Cover photo by Emily Schiller, MG 2008
for more fantastic flora photos, see Emily's blog:
From the Coordinator's Desk
Beth Chisholm, MG Coordinator
The new class has completed the 12 week course and now will sink their teeth into community volunteering. Stay tuned for details about their projects and other updates from this great group!
2016 is the International Year of the Pulses!
International Year of Pulses
http://www.fao.org/pulses-2016/en/How to Grow Dry Beans Factsheet
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/FS135E/FS135E.pdf
Growing Pulses with kids
http://vegetables.wsu.edu/schoolgarden/
Publications
Pepper Lovers- just in time a new fact sheet. Visit this page for tips on growing spicy and sweet peppers. The NEW fact sheet is also at this site!
http://mtvernon.wsu.edu/path_team/pepper.htm
Tap into this WSU resource: http://gardening.wsu.edu/ is a great site, covering everything from lawn care to organic gardening.
25th Anniversary Plant Sale
Many thanks to all the volunteers that helped to make the sale a great success. Your time, dedication and expertise in all areas is greatly appreciated. The plants were amazing! Thanks to Whatcom County Parks, and our vendors and nonprofits.
Vendors
Sunbreak Nursery
Shady Pond Tree Farm
Tuxedo Garden
Cascadia Mushrooms
Dicks Landscaping
Backlane Gardens
Wired Coffee
Chihuahua’s Mexican Restaurant
Non-Profits
Mt Baker Beekeepers
Whatcom Conservation District
Noxious Weed Board
Bellingham Food Bank
WSU Hosted Booths
Composting
Kid’s activity table
Save the Date
The 21st Annual WSU Whatcom County Advanced Training
October 21, 2016 • St. Luke’s Community Health Education Center • Bellingham
A full day of continuing education (5hrs credit), lunch, vendors, raffle and more. Stay tuned for details and learn how to get involved.
Calendar of Events
NOTE: there will be NO monthly foundation meeting for JUNE
May 26
Plant ID Study Group Outing at Ladies of the Lake
Thursday, May 26 • 9-11am • 4101 S. Bay Dr., Sedro Woolley, WA 98284.
See description below.
May 28
Compost Workshop at York Farm
Saturday, May 28 • 11am-Noon • York Farm
Learn the art and science of decomposition; how to grow soil, attract worms, recycle kitchen scraps, and create steamy weed-killing compost piles.
June 9
WSU Anaerobic Digestion Systems Field Day Lynden, WA.
Thursday, June 9th • 8:30am-3pm • Meet at Mt. Baker Rotary Building at the NW WA Fair 1775 Front St.
Researchers at Washington State University, working with commercial partners, invite you to participate in an upcoming field day to showcase anaerobic digestion and nutrient recovery technologies and the lessons learned over the past three years. The field day, hosted by WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, will showcase various topics including fine solids recovery; advanced nutrient recovery approaches; nutrient recovery products and their agronomic use; water quality and food safety issues; economics; and the potential for integration of biochar with AD systems. The event includes bus transportation to and from the farms, so registration is required. For more information and to register for this event please visit: http://csanr.wsu.edu/ad-field-day/.
June 9
Foundation Field Trip to Extension Research Station
8:45am • Carpool at the WFC TRUE VALUE parking lot in Fairhaven
We will have a planned tour with Carol Miles and do plan on a packed lunch for the day.
June 11
Lynden Library Workshop Series: Berries
Saturday, 1 - 2 pm • Lynden Library
Free community workshop
Food crops that you can savor
July 14
Foundation Event: Field trip to Canada
Note: this is a BC trip, so bring a passport or appropriate ID
Big Bus Tour to Southlands Nursery and VanDusen Garden. We have 15 so far for the tour so don't delay! Send your checks made out to Master Gardener Foundation, $56.00, and mail to Judy Boxx at 270 E Laurel, Bellingham WA 98226
June 17
Foundation Event: Tour of Local Gardens
10:30am: Robin Covert on the Boyer Rd
Noon: Kathleen Bander, 1841 Smith Road
Flat bread luncheon made in Kathleen's pizza oven to follow (bring your favorite toppings!)
August 11
Foundation Event: Hovander Picnic
September 8
Foundation Presentation: Putting Your Garden to Bed
Thursday, 7:30 - 9 pm • WSU Extension Office, 1000 N Forest St Suite, Bellingham
Presenter: Marcie, Garden Spot Nursery
Detailed Information
Foundation Events
Contact Barb Schickler (barbaraschickler2@gmail.com) or Kathleen Bander (kbwm@camano.net) with ideas about future presenters, subjects for presentations, or possible field trips.
Master Gardener Bus Trips
Please click here for details
Monthly Plant ID Study Group
Plant ID Study Group Outing at Ladies of the Lake
Thursday, May 26 • 9-11am • 4101 S. Bay Dr., Sedro Woolley, WA 98284
A walk-about on Whatcom Land Trust’s property, Ladies of the Lake Preserve. The walk will be led by Mark Turner, a Land Trust volunteer, native plants photographer and MG graduate. Dennis Conner, of Land Trust, will give a little history of the property and what has been done in the water shed to preserve water quality. He had the following to say about our organization:
"The Master Gardeners are near and dear to my heart. During my tenure at Hovander Park they gave thousands of hours of volunteer time to enhance the beauty and educational opportunities for the benefit of the community. As an organization, and individually, they are committed to education and to improving the well being of our community in many different ways…Mark is an accomplished photographer, author and Native plant expert. He is a stalwart volunteer for the Land Trust. Any time we have a need for a Native plant program or plant questions in general he is always at the top of our list. His willingness to assist this organization and our community in general can never be over stated.” -Dennis Connor
We'll meet at the property on the south end of Lake Whatcom a few minutes before 9am. We will be meandering through the area looking at the native plants. Wear shoes for possible damp conditions and layer clothing for cool or warm weather or light rain. A native plants book is useful, like Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, BC and Alaska by Pojar and MacKinnon.
Bring samples of plants to identify from your yard as you like. We always spend a little time on domestic plants and “mysteries.”
Directions: From Bellingham, take Interstate 5 South to exit 240 toward Lake Samish Rd. Turn left at Lake Samish Rd, and continue to Alger Cain Lake Rd. Continue on Cain Lake Rd. Turn right on South Bay Drive/Lake Whatcom Blvd and continue 3.4 miles. Ladies of the Lake Preserve will be on your right, 4101 South Bay Drive.
Those coming from east of Bellingham may wish to follow Lake Whatcom Blvd to the south end (South Bay Drive) and continue 3.4 miles to the location above.
Questions may be directed to:
Karen Gilliam, (360) 384-4562, jkgilliam@gmail.com
Louise Granger, (360) 592-5316, rutroad@gmail.com
President's Message
Linda Burshia Battle, MG Foundation President
It's hard to believe that the flurry of the plant sale is over. What an amazing accomplishment this annual fundraiser is for the Whatcom County Master Gardener Foundation. Through all the planning, orchestration and hard work the true spirit of altruism and volunteerism shine through. Great appreciation and admiration go out to all those who helped with this endeavor.
The funds raised will go towards, most importantly, helping fund Beth's position. She is the captain of our ship and works diligently to keep us on course. The funds also will provide some support to each new class and to their projects. Another important piece would be the ongoing programs and gardens. Teaching, sharing and volunteering all go a tremendous way towards promoting, and improving our Master Gardener Program. Thanks to all!
There are many fun adventures planned this summer. Hope to see you on the bus.
Enjoy this beautiful spring.
2016 Master Gardeners
Plant Sale
Once again, a huge thank
you to all the volunteers who worked at the 2016 Master Gardeners Plant
Sale. Eighty five people used Sign Up
Genius to volunteer and several people signed up for more than one activity
which was very much appreciated! Even though we had a smaller number of plants
this year, the sale was still a success. The approximate net income was
$13,190. The plant sale committee met yesterday and we have lots of good ideas
on how to make the 2017 plant sale even more successful.
Lyn Morgan-Hill
Plant Sale Committee
Coordinator
Volunteer Opportunities
Note: The MCR logo denotes volunteer opportunities for Master Gardeners AND Master Composters
WSU Extension Events
Sustainable Living Festival
June 25 • Sustainable Connections
Compost education demonstration
Contact Amber Kelley: akelley@wsu.edu
***Volunteers Needed***
NW WA Fair
August 15-20 • Lynden Fairgrounds
Need a team of 4 people to create a theme for this years educational booth at the fair.
Planning Starts in late May.
***Volunteers Needed***
Weekly Drop-In Opportunities
Gardening with Youth
Meridian Middle School
Tuesdays • 2:45-4:45pm • Meridian Middle School (MMS)- 861 Ten Mile Rd.
Work with middle school students in the garden after school.
Contact: Beth Chisholm or Phyllis Berquist, MMS staff: pbergqui@meridian.wednet.edu
Fairhaven Middle School
Wednesdays 3-4:30 pm • Fairhaven Middle School (FMS)
Work with middle school students; teaching, planting, harvesting, composting.
Blaine School/ Community Garden
Children’s garden —Boys & Girls Club
Contact master gardener Ayn Balback for details: enchaynting@hotmail.com
Northwest Youth Services WE GROW Vocational Garden
Mondays • 1-5pm • NWYS Garden, 1020 N State St, Bellingham, WA 98225
Volunteer with other MGs in this large urban garden, work with at risk teens. Contact Kali Crow Liester for more details: kcrowliester@gmail.com
Community Gardens and Demonstration Gardens
Hovander Demonstration Garden
Wednesdays, 9am-noon • Hovander Homestead Park in Ferndale
Lend a hand, gain skills in weed ID, composting, and gardening with vegetables, flowers, and herbs.
***Volunteers Needed at the Compost Demonstration Site***
Roeder Home
Tuesdays,1-4pm • 2600 Sunset Dr. Bellingham
Master Gardeners volunteer weekly at this historic home. Drop in or contact Shelly Fishwild for more info.
Francis Place Garden
Tuesdays, 4-6pm • Francis Place Housing 1122 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
Rooftop vegetable gardening for the residents at Francis Place. Mentor, teach, grow food, harvest, prepare. Contact Beth Chisholm and/or Malora Christensen, MSW, Catholic Community Services, Housing Services Manager: (360)393-7745
Ferndale HS Shift Foods program Ferndale Food Bank, Ferndale Friendship Garden (FFG)
Contact: Suzanne Nevan, Ferndale Foodbank Director: director@ferndalefoodbank.org
Shift Program: http://shiftfoods.org/journal/2016/4/23/april-update-hoop-house-in-pre-production
Gloria Perez, MG vol and lead at FFG
Sterling Paz Community Garden
Saturdays, 9am-noon • 558 Sterling Dr, Bellingham, WA 98226
Work parties are scheduled bi-monthly. Dates TBA. Garden, maintain the compost demo area, compost kitchen scraps in the worm bin, aprende hablar español, and weed to your heart's content!
Monthly Opportunities
Diagnostic Plant Clinic
WSU Extension Office
Schedule a shift throughout the week:
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/mastergardener/calendar.html
Farmers Market Booth
One Saturday a month in June, July, Aug, Sept
Writing & Photography for The Weeder's Digest
See submission guidelines here (http://mgwhatcom.blogspot.com/p/submit-article.html)
WSU Extension Events
Sustainable Living FestivalJune 25 • Sustainable Connections
Compost education demonstration
Contact Amber Kelley: akelley@wsu.edu
***Volunteers Needed***
NW WA Fair
August 15-20 • Lynden Fairgrounds
Need a team of 4 people to create a theme for this years educational booth at the fair.
Planning Starts in late May.
***Volunteers Needed***
Weekly Drop-In Opportunities
Gardening with Youth
Meridian Middle School
Tuesdays • 2:45-4:45pm • Meridian Middle School (MMS)- 861 Ten Mile Rd.
Work with middle school students in the garden after school.
Contact: Beth Chisholm or Phyllis Berquist, MMS staff: pbergqui@meridian.wednet.edu
Fairhaven Middle School
Wednesdays 3-4:30 pm • Fairhaven Middle School (FMS)
Work with middle school students; teaching, planting, harvesting, composting.
Blaine School/ Community Garden
Children’s garden —Boys & Girls Club
Contact master gardener Ayn Balback for details: enchaynting@hotmail.com
Northwest Youth Services WE GROW Vocational Garden
Mondays • 1-5pm • NWYS Garden, 1020 N State St, Bellingham, WA 98225
Volunteer with other MGs in this large urban garden, work with at risk teens. Contact Kali Crow Liester for more details: kcrowliester@gmail.com
Community Gardens and Demonstration Gardens
Hovander Demonstration GardenWednesdays, 9am-noon • Hovander Homestead Park in Ferndale
Lend a hand, gain skills in weed ID, composting, and gardening with vegetables, flowers, and herbs.
***Volunteers Needed at the Compost Demonstration Site***
Roeder Home
Tuesdays,1-4pm • 2600 Sunset Dr. Bellingham
Master Gardeners volunteer weekly at this historic home. Drop in or contact Shelly Fishwild for more info.
Francis Place Garden
Tuesdays, 4-6pm • Francis Place Housing 1122 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
Rooftop vegetable gardening for the residents at Francis Place. Mentor, teach, grow food, harvest, prepare. Contact Beth Chisholm and/or Malora Christensen, MSW, Catholic Community Services, Housing Services Manager: (360)393-7745
Ferndale HS Shift Foods program Ferndale Food Bank, Ferndale Friendship Garden (FFG)
Contact: Suzanne Nevan, Ferndale Foodbank Director: director@ferndalefoodbank.org
Shift Program: http://shiftfoods.org/journal/2016/4/23/april-update-hoop-house-in-pre-production
Gloria Perez, MG vol and lead at FFG
Sterling Paz Community Garden
Saturdays, 9am-noon • 558 Sterling Dr, Bellingham, WA 98226
Work parties are scheduled bi-monthly. Dates TBA. Garden, maintain the compost demo area, compost kitchen scraps in the worm bin, aprende hablar español, and weed to your heart's content!
Monthly Opportunities
Diagnostic Plant Clinic
WSU Extension Office
Schedule a shift throughout the week:
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/mastergardener/calendar.html
Farmers Market Booth
One Saturday a month in June, July, Aug, Sept
Writing & Photography for The Weeder's DigestSee submission guidelines here (http://mgwhatcom.blogspot.com/p/submit-article.html)
Composting in Pictures, Spring 2016
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| Hot composting at Hovander Photo by Tony Welch |
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| Drying out grass clippings to create "brown" material Photo by Tony Welch |
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| 160 F - hot enough to kill pathogens, weeds, and most seeds Photo by Tony Welch |
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| Mill Shires at Happy Valley Community Garden |
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| Amber Kelley building worm bins at the 2016 MG Plant Sale |
Remembering Allen E. McHenry
On May 1, the Whatcom County Master Gardener family lost one of our long time members. Al McHenry past away in Lynden. Below is his obituary from the Bellingham Herald.
Allen E. McHenry
Obituary
Allen E. McHenry, age 86, of Lynden passed away after a long battle with Parkinson's disease at the Christian Health Care Center on May 1, 2016. Allen was born in Jacksonville, Florida on September 9, 1929 to John H. and Myrtle (Lane) McHenry. He graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, where he began Track and Field. Allen received an athletic scholarship for the High Jump to the University of Alabama. After college Allen served in both the Navy and Army. He represented the latter at the 1952 Olympic Trials. He remained in the Army Reserves for 30 years, retiring at the rank of Colonel. Allen married Cleo K. Bliss on April 10, 1953 and they had three children, Blair McHenry, Kent (Rhonda) McHenry, and Laurie (Bob) Comley. Allen worked for the Washington State department of Transportation for 32 years. After retiring he worked for the Whatcom County Master Gardeners where he taught pruning and grafting classes. Allen had a love of fishing and the outdoors; he enjoyed his gardening, and passing on his knowledge to others. Services with military honors will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 14th, 2016 at the Lynden Community Church. There will be a fellowship at the church after the services. You are invited to share your condolences and memories in the online guest book at www.gilliesfuneralhome.com.
From the Clinic Desk
Jeff Dodson, MG 2014
Greetings from the Clinic Desk,
Spring has officially sprung as can be attested to by the wide and varied problems that have crossed the clinic desk. Luckily, we have an outstanding group of clinicians (more about them as individuals in next month’s entry from the Clinic Desk) that can be found each morning of the work week poring over the problems that have arisen in Whatcom County’s gardens. Interns from this year’s Master Gardener class are putting in volunteer hours with the veteran clinicians that inevitably turn out to be learning experiences for all involved.
Something we see a lot of and that can be somewhat confusing
to home gardeners are galls on plants.
If you would indulge me, I would like to go from general to specific and
write a little about galls. These are
growths that occur on all parts of plants and are usually in response to a
certain stimulus. Bacteria, fungi and
insects can all be contributors to the initiation and continued growth of plant
galls. Although galls are usually quite
distinctive to the organism that causes them, I find insect galls particularly
interesting because of the gall’s extreme specificity and appearance to a
certain type of plant depending on the insect.
It all begins with the deposition of an insect egg into the plant tissue
(leaf, stem, root, flower bud). The presence
of the egg generally initiates the plant to produce tissue, but as it hatches
and the larva grows, things really get curious.
Hormones from the insect stimulate the plant to make more and more
tissue. These tissues become increasingly unique until the gall produced takes
on an appearance that is distinctive to the insect that caused it. Skilled individuals can often identify the
insect to genus (and sometimes species) just by the appearance of the
gall. Examples of insect galls include….
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Surprisingly, these insect galls prove to be almost totally
harmless to the plants upon which they appear.
Eventually, the insect (wasp, bee, fly, etc…) pupates, matures and
leaves the gall via a small round hole.
The presence of this exit hole is the way one can tell whether or not
the gall is still occupied.
Anybody want to start an insect gall collection? I’ve seen some pretty impressive ones.
Specifically, however, I want to highlight a sample that was
brought into the clinic by one of this year’s
Master Gardener trainees.
This appeared on one of her azaleas, a plant that was hidden
in a protected spot under a rhododendron.
It was a place that was humid with very little air circulation. These are perfect conditions for the fungus Exobasidium vaccina, commonly known to
cause azalea leaf gall. The best
non-chemical control for which is the removal of the galled tissue before the
appearance of the white powdery spores.
As the weather warms, better air circulation is supplied and lower
humidity occurs, this disease goes away all on its own. Remember the disease triangle?
Best Regards to All,
Jeff
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