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Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2025

Jan 01

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2025

By Beet 2026 01 January

We just completed our 2025 Winter Dreams Summer Gardens workshops and are happy with this year’s outcome.  We are gradually growing back from the COVID days. There were 147 registered participants this year. We have always appreciated our gardening enthusiasts and want to help them keep up to date with the science that can improve their yields and the quality of food they grow.

Four years ago, the three co-chairs Barbara Low, Susan Koenig and myself were brainstorming how JCMGA could offer more of our science-based education to the public. We considered the professionals who worked with the public on their gardens. In an Aha moment, it came to us: landscapers!

I contacted the Oregon State Landscapers Board and determined what the process would be to get our WDSG program approved for the Landscapers Continuing Education Hours (CEH). Thankfully, it was not a hard task. There was a new director, and she could not have been more helpful. She told me exactly how to submit a proposal, gave me a list of must haves, and then explained how to submit the proposal for the fastest approval turn around. I did exactly what she said. It took 10 days to get WDSG approved for CEH that first year. This year, it took only four days. (I love it when we build trust with the organizations we work with.)

Next, we needed to find a way to more effectively inform the landscaping community about our workshops. Our first year, four landscapers participated.  In the second year, there were 15.  After sharing with Blake Elliot (our newest co-chair member) our desire to expand our reach, Blake found what we had been seeking for 2 years: a public listing of landscapers. We have started our own list of landscapers to contact each year, and our number of participants just grew to 35!

Improvements have evolved, and that is one of the joys of education: you continue to learn from others, as they learn from you. We have gotten some wonderful feedback that our workshops are very useful.  The Director of the Landscape Contractors Board (LCB) thanked us for making these workshops available and at such an affordable price. We have gotten letters of thanks for creating a venue for landscapers to get most of their CEH credits in one place. One landscaper said that it was refreshing to hear new material across a wide range of subjects. We are also receiving good ideas for future classes. This has been a very rewarding part of the process.

I now ask all of our members, friends, colleagues and students: Please help us spread the word! Tell any landscaper you know about WDSG. If you have their permission, please send their contact information to Colet (Coletallen1@gmail.com ).

As our attendance grows, so does the amount of work for our WDSG team.  We welcome your participation.

One last thing: We owe a big THANK YOU to the first team who used Zoom after COVID. They left a well-documented process that made it easy for the three of us to step in and carry WDSG forward to where we are today. Without their pioneering footsteps, we would not be this far.  THANK YOU, first WDSG Zoom team.

Sep 01

Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements — September 2025

By Beet 2025 09 September

 

 

September

  • Nominations for the 2026 JCMGA Board due. Contact Linda Millus.
  • JCMGA September Board Meeting will be on September 12th.
  • JCMGA Board Fall Retreat will be on September 19th.
  • JCMGA Fall Plant Sale will be Saturday, September 27th at the SOREC Extension.
  • We are collecting produce (fruit and vegetables) donations on Wednesdays from 9-12 p.m. – which will be given to Access. Please bring your produce to the Gather Place at the SOREC Extension.

 

October

Sep 01

WDSG 2025 Presentation Update

By Beet 2025 09 September

 

Unfortunately, Robert Coffan will not be able to be one of our presenters.  We are very pleased that Tom Landis will be able to be one of our presenters!

 

Title of Talk:  Monarchs and Milkweeds: Creating Habitat to Attract Monarch Butterflies and Other Pollinators

Brief Biography for Tom Landis: 

Tom is a forester who retired after 30 years of working as a nursery specialist for the US Forest Service, and has spent the last 15 years creating pollinator habitat in southern Oregon. He is a co-founder of the Southern

Oregon Monarch Advocates, and on the Board of Directors for the Western Monarch Advocates.

Habitat for pollinators means native milkweeds, the only host plant for monarch butterflies, and nectar plants which monarchs and other pollinators use for food. Using his nursery experience, Tom has been growing our 2 native milkweeds as well as an increasing number of nectar plants. Due to a continuing interest in monarch restoration, Tom has given around 120 monarchs and milkweeds workshops in the Northwestern US but as far away as a Society of Ecological Restoration meeting in Manchester, England.

To encourage the use of local native milkweeds and other pollinator plants, Tom helped write a booklet Native Pollinator Plants for Southern Oregon. He also co-authored an article which was published in the Spring 2018 issue of the Native Plants Journal entitled “Using native plants to create pollinator habitat in southwest Oregon: lessons learned”.

Presentation Summary:

My talk will begin by discussing the current status of the western monarch butterfly, and what we can do to help rebuild populations after their recent crash. Monarchs are charismatic emblems of good environmental stewardship, and our recovery efforts have received tremendous popular support.

The main focus of this workshop will be a discussion on how to establish monarch waystations – specialized pollinator gardens that include milkweed. Since milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars can eat, we’ll talk about the importance of using native milkweed species. Nectar from flowers is the only food source for butterflies, including monarchs, so we’ll discuss the best native nectar species that flower in the early season, mid-season, and especially late season. Late blooming nectar plants are critical to fuel migrating monarchs and help them build-up fat reserves to sustain them overwinter.

Sep 01

2025 Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Presentations – Final Speakers

By Beet 2025 09 September

The Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Symposium is growing nearer by the day. I know you have been waiting patiently since last month to see the final five presentations which have been expertly crafted and brought to you by the JCMGA Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Working Group. The wait is over, here they are!

Registration is open. Have you reserved your virtual spot? Join us October 17, 18, 24, and 25 from the comfort of your home via Zoom and dream your summer garden into being.

 

Oregon Butterflies and the Native Plants That Host Them   

Presented by Lynn Kunstman

North American insects have evolved to feed on native plants. If we want to increase the number and variety (abundance and diversity) of butterflies in our yards and gardens, we need to nurture those plants on which their larvae feed. Each family of plants hosts a specific suite of butterflies with whom they share evolutionary relationships. In some cases, a single Genus of plant hosts a specialized lepidoptera species – as with milkweed (Asclepias) and the monarch butterfly. This presentation will show you Oregon’s beautiful native butterflies and the plants that support them. Get ready to add some winged color to your yard by choosing native plants!

Lynn Kunstman began gardening with her parents in Lafayette, California as a young child. She has a degree in Wildlife Management from Humboldt State University and, after moving to Ashland in 1986, obtained a Master of Science in Education from SOU. After teaching middle school special ed and science for 22 years, she retired to Medford, where she grew a huge vegetable garden; harvesting and preserving food crops year-round. She became a Master Gardener in 2012, and a Master Food Preserver in 2013. Most recently her focus has been on gardening for wildlife and pollinators. Lynn is the Master Gardener Speaker on the monthly gardening show Garden for Life on Jefferson Public Radio. Her quarter acre lot in Medford is certified as a Monarch Way Station, a Pollinator Garden, and a Wildlife Habitat. In 2023 she was named Oregon State Master Gardener of the Year. She established and runs the native plants nursery at Jackson County Extension Campus. She also rears, tags and releases monarch butterflies as part of a citizen science effort through University of Washington.

 

What’s Your Garden Future? Talking Climate Change with Oregon’s Gardeners

Presented by LeAnn Locher

Across Oregon, gardeners are noticing the impacts of climate change and adapting their practices in creative and meaningful ways. In this session, we’ll share what we’ve heard from hundreds of gardeners—what they’re seeing, what they’re doing, and what support they need most. We’ll also introduce the Garden Future campaign, a statewide effort to support climate-resilient gardening with practical tools, resources, and community connections. Join us to explore how your garden can grow a more resilient future.

LeAnn Locher is an award-winning communications strategist with more than 20 years of experience spanning national agencies, nonprofit consulting, and higher education. At Oregon State University Extension, she serves as the lead communication strategist for the Master Gardener program, where her work has earned national recognition for public engagement and outreach. LeAnn is the strategist behind Garden Future, a statewide initiative that explores how Oregon gardeners are experiencing and responding to climate change. Her work focuses on co-creating a climate-resilient gardening culture grounded in science, community values, and practical action. She is the Statewide Outreach Coordinator for the OSU Extension Master Gardener program.

 

 

From Soil to Soul: Regenerative Veggie Gardening

Presented by Rhianna Simes, M.S. Ed.

Grow Regeneratively: Healthy Soil, Healthy Food, Healthy You. We will cover how to incorporate veggies into a beautiful garden and landscape that feeds your family, tips on what grows well, seed selection, and ideas for season extension. If you are what you eat, you want to grow something really good! Come learn how!

Rhianna Simes (wry-anna sims) recently retired from 10 years as an instructor at the Oregon State University Extension Service, where she developed the Land Steward program, and coordinated the Master Gardener program for several years. Rhianna earned a Master of Science in Education and Botany from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, as well as a certificate in Plant Pathology from OSU. Rhianna lives with her husband and two young children outside Phoenix, OR. They operate their own certified organic farm called Verdant Phoenix Farm & Nursery (verdantphoenix.com), which specializes in organic plant starts, willow basketry, perennial food, healthy soil and natural farming. Rhianna is also a nonprofit consultant and grant writer with Growing Assets for Nonprofit Excellence.

 

 

The Basics of Limnology: Water Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, and Wellness Benefits from Water Features

Presented by Zach Wooldridge

In my presentation I will discuss the positive effects of water and being near water, and the wellness that the sound of water can bring. I’ll also discuss how water gardens and hydroponics improve upon and bolster our traditional gardens.

Zach Wooldridge is the owner of Neptune’s Ponds and Water Gardens. He has over 20 years of construction experience, getting his start in excavation and large-scale farm ponds. He currently designs and builds custom water features including Koi ponds, swim ponds, waterfalls and backyard oases. He’s not just a builder – he’s an artist at heart and is known for creating peaceful, nature-inspired beautiful spaces. In his free time he enjoys playing pickleball and spending time with his wife and 3 kids.

 

Lawn Alternatives

Presented by Lucretia Weems

Are you curious about changing some or all your landscape to something beyond the traditional grass lawn? Join us in exploring several sustainable and attractive options and learn more about the growing Unlawning Movement.

Classically trained in the UCLA Landscape Architecture program, Lucretia Weems has been gardening and designing landscapes in the Rogue Valley for over 20 years. She has been taking out lawn in her own homes for even longer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jul 30

2025 Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Presentations – Part 2

By Beet 2025 08 August

There are still more incredible speakers participating in this year’s Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Symposium to tell you about. The WDSG Working Group has worked hard to bring you some top-notch presenters for this four-day, virtual seminar. These presentations have been selected to help you plan your next year’s spectacular garden. Join us on October 17,18, 24, and 25 from the comfort of your own home via Zoom. Registration begins August 15th.

Last month we introduced seven of the speakers in our interesting lineup.  Here you will get to learn about five more.

 

How to Manage Blueberries, Caneberries, and Strawberries in Your Home Garden Presented by Logan Bennett

Join Logan for an engaging and informative session on how to manage blueberries, caneberries, and strawberries in your home garden! This talk will delve into the specific environmental needs of each crop, the common pests you might encounter, and the best practices for pruning and fertilizing. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, you’ll gain valuable insights on how to cultivate these delicious berries successfully at home. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your gardening skills and enjoy a bountiful harvest!

Logan Bennett holds a Master’s Degree in Soil Science and a Bachelor’s in Natural Resources Management. He has three years of experience as an extension agent at Oregon State University, working as part of the Small Farms and Master Gardeners Program. Previously, Logan worked as a crop consultant specializing in perennial crops. Logan’s interests include Direct Farm Marketing, soil science, hogs, poultry, blueberries, and apples. Logan has expertise in soils, integrated pest management, permanent cropping systems, and small fruits, making him a valuable resource for farmers and gardeners alike.

 

Introduction to Soil: Physical and Biological 

Presented by Scott Goode

This presentation will touch on how soils form, what comprises a healthy soil, how the life-forms in the soil are organized and what we can do to promote a healthy soil.

Scott Goode is a retired environmental scientist who has worked in water treatment, bioremediation, and modeling the role of environmental factors in soil chemistry. He is currently developing carbon removal and petroleum-free farming technologies.

 

           Soil! – What it is & How it works…

Presented by James Cassidy

It’s ALL about SOIL! Most people only have a vague idea of what soil is and how it works. You will learn more than you ever thought possible from this lecture. What soil is, how soils form, the reason you are alive, what nutrients are, how soil stores water and nutrients, and how to access published on-line soils data to improve your understanding of this critical resource! The fundamentals that ALL humans on the planet Earth should know!

James Cassidy has been an Instructor of Soil Science at Oregon State University for over 20 years. The introductory class now has over 100 students each term and is very popular. James is also the founder and faculty advisor for the wildly popular OSU Organic Growers Club – OSU’s student farm. Coming from a non-traditional background (music industry for over 40+ years) he is passionate about soil and is popular with students because of his dynamic speaking style. The student farm project has over 300 student volunteers on its list-serve and continues to grow. Over 25,000 students have participated in the farm’s programs. The farm is in its 25th season and is largely self-supported through produce sales and cultivates over 50 different fruit and vegetable crops.

 

De-Bunking Gardening Myths

Presented by Jane Collier

Did you know that coffee grounds are not acidic, or that grass clippings do not cause thatch?  Do you think drought tolerant plants don’t need watering? This presentation will de-bunk these, and many more gardening myths.

Jane Collier is an Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener who teaches for the award-winning 10-Minute University™ Program. Jane’s gardening knowledge encompasses growing vegetables and small fruits, insect pests, and container gardening. Today, she and her husband farm their five-acre home garden which yields a bounty each year.

 

 

Fire Adapted Landscaping Best Practices and Understanding Defensible Space Presented by Brian Hendrix

Brian’s demonstration is designed to help gardeners improve their understanding of what “being Fire Adapted” really means for landscaping and gardens, and how these best practices work together with home gardening techniques to best protect your home and property from wildfire risks. We’ll utilize a Master Gardener’s home risk assessment to introduce terms and activities relating to wildfire mitigation, learn basics about effective plant spacing and maintenance for improved defensible space and the differences between a “Firewise” and “Flammable” plant.

Brian Hendrix is the Fire Adapted Communities Coordinator for Ashland Fire & Rescue. He has served since 2017 and 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 Specialist for AF&R’s Wildfire Division. Brian lives in Ashland with his wife and 3 sons.

 

 

 

 

 

Jul 01

2025 Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Presentations

By Beet 2025 07 July

 

The Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Working Group has developed an amazing lineup of presentations for this year. Dig into four days of virtual gardening immersion seminars taught by 16 presenters, all designed to help you plan next year’s spectacular garden.

Join us October 17,18, 24, and 25 from the comfort of your own home via Zoom.

Registration begins in August.

Here is a taste of what you can expect and who will be sharing their knowledge with us.

 

 

Right Plant, Right Bee: Matching Bees to Flowering Plants with the new Melittoflora Tool  

Presented by Andony Melathopoulos

Oregon has the richest dataset of bee-plant interactions in the U.S., thanks to almost 100,000 observations made by volunteer Master Melittologists. We explore this data using the new Melittoflora tool designed to help make you make more precise plant selections in your garden.

Andony Melathopoulos is an Associate Professor of Pollinator Health Extension and leads up the Master Melittologist program, which is the first program in the U.S. dedicated to surveying wild bee populations. He is also the host of the weekly podcast PolliNation.

 

 

 

 

Using Woody Plants for Year-Round Interest

Presented by Neil Bell

Woody plants can provide presence year-round in the garden, whether they are deciduous or evergreen. Much of this can be attributed to their size, habit, foliage and flower, and other less remarked-upon characteristics like aromatic foliage or bark pattern and color. We’ll discuss the wide array of shrubs that provide appeal for each season in the mild climate of the Rogue Valley.

Neil Bell was Community Horticulturist for the Oregon State University Extension Service in Marion County and Polk County from 2000 to 2021, overseeing both County Master Gardener programs during that time. He has also conducted numerous landscape evaluations of shrubs for unirrigated landscapes since 2000, including Ceanothus, Cistus, Grevillea and manzanita. He is still employed one day per week by Extension to assist with evaluation of 116 olive cultivars at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora. Neil lives on 5 acres of Polk County bush west of Monmouth, where he continues to learn how to garden with wildlife, plentiful weeds and limited water.

 

 

Native Equivalents for Common Nursery Plants 

Presented by Susie Savoy

Non-native ornamental plants support 29 times less biodiversity than native ornamentals; however, most plants sold in nurseries are not native. Thankfully, some local nurseries and plant growers are working hard to supply the growing interest in native plants and there is a wide selection of native plants to choose from that can replace non-native ornamentals. Come learn how to help native pollinators and biodiversity by growing native equivalents for common nursery plants such as aster, checkermallow, clematis, coneflower, currant, fuchsia, honeysuckle, iris, lupine, turtlehead, redbud, sunflowers, and much more!

Suzie Savoie is co-owner of Siskiyou Ecological Services and Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds, and is co-author of Native Pollinator Plants for Southern Oregon. Suzie provides native seed collection services, online native seed sales, native nursery plants, and native plant consultation. For 21 years she has been using native plants for gardens and habitat restoration on her property in the Applegate Valley, and she enjoys helping others do the same.

 

 

Achieving Abundant Apples: Pruning and Training Home Orchards 

Presented by Grace Florjancic

Pruning and training fruit trees is a journey that begins in year one. Proper pruning can not only increase your yield of fruit but also improve your tree’s overall health. In this presentation we will focus on apples, but the same concepts apply from almonds to Bartlets to cherries. Join Grace Florjancic in this presentation to learn the guidelines for pruning your trees through the years.

Grace Florjancic is the Master Gardener Coordinator for Jackson County. Grace has a degree in microbiology and horticulture from Virginia Tech. Part of their undergraduate research included management of the research apple orchard and the installation of a new orchard. Prior to her work with OSU Extension, she has worked in research greenhouses and botanic gardens in Virginia.

 

 

 

Electrifying Yard Work & Landscaping

Presented by Alan Journet & Kathy Conway

Have you ever thought of trading in your noisy gas-powered yard equipment for quieter electrical tools that start with the flick of a button?

Kathy and Alan will explore why electrification is generally favored among those of us concerned about climate change issues, and the benefits for the everyday user of yard equipment. We will identify what kinds of yard equipment are available locally in electric powered models, and will discuss the cost of these items in terms of purchase price and operation. We plan to provide information appropriate for professional landscapers and gardeners.

Alan hails from the UK where he attended the University of Wales, earned a doctorate in entomology from McGill University (Montreal), and then undertook a four-year excursion to Australia. After decades teaching biology and environmental science at Southeast Missouri State University, he retired in 2010.

Native Oregonian Kathy Conway attended Southern Oregon College, University of Oregon, and Lewis and Clark College. She then earned a doctorate in curriculum and instruction at Southern Illinois University. Kathy taught high school and then university level in the areas of mathematics and methods of teaching math, science, and social studies to preservice elementary students at Southeast Missouri State University. She also retired in 2010.

Upon retirement, Kathy and Alan relocated to Southern Oregon, built an energy efficient passive/active solar home in the Applegate Valley, and collaborated with area residents to form Southern Oregon Climate Action Now, where they serve as co-facilitators. Currently at SOU, they teach ‘Living with Climate Change: Rogue Valley.’ They are the proud owners of several electric yard tools and recently purchased a battery-powered electric vehicle.

 

 

Our Western Monarchs: Will they be Listed as “THREATENED” and Why Should We Care? 

Presented by Robert Coffan

In 2019, the total known population of Western Monarchs plummeted to a scant 20,500 – a 99.4% loss in the last 20 years – followed by another ten-fold drop to less than 2,000! What happened and why? Will they be listed as “threatened”? Can they recover? What can we do to help?

The presentation will include an introduction to the iconic monarch butterfly and issues that plague our migrating western population. We will share what we can do to help restore monarch habitat and help many other pollinators throughout the seasons.

Robert Coffan is the co-founder of Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates and founder and former Chair of Western Monarch Advocates. He has a BS in hydrogeology and is a former Adjunct Professor at Southern Oregon University. Robert has lived in the Rogue Valley for 25 years, enjoying researching the biodiversity of the basin. He is fascinated by the beauty and life processes of the Monarch butterfly and other pollinators, and has joined forces with others to help restore their habitat and bring the population back. Robert never loses sight of the importance of preserving and caring for this beautiful and diverse part of the world we call home on planet Earth.