Plants of a (U.S.) Tropical Island: March Program

The US Virgin Islands are a favorite cruise ship destination and vacation get-away. The island of St. Croix is the most remote of these and, as a non-volcanic island, has a different vegetation from most of the other West Indies. Also it has a high mountainous central ridge and wind that almost always comes from the same direction. As a result, the vegetation varies from rain forest to desert over a very short distance.

Mango Flowers

Formerly the home of the Taino people, the island was "discovered" by Columbus and then successively occupied by seven different nations, among whom the Danish left the greatest impact, before finally being sold to the US.

Historically, sugar cane was the main agricultural crop. Much of the island‘s agricultural history remains as ruins now buried deep in forest. As it is the most isolated, rugged and least visited of the islands it also still has large areas undeveloped and in some cases unexplored. For three years, our presenter, Brinsley Burbidge worked on St. Croix and explored the island intensively, often cutting trails into the least accessible mountainous areas. Along with his wife Julie, he also worked with local plant experts (including the island‘s "Weed Woman") and the Department of Agriculture.

On March 6, Brinsley will give an illustrated talk about the island, its dramatic and very scenic topography, and the way that plants (both native and introduced) have been important (and continue to be) in the islands history.

Join us from 6:00-8:00 pm at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street. Please enter through the garden area, to the left as you face the front doors. Our meeting begins at 6pm, social time and refreshments follow, with the presentation beginning at 7pm. All guests welcome.

Community Events

Members of the Cottage Grove Garden Club are participating in two upcoming community events. Please join us.

Turtle. Row River Nature Park.

On Saturday, February 25, the Coast Fork Watershed Council is hosting a tree planting at the Row River Nature Park (previously known as East Regional Park). Meet at the weigh station on Row River Road at 9am. We'll be helping the Watershed Council plant big leaf maple trees, among other plants. Wear winter clothes, boots, and bring a water bottle. The Watershed Council will provide work gloves, snacks, and refreshments. Please call the Watershed Council to RSVP: (541) 767-9717.

Heather Garden at the Hospital

On Saturday, March 10, the Oregon Heather Society is sponsoring a pruning event at the Heather Garden at the Cottage Grove Community Hospital. Learn how to identify heathers and when to prune them. Oregon Heather Society members will demonstrate correct pruning techniques during the semi-annual pruning of the hospital's heather garden.

The Heather Garden is located to the left as you face the front of the Hospital. Bring pruners, a kneeling pad, gloves and a lunch. 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Contact Ella May at (541) 929-6272  for more information.

February Events

Can you feel the excitement about spring growing? To help satisfy that garden-itch, here's a listing of gardening related events happening this month in the Cottage Grove area.

February 1: registration has opened for the "Hardy Plant Weekend" being held in Eugene from June 7-10.  The theme is "Into the Woods/Out of the Woods," focusing on shady and near-shady gardens. Visit The Hardy Plant Group for more information.

February 7 (Tuesday): Cottage Grove Garden Club will be making "Seed Bombs" in a workshop led by Andrea Mull.

February 9 (Thursday): American Rhododendron Society Eugene Chapter Presents "Plant Hunting in China" with Mike Stewart, owner of Dover Nursery. 7pm.

February 13 (Monday): Native Plant Society of Oregon - Emerald Chapter. Dave Predeek talks on “Flora of the Wallowa Mountains in Northeastern Oregon.” 

February 14 (Tuesday): Hardy Plant Group welcomes Jack Olson speaking on "Rhododendrons as Perennials."

February 17 (Friday): Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council leads the Garden Club along the Row River Nature Trail to showcase local restoration efforts. 2pm.

February 20 (Monday): Avid Gardeners Presents FAVORITES—Tried and True and New! Learn from Avid Gardeners board members (Mark Bloom, Alice Doyle, Ernie and Marietta O’Byrne ) about their top picks in both ornamentals and edibles, from great (but often unsung) reliables to the newest offerings.

February 21 (Tuesday): Cottage Grove Garden Club Board Meeting at the Community Center from 6:30-8:00 pm.

February 25 (Saturday): Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council hosts a tree planting at the Row River Nature Park. All interested community members are encouraged to help. 9am-noon. Please RSVP with the Watershed Council.

Seed Bombs!

Seed Balls (or Bombs as guerrilla gardeners refer to them) are actually an ancient method of coating seeds in a medium of clay and compost, which allows the gardener to "toss" them into a field where they eventually dissolve while the seed is germinating and being nourished by the compost. This protects the delicate seeds from birds and other seed-eating animals, while also allowing the seeds to be sown whenever it suits the gardener, regardless of the weather. Today guerrilla gardeners toss the "bombs" into abandoned areas where food and flowers bloom in the place of weeds and trash.

Join the Garden Club on Tuesday February 7 as Andrea Mull shows us how to make Seed Bombs. Come prepared to get your hands dirty!

The Cottage Grove Garden Club meets from 6:00-8:00 pm at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street. Please enter through the garden area, to the left as you face the front doors. Our meeting begins at 6pm, the workshop at 7pm. Light refreshments are provided and all guests welcome.

January 2012

Here's a sampling of garden-related happenings in the wider Cottage Grove area this month.

January 3 (Tuesday), 6pm: Cottage Grove Garden Club. "An Introduction to Permaculture and Whole Systems Design"

A holistic approach to gardening and sustainable living, Permaculture is a method of design that centers around whole systems thinking. Devon Bonady, owner and steward of Fern Hill Nursery and Botanical Sanctuary in Cottage Grove will share the ethics and principles of Permaculture design for a variety of sites, from urban gardens to rural homesteads. Using local examples, she will include ideas and recommendations for gardeners who want to create a more efficient, low-maintenance, or ecologically integrated garden and home.

Garden Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (3rd and Adams). Please enter through the garden area, to the left as you face the front doors.

January 9 (Monday): Sustainable Cottage Grove meeting, 6:30, Healing Matrix (across from Axe and Fiddle)

January 10 (Tuesday): The Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Group. Ivette Soler author of "The Edible Front Yard." Campbell Community Center (155 High St., Eugene), at 7:00 pm.

January 13 (Friday): Sustainable Cottage Grove potluck, (open to ALL!), 6:30, Healing Matrix (across from Axe and Fiddle)

January 16 (Monday): Avid Gardeners hosts Marty Wingate at 7pm.

January 16 (Monday): Food Hub meeting (Victory Gardens speaker), Healing Matrix (across from Axe and Fiddle)

January 17 (Tuesday): Cottage Grove Garden Club Board Meeting at the Community Center from 6:30-8:00 pm includes an important budget meeting.