A Blooming Success: 2025 CCMGA Annual Plant Sale
By Ginny Knox
The Curry County Master Gardener Association’s Annual Plant Sale on May 10, 2025, was a vibrant celebration of community, gardening, and growth—both botanical and organizational!
Held for the first time at our brand-new greenhouse site, located at Gold Beach Community Center, the sale drew an enthusiastic crowd of gardeners, supporters, and curious newcomers. Rows of healthy, lovingly propagated plants—ranging from vegetables and herbs to native perennials and colorful blooms were on display.
This year’s event raised an impressive $10,625 plus an additional $553 in donations, thanks to the incredible efforts of our dedicated volunteers and the enthusiastic support of the community. Every dollar goes toward our mission of providing education and assistance with gardening on the Curry County coast.
Volunteers began setting up days in advance, organizing plants, preparing signage, and putting the finishing touches on the new space. On the morning of the sale, the site was buzzing with energy, laughter, and the occasional scramble for a coveted tomato start or a blooming perennial.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who helped make this year’s sale such a success—whether you grew plants, worked a table, helped with setup and cleanup, or simply came out to shop and show your support.
This plant sale was more than just a fundraiser—it was a joyful milestone in our growth as an organization. The new greenhouse is already proving to be a hub of learning, sharing, and community connection, and we’re excited to keep the momentum growing.
Here’s to many more seasons of planting, learning, and growing together!
Photo credit Sarah Mocas
Azalea Festival Booth at the Botanical Garden
This year’s Brookings Harbor Garden Club’s Memorial Day Azalea Festival, was held at the Brookings Botanical Garden on May 24th and 25th. CCMGA volunteers staffed a booth to offer educational information, and hold a plant clinic. As always, this was a wonderful community event and a beautiful start to Spring.
NPSO South Coast Chapter, Native Plant Garden Tour
By Sarah Mocas
On June 14th, Master Gardener volunteers supported the The Native Plant Society of Oregon by serving as “Garden Angels” for their Native Plant Garden Tour. This year’s tour visited four private gradens in Brookings. In addition, it included a tour at the Brookings Botanical Garden that highlighted mature native shrubs and trees. At each location, Garden Angels handled logistics so that property owners were free to talk about their plants!
The residential gardens ranged from: a tiny urban lot bursting with native flowers and shrubs; a wetland habitat restoration project; a newly cleared lot planted with natives, and last, a mature home garden with natives recently introduced.
It was a beautiful day and an espically nice opportunity to connect with Brookings gardeners and NPSO members. For the third year, Maggie Daly, who is also a Master Gardener volunteer, coordinated this event for the NPSO, South Coast Chapter.
Photo credit Sarah Mocas
Nature Journaling Workshop
On June 16th a hands-on workshop was presented by Paula Harvey. It was set in the Brookings-Harbor Botanical Garden, and introduced the basics of nature journaling. Paticipants used three tools for deep and scientific observation: descriptive writing, measuring, and sketching.
Journaling increases your observational skills, memory, and curiosity. It is creative, rigorous, and playful, and easy to begin and learn.
For those interested in trying this, basic supplies are: Journal (larger is better), pencil, colored pencils or field watercolor palette, and eraser.
4H Camp Day!
By Paul Maree
On June 19th, Master Gardener volunteers joined our local Curry County 4H for Camp Day at Lobster Creek Camp! Our volunteers helped the kids find their creativity in nature and provided nature journals for them to express themselves.
Photo credit Kelle Wraith
Curry County Master Gardener Association
Board Meetings are monthly on the 3rd Tuesday at 10am, at the OSU Extension Service office, 2930 Ellensburg Avenue, Gold Beach. Past meeting minutes:
