President’s Message
🌱 Excitement is in the air as we gear up for our much-anticipated BCMGA Plant Sale this Saturday! Our plants are flourishing, thanks to the diligent care and dedication of our volunteers. As we prepare to showcase our hard work to the community, I'm filled with pride and gratitude for each of you who have contributed to making this event possible.
The weather this weekend looks to be chilly and wet, so make sure to dress accordingly. Also make sure to wear your name badge and check-in for your shifts. There is a fair amount of lifting, bending, and standing so make sure to ask for help and take care of your health.
This is one of my favorite times to catch up with fellow MGs and connect with our community. Your presence and support are what make our BCMGA Plant Sale a success year after year, and I look forward to seeing everyone there.
BCMGA Membership Meeting - Monday, May 20, 2024
🌱 Co-Vice Presidents Lynn Trimpe and Michelle Brown welcome all BCMGA members to the next membership meeting for socialization and Continuing Education credits. Coffee and tea are provided and feel free to bring a treat. Raffle prizes for in-person attendees.
Location: Extension Building, Sunset Room
Use East side entrance (other doors locked at night)
Format: Hybrid meeting (in-person and via Zoom) Zoom Link here.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m Program starts at 7:00 p.m.
May 20, 2024 Meeting: The OSU Campus Arboretum, a Historical Perspective by Dan Blanchard from the OSU Department of Horticulture. Dan is the Curator of Living Plant Collections for the Oregon State University Campus Arboretum and a horticulture instructor at OSU. Dan will also be leading a tour of the Campus Arboretum on July 18, 2024 for BCMGA members.
**If you have ideas about speakers/topics for future membership meetings, please contact Lynn Trimpe trimpelynn@gmail.com or Michelle Brown michellegbrown88@gmail.com with your suggestions. Our prior presentations have been posted on our YouTube channel.
BCMGA News -
🌱 The May Board of Directors Meeting is on May 13, 2024 at 9AM on Zoom. It is open to all members who are interested in attending. Here is the link. If you have questions reach out to brenda.bye@gmail.com
🌱 OMGA Joy of Gardening Conference July 12-13 at the LaSells Stewart Center. Registration is now open, see the OMGA Website for details.
🌱 There will be a celebration of life for Wayne Marshall on September 14, 2024 at 1:00PM at the Beazell Forest Event Center. Wayne was a Benton County Master Gardener from the Class of 2009. He served as an official photographer and historian for several years with his partner Barb. His daughter Abby Marshall Jaworsky would like to hear from his MG friends.
Volunteer Opportunities -
🌱 Mountain View Elementary School is restarting their school garden and BCMGA will be involved. If you are interested in information about volunteering please email Susan Hoffman.
🌱 Plant Clinic Table at Corvallis Farmers Market - Thank you to the Certified MGs who have signed up to volunteer for these events so far, there are still several openings for later in the summer. For trainees who are looking for extra Plant Clinic spots, the current list is full but more spots will be added this summer. Here is the Signup Genius.
🌱 Community Gardening Education Team (CGET) - There is a lot of enthusiasm to work with CGET this year. There are still 2 openings for the Container Workshop on May 16, 2024 at the South Corvallis Food Bank for Certified MGs. You can review the events and sign up for them on SignUp Genius. If you have questions about CGET or any of our events, please email CGET.BentonMG@gmail.com.
🌱 Demonstration Garden has started meeting at the Benton County Fairgrounds on Wednesday mornings to work in the vegetable garden. If you would like to be added to this email list to get volunteer information contact Rosalind Hutton.
Continuing Education Opportunities -
Each program year current Master Gardener volunteers are asked to recertify by completing 10 hours of approved continuing education and 20 hours of volunteering. This ensures that your horticultural knowledge stays current. All the opportunities in this section count towards that goal. Try to get one hour of CE on a diversity, equity, or inclusion related topic.
🌱Growing Oregon Gardens: Level Up Series 2024 Get one hour of CE credit for attending free gardening webinars from OSU. Check out the website for more details. Recordings of past talks are also available for credit.
🌱Webinars. Opportunities from across the state are listed on the OSU Master Gardener Program’s event page. Record each as one hour of continuing education.
Extension News -
🌱 Our Benton County Master Gardener Coordinator, Otillia Schreuder, has announced two upcoming educational events sponsored by Extension.
The first in-person event will provide information about invasive species, noxious weeds, pesticides and other relevant topics for Master Gardeners. We will have speakers from OSU Extension field crops program, Linn Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024
Time: 5:15 PM - 8:00 PM
Cost: Free
Format: In Person
Master Gardener Continuing Education: 3 hours
Address: Central Electrical Training Center Auditorium 33309 HWY 99 E Tangent, OR 97389
The second online event Nowhere to Grow But Up: Gardening without Land. One of the first things we’re taught about plants is that they need sun, water, air, and soil to grow. But while having dirt doesn’t hurt, you can grow a surprising amount of food with little—or no—land. Master Gardener Richard Bertram will walk us through some methods, such as hydroponics and using vertical space.
Date: May 14, 2024
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Cost: Free
Format: Online Webinar
Master Gardener Continuing Education: 1 hours
Online Registration Link: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/events/nowhere-grow-gardening-without-land
Hi Brenda,
Did you get my email sent to Brenda.Bye@gmail.com ?
Gil Seid