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Jackson County Master Gardeners

Nov 29

Berries Videos Available

By Beet 2022 12 December

 

We had many wonderful speakers at our Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022!

Two of our presenters, Sherry Sheng and Jane Collier, are also presenters at the Clackamas 10-Minute University™ concerning gardening issues. They have many wonderful practical gardening videos.

Jane Collier’s presentation at our Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022 was about growing blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, along with other berries. During her talk, she mentioned several videos.  https://clackamascountymastergardeners.org/10-minute-university/

Sherry and Jane have graciously allowed us to post these videos on the JCMGA website.

You can locate them on the JCMGA website. Click on the “In the Community” tab at the top of the screen.  Click on “In the Garden Videos.” Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

https://jacksoncountymga.org/in-the-garden-video/

Nov 29

How to Record My JCMGA Recertification Hours for OSU

By Beet 2022 12 December

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

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

Currently we are required to have

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

 

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

  • Login into the JCMGA website
  • Login into the JCMGA Member Portal
  • On the right-hand side you will find a side bar with Member Links – click on Report Your Hours

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

  • This page has lots of good information on it. Take time to check out the following –
    • New Categories List – located on the right
    • Videos on “How to Report Hours” – located at the bottom
    • VRS Information Fact Sheet – located at the bottom
    • FYI – JCMGA does use VRS for reporting our hours
  • If this is your first time reporting your recertification hours, you will need to click on the link Enrollment in VRS – located at the top left – and follow the directions.
  • If you have recorded your recertification hours before, you should put in your email address and password. You have the option to have the program remember your password.
    • At the beginning of each reporting period, there is an additional step that needs to be completed before logging in. Below your password box, there will be a document to read concerning the conduct expected of all Master Gardeners. Once you have read the document, check the box and continue to log in.
  • Click on the Report My Hours link – located in the left-hand side bar – about midway down.
  • After entering your data, click on “Insert record” to finalize your submission. You can edit your hours at a later date if you need to do so.

 

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

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

 

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

                                                     Have a wonderful year gardening!

 

               

Nov 29

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022

By Beet 2022 12 December

By Colet Allen, Susan Koenig, and Barbara Low

 

Our Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022 was a great success! We wanted to make sure to thank everyone involved to make this event an actuality. It genuinely took a village to accomplish all that was involved.

The Winter Dreams Summer Garden 2022 team gives a big thank you to the Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2021 team for leaving such a good road map for us to follow. The records that were left gave us a great starting point and allowed us to get right to work. After reviewing what was in Dropbox, we had a good idea of what was going to be needed by us to make the Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022 event happen, maybe not seamlessly but close to it.

The three of us were able to look at the compilation of information and determine what the path for development was going to be. We created a timeline for accomplishing each major step from start to finish. Once this was done, we each used our strengths to fit ourselves into the slots that would best meet our personal wants and at the same time, figure out what the project would need, equally balance the workload, and end up with a quality product.

Division of labor between the three team members was one of the joys of this project. We worked well together, kept each other informed on all matters and enjoyed the process. We started early in the year so that there was plenty of time to plan and determine if there was some new energy and ideas that we could bring to this year’s symposium.

One of the new things we wanted to address was to make sure we documented our process as we went along. We each agreed that it was important that we documented our process along with the forms we created to accomplish our tasks. Our plan was that once the Symposium was complete and after a little time to decompress, we would review the process and determine what remains to be documented. Our goal is to review, develop what is missing, and download a completed process to Dropbox by mid-January.

At the suggestion of one of our Master Gardeners who is also a Licensed Landscaper (Thank you, Sherri Morgan), we sought accreditation and to determine if JCMGA could get our presentations certified by the Oregon State Landscaper Contractors Board (LCB) for their required continuing education hours. We worked with the State Board and were able to get all sixteen of our offerings certified. We only had four landscapers who took advantage of that opportunity this year. Next year, we will do a statewide outreach now that we know what the state is looking for and are confident that JCMGA can offer this service at a very reasonable rate. Working with this group of people in Salem was a real pleasure. They were responsive to phone calls/emails and worked with us to make sure we understood exactly what was needed to ensure we gave them the correct information to expedite the process. They were a joy to work with.

In addition to the traditional methods for getting the word out, we wanted to explore a few new ones. Besides appealing to the Licensed Landscapers, we worked with Medford Parks and Recreation. We put a quarter-page advertisement in their Fall booklet that went out in early September to 44,000 homes.

As a non-profit organization, we were able to use the QuestionPro Survey program this year. By sending out a survey we are trying to determine what is working and what is not. Please fill it out so that we can improve. It will probably take a couple of years to gather enough information to help make needed changes, but we appreciate and welcome your feedback.

Thanks to our Communications Working Group for following our schedule for PSAs, Facebook postings, Mailchimps, and other forms of advertising. We also had some help from OMGA, Josephine County Master Gardeners, OSU Extension and the OSU Task Force. A big thank you to all.

We were very happy with our wonderful presenters and pleased with the turnout for this year’s Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Symposium. We were able to provide a wide variety of relevant gardening topics with very qualified presenters. We tried to cover topics that we felt were important, including climate change, fire-resistant gardening, native plants, etc.

We learned a few lessons along the way. Our plan is to build on that knowledge and continue to develop a high-quality educational event for our gardening community.

What are we recommending for next year? We have a list of several speakers we want to ask back for other areas of their expertise and some new ones that we did not have room for this year.

We would also like to hear from you, the reader, and find out who you would recommend and what other subjects you would like to learn about.

Please give us information concerning what you liked and what we could improve on. Critical review is valuable, and we appreciate the feedback.  Feel free to contact us at jcmgawdsg20@gmail.com.

Nov 29

Easy Fundraising for JCMGA

By Beet 2022 12 December

This is the second in a series of articles on how JCMGA can be financially supported with little or no personal expense. This month, we are going to concentrate on purchases at the Grange     Co-op.

Are you a member of the Grange?  If you are, you may not know that you need to spend over $500 in a year to receive any rewards.

However, if we group our rewards, JCMGA can save a lot of money.  When you buy something at the Grange, tell the cashier you would like to credit your purchase to the Jackson Co. Master Gardeners.

The words in bold are vitally important! The cashier needs to know you are asking for a credit, not a charge.  And, because there are Master Gardener chapters and Granges in Josephine Co., Klamath Co., and Curry Co. as well as Jackson Co., asking to have your purchase credited to “Master Gardeners,” rather than Jackson Co. Master Gardeners, may give the rewards to another chapter.

They may also ask for a name to go with the credit.  Names on our account are Marcie Katz, Doug Kirby, and Jane Moyer.

Following these simple steps can contribute hundreds of dollars to JCMGA per year with no expense to any of us.

Oct 30

Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements – November 2022

By Beet 2022 11 November

 

Jackson County Master Gardener™ Association 

Holiday Plant Sale

 

Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022        

Time: 9:00 am—3:00 pm

Where: SOREC (OSU Extension) Parking Lot, 569 Hanley Rd in Central Point.

Find holiday season plant gifts and landscape plants from a selection of Master Gardener-grown native and ornamental plants. Shop for floral treasures, then explore items for sale during the Holiday Gala in the SOREC Auditorium. Garden for Life!

Pay with: Cash, check, or credit card.

For more information: Email Lynn Kunstman kunlynn52@gmail.com or call (541) 227-1358.

 

 

 

 

Jackson County Master Gardener™ Association 

Holiday Gala 

Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022

Time: 9:00 am—3:00 pm

Where: SOREC (OSU Extension) Auditorium, 569 Hanley Rd in Central Point.

Jackson County Master Gardeners host a merry holiday season celebration for the whole family. Shop for decorations, wreaths, ornaments, and snowmen and women. Find the perfect gift for each friend and family member. Come share the cheer of the season, then step into the Native Nursery area off the parking lot for live Master Gardener-grown native and ornamental plants.

Free Admission.

Pay with: Cash, check, or credit card.

For more information: Email jcmgaevents022@gmail.com or call (541) 227-1358.

 

 

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

                           

Oct 30

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022 Off to a Great Start!

By Beet 2022 11 November

 

Thank you to all who attended our first two days of this exciting event on October 28 and 29.

Our committee has worked diligently to provide quality presentations/presenters on a wide range of gardening topics.

During the first two days, we have had presentations dealing with the Rogue Valley climate and the expected changes which will affect the way we garden; working with fruit trees; growing herbs; taking care of our soil; having biodiversity in our garden; and regenerative agriculture.

There is still time to register for this event and attend the last two days of presentations on November 4 and 5.

  • Register by November 2 to attend the Zoom classes.
  • Register by November 5 to only be able to view the recordings.
  • A Mailchimp will be emailed to you with a Zoom link to the classes for the following day.
  • A list of the 15 presentation recordings’ URL links will be emailed to you the week of November 7th.

All but one of the entire 16 presentations will be recorded and available to view up to the end of December.

Participants will receive an Evaluation Survey through email on November 7th. We are asking you to take a few minutes to complete the survey. Your responses will help us to improve this event and get your input on what you would like to have included for next year’s Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2023. Your responses to our survey are very important to us.

 

Questions? Email: jcmgawdsg20@gmail.com

 

 

Oct 30

Community Outreach Working Group

By Beet 2022 11 November

The Community Outreach Working Group strives to promote a love of gardening and to educate gardeners about best practices via several initiatives. We give financial support to community gardens and to school gardens; have a weekly call-in show on Jefferson Public Radio; and offer a native plants garden tour on JCMGA’s website, for example.

But it is mainly via the Speakers Bureau that we strive to reach out into the community with gardening education programs and it is the Speakers Bureau where we have the greatest need for volunteers.

Volunteer speakers may make presentations at garden clubs and other in-person locations; on the SOREC campus in the Demonstration Gardens; on Zoom via the public library; or through classes offered by SOU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

Training is provided for new volunteers who have a chance to “shadow” experienced speakers until they feel comfortable making presentations on their own. Volunteers select the topics they wish to talk about and may choose to present in person, on Zoom or both.

If interested in volunteering for the Speakers Bureau, contact Colet Allen at coletallen1@gmail.com or phone 425-941-7637. For other information about the COWG, contact chair Ronnie Budge at rleebudge@gmail.com.

 

Oct 30

Easy Fundraising for JCMGA

By Beet 2022 11 November

In the past, Spring Garden Fair has been the main fundraiser for the Jackson County Master Gardener Association.  Not being able to have a SGF since 2019 has put a major crimp in our ability to raise funds to support our many community efforts.  There have been several smaller ongoing fundraising efforts developed over the years, though, that may have been forgotten.  A series of articles are going to be written, one each month, to highlight these easy-to-do ways to raise funds for JCMGA.

Are you on Facebook?  You can celebrate your big day by creating a fundraiser for

your friends.  Start about 2 weeks ahead by following these directions:

Create a nonprofit fundraiser

  1. On your computer, login to Facebook.
  2. On the left, click Fundraisers.
    • Tip:If you don’t see Fundraisers on the left, then click See more.
  3. On the left, click Raise money.
  4. Click Nonprofit
  5. You can either:
    • Scroll to find the nonprofit you want to raise money for
    • Type into the search bar to find the nonprofit you want to raise money for
  6. Select the nonprofit.
  7. On the left, enter:
    • The goal amount of money you want to raise
    • The currency you want the funds to be in
  8. Click Create.

You’ll see a screen pop up where you can invite your friends to donate to your fundraiser, share your fundraiser in your feed, or donate to the fundraiser yourself.

 

Aug 29

Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements

By Beet 2022 09 September

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 goal: get our gardens back to their former glory.

Contact Lynn Kunstman kunlynn52@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

  • Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Symposium 2022 will be held October 28th, 29th, November 4th, and 5th
  • Check out the list of presentations.
  • Registration is now open!!
  • Register online at https://jacksoncountymga.org/winter-dreams-summer-gardens-symposium/
  • Most sessions will be recorded.  These recordings will be available to view until the end of December 2022.
Aug 27

Highlighting JCMGA Experts Presenting at Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens

By Beet 2022 09 September

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, I am going to shine a spotlight on JCMGA’s own Master Gardener experts who will be presenting at the symposium. I’m including Rachel Werling in this group, because she was the instructor for my class in 2016 and we made her an “honorary” Master Gardener. Although you may have heard presentations by each of them in the past, these Master Gardeners are developing NEW lectures for this symposium. We have a deep and talented bench!

Speakers:

Rachel Werling                                                                                 

  • Title of presentation: Wildflowers to Know
  • Description of presentation: We will have a virtual tour through some of our lovely Southwest Oregon habitats and see native blossoms in their native habitats. We will give pointers on where to see wildflowers, tools for identification, and suggest places to find these species for sale for your own garden.
  • Short bio: Rachel Werling runs the OSU Land Steward program and Klamath Siskiyou Ecoregion Course of the Oregon Master Naturalist Program. She is president of the Siskiyou Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon.

 

 

Lynn Kunstman

 

  • Title: Why Natives? – Seven Steps to Restoring Biodiversity in Your Yard
  • Description: Planting native plants is crucial to ecosystem health and to preserving and protecting life on earth. Plant choice matters and choosing native plants helps to restore and ensure vital ecosystem services in our landscapes. Based on the work of Dr. Doug Tallamy, this presentation outlines seven steps you can take to create healthy, productive gardens and help save our disappearing pollinators and birds.
  • Short Bio: Lynn is a Master Gardener living in Medford Oregon. She has lived in the

Rogue Valley since 1986. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management and a

Master’s Degree of Science in Education. A retired middle school science and special

education teacher, Lynn’s students at Ashland Middle School established the butterfly

garden there. Her first project upon retiring and moving from Ashland to Medford was

to mulch out all the lawns on her property. Lynn’s entire front yard in Medford is now

given over to wildlife: planted with edible trees and shrubs, and pollinator plants. The

back yard is planted in fruit trees, berries and vegetables for the humans. She is an

enthusiastic advocate of gardens planted with wildlife, pollinators and butterflies in mind.

 

Robin McKenzie                                                                                 

  • Title of Presentation: Planning and Growing a Living Landscape: Gardening for Biodiversity
  • Description: Save time and money by planning before you plant! With the right knowledge about native and ornamental plants, timing, seasonality, and basic design principles, it’s easy to transform any space into a pollinator and bird paradise, regardless of size. You’ll walk away from this information-packed class with step-by-step planning techniques for creating a garden that supports native and migratory pollinators and birds, while offering a beautiful, soothing vista for you and your neighbors.
  • Short Bio:Robin McKenzie is a landscape designer in Talent, Oregon. Rockbird Gardens specializes in transforming typical lawns into living landscapes using native and ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials. As an avid birder, Robin values insects as critically important parts of the ecosystem and encourages students to embrace gardening that brings all facets of life into the neighborhood. Robin tends her own official Talent Pollinator Garden as well as a Certified Monarch Butterfly Way Station.

 

 

Sherri Morgan                                       

  • Title: Lawn Gone
  • Description: Many of us grew up with lawns and have always considered them a major part of our landscapes. But we live in Southern Oregon, which has a Mediterranean climate, with four-plus months of little to no rain. Currently, we are in the third year of a significant drought, with water restrictions increasingly likely. Lawns are thirsty and do little to provide food or shelter to our native insects and vertebrates. This class will show how to easily remove the lawn. Then, we will discuss replacing the lawn area with plants that preserve a sense of space, but which are more appropriate for our climate and support the ecosystems in which we live.
  • Short Bio: Sherri is a Master Gardener and 15-year resident of Jackson County. She has taught in the Master Gardener Practicum program since 2009 and currently is the mentor of the Native Plants Garden at the Extension (SOREC) in Central Point. Sherri has certificates in landscape design and construction and over the past several years has focused on designs that feature plants native to our area.

 

 

Shirley Wentworth                                                                   

  • Title: Incorporating Herbs into Your Life
  • Description: A discussion of herbs used as flavorings, infusions, scents, nutrients and in cooking that can be grown in the Rogue Valley. Shirley will talk about growing selected herbs and how to use them.
  • Bio: Shirley has been a Master Gardener since 2013. She is the Garden Education Mentor for the Herb Garden at Extension and was the organizer of the Herb Study Group.

 

 

John Kobal       

  • Title: Year-Round Vegetable Gardening
  • Description: Why not take advantage of gardening year-round? With a little planning, you too can reap the benefits and enjoyment of eating your own fresh produce. Change what you grow with the changing seasons. Start your winter garden before cool weather sets in. Know what crops to plant and when to expect harvests. Interplant crops to anticipate changes in weather. Have a greenhouse or a heat mat? Start your seeds early.
  • Short Bio:   John has 30-plus years of gardening experience. He relocated to the Rogue Valley in 2014 and became a Master Gardener in 2015. John has an extensive orchard, an in-ground garden and 18 raised beds used for growing vegetables. He has three worm bins which compost most kitchen scraps. John is a garden lecturer for civic organizations, interfaces with several local school gardening programs, is a Practicum instructor in the Master Gardener Training Program and hosts the garden lecture series at the annual Master Gardener Spring Garden Fair.