• President's Message
• Garden Club Program
• Upcoming Events
• Cultivating Friendships
• Stepping Up Our Garden Care
• Beyond the Trowel
• Last Chance Sticker Design
• Noxious Weeds Lurking in Your Yard?
• Rainy Day Reads
• Turnip the Fun!
• Embrace the Seasonal Rhythm
• Garden Creatures and Where to Find Them
• Hidden Messages
• Dirt on Our Roots
• Member Raffle and Meeting Door Prize
• Made You Smile
• Membership Update - Here we Grow!

Over the years, our club has grown into something truly special by focusing on cultivating friendships and genuine connections. It’s amazing how much the club has grown too. We are 267 members strong. Just like a garden, these relationships bloom when we look after them. Plus, hanging out with positive, supportive folks and spending time in nature is great for your health—it lowers stress, boosts your mood, and beats loneliness!

Think of our club as an ecosystem where friendship and gardening go hand in hand. Between our fun tours, hands-on activities, and community projects, there are tons of ways to connect with people who share similar values. We are all about building a welcoming, diverse community, making sure nobody has to go through life's tough seasons all by themselves.

Nearly every time I venture around town, I'm stopped by someone often times I don't know and they thank me for what the garden club brings to the community. It's the best feeling ever. It's all happening because of each of you and your support. We are like pollinators, acting as community connectors that boost the vitality of their surroundings. While pollinators literally share pollen to help flowers thrive, our garden club shares knowledge and positive energy to build flourishing neighborhoods.

With everything going on in the world today, I am so incredibly grateful for all the friends I’ve made here, our incredibly club leadership, my co-president, Robin and the amazing community we are building. I highly encourage you to surround yourself with people who bring you joy, get your hands a little dirty, and immerse yourself in nature.

Looking forward to growing together ~ Laura

Orcas Island Garden Club

presents

Taja Wicks

What is Permaculture?

at the Orcas Center and via zoom



Join us for coffee and social time at 9:30 before the program starts at 10:00 and REMEMBER TO BRING SOMETHING FOR THE SHARING TABLE.

Power or no power, we are a can-do sort of group right? Come learn, share your excess plants, and pick up treasures at the sharing table. Yesterday, the Garden Club made a donation to the Orcas Master Gardeners to snag their remaining perennials from the Spring Plant Sale and share them with you. We are excited to give them for free to our members at our tomorrow's meeting! Hope to see you there.

Make it easier for people to remember your name and make connections at the garden club gatherings. We'll even keep them for you so you won't have to remember them! The cost is just $15 per name tag.

GARDEN TOUR TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!

• May 20: What is Permaculture? with Taja Wicks
• May 22 & 23: Home Composting Classes at The Exchange
• May 24: Wildfire Resilience event with OIGC and Orcas Island Fire & Rescue
• May 26: Indralaya Forest Walk
• June 27-28: Orcas Island Garden Club Tour
• July 4: Fourth of July Parade
• July 17: OIGC Annual Picnic (New this year in July!)

Join us for these and many other exciting events!

More details can be found on our new Club Calendar!

The Struggles and Joys of Gardening on Crane Island: Yvonne Ashenhurst

Interviewed by Perri Gibbons

In 2006 we moved from Cayou Valley Road down Deer Harbor Road and across Pole Pass to Crane Island and a contemporary waterfront home on 1 and a 1/2 acres and one lot over from the Crane Island community dock. This meant that we did not need to have a car on Crane although several owners did in order to get from the community dock to their homes along 1 and a 1/2 mile Circle Road. Crane Island was developed in the 1960s with 50 lots and a small aircraft landing strip. We became one of three full-time households on the Island.

New Biosecurity Mats for Garden Tour

by Robin Sullivan

At this year’s Orcas Island Garden Club Tour, we’re introducing something new at each garden entrance: disinfecting foot mats. These simple foam mats are part of a growing best practice in garden and farm biosecurity—and they play an important role in protecting the gardens we all love.

Each mat is designed to hold a disinfecting solution of parts water and hydrogen peroxide. As visitors step across, the soles of their shoes are lightly treated to reduce the chance of carrying unwanted hitchhikers—such as bacteria, fungi, or other microscopic pathogens—from one garden to the next.

Why does this matter?

Garden tours are wonderful opportunities to share beauty and ideas, but they also mean many people moving between multiple properties in a short period of time. Soil, plant debris, and moisture can cling to shoes and unknowingly transport plant diseases. Once introduced, certain pathogens can persist in soil, spread quickly, and be very difficult to eliminate—impacting everything from ornamental plants to food crops.

Research from land-grant institutions like Washington State University and extension programs across the U.S. has shown that simple sanitation steps—like disinfecting footwear—can significantly reduce the spread of soil-borne diseases. These practices are commonly used in agriculture, greenhouses, and conservation areas to help protect sensitive environments.

For Orcas Island, where our ecosystems are closely connected and many gardens grow food as well as ornamentals, prevention is especially important. By taking this small step together, we’re helping to:

● Protect garden health and productivity

● Reduce the risk of introducing invasive pathogens

● Support long-term soil vitality across the island

● Keep our shared gardening community thriving

You’ll find the mats clearly placed at garden entry points. We simply ask that all visitors take a moment to step on them as they arrive—it’s quick, easy, and makes a real difference.

This is our first year incorporating disinfecting mats into the tour, and we’re proud to be taking this proactive step. It’s a small action with a big impact—helping ensure that the beauty and abundance of Orcas Island gardens can be enjoyed for years to come.

Thank you for helping us care for these special places, one step at a time. 

Orcas Island Garden Club Sticker Contest

The Orcas Island Garden Club is creating a new sticker, and we’d love your artistic touch!

Whether you’re a seasoned designer or someone who just loves to doodle, we invite you to submit a design that celebrates our club’s mission to cultivate a love of

gardening through education and hands-on experiences, to inspire and empower our community to create beautiful and sustainable gardens, and to protect as well as

conserve the land as entrusted stewards.

Think blooms, pollinators, island charm or surprise us with your own creative twist. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Help us grow something beautiful together!

Prizes include bragging rights and a lovely plant for your garden.

Please submit your designs by May 31st at the Orcas Public Library Community Box c/o Orcas Island Garden Club or mail them directly to us at: Orcas Island Garden Club, PO Box 452, Eastsound, WA 98245.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to us at CommunicationsOIGC@gmail.com

"Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law" ~ A Book Review

Reviewed by Adrienne Walker

I knew I was going to learn some unexpected things when Mary Roach’s “Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law” started with this: “For most of the past century, your odds of being killed by a cougar were about the same as your odds of being killed by a filing cabinet. Snowplows kill twice as many Canadians as grizzly bears do.” (pg 7) As a Canadian, I was not at all surprised by the second statistic - while I’ve seen a few grizzly bears, I had to do a lot of planning and traveling to make that happen. On the other hand, I’ve had many interactions with snowplows, generally in the middle of blizzards, and all of them anxiety-inducing.

For those interested in learning more about the book or in joining the book club, Adrienne welcomes inquiries and is happy to provide additional information directly.

May Day

A delicate fabric of bird song

Floats in the air,

The smell of wet wild earth

Is everywhere.

Red small leaves of the maple

Are clenched like a hand,

Like girls at their first communion 

The pear trees stand.

Oh I must pass nothing 

Without loving it much,

The raindrop try with my lips,

The grass with my touch;

For how can I be sure

I shall see again

The world on the first of May

Shining after the rain?

Poem by Sara Teasdale 1884-1933

Garden Club Celebrates Earth Day and Island Clean Up

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the OIGC booth on Earth Day! It was such a joy to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and share conversations with fellow garden enthusiasts of all experience levels. We were especially grateful to partner with the Master Gardeners, whose knowledge and passion helped make the day even more meaningful.

From children discovering the wonders of nature to adults sharing gardening tips and stories, the event was a wonderful celebration of community and our shared appreciation for the Earth. We are thankful to everyone who joined us in honoring and caring for our planet—it truly was a fun and inspiring day for all.

And thanks to everyone that participated in the Great Island Clean Up day to beautify this beautiful place we call home!

Coffee Time with the Presidents Blooms in a Friendship Garden

Special thanks to Leith for inviting us all over for coffee, giving us a little tour of all the fun things popping blooming and introducing us to some of her favorite plants, like "The Queen" yellow rose in her hand. Come check out Leith's friendship garden for yourself during this year's tour. Many of the plants were given to her by dear friends in the past and Leith has lots of stories to tell!

As some of you may know, we’ve started a new tradition — Coffee Time with the Presidents on Monday mornings (check the calendar for dates and times). This month, one of our wonderful members, Leith Templin, graciously invited us to gather in her beautiful “Friendship Garden!” 

Even with a chill in the air, not one of us noticed once we stepped into her garden filled with enormous tulips the size of dinner plates and countless lovely plantings, each with its own story. Leith shared the history and meaning behind many of the plants, and we were all completely enchanted listening to how her garden, and the friendships within it, have grown over time.

You’ll have a chance to experience Leith’s Friendship Garden for yourself during the upcoming garden tour. We hope you are as enamored with the garden as we were!

We are also looking for future gardens to host our coffee and tea gatherings. If you would enjoy welcoming a small group of fellow garden lovers into your garden for a relaxed morning of conversation, coffee, tea, and budding friendships, we would love to hear from you. We always enjoy learning the stories behind each unique garden — and the gardeners who create them!

Garden Club Sails to Yellow Island!

What a wonderful opportunity for our garden community! Nearly 100 members of the Garden Club, Orcas Island Yacht Club, and Westsound Community Hall gathered at Deer Harbor for a quick boat ride over to beautiful Yellow Island. As soon as we arrived, we were surrounded by incredible wildflowers — camas, death camas, chocolate lilies, hairy paintbrush, and so many others — creating a landscape bursting with color and texture like an artist’s palette or a Monet painting, all set against the water and mountain views.

We learned so much from Madrona Murphy of KWIAHT and Angel Quimbita from The Nature Conservancy during their April 29 presentation, which made the visit even more meaningful. The island’s careful preservation allows these amazing flowers to thrive in a truly special way.

A heartfelt thank you to weather for giving us gorgeous sunny skies and to the Orcas Island Yacht Club and Westsound Community Hall for helping make this memorable outing possible. It was such a joy to see so many groups come together to share in the beauty, history, and wonder of Yellow Island.

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments."

Quote by Janet Kilburn Phillips

Cascade Lake Bird Crawl with Tyler Davis

Our sincere thanks goes out to Tyler Davis, that made a special trip from San Juan to lead an amazing bird walk for us this month. We were blown away by the turn out of garden club members and the community. His presentation was appropriate for all levels of interest and expertise. We learned quite a bit identification and the sounds we heard. Particularly enchanting was the 'pishing' sound technique and result. He stated we recorded 33 species during our walk. Here's the checklist on eBird here.

And how appropriate that as we were leaving Moran, a Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco came by to say goodbye!

Twenty one intrepid bird watchers gathered May 9th for a guided bird walk. We saw and heard an amazing variety of bird species. A highlight was “pishing” which mimics a bird’s alarm call and draws curious birds! We saw an amazing variety of water and woodland bird species.

Tyler engaging with bird groupies

Little Junco says, "come visit again soon!"

OIGC Book Club Success!

We made the special shelf! See our featured book club books on display at Darvill's. Be on the lookout for our next book! I saw Margaret checking out the September book at the library today getting a running start. Come check out our bookclub. It's quite unique in our discussions and vibe. Kudos to our leader, Adrienne for kick starting this fun little group!

Just one of the three thrilled groups getting a VIP tour from Bruce!

Taking a Pause on Friends and Fitness Walking Group

Through feedback and people voting with their feet (i.e. lack of participation) it's been suggested the time/day for the walking group isn't possible for many of you. 

It's also been noted that "themed" or educational walks, like the bird walk this past weekend, are of great interest. We had 21 people (not including our guide) show up for Saturday's Walk and Talk. When you compare 21 to ZERO attendees on April 23rd and 30th friends and fitness walks, it sends a very clear message that something isn't working for most of you. 

For the time being, it might be best to put this plan on hold until we can gather feedback on the best way forward. That said, if you are keen to continue, I'm all ears as to what needs to change in order for people to make joining these walks a priority. 

If you’d also like to share feedback, send a message to CommunicationsOIGC@gmail.com

Great Scott! Great Horned Owls!

by Christian Oldham

The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) is the largest native owl (approximately 2 feet tall and 4 feet in wingspan) found both in Washington state and on Orcas Island. Usually identified whilst loitering along forest edges by the raucous mobbing calls of other birds, these large owls are readily recognized (if spotted by keen observers) by their prominent ear tufts and sharp yellow eyes.

Nightly, they are frequently heard (particularly during the late winter months), but are observed less often. During the long nights of winter here in the islands, the characteristic languid “hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo, hoo” hooting of adult Great Horned Owls “discussing” territory boundaries can be heard echoing across Orcas. Nesting sites, which become occupied relatively early in northern latitudes, are typically situated on or within larger trees or inside tree holes; often commandeered during the winter from the previous season’s nest constructors; be they hawk, heron, or other large avian. Typically, up to, but less than six eggs will be deposited in nests deemed suitable. By now in spring, viable eggs will typically all have hatched and juvenile Great Horned Owls will be well on their way to fledging. At this point, they are still relying on both of their parents to hunt nocturnally from low perches on the open branches of trees or snags.

Prey items are widely-varied and sourced from grasslands, wetlands, and woodlands. Prey includes mice, rats, rabbits, squirrels, frogs, and even other birds, if given the opportune moment to seize them by ambush, but does often tend to be biased towards small terrestrial mammals. Usurped nests are often not revisited in subsequent years once Great Horned Owl fledglings have departed, as the nests are abandoned without upkeep. Parental care may extend into late summer or early fall, at which point, newly independent fully-fledged adults will range out to establish new territories and nesting sites. 

Spring Blooming Scramble

by Mary Nash

Unscramble these letters to spell the names of common flowers that bloom in the spring. Good luck!

The answers!

1. A, 2. D, 3. B, 4. J, 5. I, 6. A, 7. H, 8. E, 9. G, 10. C

Garden Faire 2003

by Perri Gibbons

With the 2026 Garden Tour approaching, the tour committee was wondering when the tour started. Happily we have our GC albums to check dates and history. I discovered our inaugural  tour as a club fundraiser was in the 2004-2005 season, just over twenty years ago. Before that, the club raised funds selling items at various times in April, May or early June. We saw examples of the many crafts created by members to sell in the January 2026 newsletter. Sometimes we sold booth space to other vendors selling garden oriented products.

Let’s take a look at the last documented Garden Faire held June 6th and 7th, 2003 on the Village Green.

An emporium, a silent auction were part of the activities

24 vendors and exhibits covered the Village Green

There were plant and food sale tents

Tom Carrol and Tom Burg were working hard at traffic control...

While Larry Lindberg and Tony Ghazel were supervising in the Traffic Patrol Lounge

Meanwhile in the Master Gardener Booth sharing their plant knowledge was...

Emily Reid and Dixie Walmsley

Herlwyn Lutz and unidentified MG

Some things have changed, some have stayed the same, but the constant is an organized, intentional fundraiser powered by a dedicated group of volunteers. The Garden Club’s presentations and events are free and open to the public. We are involved in Citizen Science projects, send out monthly seasonal newsletters and awarded three community grants this year. 

We hope you take the opportunity to support the Garden Club's historic purpose to serve, educate and entertain the gardening community, by joining us on our tour, June 27 and 28th. 

Have some stories? photos? Share them with us! Contact: Perri Gibbons

At each monthly meeting, all members and guests joining us in person are entered for a chance to to win a door prize!

Power Outage? Flower Shoutage!

Our April lucky and door prize winners which took home beautiful pansies and showed up in the dark but were determined to hear Brenna's talk!

Congratulations to Wendy Mickle, a long time Orcas Island Garden Club member who lives on Lopez! We were thrilled she won the book for May, who won the book for May titled Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest: A Visual Guide to Harvesting and Cooking with 40 Common Species by Natalie Hammerquist

White Glove Service! Perri jumped a ferry over to Lopez and hand delivered it quickly and then hoped back on the ferrry. Needless to say, Wendy was delighted to receive the book!

Monthly Member-Only raffle winners are chosen at random from a list of current garden club members. Remember to renew or join the club to join in this fun contest! To see if you are an active member, contact Karen Hiller.

Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest: A Visual Guide to Harvesting and Cooking with 40 Common Species by Natalie Hammerquist



About the book:

A detailed guide to the most abundant and tasty edible wild plants in the Pacific Northwest with overviews of 40 edible plants with history, common names, and subspecies. This book is beginner-friendly resource explores native, non-native, and invasive plants with detailed    listings, recipes, plus a seasonal harvest calendar. It contains a full-color ID photos with detailed close-ups, as well as contextual photos of plants in the wild. Oh my!

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."

Quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero

Where is Ms. Gardenia?

What is Ms. Gardenia doing at the Orcas Hotel Café? Why of course, it’s 10AM Monday,, when Co-Presidents Robin & Laura welcome garden members to join them for a coffee and chat! Check the website calendar for upcoming scheduled Mondays and drop on in, all are welcome!! 

Pictured left to right, Debra Nichols, Ms. Gardenia, Ginger Moore and Robin Sullivan

2026-2027 Membership to date: 267

This year, we have a few free memberships available to those in financial need. Please reach out to our membership and we would love to help you.

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How can we make it better?

We'd love to hear your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Thank you in advance!

Follow Along with OIGC

For the latest information on upcoming club Events and Activities, follow the Orcas Island Garden Club on Facebook and Instagram @orcasislandgardenclub or check out our online calendar!

Please contact oigcnewsletter@gmail.com if you encounter any technical issues regarding accessing the newsletter. Thank you!