October 2015 Brambles The Brambles Curry County Master Gardeners PO Box 107, Gold Beach, OR 97444 541-6 98 - 03 0 0 or 1- 80 0 -356-3986 October is FULL … Saturday October 10 We are looking to have our first session of gardening for kids in the Library Annex ~Scott Thiemann building across the street from the main library in http://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/vrs/ And, what could Brookings. If we haven’t yet done so, we will be putting such a link mean? October 31, by any chance? OK, this together our first raised bed to be planted out with some has nothing to do with being spooky. However, this fall veggies and seeds to provide kids the opportunity to needs to happen by Halloween for you volunteer hours to take some home as well—maybe even a seedling or count for 2015. two! OK, I’m being a bit mischievous …it’s the link to Saturday October 17 You have two or more options enter your volunteer hours as you may have guessed. today with the library talk topic being, “Use your fall And we’re doing pretty darn well! Without me begging harvest for health”, in a presentation on healthy eating too much this year, we are on top of our game. 10 out of put on by Debianne Harpole, and/or you can combine it 14 (trainees) of you have completed your hours at this with the “Go Garden, Go Green” event including a point. If you are a veteran, and would like to be morning farm/garden tour in Harbor and followed by a recertified, please be sure that your hours are all currently healthy lunch and lecture by our very own (OSU logged in as well. This year, that needs to be 15 Extension) regional dietitian, Stephanie Polizzi, taking volunteer and 6 educational (By the way, we are all place at SOCC, north of town. already up 50% from last year in that category—definitely Wednesday October 21 Mary Jacobs is planning a much more learned bunch!), and next year it will be 20 another Harvest party at the Riley Creek school garden, & 10, that is due to the changes in standards developed tentatively planned for this Wednesday. So, if you have by our National Extension Master Gardener Board. (or know!) a kid or two that you would like to bring along, And there are many events in Brookings! To name a few: it should be a lot of fun again. More details to follow. Saturday October 3 Join Scott Thiemann at the Chetco So, lots going on—hope you—and friends—can join Public Library in Brookings for a presentation on us…and you can leave the candy at home! ornamental landscaping. We have put a large amount of time and energy into growing our gardens and learning about healthy eating this year, but there is always room for pretty plants! October is the perfect time of the year to install landscapes and this session should give you some more ideas about what to include and how to go about it. October 2015 Brambles ANNUAL PLANT SALE ~ Saloma Clarence Cut, propagate, transplant, repeat… It’s going well in the Gold Beach High School greenhouse. Most of the cuttings we have propagated have roots. Then we transplant the seedlings into 3- or 4” pots. Please join us any Wednesday that fits your schedule. We start around 12:30. CURRY COUNTY GARDEN LOCATIONS We are looking for cuttings from plants to propagate. Do you have mint? Or butterfly weed (Asclepias)? Maybe something th you think the public would like? RILEY CREEK GARDEN, 94350 6 Street, Gold Beach, contact Mary Jacobs at 541-698-7703 [email protected] You can bring cuttings to us, or we can come get them. Please GOLD BEACH HIGH SCHOOL 29316 Ellensburg, greenhouse, contact Saloma at [email protected] or 541-373-0170. contact Diana St. Marie 541-247-6250 [email protected] DRIFTWOOD ELEMENTARY` in Port Orford PORT ORFORD COMMUNITY GARDEN, Contact George Bennett 541-332-0239, [email protected] KALMIOPSIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ~ aka K School Garden ~ aka Little Bear Patch ~ aka The Patch 650 Easy St, Brookings, OR Contact Bill Eller 541-469-1878 [email protected] ** See us at Little Bear Patch Garden kschoolgarden.blogspot.com Help needed for KASPER (Kids After School Program for Education and Recreation at Kalmiopsis Elementary); Michelle Prudden's YTP (Youth Transition Program at Brookings High School) group funded by a 4H grant RITCHEY GARDEN, 29390 Ellensburg, OSU Ext. Office, right side of the building and on the front left. Contact co-chairs Saloma Clarence 541-373-0170 [email protected] and Karen Sinkala, 541-25-5255 [email protected] ALL Curry County Master Gardeners are welcome at our Board Meetings. The next Board Meeting is October 21, 10:00 – 12:00, OSU Classroom in Gold Beach You may vote on all issues when you attend. On the agenda: Mini-College Report Recruiting training class for 2016 Curry County Fair follow-up Azalea Education Program Update 2 October 2015 Brambles After Azalea Rejuvenation Before Azalea Rejuvenation Pruned and unpruned Azaleas; below on a rainy day in Park Truck load of debris during Azalea Cleanup Thank you to the numerous Master Gardeners, family and friends who volunteered for this long overdue Brookings’ Azalea Park Rejuvenation effort. Your work will result in beautiful sights in 2016 and many years to follow. 3 Azalea rainy day work party October 2015 Brambles 2015 CURRY COUNTY FAIR, BLUE RIBBON WINNER, RILEY CREEK LETTUCE RILEY COMMUNITY GARDEN~ Mary Jacobs On the 2nd Tuesday, the Kindergarteners dug potatoes and harvested sunflower seeds, third grade picked OPEN: 1-3 PM SATURDAYS ~ 1-4 PM TUESDAY beets and carrots, and second grade picked lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Fifth grade kids moved When the Riley Creek students returned to school this year they were greeted with a flourishing garden—sunflowers compost and planted fava beans. I wondered how lining the garden edge, pole beans covering trellises, helpful the fifth graders would be when we tackled the pumpkin vines sprawling across paths and beds with job of moving compost. It turned out that the petite ripening pumpkins. The dahlias begged to be picked. young lady in a summer dress with matching heels could shovel as much dirt as anyone. On our 1st gardening Tuesday, Janet Janowicz, Debianne Harpole, Cathy Boden and I helped the kids pick lettuce, It seems essential to get the kids outside while the tomatoes, squash, celery, cucumbers, beans, and flowers. weather is still warm and the vegetables are numerous Over 50 pounds went to the cafeteria and two vases of and healthy. I feel like we only have about six flowers went to each classroom. All the kids got a chance to gardening weeks in the fall and it’s hard to get all the weed beds and the first grade kids counted pumpkins. kids out if I just take small groups. However, if I am (Cont. on page 7) 4 October 2015 Brambles Reprinted from the Curry Coastal Pilot Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015 Page 10A BROOKINGS OFFERS AZALEA EDUCATION PROGRAM Brookings area residents can help improve the condition of the Azalea Park's native azaleas by participating in an education program that started this month, said Brookings Parks Supervisor Tony Baron. In collaboration with Curry County Master Gardeners, the city of Brookings is hosting a series of azalea pruning work parties at Azalea Park. Upcoming work dates include Sept. 22 from noon to 4 p.m., and Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers meet in the lower parking lot off Old County Road. Work parties will be formed and Master Gardeners and city staff will provide educational materials to volunteers and provide basic training in the pruning process. The program is a result of a visit to Azalea Park by azalea expert Dick "Red" Cavender, who evaluated the native azaleas and made recommendations on how to improve their condition. Cavender made a presentation on his findings at a public workshop hosted by the Brookings Parks and Recreation Commission in March. "Our city's historic azaleas are in dire need of human intervention, especially pruning to encourage more prolific and robust growth, and removal of competing vegetation which has invaded their space," said Brookings Azalea Park 2016 and beyond…. Parks and Recreation Commissioner and Oregon Master Gardener Dennis Triglia. "If rejuvenating these azaleas is postponed any longer, I fear that additional azaleas may, tragically, be lost." RENOVATION OF AZALEAS IN AZALEA PARK Baron said, "Red Cavender's visit was extremely helpful as he provided By Richard Cavender, rhododendron and azalea specialist, valuable information for us to move forward and address what is needed to Sherwood ~ By The Curry Coastal Pilot May 15, 2015 11:59 pm ~ sustain these beautiful plants." My compliments to the citizens of Brookings for their outstanding Curry County Master Gardener Coordinator Scott Thiemann said, "The Park. For a city the size of Brookings to have a park of this size is a purpose of the Master Gardeners is to provide public outreach and real accomplishment. I wish Sherwood had a similar asset. I am education and this is a great opportunity to do just that in a landmark Park honored to be invited to consult on the renovation of the azaleas in that has great value to the residents of southern Curry County." Azalea Park. Please consider my recommendations as coming from For more information on this project, contact Tony someone with no axe to grind but who is totally enthralled with the B a r o n a t ( 5 4 1 ) 4 6 9 - 1 1 5 9 .