Spring Garden Club Programs for 2018

It's a new year! That means a whole new line-up of programs and activities for the Cottage Grove Garden Club.

Get out your calendars.... here's a list of what's in store this spring!

January 2: Organizational Meeting. Catch up with your garden club friends, pay your dues for 2018, and help us do a little New Year's planning.

February 6: Rain Gardens and Rain Garden Plants with Kathy Eva from the City of Eugene. Learn about rain gardens, swells, and the plants that do well in them.

March 6: Composting and Compost Tea, with Andrea Mull. Learn practical steps for making and using compost.

April 3: Chocolate Tasting, with Sanity Chocolate -- a locally owned and operated company which specializes in making bean to bar chocolate.

May 1: Improving Soil Health with Melissa Fery. Learn how we can improve soil health in our gardens.



All of these meetings to take place in the Friendship Hall at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams), Cottage Grove, Oregon, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Guests and Visitors invited. Refreshments provided.

Opal Park Work Party

Thanks to everyone who showed up November 18th to work at Opal Park (a.k.a. All America City Square) to spiff it up before the holidays.

Thank you to Carlene Girouard, our new Main Street Coordinator for taking these photos!

Pesticides and Alternatives: November Program

Did you know that more than a billion pounds of pesticides are intentionally applied every year in the United States? Research has shown that pesticides have adverse health effects, including birth defects, cancer, and injury to reproductive organs.

On Tuesday, November 7, Cottage Grove Garden Club will host Ashley Chesser of the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP). We'll learn more about why we should reduce our pesticide footprint and get some basic tips for managing weeds and pests in our gardens and homes without pesticides.

Ashley is the Communications and Membership Director for the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides. Before joining NCAP, she worked as a crew leader for the Montana Conservation Corps and in graphic design/marketing for the outdoor gear industry. She holds a degree in graphic design from Portland State University and in her free time enjoys running, biking, rock climbing, backpacking, and gardening.

The Garden Club's informational meeting begins at 6pm and Ashley's talk on Pesticides and Alternatives begins at 7. We meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams).

All visitors and guests welcome.

Moving Toward Sustainability

Many of us are concerned about the impact humans have on the environment. We wonder how we can personally do something about overwhelming events such as climate change, bee decline. and pollution of our water and soil. Fortunately, we can be can be part of the solution by implementing a continuum of sustainable gardening practices when developing or renovating our yards and gardens. 

Please join Cottage Grove Garden Club on Tuesday, October 3rd as we welcome Master Gardener Carol Salami-Goswick. Carol will introduce us to the basic concepts of sustainable gardening in her talk Moving Toward Sustainability. She will also share some easy steps to help you get started.

The Garden Club's informational meeting begins at 6pm and Carol's talk will begin at 7pm. We meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams). All visitors and guests welcome.

Next Month
November 7: Pesticides and Alternatives with Ashley Chesser of NW Center for Alternatives to Pesticides

Garden Riches and Garden Art

What did you do in your garden this summer?

What varieties did you grow?

Did you learn anything you'd like to pass on?

Come to September's Garden Club meeting on Tuesday, the 5 as we share our Garden Riches and enjoy making Garden Art.

If you have them, bring samples of your garden bounty for the tasting table, including varietal names. This is a great opportunity to scout out the varieties you'd like to plant and use next year.

If  your flowers are in bloom, bring your favorites to show off.

Plus, plastic caps await your hands and imagination. Peggy will lead us in a garden art project to make  "Colorful Repurposed Non-Recyclables." Bring a silly attitude and you'll have a good time.

The Garden Club's informational meeting begins at 6pm and the tasting and art begin at 7. We meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams).

All visitors and guests welcome.

Coming up later this fall
October 3: Moving Towards a Sustainable Landscape with Lane County Master Gardeners
November 7: Pesticides and Alternatives with Ashley Chesser of NW Center for Alternatives to Pesticides