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The Lowdown
Dr. Jeremy Cowan 477-2145
Regional Horticulture Specialist jere-
Tim Kohlhauff 477-2172
Horticulture Program Coordinator
Anna Kestell 477-2195
Food Preservation/Safety
Jackie Sykes 477-2193
Clinic Coordinator
Master Gardener County Site
http://www.spokane-county.wsu.edu/
spokane/eastside
Master Gardener Foundation of Spokane
County
http://www.mgfsc.org/
WSU Master Gardener Site
http://mastergardener.wsu.edu
HortSense Fact Sheets
http://pep.wsu.edu/hortsense
On Line Timelog Reporting:
http://ext.wsu.edu/Volunteer/logon
WSU Spokane County Extension Master Gardeners
Fall 2015
Inside this issue:
Foundation News 2
CC Classes 5
Armchair Gardener 6
Computer Quickie 8
Continuing Education 10
Upcoming Events 12
Extension Information
Tickets for the Fall Banquet are now on sale!
In the Plant Clinic or on mgfsc.org
FALL 2015
The Lowdown Page 2
FOUNDATION NEWS
By Claudia Myers
It’s time to mark your calendar. October 8 is “An Evening with Jack Nisbet.” You may not be aware
of the local treasure we have in author Jack Nisbet. His writing is poetically beautiful and the topics
he tackles are either wonderfully local, historically important, about interesting natural phenomenon,
or all three together. If you haven’t yet selected a book, check his website at jacknisbet.com for a list
of titles.
Our successful request to Spokane Teachers Credit Union to underwrite his speaking fee included
the following explanation of Mr. Nisbet’s appeal: “Each year the Master Gardener Foundation cele-
brates the end of the gardening season and reaches out to the community by hosting a Fall Banquet at
the Lincoln Center. This year's acclaimed keynote speaker is local author, teacher and naturalist,
Jack Nisbet.
Mr. Nisbet is very popular with gardeners, as well as the general public. He will interest history buffs
with his intriguing tales of the British explorer, David Douglas. He will attract many others who
know him as a prolific local author with a newly released book, Ancient Places. He will delight gar-
deners with his knowledge of the plants of the Pacific Northwest, including a discussion of the pri-
vate gardens of David Douglas. We are expecting this event to draw a capacity audience.”
DOUBLE FUN: Want to win a cool Gift Certificate?
Bring a guest to ‘An Evening with Jack Nisbet’ October 8 and double your fun. Imagine enjoying
the evening with a friend while you both earn the chance to win prizes. Here’s how it works:
1. You and your guest are eligible for a special drawing and if selected, you will both receive a $50
gift certificate to Northland Rosarium, Home Fires, Blue Moon or the Plant Farm.
Once the tickets for you and your guest are purchased, email both names to Jan at:
[email protected]. The pair of names will be entered into the drawing.
2. By bringing more than one guest, you can increase your chances of winning. This is allowed as
long as the guests you bring are not Spokane Master Gardeners. Entering spouses is allowed.
A total of four Spokane Master Gardeners will win along with their guest. AND that’s not all. Put
your banquet ticket stub in the bucket and hopefully win the handmade, rustic wheelbarrow donated
by Karen and Jake Whitehead. Then of course there is the silent auction. Remember, this is a fund-
raiser for our Foundation and Program so let’s get busy, invite our friends and order tickets. Tickets
may be purchased at the Clinic with cash or check. They may be purchased on-line at mgfsc.org.
Cost is $35.00 and the door opens at 4pm with a no-host bar.
October 12 is the Annual meeting for the Foundation. It will be held in conjunction with the Board
meeting in the lower classrooms beginning at 1pm.
The Lowdown Page 3
Joice Cary 3-Sep
Julie McElroy 7-Sep
Susan Purdom 8-Sep
Patty Fay 15-Sep
Claudia Myers 18-Sep
Nancy Young 19-Sep
Shirley Broyles 21-Sep
Martha Kenney 23-Sep
Yvonne Snell 24-Sep
Sharon Mumau 24-Sep
Alva Kiesbuy 24-Sep
Joni Knoell 28-Sep
E. Louise Quirk 28-Sep
Janet Purath 30-Sep
Doug Lilly 5-Oct
Sharon Doyle 16-Oct
Carol Schultz 20-Oct
Roberta Smith 28-Oct
We are so glad you are with us!
The Lowdown Page 4
THANK YOU!!
About 30 Master Gardeners and others attended the organic farm tour hosted by John Crow, own-
er of Estella Farms, with Dr. Jeremy Cowan and Claudia Myers. John Crow explained his far-
reaching vision for the 170 acre farm. He plans not only to raise vegetables and fruits to be sold
through an honor system at the on-site vegetable and fruit stand, but also plans to rear pigs, sheep,
cows and other farm animals which will be fed the produce that is not sold at various local mar-
kets.
A later phase plans to include an agriculture school and tenant housing where homeless persons
may learn marketable skills in the farm industry. In the photo, Jeremy and Claudia are explaining
the high tunnel research project involving Master Gardeners recording degree days for seven veg-
etables and fruits as part of an Oregon State University effort to better determine harvest dates for
these plants in different locations. Claudia and her husband, Vic, later hosted the entire group for
a delicious barbecue at their new home near Deer Park.
Thank you to John Crow, Jeremy Cowan and Claudia Myers for all of their hard work putting this
together.
The Lowdown Page 5
SCC CLASSES AVAILABLE TO MASTER GARDENERS
If Master Gardeners want to take classes at Spokane Community College this fall there are a couple of op-tions available. If you are 60 years old you may qualify to take classes as a Senior, for a tremendous dis-count. Here is a link to more information about that: http://www.ccs.spokane.edu/About-CCS/admin-procedures/BIZ---FINANCE/5-05-05-TuitionFeeWaviers/5-05-05F-SeniorWaiver.aspx Those who want the senior discount will need to wait until September 23rd to register, but non-senior registration starts at any time after August 31, 2015. Bob Peregoy and Cindy Deffe are both teaching online classes this fall. Bob is teaching Plant Biology (ENVS 110) and Cindy is teaching Principles of Pest Management (AGHRT 104). 1435 AGHRT 104 TO GM PEST MANAGE 5.0 5.0 Deffe C ARRANGED 1537 ENVS 110 TO GN PLANT BIOL 5.0 5.0 Peregoy R ARRANGED Bob is also teaching an evening section of Plant Biology (ENVS 110) from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Natural Resources is offering an evening section of Environmental Conservation (ENVS 104) on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. These two classes may not run if there isn't much interest in the night options. 4137 ENVS 104 AW GN ENV CONS 5.0 5.0 Hall K TTh 05:30P 08:00P 4138 ENVS 110 AW GN PLANT BIOL 5.0 5.0 Peregoy R MW 05:30P 07:30P Other classes with availability are: 1398 AGGEN 151 AN Basic Shop Skills 4.0 4.0 Capello A TTh 12:30P 03:30P 1407 AGGEN 156 AN Equipment Operation2.0 2.0 Carter M MW 01:30P 03:30P 1437 AGHRT 106 AN Greenhouse Mngmt I 5.0 3.0 Prins D M 07:30A 10:30A(lab is 1440) 1440 AGHRT 106 A1 Greenhouse Lab MMGT I 2.0 Prins D 010 0105 TTh 07:30A 09:30A 1449 AGHRT 110 BN Plant Id 5.0 5.0 Kuhle T TTh 07:30A-10:30A & F 10:30A-11:30A 1452 AGHRT 115 AN Pruning 2.0 2.0 Kappen B F 07:30A 10:30A 1458 AGHRT 116 AN Green Bus. Mgmnt 5.0 5.0 Deffe C DAILY 10:30A 11:30A 1479 AGHRT 204 BN Landscape Design 1 4.0 4.0 Kuhle T TTh 12:30P 03:30P 1485 AGHRT 211 BN Floral Design 5.0 5.0 Etchison M 12:30P 02:00P and TWTh 11:00A 12:30P and F 11:30A 12:30P 1488 AGHRT 230 AN Plant Diagnosis 5.0 5.0 Deffe C MTWTh 08:30A 09:30A lab is Th 01:30P 03:30P 1491 AGHRT 232 AN Pest Management Project 2.0 2.0 Deffe C T 01:30P 03:30P 1494 AGHRT 234 AN Bidding & Estimating 3.0 3.0 Brown D TTh 09:30A 11:00A 172 ENVS 110 CN Plant BIology 5.0 5.0 Peregoy R DAILY 10:30A 11:30A 1542 ENVS 210 AN Soil Science 5.0 5.0 Peregoy R DAILY 12:30P 01:30P Registration will be shut down August 19-25 for a computer system swap, but it should be up and running late next week.
The Lowdown Page 6
HEAT STRESS AND GOPHERS IN THE GARDEN
By Eva Lusk
Our unusually hot summer and some extra-vigorous gopher activity are giving me
the opportunity to redesign our garden. Back in May, before the heat arrived, I discovered that
an entire large Hosta spp. bed was rapidly disappearing. The pocket gophers had discovered a
new dining spot and the results were not attractive to see.
My husband took on the gophers and I saved some of the Hosta remnants, planted them in pots
and re-purposed the former bed as a pleasant future place to sit and enjoy the garden.
A few scorned-by-gopher plants do remain: a hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), a
monkshood (Aconitum ‘Ivorine’), a Douglas spirea (Spiraea douglasii), an apricot
colored Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium ‘Apricot Delight’) and a couple of clumps of
small sedges (Carex ‘Beatlemania’).
It’s a start. And I can fill in with some foxglove (Digitalis spp.), ornamental onions
(Allium spp.), hardy geraniums, euphorbias, evening primroses (Oenothera spp.),
decorative violets and lots of spring bulbs that don’t seem to appeal to gophers.
And the surviving Hostas can stay, too … in large pots.
In June the heat arrived and it became obvious that some plants suffered from drought. Watering
more would solve that problem, but wouldn’t be ecologically responsible, given our area’s water
supply.
Instead, I’m keeping a close eye on the plants that are doing well despite our drought and those
that are not. Most that are suffering can be moved elsewhere; a few will have to go (plant sale).
Our present irrigation system doesn’t cover every inch of the garden and that has been very
workable in the past when enough rain and snow fell to keep plants satisfied. But we’re facing
drier years ahead and it’s smarter to garden with the right plants for that eventuality.
Most of the perennials have proven to be drought tolerant this year. The Mint Family
(Lamiaceae) is well represented, since so many of the members are ornamental as well as useful
in the kitchen and for displeasing deer.
(continued on page 7)
The Lowdown Page 7
(continued from page 6)
The giant blue hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) and the ‘Sunset’ hyssop (Agastache
rupestris) have done particularly well so far, even in part shade. Mints (Mentha
spp.), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), bee balm (Monarda spp.), sages (Salvia
spp.) and thymes (Thymus spp.), both edible and ornamental, are thriving, too.
So are the English lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia), germanders (Teucrium spp.), savory (Satureja
spp.), oreganos (Origanum spp.) both edible and ornamental, Russian sage (Perovskia spp.) and skull-
caps (Scutellaria spp.) All of these also attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
The California fuchsia (Epilobium canum, formerly Zauschneria californica) is also attractive to nec-
tar collectors, as are trumpet vines (Campsis radicans) and honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.), as well as
butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa).
Sun drop evening primroses (Oenothera fruticosa) continued to bloom during the day even in dry
sandy areas. The sulphur buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum) looks very healthy and has
bloomed all summer. Echinacea and Rudbeckia varieties are doing well and so are the
false sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides).
Lilies (Lilium spp.) were a treat, too, although the excessive heat curtailed their bloom pe-
riod. Right now, the garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are in full bloom and the nodding
onions (Allium cernuum) are in need of deadheading before they spread too much.
I’m pretty sure that earlier flowering bulbous plants are surviving to return next spring, too. Mean-
while, the succulents are not deterred by dry soil. They are ready to divide and be used in other areas
of the garden.
These are just a few reliable plants to keep, but there a many others with similar qualities that will also
stay. All I need now are weather conditions that allow me to be outside long enough to finish making
the changes.
Then I can look forward to enjoying a still beautiful, but more drought-tolerant garden without exces-
sive watering (and please also without gophers) next year.
The Lowdown Page 8
COMPUTER QUICKIE
Check out this great tool that works like
https://search.extension.org/
This service allows you to search the resources provided by your Cooperative Extension
Service using a Google Custom Search Engine that includes many of the Cooperative Exten-
sion web sites provided by your Land Grant institutions.
If you would like to save this tool to your desktop, just click on the link.
For PC users: RIGHT click on the page (just on the white open area)
A window will pop up; select “Create Shortcut”
Another window will pop up asking permission to put it on the desktop, click on “yes.”
For Mac users: click on the URL (the web address upper left corner)
Drag the URL to the desktop and release.
The Lowdown Page 9
THANK YOU!
We want to give a big Thank you! to our Garden Tour committee for 2015. They put
in a lot of hard work to create some different and wonderful learning opportunities and
great times to be together. We appreciate all of you:
Mollie McDonald, Julie McElroy, Carol Albietz, Julie Levine and thanks also to past chair-
person Tracy Lewis.
Two Big Events for October
The Fall Banquet is the fall fundraiser organized by the Master Gardener
Foundation. It will be a lovely evening with friends, food, and fun.
When & where: Thursday October 8th at The Lincoln Center 4pm
($35.00)
Who can attend: everyone! Master Gardeners; Interns; friends and family;
anyone who purchases a ticket!
The Graduation is to celebrate our 2015 Interns becoming offi-
cial Master Gardeners. This is an informal gathering over cake
and coffee/tea.
When & where: Friday October 16th in the classrooms 5pm-6pm
(free)
Who can attend: Master Gardeners, Interns and their Families
The Lowdown Page 10
FALL 2015
1. Master Gardeners helped Jeremy with research in the high tunnel project by recording
what information?
2. Which online courses can Master Gardeners take from SCC from Bob Peregoy and Cindy
Deffe?
3. Who is the guest speaker for the MG Foundation Fall Banquet?
4. Where will the MG Foundation Fall Banquet be held:
5. What is the Latin name for Douglas spirea?
6. To which genus do Eva’s (and all) sedges belong?
7. Which common name do we use for the Lamiaceae family?
8. The California fuschia genus has been changed from Zauschneria to what?
9. When do 2015 MG Interns become official Master Gardeners?
10. Who was on the Garden Tour committee that organized fabulous tours that informed
and entertained us in 2015?
The Lowdown Page 11
August Lowdown Quiz
Answer Key:
1. Jackie Sykes
2. Tomatoes & Peppers
3. Second Mondays at 1 pm
4. D.
5. October 8, everyone
6. October 12, Foundation
members
7. Epilobium canum
8. Yes, if they are within
reach
August Lowdown Quiz
Answer Key:
9. Beneficial
10. Associated Garden Clubs
11. August 15, 2015
12. August 27, 2015
STILL NO STORIES
By Kris Moberg-Hendron
I was hoping to have some wonderful stories to share with all of you by this time. Perhaps we
are too busy providing wonderful service to the gardeners of Spokane County. Perhaps we feel we do
not write well enough to submit a story. Perhaps we are afraid to appear to ‘make fun’ of someone else’s
gardening faux pas. Perhaps we just didn’t have the time.
I am inviting each of you to take a few minutes and contemplate this past season’s experiences in
the Plant Clinic and share them with me. I am exceptionally happy to edit, correct grammar and/or
spelling, and keep identities private for any and all submissions.
Here is a brief example from my time in the Clinic this season: One of the MGs gets very excit-
ed when a ‘bug’ is brought into the Clinic. This person will leave an interesting plant research project to
help with a ‘bug’ ID. “I love bugs!” is often heard at LOUD levels when this MG works. Try to work
with this person if you want to stay away from the ‘bugs.’ (Can you guess who that person is!)
I’m sure you have more interesting stories than that … send them my way!
Persons with a disability requiring special accommodation while participating in our programs may call the WSU
Extension at 477-2048. If accommodation is not requested at least three weeks in advance, we cannot guarantee
the availability of accommodation on site. Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state
laws and regulations on non-discrimination regarding race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, and
sexual orientation. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.
Calendar of Events
SEPTEMBER
Monday 14 MG Foundation Board Meeting 1 pm
Monday 28 Clinic ID 3:30 pm
PCS Training 5:30 pm
OCTOBER
Saturday 3 Tree Pruning Workshop 12 noon—4 pm
Thursday 8 MG Foundation Banquet
Monday TBA MG Foundation Board Meeting TBA
TBA MG Foundation Annual Meeting TBA
Friday 16 MG Class of 2015 Graduation 5 pm—6 pm
Saturday 17 Vermiculture Workshop 9 am—3 pm
