The Lowdown

WSU Spokane County Extension Master Gardeners MAY 2017 The Lowdown

Inside this issue:

Foundation News 2

Book Review 4

Le Potager! 6

Get Together Info 8

Self-study Quiz 10

Upcoming Events 12

Extension Information

Dr. Jeremy Cowan 477-2145

Regional Horticulture Specialist

jeremy.cowan.@wsu.edu

Tim Kohlhauff 477-2172

Horticulture Program Coordinator

tkohlhauff@spokanecounty.org

Anna Kestell 477-2195

Food Preservation/Safety

akestell@spokanecounty.org

Jackie Sykes 477-2193

Clinic Coordinator

jsykes@spokanecounty.org

Master Gardener County Site

http://extension.wsu.edu/spokane/

master-gardener-program

Master Gardener Foundation of Spo-

kane County

http://www.mgfsc.org/

WSU Master Gardener Site

http://mastergardener.wsu.edu/

HortSense Fact Sheets

http://hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu/

Home/HortsenseHome.aspx

On Line Timelog Reporting:

http://ext.wsu.edu/Volunteers/logon.aspx

GARDEN FAIR & PLANT SALE 2017

The sun is shining!

The crowds are waiting!

The booths are set up!

Master Gardeners are ready!

People are shopping!

The sun is still shining!

Master Gardeners are giving advice!

The sun is STILL shining!

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With sales of over $12,000 garden fair

and plant sale 2017 can be considered a

blooming success!!!

It takes the efforts of every Master Gardener to pull off a successful event of this size.

We can all be proud of the effort we put forth to provide the community with healthy

plants and expert instructions on how to successfully grow them in our area.

Special thanks to everyone who went above and beyond the call to make this event a

success. You know who you are, you are greatly appreciated, and you ARE allowed to

‘toot your own horn!’

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We are so glad you are with us!

Mueller Marilynne 1-May

Madison Kurt 1-May

Lewis Tracy 3-May

Wengeler Jennifer 6-May

Moore Rita 7-May

Romjue Kally 7-May

Shellenberger Janet 8-May

Albietz Carol 9-May

Loibl Kay 9-May

Levine Julie 12-May

Bademian Lona 17-May

Harter Dorene 19-May

Dashiell Linda 20-May

Sunde Laren 20-May

Kushner-Burnett

Teena 29-May

Parks Karen 29-May

Meyers Lynn 30-May

PLAN AHEAD:

UPCOMING CLASSES

May 2 Beyond Organic for the Consumer and Gardener 5:30 pm—7:00 pm Extension Office

May 17 Jelly and Jam 5:30 pm—7:00 pm Extension Office

June 14 Canning and Freezing Fruit 5:30 pm—7:00 pm Extension Office

June 28 Beyond Jam 5:30 pm—7:00 pm Extension Office

July 12 Pressure Canning Basics 5:30 pm—7:00 pm Extension Office

July 26 Dehydrating and Jerky Making 5:30 pm—7:00 pm Extension Office

August 12 In a Pickle 9:00 am—12:00 noon Extension Office

August 19 Tomato—Sauce, Salsa, Sensational! 9:00 am—12:00 noon Extension Office

August 26 Making Sauerkraut 9:00 am—12:00 noon Extension Office

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A Book Review by Susan Mulvihill

The Spirit of Stone: 101 Practical & Creative Stonescaping

Ideas for Your Garden

by Jan Johnsen

You might think a book that is essentially about rocks would be rather dull. It turns out that isn’t the case at all, as I learned while working my way through The Spirit of Stone (2017, St. Lynn’s Press, 191 pp., $21.95). As a matter of fact, the more I read, the more I started rethinking my landscape design and wondering how I could incorporate more stone into it.

Author Jan Johnsen truly knows her stuff. While attending college in Kyoto, Japan, she developed her love of stone and gained an appreciation for the way its placement in a garden affects us. She has been a professional landscape designer for many years and shares her knowledge, tips and designs throughout the book.

In the first chapter, she details how stones have been used throughout history to define a sense of place. This includes standing stones, cairns or towers of stones, Chinese scholars’ stones with holes and hollows, Japa-nese viewing stones on platforms, split rocks, and stone circles. As she discusses each type, she includes tips for using them to make an impact.

Chapter two covers different types of rock gardens and how to place them within a landscape. She shows how to make a rock garden on a slope, ways to move rocks (since they’re so darned heavy), and has tips for placing rocks within a rock garden. Johnsen also includes a rock outcrop garden (take-home message: don’t hide it!), crevice gardens made with flat stones placed vertically, a gravel garden, and dry landscape gardens that we know as Zen gardens with raked gravel.

The next chapter introduces ways to use stone for functional purposes in an environmentally-friendly landscape.

“Natural stone comes directly from the earth and is the original sustainable material,” Johnsen writes. “It is 100% recyclable, can be cleaned with water, does not emit any harmful vapors, and en-dures for lifetimes.”

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One of the best examples is that stones can be used to help with drainage. She lists the differ-ent types of gravel and how to create gravel walkways. There is a lot of useful information on building dry streams to catch runoff in areas of a landscape that have drainage issues. The dry streams can slow down the water so it can enter the soil.

Johnsen also discusses the use of stone mulch. Instead of using organic mulches like ground bark, stone mulch is extremely long-lasting. The downside, of course, is that stone mulch doesn’t add nutrients to the soil like organic types do.

What I enjoyed as I read this book were the many tips interspersed with information, all from the author’s personal uses of different materials. This makes her ideas seem very doable.

There is a chapter on stone walks and how different designs affect us. Johnsen suggests using irregular layouts of stones or pavers and mixing types of stone materials. She adds tips for cre-ating attractive and useful walkways by making sure they’re wide enough for two people to walk side by side and to accommodate necessary equipment.

If you live on a slope, you’ll probably find the chapter on garden steps of great interest. She talks about how they make gardens more easily accessed, create a focal point and add dra-ma. What a shame I live on a flat lot! And, as expected, she includes the details on how to install steps.

There are chapters on creating stone walls and adding stone accents to your garden, with tips on place-ment for maximum effect.

In chapter eight, the author makes recommendations for pairing plants with stone. This includes shade-tolerant plants, those that will grow in rock crevices, plants with golden foliage, and ones that spill over rocks to soften the edges and create a more natural look.

At the end of the book, there is an extensive list of public gardens where the reader can check out the use of stones with the landscape.

If you are looking for inspiration for your own landscape, along with the background on the many ways to add stone, The Spirit of Stone is a great place to start.

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Le Potager: Avril 2017

By Lynn Meyers

I got extremely sick this winter and was under self-imposed quarantine for weeks at a time. To keep from talking and coughing, I spent my snowy indoor days on the interwebs looking for more French things to grow in the potager. It’s a blessing the credit card expired in March, since that plastic was ready for spontaneous combustion from so much use. I’m sure some of these purchases were a ri-diculous lark, but some may turn out to be pretty cool.

Victory 8 Cube Garden and Dek Pro Tek Modular Squares

By far the most interesting thing I found is a planting system intended for gardeners who have a space like mine and want to try grow-ing things on the deck: 12 x 12 fabric planting cubes that are similar to the fabric shopping bags we now use instead of paper or plastic and a companion item of wood-protecting squares to go underneath. Those are made from a lightweight substance that reminds me of Silly String sprayed in a random mess and then hardened. It is light but sturdy and is intended to protect the wood deck from the wet bag when watered. (Bonus points scored with My Husband, The Engineer, since he monitors my watering system out there so the redwood isn’t too badly damaged. I swear he has a pocket protector rain gauge.)

Jaune Paille des Vertus onions

These are long day onions from seed. I have them in a starter flat with the plastic lid on top and they are on the deck just waiting for the right time to get growing. This is a method I learned about from Susan Mulvihill’s blog and she learned it from a Master Gardener friend in another city. We’ll see how it goes.

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Mignonette Alpine strawberries

I can hear you cackling already, ‘Who plants strawberries from seed?’ Perhaps there is a reason Susan doesn’t have a video or blog entry about this. Smart gardeners buy strawberry starts. But in my zest to try all the French things that I could find, I fell for the gorgeous marketing put out by Renee’s. I put a 1” layer of potting soil in the bottom of my 4” newspaper pots, and topped it with seed starting mix. The seeds are tiny, so who knows how many ended up in each pot. The flat is in the bathroom

with a swing arm lamp over the top, waiting for a possible 28-day ger-mination period. Yes, I can hear you laughing. IF they germinate and IF they grow, I plan to try them in hanging baskets. I have a small strawberry patch going already, so this seemed like a low-risk experi-ment at the time.

Primor French Baby Leeks

The seed packet says these are bred in France for premium fresh markets and should provide an “ample summer harvest.” I’ve never grown leeks before, but I really like to cook with them.

Carantan French Leeks

Do we really need two kinds of leeks? Who knows! I found some on one website and some on another, so I guess we can do “action research.” I will be pleased if I get enough to make even one batch of Vi-chysoisse, the classic leek and potato soup.

Zebrune Shallot (Cuisse de Poulet du Poitou)

How could I possibly resist something that translates as “Thigh of Chicken from the Poitou region?” It took me awhile to figure out what was going on here, but the shape of the shallot does look like a chick-en leg. I think these can go in with the onions when they get transplanted. I have a salad dressing recipe that calls for shallots and champagne vinegar. Fingers crossed.

Rouge Vif d’Etampes (Cinderella) Pumpkin

I truly want to be able to grow my own pumpkins for fall decor, but have not had much success. Two years ago I grew a few of these very fun Cinderella pumpkins, shaped just like her carriage, but somebody was out there gnawing on them toward the end of the season. Claudia Myers thought maybe a rabbit, from the teeth marks. I just noticed this winter that somebody with huge hind feet, who obviously jumps to get around, left tracks in the snow. Hmmm. The pumpkins were still nice decor on the front porch in October, with the tooth marks turned inward, but I was hoping for more than three! I will start the seeds in newspaper pots and when I transplant them into their Victory Cube containers, we’ll see if they like being in the hot zone on the deck, which so far has been a rabbit-free area. Pierre Lapin, get thee gone!

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GET + TOGETHER

The Master Gardeners Foundation introduces its new Summer Garden Tours for May, June, July and

August.

Join us as we tour the Secret Garden Greenhouse at 7717 East 18th Avenue, Spokane on Thursday,

May 11 from 6 to 8 PM. Preview the new Spring nursery offerings, enjoy wine, snacks and conversa-

tion with your Master Gardener group.

Other Summer Garden Tours hosted by the Master Gardener’s Foundation include:

2017 Spokane in Bloom pre-garden to tour at Julie and Bill Nesbitt’s garden and enjoy a ride in a

1949 Nuffield Oxford (London taxi). Thursday, June 8 – 6 to 8 PM, 3002 W Trinity Avenue, Spo-

kane, WA 99208.

Heron Pond Farm and Snapdragon Flower Farm-This combined tour features Heron Pond Farms

located at the base of Tower Mountain, 6110 E Jamieson Road Spokane, WA. Thursday, July 20

from 6 to 8 PM. We are a small, sustainable family farm providing quality artisan cheeses and

heritage pork to those who care where their food comes from and how it tastes. Snapdragon

Flower Farm specializes in cut flowers including bulk blooms, DIY Bridal flowers, and bouquets.

Learn more at www.snapdragonflowerfarm.com

August’s Tour is TBA and will include a Healing Garden.

The Inland Empire Gardeners group is looking for gardens in the Nine Mile area for the 2018 Spokane in Bloom Tour, held in June. Also, this group is seeking gardens in the Spokane area including the Spo-kane Valley and South Hill for future garden tours. Please contact ViAnn Meyer - TIEG@comcast.net

Please note: These no-charge events are open to you and a guest. Since alcohol will be served, you

must be 21 and older to participate. Please BYOB and potluck/snack. Since these are social gather-

ings, no educational or volunteer hours are available for attendance. Just lots of fun!

Questions? Please contact Julie Moyer Nesbitt, WSU Master Gardener Intern (509) 954-8227 or email Julie.nesbitt@comcast.net

As a reminder, email Evites will be sent out prior to each Garden Tour.

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A FEW MORE PLANT SALE MEMORIES

Master Gardener Friendships!

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MAY 2017 QUIZ

1. What kind of weather did we have for the Garden Fair & Plant Sale?

2, Approximately how much money did the MG Garden Fair & Plant Sale bring in?

3. Who can ‘toot their own horn’ after the Garden Fair & Plant Sale?

4. When can you learn how to make jelly and jam at the Extension Office?

5. Where can you learn how stone has been used to create a sense of place throughout history?

6. If you have a rock outcrop in your yard, do you have to hide it?

7. What can you do with the above situation?

8. What type of stone do you find in a Zen Garden?

9. Stone can be used as an organic mulch. How does it differ from most organic mulches?

10. What makes gardens more easily accessed, creates a focal point and adds drama?

11. What is a Victory 8 Garden Cube?

12. What kind of seeds did Lynn Meyers plant that most of us would not?

13. What kind of vegetable is a ‘Thigh of Chicken from the Poitou Region?’

14. Why is a Cinderella pumpkin named that?

15. What animal will nibble at the above cucurbit, at least in Lynn Meyers’ yard?

16. At 6 pm on May 11, 2017, where would MGs go if they wanted to hang out with other MGs, pre-

view spring offerings and enjoy a glass of wine?

17. What is the address of this great spot?

18. On June 8 you will have an opportunity to ride something special at Julie and

Bill Nesbitt’s home. What is it?

19. What should you bring to the MG Get Togethers?

20. Will you get Education or Volunteer Hours for attending the MG Get Togeth-

ers?

21. Why should you attend the MG Get Togethers?

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APRIL 2017 QUIZ ANSWERS

1. Holland

2. People who learned they would have to wait nine months to take MG train-

ing.

3. April 29, 9 am—2 pm

4. Garden Fair & Plant Sale

5. Yes, call Tim Stiess

6. Tim K., Anna, Jackie at the MG office

7. $500 Apple gift card

8. Yes

9. The Xerces Society

10. Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect

Beautiful, Beneficial Insects

11. Yes

12. Don’t use insecticides and create a wild habitat

13. No, no platform for butterfly to land on.

14. Butterfly

15. Lepidoptera

16. Native Plants

17. Blue Moon Garden & Nursery, Plants of the Wild, Desert Jewels, Spokane County Conservation Dis-

trict

18. Ornamental Grasses

19. Yes

20. FS247E Soil Acidity Affects Soil Microorganisms

21. NO!

Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, sex, religion, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origin; physical, mental, or sensory disability; marital status, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era or disabled veteran. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.

Calendar of Events

Tuesday 2 Beyond Organic for the Consumer & Gardener 5:30 pm—7 pm Extension

Saturday 6 Spring Plant Sales 9 am—3 pm Spokane Community College Greenery

Monday 8 MG Foundation Meeting 10 a.m. Extension Conference Room

Tuesday 9 MG Advisory Board Meeting 4 p.m. Extension Conference Room

Thursday 11 MG Get Together 6 pm—8 pm Secret Garden Greenhouse

Saturday 13 Garden Expo 9 a.m.—2 p.m. Spokane Community College

Wednesday 17 Jelly & Jam 5:30 pm—7 pm Extension Office

Monday 22 Clinic ID 3:30 p.m.—5 p.m. MG Clinic

22 Advanced Education 5:30 p.m.—7 p.m. Extension Classrooms

Monday 29 Memorial Day Holiday

Thursday 8 MG Get Together 6 pm—9 pm Julie & Bill Nesbitt’s Garden

Monday 12 MG Foundation Meeting 10 a.m. Extension Conference Room

Tuesday 13 MG Advisory Board Meeting 4 p.m. Extension Conference Room

Wednesday 14 Canning & Freezing Fruit 5:30 pm—7 pm Extension Office

Monday 25 Clinic ID 3:30 p.m.—5 p.m. MG Clinic

25 Advanced Education 5:30 p.m.—7 p.m. Extension Classrooms

Wednesday 28 Beyond Jam 5:30 pm—7 pm Extension Office