Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2024

Dec 01

Winter Dreams / Summer Gardens 2024

By Colet Allen Beet 2024 12 December

This year’s Winter Dreams/ Summer Gardens was very successful! The good thing is that we finally figured out how to reach the Landscaping Population (Thanks to Blake Elliot and his know-how) that we have been trying to reach for three years. We more than tripled the numbers of those seeking Continuing Education Hours (CEH) for the Oregon State Landscaper Contractors Board (LCB). We had a total of 21 who marked Yes for CEH and 15 who attended the Zoom classes, six them attending all 16 classes!

These people expressed appreciation of the information that was offered, and thanked the presenters often and sincerely. They engaged with questions and comments and offered some information themselves. As a group, they were a very positive addition to Winter Dreams/Summer Gardens. A couple landscapers indicated that they would seek more hours viewing the recordings and using the process that Winter Dreams / Summer Gardens has in place to give CEH when the recordings are the method of viewing the presentation.

We at JCMGA appreciate the landscaper’s attendance and their desire to learn more about sustainable practices, the use of Native Plants, Beneficials, and best practices that will produce healthier plants, better living soils and a more sustainable earth for the future with less herbicides and insecticides. We view them as partners in educating the public. They are key players in our Mission to Educate.

During my tracking of the Landscapers present on Zoom for each session, I also kept track of total attendance for each presenter. The range was 25 to 38 attendees, with 80% of the classes having 30 and above.

Yes, this was a great Winter Dreams/ Summer Gardens and I am already thinking about 2025!

Sep 30

President’s Corner

By Barbara Low Beet 2024 10 October

Fall is finally here! And with it comes cooler weather. I am enjoying spending more time in my garden and yard. I hope that you are enjoying this time of the year out in your gardens as well.

Autumn is always so satisfying because I harvest what I have spent so much time growing since spring. The produce is very tasty, and we have been enjoying it with our meals. Now I am in the middle of processing all that produce into grape juice, grape jelly, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, butternut squash, and zucchini.

And then it will be time to start preparing the garden for winter.

Gardening is always a challenge – with many trials and successes. As gardeners we are on a quest to become better. We want to grow better plants which produce healthy, great-tasting produce. There are a variety of factors involved in accomplishing that goal.

The JCMGA Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Symposium 2024 is a great way to gain more gardening knowledge. We have 16 presentations planned for this year. Winter Dreams Summer Gardens will again be held virtually via zoom on October 18, 19, and 25, 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

All presentations will be recorded this year and made available until December 31 to those who register for the event. Each presentation is 60 minutes long, followed by 15 minutes for questions and answers. We have a wide variety of gardening topics with great presenters. The registration cost is only $30 for all these wonderful presentations and opportunities to improve our gardening.

On the JCMGA website https://jacksoncountymga.org/winter-dreams-summer-gardens-symposium/ you will find the Summaries of all Presentations; Presenter Bios; and Presentation Schedule for this four-day event. You will also find the button to register for the event.

This will be the third year that our presentations can be used for landscaper continued educational credits and the Oregon State Landscapers Association has approved these classes for that purpose.

If you have any questions, contact me at barbaralow@msn.com

Happy Gardening!

Aug 31

By Teresa Jarratt Beet 2024 09 September

The Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Working Group is developing an informative and interesting lineup for this year’s symposium. The articles in the July and August Garden Beet had information on presenters and the subjects that will be discussed. Read further for a continuation of what is coming at the symposium.

Please consider signing up for the symposium as it is a great learning opportunity. Register on line on the Jackson County Master Gardeners Association website. Go to the Events and Classes dropdown, then the Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Symposium. Cost is $30 to attend all the seminars, or as many as you would like, on Zoom. We are excited by the diversity of topics and hope that you will join us!

Companion Plant Gardening

Barbara Low, Presenter

Have you heard of the concept of companion planting? Some plants benefit when planted in close proximity to other plants. Barbara Low will share science-based information on what companion planting is (and is not) and how it can it help us be better gardeners.

Barbara Low is a retired teacher and long-time gardener. She graduated as a master gardener in 2020.

10 Proven Ideas for a Bee Friendly Garden

Leah Puhlman, Presenter

There are hundreds of species of native bees in Oregon. We can support them by how we garden. Leah Puhlman will share simple steps to take to do just that. She will also teach us about “managed bees”, including mason bees and leafcutter bees, which are super pollinators.

Leah Puhlman is an OSU Extension Master Gardener who teaches for the 10-Minute University Program. She has raised mason bees commercially and for her own enjoyment. Leah is also the unofficial bee wrangler at the Oregon Zoo and has acted as a citizen scientist for the PNW Bumble Bee Atlas.

From Fermentation to Forest Ecology: The Many Applications of Fungi

Lorelle Sherman, Presenter

Want to know more about the plant kingdom Fungi, the fruiting bodies of which are mushrooms? Lorelle Sherman will teach us about various uses for fungi (in addition to providing food), such as ecological restoration, mycopesticides, textiles, building and more.

Lorelle Sherman is the OSU Extension Forester for Benton, Linn, and Polk Counties where she provides science-based education and expertise to landowners. She has a B. S. in Forestry from the University of Vermont and an M.S. in Forest Ecosystems & Society from Oregon State University. Her specialty is fungal ecology and wildlife in managed forests.

Pro Gardeners Tips and Tricks Panel

Strawberries, Peas and Groundcover

John Kobal, Presenter

John will share his wealth of knowledge for propagating strawberries, the best cover crops to grow and best timing for planting peas.

John Kobal has been gardening for over 30 years and graduated from the Jackson County Master Gardeners Program. He is a Practicum instructor at JCMGA, has taught OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) courses and has provided lectures on gardening for various civic organizations. He has an extensive garden of his own and uses worm bins to produce worm castings for soil enrichment.

Hoop Dreams

Kent Patrick-Reilly, Presenter

Kent will teach us about using large hoops for supporting garden plants such as tomatoes, melons, beans, peas, and cucumbers.

Kent Patrick-Reilly has 50 years of experience gardening in various climates, the last 10 of which have been here at his home in Ashland. His property has a 9000 square foot garden where he grows fruit, nuts, vegetables, and flowers. Kent became a Master Gardener in 2016 and a Land Steward in 2017.

Tips and Tricks for Controlling Insects in the Home and Garden

Marsha White, Presenter

Marsha will share tips and tricks for controlling and preventing the most common house and garden insect pests without using toxic inorganic pesticides.

Marsha White has been an Entomology and Integrated Pest Management Instructor for 29 years. She graduated as a Master Gardener in 1995 and has been a Plant Clinic Specialist. Marsha has also shared her knowledge by teaching classes to garden clubs in Oregon and writing articles in the Mail Tribune and Garden Beet. She was a recipient of the Jackson County Master Gardener Award in 2000, the Oregon State Master Gardener Award in 2007 and the Oregon State Behind the Scenes in 2016.

Aug 31