A Grinch Christmas Party

Transcription

1 Josephine County Master Gardener Newsletter Newsletter December, 2018 A Grinch Christmas Party SECRET SANTA: What s secret about Santa? Only you can find out! If you would like to participate in the Secret Santa exchange, bring a gift around a $15 value. Hint, there s no guarantee that you will keep the first gift you pick. This rousing, gift exchange will surly make your heart grow three sizes. PLEASE RSVP BY DECEMBER 12 TO THE PHONE NUMBER BELOW OR peekay45@charter.net You re a mean one, Mr. Grinch. If you aren t familiar with that classic phrase, there s a good chance you might be living under a rock. I love everything about the Dr. Seuss classic, from the cranky green Grinch to whimsical Whoville and the adorable Whos and how they all come together to welcome the Grinch in the end. A Grinchinspired Who-liday Christmas party has been set for December 15th at Greyback Farm. Look for details at the bottom of this piece and the Who wreath on our front door. WHO-LIDAY FASHION: Partiers are encouraged to wear Who-ish attire or your most adorned or unadorned Christmas sweater. It s amazing what a few pieces of clothing will do to create a fun and jolly party mood! Not to mention the crazy contests for attire. Laugh-on! WHO-LIDAY FEASTING: Of course we Whos need a table for feasting! Please bring a small vegetable side dish to share. A main dish of protein will be provided. Probably a Who-lasagna! WHO-LIDAY SWEETS: Every Who down in Whoville likes sweet treats a lot But the Grinch who lived north of Whoville did not. That is, until he came to our feast. And, we totally expect the Grinch to visit our feast! We would be remiss without a dessert table. You may choose to bring something sweet instead of a vegetable, just let us know in your RSVP. When: Saturday, December 15, 2018 Time: 4:00 8:00ish Where: Greyback Farm, Dan and Pam Zaklan, 3230 Woodland Park Road, Grants Pass, What to Bring: You and your significant other or a friend. Please wear your MG Badge. A side to share, sweet or healthy, a beverage of your choice. Directions: Start out going west on the Redwood Highway/US-199. (5mi) take a slight left onto Redwood Ave. (S) (.3). Turn left onto Woodland Park Road (.8). Gate will be open, Greyback Farm on lighted gate entry. The drive will be lit up as well. Hint, back into parking space for easier exiting. Note: the front garden field between the house and trailers is soft and muddy from recent tilling! Please be aware if you park in this area as you may need a tractor to pull you out! Inside This Issue Message from President Oregon Christmas Trees Treasurer s Report Up from the Asphalt Cranberry Bread Recipe Maintenance Mondays In the Greenhouse JoCo MGA Information WHO-LIDAY ACTIVITIES: A Who-liday party must have Who Activities! For sure there will be some Who-Caroling. The Master Gardener 1

2 A Message from the President Getting in Touch with Your Inner Elf It s been a busy and eventful year, a big one for this Master Gardener Association. We ve engaged in lots of work and fun from painting a mural on a wall, digging in plants in new and old gardens, spreading the cheer of plants throughout our community at plant sales, pruning trees and tasting grapes. Then, of course celebrating the joyfulness of everyone s hard work as our volunteers became Certified Master Gardeners in October. We recognize and are thankful for everyone single one of you who help make our association shine. Naturally, after all of our meetings and greetings, I have learned a few things about our organization. However, a few facts in particular stand out: we love plants, we love to learn, we love to share and we can t wait to get our hands dirty in the spring! Creating a warm and comfortable environment is something we all need right about now, and tis the season to celebrate with our family and friends. So Woosh, it s the close of another year. I know how busy everyone is, but don t forget to smile when you see something you ve planted and know that you have made a difference in your environment. Your plant is smiling back at you! J Pam Zaklan Calendar of Events Christmas Party: Saturday, December 15 Orientation for new Students: Thursday, January 10 Start of Classes: Thursday, January 17 Seeds of Spring: Saturday, March 16 Spring Garden Fair: Saturday/Sunday, May 4/5 Oregon, the Land of the Perfect Tree Searching for that perfect Christmas tree? Tis the season when everyone who prefers a fresh tree is tree shopping from small tidy conifers to a large Nobel Spruce. Whether you buy your tree from a big box store or a small individual tree lot, chances are it s from an Oregon tree farm. Christmas tree harvest is underway at Holiday Tree Farms in Philomath, OR. the largest grower of holiday trees in the United States. Oregon boasts 42,000 acres of Christmas trees and harvests over 5.2 million trees each year, making this a whopping $90 million dollar industry for our state. Only Washington comes in second at $18 million. Interestingly, the path from cone to a 7-foot tall perfect Christmas tree doesn t happen overnight. Seeds are harvested from cones, transplanted to seedling nurseries, transplanted back as two-year-old trees, trimmed and pruned to the perfect shape for five to six years before cutting and heading to a market somewhere on the map. For most buyers, the Douglas fir remains the classic tree, but many prefer the Noble Spruce as well. Personally, I love the hunt, the struggle to launch the tree onto your vehicle and the smell and aura of a fresh tree. I buy a live tree and a farmed tree every year. Whatever your choice of tree is for this holiday season, after decorating you stand back, take a deep, satisfactory breath and profess, Now that is the most perfect tree ever! Happy Hunting! Plant Clinic Hours Newsletter Schedule Deadline for Articles the Friday before each meeting. to <jocomg.web@gmail.com> or <Peekay45@charter.net> Minor Changes Accepted at the Meeting Distribution the Thursday after each meeting Reminder: The Plant Clinic switched to winter hours on November 1 st. The Plant Clinic is now open Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We switch back to summer hours on April 1 st. If you want to volunteer in the Plant Clinic contact Wilma Christian, or stop by during open hours. The Master Gardener 2

3 Treasurer s Report, John Etchells Reported at the December, 2018 meeting: Cash & Savings totals as of 11/30/18 Checking: $10, Savings: $32, CD: $3, Total Assets: $46,244.02** Total Income from November 1st through November 30th: $38.94 This income comes from: Donations [Fred Meyer] ($25.19) Perennial Sales ($13.75) Total Expenses from November 1st through November 30th: $1, These expenses come from: Greenhouse [Seed Purchases] ($771.66) OMGA Meeting Expense [Mileage - $279.27, Per Diem - $157.25] ($436.52), Donations to the Community [Jr. Master Gardners] ($100) K-12 Program ($43.41) Administrative Items [Swingers] ($24.00) Newsletter ($23.08). Advertising [Fall Plant Sale] ($20.48) ** These figures are based on reconciling checks and deposits to the 10/31/18 bank statements. Reminder dues are now due. Membership remains $20 per person. Also, for those receiving the Newsletter via US Mail, there is an additional $15 fee due. Dues can be paid at the January meeting or dropped off at the extension office. Reminder - While shopping at the Grange Co-Op and or using the Fred Meyer Reward Programs, don t forget to have them credit your purchases to Jo. Co. Master Gardeners. Also, if you shop using Amazon on-line, please go to Amazon Smiles and select Master Gardener Association - Grants Pass Up from the Asphalt JoCo Master Gardener Idea Garden This is the season for looking back on the year and being thankful. As Chair of the Idea Garden committee, I get so many compliments on how the Idea Garden has progressed. Each time I feel a bit of a fraud. So much of what has been done has taken the efforts of so many people who really need to be acknowledged. So, I would like to express my thanks to those whose efforts are now unseen or easily overlooked. I wish there were a better way to pass on the many compliments. Thank you to all of the hands and backs with long handled tools that moved compost, then 20 yards of soil, 5 yards of gravel and finally dressed the paths with the decomposed granite. Thank you to the tenacious group that huddled in the cold and damp assembling the irrigation valves then aligning them perfectly where they lie exactly parallel in their boxes. I wish the lids were transparent, to show how beautiful they are. Thank you all who worked to construct, place and fill all of the containers that demonstrate so much, yet easily can become overlooked as backdrops for the plants. Thank you to those who handled stone, brick and block to edge the paths, efforts that are also easily overlooked, but so vital to the look and function of the gardens. Thank you all for the hours spent checking and hand watering through this first hot summer. A learning experience for us all. And a special thank you to John Etchells for doing just about anything we asked of him. He installed the control box and wired those beautiful valves, constructed three wonderful wooden containers, and if that weren t enough, he plumbed the tub with a shower head. He has also agreed to a list of future constructions. Many others deserve special recognition, but rather than running on too long let me just say that if you hear someone compliment me for the Idea Garden remember that I am silently thanking you all. And, how long do you suppose those Gaillardia, Penstemon and Goldenrod are going to bloom? Happy Holidays! Phylis McIntosh Chair, Up from the Asphalt JoCo Master Gardener Idea Garden The Master Gardener 3

4 Cranberry-orange bread with a delicate glaze This bread is a versatile, easy-to-make crowd-pleaser, Delicately laced with a glaze and studded with tart dried cranberries and orange zest. You can substitute dried cherries as a variation. Prep and cook time: 1 hour, 45 minutes Makes: 2 regular loaves or 6 mini loaves; 12 servings per large loaf Note: Loaves Can be made up to 1 month ahead and frozen. Bake and glaze loaves and allow them to cool completely. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, put in zip-lock plastic bags, and freeze. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and defrost at room temperature. 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering pan 1 ½ cups sugar 4 eggs 1 cup orange juice 1 cup sour cream 2 tbsp. freshly grated orange zest 2 tsp. vanilla extract 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tbsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 1 ½ cups dried cranberries ***** 2 ½ cups powdered sugar ¼ cup of milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or other flavored extracts 1. Preheat oven to 330 degrees. Butter two 6 cup capacity loaf pans (or, if making the mini loaves, butter six 2-cup capacity pans). 2. With an electric or standing mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add orange juice, sour cream, orange zest, and vanilla, mix until blended. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture and cranberries to wet ingredients and mix just until dry ingredients are absorbed, do not overmix. 4. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers of breads comes out clean, minutes for large loaves and 60 minutes for mini loaves. 5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together. Glaze should have consistency of thick maple syrup or corn syrup. If it is too thick, thin with an additional TBsp. of milk if needed add more 1TBL at a time. 6. Let loaves cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a cooling rack set over a large baking sheet. With a thin skewer or long toothpick, poke deep holes in tops of loaves. Drizzle with glaze so that it coats the top, runs down the sides, and seeps through the holes. 7. Let loaves cool completely, then slice and serve, or wrap and freeze. Per serving 344 cal., 39% (135 CAL) from fat; 5.1 grams of protein, 18 G Fat, (9.5 G SAT); 48 G Carbo;(1.2 G Fiber); 139 MG Sodium; 73 MG Chol. Maintenance Mondays November Just three weeks, and we ve managed to finish emptying the planters in front of the office, trim up around the front and plant pansies, rake leaves (every week so far) and trim out some blackberries, remove the shade cloth from the perennial area, move the stock tank in the Edibles Garden, top up the soil in the Keyhole Garden, put some gravel down near the sump, and do some straightening up of the shed in preparation for hanging the long-handled tools. Phil Dameworth has been on hand every week with really good suggestions about what to do. Wil Scarrow saved us from taking soil out of the stocktank, by suggesting we roll the heavy thing on pipes, which worked like a charm. And Cherrie Lynch has a very valid question. Why are we just throwing away the grape leaves in the green bins? Best composting leaves ever, as will be the apple and pear leaves yet to fall. Wil brought bags and took some home to help fill his new raised beds, and you are all invited to come in the next three Monday mornings and take home some great composting material. Someday when Food and Friends gives up the space, we ll be composting on Asphalt too. The leaves on the north side of the fence can molder away in peace but any large flat leaves left to decompose on the asphalt are a slipping hazard, so clean them up we will. Just three Maintenance Mondays in December. Terry Ruiter will be on hand for Dec. 3 rd, and we re still hoping someone will step up for Dec. 10 th and 17 th. If you d like to operate the clipboard for two hours on a Monday morning just contact Phylis at pjmontheriver@gmail.com. We ll take a holiday break and be back at it Jan. 7 th and again, if any of you would like to be supervisor for the day in the future just contact Phylis. The Master Gardener 4

5 In the Greenhouse The Greenhouses are almost ready to start. All the seeds and plugs have been ordered, with many of the seeds already received from our suppliers. The Greenhouse daily teams are in place. There is always room for more helpers, so if you would like to volunteer to assist with our efforts, please contact Pat Etchells, Leslie Miller, Terry Ruiter or me. We still have a little housekeeping to do in both the seeding and main Greenhouses so look for the on our upcoming work day. The 2019 Greenhouse season is scheduled to start on January 11, which Is after the new student orientation but before the classes actually start. The Master Gardener Select Plant of the month - Sweet Candy Cane Red Pepper. How appropriate for the December Newsletter. This plant was selected by Lori Pernarelli. Lori noticed these peppers at the County Fair (as an entry by Master Gardener Pat Siler) and really liked them based upon their color and shape and decided to try them. It is a snack variety pepper with uniquely variegated foliage and striped fruit. Its elongated, 3 1/2 to 4 inch bell-shaped fruit ripens from green and white stripes to solid red. Its thin walls and crispy texture makes it perfect for fresh eating at any stage of ripeness. It takes days to mature to green striped and days to ripe red. Apparently, the longer you let it ripen, the sweeter the pepper. It is ideal for in-ground growing or in a container. The Sweet Candy Cane Red Pepper - something you might want to add to your garden next year ELECTED OFFICERS President... Pamela Zaklan 1st Vice President... Mark Schallheim 2nd Vice President.. Phylis McIntosh Secretary... Cynthia Low OMGA State Rep... Candace Bartow OMGA Alt. State Rep... Charlotte Hutt Past President... Terry Ruiter APPOINTED COORDINATORS: Treasurer... John Etchells Green House Managers... David Coon/John Etchells/ Pat Etchells/Leslie Miller/Terry Ruiter Plant Clinic... Wilma Christian SOS Garden Seminar... Terry Ruiter Communications... John Etchells Spring Garden Fair... Sybil Longinotti/Mike Zerwer Newsletter Editor... Pam Zaklan/ Pat Etchells Hospitality... Breezy/Mark Schallheim New Projects :... Sybil Longinotti/Joan Seward Publicity....Jeana Schorr Historian... Nancy Pyle/Linda Price County Fair... Pamela Zaklan Growers Market... Hank Smith K-12 Program... Kristen Paulson Statement Of Policy Information provided by the Josephine County Master Gardener Newsletter is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, readers must assume all responsibility for their own actions based on information found in this publication. If, and when, a company or product is named in an article, it is not an endorsement from the Master Gardeners, Josephine County, or the OSU Extension Service. Alternate gardening methods are sometimes presented for your information and consideration, but they are not necessarily the only approach to gardening problems. Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities and materials without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability and disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran status. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer. OSU Extension programs will provide reasonable accommodations to persons with physical or mental disabilities. If you need particular accommodations, please call our Extension Office at (541) at least 3 weeks prior to the event. Mentor Committee... Joan Foley Computer Coordinator.. Steve Schoen Webmaster... Pat Etchells Perennials...Joan Foley Young Master Gardeners... Barry Burnsides/Sayaka Lean/ Membership... Seed to Supper... Breezy Schallheim The Master Gardener 5

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7 Josephine County OSU Master Gardener TM Association Dear Members, It s time for renewal of your Josephine County Master Gardener TM Association membership for the calendar year The dues will remain $20.00 per member. Seven dollars goes to support the State Master Gardener TM Association (OMGA) program. The remainder is retained by us to help offset some of our administrative expenses and support your county s local programs. This coming year promises to be an exciting one. Classes for prospective Master Gardeners begin January 10, Seeds of Spring Home Gardening Seminar is March 16 and the Spring Garden Fair will be on May 4 and 5. Please volunteer to help with any of these events or any of the many ongoing projects. Fill in your interests on the next page. Part of our responsibility as Master Gardeners is continuing to volunteer our time in some way to help educate the public. This can be done directly or indirectly as support. Get involved! To maintain your membership, please return this form, along with a check for $20.00 per member made payable to Jo Co Master Gardeners (not OSU) either by mailing it or dropping it off at the Extension Office. Please do not leave cash in the Treasurer s mailbox. We must receive your renewal no later than March 1, 2019, in order to assure that your name will appear in the annual Master Gardener Directory. John Etchells Treasurer Annual Dues Renewal - Year 2019 Name Address City State Zip Code Phone Please print carefully. Remember to fill out page 2 of this form then return both with your check (made payable to Jo Co Master Gardeners) to: OSU Extension Services Attention: Master Gardener Dues Renewal 216 Ringuette Street Grants Pass, OR 9752 If you would like to receive a paper copy of the newsletter and other mailings during 2019, please check here and enclose an additional $15.

8 Josephine County Master Gardener TM Association 2019 Survey of Volunteer Interests - Veterans Name Date This list outlines the annual events, committees and groups that you can get involved in as an OSU Master Gardener TM. It also lists some of the talents and expertise we need to help make the organization work. The results of this survey are used in planning and recruiting committee members and in finding out what special talents we have in our membership. Please help the program continue to grow and improve by contributing your time and talents. We look forward to working together to enhance the gardening education activities available to the residents of Josephine County. Please check any of the listed topics below that interest you. Events and Committee Plant Clinics Extension Office Growers Market in GP County Fair Radio talk show presenter Josephine County Fair (AG Bldg.) Setup and teardown Decorations Seeds of Spring Planning committee Instructor Hosting classes Registration desk Delivery & classroom support Community Classes (Evening/Sat.) Planning committee Instructor Registration desk & host Help with setup & teardown Insect Working Group Idea Garden Support Spring Garden Fair &/or Plant Sales Plant sales Raffle donations Volunteer as needed Help with setup & teardown Cashiering Host a Social Event Youth Programs School gardens Young Master Gardeners (library) Jr. Master Gardeners (with 4-H) Other (youth camps, etc.) Write article for newsletter Seed to Supper Program Instructor Class support & assistance Annual Awards Banquet Planning committee Setup & teardown Decorating per chosen theme Computer/Info.Tech. Website Photography Writing Board Officer Public speaking Teaching Interests and Expertise Marketing Arts & Crafts Woodworking Editing Working in greenhouse Working in perennials Mentoring trainees Advertising Fundraising Event coordination Graphic design Sign making Office tasks Organizing/planning Other: Revised 12/5/18