Nature's Best Hope 2nd reminder!

Fungi

Public Seed Library Partnership

Become a Master Gardener

Nature's Best Hope

Trees For Pollunators

DIY Compost

No new post. 5th Monday of the month. Happy Halloween!

Native Spring Ephemerals

Sustainable Fall Maintenance

Pollinator Benefits of a Messy Yard

Exploring Gardens Across America

Soil Improvement Basics

Tips on Seed Saving

Watch Out for these New Pests

Regenerative Landscaping

Soil Testing

2022 Edible Garden Tour

Make you Garden More Drought Tolerant

Edible Garden Tour

Joy of Gardening Conference

Visiting Lovely Gardens

The Oregon Master Gardener Association Presents: The Joy of Gardening Conference, aka Mini College

National Pollinator Week

Start Winter Vegetables Now!

2022 Grants competition

Tree Care

Growing Beans

Getting the Most From Your Garden

Quilts in the Garden

Vote for your favorite tree photo!

Raised Beds

Edible Garden Tours

Grow Fruit at Home!

Right Plant Right Place

Soil Testing

Your Bee Friendly Garden

Your Bee-Friendly Garden You no doubt know that bees are critical for pollinating many of the plants that supply our food, as well as ornamentals we enjoy. Did you also know that there are 500+ species of bees in Oregon? And did you know that urban gardens are very important for pollinators? Many people think first of honeybees and other colony bees. However, ~ 90% of the world’s bees are solitary. These gentle bees come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. They don’t make honey, but they are amazing pollinators. Bee Habitat includes many pollinator species, including some that bloom in winter. More variety of flowers = more bees. More flowers = more bees! Native bees prefer native plants. California poppy, Douglas Aster, Sources: WWW.oregonbeeproject.org globe Gilia and goldenrod are some favorites. Many bees are ground nesters, so areas of bare soil are also important.

Leave the leaves on the ground in winter to provide shelter for bees and other organisms. Also leave dead hollow stems until Spring. Safe Garden Practices: Reduce or eliminate pesticides. If you do spray, don’t spray a plant during bloom or allow spray to drift onto blooming plants, including dandelions and clover in the lawn.

The 8th annual BEEVENT sponsored by Linn County Master Gardener Assoc. will be held March 5. Register at linnmastergardeners.com https://extension.oregonstate.edu/bee-atlas Benton County Master Gardeners. Membership Meetings: 3rd Monday October to May, 7:00 pm – currently on Zoom

Winter Garden Planning

According to many garden experts, winter is a time to slow down a bit. The garden is mostly dormant, the plant and seed catalogs have arrived, the weather is too harsh to do much outdoors. It’s the time to examine the bones of your garden, mull over what did and didn’t work in the previous growing season, and plan for next season. Oh, who am I kidding? Here in western Oregon, we’re lucky if we get a snow day or two, and we might stay in when it’s pouring. Otherwise, we’re out all winter, pruning, planting, cleaning up, making new beds and paths, harvesting winter vegetables, and all the other garden activities that a mild climate allows. Still, it is worth taking some time to plan. Here are a few things to focus on. Look out your windows Are there pleasing sights – evergreens, beautiful bark, berries, sculpture? If not, maybe you should add some. What was the foliage hiding? If an unsightly view has been revealed, consider planting something to hide it in winter. If an attractive view has been revealed, perhaps something should be removed or pruned to keep

it in view during the summer. Don’t be fooled by “empty” space Look at all that bare space once the summer foliage has died down! You will be very tempted to buy a bunch of plants to fill it up. Stop! Did you take any pictures last fall? (you should) Was there any room left then? I thought not. In a full border, a plant must die or be removed to make room for anything new. Remove plants that take more work than they are worth, spread too fast for their space, or are always unhappy. Then you’ll have room to add some exciting new plants.

Add Structure • Are there paths that allow you to move around with dry feet in winter? • A sheltered, sunny sitting area would capture the warmth of the low sun. • Add a bright focal point to a dull, foliage-heavy area. • If winter winds are strong, a hedgerow could provide shelter. By Signe Danler for CBUF - City of Corvallis Civic Beautification and Urban Forestry Advisory Committee

Crop Rotation

Crop Rotation Create a more efficient and resilient garden by utilizing crop rotation techniques. January is a great time to start this planning! What is Crop Rotation?  It is the practice of changing the location of plant families each season. What are some of the Benefits?  Reduce need for soil amendments  Limit pests and diseases How do you implement it?  Make a list of all the crops you grow and group them into their families (list of common families to the right).  Draw a diagram of your garden and note what families have been grown where over the previous seasons.  Depending on your space and how complex you want your rotations, plan to change vegetable locations annually. Ideally, you would not plant a crop family in the same spot for 3-4 years.

Common Veggie Families:  Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant)  Alliums (garlic, onions)  Brassicas (kale, cabbage, broccoli)  Cucurbits (squash, cucumbers, melons)  Carrot (carrots, parsley, celery)  Legumes (peas, beans) Helpful Resources:  Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast: “Crop Rotation”  WSU Extension: “Using Crop Rotation in Home Vegetable Gardens”  Seattle Urban Farm Co. Blog: “Crop planning: a year in my home garden”  WSU Extension Fact Sheet: “Cover crops for home gardens west of the cascades” Do you have a vegetable garden you want to show off? If you want your garden featured in the Food Action Team’s Edible Garden tours, please fill out our survey! You can find the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.co An example garden diagram with a m/r/7FTPKW9 four-year crop rotation. From WSU extension extension.wsu.edu/snohomish/croprotation/ Food Action Team -- Edible Garden Group CorvallisFoodAction@gmail.com fat-garden-group@googlegroups.com

Craving Winter Blooms?

Craving Winter Blooms? Winter blooming shrubs not only brighten winter gardens, but many are fragrant and/or provide winter food for bees or hummingbirds. There are many wonderful choices. Winter heath (Erica x Darleyensis) blossoms are covered with bees on warm days. Daphne is loved for its fragrance and many cultivars bloom in winter. Manzanita: Native in the west, these evergreens are tough and drought tolerant. They have lovely red bark. There are many sizes and forms, from ground cover to 12 feet tall. All bloom early and some bloom in winter. They are attractive to hummingbirds and bumblebees.

Winter Hazel (Corylopsis): You may know witch hazel but consider winter hazel too. This shrub bursts into bloom before leaves appear.

Royal Grevillea (Grevillea victoriae): This winter-blooming evergeen is native to Australia. Hummingbirds and bees love it.

Source: Trees and Shrubs for Fall and Winter Bloom. OSU Extension Service publication EM 9277. Photos: Neil Bell; J. Kehoe Benton County Master Gardeners. Membership Meetings: 3rd Monday October to May, 7:00 pm – currently on Zoom