11
Volume 23 Number 7 July
2010
It’s official. The Extension Office will open full-time on July 1, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Starting August 2, the Master Gardener desk hours will go back to Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 to 12:00. Another change is that Jim Hermes is leaving as Staff Chair and Derek
Godwin is taking his place. Derek has met several times with the Polk County Commissioners to work out the details of the Polk County Extension Service District.
* * *
Please let me know if you helped in any way with putting up signs or gave out door hangers for the Save
Polk Extension. I need a complete list of volunteers and the number of hours each of you spent on this project. Our state OMGA treasurer needs the totals for her IRS report.
* * *
On June 5, John Savage and Tanya Beard led a tour of the Kingston Prairie Preserve, southeast of
Stayton. The 152-acre site is considered to be the best example of native prairie left in the central
Willamette Valley. The valley used to have more than one million acres; now there is less than one-half of one percent left. This preserve is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy.
That Saturday was cool and sunny. The preserve was full of wildflowers on rare, endangered and sensitive lists. If we didn’t look down as we walked, we missed the delicate Baby Stars, Linanthus bicolor. The surrounding grasses hid this tiny, native Phlox. I could identify the blue fescues, but all the other grasses were a mystery. Tanya, my group’s guide, cheerfully answered the same questions over and over as some of us lagged behind.
Patches of shallow streams and soggy ground left me with damp feet. Not far from one of these streams stood a remnant oak. This oak grew without neighboring trees crowding it and so developed a full, round shape. We learned that oaks in a forest only have a crown with few limbs below the top. This remnant oak provided homes to several birds who tried to entice us away from their nests.
If you want to see this preserve, please check The Nature Conservancy website for their Preserve
Visitation Guidelines. For a group of ten or more, they may be able to find a volunteer naturalist guide.
Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials – without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, and disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran status – as required by
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer

2 July 2010
Two orange coil-style extension cords during cleanup from the Plant Sale. The cords belong to Suzy Overturf. If you have these cords, or know of their whereabouts, please contact Suzy.
The next Fall Fling Meeting will be July 14 th at 1:00 pm in room 212 at the Academy Bldg. Thank you to all the dedicated Fall Fling Committee members, you are making this event happen!
The Fall Fling Committee has been hard at work preparing a Fall Fling you will not want to miss! Three superb speakers, three fun workshops, many new and regular vendors, and of course outstanding food! Look for the Fall Fling registration forms available after July 1 st .
Volunteers are always needed, especially on the day of Fall Fling. If you would like to help, please contact a Fall Fling Committee member:
 Chair Linda Yerbick lyinor@q.com 503 623 2983
 Presenters
 Workshops
 Publicity
Nick Yerbick
Bill Leedy
 Catering Gwenn Iott
 Registration Vicki Brink
Arlene Pate nyinor@q.com b.leedy@minetfiber.com
GwennIott@yahoo.com vickibrink@aol.com aapate@mac.com
503 623 2983
503 838 2646
503 831 1241
503 831 1373
503 362 1828
Joyce Zook
 Facilities Bill Lenzke
 Door Prizes
 Vendors
Mary Eiswerth
Christie & Jon
Henderson jtzook@comcast.net billandcreta@comcast.net eisbanc@msn.com cjfpens@aol.com
503 589 4826
503 589 0547
503 831 3316
503 838 5416

3 July 2010
Every Friday Morning at the Fairgrounds!
Please join us from 9 am to 12 noon; there is something for everyone at the Fairgrounds! The Rose
Garden, Annuals Garden, Butterfly Garden, Native Garden, Cottage Garden, Shade Garden, Vegetable
Beds, Orchard and Grapes and we can’t forget the Highway Gardens! The Highway Gardens will be getting a make-over this year and next year. It will be fun and a challenge to design the gardens, remove plants, add walkways, choose new plants, and to do it together!
Coffee break and goodies at 10:30! See you soon!
Nick and Linda Yerbick and the Fairgrounds Crew!
Home 503 623 2983, Cell 503 871 6238, lyinor@q.com
OMGA is embarking on a long-range strategic planning project. You may have seen this mentioned in the most recent Gardener’s Pen edition. The overall plan is to first gather input from the OMGA membership, then create a proposal for change that will be honed during the remainder of 2010. We wish to begin implementation in 2011. OMGA has four main mission statements as part of the Oregon
Master Gardener Program:
 To enhance and supplement the Oregon State University Home Horticulture Program.

To assume responsibility for performing special tasks and engaging in continuous activities related to the program.

To promote a wide dissemination of information available as a result of University study and experimentation. Such information shall be in accordance with Oregon State University standards.
I invite feedback and comments to these three questions:

To work with other gardening organizations to enhance gardening in Oregon, when appropriate.
1) What is OMGA doing at the present time to fulfill these mission statements?
2) What do you think OMGA should do differently in the future?
3) What barriers do you see that would need to be overcome to get us from where we are now to where we would like to be in the future?
Please send your comments to OMGA President, Tam Martin at tamm@hammondnet.com.

4 July 2010
Since we are coming up on the halfway point of the year, I thought I would remind the trainees of the payback requirements and options for completing them. As Dolores said in her article, we will return to the Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule in the office as of
August 2 nd
. We have lots of openings at the desk in August and beyond, so please contact me to sign up.
The requirements for each project are as follows:

MG Desk – 21 hours

Fairgrounds – 15

Clinics – 8

Plant Sale – 7

Brunk House – 3

Gentle House – 3

Delbert Hunter Arboretum – 3
Please turn in your yellow payback reports no later than October 31 st . If you work more than the required 60 hours, you can keep track of it on your yellow payback report form or pick up an orange report form at the Extension Office. It is important to report all volunteer time. Remember, we have an
Early Bloomer Award for trainees who volunteer 100 hours or more during their training year. If you are having trouble completing your payback, please contact me. If you can’t complete the payback in time for graduation in January 2011, don’t panic! You can still complete it in 2011 and graduate in 2012.
Our July chapter meeting (including our annual ice cream social) will be held at Dancing Oaks Nursery.
Fred Weisensee and Leonard Foltz will lead tours of the nursery display garden beginning 6:30 pm,
Wednesday, July 14. Help is needed with setting up/taking down chairs for the meeting. Please let
Luella Newkirk know by email newk37.1@comcast.net or phone 364-0438 if you are available to lend a hand.
The event is free and open to the public. The nursery is located at 17900 Priem Road, south and east of
Monmouth. For directions, see their website: www.dancingoaks.com. For more information, call
503-364-0438.
Please pick up your directory at the office. They are in a small box on the desk by the bookcase in the Master Gardener Office.
Directory Correction: Judy Hillman’s new e-mail is thegardenmole@comcast.net.

5 July 2010
July 17 th , 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Dena Healy
Leave Independence going south on Corvallis/Independence Hwy. Go approximately 4 miles, you will go past Hill Top Cemetery and turn left on Oak Hill Road (gravel road, only goes left). Go about 1 mile, address is 10425 Oak Hill Road on the left side of the road. Large brown house with a white fence.
July 24 th , 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Mary Ann Damerell
Going North on Wallace Road, turn left on Glen Creek Road. Travel 3/4 of a mile and turn right onto
Sunburst Terrace. Take the first left onto Cloudburst Avenue. Third house on the left…
1830 Cloudburst Avenue NW .
Tony & Sherry Crowe
From Salem, go west over bridge, stay in left lanes (toward Dallas) and take the Rosemont exit...... At light, turn left on Edgewater, then right on Eola. Go up Eola to stop sign (Kingwood Drive). Turn right.
Take the first left onto Lowen. Then turn right onto Diane. Look for house on right toward the end of block with low wall in front.
David & Coralie Rhoten
From Rosemont exit, turn left on Edgewater, then right on Eola to Kingwood, follow Kingwood midway toward Glen Creek Drive NW (2+ long blocks ) to a ‘T’ with Engle on left - at right, you're at 720
Kingwood!!! Park in driveway or on street....go through the garden gate next to the garage to the back of the house...and the garden. Or, drive around the back (Hillcrest---first right turn past 720 Kingwood) and come up the back drive into the garden.
Misty Ramsey
Right off of Kingwood to 730 Hillcrest Drive (behind the Rhoten's).
Linda Gardner
North on Wallace Rd., turn left on Orchard Heights Rd., then left on Overlook. Last house on right is
1215 Overlook NW.

6 July 2010
TH
Beyond Backyard Basics: The Science of Sustainability
July 28 to 31, 2010
Registration closes on July 5 th !
Amateur and professional gardeners, as well as trained Master Gardener volunteers, are invited to sign up for the 27 th
Annual Gardener’s Mini College being held July 28 th
to 31
The theme is “Beyond Backyard Basics: The Science of Sustainability.” st
at Oregon State University.
More than 30 classes, tours, and workshops on a wide variety of gardening topics will be presented at the CH2M-Hill Alumni Center on campus. Topics include composting, sustainable lawn care, plant problem diagnosis, breeding non-invasive ornamentals, rain gardens, and sustainable landscape design and maintenance.
Discussion also will be on protecting natural areas from invasive species, the truth about organic gardening, WaterWise plants in the Willamette Valley, what sustainability means to Oregon, and helping protect Oregon’s berry industry from the spotted wing drosophila fly.
Registration is $267 and includes all classes, three nights lodging, and all meals. Rates also are available for single-day classes and single meals. Register online at: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/mini-college or contact Betty Faller at 541-389-8088, or minicollege2010@gmail.com. Other events are a Silent
Auction, seed exchange, garden tours, barbecue, awards banquet, onsite OSU Bookstore, and OSU
Master Gardener chapter sales and displays.
The Gardener’s Mini College is presented by the OSU Extension Service Master Gardener program and the Oregon Master Gardener Association, in cooperation with the OSU Extension Service.
Saturday — July 3 rd — 7 am to 5:30 pm

7 July 2010
Would you like a free copy of the Marion County Reference Guide to Most Unwanted Noxious Weeds from Marion County Public Works Environmental Services? If you do, contact Dolores May because she has 25 copies. The booklet covers weeds in Polk, Yamhill, and Linn counties as well. We’ll keep
Desk and Clinic copies.
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
Please sign the log book and call the next duty crew when you arrive at the Master Gardener desk. If you can’t work on the day you signed up for, you are responsible for finding a replacement and notifying Gail Miles (606-
0673) of the change.
* indicates trainee
4 5 6 7
1
8
2
9
3
10
Independence
Day
11 12
Office closed
Judy
Phipps*
Janelle
Graham*
Allen
Combs*
Terry
Ungricht*
13
Kyle
Piering*
Jessica
Sipe*
Kyle Piering*
Jessica Sipe*
14
Janice Ames*
Jeanne
Wheeler*
15 16 17
18 19
Allen
Combs*
Terry
Ungricht*
20
Jeanne
Wheeler*
Judy
Bennett*
21
Teresa
Othmer*
Karen
Rudelitsch*
22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Janice
Henry-
Colvin*
Judy
Phipps*
Janelle
Graham*
Lynne
Rainwater*
Janice Ames*
Karen
Rudelitsch*

8 July 2010
Polk County Master Gardeners c/o Polk County Extension Office
P.O. Box 640
Dallas, OR 97338
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
DALLAS, OR 97338
PERMIT #005
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Polk County Master Gardeners™
Neil Bell, OSU Extension
Horticulture Agent
For Master Gardener Merchandise
Contact: Shirley Sloan 503-838-3355
Pronouncing Dictionary of Plant Names - $7.00 (new)
Pacific Northwest Wildflowers - $6.00 (new)
Gai l Miles, Program Assistant
Dolores May, President
Board Meeting – July 7, 1 pm, Academy Bldg,
Trees to Know in Oregon – out-of-stock
Cuttings Through the Year - $7.00
Mac’s Field Guides: NW Trees - $6.00
NW Good/Bad Garden Bugs- $6.00
Room 108
Chapter Meeting – July 14, 6:30 pm
Dancing Oaks Nursery
NW Park/Backyard Birds - $6.00 each
Coco Lite Bricks – out-of-stock
Master Gardener license plate frame - $1.00 each
Membership Dues – $20.00 per year
Please send inquiries, address changes, and membership renewals to:
Gail Miles, Master Gardener Program Assistant
OSU Polk County Extension Office
P.O. Box 640
Dallas, Oregon 97338 gail.miles@oregonstate.edu  503-623-8395
Polk Soil and Water Conservation District:
 www.polkswcd.org
Polk County Master Gardeners:
 http://extension.oregonstate.edu/polk/mg
Newsletter: Marcia Plass, marciaplass@gmail.com
Proofing/Printing: Dolores May
Distribution: Andrena Freeborn
The Polk Weed is the publication of the OSU Polk County Master Gardeners™ published monthly and mailed to members. Next deadline is Monday, July 19, 2010.