Calling All Gardeners to Annual Gardening Workshop

Saturday, October 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday Harbor Middle School, advance registration required

— by the San Juan County Master Gardeners —

Come join other garden enthusiasts at the 2016 Annual Gardening Workshop, Secrets of Gardening, at Friday Harbor Middle School, on Saturday, October 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Ten outstanding speakers at the Annual Gardening Workshop will include the following:

Is a Deer-Resistant Garden Possible in the San Juans?

The answer is yes! On October 1st, Jody Burns, expert Master Gardener from San Juan Island, and owner and chief gardener of a lovely garden on San Juan Island, will tell us her secrets.

Although some might feel the term deer-resistant gardening is an oxymoron, Jody has learned over the years what works in our islands to foil our constantly-browsing deer.

Got Tomato-Growing Problems?

Need some help with your Sweet Millions, your Purple Cherokees, all of your tomato crop this year? Come learn from a local expert, Debby Hatch, Lopez Island home gardener, tomato grower extraordinaire, and author of the popular gardening blog Lopez Island Kitchen Gardens.

In “Tomato Magic: Tomatoes from Seed to Harvest,” Debbie will describe it all: how she selects tomato varieties, how she germinates seeds, how she raises sturdy seedlings, transplants them, trains growing plants and finally harvests wonderful tomatoes.

There will be time for participants to share their own experiences with each of these stages of tomato growing, and to ask the tomato questions you have been waiting to ask all summer. Everyone will leave Debbie’s workshop with more ideas on how to grow this favorite summer treat.

Redefining Wheat

Dr. Stephen Jones, Director of the WSU Mount Vernon Bread Lab, and featured ‘hero’ who defied Monsanto and bred local wheat for flavor, nutrition and functionality in Dan Barber’s ‘The Third Plate,’ will Steve will present “Redefining Wheat,” a topic focused on Chromosomes, Bread and Community.

Steve is a wheat breeder with a PH.D in Genetics from the University of California at Davis and teaches graduate courses in advanced classical genetics and in the history and ethics of genetics.  Together with his graduate students he breeds wheat and other grains for local uses to be grown on small farms in the coastal West, the upper Northeast and other regions of the country. The Bread Lab is a combination think tank and baking laboratory where scientists, bakers, chefs, farmers, maltsters, brewers, distillers and millers experiment with improved flavor, nutrition and functionality of regional and obscure wheats, barley, other small grains and beans.

Attracting Bees Year Round to your Garden

Nearly all ecosystems on earth depend on pollination of flowering plants for their existence and survival. In addition, 70 to 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants and over one-third of the world’s crop species depend on pollination for reproduction. We are dependent on the pollination services of bees, the most important being honey bees and several species of native bees that have been developed for crop pollination.

Evan Sugden has made it his life’s work to study and protect bees. Unfortunately, honey bees and other pollinators are in trouble. Natural enemies and new bee-deadly pesticides are thought to be responsible, along with diminishing habitat and food due to human population growth, introduced or imported bee species and their associated diseases, introduced non-native plants that replace native pollinator plants and climate change.

As gardeners we can make changes in our behavior which may help to alleviate these problems. We can also encourage pollinators in our own gardens. Dr. Sugden will discuss how to properly plan your garden to provide floral and nesting resources for pollinators as wild land areas decrease. Food, shelter and water will attract and sustain pollinators while they are helping you grow your harvest. Seasonal sequencing of flowers for diversity and blooms from February through October takes careful planning. He will suggest flowers that attract many different pollinators throughout this time. He will also suggest native plants, and flowering weeds we may want to leave for the bees in our yards.

Dr. Evan Sugden is currently an instructor in the Biology Department of the University of Washington where he teaches entomology, beekeeping and ecology. His business, Entomo-Logic, specializes in solitary bee production and consulting. He has worked for the USDA, California Department of Food and Agriculture, and a private overseas development company. Dr. Sugden received his B.A. in Biology from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of California, Davis.

Other topics will include Dr. Brook Brower on “The Role of Heirloom Beans in Western Washington,” and other experts will offer advice on backyard fruit pests and much more.

The San Juan County Master Gardeners Annual Gardening Workshop will be held Saturday, October 1 in Friday Harbor at the Friday Harbor Middle School. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door, and are available online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2589005.

For more information about the workshop and workshop presenters visit the Master Gardener Foundation website at www.mgfsjc.org or call 360-378-4414.

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