Sandy Seed Library News - July 2025

 

Happy July, Gardeners!

I am happy to share that I have additional staff support for the seed library! Rick Camp is a fellow library clerk, and if you have not met him at the library or one of our events, please say hello the next time you are in! Rick joins the Sandy Seed Library team with a fondness for gardening and all things plants. He is helping me reimagine some of the systems we have in place in order to make it more streamlined in getting new seeds out and additional resources available. He will also be contributing to the newsletter when possible!

Upcoming Events

Gardening for Pollinators

Pollinators play a crucial role in the balance of ecosystems around the world, a balance each of us depends on. Join OSU Extension Service Master Gardener™ volunteers Mary Lindstrand and Tina Mori as they share the vital importance pollinators play for us all and steps we can take to support pollinators in the landscape.

When: Thursday, July 24, 6 - 7pm

Where: Sandy Public Library, Hoyt Community Room

Sandy Edible Gardening Group

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: Every 4th Monday of the month (next meeting: July 28th)

Time: 6:30 - 8:00pm

Where: Sandy Public Library, Hoyt Community Room

Recap on Preserving Your Berry Harvest

Buffy with OSU Extension Office Family and Community Health came to teach how to use our Library of Things collection to preserve your berries and fruits by turning them into jams, jellies, and fruit leathers.

Here are my key takeaways:

First, she wants us to know that food preservation is not an art; it's science. Find research-based information and techniques at any state university Extension website (ends in .edu), from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and from all Ball books published after 2016.

• Preservation happens when you control the temperature (e.g., freezing or canning), the moisture (dehydrating), or the acid levels (pickling).
• Sugar is used to control moisture as it binds to the water in the fruit. If you are looking for a sugar substitute, Splenda is the only that has been approved for canning.
• Pectin is a substance in fruits that form a gel if they are in the right combination with acid and sugar. All fruit contains some pectin. Commercial pectin is derived from apples or citrus. Low-methoxyl pectin uses calcium rather than sugar and acid to gel). Each pectin type has its own recipe, and the recipes are not interchangeable.
• Jam: fruit spread with seeds
• Jelly: fruit spread with no seeds
• fruit butter: pears or apples are most common
• marmalades: citrus
• preserves: whole fruit in a liquid (usually syrup)

You can find more information on OSU Extension website and follow them on their socials:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Recap on the Buzz About Bees

What a fun presentation by Mary and Tina. They talked to us about the difference between bees and their relatives that we confuse them with: hover flies, wasps, and hornets.

Some key takeaways:

• Honey bees are not native to the US (they are European) but have become naturalized.
• Bees need many different flowers to have a complete diet. They cannot receive all required nutrients from a single flower source, so planting a variety is crucial.
• While it is important to consider native plants for native bees, having a mix with nonnatives works best because the honey bees often do better with flowers that are European in origin.
• Honey bees can travel several miles for food sources, but mason bees will only travel up to 300 feet.
• All bees prefer flowers that are simple in their petal design because it is easier access to the nectar and pollen. It is even better if there are a bunch of flowers together because they can maximize their efforts.
• Mason bees are the unsung heroes as they will come out to pollinate in rainy weather. They actually prefer the cooler days.

I wish I could put their whole presentation here, but I will leave you with a link to more resources: OSU's Bees and Pollinators and The Oregon Bee Project.

Interesting Articles from Newsletters I Subscribe To

OSU Extension Service: How to Control Aphids with Less Toxic Methods

This article talks about utilizing a strong spray of water to manually remove aphids, and I remember reading that the reason this works is because aphids are often latched onto the plant with their mouths and when the water hits them, it rips them off the plant, leaving their jaws behind. Kind of gruesome sounding, but it means the same insect will not be back.

The other interesting piece of advice is to not purchase adult ladybugs as they often just fly away, but to purchase lacewing larvae.

Peaceful Valley: Vertical Gardening for Healthier Vegetables & Fruit

This blog post offers seven reasons why vertical gardening could be the right choice for the backyard gardener.

What Rick Has Been Reading

The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Pacific Northwest by Lorene Edwards Forkner

I am a ditherer. I dither. Even the simplest tasks offer ample opportunity for indecision and procrastination. So, for me, the process of planning and executing my vegetable garden is often fraught with indecision and delay. Luckily, I found this vegetable growing guide that helps me in several ways. First, it is organized around the calendar growing year, so it gives me the month-by-month to-do lists I so desperately need along with month-specific tips and tricks along the way. And you can start your garden in any month. Second, the book is specifically geared for the eccentricities of our maritime climate, and includes a detailed listing of varieties well-suited to the Pacific Northwest. Regardless of whether you’re a ditherer like me or a well-adjusted and successful planner, or somewhere in between, this book is an ideal guide to year-round vegetable gardening in our unique area.

What I've Been Reading Children's Edition

The Flower Garden by Renee Korilla

This graphic novel really sparks the imagination. It is vibrant and adventurous. Two friends plant some flower seeds to provide food for the bees, and as they are waiting for the seeds to grow, they fall asleep. This is where the book turns fantastical as a garden gnome shrinks them down to her size to take them on a journey.

Herbal Activities for Kids: 50 Nature Crafts, Recipes, and Garden Projects by Molly Meehan Brown

With summer break upon us, you might be looking for some fun activities to do with the kids in your life. Some of these appealed to me as well! I think I might start an herbarium and press some flowers, or create my own lip balm. 

As always, thank you for being here,

Brianna Chase