Demonstration Garden TGIF. Linn County Master Gardener Assn. Demonstration Garden Thoughts, Winter 2012 By Larry Steele

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1 Linn County Master Gardener Assn. Demonstration Garden Demonstration Garden Thoughts, Winter 2012 By Larry Steele As the Garden shows signs of ending its dormancy, here are some thoughts about the coming seasons. Some of the things we do in the garden add to its enduring value and a sense of permanence, and some are just for a season or two. Both have a place in the garden. We love to see seasonal color and bountiful peak season vegetables but it is also valuable to have year round interest in our garden from such plantings as the espaliered fruit trees, neatly pruned grapes and shade trees that give us some variation in the sun/shade continuum. Likewise, our more permanent beds PILE GETTING SMALLER... and hardscapes add value and give structure. But we hope we never arrive at a point when the garden has no room left for new ideas, experimentation and change. This winter, we added a small raised bed in the cottage garden area and a more permanent pathway to the garden shed. Both are nearly completed, but need a little more work. These two items look pretty permanent, but still can be changed if we desire in the future. I m looking forward to a new experiment in one of the more open planting areas and a couple of other applications are already started. Dave Krieger has some peas planted to demo how to extend the garden season by starting earlier and Stockton Miller-Jones has garlic planted in the square foot bed showing how some items carry over from the Fall to the next year. One of our new trainees, Barbara Coffman plans to plant edible flower items, using the culvert beds for the purpose. One of our Winter activities included using the pathway construction as a demonstration during the recent Linn County Spring Home Show. One of our new MG trainees, Vickie Fullmer, took a couple pictures during the demo: Albany, Oregon Mar/Apr 2012 TGIF Each Friday the Linn County Demo Garden will have a get together. This event is called TGIF To Garden is Fun. The purpose of this event is to give Master Gardeners TM (general public welcome!) an opportunity to network ideas, pull a few weeds, dig in the soil, see the progress in the garden, but most importantly--to have fun! Regular weekly gatherings will resume in the Spring. For more information, please contact: Larry suelar456@comcast.net MORE Welcome to the Demo Garden! Page 2 New Signs & Upcoming Events, Page 3. Check in on the Colorado Blue Spruce, page 4. Living Well, Aging Well Expo Page 5. Demo Garden History & Map Page 6-7. Photo by Stephanie Low The finished product!

2 Welcome to the Linn Co. OSU Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden Spring is approaching and activities are starting at the Linn County OSU Master Gardeners Demo Garden at the Linn County Fair/Expo off Knox Butte Road. To acquaint those of you who are not familiar with the garden, here are a few photos of our signs, the East gate and the sidewalk leading to the Demo Garden. The Demonstration Garden actually consists of two portions the fenced area and the 40 by 110 outside the fenced area. We try to keep our edibles inside the fence to keep out animals. The portion outside the fenced area has been added since January Looking at the photo taken at the sidewalk leading to the East gate, the Kompost Kitchen is located on the left. Daylilies are planted on the south side of the sidewalk in front of the For the Birds garden along the fence. On the north side of the sidewalk are the Christmas tree demonstration area, the Butterfly Garden, two culvert beds that will contain edible flowers this year, an Xeriscape Garden and the Herb Garden. Inside the fenced area are table grapes growing along the east fence, four espaliered fruit trees, an Insectary Garden, a berry patch, a Shade Garden with a water feature, Native Oregon Plants area, a Cottage Garden, Golden hops, a fig tree, a lavender bed and lots of vegetables planned for this year. Larry s 2010 Purple Passion Plot became 2011 s Purple Pepper Plot and will be transformed to 2012 Pumpkin Patch Passion. Come visit the Demo Garden anytime and see the evolution. The East gate is never locked although the gate is closed. Just push up the gate latch and walk in. Visit anytime. We even have a garden bench and plastic chairs for you to sit a spell and smell the roses. TGIF (To Garden is Fun) It s official. The Friday weekly work parties (or sometimes socials) of the Linn County Master Gardeners resumed on Friday, March 2, 2012 at 1 p.m. Come see what we are doing-- rain or shine (read Demonstration Garden Thoughts, Winter 2012 elsewhere in this edition). For more information contact Larry Steele at suelar456@comcast.net or Vickie Doles or mevidones@comcast.net Payback hours for MG trainees: 2012 Linn Co. MG trainees are reminded of their required 5 payback hours at the Demo Garden. Many of them are working on projects at the garden, but the level of participation can be more casual. Please contact Stephanie at stephanielow7@gmail.com if you need more information. Hope to see you at the garden. 2

3 Look for New Signs at the Fair/Expo Take a good look at these photos because soon they will be removed from the Linn County Fair/Expo. Kris Barnes, Fair/Expo Operations Manager, is able to get the Linn County road department to make four new directional signs to help people find the Demonstration Garden. Master Gardeners have heard public complaints for years saying that people did not know there was such a garden at the Fair/Expo. Hopefully, the new signs will remedy the problem. So, don t be a stranger to the Demo Garden you won t have the excuse of not being able locate it. March Upcoming Master Gardener Events 10 Daylight Savings Time starts ( Spring ahead 1 hour!) 20 First day of Spring April A Very Special Thanks to Our Many Supporters! The OSU Linn County Master Gardeners gratefully thank the following businesses for donating products and support: 14 Albany Farmers Market opens in Albany May 5 Container Planting Day at Tom s Garden Center 6 Spring Garden Festival, Central Park, Corvallis 12 Linn County Master Gardener Plant Sale, 19 Live Well, Age Well Expo, June 2010 June 16 Linn County Master Gardener Through the Garden Gate garden tour July Linn County Fair Master Gardener Mini-College Allied Waste Wild West Seed, Inc. Linn County Fair/ Expo Willamette Graystone The Farmers Market starts in Albany on Saturday, April 14. Master Gardeners often man a clinic table to answer questions from the many patrons that pass through the market. One of the gardens from the 2010 Linn County Master Gardener garden tour. Join us on June 16 to see more outstanding Albany area gardens! 3

4 What s Going On? When you visit the Demonstration Garden, you will notice four Colorado blue spruce seedlings outside the fenced area just east of the Kompost Kitchen. They were given to the Master Gardeners after the 2011 Spring Home Show at the Fair/Expo by Buena Vista Arbor Care Co. The seedlings were planted on May 13, 2011 and named Enee, Menee, Minee and Moe. I have been tracking their growth on the chart below: 13-May 20-May 10-June 8-July 5-Aug 23-Sep 11-Nov 2-Mar ** Enee Menee Minee Moe * On July 8, Stockton fertilized Moe with Miracle Gro (2T/3gal) and fulvic acid (1oz/gal) ** On March 2, 2012, the bottom branches of Enee, Minee, & Moe were pruned. Menee did not require pruning. As you can see, the seedlings are shrinking in height. They look green and healthy just getting shorter. What is going on? One of the Master Gardeners said that the seedlings do not acquire new growth until later in the spring. Keep an eye on them and let s see how they do. Colorado Blue Spruce Christmas Tree Photo submitted by Stephanie Low 4

5 Live Well, Age Well Expo Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the annual Live Well, Age Well Expo at the Linn County Expo Center on Knox Butte Road. The event is sponsored by several local organizations to promote healthy living in the mid-willamette Valley. The Linn County Master Gardeners were invited to provide hosts and hostesses at the Demonstration Garden during the day long event. Details on programs are still being worked out. Please check the website: for more information. Plan on checking out new 2012 gardening projects at the Demo Garden. See you on Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hope to see you at the garden!! 5

6 Brief History of the OSU Linn County Master Gardener TM Demonstration Garden 1995/96 -- Birth of this Demonstration Garden concept Aug Contract signed between Linn Co. Commissioners and OSU Linn Co. Extension Service Summer Kiosk built Aug 31, Public Grand Opening of the Demo Garden Oct 1999 Jun 2000 Fall Additional 40 x 40 added to western boundary -- Demo Garden is part of the first annual Linn Co. Master Gardener Garden Tour -- Irrigation system installed Present shed was built Sep Water feature added Sep Demo Garden East Gate open 24/7 May 2008 Jan 2009 Apr 2009 Summer 09 Oct 2009 Feb 2010 Spring Electricity added to kiosk and shed x 85 added to eastern boundary (outside the fence) -- Living Wall & Aspen stone raised beds installed -- Trex decking installed adjacent to kiosk -- Adaptive gardening area expanded -- Kompost Kitchen created -- Retaining wall built along north fence Summer 10 May Water feature redesigned and improved (now pondless) & Hardscape walkway between hotel parking and East Gate put in -- Extended eastern boundary another 25 X 40 and updated irrigation outside the fence area Compiled and edited 6

7 Linn County Master Gardener Assn. Demonstration Garden Albany OR Hwy 99 Century Drive N Map not to scale Knox Butte Road Access demo garden via north walkway by foot. Hotel Restaurant Hotel Armory Expo Parkway I - 5 Aviation way Albany Municipal Airport Barns Linn County Fair & Expo Center Parking lot Timber Street Access Demo garden by vehicle behind the Expo center barns. Price Road Timber Linn Park Dogwood Avenue Hwy 20 (Santiam Hwy) 7