Happy May, Gardeners!
Some of you may remember my call for landscaping volunteers over a year ago. We got a core group together, and in the fall of 2023 we created the lofty goal of removing plants that raised pedestrian and traffic safety concerns due to limiting visibility, and we decided we should replace some plants with pollinator-friendly natives to help us with our Bee City, USA initiative. We applied for a grant from the Xerces Society in the spring of 2024 and were awarded a wildflower and grassland kit. Our lead volunteer, Tom Ibsen, created a landscaping design and planted all 100 plants! The plants are still young, but they are strong and healthy. If you would like to see what a pollinator-friendly native garden bed design looks like, stop by the southeast corner of the library (the back corner on Shelley Ave).
If you are interested in joining the efforts to keep our newly planted beds weed-free, please let me know!
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Upcoming Events
Author Talk: Maggie Stuckey and The Container Victory Garden
Would you love to grow some delicious fresh vegetables for your family but don’t know how, or think you don’t have the right kind of space? We have some good news for you!
Maggie Stuckey, local gardening author known for making things easy for beginners, will explain how to grow a complete kitchen garden of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and edible flowers entirely in containers.
In addition to covering the basics—container types, soil, fertilizer, watering, harvesting, pest control, etc.—Maggie will share personal tips learned the hard way: smart shopping at the garden center, the basic principles of good design, good sources for information, the one big challenge, and the key to success. Her promise: “It is much easier than you might think!”
If you are interested in purchasing any of Maggie's books, please bring cash or check as she is not able to take electronic payment.
When: Saturday, May 17, 2 - 3pm
Where: Sandy Public Library, Hoyt Community Room
Pub Talk: The Emerald Ash Borer with Clackamas River Basin
Join us for an evening of learning and discussion on the devastating invasive insect the Emerald Ash Borer at Oregon City Brewing in Oregon City!
Bring the family and any Emerald Ash Borer or other invasive insect questions!
When: Sunday, May 18, 5:30 - 7:30pm
Where: Oregon City Brewing (1401 Washington St, Oregon City)
Sandy Edible Gardening Group - Real World Problems and Solutions
with Julia
Share the highs and lows of edible gardening with your neighbors as we swap tips, timelines, strategies, and resources. This group is open to all, whether you are just starting out or gardening year-round. Together we'll go from seed to maximizing the bounty of the harvest.
Meets: Fourth Monday of every month (next meeting: May 19th due to Memorial Day)
Time: 6:30 - 8:00pm
Where: Sandy Public Library, Hoyt Community Room
Bee City Event: The Pollinators Movie Screening
Celebrate World Bee Day with Sandy's Bee City Action Group by attending a free screening of the film The Pollinators. This documentary follows migratory bee keepers and their truckloads of honeybees as they move from place to place to pollinate the crops of the food we eat.
When: Wednesday, May 21. Doors open at 6:15pm, the movie starts at 6:30pm.
Where: Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way, Sandy)
Work Party: Invasive Garlic Mustard Pull with Clackamas River Basin
Garlic Mustard is originally from Europe and Asia and was introduced to North America as a medicinal herb. It has become invasive as it takes over forest understories and pushes out native species. To learn more about it, visit the Nature Conservancy's website: https://www.nature.org/en-us/
When: Sunday, June 1, 11 - 1pm
Where: Milo McIver Park
What I've Been Reading
I was not looking for this book; it found me. I am so glad that it did because it is written in a way that inspires and energizes. It starts with stories of how varieties develop over the years, and then guides you through trying it for yourself, moving from easy to more advanced breeding. I find myself just wanting to leave you with a few excerpts:
“Yes, it takes companies with teams of highly trained plant breeders years to create and market a new variety, but that is because the horticulture industry is complex, not because breeding is. Breeding at home is simple, easy, and effective.”
“That ‘Brandywine’ flavor… is the product of a community of gardeners, and the culture of a region, not just the work of one individual… Today, very excitingly, that kind of old-fashioned creation of exceptional varieties by a community to meet the needs of a community is coming back.” The author then goes on to describe how an online forum dedicated to tomatoes resulted in the start of the Cross Hemisphere Dwarf Tomato Project, which is now simply known as the Dwarf Tomato Project. I am happy to share that we have participants in this project amongst us! If you check out our tomato seed drawer, you will find multiple dwarf varieties that have come from this project!
Reading through this book really made me consider what an herb is. Especially since I tend to categorize seeds as herb/flower/vegetable. But really the category depends on what the edible portion is used for. An herb is a plant that is used for flavoring a meal, and in this sense, garlic and many onions are herbs, even though I tend to place onions in the veggie category.
What I've Been Reading Children's Edition
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