Pollinators: March 7 Program

Krista Farris

Cottage Grove Garden Club started 2017 with a brainstorming session of the topics we'd like to learn about this year. The topic which was was met with the most interest may have been "pollinators." As gardeners we are very aware of the role of pollinators for a successful garden, and as concerned stewards of the land, we are very aware of our impact on the lives of pollinators.

For our March 7 meeting we will welcome Krista Farris of the U.S. Forest Service. Krista manages the native plant program, the invasive plant program, and the threatened, endangered and sensitive plant program for the District of Cottage Grove.

Krista will talk about general plant biology and life history as it relates to pollination and co-adaptation of plants and their pollinators. She will also cover the use of native plants for landscaping in our area.

If you've walked around the Row River Trail or the Row River Nature Park recently, you may have noticed some of Krista's work. She recently received a grant to put in five pollinator gardens that will provide food sources and habitat to several species of birds and insects that are renowned for their work in plant pollination, including monarch butterflies, bumble bees, and Rufous hummingbirds. (To learn more about this work, see the March 30, 2016 Cottage Grove Sentinel.)

Pollinator garden at Row Point.

Krista received a bachelor’s of science in Botany and Zoology from Oregon State University and a Master’s of Science Degree in Plant Biology from Louisiana State University. After spending over a decade conducting plant community ecology research in Peru, Brazil, Panama, and the Southern Appalachians of Tennessee and North Carolina, she returned to Oregon and is now in Cottage Grove where she works as the district Botanist for the Umpqua National Forest.

Please join the Cottage Grove Garden Club on Tuesday, March 7 as we welcome Krista Farris. Our informal business meeting begins at 6pm and Krista's presentation begins at 7pm.

Refreshments provided, all guests welcome.

Cottage Grove Garden Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams), Cottage Grove, Oregon. Garden Club members are encouraged to park in the lot behind the church, not along 3rd Street.

Upcoming Presentations 
April 4: Growing Vegetables in Containers with Andrea Mull
May 2: Raising and Using Lavender with Carol Tannenbaum of McKenzie River Lavender

Biological Farming and Gardening

Gardening in a healthy and balanced soil is important for plant well-being and resilience. One way to promote healthy soil is the use of compost teas, which suppress disease causing organisms. Compost teas also provide nutrients, improve soil structure, and help plants stay healthy. Vermicompost, also known as worm castings, enriches the soil and is used as a high grade natural, organic fertilizer.

On Tuesday, February 7, Cottage Grove Garden Club welcomes Bruce Elliott to talk about Biological Farming and Gardening. Bruce’s company, Sustainable Agricultural Technologies of Cottage Grove specializes in compost tea brewers and vermicomposting worm bins.

Please join the Garden Club as we learn about improving soil health through biologics. Informal business meeting begins at 6pm, Bruce’s talk begins at 7pm. Refreshments provided, all guests welcome.

Cottage Grove Garden Club meets at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams), Cottage Grove, Oregon. Garden Club members are encouraged to park in the lot behind the church, not along 3rd Street.

Upcoming Presentations
March 7: Pollinators with Krista Farris of US Forest Service
April 4: Growing Vegetables in Containers with Andrea Mull
May 2: Raising and Using Lavender with Carol Tannenbaum of McKenzie River Lavender