The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
By Jake Hurlbert
Social time:
Optional Brown bag
lunch – dessert, coffee & tea provided by hostesses:
Barbara Lofgren, Gaye Stewart, Mary Jo
Capps, Julie Hughes
Program:
Jake
Hurlbert is a member of the Oregon Mushroom Society for 10 years. Has also been a member of the Native Plant
Society developing a key to the families of flowering plants and taught edible
plant as well as mushroom courses through the
Jake earned a Masters degree in Science and Education from the Western Oregon State University majoring in Botany and Physical Science; he is also a certified Master Gardener for the past two years, works at the OSU Extension Office on Mondays and invites all the garden club members to bring their plants, insects and landscaping problems. There is nothing that he can’t fix or help you by finding information.
Historic Downtown Tour including Cozine
House with Patti Webb
11:00 – 2:00 Rain or Shine
Wear comfortable shoes and appropriate
clothing.
Don’t forget to bring your cameras!
For more information:
President’s Message
Plants are amazing and so resilient with what nature throws at them. Spring is here and our world changes from drab and witchy looking trees to beautiful lush greens and a rainbow of colors. Our gardens invite us back in to enjoy them and pamper them to our hearts content. What a beautiful reward we reap from doing something we love to do! Happy spring hope you enjoy the season.
We have a busy month of April; here are the dates to put on your calendar. On April 10th at 8:00 am we will be meeting downtown for our annual Bag Ladies clean up on 3rd Street and lunch at the Golden Valley Brew Pub afterwards, April 17th our club meeting The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly with Jake Hurlbert, April 20th Spring District Meeting/Luncheon and April 24th our Fieldtrip in downtown McMinnville. Please look for more details about all these events in this newsletter
I’m looking forward to our 6th annual Garden Tour/Faire “In the Garden”. It’s coming up soon! June 25th will be here before we know it and I know that all the committees are hard at work to make it a great success. For those new members, we’ll have the scrapbooks of last year’s event at our next meeting. Just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work, I know it will be a great success again this year.
Kim Jongedyk, President
April 10
Our annual downtown McMinnville Clean up Day is Monday, April 10th. Bag Ladies will meet in the back parking lot behind the Timerick’s jewelry store at 8:00 a.m. We’ll work until 11:15 then go to the Golden Valley Brew Pub at 11:30 for lunch. Be sure to bring gloves, rake, broom and clippers (If you have a stool or garden cart or wagon, bring it too!) and wear your Garden Club apron.
April 20
Don’t forget that we are hosting the Pioneer District
Spring Luncheon and Meeting at the Covenant Church on April 20. By April
13th please send $12.50 to
Mildred Reppeto for your reservation.
Remember this date too! The Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc.‘s 2006 State Convention, “Roses, Roses, Roses” will be June 12-14 at the Red Lion at the Convention Center in Portland.
Backyard
Habitat
BIRDS AND BEES AND EVERYTHING IN
BETWEEN
IF YOU FEED THEM THEY WILL COME
Yes, it's
that time and despite all the rain, I.E. Oregon Sunshine, spring has arrived.
And with it those lovely Hummingbirds. I have counted at least five at the
feeder just this last week.
All the
works for providing food for these precious birds are on your store shelves by
the hundreds. From the plain ol' fashioned quart jar with the red stand to the
exquisite glass feeders that come with the fancy price. I don't really think it
matters to the Hummingbirds they just want the sweet nectar and plenty of it.
With the
feeder comes the packaged nectar. Yes,
even strawberry flavored! Some commercial products offer a complete feeding
solution with vitamins and minerals added. Red coloring isn’t necessary because
most feeders already have something red on them to attract the hummingbirds.
The proper amounts of granular sugar and water is just as good, if not actually
better. (The major thing is to see that the sugar has dissolved completely and
the proportions are right)**
Melodious
sounds
Ah, yes,
those wonderful quartet singers of pond and stream, the Frogs. Some people find
it quite irritating as the songs of "Amour" go on way into the night.
But I find that I sleep so much better to their lovely croaking, soothing I
think is what I'd call it. But just around the grass patch and a few
feet up watching ever so intently, completely motionless, it's
saber-like beak at the ready is the Blue Heron. These critters are a two
fold help in our backyard habitats. The frogs to keep the flies and
mosquitoes under control and the Great Blue Heron, doing his job so we are not
inundated with tadpoles and pollywogs. We can have both of these needed
creatures kept safe by again limiting our use of chemicals pesticides
and other sprays.
Flowers
are coming into the Nurseries in full truck loads. So while your lavishing
over all the wonderful colors and fragrances for your yards and gardens, now is
the time to consider what you'll plant for the birds, bees, and
butterflies. From sun loving plants to shade tolerant all are necessary.
Most Nurseries can provide a list of plants for just these little one’s needs.
Some shrubs and trees are in full bloom as well, and although just a very
few bees are out and about, once found they will be spreading the
word on just where to go for the food and to our advantage the
pollination necessary to keep things going all year long.
Rufous Hummingbird - Selasphorus rufus
3 ½ inch. MALE: All orange-brown,
except for red iridescent throat and white collar. FEMALE: Green upperparts;
orange-brown tail and sides; white throat and central belly; iridescent dots on
throat. >> Cannot be distinguished from female Allen’s Hummingbird
when seen in the field.
Allen’s
Hummingbird - Selasphorus sasin.
3 ½ “ MALE : Orange-brown on tail
and sides; green on back and crown; red iridescent throat; white collar.
FEMALE: Green upperparts; orange-brown tail and sides; white throat and central
belly; iridescent dots on throat.
Hummingbird trivia:
Did you know?
- Given
names for Hummingbirds – wood nymphs, mountain gems, fairies, sunbeams,
sun angels and wood stars.
- All
hummingbirds are important pollinators of flowers, especially red tubular
flowers that are generally not pollinated by insects.
- The
smallest hummingbird, the 2 ½ inch Cuban Bee, weighs only two grams. The
largest hummingbird, the 8 ½ inch long
- Hummingbirds
can hover as well as fly sideways, backwards and even upside down.
- A
hummingbird’s egg is only about the size of a jellybean, yet in proportion
to body weight, hummingbird’s eggs are the largest of any kind of bird.
***The Mixture: One part sugar – four parts water. Boil
water, stir in sugar until dissolved. Let solution cool. Be sure to clean the
feeders every 4-5 days, with a hot water- vinegar wash. No detergents or soaps
please. Julie Maahs
(
Robert & Alice have worked very hard to conquer their steep, sloping yard while contending with the rocks and deer population! Congratulations!
Hort. Beat
It is still early to plant, but
I’ve visited several nurseries and have been exhilarated by the sight of blooms
and fresh new foliage. Reading plant names reminded me that it was time to bone
up on those Latin names I thought I’d never forget. If you have attended a
Hardy Plant Society sale you know you have met a lot of Latin names, some
without a common name. Not an expert on things Latin, a quick primer was
helpful for me so I’ll try to ‘defuse the confusion’ for you as well.
For practical purposes, you need to know three names: genus,
species and sometimes variety. Genus is always capitalized while the species is
always lower case. Sometimes there is a third varietal name and it is
capitalized and enclosed in single quote marks. If the variety - or
hybrid --- occurs naturally, the varietal name is in Latin. If the hybrid
is assisted by man, it is a cultivated variety, a word commonly shortened to
cultivar. Cultivar names are in English. Here is an example of how the
system works.
Genus: Acer (maple). Genus and species: Acer palmatum (Japanese
maple).
Genus, species and variety: Acer palmatum “Atropurpurem”
(variety with dark purple leaves).
Genus, species and
cultivar: Acer palmatum “Crimson Queen” (cultivar with red leaves).
Pay attention to the following words as they indicate color.
Some have variations which indicate a masculine or female ending, as in alba
and albus. Albus is white; argentus is silver; aureus and aureolus
are golden; flavus and luteus are yellow; glaucus is powdery; incanus is
light gray; niger is black; rubens and sanguineus are red; caeruleus is blue;
virens and viridis are green. If atro appears as a prefix, it means that the
color is quite dark, as in atropurpureus, dark purple.
I’ll continue
this primer in the next issue, but leave you with these Latin names which will deliver on ‘wows’ in your garden:
speciosus and ornatus are showy; spectabilis
is spectacular; and bellis is beautiful – words you will want to remember.
Evelyn
Mundinger
Club History
McMinnville Garden Club met
in the Dayton Park for a potluck luncheon under the supervision of Mrs. Paul
Londerhausen and Dayton ladies. Lots of
food and 26 members present made a very interesting meeting. A vote of thanks was extended to the Dayton
ladies for a lovely afternoon. Seven names were drawn for prizes. Motion was
made and seconded that the club accept Newberg’s invitation for July 31st
at the home of Mrs. Graham.
Mrs.
Lott informed the club that parasitized earwigs had been ordered, and it was
suggested Mr. White, County Agent, place them in four sections of the city
which met with approval. (I tried to locate information on these “parasitized
earwigs”. Evidently they were used as
biological control agents against some aphids. PS)
All
officers agreed to serve on more year, no election needed. Due to the possibility of losing members it
was decided to reduce the club dues to 50 cents per year. Motion carried after some discussion. Mrs.
Rogers reported for her committee that Mr. Dicherst would like flowering shrubs
or something of contrast for the Courthouse lawn. Miss Hendrick offered “Golden Privet” and
Miss Hawley and Mrs. Lott offered “Red Barberry”.
Several ladies gathered
flowers from various gardens for the Willamette Valley Flower Show held in
Salem. There were some lovely exhibits,
one ribbon of special mention was received. There were eleven entries but no
prize.
Interesting reports of the
state convention held at Gresham were given, McMinnville Club showing up well
in the reports there. Miss Hawley extended an invitation to the club for 1934
State Convention to be held in McMinnville.
A lot of discussion on starting work early in the garden to beautify
with convention in mind next May.
Motion made to purchase book
on flower arrangement as soon as funds permit.
With
closing of the yearbook, a new place for meeting was considered. Motion passed we meet in the park if weather
permits, not in the home of Mrs. Hendricks.
Marie Hartzell, secretary
Dorothy Mathiesen
Websites
to Check Out and Upcoming Events for Gardeners
*The American
Rhododendron Society http://www.rhododendron.org
*University of British
Columbia Garden Forums
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums/index.php?s=54e61765dabd2558bdb2459902bb51f3
April Area Events:
Magnolias in Bloom, Saturday and Sunday,
April 1-2, 9:00-4:00. Gossler Farms
Nursery, 1200 Weaver Rd., Springfield OR. Free. 541.746.3922. Roger Gossler is
a foremost authority on magnolias plus Gossler Farms Nursery has acres of fabulous
display gardens.
Planting Your Pond: Aquatic Plants,
Saturdays, April 1 and 29, and May 27
at 10:00 a.m. Selecting planting, and caring for aquatic plants. Hughes Water
Gardens, 25289 SW Stafford Rd., Tualatin. 503.638.1709. 1-2 hours. FREE, but
pre-registration is required. www.hugheswatergardens.com.
Hardy Plant Society of Oregon Spring Plant Sale and
Art Faire, Saturday and Sunday, April 8-9, 10:00-3:00 both days.. For more information visit HPSO’s website: www.hardyplantsociety.org.The
Garden Art Faire hours are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You can download the location
of your favorite vendors as shown on the floor-plan. Both events are held at
the Washington County Fairgrounds (Fairplex) in Hillsboro.
Oregon Daffodil Society Show, Saturday and Sunday, April 8-9 – Albany. Show is at
Heritage Mall, 1895 14th Street, S.E. Contact: Peggy Tigner, (541)
466-3429, tigner@centurytel.net.
Salem Wildflower and Native
Plant Walk, Saturday, April 8, 10:00
– Noon. Members of the Willamette Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon
will lead a wildflower walk in Bush Park and the Deepwood Estate. Free and open
to the public. For information, please call 503-399-8615.
Seasonal Flower Arranging,
Tuesday, April 11, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Instructor Mark
Vossbrink, owner of Rainyday Flowers. Portland Classical Chinese Garden Office,
127 NW 3rd Ave., Portland. Cost $30 members/$36 non-members. Class
includes materials. 503.228.8131 x2001 to register.
Watergardening
in Containers, Saturday, April 15 at 10:00 a.m. and Sunday, May 14, (Mother’s
Day) at 11:00 a.m. Hughes Water
Gardens, 25289 SW Stafford Rd., Tualatin. 503.638.1709. FREE, but
pre-registration is required. www.hugheswatergardens.com
SPRING CLASSES AT FERGUSON’S FRAGRANT NURSERY: $5.00 fee for each class. Please call ahead to
pre-register, 503.633.4585.
Annual
Container and Basket Event, Saturday, April 15, 1:00 p.m. Create captivating containers
and baskets filled with fabulous premium annuals at this interactive class.
Victorian Moss Basket Planting Day,
Saturday April 22, 2:00 p.m. Design
and create your own moss basket
at this interactive class. Prices vary with size and style of basket.
Leach Botanical Garden
Annual Benefit Spring Plant Sale, April 15, 2006, 9:00-3:00. For further information, contact Nancy at 503-823-1671
or Katie at 503-761-4751.
Friends of Bush Gardens Spring Plant Sale, Friday,
April 21 (10:00-7:00), Saturday, April 22 (10:00-5:00) and Sunday, April 23
(10:00-5:00). Bush’s Pasture Park,
Salem OR. For more info, call 503.588.2410.
Aloha Garden Club Annual Plant Sale, Saturday, April
22, 9:00-3:00. Bethlehem Lutheran Church,
corner of SW 187th Avenue and SW Johnson Street in Aloha.
The Berry Botanic Garden Spring Plant Sale, Saturday,
April 22, 11:00-3:00, Earth Day! At
the Montgomery Park building, 2701 NW Vaughn St., Portland. Call 503.636.4112
x102 for more info or visit www.berrybot.org.
Garden members get in early at 10:00!
Blooms & Brews at The
Oregon Garden, Friday and Saturday, April 28-29. Come see what's blooming at The Oregon Garden while
sampling beverages from Oregon breweries. 5-11pm Friday, noon-10pm Saturday. The Oregon Garden, Silverton, (503)
874-8100.
I have
never had so many good ideas day after day as when I worked in the garden.
~John Erskine
|
McMinnville Garden Club Organized in 1926
|
Committee Chairs Backyard Habitat Julie Maahs Garden Tour 2006 Judy
Eggers Patty Sorensen Garden Faire 2006 Gaye
Stewart Historian Dorothy Mathiesen Horticulture Eveyln Mundinger Hospitality Rosemary Vertregt Membership Sandy Bolmer Newsletter Patty Sorensen Anne Silverthorne Parliamentarian Gaye Stewart Publicity/PR Sandy Ford Scholarship Cindi Miller Sunshine Joan
Friese Telephone Mary Whinery Yard of Month Ruth Miller, Beverly Mulkey, Anne Silverthorne, Rosemary Vertregt Yearbook Kim Jongedyk Sandy Ford The newsletter deadline for submission of articles for our monthly newsletter is the last day of the previous month. Please send them to Patty Sorensen.
Do you know of any
prospective Garden Club members? Be sure to let Sandy Bolmer know names and addresses.
We would love to send them our newsletter for three months. |
