Biweekly Update April 16, 2024 from Brenda Bye, President

President’s Message  

💐 As our trainees wrap up their classroom time, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to those who have generously contributed their expertise to the Plant Problem Scenarios over the last several months. Deborah Kern and Laurie Woodward served as the co-Chairs for Benton County on this important committee. Thank you so much to them and the thirteen other veteran MGs for sharing their time and knowledge. 

As we look ahead, I encourage all members to explore the wide array of volunteer opportunities available in addition to our annual plant sale. CGET is teaching gardening workshops starting this weekend and the Demonstration Gardens crew are digging in this week as well. 

In addition to our ongoing volunteer efforts, I'm thrilled to announce a new opportunity for our more artistic members. We're seeking volunteers to create a Spirit of Gardening Pole for the upcoming Joy of Gardening Conference. This was a popular project at the International Master Gardener Conference last year and I invite those with a flair for art to lend their talents to this project. Please reach out to me if you have any interest. 

BCMGA Membership Meeting - Monday, May 20, 2024

💐Co-Vice Presidents Lynn Trimpe and Michelle Brown welcome all BCMGA members to the next membership meeting for socialization and Continuing Education credits. Coffee and tea are provided and feel free to bring a treat. Raffle prizes for in-person attendees. 

Location: Extension Building, Sunset Room

Use East side entrance (other doors locked at night)

Format: Hybrid meeting (in-person and via Zoom)

Doors open at 6:30 p.m Program starts at 7:00 p.m.

May 20, 2024 Meeting: Dan Blanchard, OSU Department of Horticulture will  be giving a talk The OSU Campus Arboretum, a Historical Perspective. Dan is the Curator of Living Plant Collections for the Oregon State University Campus Arboretum and a horticulture instructor at OSU. Dan will also be leading a tour of the Campus Arboretum on July 18, 2024 for BCMGA members. 

**If you have ideas about speakers/topics for future membership meetings, please contact Lynn Trimpe trimpelynn@gmail.com or Michelle Brown michellegbrown88@gmail.com with your suggestions. Our prior presentations have been posted on our YouTube channel. 

BCMGA News

💐 Gearing Up for Gardening is looking for a new committee chair for 2025. GUFG is a beloved community education event held at the library every winter with weekly garden lectures in January and February. Janet Magedanz has been an amazing chair for the last ten years and is ready to pass the baton. There is great support in this role and a good way to build contacts in the community. If you have any interest please email Janet Magedanz. 

💐 The May Board of Directors Meeting is on May 13, 2024 at 9AM on Zoom. It is open to all members who are interested in attending. Here is the link. If you have questions reach out to brenda.bye@gmail.com 

💐 OMGA Joy of Gardening Conference is coming—July 12-13. Registration is now open, see the OMGA Website for details. It will be at the LaSells Stewart Center.  An important part of this conference is the Silent Auction. Not only is it fun, it is a major fundraiser for OMGA. Benton County has always done a great job in providing unique, creative, and artistic items.  If you have any new or nearly new things that are surplus to your needs and would like to donate, please contact Paula Lupcho (plantdoc2746@gmail.com). Garden related items are always welcome, but you can let your creativity go.  Garden art is popular as are wine, art, themed baskets, etc. The one thing that does not sell well are old garden books. Items can be left at the Extension Office or Paula can arrange a pick up at your home.  

BCMGA’s Annual Plant Sale

💐 BCMGA's Annual Plant Sale is just 2 weeks away! We still need to borrow a few more wagons and need volunteers willing to bring snacks. If you’ve already signed up but think you can do more, please check out the Signup Genius for openings or contact Leslie Hauser, Plant Sale Volunteer Coordinator. 

SET UP    Friday, May 3 - 8:00a-12:00p and 12:00p - 4:00p 

SALE       Saturday, May 4 - 8:30a-12:00p and 12:00p-3:30p

💐 Have you saved boxes for the Plant Sale? You can drop them off now in the Northwest corner of the Floral Courtyard at the Benton County Fairgrounds. 

💐 The Outreach committee would like to get a lot of yard signs around town for the Plant Sale.  If you still have one from the last sale, please put it out or return it to the Extension Office; and let Bob Smythe know so he can add it to his inventory. We're also looking for new locations for yard signs - if you're willing to host one and live in a high traffic area, please contact Bob Smythe smytherobert1@gmail.com.

Volunteer Opportunities

 💐 Plant Clinic Table at Corvallis Farmers Market - We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join us in giving gardening advice and solving plant problems at the Farmers Market. We are looking for both veteran Master Gardeners and trainees to staff the table. Shifts are available on the 4th Saturday of the month from April to October. Please see Signup Genius for openings. 

💐 Community Gardening Education Team (CGET) - For hands on teaching of garden skills, volunteer with CGET! The 2024 schedule has events at Lupe’s Garden, the Giving Garden and other gardens around the community. There are opportunities for Trainees to observe and participate in our events. You can review the events and sign up for them on SignUp Genius. If slots are filled and you are interested or if you have questions about CGET or any of our events, please email CGET.BentonMG@gmail.com.

💐 Demonstration Garden will have its first meeting on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 9:30 the Demonstration Garden at the Benton County Fairground. Tasks will include weeding, preparing beds and general maintenance. No need to RSVP. Use the entrance on 53rd Street at the RV park entrance and park near the garden on the south side of the Fairgrounds. 

💐 Public Seed Library is a collaborative project of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library with educational support from BCMGA.

Public Seed Library Seed Rack Stocking still needs one volunteer Wednesday April 17 from 3 - 5 PM to stock warm season crops. Please sign up here!

Public Seed Library Pop-up "Warm Season Vegetable Plant Clinic" certified MG volunteers needed on Thursday April 18 from 9 - 12:30 PM. Please sign up here!

💐 Master Gardener Desk (Office Plant Clinic):  The Plant Clinic will soon be open to trainees. The SignUp Genius is now active for Certified MGs who want a refresher please also email Alan Taylor to arrange for a trainer. The training manual has been updated, so please ask for help before using the microscope and soil testing equipment. 

Continuing Education Opportunities - 

Each program year current Master Gardener volunteers are asked to recertify by completing 10 hours of approved continuing education and 20 hours of volunteering. This ensures that your horticultural knowledge stays current. All the opportunities in this section count towards that goal. Try to get one hour of CE on a diversity, equity, or inclusion related topic. 

💐 Growing Oregon Gardens: Level Up Series 2024 Get one hour of CE credit for attending free gardening webinars from OSU. Check out the website for more details. Recordings of past talks are also available for credit. 

💐  Webinars.  Opportunities from across the state are listed on the OSU Master Gardener Program’s event page. Record each as one hour of continuing education. 

Extension News 

💐 Do you need a replacement name badge? Extension will be placing an order soon. Please reach out to Otillia. 

💐 Master Gardener Continuing Education notification from Otillia Schreuder 

There will be live continuing education offered this spring in collaboration with OSU Extension, ODA, and Linn County Soil and Water Conservation District. This event will provide information about invasive species, noxious weeds and other relevant topics.

Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024

Time: 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm, still being finalized

Format: In Person

Location: Central Electrical Training Center Auditorium                   

33309 OR-99E                     

Tangent, OR 97389

Community Events - These events are not currently approved for Continuing Education

💐 National Pesticide Information Center Open House: Join the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) for their open house from noon to 4 p.m., April 17, at 314 Weniger Hall. Learn about the national hotline dedicated to providing science-based pesticide information located right here at OSU. Free, open to the OSU community, snacks and refreshments provided. RSVP: https://beav.es/cGA. Questions/accommodations: Kei Lin Chang, 541-737-2143, 

💐 The Corvallis Sustainability Coalition’s Food Action Team will be offering an Edible Garden Tour again this summer and we need to find local garden hosts! We want to feature the fruits, veggies, and herbs that thrive in Corvallis, plus the creative ways home gardeners grow their food sustainably. Every garden and gardener has their challenges: How have you worked to overcome yours? We're looking for some friendly folks willing to talk about their gardens, and we hope you will help.

If you would like to offer your garden to be featured on this summer's tour, please complete the survey by April 30, 2024. Encourage your green-thumbed neighbors to fill out the survey as well! The more responses we receive that are within walking distance of each other, the more likely they are to be featured on the tour! 

Learn more about the Edible Garden Tours here: https://sustainablecorvallis.org/what-we-do/action-teams/food/edible-garden-tours/