Plant Sale Meeting Reminder!

Just a reminder that we will have a plant sale planning this evening at CUH from 5-6 pm. Hope to see you there. Regular full planning meetings will begin in January!

See you soon!

Jim

Potting Soil for Plant Sale

Below is a copy of an email that was sent out by Susie Thorness that I wanted to make sure and pass on to everyone. Fall is a great time to get out in your yard and divide those overgrown and crowded plants in your garden pot them up for next years sale. Please take advantage of this opportunity. Remember plants that are donated to the sale are 100% profit to the organization and goes a long way to support the fine work we do!

The Master Gardeners at the Ronald McDonald House Demonstration Garden have a 3-way mix that was delivered to us for our new vegetable garden. We would like to share this soil with anyone who is potting plant starts and divisions for the 2009 Plant Sale. Plants that are potted now, for donation or consignment, will look and sell better in May than plants potted in the spring. Please come by the Ronald McDonald House at 5130 40th Av NE, Seattle, on Tuesday mornings, 10 AM to noon, when we will be working there. The soil is on the East side of 'B' house.
Thanks,
Susie Thorness

Thanks for passing on this information Susie! Reminder to all - this is a great place to pass on this kind of information - please feel free to email me with any other information you would like me to pass on.

Have a great Saturday!

Jim

Let me Introduce you to the Herbs/Veggies Department

Hello Fellow Master Gardeners!

Two job descriptions down and several more to go! If you click on the picture of the chairs for the Herbs/Veggies Department in the right column you will find, that with their assistance, I have been able to complete the job description (general description/purpose, duties and time commitment/timeline) for a another department.

I will be in touch with each department chair asking that you complete the job description over the next month or so. Don't feel like you have to wait to hear from me. If you are a chair of a department please feel free to begin documenting the information and send it my way. Please follow the same format as has been used by Herbs/Veggies and the Chair/Co-Chair.

Remember they do not need to be elaborate - keep it simple but with enough information that prospective volunteers will know what your department responsibilities are and with enough detail that in the unfortunate event you are not able to chair the department next year, we have record of your tasks and information to use in recruiting new chairs. I know this will not be the case and everyone will be back for 2010! - Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself!

Go ahead - check out the link by clicking on the Herbs/Veggies Department picture to learn more about this department of our plant sale.

Have a great rest of the weekend - protect those tender plants, it's getting pretty cold out!

Later -

Jim

This is what it is all about!

I thought I would share a recent comment left on the blog -

Anonymous said...

This is a great blog and I'm so glad Elaine brought it to everyone's attention or I never would have known about it! As an MG Emeritus (went through training in the late 80s), I find the blog an exciting example of the enthusiasm behind the sale (bet it generates more volunteer interest) and with the program in general. Keep up the great work!
October 10, 2008 6:17 AM

This is what it is all about! Thanks to everyone who has made comment or sent me an email. I will eventually get back to everyone - I've received a lot of feedback. I would have to say that the comment above sums up my intentions - "bet it generates more volunteer interest in the plant sale and the program in general". Thanks "Anonymous" for your comment.

I will be working over the next several months with the department chairs to get the descriptions completed. Please continue to send me pictures of your garden - past and present and I will post then. I've got a few sitting here to post so if you are one of those that have sent me a picture and you've yet to see it posted - be patient - it's on it's way!

Later -

Jim

The Garden of Master Gardener - Barbara Chilcote

One of the ways to make this site worth visiting and useful - is by sharing pictures from our own gardens. Like I said - this does not have to be all about work! Please continue to send me pictures from your gardens and I'll post them. Send to: jimandkent@comcast.net. Any Master Gardener is welcome to send pictures!

These pictures are from the garden of Barbara Chilcote. Barb has been a Master Gardener since 2002 and is the Chair of the Herbs/Edibles Department. When I asked Barb why she volunteers her time at the Plant Sale she said - "I find the plant sale to be a great place to provide education to gardeners or wanna-be gardeners and also because I love being around the energy and commitment of our "Herbista" volunteers. Herbs are the perfect plants for both new and experienced gardeners. Herbs are part of a sustainable garden being drought tolerant, easy to grow, and edible. Plus, hummingbirds and butterflies like many types of herbs."

Here are some photos from her garden during the September Phinney Ridge Garden Tour. About 200 people toured her garden and seven others.

The first two photos show visitors in the garden; and the photo below is of her friend Linelle (left) and Barb (right) sitting on a garden bench in front of the paper bark maple.

In the foreground you see the bright red blooms of salvia elegans ‘Honey Melon” which our Herbs department sold out of last year at the MG plant sale. Hummingbirds love this plant and visitors to her garden delight in seeing them . The herbs department plan to sell a lot more of this plant in 09.

Finally, with all those photos of my dog Toby (only until we have pictures of all our department chairs) on the blog, Barb wanted to give the feline population a representative…below is her darling boy, Gus, hiding out while people traipsed through his world. What a great picture!

Please join me in thanking Barb for sharing these pictures with us! Please visit Barb's site for more beautiful pictures of her garden and other delights!

http://www.chilcotesworld.shutterfly.com/

Have a good one -

Jim

What do you think?

If you have visited this site before you can see that I've changed the picture in the banner of the site. ( Steve doing a little shopping) I've been thinking and received feedback that it would be nice to change out the picture. Please respond to the poll and let me know what you think!

Also - please note the new slide show from Herbs/Edibles. Thanks for the pictures - please continue to send pictures from your gardens and from the plant sale. I'll post them to our newly formed gardening community!

Thanks,

Jim

Where to Send Pictures....

barbarac said...

Where do we send photos of our gardens Jim? Tried sending photos to your KC email address, but postmaster would have none of it.
October 5, 2008 5:17 PM

Sorry - The best address to send correspondence for posting is jimandkent@comcast.net

I am looking forward to posting your pictures!

Jim