Biweekly Update for July 14, 2026
- Brenda Bye
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
*As a reminder there are newsletter items that are excluded from the public blog that are included in the members email
President’s Message from Jill Lodwig
I imagine everyone is enjoying being out and about in this beautiful summer weather, in your gardens, and hopefully volunteering for various BCMGA activities as well. We are short on rain again, and I’m hoping the best for all of us until the fall rains arrive.
In the meantime, I thought I’d introduce you to another interesting BCMGA volunteer.
Anne Taylor, a 2026 trainee in the OSU Master Gardener Program, comes to us with a wealth of soil expertise. She worked for many years in the OSU Crop and Soil Science Department as an environmental microbiologist, researching ammonia oxidation by bacteria and archaea. (Ammonia oxidation is the microbially driven first step of nitrification.)
She returned to school when the youngest of her four children was in second grade, finishing her bachelor’s degree, and then earning her master’s and eventually her PhD. “I was 49 when I finished,” she says, “and my youngest had graduated from high school just a few months earlier.”
Anne has spent more than 20 years studying and researching ammonia oxidation. “By the time I finished my PhD,” she explains, “the big discovery was ammonia-oxidizing archaea [key drivers of the global nitrogen cycle], so at that point I began spending most of my time trying to distinguish the activities of bacteria and archaea in soil systems.”
Fast-forward to 2026, and Anne is pursuing her Master Gardener certification. “Researching things and learning about them is kind of right up my alley, so I’m finding the work interesting,” she says. Recently retired, she says she’s “looking forward to finding my niche when it comes to service.”
Anne is also a board member for the local chapter of the American Sewing Guild. She’s been sewing all her life and says that today she’s sewing most of her own clothing. “I do it because I enjoy it and it gets me away from fast fashion,” she says. Her current project is a quilted coat made from an old bedspread and appliqués.
A future project, she hopes, is to transform her backyard, which is currently grass lawn, into a meadow. “I have to first convince my husband it’s a good idea, and I’m not sure he’s ready for that,” she says, “so I’m holding on to the dream.”
Evening Garden Tour - July 22, 2026
Arranged by Co-Vice Presidents Christine Welsch and Laura Horsey
The July Evening Garden Tour visits the historic Lord & Schryver Gaiety Hollow Garden in Salem, the home, private garden, and studio of celebrated landscape architects Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver, who designed more than 200 gardens throughout the Pacific Northwest between 1929 and 1969. Their legacy is preserved by the Lord and Schryver Conservancy, which manages these beautiful historic grounds. As an added bonus, attendees can stroll through the neighboring Deepwood Gardens on their own following the tour.
This event is open to BCMGA members and invited guests only. We are limited to 30 attendees so you must register in advance to secure your spot.
Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Arrive: 5:30 PM | Tour begins: 5:45 PM
Location: Gaiety Hollow Garden, 545 Mission Street SE, Salem across from Bush Park
Parking is available on the east side of Church Street just north of Mission or in the Bush Park parking lot.
The Signup Link is in the email invitation. If you have questions please reach out to Christine Welsch
Volunteer Opportunities
These activities are approved by OSU Extension for volunteer hours
☀️ Helpers Needed at Garfield School Garden - Each week from June through September, we invite both trainees and veteran MGs to "adopt" the school garden. You can go any days that work best for you. Visit the garden at least 2x during your week. We’ll provide instructions, tools, and contact info for support!
Duties: 1) watering the pots/barrels in the corner
2) light weeding
3) harvesting any ripe produce for donation
4) alert garden coordinators of issues like irrigation, vandalism, or pests
For Harvesting: Early morning harvests are the best. Later in the summer, expect to harvest twice a week. Donation of produce is made to St Vinny's Food Pantry with donations are accepted Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 9am - 11:30am. Please weigh the donation.
If you are interested in volunteering please reach out to veronica.hennessey@gmail.com
☀️Demonstration Garden Committee is Getting Ready for the Fair - A lot of prep work goes into getting the garden ready for the public and growing a good harvest to share with our local food banks. Work parties happen every Wednesday morning, rain or shine, from 9:00 to 11:00 at the Benton County Fairgrounds. You can drive through the north entrance by the gatehouse and park near the Floral Pavillion. Trainees are welcomed with enthusiasm! Bring gloves and outerwear appropriate to the weather.
☀️Plant Desk - Shifts are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in both the mornings and afternoons. Answering questions at the Plant Desk is at the heart of our work as Master Gardeners and an invaluable resource for our community. Both trainees and veteran MGs wishing to retrain are welcome to volunteer. Check out the 2026 Plant Desk Signup Genius
☀️Adams School Garden Needs More Volunteers
The crew at Adams has done a great job revamping their space over the last couple of years with a core group of regular volunteers. In the summer the class moves to Tuesday mornings around 9:00 AM. The Adams School Garden was also approved for a special allocations project, that will help them make a sensory garden over the summer
If you are interested in joining the fun at Adams, please reach out to Nellie Oehler at oehlershrops@gmail.com.
☀️Join CGET (Community Garden Education Team) in 2026 - CGET provides hands-on garden education in our community and is a great place to share your passion about growing edible plants. There are spots for both trainees and certified MGs. Check out the CGET Signup Genius page for all of the opportunities available.
Continuing Education Opportunities
These activities are approved for CE by OSU Extension
☀️Growing Oregon Gardeners OSU Level Up Series - These free online webinars are the 2nd Tuesday of the month at noon. The series runs from June through September 2026. Details and registration are available on the Extension website.
OMGA News
☀️ Thanks to all who attended OMGAs Joy of Gardening Committee this past weekend. Our OMGA rep, Catherine Whiting shared the following 2025 stats from the conference:
2418 statewide master gardeners including 402 trainees
Volunteered 159,439 hours which is the work of 76 full-time employees
70,507 questions answered by volunteers and 3,328 by staff
35 tons of garden produce donated to 85 organizations in Oregon
☀️Summer 2026 Gardener’s Pen Newsletter is Available
Extension News
☀️OSU Master Gardener Extension has Merchandise! If you are looking for OSU Master Gardener apparel, hats or accessories you can find it on the new online store. New items will be added throughout the year.
Community News Items
These items are not sponsored by BCGMA but are of interest to our members
Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture Open House - Come learn more about OSU Department of Horticulture projects including organic vegetables, landscape management, pollinator and honeybee research and demonstration, small farms program, and dry farming vegetables.
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2026 11am - 1pm
Location: 843 SW 35th St, Corvallis, OR
Parking available onsite.
Info: Free event, all garden lovers are welcome. Lunch and ice cream provided.
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