Tomato Tasting with CG Garden Club

Are you having a tasty tomato season?

Do you want to show off your harvested goodies?

Are you interested in sampling veggie varieties for next year's garden?

If so, come to September's Garden Club meeting on Tuesday, the 6th. Bring your taste buds, and if you want, a veggie or fruit sample to share with others, hopefully with the varietal name. We'll supply the table and plates.

Share your gardening stories and tips and we'll all be the richer.

The Garden Club's informational meeting begins at 6pm and the Tomato Tasting 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.

Gardener of the Year

Gardener of the Year, Andrea Mull, works at Opal Park.

The Cottage Grove Garden Club is pleased to announce that member Andrea Mull was selected as the “Gardener of the Year” by the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs at its annual state convention in June.

The club nominated Andrea for this award for two reasons.

First, because of her work and leadership during the critical infancy stages of the Cottage Grove Garden Club. As a charter member of the Club, Andrea quickly volunteered to be vice president then went on to serve as president for 3½ years.

2009, our first elected officers. Jen as president, Andrea as vice president,
Claire as treasurer, and Suzanne as secretary.

Andrea's leadership in the club went beyond her capacity as an elected officer. During the formative years for the garden club, Andrea was the plant sale coordinator for the annual, district-wide plant sale, she volunteered to lead many informative, hands-on programs, she wrote educational pieces for our newsletter, and she was dedicated to promoting the club within the Cottage Grove community.

Claire, Andrea, and Suzanne at Opal Park.

Second, and perhaps her largest role with the garden club and to the city as a whole, has been with the All-America City Square (aka Opal Park).

Early in the spring of 2009, when the club was barely 6 months old, we were approached to take over the planting of the redesigned park. With Andrea’s encouragement, the club looked at this as an opportunity for us to become involved in a high-profile, civic project.

In the beginning, Andrea worked with members Suzanne Keaveny and Claire Dross to plan the plantings and a community-wide planting event held in June, then they maintained the park on a regular basis. Now, Andrea leads the garden club’s involvement with the park. She organizes and leads volunteers in planting spring flowers, pruning and maintenance, keeping the beds mulched and weeded, and replacing plants as necessary. She also acts as our liaison with the city, which owns the park.

Club president Peggy and Andrea working at Opal Park.

In 2011 the club received a Mayoral Certificate of Appreciation for our work at Opal Park and in 2014 the park was honored with the American Institute of Architects People’s Choice Award. Also in 2014, Andrea was interviewed about the park by the Portland gardening show “Garden Time.” The park continues to receive attention, including a recent cameo appearance in a video created by Travel Lane County.

The Cottage Grove Garden Club thanks Andrea for her work these past seven years in developing both the club and the plantings at the redesigned Opal Park.

Andrea being interviewed for Garden Time t.v.

Paleo Vegan Smoothies: Nutrition On the Go From the Garden

Photo from Flickr user Anslem Fischer

We’ve heard a lot about how smoothies are a great way to start our day or provide nutrition on the go. At Cottage Grove Garden Club’s June 7th presentation, you can also learn how to dramatically increase the nutrient density of your diet from your garden, every day.

Smoothie recipes are delicious and only require four easy steps--you’ll see and taste them as Yaakov Levine, NTP and Nutritional Health Coach demonstrates how to supercharge your garden smoothie for personalized health benefits!

Please join us on Tuesday, June 7th, at The First Presbyterian Church (corner of Adams and 3rd Streets). Informational business meeting starts at 6:00 pm, Yaakov's presentation begins at 7:00 pm.

Butterflies of the Southern Willamette Valley

Imagine, you are strolling through a garden..... Is that a painted lady? Oh, my goodness! There’s a tiger swallowtail! Perhaps you see a great spangled fritillar.

How can you invite migrating (and threatened) monarchs to repose (and lay their eggs) in your garden? What do you plant in your garden to encourage visits from these unique creatures...who pollinate your plants?

Come to Cottage Grove’s Garden Club presentation on Tuesday, May 3rd learn from the North American Butterfly Association's members ­Alison Center and John Hogan (CGGC’s own) as they share their vast knowledge of butterflies that call our area “home” and explain the local efforts to expand habitat for monarchs, for which complimentary milkweed seeds will be available.

Please join us on Tuesday, May 3rd, at The First Presbyterian Church (corner of Adams and 3rd Streets). Informational business meeting starts at 6:00 pm, Alison and John's presentation begins at 7:00 pm.

Wine Grape Growing with Scott Byler from Saginaw Vineyard: April Program

Wine grapes.

Scott Byler, vineyard manager and wine maker for Saginaw Vineyard, will present “Winegrape Growing: Practical Practices in a Commercial Vineyard” at Cottage Grove Garden Club’s meeting on Tuesday, April 5th.

Scott is a practiced vineyard manager with twenty-five years of experience in the Willamette Valley. His experience includes establishing and maintaining a nine acre vineyard with numerous grape varieties.

The presentation, easily generalized to the backyard garden, will include practices for establishing a vineyard, common problems, and managing the vineyard for continued production. This will be presented from the perspective of an economically viable enterprise. Saginaw wine will be available for sampling.

Please join us on Tuesday, April 5th, at The First Presbyterian Church (corner of Adams and 3rd Streets). Informational business meeting starts at 6:00 pm, Scott's presentation begins at 7:00 pm.

For more about Saginaw Vineyard visit their website at http://saginawvineyard.com/