March Garden Events

Garden season must be upon us, look at all the events happening this month!

March 1 (Tuesday), 6-8pm:
"The "weeds" in my garden....or are they?" Cheryl Bertuccelli of Cedar Creek Botanicals joins the Cottage Grove Garden Club to talk about the medicinal value of 10 common garden weeds.

March 5 (Saturday), 11am-1pm:
Heather pruning. Join the Heather Society in pruning the heather at the Cottage Grove Hospital. You'll learn how to identify and correctly prune heathers; help keep the hospital looking nice; and mingle with fellow gardeners all at the same time! Bring a lunch, gloves, a kneeling pad, and pruners.

March 6 (Sunday), car pool leaves at 1:45pm:
Garden Club Field Trip to Aprovecho. Aprovecho is a internationally known non-profit education and research center located just outside of Cottage Grove. Aprovecho promotes sustainable, appropriate technologies around the world. Come with the Garden Club to tour Aprovecho and learn more about what they do. Carpool leaves the Library/Community Center at 1:45, or meet us at Aprovecho (directions here) for the tour which starts at 2:00. The tour will last from 2-3 hours. A $5-$10 donation is requested by Aprovecho. Please wear appropriate shoes and clothing.

March 8 (Tuesday), time TBA:
Spring Work Party at the All America City Square. The AACS is the signature project for the Garden Club and we have already received City recognition for all of our efforts there. Join us on the 8th as we prepare the garden for the upcoming growing season. Contact Suzanne for details.

March 8 (Tuesday), 7pm:
The Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Group. Dave Eckerdt will speak on "Great Gardens of the Pacific Northwest."

March 21 (Monday), 7 pm:
Avid Gardeners. Maurice Horn, co-owner of Joy Creek Nursery, will talk on “Psychiatric Disorders in the Garden.” This is a humorous look at how gardeners, growers and marketers have different expectations about plants.

March 25-27:
Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs, Flower Show. EXPO Center in Portland.

March 29 (Tuesday), time TBA:
Garden Club Potting party for the May Plant Sale. The May plant sale is the major fundraiser for the Garden Club. Join us as we prepare plants for the sale. Please come dressed for the weather. Time and exact location to be announced.

March 29 (Tuesday), 6-9pm:
Plant "Nerd" Night at the Eugene Garden Club.

The "weeds" in my garden.... or are they?

Cheryl Bertuccelli of Cedar Creek Botanicals will be joining the Garden Club on March 1 to talk about common garden weeds. More specifically, Cheryl will talk about the medicinal value and common medicines made from 10 common garden weeds. Plus we'll have door prizes and great refreshments!

Cheryl is an Herbalist, Medicine Maker & Nutrition Consultant. At Cedar Creek Botanicals she leads workshops and makes salves, tinctures, and more. Cedar Creek Botanicals is located out Row River Road in Dorena.

Join us on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 from 6-8 pm. We meet in room 130 of LCC-Cottage Grove campus. Meeting starts at 6:00, Cheryl's program starts at 7:00.

February Events

Our photo contest Tuesday night was fun! We have a lot of talented photographer-gardeners in our group and it was difficult to pick just two photographs to send to the district-wide competition. Congratulations to both Scott and Brinsley for their winning photos.


There are other exciting gardening-related events happening this month, including:

Feb. 8, 7pm: The Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Group is hosting Ed McVicker from the Portland Japanese garden. Ed will speak on "The Hillside Gardens of the Portland Japanese Garden."

Feb 21, 11am: Potting party! at Scott & Jen’s House, 34248 Garoutte Rd. This is our first potting of the year, in preparation of the May Plant Sale (our major fund raiser). Bring plants (if you have them) and come join us in dividing, potting, and marking perennials for the sale.

Feb 21, 7 pm: Avid Gardeners. Tom Fisher will speak on “The Tale Your Garden Tells.” Among other topics, Tom will talk about learning a whole new plant palette, adapting to a modified Mediterranean climate, becoming addicted to Pacific Coast irises, learning to love conifers, and weeding eleven months out of twelve. You can even sing along at the end.

Happy Gardening.

Oregon Nurseries

The beginning of the 2011 garden season is fast approaching. For gardeners, that means dreaming of new plants and garden designs, browsing the internet, and strolling through nurseries. We have compiled a list of Oregon companies whose web sites, catalogs, and store aisles might entice you.

Bloom River Gardens
Springfield, OR
www.bloomriver.com
Specializing in unique, rare, and unusual landscape plants for the creative gardener

Forest Farm
Williams, OR
www.forestfarm.com

Fragrant Garden Nursery
Brookings, OR
www.fragrantgarden.com

Goodwin Creek Gardens
Williams, OR
www.goodwincreekgardens.com
Specialize in herbs, lavenders, scented pelargoniums, everlasting flowers, and fragrant plants

Gossler Farms Nursery
Springfield, OR
www.gosslerfarms.com
Specializing in shrubs and trees, especially magnolias

Greer Gardens
Eugene, OR
www.greergardens.com
Specializing in shrubs and trees, most especially rhododendrons

Heirloom Roses
St. Paul, OR
www.heirloomroses.com
Specializing in own-root roses

Joy Creek Nursery
Scappoose, OR
www.joycreek.com

Nichols Garden Nursery
Albany, OR
www.nicholsgardennursery.com
Specializing in herbs and seeds for the gardener/cook

Schreiner's Iris Gardens
Salem, OR
www.schreinersgardens.com
Specializing in irises

Swan Island Dahlias
Canby, OR
www.dahlias.com
Specializing in dahlias

Territorial Seed Co.
Cottage Grove, OR
www.territorialseed.com
Located here in the Grove, specializing in vegetable seeds and plants

Victory Seeds
Molalla, OR
www.victoryseeds.com


This is not an exhaustive list. We encourage you to add your own favorites in the comments below.

Photo Contest

We are having a photo contest and all GC Garden Club members are encouraged to participate.

Two of the photos will be selected (by popular vote) to represent the Club at the District photo contest. However, ALL members who bring photos will be entered into a random drawing for prizes.

Contest rules are easy:
1. Photo subject must include plant material
2. Photos may be either black/white or color, and may not be digitally modified
3. Photos must be 8” x 10” in size
4. Photos must be unframed
5. No additional embellishments (e.g. scrapbooking) permitted
6. The photographer must be a Cottage Grove Garden Club member
7. Photos must be the original work of the photographer. Label back of photo with name of photographer, garden club, and district
8. Limit 2 photos per member
9. Bring your photos to the February 1, 2011 meeting

Prizes:
For each photo you submit (limit 2), you will be entered into a random drawing for a door prize.

Two photos will be chosen by popular vote to represent our Club at the District meeting. From the District meeting one photo from all district clubs will be selected to represent the District at the 2011 OSFGC convention in Albany.

Those entering photos in the contest are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes before the meeting starts.