THE ISLAND GARDENER
APRIL ~ 2021
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Hello SUNSHINE!!!
Are you caught under the spell of the sunshine and warmth we've been having and getting all fired up about the impending gardening season? I know I am.
This month's newsletter is packed full of garden joy: OIGC Board members' favorite spring flowers, garden tips, some short videos of Bellevue Botanical Gardens for inspiration, lots of educational opportunities, a movie recommendation, inspirational Spring Salads 101 for those fresh garden greens, an inside look at the path to becoming a Master Gardener, and so much more.
Check out our May PHOTO CONTEST with a fabulous First Prize of 2 tickets to June's Safe Garden Tour. Deadline for photos is May 15th.
And don't forget to join us online at 10:30 am on Wednesday, April 21 to hear Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott's presentation about Gardening Myths. It's going to be a great program.
Membership continues to grow and we send out an enthusiastic welcome to those of you who are new members as well as a big thank you to renewing members. Welcome!
Until we meet again!
Nita Couchman
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Wednesday
April 21
@ 10:30am
The Orcas Island Garden Club presents . . .
Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott
The Informed Gardener:
Gardening Myths
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THIS MONTH'S FEATURED VIDEOS |
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Three Short Videos from
PUGET SOUND PUBLIC GARDENS
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Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
Orcas Island, April 1, 2021
(flowers and attendant pollinators yet to come)
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and on additional resources available at the two gardens featured in the videos. The first two videos are short tours of the beautiful Bellevue Botanical Garden – Summer and Fall. The third video features Judy Speidel’s sculptures at the Bloedel Reserve.
Summer at the Bellevue Botanical Garden :
Nancy Kortes, manager of the garden, gives a tour of the garden in the summer. Highlights include plants chosen for pollinators and for planting along roadways.
Bellevue Botanical Garden Autumn Update :
Cynthia Welte, Program Coordinator for the Bellevue Botanical Garden, gives a tour of the garden in the fall. Highlights include snowberry, a great native plant for pollinators and, she makes clear, for fun. There are views of two wonderful sculptures that are in the garden.
Judy Speidel at the Bloedel Reserve, from Sam Kuhn :
Sam Kuhn provides a video of Julie Speidel’s sculptures at the Bloedel Reserve. Speidel describes her inspiration for the sculptures, that is the rocks that moved with the glaciers to form Puget Sound and the surrounding islands.
Additional resources:
The Bloedel Reserve Website includes a section on do-it-yourself creativity:
Illustrator Dorota Huber-Lehigh provided illustrations of kingfishers and dragonflies that can be downloaded and colored.
Poet G.C. Waldrep provided a 3-part online class to guide personal poetry writing.
Submitted by Lene Symes, OIGC Program Chair
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***The Informed Gardener: Gardening Myths with Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott
An Orcas Island Garden Club Program - Webinar
April 21 at 10:30am
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Creating Community with Our Insect Neighbors with Dr. Nancy Lee Adamson
Ecological Landscape Alliance - Webinar
April 21@ 9:00 am PST (12:00 pm EST) (60 min. program)
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Insect Apocalypse? What Is Really Happening, Why It Matters and How We Can All Be a Vital Part of the Solution with Scott Hoffman Black
Xerxes Society - Webinar
April 22 @ 10:00 am (90 min. program)
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Great Islands Clean-Up
The Exchange
April 24 -- 10am to 2pm
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Natural Pest and Disease Control for Edibles
UW Botanical Gardens
This class will take you through the process of choosing the best site, building healthy soil and maintaining its fertility, and selecting seeds and starts that are well-suited for our climate.
$28 | Apr 27, 2021 6:30pm-8:00pm
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Curator Tour: Rhododendron Glen
UW Botanical Gardens
Ray Larson, Curator of Living Collections, will take us on a virtual journey through Rhododendron Glen, highlighting the stunning flowers and companion plants.
$15 | May 4, 2021 6:00pm-7:00pm
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From Egg to Empty Nest: How Birds Raise Their Young
UW Botanical Gardens
If you'd like to learn more about birds' strategies to reproduce, let master birder Connie Sidles show you the secrets of birds' parenting lives.
$25 | May 5, 2021 6:00pm-8:00pm
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Native Plants 101: Edible Native Plants
UW Botanical Gardens
Learn to safely identify some of our native edible plants here in the Puget Sound area as well as ways to incorporate native edibles into your home landscape and gardens.
$20 | May 10, 2021 6:30pm-8:00pm
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*** Insects in Your Garden: Identifying and Protecting Your Best Garden Friends with Kate Yturri
An Orcas Island Garden Club Program - Webinar
May 19 at 10:30am (90 min. program)
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Native Plants 101: Identification and Gardening
UW Botanical Gardens
Learn how to identify some of our native Washington plants.
$20 | Jun 14, 2021 6:30pm-8:00pm
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2021 OIGC Safe Garden Tour
Orcas Island Garden Club
June 26 and 27, 2021 -- SAVE-THE-DATE
Watch for more information coming soon
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MEMBERSHIP & MONTHLY DRAWING |
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This month we are welcoming NEW members Kathy Hendrickson, Sandi Friel, Suzette Lamb and Brett Lensing, and thanking RENEWING members and donors Nancy Reas and Michael Sterling. Thank you all for your support. Names of new and renewing members and donors are included in our monthly drawings.
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AND THE
WINNER IS
. . . . . .
AIMEE BEVERIDGE
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Russel Barsh's publication, Living and Landscaping with Bats in the San Juan Islands.
Donated by Darvill's Bookstore.
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AND THE
WINNER IS
. . . . .
CANDACE KRICK
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Four 5"x5" seed
starting trays
(donated by Tony Suruda)
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AND THE
WINNER IS
. . . . .
SUE LAMB
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Scarlet Ovation
Vaccinium Ovatum
from
Driftwood Nursery
(more plants like this are available at
Driftwood Nursery)
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AND THE
WINNER IS
. . . . .
SUSAN GORANSON
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Dr. Linda
Chalker-Scott's
award-winning book,
The Informed Gardener
(purchased at Darvill's where
more of Dr. Chalker-Scott's books are available)
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We've Made it Easier for You to Become a Member
We are happy to announce that memberships and donations can now all be done directly from our website at www.OrcasIslandGardenClub.org . We have added an electronic membership form and a PayPal option. For those of you who prefer to pay by check, you may still print and fill out a form and mail it to us with your check.
To renew your membership, become a member, or make a donation, please select whichever method works best for you. YOU could be the next lucky winner!!!!
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CAN'T REMEMBER WHETHER YOU'VE
RENEWED YOUR MEMBERSHIP?
Click on the button below to email our Membership chairs and find out.
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WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS . . . |
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My passion is native plants and increasing habitat for birds and pollinators.
I’ve been enjoying your newsletter and webinars and decided to join!
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BRETT LENSING & SUZETTE LAMB
Thank you for the warm welcome! We are excited to eventually get to meet everyone in person but are looking forward to the webinars.
We are new full-time residents of Orcas and moved here from Idaho at the end of last year. Brett has gardening experience from his childhood but as adults neither of us have had the opportunity to design, start, grow and maintain our own garden. We now have a little land and are trying to learn as much as we can about the climate and soil of the island by taking farm tours, exploring, and reading/researching. We are both life-long learners and are excited to meet experienced gardeners and share in their wisdom. Ultimately our goal is to grow our own food (we love to cook too!) and create a beautiful space.
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I enjoy watching my plants grow (both house plants and in our yard). In the winter I love starting new seedlings in my sunny windows. In the spring / summer I like to grow tomatoes and flowers in containers on my deck. I look forward to learning more from your presentations and connecting with some master gardeners. I grew up in a family that loved growing vegetables, so it's in my DNA. |
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Spring is bursting out all over and Garden Club Board members are excited about sharing some of our favorite spring bloomers! ENJOY! |
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"Just a little green.
Like the color when the spring is born."
-Joni Mitchell
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Amaryllis vittata "Red Giant"
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Jan Jacobson ~ Skunk Cabbage |
This is spring on Entrance Mountain. Skunk Cabbage is pretty -- really it's pretty --especially in large groups. It is a nice splash of color in our winter green, grey and brown. We look forward to them.
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Lene Symes ~ Flowering Currant |
A few years ago I planted a red flowering currant that brought hummingbirds when it bloomed. It died abruptly and because I was not sure why, I did not replace it. This year, on the second day of spring, I was delighted to discover a volunteer red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) in bloom on our property. A lovely native shrub for birds and other pollinators, as Eileen Stark, author of Real Gardens Grow Natives, shows in this blog entry: http://www.realgardensgrownatives.com/?p=4493
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Linda Armstrong ~ Peonies |
Peonies are my favorite spring flower. Paired with Snap Dragons they make a showy display of beauty in a vase. This photo is from my Orcas garden. It will be another month, or so, until snow melts here in the Boise foothills. Can hardly wait to see what is revealed. It will be my first spring in my new Idaho home. |
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Perri Gibbons ~ Hellebore |
My latest Spring flower crush is Hellebores, more commonly known as Lenten Roses, since they often bloomed around Easter. But, they come in such a range of colors and bloom times, you could have them blooming during most of the winter. I believe this one is Silver Veil which has been blooming since February! Even if she didn't flower, I'd love her for the foliage! |
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Laura Walker ~ Persian Lily |
I have enjoyed watching these early blooming Fritillaria persica bulbs. Their common name is Persian Lily and they boast stems as tall as 3 feet with up to 30 deep dark purple nearly black bell-shaped flowers on each stalk. Simply beautiful. Supposedly deer resistant but I’m not taking any chances :)
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Nita Couchman ~ Skunk Cabbage |
Nothing says "spring" to me like the first glimpse of these neon yellow flashes standing sentinel in a moist, dark gulley. They are the promise of more to come.
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My favorites are trillium and skunk cabbage.
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Karen Hiller ~ Kinnikinnick & Vinca |
There are “filler” plants on the VERY rocky hillside I garden on. They are very cheerful and my heralding plants of Springtime! The pink is kinnikinnick and the purple is vinca, which to my amazement, just spreads itself along the rocks. |
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DEADLINE for SUBMISSION:
MAY 15, 2021
Prize-winning photos will be published in the May newsletter with photo credits.
File format for photos: JPEG
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And now it's YOUR turn to submit your photos. Deadline for submission: MAY 15.
What says "SPRING" to you? Judging will be done by OIGC Board members based on 3 criteria:
- spring appeal
- photo quality
- happiness elicited
PRIZES:
First Prize: 2 Garden Tour tickets
Second Prize: OIGC tote bag *NEW* + goodies Third Prize: OIGC window cling *NEW* + goodies
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EARTH DAY 2021 -- APRIL 22 |
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Wondering what you can do to join Earth Day efforts?
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
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Add reusable eating utensils to your everyday carry bag
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Don't forget your reusable shopping bags.
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Consider making more of your meals plant-based.
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Take action -- get involved in speaking up for the earth.
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SAVE-THE-DATE --- MAY 19 at 10:30 am
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OIGC MAY PROGRAM with Kate Yturri:
INSECTS IN YOUR GARDEN:
Identifying and Protecting Your Best Garden Friends
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The Orcas Island Garden Club is pleased to announce that our May speaker will be KATE YTURRI. Kate will discuss how to identify, protect, and encourage beneficial insects in your garden. She will share fascinating information about insects, their life cycles, and their importance to gardeners.
Kate Yturri is a SJC Master Gardener who aspires to improve her skills as an amateur entomologist and to inspire others to advocate for insects. She has lived in Washington for 30 years and retired to Orcas Island 9 years ago. She loves gardening in her edible and ornamental gardens, but especially enjoys identifying, observing, and protecting the insects who live in them.
Learn more about Kate in this month's "Getting to Know You" article later in this issue.
This program will be a Zoom presentation hosted by the Orcas Island Library and begins at 10:30 a.m. The link to join the Webinar is:
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DID YOU MISS LAST MONTH'S VIRTUAL PRESENTATION
by Russel Barsh about bats ???
You can view the recorded program at:
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RAVE REVIEWS:
"So very cool how Russel made it relevant to the SJIs and Orcas in particular."
"What a useful, fun program to highlight how fauna can greatly benefit our gardens."
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Click on the buttons below for the handouts from Russel Barsh's presentation: a manual for bat owners; instructions for building your own bat house; and a materials list. |
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JOURNEY TO BEING A MASTER GARDENER |
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Craving to learn all things flora and fauna with a healthy desire to fill my spirit with happiness and to send off the sad stressful covid cloud, I eagerly signed up for the Washington State University Home Horticulture training late in 2020 that began in January. I did so without hesitation for I knew it was just the thing to refocus me. This is the first step in the Master Gardener journey. Gardening has always been in my blood, I just never realized it.
Inspired by a high school elective horticultural class, I was fascinated by the botanical names of plants we were required to memorize as well as astounded by the miracle of plant growth. I remember being responsible for hand watering hundreds of geraniums one summer for the annual school sale. Every late afternoon I would report to the greenhouses and recall the lovely earthy smell, the fuzzy feel of the plants and gorgeous vibrant colors. Little did I know that I would find my way back to gardening 40 years later.
Committed to my quest to complete my delayed training, I came to the realization that it had been more than a decade since I had experienced a formal education setting. I pondered, how hard could this course be given how intent I was to learn this mysterious botanical world plus being retired now, with no plans of travel or family visitors due to the pandemic, I had lots of time right? As with all big steps we make into the unknown, revelations abound along the way but looking back it was the best decision I could have made. I hope you find the information I have uncovered about the program both interesting and enticing. Take heed, you may just throw caution to the wind and be drawn as I was to the possibility of becoming a Master Gardener.
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Did you know that the WSU Master Gardener Program is WSU’s most famous outreach program and the only uniquely WSU program that has been adopted both nationally and internationally? Active in 36 of our 39 counties, the WSU Master Gardener Program has over 4,000 active adult Master Gardener Volunteers working on behalf of WSU Extension.
The purpose of the WSU Extension Master Gardener Program is to train volunteers to
teach local community members to:
- manage their landscapes in a science-based, sustainable manner using integrated pest management (IPM) methods;
- address environmental and social issues such as proper recycling, water conservation, and water quality protection;
- work to reduce the negative impact of invasive species; and,
- increase public awareness of healthy living through gardening and the proper application of IPM techniques.
They do this through staffing plant problem clinics, maintaining demonstration gardens, providing educational and community outreach through teaching and mentoring adults and youth in a variety of settings and platforms, and by continuing their own education.
Our state WSU Extension Master Gardener Program Coordinator lead, Jennifer Marquis, is the overall coordinator/organizer of the Home Horticulture Training.
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Caitie Blethen coordinates the local San Juan County WSU Extension Master Gardener Program. Caitie shared, “The WSU Home Horticulture training is an exciting opportunity that provides participants with a comprehensive, science-based horticulture training and certificate, during these difficult times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once in-person training can occur, our local WSU Master Gardener program will offer an in-person training that covers many of the same topics for those wishing to become certified WSU Master Gardeners.” |
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When asking a few fellow Orcas Master Gardeners about their reflection on the experience, Kate Yturri stated, "Even after gardening for most of my life, I continually learn new things as a master gardener volunteer, and have made many friends." Michael Sterling had a lot to share as well. “If you like to play in the dirt and rocks, go take the master gardener program. I took it the first time and thought I knew everything. I took it again as a business owner and realized I didn’t know much. Being a master gardener gives you information, a good base for making decisions. Gives you more confidence.” He noted his favorite volunteer experience was having people bring him a couple of crumpled up leaves and helping them try to diagnosis their plant issue. More information can be found about Michael's business at https://www.sterlingscapes.com/
Like Michael, I am learning that I have much to learn about the Master Gardener’s program but I hope you’ve enjoyed the snippets of information I have shared. This is part one of a two part article series, so keep your eyes out for more interviews with Master Gardeners and my continued journey in next month's newsletter.
~ submitted by Laura Walker, OIGC Board Member
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SAVE-THE-DATE : MAY 5 - 12
Master Gardener Plant Sale
Order online May 5 - 12 - link to be announced
Pick up plants in Eastsound on May 23 (location to be announced)
WATCH FOR MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
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It's April! The sun is shining, the birds are singing and gardeners are eager to get planting. Not so fast, you Hasty Hannahs and Harrys!!! Be sure you're not jumping the gun with heat-loving plants like tomatoes and corn.
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Feeling green? Now is the time for you salad lovers: spinach, lettuce, chard, bok choy . . . whatever your healthy heart is craving.
TIP: KEEP PLANTING WEEKLY TO INSURE A
CONTINUOUS HARVEST
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To add to your salad bowl, plant radish, pea and carrot seeds. Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower can be directly sown or transplanted out as seedlings. You can also plant onion sets and seed potatoes. |
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TIP: USE ROW COVERS LIKE REMAY CLOTH TO DETER
CABBAGE MOTHS, SLUGS, AND CURIOUS BIRDS
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But, if you're also hankering for some color, I hear you!
Treat yourself with some cool weather annual flowers including calendulas, cosmos, bachelor buttons, pansies, nigella and snapdragons.
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TIP: IF YOUR SPRING BULBS ARE DONE FLOWERING, YOU CAN SNIP
THE FLOWER, BUT LET THE LEAVES DIE BACK ON THEIR OWN.
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Get a head start on weeding to nip those bad boys in the bud. If you get on top of them early, it will help you down the road. Hey, on the bright side, we don't have to water!
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TIP: IF YOU SEE APHIDS ON TENDER NEW GROWTH, YOU CAN BLAST
THEM OFF WITH A STRONG SPRAY OF WATER. THEY CAN'T CLIMB BACK UP
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Submitted by Perri Gibbons, OIGC Board Member |
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MOVIE RECOMMENDATION:
This Beautiful Fantastic
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Subtitle Suggestion: The Secret Garden for Adults
The beautiful is in the transformation of a young woman through gardening. The fantastic is the slight mysticism woven through the story.
Meet Bella Brown, an unusual woman with OCD tendencies. She arranges her food precisely, wears dark clothing and works at an excessively rigid library (obviously not filmed on Orcas). When she gets into a tiff with her neighbor about her neglect of the garden, she’s threatened with eviction (they take gardening seriously in England!).
There are so many poetic sentiments in this film. “A true gardener can create more happiness propagating life from one seed and seeing that single flower unfold, than the rich man could ever get from his perfect rolling lawns.” Lovely cinematography captures the beauty of plants and the joy they bring their caretakers. And a sweet romance.
“Creating a garden starts as an interest and soon becomes a lifetime’s obsession.”
~ Submitted by Perri Gibbons, OIGC Board Member
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GETTING TO KNOW YOU : KATE YTURRI |
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Kate Yturri has been gardening since she was about 6 or 7 years old, learning from her dad, who is now a 94-year-old Master Gardener in Texas. He is an organic veggie guy and loves roses, zinnias and marigolds as well. Once out on her own, Kate always had a garden, though many have not been very well tended or productive like the one she and her best friend planted in their unkempt backyard in college under a giant pecan tree.
After moving to SW Washington in 1990, Kate and her family began coming to Orcas and Lopez Island for summer vacations to kayak, bike and relax. Once the boys were out of the house, Kate and her husband still vacationed here and then decided to retire on Orcas in 2009. They finally moved here permanently in 2012.
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Kate has an organic vegetable garden in raised cedar beds made for her by her husband. She grows vegetables year round and does a fair amount of canning and drying but mostly she eats her veggies fresh. Her veggie garden is filled with flowers too -- cosmos, zinnias, marigolds, alyssum and dahlias. She also has a fenced Mediterranean garden which she does not water, and an unfenced ornamental garden filled with plants the deer mostly do not eat. They have a small orchard, tended primarily by her husband who also grows hybrid tea roses that bloom throughout spring, summer and fall. He also has a large worm bin and supplies their gardens with lots of rich vermi-compost fertilizer. |
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In 2012, Kate became a member of the Orcas Island Garden Club and has served on the board as Secretary, on the Program Committee for 2 years, and then as President for 2 terms in 2016-2018. Her proudest achievement during her term of office was the many members-only events that were offered -- pruning workshops with Marguerite Greening and the visit to Far Reaches Farm among them. They were always so much fun and she got to meet new members. She has also been a Master Gardener since 2013 and loves the mission of that program and all the volunteer activities.
When asked if she had a favorite plant, Kate couldn’t pick just one. She said she really loves so many that she cannot choose, but if someone told her she could only grow one veggie, it would be salad greens. And only one flower -- it would be a fragrant rose. Her favorite is the Love and Peace rose -- a cross between a Peace rose and a wild deep pink rose.
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Kate’s garden passion has always been insects. Her favorite is probably a Rhododendron leafhopper. So beautiful and interesting looking! Her dad helped her with a science project when she was in 7th grade which involved going to many different ecosystems and collecting insects. They did this together. He drove Kate to various locations and gave her lots of advice. The project was one she was proud of and included a large collection of insects with information about their different environments and interactions. and is a wonderful memory.
We are so lucky to have gardeners like Kate on Orcas -- knowledgeable, passionate, and generous with her time and sharing of information. Thank you, Kate!
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You won't want to miss Kate's upcoming Garden Club presentation
on May 19 at 10:30 am titled INSECTS IN YOUR GARDEN.
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Today
~ Billy Collins
If ever there were a spring day so perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze
that it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house
and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,
a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies
seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking
a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,
releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage
so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting
into this larger dome of blue and white,
well, today is just that kind of day.
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THIS MONTH'S RECIPES: SPRING SALADS |
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Spring Salads 101
It was important to my mother that we eat fresh healthy meals and so iceberg lettuce, waxy-skinned cucumbers, and large taste-free tomatoes waited in the pale blue salad bowl every dinner. There was always some kind of sweet dressing, most likely Catalina, similar to a milkshake in sweetness, but more orange and dairy-free. It made eating something we thought was healthy palatable, and we ate our salads with the same gusto as the canned plums and fruit cocktail that were our weekday desserts. Not all salad came in a bowl. Aspic was popular and my mom unsuccessfully tried to convince us that jello could be savory. Non-mom family consensus was that we wasted a good salad with lime jello (green!) with diced carrot, celery, and onion. We can do better. And today’s salad offerings aim to elevate, satisfy, and provide endless variety to sustain you regardless of family history and/or haunting salads of your past. Choose, vary, repeat. Find your salad joy. Click to continue reading . . .
~ Helen Huber, OIGC Board Member
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The first Saturday in May is World Naked Gardening Day.
Please be extra careful with your garden tools!
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And now it's YOUR turn.
Tell us what you think about the newsletter.
How can we make it better?
Your ideas? What would you like to read about?
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PRESIDENT:
PROGRAMS:
MEMBERSHIP:
MEMBERSHIP:
GARDEN TOUR:
GARDEN TOUR:
SECRETARY:
TREASURER
COMMUNICATIONS:
PAST PRESIDENT:
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Nita Couchman
Lene Symes
Perri Gibbons
Karen Hiller
Sally Hodson
Laura Walker
Jan Jacobson
Tony Suruda
Helen Huber
Linda Armstrong
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Orcas Island Garden Club
P. O. Box 452
Eastsound, WA 98245
oigc376@gmail.com
www.orcasislandgardenclub.org
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