Garden Clippings

APRIL 2010                                                              McMinnville Garden Club

PO Box 386, McMinnville, OR

503-434-4344

 

 

June 27th, 2010,
Keep open for our tenth anniversary tour/faire: 

 you believe it?  Only 3 months until our 10th Annual Garden Tour and Garden Faire!  It was during one of these events that I discovered the wonderful McMinnville Garden Club!  Newly retired and filled with a hunger for learning about and growing plants, I eagerly joined.  Now, some six years later, both Mike and I are active members and serving as Garden Tour/Garden Faire Co-Chairs – the only annual fundraiser the Club has to generate the funds needed to support our benevolent community projects.

 posters are being printed and rack cards are nearly ready to begin distributing; committees are working hard to plan, organize and execute their multiple responsibilities.  It’s great to be a part of a big team working together!

 you’ll all be involved through the promotion and selling of Tour tickets.  We’ll have 800 to sell, or buy and gift, to people who love seeing beautiful gardens.  Our five Club members are working hard to “ready” their gardens for company!  It is our collective jobs to make sure the company is invited so they can enjoy each garden’s special beauty.

With Garden Joy,

Gaye & Mike Stewart, Co-Chairs    503-831-3087

 

April 19, 2010 – MEETING

Hillside Retirement Community “Activity Room” at the Manor

900 N. Hill Road McMinnville, OR  97128

PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO PARK IN THE CHURCH PARKING LOT

9:30a.m.  - 10:00a.m.  - Social time:

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Business Meeting and FUN:

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Mary Ludlum - Plants for 2010

 

 Mary Ludlum was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, and lived there until 2002. She retired after thirty years of adult critical care trauma nursing. She now enjoys life "on the farm" with llamas, goats, horses, dogs and, of course, her husband, not necessarily in that order!! She has been a Washington County Master Gardener, since 2005. Favorite gardening activities are propagating and weeding.  She enjoys working at Farmington Gardens - now in her fifth year. Mary will bring a selection of plants available at the meeting for purchase:  check (preferred) or cash.

Flowers to Share

Don't forget to bring your yard cuttings!  This can include flowers, branches, bulbs, etc.  There will be a flower container for you to add your finds to and help arrange.  During the meeting, we’ll select someone to take home the great bouquet all ready for their house.

*Remember:   “The Making a Difference Campaign” is a national garden club project.   Our Pioneer District is collecting inkjet, laser printer cartridges and cell phones that will be recycled.  If you have any that you wish to contribute to the project please bring them to a meeting and we will forward them to the Pioneer District.  They take clean bottle caps, the plastic ones that DON’T bend. No medicine bottle caps.  *Also bring your magazines to share with others.

 

April President’s message

“Dig In”

Develop Skills, Increase Civic Service, and Grow Friendships

by  Involvement & Nurturing 

Oh my!  Don’t they say when it rains it pours?  Once we turn the corner into Spring it feels like there are way too many choices to make!  Do I buy MORE plants, seeds, art?  Which nursery do I go to?  Do I have time to get to that Garden Arts show?  Do I take another class?  Which of the plant sales on April X do I go to?  Do I need any more trees in my yard? Do I go have fun or pull weeds or do laundry?  Will I remember to keep my calendar clear for the April 12 Third Street Cleanup by the infamous “bag” ladies/men? 

Whatever you do decide to do during this busy time, I’m hoping it includes our April 19 meeting.  During our business meeting, past Garden Tour/Faire chairs will be performing a skit for you.  No cameras please!  BUT large smiles and laughter are allowed. Our speaker from Farmington Gardens is going to introduce us to NEW plants for 2010 AND bring some to purchase!!!!  We are also starting to collect for our JUNE luncheon AND membership fees for the 2010-2011 club year!?  Can you believe it?  Please be sure to look at the membership directory information as you renew and correct it if something has changed.  AND those of you who don’t have pictures in the current directory, wear your biggest smiles!  We’ll have a camera available.  Teeheeeeee                                                                          

I’m looking forward to this busy time for garden lovers but I must admit that I have many not completed projects, plans and books on my mind.  Guess these rainy, windy days won’t be gone for good in Oregon just because we hit April.  I’ll look forward to them so I have an excuse to escape back into a restful day!  Hope to see you soon.   Patty

April 3rd – Saturday - Gardenpalooza
www.gardenpalooza.com/

April 3rd through May 23rd  - Saturdays and Sundays, 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m 5065 Raybell Road, St.Paul, Oregon, 7/10ths of a mile west of Highway 219 between St. Paul and Newberg

The Cecil and Molly Smith Garden, world renowned for its collection of species and hybrid rhododendrons, will be open during the blooming season, Saturdays and Sundays, April 3 through May 23, 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. This three-acre natural woodland setting also features choice trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and bulbs, including Cyclamen, Trillium, Erythronium and Narcissus which complement the over 600 rhododendrons and azaleas. Established in the early 1950's, the garden contains many rare species grown by Cecil Smith from seeds Imported from China and cuttings from England, as well as hybrids he developed. A selection of plants featured in the garden are available for purchase. There is a modest admission fee of $3.00. Due to the sloping site the garden is not considered handicap accessible. The garden is located at 5065 Ray Bell Road, St. Paul, Oregon, 7/10ths of a mile west of Highway 219 between St. Paul and Newberg. Turn west on Champoeg Road (look for the blue Heirloom Roses sign) and continue straight on to Ray Bell Road to the garden. Parking and entrance are on the right just past the house with the garden address.

April 6,  6 pm at Chan’s Restaurant - 632 NE Hwy. 99 in McMinnville.

YCMGA First Tuesday Dinner Meeting in April

Kuon Hunt, Windy Hill Farm Nursery, will share her expertise with us on WaterWise landscaping.

Starting in May, we will be alternating our monthly dinner meeting sites between McMinnville and Newberg.

 

April 9 (Friday -5:30-9:30) and April 10/11 (Saturday/Sunday& 11(9:00-3:30)

Currents Gallery of McMinnville is offering a Garden Sculpture/Water Feature workshop

lead by Sculptor, DJ Garrity. The artist, who served three tours of duty as Sculptor-In-Residence of the
 Mount Rushmore National Memorial, presents an innovative stone sculpture program, which was developed
 at Mount Rushmore and conducted nationally at major botanic gardens and museums.
 No previous experience is required and Garden Club Members receive a 30% fee reduction.
Space is limited. Register by contacting the Currents Gallery 532 NE 3rd. St., McMinnville (503) 435-1316.

The workshop fee is $285 (30% reduction for garden club members, which brings it to $199 including materials, tools and State accreditation, if desired)    Visit www.djgarrity.com          

 

Monday, April 12 / possibly Tuesday, April 13
It’s time for our annual “Bag Ladies” Third Street Cleanup.  We REALLY need lots of workers this year.  More info at meeting. Lunch at Golden Valley on Monday!  Save the date.  Meet 9:00 parking lot across from Macy’s with your gloves, clippers, brooms, etc.

April 10-11 - Arbutus Open Garden -   http://www.arbutusgarden.com/

Daffodil Festival in Amity April 10-11

http://www.amity.k12.or.us/HomeDocs/daffodil/Fifteenth%20Annual%20PROGRAM.pdf

 

GREAT SPEAKERS! APRIL 10 
 12:00 PM – Dulcy Mahar, The Oregonian, “A Trip Through Monet’s Garden at Giverney”.

2:00 Fred Weisensee, Dancing Oaks Nursery, “The Variety of Evergreens for Sun and Shade”.

April 10, 10am-4pm  Saturday, Newberg Camellia Festival
Sponsored by the Oregon Camellia Society and the City of Newberg., Chehalem Cultural Center, 415 E Sheridan Street/Newberg. Event includes a floral arrangement contest, photo contest, Ikebana demonstration by Portland Sogetsu School of Ikebana, and a performance by a quartet from music program at Newberg High School. Free event, all welcome.  This event is being supported by the our neighbor, Chehalem Garden Club in Newberg.

April 17-18 - Spring Plant Sale, Portland EXPO Center, sponsored by Hardy Plant Society of Oregon 503.224.5718. www.hardyplantsociety.org,

 

April 24 from 9 am until 3pm -  Yamhill County Master Gardener

PLANT FAIR & SALE - Yamhill County Fairgrounds

allmastergardener@lists.oregonstate.edu  YC Fairgrounds.
Thousands of ornamental and vegetable plants to choose from including a wide range of herbaceous perennials home grown by Master Gardeners

April 26 - FIELD TRIP
Chinese Gardens - Portland http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/

We will meet at 9:30 on Monday, at the Bethel Baptist Church to carpool to the Chinese Garden.  This month they have a special show of renowned ancient and contemporary kits.  Admission is $7.50 for those 62+ and $8/50 for 61-.  We will be met by Charlotte Klee who will give us a special guided tour of the garden.  If you wish to go on the field trip, but are unable to make the April meeting, please call Ann Silverthorne so she can add your name to the count.

Lunch will be at the Golden Horse restaurant and is $6.25, which includes soup of the day, egg roll, fried rice and tea.  They serve a variety of seafood and other luncheon meals between 11:00 and 3:00 pm. The menu can be viewed at :
 http://www.thegoldenhorse.info/

May 3  -  Library Plant Spring Cleanup -  9:30-11:30

MEMBER
PROFILE -
Anita Ragsdale
BY Jacci Reed

 
 

 

 

 


Anita Ragsdale was born at Yellowstone National Park where her grandmother ran a boardinghouse and her father was a chief clerk at the park.  They moved to Sequoia National Park when she was four years old where she went to grade school in the Three Rivers area.  When Anita’s father died, she moved with her mother and brother to Montana and graduated from Absarokee High School.   She attended college at the University of Montana and studied journalism but only used it a little bit in her working career.

Anita met her husband, Jim, at college and they married in 1949.  Jim was in retail sales and they moved 25 times in 62 years.  They had five children; Vicky, Steve, Kelly, Mark, and Jana who expanded the family to eleven grandchildren and they have added three great grandchildren.  They moved to Oregon in 1977 and to McMinnville in 1986 where they owned and retired from The Shoe Horn Store in downtown McMinnville.

Anita and Jim have traveled to Boston, New York, Salt Lake City and lots of Montana to see family and the sites.  They have also taken a European Tour, been to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and Hawaii.

Anita got her love for flower gardening and arranging from her mother, but she also likes current events clubs, used to play the piano and goes to work out at the cardiac Rehab three times a week.

At home they take care of a large cul-de-sac yard that features a rock dry stream with a wooden bridge.  They have walnut and hazelnut trees and blueberries.  Anita’s favorites are her flowers where she has a good selection for picking to use in the innumerable bouquets she arranges each week for church, endless events she beautifies and every month for our garden club’s hostess table.  She has served as our club’s treasurer several times, chaired lots of committees, assisted in many events and helped plant or clean-up lots of yards and the downtown.  And to all of this and to us she says, “Don’t Sweat It!”    What a treasure Anita is!!

         Recommended Reading from Garden Club members:

Ann Silverthorne                                                                                                            Adrienne Schouten

(Ann has this book if you want to borrow it.)

                                                              


FEEDING THE BIRDS (Part 2)

Suet is a good choice for attracting birds.  There are lots of different recipes on the internet for making your own suet or you can just buy suet cakes with seeds and berries included.  Be careful of offering suet in hot weather as it can become rancid. 

Birds enjoy berries growing in our yards.  Some plants include elderberry, cranberry bush, crabapple, Oregon grape, blueberries, blackberries, beautyberry, black currant, pyracantha, juniper, cotoneaster and many more. 

Nectar for hummingbirds is easy to make.  One part sugar to 3 or 4 parts of boiling water and stir well.  Cool in refrigerator.  No need to add red food coloring as the red color on the feeder will attract the birds.  Change the nectar often, especially during warm weather, to prevent mold.  Also, it will mold in the refrigerator if kept too long. 

I still have my ‘one’ hummingbird which I thought I had lost.  I kept forgetting to change the nectar, and when I finally took it down, there was a little mold.  I thought, “Oh no, I killed my hummingbird!”  But luckily, he did come back in spite of me! 

Other foods that can attract birds include popcorn (no salt or butter), pieces of fruit, peanut butter, soaked raisins and mealworms. 

Birds don’t really need to be fed as they can forage and find plenty of food.  But then we wouldn’t be able to enjoy their antics of fighting and flitting around in our backyards.  So feeding the birds seems like a good thing to me. 

Internet Links:  

Pioneer District Newsletter

http://gardencentral.org/oregon/pioneerdistrictnewsletter/

State website

http://oregongardenclubs.org/default.htm 

Hummingbird Feeding Tip  http://blog.oregonlive.com/homesandgardens/2010/03/feed_hummingbirds_some_protein.html

 

Daffodil Care   http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/story.php?S_No=669&storyType=garden

Garden Pest Strategies  http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/story.php?S_No=1095&storyType=garden