One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.
W.E. Johns
These are hope filled times as we eagerly anticipate better days ahead. Gardening certainly gives us solace during such challenging times, and until we are able to resume in-person volunteer activities, the OSU Master Gardener program has a rich variety of continuing education opportunities to engage a wide-array of interests. We hope you will partake and enjoy!
Elevate
Our state-wide ‘Elevated Skills’ Master Gardener training has launched, but you still have time to take advantage of this wide range of skills building classes which aim to enrich and support Master Gardeners. This focused training, being taught by OSU Extension staff, has been created to inspire current OSU Master Gardeners (including the class of 2020).
‘OSU Landscape Plant Database’, ‘Superpower Your Education Garden’, ‘Community Science and the Master Gardener Program’, and ‘iNaturalist for Master Gardener Volunteers’ are just a few of the many offerings created to empower and elevate Master Gardeners as community educators. See the entire course line-up, and register HERE.
Note: The metro area MG program is using a different online tool for our MG Helpline clinic and is not using the ECCO tool being highlighted in the “Learning How to Use the Extension Client Contact Online (ECCO) Tool in Plant Clinic” course.
Level Up
OSU Master Gardeners and the gardening public can ‘Level Up’ in a new series for experienced gardeners, with presentations by OSU horticulture experts. Take your gardening knowledge to a new level with timely topics from gardening in a changing climate to techniques to extend your season.
Sessions are filling fast, so if you are interested in the class, be sure to sign-up when the class opens for registration. It will be a rolling registration for the classes throughout the year.
This month’s presentation Tuesday, February 9, 3pm, which focuses on ‘Multifunctional Hedgerows’ has filled – however the presentation will be live streamed on the OSU Master Gardener Facebook page and a recording of the presentation will be posted on the Level Up Series website a few days after the presentation.
Preview and register for the Level Up Series classes, and view recordings of past presentations HERE.
The Culture of Gardening
Come spring, Master Gardeners can participate in ‘The Culture of Gardening’. Explore what gardening means to different people and groups, and how to grow and use plants from a variety of cultures. This new series of blog posts and talks will debut in late spring 2021, with a keynote address by horticulturist Abra Lee on the history of African American gardens and gardeners. The series kicks off on May 18th. Details to come.
Grow Your Own Microgreens – Grow Along
Many Master Gardeners delighted in taking part in the Grow Your Own Microgreens – Grow Along Workshop, at the beginning of the year. During these ‘physically distant’ times it was great to connect with fellow gardeners online and to concentrate on a project that nurtured our gardener’s spirits and added a nutritious boost to our plates.
For those who missed growing along for the first session or had such great fun and want others to share in the adventure, Grow Your Own Microgreens – Grow Along Workshop will reprise February 15 through March 1.
See the details and register HERE. This 15 day workshop is free and everyone is welcome. Please share with fellow gardeners or someone who is wanting to grow something for the first time. Grab some friends to sign-up together and share the excitement as your greens sprout and grow. This is a great first time gardening project for families with kiddos too!
Grow this! Master Gardener Challenge
Food Hero and Master Gardeners are collaborating on the 2021 Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge. The second year of the Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge, is much bigger than last year’s Challenge! This year we are looking to sign up 8,000 gardeners to grow vegetable and flowers and need your help!
We need your help to grow along and share your expert advice with these gardeners. Please consider signing up to participate as a Grow This! Champion. Your growing tips, comments, challenges and stories will be shared on our social media platforms and in monthly update emails to beginning gardeners as a way to build a growing community across the state.
Master Gardener volunteers are invited to participate, and apply to be a Grow This! Champion. Note: we are looking to include Master Gardeners from across the state and may need to limit participation if demand exceeds seed supply.
A Grow This! Champion:
- Must be a current Oregon Master Gardener volunteer (includes class of 2020) or Master Gardeners representing a county demonstration/educational garden.
- Will need to apply for the Grow This! Champion program by midnight February 19 (we are looking to include Master Gardeners from across the state and may need to limit participation if demand exceeds the seed supply).
- Will receive one crop seed packet and one flower seed packet.
(Type and variety will be selected at random.) Specifics about obtaining your seeds will be sent by email. - Must agree to give feedback on your growing process and results
at least once—but as often as you want—during the Challenge.
Feedback could include suggestions, comments, challenges and
solutions, stories, photos, drawings or videos that we can share
with others (with or without your name). These can be emailed to
food.hero@oregonstate.edu or shared on social media adding the
following text to any post: @BeAFoodHero and #mastergardener.
All feedback is WELCOME. - Can count your active time spent on this project as Master Gardener
‘Program’ volunteer hours.
Questions?
Email Brooke.Edmunds@oregonstate.edu or food.hero@oregonstate.edu or leave a voice message at 541-737-1017.
Learn more about the challenge here: https://www.foodhero.org/growthis.
Mini-college goes online!
Save the date! as the Oregon Master Gardener Association takes it’s annual ‘Mini College’, garden-education focused, conference online, July 16 and 17, 2021. This is an opportunity to learn from a wide-range of horticultural experts from the comfort of home. Registration opens in March. Watch for details when the website goes live at www.mastergardenerminicollege.org
