Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Garden Allies: The Insects, Birds, and Other Animals That Keep Your Garden Beautiful and Thriving

“ Garden Allies: The Insects, Birds, and Other Animals That Keep Your Garden Beautiful and Thriving” Monday, 1/3/2022
Frederique Laviopierre, as director of education at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, shared her enthusiasm for native plants and insects. Frederique has a strong background in entomology, sustainable landscapes and teaching as well as a knowledge of heirloom vegetables and culinary herbs from around the world. Following a brief introduction to conservation biological control and its benefits, she introduces life in the soil, pollinators and other flower visitors, predators and parasites. Her PowerPoint presentation is brought to life with photography of insects and gar- den habitats, illustrations from the book, and relevant anecdotes. The slide deck re- lies primarily on photos and illustrations, with a minimum of text on slides. Following a brief introduction to conservation biological control and its benefits, she introduces life in the soil, pollinators and other flower visitors, predators and para- sites, other common garden insects, spiders and other non - insect arthropods, and vertebrates. She will provide a few essential resources before taking questions. Zoom Webinar — Link sent to EGC members Not a member? Contact Michelle solemi@oregonstate.edu www.membership@corvalliseveninggardenclub.org ​

Monday, December 6, 2021

Love the Festive Look of Holly?

Love the Festive Look of Holly?
Who wouldn’t on a winter day? English holly (Ilex aqu
ifolium) is lovely and a holiday favorite. Birds and small mammals eat the berries, but they also disperse them. English holly invades natural areas and is considered an invasive species. Luckily for us, there are several other beautiful evergreen shrubs that we can plant as alternatives to English holly. Here are just two to consider: False holly is tough and drought tolerant. A lovely, colorful Pacific wax myrtle (Morella californica) is a large evergreen native shrub with aromatic leaves, fruits for wild birds and is resistant to deer.
variegated option is Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’. Benton County Master Gardeners Membership Meetings: 3rd Monday October to May, 7:00 pm – currently on Zoom