Polk Weed Newsletter May 2017 May Notes from the Editors... Wishing you many Happy May Days! We feel Spring is nature's way of saying "Let's Party!" If you are like us, this past winter and early spring has left our gardens with soggy soil and an abundance of weeds. But here in Oregon, this will not stop us from gardening. May is a good time for giving. The generosity that is shared by our Master Gardeners here in Polk county is second to none! We thank all our gardeners for their education and volunteering efforts that are focused on making our annual plant sale, youth groups, Fall Fling, clinics, and community gardens so rewarding. We believe that giving back to the community is a small promise to ensure the future is bright. Join in and share your energy! You never know who will be impacted. Please email us if you enjoyed a new gardening book, experimented with a new gardening method, or tried a new veggie or fruit recipe. We also appreciate your garden photographs, which compliment the articles we receive. As always, we welcome your comments, suggestions, and submissions at polkmgnews@gmail.com Please help! All articles should be submitted to polkmgnews@gmail.com If
you are on desk duty and check email, please forward any newsletter articles to this address. We would not want to overlook anyone's contributions. 2017 Plant Sale May 12 and 13 9 AM - 4 PM Polk County Fair Grounds Rickreall, OR Important Dates for May and June Project Work Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays: Brunk House, 9am-NOON Fridays: Inspiration Garden, 9am-NOON May 3 1:30 pm PCMG Board Meeting, Polk County OSU Extension Office May 5 May 6 May 12 & 13 10-7 9-5 Marion County MG Plant Sale, State Fairgrounds - Salem PCMG Plant Sale and Clinic, Polk County Fairgrounds No Chapter Meeting in May May 20 2:00 pm Junior Master Gardeners - Growing Good Kids Monmouth Library June 7 1:30 pm PCMG Board Meeting, Polk County OSU Extension Office June 14 1:30 pm Fall Fling Planning June 15 7:00 pm Chapter Meeting, Speaker: Darlene Gowen "Dry Farming," Trinity Lutheran Church June 22 11:30 am Plant Sale Follow-up Meeting, Polk County OSU Extension Office A Minute for the Minutes: This Month's PCMG Chapter Meeting Explained Our April 2017 meeting began, as usual, around the stroke of 7:00 pm. There were about 36 attendees. Our Board President, Bren Coop, opened the meeting with announcements on upcoming events. Bren then informed the crowd of the Board's nominations for State and County Awards: Behind-the-Scenes Master Gardener of the Year: Kay Beatty County Master Gardener of the Year: Alan Blazier
State Master Gardener of the Year: Darrell Ward Congratulations, everyone! Next, Darrell Ward shared the story of "How the Granny Plant Came to the United States." To fully experience his intriguing tale, he must be the one to tell you. However, he did mention checking out, "The Man Who Would Be King," by Rudyard Kipling for more details. Dale Jordan's informative presentation on soil-blocking followed. (For more on that, see the article, "Soil Blocking for and by Beginners," in this month's Weed.) After a short break, our meeting continued: Bren announced the winner of Door Prize #1 Harry Legleiter shared the Treasurer's Report. Darrell offered a brief tale about when the Governor visited the Inspiration Garden on April 5. Darrell also mentioned the Country Store needs more donations. The remaining door prizes were distributed. Shirley Sloan said she is researching the purchase of mugs with our logo on them for sale next year. Bren announced our next Chapter Meeting will be in June and the meeting concluded about 9:00 pm. Submitted by Becki Gann SOIL BLOCKING FOR AND BY BEGINNERS I first learned about soil-blocking when my husband, Paul, told me about it a few months ago. After he explained the concept to me, he added that all his favorite garden-writers swear by it and he has wanted to try it for years. I said, "Well, I never heard of it before." He just smiled and answered, "Well, you should read what I'm reading. Let's try it." And I agreed. Fast-forward a few weeks, and I'm reading an article for The Weed from Dale Jordan to promote his presentation at the April Chapter Meeting. "Guess what?" I said to Paul. "I'm going to take a class on soil-blocking in April. Maybe I can teach you something!" He said, "Maybe you can, but I don't want to wait until then." And we didn't. In March, we ordered our first set (of four): the 2" blockers. We watched a few instructional videos and read a couple articles while we waited for the delivery. Our initial experiment, a double-row of sunflowers seeds, was an encouraging success. the plastic pots." By the end of two weeks, we (mostly Paul,) also experimented with kale, lettuce, and many other cool-weather crops. Some made it, some didn't. I asked Paul what he thought was the greatest challenge. "Getting the soil mix right." How about the greatest advantage? "You don't have to deal with Dale's presentation on the 2 nd Wednesday in April offered some very valuable tips. In addition to his insightful hand-out and demonstrations, many of us got to try the different blockers on display. Soon, my husband wanted to do nothing but soil-block. Then, my kids were soil-blocking. Next, they told me to bring it to school, so all their friends could try. They even let me have a turn! (Just one.)
Why does our family prefer soil-blocking to seeding in pots? When I asked Dale what he felt was the most important information to impart to anyone who may have missed him at the April Chapter Meeting, his answer explained it all for us: "Soil blocks are a fast and easy alternative to seed-starting pots of all kinds. They cost much less than pots, are earth friendly, and nothing to throw away or store like all those plastic pots. They are nutrient- rich and space-saving. When you plant a soil block plant in the garden, there is no root shock and the plants take off very fast. One can make about 200 blocks an hour, and even make the flat to start and grow seeds and soil blocks. Help is available right in our Chapter. Try it, and we bet you'll like it!" If you would like your questions about soil-blocking answered by a local expert, contact Dale Jordan at pigdog3@msn.com. Thank you, Dale, for sharing your experience and knowledge! Submitted by Becki Gann Notes from Neil Winter's last swipe at my garden was on Monday March 6 th, when a late snowstorm dumped 5" of very wet snow on our property west of Monmouth. Snow that late in the season is very rare and it was a short-lived event, but unfortunately the damage was done. Even before it melted away I looked out our kitchen window at our 'Austin Griffiths' manzanita and noticed one major limb bent over, prostrate on the ground. It had evidently been broken at the base. This in itself might not have been so bad, but unfortunately the entire plant consists of only two major limbs, so one half of the plant had been lost. The snow turned to rain by the middle of the day and by following day was pretty much gone, and so an inspection of the casualty was easy to make. The reason for the damage was immediately obvious. 'Austin Griffiths' is a big, upright-growing form of manzanita and ultimately makes a picturesque small multi-stemmed tree in the garden. Our specimen is probably about 8-10 years old. Large manzanitas like this one are strong-wooded plants and broken limbs from wet snow like this or freezing rain are actually rare. Limbs will bend under the weight but usually bounce right back, which was the case with other manzanitas in our garden. But this one had an Achilles heel, which was that the two major limbs originated at ground level, forming a "V" and in doing so, created a weak spot right at the base of the canopy. What happens in these cases is that the two limbs of course grow larger in diameter independently of one another, but on the side where they meet, they are constantly pushing each other away. The same thing happens with trees that have two main leaders that are in competition with each other. A weak spot is created and it's only a matter of time before, wind, or snow or whatever causes one to break. So it was with my manzanita. The photos show the damage to the plant (half of it lying on the ground) and the cause. So what to do? Unfortunately, propping it back up is not an option, as the broken limb will never be able to support itself. I've seen trees where bolts had been driven through adjacent limbs to bind them together but I'm not a fan of that approach. Besides, the water conducting tissues are undoubtedly damaged and so that alone would be reason to simply remove it. But now I have half of a manzanita. Over time it may branch out on the broken side and fill the gap in the canopy but that will likely take years. The other thing I could do is simply remove the rest of it and treat it as an opportunity to plant something else. But I don't want to do that. 'Austin Griffiths' is a very nice manzanita, and has pink flowers starting in January that are much appreciated by hummingbirds and
various native and non-native pollinators. So I think what I'm going to do is get another 'Austin Griffiths', as big a size as I can find, and plant it on the broken side and train it (starting with a single trunk!) to fill in the yawning gap in the canopy. This will be a work of several years, and will look odd in the meantime, but I'm treating it as a learning experience. News from the Treasury (Allee Trees) Access to the Inspiration Garden in Independence, Oregon, was somewhat mysterious as the main garden lies south of the main parking lot for Mountain Fir Park on F Street. A plan to develop an inviting allee pathway to the Inspiration Garden entrance was developed by Kay Beatty and Bill Leedy. The trees creating this allee, comprised of Zelkova serrata (Japanese zelkova), were planted by volunteer master gardeners on February 24, 2017. The planting of the 14 trees was supported by the City of Independence, who supplied the backhoe and the operator to dig the holes for these trees. The following donations have been received to finance this project thus far: Donor Amount Donated Salem Hardy Plant Society $500.00 Parker Garden Club $50.00 Jan Seely $80.00 Elizabeth Klicker $50.00 Darrell Ward $50.00 Linda Vognild $80.00 Judy Nathe $100.00 P.J. Plunkett $100.00 Kay Beatty $100.00 If you have any questions relative to these allee trees or would like to make a donation contact Kay Beatty. Submitted by Harry Legleiter The Thyme Garden Tour & Gourmet Luncheon Wednesday, July 12, 2017 A few openings are still available. The Thyme Garden nursery and display gardens are tucked away in the mountains just a short drive from Corvallis Oregon on Highway 34. We will start with a guided tour around the pond, along one of the streams and through the gardens. The nursery offers over 700 varieties of useful plants and will be open after finishing lunch for those who would like to take some herbs home with them.
The luncheon is peaceful, relaxing & amazing! You'll enjoy a gourmet elegantly presented meal outdoors under the fir trees surrounded by the beautiful coast range mountains and the year round stream that borders this special place. The cost is $30 per person and is required to hold your reservation. It is not refundable after June 12. A Gift Shop has been added for more shopping fun!! For more Info and/or to Register contact: Linda Yerbick 478 NW Gavin Drive Dallas, OR 97338 lyinor@q.com 503-623-2983 Invite a friend or family member to join you. Please include your name (and the names of others in your group), your phone number and email address. Thank you! Submitted by Linda Yerbick POLK COUNTY MASTER GARDENER OF THE YEAR: Allan Blazier A lifetime gardener, Allan Blazier began his Master Gardener career in 2003. Following training, he became the chapter's Clinic Chairman for two years. Sharing his talents, he also served as Chapter Treasurer. The chapter's "MUPS" building at the Polk County Fairgrounds, which has served as storage for the annual plant sale equipment, was one of Allan's early projects. For many years, he was part of the crew that maintained the orchard and flower beds at the chapter's Fairgrounds Project. Allan has filled many roles during the annual plant sales at the Fairgrounds, taking the lead for clinics, cashiering, and traffic control. In 2007, he began working at the historic Brunk House Farmstead Project. When a coordinator was needed for the work in the organic, no-till vegetable garden, Allan stepped up. Since then, he has taken over the heirloom rose garden, gooseberry section, and the blueberry "field". When the grounds began wilting during Oregon's recent drought, he designed, planned, and installed the drip irrigation system for the vegetable garden. Still having a bit of free time, in 2013 he volunteered to co-chair the Memorial Rose Garden committee at the chapter's Inspiration Garden in Independence, Oregon. Allan is a man of many talents, ready and able to do whatever is needed, smiling all the while! Submitted by Gayle Birch Dallas Youth Garden Update We are interviewing applicants for the 9 intern positions for the 2017 Dallas Youth Garden. Interns are DHS students who meet on May 2nd to learn about their jobs and plan for each 25' x 50' garden plot.
Planting will begin after the PCMG plant sale and we will need lots of help from PCMG volunteers. Work hours are Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 until school is out, and Saturday mornings from 10:00-noon. After school ends we will probably work from 4-5 in the afternoon sessions. For more information please contact Eileen Shaffer at: epshaffer@hotmail.com or (503)623-8459 Submitted by Eileen Shaffer Art by Christie Thank you, Christie, for your garden embrace! Please email Christine at chendersen@oldmillfeed.com for more information about her art. FALL FLING SPEAKERS PREVIEW - KAREN CHAPMAN The line-up has been finalized, and we can now announce the amazing speakers who will present at this year's Fall Fling. We are going to hold you in suspense at least one more month for the full line-up, but we can proudly reveal one of our presenters - Karen Chapman: author, speaker, designer. She can do it all! Ms. Chapman's topic, Foliage and Focal Points - Ideas for Budgets and Gardens of All Sizes, is timely and has great appeal for all. You will learn how to create eye-catching focal points and vignettes. Karen will also teach you "tricks" for plant placement as well as what plants to use and how to frame them with foliage to create a breathtaking garden scene. Ms. Chapman is the author of two popular books, Fine Foliage, published in 2013, and Gardening with Foliage First, hot off the press this year. Both books will be available for sale at the Fling and she is able to sign them. For an additional fee, there will be a workshop featuring Karen called New Plants to Make You Swoon. During the workshop, Ms. Chapman will introduce new varieties of trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals and will provide valuable information on how these plants really perform. She will also demonstrate interesting artistic combination ideas that really will make you swoon! As an extra bonus, a majority of the plants Ms. Chapman works with are deer-resistant. Karen Chapman is only one of the great presenters you can look forward to at this year's Fall Fling. See you on th
September 16! Submitted Kelly Gabliks A Special Guest in the Garden Governor Kate Brown visited the Inspiration Garden along with several other state officials and Independence City administrators on April 5. In this photo, Darrell Ward explains the practices of the small fruit tree orchard. JMG Earth Day 2017 There were many incredible Earth Day celebrations around Polk County, included a few that us Master Gardeners hosted. One of them was the Junior Master Gardeners Program at the Monmouth Library, and April's event saw our biggest crowd yet. My thanks to the usual crew of misfits who made everything possible. Thanks also for the continued flow of gallon milk jugs. Kids love this project, so please keep them coming! Our collection will be ongoing. And to the anonymous donor who offered a full bag of gauzy materials for our future sachet project: thank you for much! Submitted by Becki Gann
Road Trip Surprise: Southwest Colorado If you have ever been to the desert Southwest in the Spring and it seems that there is "nothing" that could grow in the arid climate, just stop and take a rest. If you find a comfortable rock and really focus on the surrounding environment, your eye will suddenly catch a glimpse of a beautiful floral surprise. Its called Erodium cicutarium, or Filaree Storksbill. The locals call it Heron's Bill. This tiny Spring flower is breathtaking amongst the desert sage with a background of gray and red rocks. I loved the petroglyphs and the history of the area, but this was my favorite surprise! Read more at: http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/fieldguide/wildguidepurp.html#ixzz4fbrwiswa Article and photos submitted by Lorena Elliott Seed to Supper in Polk County According to the Oregon Food Bank, who sponsors the program, Seed to Supper (S2S) "is a free beginning vegetable gardening course that teaches participants how to garden on a budget. In these interactive classes, participants gain new knowledge and skills to be able to start a garden and grow some of their own food." Beginning in late March, the first S2S classes in Polk County met at the Gathering Place for four 3-hour sessions. Kathy Stewart led the adult portion of the program with Becki Gann. For the kids, Kathy Arquette did an incredible job of educating and entertaining with JMG projects and tours around the IG. Slide presentations and discussions accompanied the six chapters of the Seed to Supper Manual that each participant received. Some of the areas covered included starting seeds and transplanting; companion-planting; and the importance of air, sun, water, and nutrients. Participants also received seed packets and gardening supplies throughout their training. All in all, we feel the class was a success. According to the end-of-class surveys, our S2S participants agree.
If you would like to become more involved in the Seed to Supper program in Polk County, please contact Kathy Stewart at kathy_lynn_stewart@yahoo.com. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to hold the classes at the Gathering Place. Respectfully submitted by Kathy Stewart, Becki Gann, and Kathy Arquette From my sister's garden in Kansas The love of photography is strong in my family. My sister took this photo of a peony bud near Wichita, Kansas, to show dew drops - but she captured much more. She thought maybe that this was an unidentifiable type of spider. I quickly noticed that this little critter had only six legs. So the spider web in the picture was misleading for identifying this insect. Research named this critter Zelus luridus or commonly known as a green assassin bug nymph. Though appearing cute and harmless, they live up to their names as assassins in many ways, including the extremely painful bite which can be felt "to the bone" as put by various other bloggers and luckless collectors who have happened to get their hands too close to this little bugger's sharp mouthparts. The good news for her was this critter was really a good type of garden predator. Depending on the size of the larva, this assassin bug goes after small aphids, flies, wasps, or sawflies. Good for her garden but don't touch! article submitted by Lorena Elliott and photo submitted by Suzann Elliott-Ulmer
Thank You We thank all of you who came to the Label-Stake party on April 7th. There were 17 volunteers who put over 8,000 labels on the plastic stakes in less than 3 hours! They are: Al May, Shirley Sloan, LeRoy Rogers, Jean Rogers, Kay Beatty, Heidi Igou, Mary Eiswerth, Steven Guest, Judy Maule, Bren Coop, Mea Allen, Arlene Pate, Sally Clay, Shelly Rushing, Harry Legleiter, PJ Plunkett and Dolores May. In previous years we've had 5-7 people volunteer on several occasions before we finished all the labels. This time we accomplished it in one day. Remarkable! Al May and PJ Plunkett brought in brain food and some not so brainy food to keep up our stamina. And the conversations! It was a great time to share experiences with and get to know both newbies and veterans. Thank you to PJ for finding another way to make the labels which also made them easier to print. The Veggie Growers' Committee are deeply appreciative because it saves them time which they can devote to sowing the seeds, watering and repotting those thousands of vegetables into larger containers. We play a small but important part in helping them with this huge project. Thanks again from Dolores May and PJ Plunkett. Photos from the Brunk House Blossom Drive Polk County Master Gardeners held a plant clinic at the Brunk House on April 15. Pictured in action are 2017 Trainees Steven Guest, Scott Gunn, Heidi Igou, Judy Wardrum, Willie Thompson. Polk Master Gardener of 2016 Marsha Graciosa and Polk County Master Gardener of 2017 Allan Blazier were also on hand to lend their valuable expertise! Submitted by Gayle Birch Some Bunny Ms. Bunny's Secret Succulents Ms. Bunny's Butterflies (They're actually daffodils but don't tell Ms Bunny!)
likes to take pictures in her garden... Thank you, Ms. Bunny!!!! Submitted by Amelia Gardener Polk County Master Gardener Office Schedule May 2017 Events Calendar Click here Important Things to Know Mission: "To serve our community by promoting research-based, sustainable gardening practices." OSU Polk County Master Gardeners Neil Bell, OSU Ext. Horticulture Agent Pam Schraf, Program Assistant Membership dues: $20/year Please send inquiries, address changes, and membership renewals to: Polk County Extension Office 289 E. Ellendale Ave, Ste 301 Dallas, Oregon 97338 Extension Office: 503-623-8395 Master Gardener Merchandise: Shirley Sloan (503-838-3355) Cuttings Through the Year $7 Mac's Field Guides (each): $6 NW Trees NW Wildflowers NW Good/Bad Garden Bugs NW Park/Backyard Birds Trees to Know in Oregon (2010) $14 Shrubs to Know in PNW Forests $ 9 Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials without discrimination based on age, color, disability, familial or parental status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, reprisal, sex, sexual orientation, veteran's status, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. Oregon State University Extension Service is an AA/EOE/Veterans/Disabled. Polk County Master Gardeners Oregon Master Gardeners Association The Polk Weed is the publication of the OSU PCMGs, published monthly and mailed to members. Co-editors: Lorena Elliott and Becki Gann To submit your article or photo, email: polkmgnews@gmail.com
Printing/snail mail dist: Dolores May, Nancy Sullivan President: Bren Coop Alt.OMGA Rep (non-voting): Kelly Gabliks Vice President: Gayle Birch Member at Large: Jerry Murphy Secretary: Becki Gann Member at Large: Linda Vognild Treasurer: Harry Legleiter Past President: Lee Schlenker OMGA Rep: Marsha Graciosa