A Willamette Adventure: 2012 District Flower Show



Barb's 2011 entry received
an Award of Merit.

“A Willamette Adventure” is the title of the 2012 District Flower, happening June 15-16 in Eugene. This flower show promises to be full of the very colorful flowers of June. Having been to my first flower show last year*, I encourage you to attend! I found it very enjoyable strolling amongst the flowers, seeing the many different types and kinds, and taking in the floral designs, garden art, and educational exhibits. (There is more information about the dates and times of the flower show here.)


I also encourage you to consider entering the flower show—several of our members did last year, and one (Barb) received an Award of Merit. For those of you, like me, who are unsure how to enter a flower show, I’ve created these following guidelines for submitting “horticulture” (a single cutting of a blooming flower, tree/shrub, or herb). Guidelines for submitting a floral design are somewhat different, please ask me for more information or consult the Flower Show Schedule. (For those of you with computer access, I found this video to be informative: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIMABHD7gKk.)


Entering a Flower Show:

• Pick up a Flower Show Schedule (contact me for one)
• Look through the schedule and see if you have any of the plants listed growing in your garden, for example, roses, columbines, peonies, petunias, magnolias, dianthus, or conifers, flowering trees & shrubs, or herbs. You must have been in possession of the plant for at least 90 days in order to enter it into the flower show.
• The evening before the show, stroll through your garden and collect your favorite blooms and cuttings (look at both the bloom and the leaves of the stems you are cutting). Put into warm water in your garden, and then re-cut the ends when you come in before putting them into a bucket of deeper water, a preservative would be good too.
• Groom each cutting, both stems and leaves: it is okay to pick off bad leaves if it won’t be noticeable, but don’t use any sort of “shine” or “leaf gloss”
• Place the cutting in a clean, clear bottle (mark the bottom of the container with your name) making sure no leaves are under water
• If necessary use “wedging” such as plastic wrap or transparent floral tape to inconspicuously prop your stem to show it at an attractive angle
• Fill out an entry card (contact me, or pick one up Friday morning). You’ll need to know both the common and scientific names of your entries (ask other members for help if you don’t know the scientific names of your plants, or consult a reference book or web site)
• Drop off your exhibit on Friday, June 15 from 7:30 to 9:30 am at the Eugene Garden Club building, 1645 High St, Eugene. (You’ll also need to pick up your entry Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.)

If you have questions please send me an email at cdkim719 at gmail.com

* Starting this year, the District Flower Shows will be happening bi-annually, only in even numbered years. The next Flower Show will be in 2014.

Saving Seeds: June's Program

Learn how to save seeds.

Those interested in learning more about saving seeds are encouraged to attend  Garden Club this Tuesday (June 5th). This month's program features John Hogan, a self-trained botanist who has professionally raised seeds for Seeds of Change (a world renowned company specializing in the preservation of heirloom seed varieties) and who is an experienced organic farmer.

John will share his extensive wisdom and knowledge about how to select and pick seeds off of plants, how to store them, how to germinate them, and how to share them.

We welcome visitors and guest to all meetings (starting at 6pm) and our free programs (starting at 7pm).

Join us at the First Presbyterian Church on Adams and 3rd Street.

Protecting Aquatic Ecosystems

The President of the National Garden Clubs, Shirley Nicolai, has chosen Protecting Aquatic Ecosystems as one of her special projects for her 2011-2013 term. Aquatic ecosystems include rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, springs, marshes, bogs, wetlands, estuaries, flood plains, and aquifers.

Members of the Garden Club get a tour of the Row River Nature Park with Pam of the Watershed Council.

As gardeners, each of us has an impact on these ecosystems, and each of us can work to preserve and conserve them. One way to protect aquatic ecosystems is to reduce our demand for water. How can we do that? Below are a few ideas for reducing your water consumption in the garden, even more ideas for reducing your water consumption in the home are available on the National Garden Club web site:

• Reuse water from the house (e.g., from cleaning vegetables) in the garden.
• Water more heavily, but less often, allowing the soil to dry out a bit between watering. This saves water and builds stronger roots.
• Water during the early morning hours or in the evening when temperatures and wind speeds are the lowest. This reduces losses from evaporation.
• Use timers to avoid over watering your yard and garden.
• Use a rain catch system (rain barrel) and use natural rain water for watering in the yard.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk. Using a hose to clean a driveway uses about 50 gallons of water every 5 minutes.
• Plant low-water and xeriscape plants. Plan now to use less water later.
• Use mulch in the garden to reduce water evaporation from the soil, cool the soil, and encourage healthy roots.
• Place plants with similar water needs next to each other.
• Consider soaker hoses or a drip irrigation system for your vegetable garden, shrubs, and flower beds.
• Lawns use a lot of water… Reduce their size, restricting them to spaces where you actually need them (like play areas), or eliminate them altogether.
• Water your lawn only when it needs it. If you step on the grass and it springs back up, it doesn’t need water. If it stays flat, it does need water.
• This summer, watch EWEB for their local water lawn-watering guidelines.

Thank you to the National Garden Club for the basis of this list.

Mark Your Calendars: May 12, 2012!!

Please join the Cottage Grove Garden Club at the 2012 Oregon Plant Fair. This annual event features a plethora of garden art and plant vendors (including us!). Plus, the Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening questions.

As Garden Club members, we can't stress enough how important this event is to our club, as it is our major fund-raiser of the year.

As gardeners, we can't stress enough how enjoyable this event is, as it features art and plants from specialty artists and growers from around the North West.


SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2012, 9:00 am–2:00 pm at Alton Baker Park in Eugene.

Visit the Avid Gardeners web site for information about specific vendors.

Getting Ready for a Flower Show: Flower Arranging

Close-up of Andrea's flower arrangement at the 2011 Flower Show.

At our May 1 meeting we will be having a flower arranging demonstration given by Sherry Cossey and Georgia Zahar.

Sherry and Georgia are both active in planning the annual Flower Show for the Willamette District Garden Club. So, they will also be providing tips for successfully entering a Flower Show.

This will be a demonstration and workshop. To participate please bring:

• a smallish container
• a few flowers that look nice with the container
• some foliage to go with that
• something tall for height; it could be a branch, a leaf, or man-made item.

Our meeting will begin at 6:00, light refreshments and socializing at 6:45, with the demonstration starting at 7:00.