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Spring Into Oregon Coast Gardening

Spring Into Gardening

Master Gardener Seminar Apr 12
Clatsop County Fairgrounds
92937 Walluski Loop, Astoria
$18 at the door, Free for students
503-325-8573 OSU Extension Office

“Master Gardeners are community volunteers trained by county extension agricultural agents. Once they complete their training, Master Gardeners begin volunteer service. They cooperate with service agencies and community groups on a wide range of gardening projects. They often provide hands-on training through demonstrations for home gardeners, clubs, and other organizations.”

In our area they run a hotline from the Extension Office Mondays and Wednesdays, they attend Sunday Market (where they set up a diagnostic table). They have helped with the Flavel House garden, Knappa Highschool as well as creating a botanical garden for a Lewis and Clark exhibit at the fairgrounds that showed all the native plants in their journals, and many other educationally focused gardening community projects.

To become a Master Gardener you must take a series of classes from January to March once a week for a total of 50 hours, then volunteer 50 hours of your time to gardening projects in the community. Some classes focus on lawn care, tree pruning, insects and diseases, and herbicides and pesticides.

Theresa Retzlaff and Jane Donnally were on the Dezmo Zone yesterday afternoon discussing Master Gardening and the upcoming Seminar. Retzlaff, who owns a small farm in Seaside, started gardening in college. Donnally started as a child in Portland Oregon, then moved to Florida before returning back to the Pacific Northwest, so has had to relearn gardening here.

Plants can be pretty finicky here at the coast, and need extra care. Tomatoes and Roses are two that are some that are prone to problems here, but gardeners still try and cultivate. Daffodils and Dahlias however, do great here. “Daffodils are a little ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.” Mentioned Donnally.

At the Spring into Spring Master Gardener’s Seminar, there will be a local garden show, with a variety of vendors. For sale will be a variety of plants and antiques, this part of the event is free. In another area of the fairgrounds participants will have a choice between 7 classes. The main speaker from Clackamas, Glenn Andreson, is a radio talk show host with the show The Dirt Bag. His Seminar Nature Arbors and other Nature Realities will be starting at 9am.

For the second session attendees have a choice between two classes. Author and nursery owner, Rosemarie Nichols McGee’s The Bountiful Container or Theresa Retzlaff’s Garden to Table. Retzlaff says “bring your appetite”.

During Lunch break participants can peruse the vendors, sign up for the raffle, or get something to eat. In the third session there are also two courses. Carnviverous Plants and other Bog Treasures with Scott Vergara, executive director of horticulture for the Berry Botanic Garden, or Revitalizing a Tired Bed given by Jolly Butler who writes a gardening 101 column in Garden Showcase Magazine and teaches at PCC.

Finally in the fourth session gardeners can choose between Bugs with Gail Langellotto, who has a Phd in Entomology or Heirloom vegetables with Rosemarie Nichols-McGee.

Gardening for Beginners

http://gardening.about.com/
http://www.garden.org/home
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gardening/
http://www.gardeners.com/
http://www.gardenweb.com/vl/
http://www.gardenguides.com/
http://www.garden.com/

Some Nurseries and Garden Centers in our Area
Basket Case Greenhouse – 12106 Sandridge Rd 360-642-6909
Brim’s Farm & Garden – 34963 Hwy 101 Business 503-325-1562 http://www.brimsonline.com/Dennis’ Seven Dees Landscaping & Garden Center- 84794 Highway 101, Seaside 503-738-6980
Lewis & Clark Nursery & Landscaping 92351 Lewis & Clark Rd, Astoria 503-338-7445
Lyle’s Garden & Pet Center – 724 Avenue J Seaside 503-738-5752
Rainbow Nursery – 89338 Dellmoor Loop, Warrenton 503-738-3241
Clarke Nursery 360-642-2241
Hilltop Nursery 503-861-2626
Kelly Creek Nursery & Pond Supply 360-484-7166
Arbor Care Tree Specialist 503-458-0853

More information about Master Gardeners

http://www.ahs.org/master_gardeners/
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/clatsop/mg.php

More hands-on activities
-Brim’s Farm & Garden Plant Clinic Spring ’08 Time and day TBA
-Demo Garden Workday, 2nd Saturday of the month (except April), 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Clatsop County Fairgrounds
Contact:
Marlene House, (503) 325-4423 or Walt John, (503) 325-7429
In the event of rain, workdays will be scheduled to the next available Saturday.

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