you plan next year’s…
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Volunteer Opportunity to Help Our Pollinators, and More
Dear Gardeners, Happy October! Hopefully, everyone is having a chance to enjoy the clear air and cooler temperatures we’ve been having. While there were some challenges this growing season with…
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Have You Visited jacksoncountymga.org Lately?
The Communications Working Group began an in-depth review of our JCMGA website in early 2020. Throughout the pandemic, fires, and smoke, CWG members continued to evaluate our online presence…
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Photo Contest Winners Are Announced
The Members Services Working Group is pleased to announce the winners of the 2nd Annual JCMGA photo contest. Winning first place is Ann Hackett (2020). This is the second…
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The JCMGA Election Begins This Month
The JCMGA Board of Directors approved the slate of candidates running for 2022 Board positions at its September meeting. The election will take place over three weeks: October 15 through…
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September 2021
Shallottery!!!
Are you hoping to be a winner? Then Allium cepa var. ascalonicum, is the ticket! Of course, this particular “ticket,” rarely to be had at any market, is the classic…
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Update on Extension operations for COVID Delta variant
Dear Master Gardeners, I want to provide a brief update regarding COVID operations and other items, to hopefully answer the questions you are having. There are no closures at the…
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Why native Plants? Plant choice Matters!
By Lynn Kunstman Master Gardener 2012 Part Two of a four-part series Vaccinium, Huckleberry fruit. Credit OSU Douglas Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home, Nature’s Best Hope, The Living Landscape,…
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Second Annual JCMGA Photo Contest
August 2021 has arrived, and it’s time for the second annual JCMGA Photo Contest. A hot, and perhaps smoky, August afternoon is the perfect time to stay inside and consider…
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It’s a Brave New World
I don’t know how to interpret this summer’s weather other than to say climate change is not coming, it’s here! Since mid-June, the temperature has climbed to over 95°F every…
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Updates for Students and Continuing Master Gardeners
Dear Gardeners, Happy August! I’d like to give some updates to both students and continuing Master Gardener volunteers this month. Hopefully this will answer many frequently asked questions. If you…
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Update on Extension operations for COVID Delta variant
Dear Master Gardeners, I want to provide a brief update regarding COVID operations and other items, to hopefully answer the questions you are having. There are no closures at the…
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Why native Plants? Plant choice Matters!
By Lynn Kunstman Master Gardener 2012 Part Two of a four-part series Vaccinium, Huckleberry fruit. Credit OSU Douglas Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home, Nature’s Best Hope, The Living Landscape,…
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Second Annual JCMGA Photo Contest
August 2021 has arrived, and it’s time for the second annual JCMGA Photo Contest. A hot, and perhaps smoky, August afternoon is the perfect time to stay inside and consider…
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It’s a Brave New World
I don’t know how to interpret this summer’s weather other than to say climate change is not coming, it’s here! Since mid-June, the temperature has climbed to over 95°F every…
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Updates for Students and Continuing Master Gardeners
Dear Gardeners, Happy August! I’d like to give some updates to both students and continuing Master Gardener volunteers this month. Hopefully this will answer many frequently asked questions. If you…
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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…
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OSU 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…
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Reopening 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…
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Why 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.…
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JCMGA 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.…
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June 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…
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Summer 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,…
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Community 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:…
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June 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…
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Watching 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…
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Second 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…
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The 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…
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May 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…
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Master 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…
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May 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,…
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April 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…
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Program 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!…
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Dates 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…
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April 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…
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OMGA 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…
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March 2021
Hello Master Gardeners!
I hope you are all doing well. I'm writing to share some news that my last day with OSU Extension will be May 31, 2022. My partner got a new…
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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…
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Update 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…
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Free 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,…
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Heartfelt ‘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 Janice Alderman Gardener, Janice Alderman, who is stepping down…
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Blue 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…
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Better 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 Mary Foster with Scott Lewis from…
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March: 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…
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What 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…
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February 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,…
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Grow 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…
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It’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…
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New 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…
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2021 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…
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Looking 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…
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My 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…
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January 2021
Homage to JCMGA Demonstration Garden gardeners
By Janine Salvatti Master Gardener 2019 Autumn crocus Our JCMGA gardeners are amazing in their dedication to seeing the Demonstration Gardens not just survive but thrive. Looking back on 2020, we…
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A 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…
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Thank 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…
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Lynn 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.…
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Watch 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…
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Training 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…
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January: 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…
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The 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…
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December 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…
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New 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…
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2020 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…
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The 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…
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JCMGA 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…
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Lots 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…
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November 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…
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Art 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,…
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November 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…
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A 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…
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Have 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…
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Happy 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…
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October 2020 Beet
By Patrice Kaska Master Gardener 2016 Borage by John Yuker Thanks to everyone who submitted photos for our first annual photo contest! The JCMGA Member Services Working Group is pleased…
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
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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