Creating Pollinator Habitat in Our Gardens: November Program

Our local pollinators are under stress from habitat loss, pesticides, and the spread of new diseases.  What can we, as gardeners, to do help the bees and pollinators in our environment?

On November 5, at Cottage Grove Garden Club, we will learn how we can create pollinator habitats in our gardens. Together we will watch Never Doubt How a Small, Thoughtful, and Committed Pollinator Habitat Can Change the World which is part of the Oregon Master Gardener Advanced Training series.

This webinar will explore how the damaging effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, pesticide exposure, and diseases can be reversed through the retention or restoration of small bits of natural habitat (our gardens!). We will learn how to create pollinator habitat -- what plants do we need? How do we get things established? Do we need to prepare a place for pollinators to nest? And what about host plants for butterflies? After working through some of the more common challenges with building pollinator habitat, the webinar will conclude by returning to what current science has to say about how our modest activities might link up and contribute to overall urban pollinator health.

This online course is taught by Dr. Andony Melathopoulos, an Assistant Professor who is leading OSU’s efforts to design, implement and evaluate a state-wide pollinator health program. He provides training to pesticide applicators on how to reduce pesticide exposure to pollinating insects, he hosts a weekly podcast on pollinator health (PolliNation) and is currently working to help homeowners and landscapers better understand how to manage pests while minimizing impacts to pollinators.

The Cottage Grove Garden Club is a local organization with the mission of expanding our interests and building lifelong friendships while bettering our community and the environment through sustainable gardening practices.

Creating Pollinator Habitat in Our Gardens will happen on Tuesday, November 5, at Cottage Grove Garden Club. We meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (enter off the garden on 3rd Street). The Garden Club’s informal business meeting begins at 6PM and the webinar begins at 7PM. Guests and visitors welcome.

Cover Crops: October 1 at Cottage Grove Garden Club

A cover crop is a crop of plants grown primarily to benefit the soil rather than yield a crop. They are often used in the off-season, after harvesting, and may grow over the winter. Cover crops can help increase your soil fertility and can bring many improvements to the health of your garden.

Crimson Clover

On October 1st, Christina Bixel with the OSU Extension Master Gardeners will join the Cottage Grove Garden Club to talk about cover crops. In this program, Christina will discuss how a small investment in a cover crop can bring a myriad of benefits to your soil. She will also discuss the best varieties to grow, when to sow them, and different methods to incorporate these amazing “green manure” crops into your garden planning schedule. Come join us and get a whole new perspective on cover crops!

Christina has been an OSU Extension Master Gardener since 2012, with a specialty in plant diagnostics and additional training in composting. She is the past president of the Lane County Master Gardeners Association and provides lectures throughout the county on a wide range of topics.

The Cottage Grove Garden Club is a local organization with the mission of expanding our interests and building lifelong friendships while bettering our community and the environment through sustainable gardening practices.

Christina will present Cover Crops Tuesday October 1, at Cottage Grove Garden Club, meeting at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (enter off the garden on 3rd Street). The Garden Club’s informal business meeting begins at 6PM and the presentation begins at 7PM. Guests and visitors welcome.

Gardeners and Climate Change

When gardeners maximize carbon storage without making too much global-warming pollution in the process, we slow the pace of climate change. Here are some ideas:

Protect your soil and keep it healthy 

• Cover exposed ground to decrease water use, curb erosion, and protect soil microbes. Try using mulch, leaving plants after they’ve died back, growing ground covers, strategically allowing weeds, or planting winter vegetables.
• Read instructions on fertilizers. Improper use can damage beneficial soil.

Plant trees 

• Trees can absorb/store as much as a ton of atmospheric carbon pollution.
• Shade trees planted near a home can reduce energy used for summer cooling.

Grow your own food 

• Try inter-planting veggies in the ornamental garden, planting fruit trees, or growing food in containers.

Compost 

• Composting reduces waste going to landfills, increases soil quality, and improves nutrition levels in the foods you grow.

Reduce or eliminate use of synthetic chemicals 

• Synthetic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers kill beneficial organisms in the soil. Gardening chemical-free also reduces your costs.

Reduce the use of gas-powered garden tools 

• Use human-power more often (for example, use a rake not a leaf blower).
• Reduce or eliminate the need for gas-powered tools (for example, remove your grass lawn altogether).

Be a curious, informed gardener 

• We can all learn more. Talk with other gardeners, experiment, pay attention to changes in the garden, be curious.
• Join Cottage Grove Garden Club, where we often talk about these topics.


The Cottage Grove Garden Club meets the first Tuesday of the month, from 6-8 pm, in the Friendship Hall at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams), Cottage Grove, Oregon.

References

Fine Gardening: https://www.finegardening.com/article/gardening-in-a-changing-climate

Victory Gardens: https://www.greenamerica.org/climate-victory-gardening-101

Cornell: http://climatechange.cornell.edu/gardening/

EPA: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-04/documents/greenscaping_-_the_easy_way_to_a_greener_healthier_yard.pdf

NWF: https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Environmental-Threats/Climate-Change/Greenhouse-Gases/Gardening-for-Climate-Change

Gardening Forum and Succulent Exchange: Tuesday Sept 3

We all have questions about gardening, whether we are new to gardening or have been gardening for decades we all have questions. We all, also, have answers and experiences to share.

Back by popular demand, on Tuesday September 3, Cottage Grove Garden Club will be hosting a Gardening Forum. After a summer of gardening, you probably have some questions on your mind, so bring them to garden club as well as your ideas, experiences, and answers, because at this round-table discussion we will be answering each-others gardening questions.

We'll also be hosting an informal succulent exchange, if you've got succulents or cacti to share, please bring them down to garden club, making sure to note if they are indoor or outdoor plants, as well as any other characteristics.

Please join us, as we gather for our first meeting after the summer break.

Garden Club's informal business meeting begins at 6 PM and the succulent exchange will happen during the refreshment break, before the Gardening Forum at 8 PM.

All guests and visitors welcome. Light refreshments provided. We meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams), Cottage Grove, Oregon, enter off the garden on Adams Street.

Keeping Your Garden Healthy: June 4 at Cottage Grove Garden Club

For gardeners, spring brings the excitement of preparing for another season of fresh vegetables and beautiful flowers. With the warming of the soil and longer daylight hours, seeds and bulbs sprout and trees bud into bloom. Gardeners around Cottage Grove envision an abundant harvest as we shop, till, and plant.

Soon we will be easing into summer, and our goal will shift to keeping our gardens healthy and sustainable. We want the maximum yield possible from the fruits of our labors -- large and vigorous vegetables to fill our tummies and bright flowers to gaze upon.

On Tuesday, June 4, Cottage Grove Garden Club will welcome Christina Bixel, who will talk about ways to keep our gardens healthy. Christina will discuss small daily, weekly, and monthly tasks that will maintain optimum yield and help gardeners achieve success, growing both flowers and vegetables.

Christina has been an OSU Extension Master Gardener since 2012, with a specialty in plant diagnostics and additional training in composting. She is the past president of the Lane County Master Gardeners Association and provides lectures throughout the county on a wide range of topics.

The Cottage Grove Garden Club is a local organization with the mission of expanding our interests and building lifelong friendships while bettering our community and the environment through sustainable gardening practices.

Christina will present Keeping Your Garden Healthy Tuesday June 4, at Cottage Grove Garden Club, meeting at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (enter off the garden on 3rd Street). The Garden Club’s informal business meeting begins at 6PM and the presentation begins at 7PM. Guests and visitors welcome.

Firewise Gardening: May 7th Program

The Willamette Valley is known for its abundant rainfall and lush landscapes, but summer heat and the abundance of fuels can leave the valley just as vulnerable to wildfire as any other fire-prone area of the state. Especially this year, with the damage caused by the snow storm and heavy April rains.

Gardeners in Cottage Grove can decrease the potential for damage to their home and property by incorporating Firewise USA principles. These principles include maintaining a 30’ flammable-free area around the home and using fire-resistant plants in the landscaping. Fire-resistant plants are those with moist, supple leaves and low resin content. They are slow to ignite, slowing or stopping the spread of a fire. Fire-resistant, however, does not mean fireproof. All plants have the potential to burn if they are neglected.

On Tuesday, May 7, Cottage Grove Garden Club welcomes Kristin Babbs from Keep Oregon Green to talk about Firewise Gardening. Keep Oregon Green is a statewide association that has been educating the public on fire prevention for the past 75 years. This presentation will highlight the Firewise USA program, the need for defensible space, and the use of fire-resistant plants that thrive in the Willamette Valley’s weather conditions.

Kristin Babbs is the President and CEO of the Keep Oregon Green Association, where she develops partnerships and coordinates activities to help Oregon’s residents and tourists become aware and knowledgeable of their role and responsibility in the prevention of wildfires.

Ms. Babbs will talk about Firrewise Gardening to the Cottage Grove Garden Club on Tuesday May 7, at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (enter off the garden on 3rd Street). The Garden Club’s informal business meeting begins at 6p.m. and Ms. Babbs’ presentation begins at 7p.m. Guests and visitors welcome.

Benefits of being a Garden Club Member

Garden Club members gathering for a private tour of Log House Plants, June 2018

Did you know Cottage Grove Garden Club is about more than just monthly meetings and presentations?

Every year, CG Garden Club members enjoy a number of members-only activities, including

• garden tours
• nursery tours
• private planting parties
• potlucks and other social events
• civic projects within the community

Membership is only $15 per person, $20 a family. Come to our next meeting and join!

The Garden Club meet's at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams), Cottage Grove, Oregon, enter off the garden on Adams Street. The first Tuesday of the month (Sept - June) from 6pm to 8pm.

Cottage Grove Garden Club members touring the Japanese Garden in Portland

Indoor Succulents and Cacti: April 2 Presentation with Marcia Peeters

Walk into any store lately and you will likely to see a small display of succulents and cacti growing in tiny 2-inch pots; nurseries and specialty shops will have even more. The variety of whimsical shapes and sizes, can make selecting just one a delightful challenge.

Because of their tiny sizes and minimal needs, succulents and cacti are attractive to a wide variety of gardeners, from “newbies” who want to try growing for the first time to experienced gardeners who are looking for new ways to add plants to their homes.

But once you’ve purchased a tiny treasure, what is the best way to keep it healthy? How fast will it grow and for how long? To answer these questions and more, Marcia Peeters from Pierce Street Gardens in Eugene will be joining Cottage Grove Garden Club on Tuesday, April 2 to talk about getting the best out of indoor succulents and cacti.

Marcia will discuss the differences between cacti and succulents, and the basics for growing healthy plants year-round including heat and light requirements, and how much to water and when. She’ll also explain how to choose the best pots, what type of soil to use, and best practices for combining several plants in a single pot.

Marcia will also bring a variety of succulents and cacti that can be purchased after her talk.

Please join us. The Garden Club's informal business meeting begins at 6 PM and Marcia's presentation runs from 7 to 8 PM. All guests and visitors welcome. Light refreshments provided. We meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams), Cottage Grove, Oregon, enter off the garden on Adams Street.

Also, mark your calendars for these upcoming programs:
May 7, 2019: Firewise Gardening with Keep Oregon Green
June 4, 2019: Keeping your Garden Healthy with Christina Bixel
July 2, 2019: Summer Social/ Garden Hop
August 6, 2019: Summer Potluck

(Photos on this page courtesy of Pierce Street Gardens.)

Let's Talk About Hummingbirds: March 5 Presentation

Hummingbirds are often considered the jewels of the sky, and many gardeners delight in their brilliant colors and amazing antics in flight. Gardeners in the southern Willamette Valley have likely experienced both the Rufus and the Anna’s hummingbirds, the most common in the region. But did you know, besides being a delight to watch, hummingbirds are pollinators that also eat small bugs like aphids and gnats?

On Tuesday, March 5, the Cottage Grove Garden Club will host Barbara Linnett. In her presentation, Let’s Talk About Hummingbirds, Barbara will focus on general information about hummingbirds including demographics, local migrations, breeding behaviors, and fun facts. She will also discuss appropriate diet and how to create a natural environment to attract these pollinators to the garden.

Please join the Cottage Grove Garden Club on Tuesday, March 5 as we learn all about hummingbirds. We’ll share experiences and problem-solve concerns about these beautiful and very important pollinators that inhabit our gardens and yards.

Our speaker, Barbara Linnett, is a retired registered nurse who spent 8 years volunteering at the Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria. Now she is retired from the Wildlife Center as well, but she assists in the rehabilitation of hummingbirds, and she has had several birds to care for over the last 3 years. In addition, she has focused on providing her own hummingbird refuge by creating a mostly native hummingbird garden, feeding nectar throughout the year, and keeping a warming station during very cold weather. Currently, Barbara speaks to groups about hummingbirds with the hopes that more families will offer assistance to these very special birds.

The Garden Club's informal business meeting begins at 6 PM and Barbara's presentation runs from 7 to 8 PM. All guests and visitors welcome. Light refreshments provided. We meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams), Cottage Grove, Oregon, enter off the garden on Adams Street.

Also, mark your calendars for these upcoming programs:
April 2, 2019: Indoor Succulents & Cacti with Marcia Peeters of Pierce Street Gardens
May 7, 2019: Firewise Gardening with Keep Oregon Green
June 4, 2019: Keeping your Garden Healthy with Christina Bixel
July 2, 2019: Summer Social/ Garden Hop

Rainwater Harvesting in the Pacific Northwest: February 5

Cottage Grove Garden Club is excited to start 2019! We have a number of great presentations lined up for the year, at least one field trip, and several social events.

Photo ©jrweymouth Flickr cc

We start on Tuesday, February 5 with Abel Kloster speaking on Rainwater Harvesting in the Pacific Northwest. Abel's presentation will focus on making the best use of rainwater as it runs off of our roofs and flows through the landscape. Special emphasis will be placed on:

• Mitigating runoff impacts to waterways and treatment systems through bio-swales and other urban filtration systems. 
• Disconnecting rainwater downspouts and designing rain gardens. 
• Designing rainwater catchment systems for drinking water and irrigation purposes. 
• Ponds for urban and rural properties. 

Our speaker, Abel Kloster, is the co-director of Resilience Permaculture Design; a design and implementation company focusing on restoration, water harvesting, and agroforestry for farm, forest, and urban environments.

Please join us. Our informal business meeting begins at 6 PM and Abel's talk on Rain Harvesting will run start at 7 PM. All guests and visitors welcome. Light refreshments provided. We meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street (the corner of 3rd and Adams), Cottage Grove, Oregon, enter off the garden on Adams Street.

Also, mark your calendars for these upcoming programs:
March 5, 2019: Let's Talk Hummingbirds with Barbara Linnett
April 2, 2019: Indoor Succulents & Cacti with Marcia Peeters of Pierce Street Gardens
May 7, 2019: Firewise Gardening with Keep Oregon Green
June 4, 2019: Keeping your Garden Healthy with Christina Bixel
July 2, 2019: Summer Social/ Garden Hop