Friday
Fresh
Delivering the freshest news and updates for Mason County WSU Master Gardeners
2017 Plant Sale update January 20, 2017 Hanging baskets contact Connie Zellweger, zell.connie@yahoo, 360.427.3925, 907.821.0403 Did you buy a hanging basket at last year’s Plant Sale? If you would like to donate it back for this year’s sale, please let me know. Seeds, seeds, seeds, seeds contact John Skans, [email protected], 360.462.6088 What’s on your nightstand? Inquiring minds want to know what seed catalogs you are reading and what seeds you are ordering for 2017. Share your plans with us. First TTGG photos—birds and bees photos: Karen G  Bill Shoaf presenting on honey bees  Jim Ullrich (left) presenting on mason bees—with a few birds thrown in—and MG Zach Smith (right) There were approximately 50 attendees at Saturdays TTGG.
Be sure to let friends and family know about upcoming
workshops by sending them to our facebook page.
 Mason bees “on a stick” (they’ve hatched) Jan 23------ Master Gardener Clinic, 12 to 3 pm,
Extension office—Cheryl Stewart
Jan 25------ MGFMC Board Retreat, 10 am to 4 pm,
Shelton Timberland Library (see page 2)
Jan 28------ Through the Garden Gate,
9 am to noon, Mason County Public
Works Building—“Insects 101”
Jan 30------ Master Gardener Clinic, 12 to 3 pm,
Extension office—Pat Carpenter
Feb 2 ------- 2017 Plant Sale Meeting, 1 to 2:30 pm,
Shelton Timberland Library (note change in
location)
Feb 6 ------- MGFMC Board Meeting, 10 am, Extension
Office
Feb 6 ------- Master Gardener Clinic, 12 to 3 pm,
Extension office—Jeannine Polaski
Feb 11 ------ Through the Garden Gate,
9 am to noon, Mason County Public
Works Building—“Organic Gardening
Basics and Seed Saving”
Feb 13 ------ MGFMC Foundation Meeting, 10:15 am,
Shelton Timberland Library
Feb 13 ------ Master Gardener Clinic, 12 to 3 pm,
Extension office—Bonnie Day-Orr
Feb 20 ------ Presidents’ Day—Extension Office will be
closed; MG Clinic rescheduled to Tuesday
Feb 21 ------ Master Gardener Clinic, 12 to 3 pm,
Extension office—Jinx Cromwell (Tuesday)
Feb 25 ------ Through the Garden Gate,
9 am to noon, Mason County Public
Works Building— “Improving the
Fertility and Condition of Your Soil and the Amazing
Life of Slugs”
Feb 27 ------ Master Gardener Clinic, 12 to 3 pm,
Extension office—Cheryl Stewart

Go to the MG Facebook page for details on the
upcoming Through the Garden Gate workshops
www.facebook.com/masoncountymastergardeners/
[Editor’s note: A red and black fleece jacket was left at the TTGG workshop Saturday. It can be picked up at the Extension office.] Master Gardeners Foundation of Mason County  January 20, 2017  2 Friday Fresh Volunteering in 2016 What’s coming?
by John Skans Jan 22------ Native Plant Salvation Foundation
“Twig Walk” (see Dec 23 Friday Fresh)
Wondering how we compare to other counties? I downloaded the report as of this week for 2016. Mason County Master Gardeners are 17th in total hours reported (5,236), 19th in number of reporting volunteers (50), and 6th in hours per volunteer (104.7). Have you reported your 2016 volunteer hours? If you need help, contact Jeannine Polaski, [email protected]. Feb 18------ Pacific Northwest Peony Society
annual meeting, 8 am to 5 pm, Allmendinger
Conference Center, Puyallup (see page 2 of this
Friday Fresh)
Reminder: 2017 board retreat by Pat Carpenter The annual MGFMC Board Retreat will be held Wednesday, Jan 25, from 10 to 4 at the Shelton Timberland Library. We have moved the date up from March because of recent issues that need to be addressed. We will be discussing both short‐term and long‐range goals, hiring a replacement coordinator, training issues, changes in the bylaws, and the new publicity committee among other topics. This meeting, although billed as a Board Retreat, is open to any Master Gardener who would like to attend. Community Intelligence Lab See the attached flyer for more details on the WSU Extension weekly Community Intelligence Lab. Peony Society annual meeting Feb 18 Feb 22-26 - Northwest Flower and
Garden Show, Washington State
Convention Center, Seattle
(tickets available online
www.gardenshow.com/tickets/
#online) (see Jan 13 Friday
Fresh) (contact Lisa Henderson
for carpooling arrangements)
Through the Garden Gate, 9 am to noon, Mason
County Public Works Building:
Mar 11 ----- “Creative Ways to Grow Fruit Trees
and other Small Fruit—Pruning, Grafting, and
Care”
Mar 25 ----- “Tool Selection and Care and Garden
Ideas”
Jul 10-14 -- 2017 International Master Gardener
Conference, Oregon Convention
Center, Portland (advance
tickets on sale at website)
http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/
2017imgc/home-page/
by Carol Adelman, President, [email protected] http://www.pnwpeony.org/ (see attached flyer) The Pacific Northwest Peony Society will hold its annual meeting in Puyallup this year on Feb 18 at the Allmendinger Conference Center. We would like to extend an invitation to Mason County MGs to join us in learning more about peonies. There will be additional topics, but our main guests will be Gary A Chastagner, Ph.D., Professor of Plant Pathology, and Tim Miller, Ph.D., Crop and Soil Sciences of Washington State University. The day always ends with an auction of peonies. I also draw to your attention the 2018 American Peony Society Annual Conven‐
tion and flower competition, which will be held in the Portland area May 24 through 27, 2018. Resources http://gigharbor.wbu.com/ — Wild Birds Unlimited, a link to Jim Ullrich’s (last week’s speaker at TTGG) nature
shop in Gig Harbor
http://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/mason-bees/ — Info on mason bees from the Honeybee Conservancy
http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/about-mason-bees/8198.html — “About Mason Bees,” from the Gardener’s
Supply Company
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/lifehistory — “Anna’s Hummingbird,” from The
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
http://bees.wsu.edu/ — “WSU Honey Bees + Pollinators,” includes cute video of bees and butterflies
http://extension.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/honey-bee-health-2016.pdf — “Honey Bee Health” pdf
https://wasba.org/ — Washington State Beekeepers Association
http://www.pugetsoundbees.org/ — Puget Sound Beekeepers Association
CONTACTS
MGFMC President—Pat Carpenter
360.426.9845, [email protected]
2017 Garden Tour—Jeanne Kinney
360.427.5690, [email protected]
2017 Plant Sale—John Skans
360.462.6088, [email protected]
Catalyst Garden Meetings—Sharon Bryant
360.426.7257, [email protected]
MG Clinic Volunteers— Pat Carpenter
360.426.9845, [email protected]
Through the Garden Gate Education—Lisa Henderson,
360.229.4031, [email protected]
Friday Fresh is a weekly publication of the Master Gardeners Foundation of Mason County. It is currently produced by John and Dorothy Skans. Provide articles, event dates, questions, and comments to [email protected] by 8 am each Thursday. Find us and like us on Facebook: Mason County WSU Master Gardeners Cooperating agencies: Washington State Univer‐
sity, US Department of Agriculture, and Mason County. Extension Programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension Office.
Join us on: Saturday February 18th, 2017 — 8am to 5pm
Washington State University Allmendinger Center
2606 West Pioneer
Puyallup, WA 98371 United States
A block of rooms at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Puyallup have been reserved for us for the nights of the 17th
and 18th. Holiday Inn Express & Suites is located at 812 S Hill Park Dr. Puyallup, WA 98373, just 3.1 miles from the
meeting center. Please mention PNW Peony when making a reservation. (253) 848-4900 or (800) 465-4329
This special booking rate will only be available until 1/20/2017 and then the rooms will be released for full price.
A great program with Tim Miller speaking on Weed Control in Peonies, Dr. Gary
Chastagner & Ms. Andrea Garfinkel speaking on Peony Disease Management and
more may follow. The day will conclude with our awesome Peony Auction.
For more information please contact Carol Adelman at 503-393-6185 or [email protected]
----------------------------------Registration Form
Name(s)
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone
Email
Registration Fees: Your registration fee includes continental breakfast and a lunch. (Please let us know asap if
you have any dietary restrictions.) Meeting registration, including meals is $20 per member if received by 1/31/2017,
or $25 at the door. Please include your 2017 membership dues of $10 for a two person household with your
registration. New members welcome!
Join us for a no-host dinner on Friday night, February 17th 2017 at 6:30pm at BJ’s Resturant & Brewhouse
Located at South Hill Mall, 3703 9th St SW, Puyallup, WA 98373— From the Holiday Inn Express– Head west on S Hill
Park Dr., Turn left on 94th Ave E. and the restaurant will be on your left. Just 1 minute from the hotel.
How many people will be attending the No Host Dinner? __________ (We’ll be sure to make reservations for you.)
Enclosed is $______ for meeting registration and $_____ for 2017 membership dues. (Membership is $10 for a two
person household. If you are not attending the meeting, please mail in your annual dues.) Checks should be made
payable to PNWPS and mailed with this registration form to: PNWPS, PO Box 9193 Salem, OR 97305
Please support your club with a donation for the annual auction!
Please call or email the donation information to Lore Sampson:(541) 352-7044 or [email protected]
COMPUTER SKILLS. INTERNET RESEARCH. ONLINE TOOLS.
MAPPING. SOCIAL MEDIA. DATA SCIENCE. MORE…
COMMUNITY OFFICE HOURS
Mentorship/Consulting on Computers, Smartphones, Information
Technology, and Data Science According to Your Needs
(Personal, Business, Nonprofit, Activism, School, or Job Skills)
Mondays, 4pm-7pm
*BRING YOUR DEVICE OR USE A COMPUTER AT THE LIBRARY*
Downstairs at Shelton Timberland Library
Contact Greg Schundler: @ 908.251.0841 / Email [email protected]
Find us on
at: WSU Community Intelligence Lab
Brought to you by:
http://extension.wsu.edu/mason/
Greg Schundler
Program Coordinator
Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.