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Jackson County Master Gardeners

Jul 28

The President’s Corner — Who and What is the Garden Enhancement Committee?

By Beet 2023 08 August

 

 

As President, I am involved in the many aspects of the JCMGA business. Before I became President, I gradually involved myself in several committees to get a feel for the things that we as an organization do and the people who do them.  I then graduated to being a part of several working groups. Some groups are mostly “business”, and some are about activity-related business. I enjoy all of them, and as I can’t seem to stay out of anything, especially if it involves an event, I am there!

There is one committee that I am especially fond of, and I have been a member since I was a student. It is a “get it done” group that is not afraid to get their hands dirty (or face or clothes, LOL). Most of the members don’t hold any other positions – we are all the same hardworking people who enjoy each other’s company. The Garden Enhancement Committee – affectionately known as the GEC – is a committee in the Gardens Working Group. Our fearless leader is Janine Salvatti and members include Kari Gies, Marcie Katz, Candie Steely, Lyn Boening and Gail Ropel. We meet every Monday from 9 AM to 12 PM.

We tackle many projects. All the pathways that connect the gardens are our domain. We keep them intact and weed-free by using vinegar, Preen weed preventer, hard work and lots of decomposed granite! We also maintain all the signage for the Demonstration Gardens. All those signs with the info boxes in each garden are put in place by us. The brochure boxes are put up each spring and taken down in the fall. The face pages in the boxes are written (with input from the GEMS) and designed by our graphic designer, with the same verbiage that is on each garden’s webpage. This year we revamped and updated them to include a QR code which takes you right to the JCMGA webpage. The directional arrows on the signpost and throughout the gardens are placed by us as well. As there have been many changes in the gardens in the last few years, it has been challenging to keep up!

Our little group has also taken on a few areas of our own to develop. The driveway entry sign used to have grass and weeds around it until we planted native plants with the help of Sherri Morgan and Lynn Kunstman several years ago. Since there is no irrigation out there, we manually water every week and keep it maintained.

Many of you are familiar with the “Gathering Place”, that peaceful area under the beautiful old oak. That area used to be a part of the Kitchen Garden, which was decommissioned due to placement of the storage pods. We decided to make it a meeting/lunch/quiet spot. We spray painted the patio tables and chairs, then transformed the remaining raised beds into a cut flower garden for all to see and enjoy when entering the parking lot. Janine, our resident artist, made the mosaic butterfly on the “Gather” post and turned us on to making “glass panel mosaics.” We had a workday where we made the glass panels you see hanging in several of the gardens. They are quite a hit! So much so, the Fundraising Committee has scheduled a workshop on September 15 for anyone who wants to make some! Bring materials (frame with glass, vase marbles, colored glass saucers, cups, etc.) and create a masterpiece of your own!

We have also been known to help out in Demonstration Gardens that don’t have a GEM. Currently we are working on the Fig Grove – weeding, cutting blackberries and eventually laying down wood chips. All in all, not bad for a group of aging women! Even our meetings are fun. We meet at each other’s homes once a month for lunch, take a tour of the gardens and talk shop!  If you are interested in joining our merry little band, come over on any Monday, or contact Janine Salvatti at lesandjanine@gmail.com 

Jul 28

A Preview of the 2023 Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens Symposium

By Beet 2023 08 August

 

Planning for the 2023 Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens Symposium is well underway. The symposium will offer 14 different class sessions, four each day on October 27th, 28th, and November 3, and two more on November 4th.  There are many gardening-related topics from which to choose, but the WD/SG Working Group decided on four subject areas: critters in the garden; climate change/ecology; home gardening; and a “grab bag” category.

To increase our audience, we are again partnering with the Oregon State Landscape Board, who will offer our classes for Continuing Education credits in horticulture to landscapers. We are also trying new avenues of advertising, including color ads in both the Ashland and Medford Parks & Recreation Departments’ Fall Catalogs. Because the classes will again be presented via Zoom, there are plenty of seats!

We have booked 14 spectacular speakers, a few of whom you may already know and others who are new to WD/SG. This month, and for the next two months, we will be showcasing the bios of several speakers in the Garden Beet.

The schedule of classes and registration information will be available in mid-August. You will be able to register and pay online through PayPal at the jacksoncountymga.org  website. Watch for the MailChimp announcement in August.

 

 

2023 WD/SG Sessions

Taking a Walk on the Wildside… In Your Own Backyard

Andony Pelathopoulus, Presenter

 

Last year, Andony talked about how Oregon is leading the nation in cataloguing its bee biodiversity. All of this data has provided great insights into the top bee-attractant plants for your garden. In this lecture, we talk about what we are learning from the Oregon Bee Atlas in terms of best plants for bees in southern Oregon.

Andony Melathopoulos is an Associate Professor of Pollinator Health Extension in the Department of Horticulture at OSU. He leads the Master Melittologist and Bee Steward Programs and hosts the podcast PolliNation.

 

 

Succulent Gardening for Drought Resilience

Annie Schreck, Presenter

Looking for easy, drought-tolerant plants that can bring color to your garden and attract pollinators? Explore why succulents are ideal for low-water landscaping and learn how to incorporate them into a stunning, low-maintenance rock garden.

 

Annie Schreck is the researcher and editor-in-chief for Mountain Crest Gardens, a family-owned, online nursery that grows succulents in Northern California. She found her passion for horticulture as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay. Upon returning to the US, she worked in a native plant nursery in the Willamette Valley and earned her certification in Permaculture d Design. She now takes great pleasure in researching and writing about succulents, talking plants with novices and experts alike, and helping people cultivate resilient, waterwise plants at home and in the landscape.

 

 

Masses of Grasses

Bonni Engelhardt, Presenter

Overwhelmed with the abundance of ornamental grass options, but ready to delve into this endlessly useful category of plants? Come explore the varieties that are best suited to our region, including many North American natives, and learn about their bountiful benefits such as deer resistance, drought tolerance and wildlife habitat, among others.  Tips and information on the best care practices will also be discussed.

Bonni Engelhardt is a landscape designer, Master Gardener, and writer.  She loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for plants with the community.

 

 

Fire Adapted Landscaping Best Practices and Understanding Defensible Space

Brian Hendrix, Presenter

Designed to help gardeners improve their understanding of what ‘being firewise’ really means for gardens and landscaping around the home. Learn how various wildfire risk reduction activities can improve the survivability of a home in a wildfire event. Terms and activities relating to wildfire mitigation will be introduced, as well as some basics of effective plant spacing and maintenance for improved defensible space, and differences between a firewise versus a flammable plant. We’ll offer examples from local homes and help prioritize actions related to vegetation maintenance for wildfire preparedness.

Brian Hendrix is the Fire Adapted Communities Coordinator for Ashland Fire & Rescue. He is a Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist. Before taking over the FAC Coordinator role in 2021, Brian was the Weed Abatement Coordinator and a Wildfire Mitigation Assistant for AF&R’s Wildfire Division.

 

 

 

Irrigation Systems: Common Problems & Solutions for a Water Wise Landscape

Cody Scoggins and Aaron Adachi, Presenters

Irrigation systems provide us with a convenient way to water our landscapes more evenly and at the most optimal times of day (early morning and late evening). However, these systems also need regular maintenance to ensure that water is being used as efficiently as possible.  This presentation will cover common problems that can occur in irrigation systems and best practices for creating a thriving water-efficient landscape.

 

Cody Scoggins is the Water Efficiency Coordinator for Medford Water Department. He has a Master’s Degree in Natural Resource Management. He’s part of a committed team who thrive on being good stewards of our water and a reliable resource for those who look to be good stewards themselves.

 

 

 

Aaron Adachi is a Water Efficiency Technician for Medford Water Department. With a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Aaron chose to come to Medford Water for the opportunity to implement lasting change in the surrounding community with the skills that he learned from the private sector.

Jul 27

OMGA Joy of Gardening Conference

By Beet 2023 08 August

I was lucky to attend this year’s Oregon State University Extension Service Joy of Gardening Conference, two days of research-based classes on edibles, ornamentals and pollinators. It was held in Corvallis, OR on July 7 and 8. The conference was well organized and had excellent presenters. I learned a great deal about gardening that can be applied to my personal garden as well as Jackson County Master Gardener Association projects, training and gardens.

In addition to attending, I volunteered to help new attendees staying in the dorms to get their room keys, building passes, and directions to registration, etc. I also wrote a process to provide guidance to participants and the planning committee, and submitted it to the planning committee for use in 2024. Volunteering gave me insights and great appreciation for how hard the Joy of Gardening planning committee works and the value they bring to the Master Gardeners of Oregon. Thank you, Oregon Master Gardener Association.

The conference was excellent and every presentation provided new information to help Master Gardeners deal with current issues. I learned lessons that will be passed back to the Joy of Gardening planning group, and can also be applied to projects here at JCMGA. There were two outstanding Keynote speakers:

Tom Kaye on Coping with Climate was informative, had a good sense of humor and summarized recent research on how plants respond to changing climate. We hope he accepts our invitation to present at the 2024 Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens (WD/SG).

Dr. Melathopoulos is affectionately called “the Bee Guy”. He spoke at last year’s WD/SG and is scheduled again this fall. We hope he will update us on the fabulous Citizen Science efforts of Josephine County Master Gardeners, especially their findings about rare bees. Josephine County Master Gardeners will continue collecting data on rare bees in spite of their county commissioners’ defunding decisions. OSU is helping. This is great news.

The Joy of Gardening Conference is also a place to connect with groups to make a difference. I took a class on “Citizen Science”, an approach in which volunteers help conduct scientific research. Master Gardeners may be able to earn volunteer hours and provide a valuable service as they gather data, and it doesn’t take much effort! Please contact Grace Florjancic with any questions.

Grace and I participated in a round table discussion where we learned that most chapters are looking for ways to increase participation, retention and expand volunteers and membership. Grace and I discussed our efforts with creating Friends of the Gardens. The round table was an opportunity for different chapters to compare their issues and problem-solve. I think it should be included every year.

I was so thrilled to see how well JCMGA is doing as a chapter. We had the greatest number of people mentioned for awards. Lynn Kunstman was awarded the Master Gardener of the Year at the state level. She so deserves this recognition.  Thank you, Lynn, and congratulations. You go, girl!

OMGA raises scholarship money, via a raffle, to help people attend the Joy of Gardening Conference. This year, their Send a Friend project provided five people across Oregon the opportunity to attend. Next year, JCMGA could look into a similar fundraising effort. Perhaps it could be a reward for one of our Friends of the Garden or an outstanding student in the 2024 class.

In closing, I would like to mention another lovely activity at this year’s Joy of Gardening. Attendees visited the Polk County Inspirational Garden. We were met upon entering the garden by a Master Gardener and given refreshments, learned some history and took an informative stroll through this reclaimed area. I will let you learn about this beautiful space, its creation and development on your own virtual visit.

The Inspirational Garden has an acronym with an interesting history. FIG stands for Friends In the Garden. This beautiful place is managed and maintained by the Master Gardeners of Polk County and Friends, who are all volunteers. Brooke, the interim State MG, helped get the friends part of this in place as it was known that Master Gardeners alone could not do this on their own. Thank you to Brooke for helping to make that happen. This is a good example for us all. Many chapters have a claim to fame. It would be nice if these outstanding works were shared with OMGA and OMGA could advertise to all what Master Gardeners are doing throughout the state.

Attending the OMGA Joy of Gardening Conference was inspirational and provided me with many learnings to pass on to others. I encourage everyone to attend when they can.

Jul 27

The Lavender Trail Stops Here!

By Beet 2023 08 August

There’s a weekend every June when the lavender farms from all over the Rogue Valley are open to the public for the Lavender Festival Trail. Visitors can choose to visit them all or select a few favorites, and immerse themselves in the heavenly aroma of French and English lavender in full bloom.

This year, our site was somehow omitted from the official Lavender Trail brochure. However, the dates coincided with our scheduled native plant sale, so Margaret Clark and Irv Johnson, the GEMS of our beautiful Lavender Garden, didn’t give up. With the help of Master Gardener volunteers, they patiently planted themselves under canopies for the three days, hoping our signs along Hanley Road and on the SOREC billboard would catch the attention of lavender lovers.

 

“If you make it, they will come.” A stream of garden enthusiasts stopped by to wander among the 80 plus varieties in the Lavender Demonstration Garden; the only one in the PNW that is registered in the Herb Society of America. Margaret did an amazing job of providing shortbread cookies rolled in lavender sugar, lavender lemonade, samples of Lilli Belle lavender chocolate and Rogue Creamery’s “La La Lavender” Blue Cheese.  She beautifully decorated the tables with lavender tablecloths, décor and napkins.                                   

 

It was another “we are back” moment for the Association; 2019 being the last year in which we participated. All in all, it was a fun and successful weekend, and you can be sure we will be back on that list for next year! My thanks to Margaret and Irv and the wonderful volunteers; not only those who came out in the heat to work that weekend, but also those who worked for several days prior to the festival to help get it ready. It truly does take a village!

 

There will be a lavender harvest workday in August, where we will learn how to harvest, store and braid the lavender, which we will sell at our Fall Harvest Festival.  Also, Irv is looking for a replacement (he has been working in the garden for over 15 years), so if any of you want to be a Co-GEM (Garden Education Mentor) with Margaret or just a lavender helper, come out on Wednesdays from 9-12. Contact Marcie Katz for information about the Lavender Garden at marciek10@gmail.com

Jul 27

  GEMS, our Garden Custodians

By Beet 2023 08 August

                                               

You’ve heard me talk about the GEMS before. Formally known as the Garden Education Mentors, they are the garden caretakers and custodians of the beautiful Demonstration Gardens on the Extension grounds.

If you haven’t been out to experience the gardens, now is the perfect time, as they are in full bloom! This year, with the help of our Student Apprentices, the gardens look amazing. We have a great bunch of workers, and as they say, “many hands make light work.”  And it shows! I am excited to see that many of the students are dedicated to their selected gardens, are engaged in long-term garden planning and show up every week to carry on with the constant maintenance required.

If you are interested in becoming a GEM or co-GEM, we have two gardens in need of a GEM – the Entry Garden and the Lavender Garden. Or, if you simply want to come out and help, lend a hand to these two gardens. The Rose Garden needs additional help because its team of six workers has dwindled down to one. All those the roses require deadheading and that’s a lot to do by oneself every week!

Being a GEM is rewarding. You will share in the comradery of working on a group project, giving and receiving help from other gardeners, feeling pride in your garden, and having fun in teaching gardening practices. Sometimes the students are even the teachers!

If you are interested in becoming a GEM, please contact Marcie Katz at marciek10@gmail.com

Jun 29

JCMGA Annual Member Picnic

By Beet 2023 07 July

                         Saturday, August 19th

                         5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

                         SOREC Extension Auditorium

                         569 Hanley Road

 

 

 

  • A time to get together and celebrate what we have accomplished this past year!

 

  • Awards will be announced!

 

  • JCMGA will have BBQ hamburgers, garden burgers, and hot dogs available. We will be sending out Mail Chimps later asking members to respond if they will be attending; how many members of your family will be attending; and whether you/they will want a hamburger, garden burger, or hot dog.

 

  • We are asking families to bring:
    • A Side Dish (last names beginning L-Z) and Desserts (last names beginning with A-K)
    • Your own plate, silverware, napkins, and drinking glass
    • Your JCMGA badge

 

  • A great time to be had by all!

 

 

May 31

The Class of 2023 – The Bounce Back Class

By Beet 2023 06 June

At JCMGA, 2023 has seen the Master Gardeners jumping back into what is beginning to feel almost normal. Several things have come together and created the look and feel of former excellence once again.  The open vacancy for our OSU Coordinator was filled in January with Grace Florjancic. She is a quick study, and we are so happy to have her energy, enthusiasm, and knowledgeable leadership helping to put JCMGA back in line as one of the best Master Gardener Chapters in the state of Oregon. Welcome Grace!

Jane Moyer and a group of JCMGA mentors helped to organize the 2023 Master Gardener Program, with a 14-week class every Wednesday afternoon beginning in January.  Students learned from a 22-chapter text, online modules and in person instruction. They also teamed up with other classmates to create presentations on many Plant Families. They researched their subjects, created online presentations, and presented their findings to approximately 75 people in attendance. Hopefully, each student will pass on their learned knowledge to a broader community in the Rogue Valley.

The Master Gardener Class of 2023 is a promising lot. They started out 55 strong and at this writing the class has only lost two of its original members. There is a large age range represented. Kemper Rose was in utero during the first 2 months of class. Her mother Kendyl Berkowitz was in the early stages of labor during Sunday’s Practicum before Kemper Rose was born later the following day on March 13th, 2023.

Kendyl provided the following interesting facts about Kemper’s name, “Less than 100 people in the world are named Kemper every year. And her name means ‘farmer’. Her middle name is Rose, partly because we have grandmothers with that name but also because I am Bette Midler’s biggest fan EVER.” This was a family affair. Kemper’s Grandfather Jory was also taking the class, along with Kendyl and Kemper Rose. Dad and husband Michael was busy supporting the family and helping to keep Oregonians safe as a supervisor for Oregon State Police Dispatch.  I am sure dad was doing some double duty helping to keep Kemper’s 2-year-old brother happy with mom going to class and keeping up with her job as Executive Director for Rebuilding Together Rogue Valley. This is a nonprofit that uses donations and grant funding to supply low-income disabled homeowners with home modifications to keep them safe at home for as long as possible. Kendyl, on behalf of Rebuilding Together, has also provided a generous grant for JCMGA’s use for improving access to the demonstration gardens.

This class brings many skills and talents to JCMGA. They have signed up for several roles that were vacant after Covid took its toll over the past two challenging years. They have learned new skills and gardening techniques that they can use for the rest of their lives and will hopefully spread this newfound information to our Southern Oregon communities. They have also made new friends.

One of the traits that I witnessed during the Practicum was how our group, mostly strangers, became a well-oiled machine. Once they were taught where things were located, the processes they would use during practicum and the jobs that needed to be done, they worked together. There were no slackers in this group. They volunteered readily, helped one another, buddied up to be more efficient and offered suggestions.  They learned from each other as well as our two knowledgeable and supportive Mentors. It was a joyful way to spend three hours, continuing to learn new skills, volunteering for a wonderful organization and being surrounded by growing plants.

May 31

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2023

By Beet 2023 06 June

 

 

~~~~~ Exciting News! ~~~~~

The Jackson County Master Gardener Association is back, virtually!

Dates: Fridays, October 27 and November 3 and

Saturdays, October 28 and November 4, 2023

 

Comfort of your own Home via Zoom

Dig into four days of virtual garden immersion seminars taught by 14 presenters, all designed to help you plan next year’s spectacular garden. 2023 Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Symposium is an ideal time to take stock while learning with experts about Gardening in Our Rogue Valley Climate.

 

Cost: $30. Pick your favorite topics or watch them all. Most sessions will be recorded and available for a limited time for paid participants.

 

Make it a family reunion & invite friends, family

and all your known far flung Gardening Enthusiasts!

 

Stay tuned — Details to follow

 

                                                         

OSU Extension Service prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials.  Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made 7 days prior to the event by calling the Extension office 541-776-7371.

Apr 30

The President’s Corner — Why Does the Earth get Only One Day?

By Beet 2023 05 May

May Day! It’s finally here, the month of May, the turning point, an end to frost and snow (hopefully) and time to get those tomatoes, peppers and other tender veggies in the ground. As we all know that “Mother’s Day” signals the coast is clear! But is it? Recent weather in the last few years has changed those old predictors, making us stop and re-evaluate. Super cold springs, scorching hot summers, global warming is real, the Earth is telling us to wake up and time to take notice!

I was recently at a local Earth Day Celebration. Everyone there was concerned about the environment, the future of bees, and the importance of native plants in our home gardens. That made me contemplate why we only celebrate the Earth for ONE day! I remember the very first Earth Day in 1970! I was a senior in high school, and very involved in ecology and zero population control. My school had a big outdoor assembly and invited guest speaker Eddie Albert (you may remember him from Green Acres), who was an ecology activist. I belonged to the Ecology Club, and we went to UC Berkeley to attend the burying of a car! What enthusiasm I had at age 17! How naïve! I rode my bicycle to work and back, mostly out of necessity because my car blew up, and being a poor student, I certainly wasn’t leaving a big carbon footprint. Then the years went by, and life happened. Although I moved to Oregon where life was slower and more in tune with the land, my only contribution to the earth was limiting my use of paper towels and plastics. We recycled, we composted, I got the Rodale Press book of “Organic Gardening”, I even made bread (for a while). Then I turned into a consumer, I had two kids and all that came with them, disposable diapers (the real ones lasted one whole week!). Baby wipes, plastic bottles, binkies, and sippy cups. My gardening time was replaced with two jobs – my career as a full time X-Ray Tech and then as a single mother. Earth Day was no longer on my radar; I was in survival mode!

Fast forward to the 2000s – the kids were bigger; I had a new spouse to share the daily chores with and I had garden time again. That’s when I started paying attention to the weather, and things, well, they were a-changing! We had hailstorms in July that dented cars, a month-long freeze that broke pipes, late snows that intermixed with 80-degree days in March, shorter springs and longer, hotter summers with less frequent mid-summer rainfalls. Now people were starting to take notice, as every year major weather events of floods, forest fires, tornados, and hurricanes were in the news.

But why has it taken 50 years? Why didn’t we listen to the predictions, and WHY does the Earth only have one day a year to be commemorated? If you are like me, you try to do your part – we don’t litter, we recycle, go to Goodwill and other thrift stores to buy gently used rather than new if possible, and fix things that are broken instead of throwing away. My old mantra is the “new” three R’s – repair, recycle, repurpose! I also joined the Master Gardeners upon my retirement and that opened my eyes to native plants. I went from a deer in the headlights, “duh, what’s a native”, to being an advocate who tells everyone who will listen to plant them. I watch Dr. Tallamy’s videos and read his books. I want to help the baby birds have lots of yummy caterpillars to eat and have habitat for the wildlife!

We need to celebrate the Earth EVERYDAY! You can do it too, by contributing to agencies that save the whales, clean up ocean plastics or stop the rainforests from being burned, and by planting native plants in your home garden.  This planet is not just for us. Every living thing has a function and part in this amazingly complex design of ecosystems and food webs, and we as humans have successfully turned it upside down. We can’t wait another 50 years. It will be too late; we may be the last generations to know of how the Earth used to be.