Tribal Community Garden Coordinators Forum: Connecting Plants, People & Place

Northwest Indian College Cooperative Extension Traditional Foods and Medicines Program’s 4th Annual Tribal Community  Garden Coordinators Forum: Connecting Plants, People & Place

Thursday March 21, 2013    10:00-4:00

Hosted by: Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project

This gathering is an opportunity to share successes, challenges and resources with others who are doing tribal community garden work.  Through sharing stories, resources, and models for building community resilience, we can help each other grow!

Featured speakers:

  • Brett Ramey (Ioway) has been reconnecting people to land-based knowledge in both urban and rural Native communities through on-the-ground food sovereignty and public art projects for over a decade.  He works as a Tribal Health Liaison with the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center.  He is also a co-instructor of a course at Haskell Indian Nations University titled “Growing Change: Next Generation Responsibilities, Food Sovereignty and Climate Change.”   Visit www.horagewi.com for more about Brett.
  • Miguel Hernandez and Valerie Segrest will lead us in a tour of the Muckleshoot gardens and give an update on program developments, teaching tools and more.

Meet at the Muckleshoot Tribal College

39811 Auburn-Enumclaw Road SE, Auburn, Washington 98092

Lunch will be provided at the Elders Center

The event is free but please sign up at http://conta.cc/UyoA9r

For more information contact: Miguel Hernandez at mhernandez@nwic.edu or Valerie Segrest at vsegrest@nwic.edu

Spring is in the Air Join the Arbor Day Foundation in March and Receive 10 Free Trees

Join the Arbor Day Foundation in March 2013 and receive 10 free white flowering dogwood trees.
Join the Arbor Day Foundation in March 2013 and receive 10 free white flowering dogwood trees.

The Arbor Day Foundation is making it easier for everyone to celebrate the arrival of spring through planting trees.

Join the Arbor Day Foundation in March 2013 and receive 10 free white flowering dogwood trees.
“White flowering dogwoods will add beauty to your home throughout the year,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Dogwoods are known for their showy spring flowers, scarlet autumn foliage and red berries that attract songbirds during winter.”
The free trees are part of the nonprofit Foundation’s Trees for America campaign. The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting between March 1 and May 31, with enclosed planting instructions. The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed
to grow or they will be replaced free of charge.
Arbor Day Foundation members also receive a subscription to Arbor Day, the Foundation’s bimonthly publication, and The Tree Book, which contains information about tree planting and care.
To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE DOGWOOD TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by March 30, 2013. Or join online at arborday.org/march.

What to grow in your garden and which seeds to order

Local seed companies offer advice to help you plan for a bountiful harvest

Territorial's new cucumber variety, Patio Snacker, grows in a compact bush or can be trained to a trellis. Photo: Territorial Seed Co.
Territorial’s new cucumber variety, Patio Snacker, grows in a compact bush or can be trained to a trellis. Photo: Territorial Seed Co.

By Debra Smith, Special to The Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com

Purple carrots, heirloom tomatoes, fancy European greens: A whole world of succulent, flavorful produce can be grown in your yard or even on a sunny balcony.

Now is the time to get out the seed catalogs and start planning for that bounty.

Representatives from two Pacific Northwest seed companies shared some tips for choosing what to grow, and some of the hot new items in their catalogs. Both companies offer catalogs packed with growing information.

Irish Eyes Garden Seeds, as the name hints, specializes in potatoes. The Ellensburg-based company also offers a variety of heirloom, organic and nongenetically modified vegetable and flower seeds.

Owner Greg Lutovsky suggested trying a potato called Yukon Gem. It’s a private variety bred by a group of growers his nursery belongs to. The potato is late blight resistant — the fungal disease that led to the Irish potato famine — which means it’s incredibly hard to kill.

The potato is also quite tasty, just like one of its parents, Yukon Gold, Lutovsky said.

“You’d find some right now if you went into my kitchen,” he said.

He also recommended a russet-type potato for baking called Defender, and a purple fingerling called Purple Peruvian.

Lutovsky also offered a general piece advice for gardeners in Western Washington. Pay close attention to the “days to maturity” information listed with seeds. Eighty days to maturity is about the maximum gardeners can get away with in this area, and that’s pushing it without starting plants inside a greenhouse or using other season-lengthening techniques.

Plants bred to grow compactly in containers continue to be a popular trend, said Tim Russell, the marketing manager for Territorial Seed Co., based in Cottage Grove, Ore.

“A lot of people want to get into gardening, but they don’t have a big yard,” he said.

This year, Territorial offers a new cucumber called Patio Snacker. The cuke was bred for containers, as it stays in a tight, semi-bush shape and can be trained to grow up a trellis.

Another new plant for containers and small spaces is a cherry tomato called Lizzano. The plant gets about 20 inches tall and wide, Russell said. He suggested it tucking into a basket in a sunny spot. At 65 days to maturity, it produces relatively quickly for a tomato, a necessity in the cool Northwest.

Territorial began offering a zucchini last year called Patio Star and it proved popular, Russell said. The squash plant stays compact and produces shapely, deep green fruit. Gardeners can maximize space by packing them tightly together or planting among other crops.

The company also is offering plants that have been grafted to different rootstocks to maximize production and improve resistance to disease. Two years ago, the company started offering tomatoes. Last year it was eggplants. This year, gardeners also can try grafted peppers.

Territorial also is now offering seed tape and disks: Seeds, such as radishes and carrots, are embedded into biodegradable paper. The advantage here is gardeners don’t need to thin plants as they grow, and the seeds are perfectly spaced.

The seeds come embedded on long strips of paper intended for row planting. There are also a variety of herbs planted onto paper disks, aimed at gardeners who want to quickly and easily plant a container.

Spring Planting is Near: Join the Arbor Day Foundation in February and Receive 10 Free Redbud Trees

Press Release, Arbor Day Foundation, http://www.arborday.org

Joining the Arbor Day Foundation is an ideal way to get in the mood for spring planting. Anyone from Washington who joins the Foundation in February 2013 will receive 10 free Eastern redbud trees to plant when the weather turns warm.

The free trees are part of the nonprofit Foundation’s Trees for America campaign

“Redbuds will help beautify Washington for many years to come,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “They will also add to the proud heritage of Washington’s existing Tree City USA communities.”

The Tree City USA program has supported community forestry throughout the country for more than 35 years.

The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting, between March 1 and May 31, with enclosed planting instructions. The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow, or they will be replaced free of charge.

Members also receive a subscription to the Foundation’s colorful bimonthly publication, Arbor Day, and The Tree Book, which contains information about planting and care.

To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE EASTERN REDBUD TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by February 28, 2013, or visit arborday.org/february.

 

Home and Garden calendar

Heraldnet.com

 

EVENTS

beesBecome a master beekeeper: The next session begins Feb. 25. WSU Snohomish County Extension and Beez Neez Apiary Supply sponsor the introduction to beekeeping as well as a comprehensive refresher course for experienced apiculturists. The Monday classes, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the extension auditorium at McCollum Park, 600 128th St. SE, Everett., is $75. Register online at www.brownpapertickets.com/. You can also download the form at snohomish.wsu.edu/ and mail with a check. For registration information, contact Karie Christensen at 425-357-6039 or e-mail christensen4@wsu.edu.

Snohomish Conservation District plant sale: Annual sale of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs, plants and ground covers is March 2 at Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. Order your plants by Feb. 18 and pick them up on March 2. To order: www.snohomishcd.org/plant-sale or call 425-335-5634, ext. 102. $25 minimum.

Growing Groceries training: The WSU Extension classes teach mentors how to grow productive food gardens in an an environmentally friendly way. The trained volunteers then share their knowledge. The application deadline is Jan. 18. Classes start Feb. 9 and continue for four Saturdays at the Snohomish County Extension building at 600 128th St., McCollum Park, Everett. Tuition is $135 for those who volunteer 35 hours as mentors after certification, or $185 for nonvolunteers. Contact: Karie Christensen, 425-357-6039, or Christensen4@wsu.edu for more information.

Northwest Flower & Garden Show: Online tickets for the Feb. 20 to 24 show at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle are for sale at www.gardenshow.com. Prices are $16 for adults (regularly $20 the week of the show or at the door). Group rates and multiple-day passes available. The theme is “The Silver Screen Takes Root … Gardens Go Hollywood.” tickets. Go to www.gardenshow.com for a complete listing of nurseries selling advance tickets.

Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens 2012 lectures: Noon to 1 p.m. select Saturdays, at the arboretum, 145 Alverson Blvd., Everett, either in the indoor classroom or, when appropriate, outside on the arboretum grounds. All the classes are free. Seating is limited and some classes require registration. Call 425-257-8597 for reservations. See www.evergreenarboretum.com for more about the arboretum.

Jan. 19: Rose pruning with Sandy Schumacher, board member and master gardener. Registration necessary.

NURSERY CLASSES

Local nurseries feature classes, speakers and events. See websites or call for details.

Christianson’s Nursery and Greenhouse: 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon; 360-466-3821; www.christiansonsnursery.com.

McAuliffe’s Valley Nursery: 11910 Springhetti Road, Snohomish; 360-862-1323; www.mcauliffesvalleynursery.com.

My Garden: 17414 Bothell-Everett Highway, Mill Creek; 425-402-1842; www.mygardennursery.com.

Pine Creek Nursery: 23225 Sofie Road, Monroe; 360-863-8866; pinecreeknursery.com.

Sunnyside Nursery: 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., Marysville; 425-334-2002; www.sunnysidenursery.net.

The Plant Farm at Smokey Point: 15022 Twin Lakes Ave., Marysville; 360-652-3351; www.theplantfarm.com.

PLANT CLINICS

Got a gardening question? You can call the master gardener hotline from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 425-357-6010 or visit the Home & Garden section at snohomish.wsu.edu.