THE ISLAND GARDENER
February ~ 2022
|
|
February Greetings!
Our newsletter this month brings you news of upcoming programs, raffle winners, bird counts, a new member spotlight, information about the use of peat, and samples of greenhouses in Orcas gardens. Read about Laura's visit to the NW Flower and Garden Festival and finally Helen's sweet childhood kitchen memory along with a tempting recipe for sugar cookies with variations. There’s a bit of something here for just about everyone as we wait for the warmer days to come.
Our programs will continue to be presented via Zoom and most of them are being recorded so those of you who can’t attend the “live” program can view it later. We want to assure you that we are carefully monitoring the safety protocols about meeting in person, and, when it is safe to do so, we are eager to resume those in-person meetings.
This month’s flower is the violet, one of the earliest blooming flowers of spring, with heart-shaped leaves and flowers in a variety of lovely colors. Spring planting of violets will brighten your garden as well as your spirits as these hardy little blooms remind us that there can be garden joy in every season.
Be safe. Be well. Happy Gardening!
Nita Couchman
OIGC President
|
|
FEBRUARY 16 (Weds.) @ 10:30 am via Zoom |
|
The Orcas Island and
Lopez Island Garden Clubs
present . . . .
JENNIFER HARRIS
~
A DESIGNED PACIFIC NORTHWEST
NATIVE MEADOW
|
|
Click HERE to join the live presentation.
|
|
It’s easy to join or renew!
Click HERE to print a membership form. Fill in the form and mail it with your check to OIGC Membership, P. O. Box 452, Eastsound, WA 98245.
OR . . . you can go to our website and fill in the online form and pay your membership fees through PayPal.
As an added bonus, names of new and renewing members are automatically entered into our monthly raffle drawing.
|
|
Have questions or can’t remember
whether you've joined or renewed already?
|
|
|
|
Individual : $25 / year
Couple : $35 / year
|
|
|
Members as of Feb. 11 —--------— 151
Renewals (Jan. 15 - Feb. 11) ------— 1
New Members (Jan. 15 - Feb. 11) -- 5
TOTAL MEMBERS - Jan. 14 — 157
|
|
EACH WINNING
ONE BOTTLE ARE
Debra Nichols
& Michael Yeaman
and
Carol Owens
|
|
|
Good Medicine
~
Herbal Gourmet
Nettles, Cleavers,
Dandelion
Infused Balsamic Vinegar
|
|
AND THE
WINNERS ARE
Curtiss & Josephine
Wikstrom
|
|
|
Sweet little
yellow primrose
~
a cheerful reminder
of Spring!
|
|
Join or renew NOW
to be eligible for next month’s great raffle prizes.
|
|
March 16, 2022
Wednesday
10:30 am ~ via Zoom
EMILY ARING
Gardening in San Juan County
for Healthier and Happier
People, Plants and Land
|
|
|
March 19, 2022
Saturday
10:00 am - via Zoom
Hosted by Lopez Island Garden Club
CHRISTINA PFEIFFER
Cultivating a More Drought Resilient Garden:
Simple Steps for Helping Gardens
Weather Drier Seasons
with Less Stress
|
|
UPCOMING VIRTUAL OIGC PROGRAMS |
|
Celebrating 25 years of coming together to watch, learn about, count and celebrate birds, please join the global Great Backyard Bird Count from February 18-21, 2022.
Register for the FREE webinar designed for birders of all ages and experience - you'll leave confident and ready to be part of the GBBC!
|
|
OIGC TOTE BAGS FOR SALE ~ only $20 each |
|
Proud to belong to the
Orcas Island Garden Club ?
Who wouldn't be?
Spread Garden Club goodness as you carry around your very own tote bag -- or buy bags as gifts for your gardener friends far and near.
|
|
|
SURVEY RESULTS -- What Kind of Gardener Are You? |
|
Results are IN from last month's survey --
What Kind of Gardener Are You?
Responses were evenly split in the following categories
- Landscapers
- Edible Food Gardeners
- Trial and Error Gardeners
- Naturalist
- Niche Gardeners
No one chose a connection to Indoor/Patio, All Season or Entertainer Gardeners.
One respondent shared that they are "a trial and error gardener since I am still learning." We've all been there!
Another says "I relate to some aspects of all. Thank goodness gardening satisfies in multiple ways". Too true!
Thanks to all who responded to our survey.
|
|
ORCAS GARDEN CLUB INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT |
|
The Orcas Island Garden Club has an Instagram account called orcasgardenclub.
Click HERE t o view an increasing array of Orcas’ garden photos.
The Orcas Island Garden Club will be delighted to consider any photo submitted for inclusion to our Instagram page, so please — send photos of your garden to communicationsOIGC@gmail.com. A caption for your photo is appreciated but not necessary. Please include your first and last name, or first name and last initial, or no name, in your email.
|
|
Experience the glory and get inspired by our island gardens.
Snap. Share. Repeat.
|
|
ADVICE FROM A WSU MASTER GARDENER
“FOR PEAT’S SAKE" by Laura Walker
|
|
February is a popular month to start seeds for the season. A favorite, familiar and cost-effective soil amendment over the years has been peat. Yet there is a growing environmental concern over the use of peat, especially in the UK that causes us to pause. As a WSU Master Gardener intern, I decided to research the subject. |
|
What is Peat and Why is it so Popular?
Peat is comprised of ancient decomposing organic plant and animal material found in wetlands and bogs. Thick peat deposits are thousands of years old. It can take 10 years to form 1 cm of peat! It is sought-after by gardeners for its water retention properties and ability to hold onto nutrients in the soil. In general, it’s found to be free of pests and diseases. Additionally, its fluffiness is ideal for germinating seeds.
The global peatlands are the most efficient carbon sink on the planet. Environmentally, when peat is left in its natural habitat, the bogs maintain a balance by capturing and holding carbon and not allowing it to release. Peat covers just 3% of the land’s surface, but stores one-third of our planet’s soil carbon. Wildlife depend on peatlands as a critical habitat for survival too.
What’s the problem with peat?
To gather the peat, companies temporarily dry out a bog, then vacuum the peat up. It is then dried some more, screened and pressed into bales. When the peat is removed from the bog, the carbon is released, and sadly, contributes to climate change.
According to Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., Extension Urban Horticulturist, Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University and former WSU Master Gardener Program Curriculum Director, “Peat harvesting involves the removal of deep layers of peat that have literally taken centuries to accumulate. In fact, since harvesting implies sustainability, it is more accurate to describe commercial peat removal as mining.”
What can you do?
Make informed decisions
There are several resources for learning about peat and its scarcity. Publications on peat are listed below. Did you know that 95% of England’s bogs have been lost in just the last one hundred years? Therefore, beginning in 2024, peat will be banned for use by UK gardeners. Additionally, Britain’s Royal Horticultural Society, the largest gardening organization in the world, has already reduced peat use by 97% at its four major gardens and has been asking its members to follow their lead.
Seek out alternatives
According to many, the best peat alternative is coconut coir, which are the fibers that have been removed from wet and softened coconut husks and then dried out. Other options to try are mushroom compost, composted wood products, or a 50% compost and 50% potting soil mix. For peat’s sake and our environment, experiment with alternatives and share your findings with others!
Find out more information about the San Juan County WSU Master Gardeners:
Sources:
Master Gardener Winter 2007 Too Popular Peat by Cindy Shyev Riskin
|
|
NW FLOWER & GARDEN FESTIVAL & HERBAL CORNER
by Laura Walker
|
|
“What’s the plan?” my husband chimed in with a grin. Acting like a kid getting ready to enter the gates of the Magic Kingdom in the opening hours, I took the escalator up to the level of the event. What a great guy, for you see, my birthday is within the week and this was my present. A day to browse, learn, shop…my absolute favorite type of day.
“Greetings from Spring” was this year’s theme of the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival. The event featured display gardens, seminars, plants and even secret treasures found in the vintage market place. It’s the perfect place to conjure up ideas and inspiration for whatever garden space you have – small or large – inside or out – new or experienced – everyone benefits.
Some of my favorite highlights were:
|
|
The Vintage Market
Rummage around enough and you’re bound to find something special. The Spare Room Flea Market out of Camano Island was just the place for me. I found an antique flower bucket, a fluffy botanical themed pillow and matching throw for my studio!
|
|
Fleurs de Villes ~ 'Rose'
Ooo la la -- the beautiful dresses made of flowers were spectacular, displayed in an atrium pass-through room. These floral art mannequins on display are stunning and were created to help support breast cancer research through Fred Hutch.
|
|
Vintage Glass Gardens
Suzanne Quirk operating in Lake Forest Park makes beautiful glass creations along with her aging mum into colorful garden art. She finds antique glass wear, repurposes them and transforms them into flower sculptures. I especially love the tiny lady bug on the side of mine.
|
|
Herbalist and Medicinal Herb of the Month – Dandelion!
But by far, the most amazing moment I had was when I met Julia Bush Swanson. Located in the nearby town of Carnation, Washington, Julia has been crafting and infusing herbal remedies for over 20 years. I approached her when she appeared available to talk. After quickly introducing myself, I explained that I was hoping to get her opinion on a favorite medicinal herb. Her eyes got very big. “Wow, well that’s all according to what ails you,” she said, but she looked toward the sky and put her finger to her chin and I began to see the wheels turning. “Well…one of my favorite herbs is (pause) dandelion!” She then went on to share that she used to be a paid gardener and remembered one day thinking what a waste it was to be disposing of dandelions since they are so useful.
|
|
Disclaimer — While the Orcas Island Garden Club shares information about using essential oils, natural oils, and herbs, these items are not regulated by the FDA. The content included in these monthly medicinal features are for those who are looking for alternative ways to lead a more natural lifestyle. You must not rely on the information in these articles as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor, healthcare provider, or other professional.
|
|
|
|
ABBY DESKINS - New Member |
|
We are so pleased to welcome Abby Deskins as a new member of the Orcas Island Garden Club. Abby lives in Tacoma with her husband Tyler and their doxie-pin Charlie. She works at a private school there, managing the school's social media and digital communications. Here's what Abby has to say about her gardening experiences:
"Ever since I can remember, I have loved getting down in the dirt -- literally! I was probably a dog in a past life."
"One of the things I love most about gardening is the knowledge and appreciation shared by other gardeners. I’ve learned so many things while helping my mother form her herb spiral at her dream home on Orcas. Throughout the weekend-long process, she talked me through each plant’s location and why she chose to plant them there. I knew about gardening, but this was by far the most intricate gardening experience I’ve ever encountered. It was well worth the hard work!"
|
|
"My gardening experience has been a fun journey so far, and it’s only been improving! Just a few years ago I attempted a small garden on my 3’ x 6’ third story apartment patio. My (garden) dream is to continue to learn, have fun, and eventually have my own little jungle. Now that we’ve moved into a house, I am feeling more hopeful than ever to care for plants as we have more space to work with."
"My garden is mainly indoor plants at the moment (13 to be exact, including a wandering Jew, a Sansevieria, a Pothos, a recent purple shamrock thanks to my mom and three different air plants). Our front door is accompanied with a star jasmine and a fun celosia and creeping jenny planter I made last spring. In our front yard we have a hydrangea in a half whiskey barrel that’s holding up really great despite the cold PNW weather. Unfortunately, our neighborhood squirrels have discovered the many wonders of planters as a safe spot for keeping seeds and/or searching for seeds."
|
|
"My gardening passion comes from my mom. I became an OIGC member because my wonderful mother, Laura Walker, who is on the Garden Club board and is co-chair of the Garden Tour, gave me a membership as my birthday gift this year."
"I appreciate the way patience can be learned through the process of planting. I also have a feeling of youthfulness when gardening. There’s just something about getting down in the dirt (literally knees in the dirt) that makes me feel like a young, curious child again. I don’t have children yet, but when I do, I want to teach them the incredible ways of gardening that my own mother has taught me, because I know and have seen with my own eyes that it is so much more than just ‘gardening’."
WELCOME TO THE GARDEN CLUB, ABBY !!!
|
|
KITCHEN HELPER
by Helen Huber
|
|
|
|
I’m the four-year old curlyhead wearing my fabulous sailor top in our Bronx kitchen with my mom. I was her kitchen helper. She needed someone to count out scoops of morning coffee for the G.E.percolator, as well as help make our family meals. She had an unexplained contempt for baking, so fresh-baked cookies were not a part of her culinary repertoire, no matter how much I begged her to try. We would visit the neighborhood bakery on our rounds of local shopping for that day’s food, and I would always get a black and white cookie (that someone else lovingly baked). |
|
Shopping and food prep were important and necessary tasks that were always fun—and eventually led to satisfying meals.
I didn’t learn how to bake until I was nine, when I took it upon myself to quietly pilfer my mom’s New York Times Cookbook. I was enthralled with this self-taught process, going through the various steps required to make cookies, and later other sweet treats. As a young solo baker, I grew up to love being in the kitchen and sharing the joyful process and tasty outcomes with people that mattered. As soon as they could safely stand on a chair, I baked with my two boys, my nephew, and a variety of children over the years. In the end, I’m still a curly headed being who longs for a sailor top, and who's grateful for all the kitchen goodness I’ve managed to gather over the decades.
So go out and create some delicious goodness for both you and yours. Maybe you can start with the easiest sugar cookie recipe below.
|
|
|
|
"On those brilliant and, at the same time, mellow days which we get once in awhile in February, when the sun is so warm that it seems to ignore your clothes and touch your skin, I would go out to the vegetable garden to see if the ground wasn't beginning to thaw a little bit. I don't know what I had in mind to do if it was thawing. Cheer, I suppose."
~Ruth Stout, "The Second Season," How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back, 1955
|
|
|
GREENHOUSES, Part I
by Perri Gibbons & Laura Walker
|
|
Want to Learn More About Sheltered Growing Structures on Orcas? We’ve Got You Covered! |
|
In our temperate climate with (mostly!) mild winters and relatively short summers, it makes a lot of sense to extend the growing season. Covered structures can really open up possibilities well into the shoulder seasons and even year-round. Plus, there are SO many choices available for every budget and lifestyle. We found a terrific variety of folks using their sheltered structures in many different ways, from seed starting in spring to winter plant sheltering.
More structures will be featured in the March issue, and we’d love to expand the search. We’ve already received a request for more information about passive heat sources such as water barrels. If you know of anything let us know. Send a photo and description, comments and questions HERE.
Read on to learn about some of the versatile and creative structures we found:
|
|
LAURA'S HOME-GROWN HOOP HOUSE |
|
Laura scavenged all plastic and parts from local sources. Laura's garden will be part of the Garden Tour in June, so you can visit her place and see other ingenious ways Laura incorporates used items in her garden. |
|
Laura's Advice: Start small. Begin with starts rather than seeds. Be thoughtful about the layout of your beds and don’t allow hidey holes for voles. |
|
Carol just installed this tiny greenhouse facing south on her deck. Made by Peter Mohlman, it replaces plastic wrap and is designed to fit over a triple tier frame.
Check out that sweet driftwood handle!
|
|
Carol's Advice: Convenience is key to frequent use. They’ll have lots of salad greens long before spring. |
|
CRAZY CROW'S MACRO GREENHOUSE |
|
Crazy Crow’s Greenhouse is a work in progress, with grow lights and plumbing installed. Bedding structures are assembled and soon to be filled. Crazy Crow will be on this year’s Garden Tour, so come in June to see what’s new. |
|
|
|
Crazy Crow's Advice: To deter voles, dig a deep perimeter, line with protective ground cloth and fill with gravel.
|
|
|
FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE
Reviewed by Perri Gibbons
|
|
A very comprehensive guide to greenhouses, this book answers more questions than I even knew I had! It had an easy reading style that was enjoyable and informative. I liked the “Greenhouse Effect” as both a motivation to garden and an encouragement to relax.
The first part about greenhouse selection and construction might interest people who are not me. Then things get good for people who are me -- making the most of your sunspace. There's info on the importance of selecting the right plants for the greenhouse and also on knowing which plants are NOT worth growing.
There’s specific information for a huge number of flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs. I’ve used my greenhouse mostly for starting seeds and overwintering plants, but this book encouraged me to consider growing more heat lovers like peppers or -- dare I try --eggplant?
The last third of the book is devoted to troubleshooting when things go wrong: pests, disease, weeds, and soil and water maintenance. The Community Greenhouse model in the epilogue intrigued me. I know Community gardens are a popular Orcas resource and wonder if anything is available for shoulder season and year round gardening? Something to dream about…
This book is available at the LIBRARY, but I’m thinking of buying a copy just to have it on hand for easy reference.
|
|
Happy Valentine's Day to All of You |
|
from
the OIGC BOARD
Nita, Laura, Helen, Perri,
Karen, Tony, Lene, Sally & Margaret
|
|
|
|
WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF THE NEWSLETTER?
WE'D LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK.
|
|
PRESIDENT: Nita Couchman
PROGRAMS: Lene Symes
MEMBERSHIP: Perri Gibbons & Karen Hiller
GARDEN TOUR: Sally Hodson & Laura Walker
|
|
SECRETARY: Margaret Payne
TREASURER: Tony Suruda
COMMUNICATIONS: Helen Huber
|
|
|
Orcas Island Garden Club
P. O. Box 452
Eastsound, WA 98245
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
