THE EVENING GARDEN CLUB WISHES OUR FELLOW GARDENERS A FUN SPRING SOCIALLY DISTANT WALK!

"Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you."--Langston Hughes

"A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows."--Doug Larson

"Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration."--Lou Erickson
from Mike Garofalo’s Pulling Onions --

**When all the chores are done, the avid gardener will invent new ones.**Knee: a device for finding rocks in your garden.
**Gardening is a Sport.  Hoe for It!
**If you need five tools to solve a problem in the garden, four of them will be easy to find.  

The real meaning of plant catalog terminology:
"A favorite of birds"

means to avoid planting near cars, sidewalks, or clotheslines.
"Grows more beautiful each year"

means "Looks like roadkill for the foreseeable future."
"Zone 5 with protection" is a variation on the phrase "Russian roulette."
"May require support"

means your daughter's engineering degree will finally pay off.
"Moisture-loving"

plants are ideal for landscaping all your bogs and swamps.
"Carefree" refers more to the plant's attitude than to your workload.
"Vigorous" is code for "has a Napoleonic compulsion to take over the world."
"Grandma’s Favorite"

-- until she discovered free-flowering, disease-resistant hybrids.

The best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.  If it comes out of the ground easily, it’s a valuable plant.

**Q. What do you call it when someone commits murder with an apple?    A. Malus Aforethought!

**Q. What is a Honeymoon Salad?   A. Lettuce alone, with no dressing. 

Grow Your Own

Gardening is a great antidote for the stress and uncertainties associated with Covid-19.  It is a physical activity that can be done outside while maintaining social distance.  It provides for a future supply of fresh fruits and vegetables. And, there is nothing better than seeing a plant rise up from a seed to instill a bit of hope for a healthier future.

Here are some ways you can garden your way to a calmer state of mind in April:

Start your Vegetable Garden

• If you are new to gardening, OSU’s Master Gardener Program is offering free access to its on-line vegetable gardening  course through the end of April at https://workspace.oregonstate.edu/course/master-gardener-series-vegetable-gardening?hsLang=en Or go to our blog for the link

• If you already have a vegetable garden, April is a good time to directly sow broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, chives, endive, leeks, lettuce, peas, radishes, rhubarb, rutabagas, spinach and turnips.

• This is also a good time to start  tomatoes, peppers, basil and eggplants indoors from seed.

• If you do not have outdoor space for a garden, there are many herbs and vegetables that you can grow on a deck or porch, or even inside in pots. 

Buying Seeds and Plants 

• Many garden centers and nurseries are still open and are a great source for seeds and starter plants. In addition seeds and plants can be ordered on-line and through catalogs.

• Many annual plant sales and garden festivals are being cancelled or postponed, including the Benton County Master Gardener plant sale.   Be sure to double-check the dates and times of  any garden-related activities before heading out.  

Want to Grow your own Vegetables?

Here’s Some Local Online Resources to Help You

During this time of Staying Home, Staying Healthy, the posting last week from the Master Gardeners had a lot of good advice on how to get started gardening at home. This week’s posting from the Food Action Team provides local online resources to help you garden while staying home.

First is the booklet from our Team that has loads of information about local sources for your garden. If you don’t already have a copy of it, you can access it online. The link is
https://sustainablecorvallis.org/action- teams/food/garden-resource-guide/It will help you gather knowledge about growing your own food, getting what you need for your garden, even where you can find a place to grow fruits and vegetables, what to do with your bounty once you’ve harvested it, raising ducks and chickens in your backyard and even how to keep bees.
Second are three nurseries around Corvallis: Garland Nursery 5460 NE Hwy. 20 – 541-753-6601
www.garlandnursery.com
Shonnard’s Nursery 6600 SW Philomath Blvd. 541-929-3524 www.shonnards.com
Home Grown Gardens 4845 SE 3rd Street 541-758-2137 www.homegrowngardens77.vpweb.com

Third are the resources of a world-class university and its online resources for gardeners such as the following book for beginning gardeners:
Growing Your Own
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9027
as well as other publications in the OSU Extension Catalog.
Food Action Team – Edible Garden Group

Beauty Grows Here Award

Have you ever seen a garden that you thought should win an award? Thanks to CBUF, the Civic Beautification and Urban Forestry Committee of the Corvallis Parks & Recreation Department, there’s a way to do that. 

For 16 years, CBUF has been recognizing private front yard gardens in Corvallis with the Beauty Grows Here award. This program is designed to recognize landscapes and plantings that enhance the livability of the neighborhood and reflect the qualities of aesthetics, functionality, and environmental responsibility.

Here’s how it works:

1.    Any residential or commercial garden or landscaped area is eligible, as long as it is visible from the street.

2.    Anyone can nominate any qualified property, including one’s own.

3.    There is no cost to nominate a property.

4.    Nominations for multiple properties are welcome.

5.    Nominations are accepted and awards are presented year-round. There is no due date or deadline.

6.    Winning properties receive a certificate and a “Beauty Grows Here” yard sign (see the above logo). 

7.    Application forms are available online at www.corvallisoregon.gov/bc-cbufdac, and can also be picked up at Corvallis Parks & Recreation Headquarters, 1310 SW Avery Park Drive.

For more information please contact: 

Jude Geist

Corvallis Parks & Recreation Department

541-766-6967

jude.geist@corvallisoregon.gov