Cabin Fever Gardening Symposium
I wanted to let you know that there is a wonderful educational event coming up next month. And it’s applicable (and available) to gardeners everywhere since it will be a virtual event! It’s called the Cabin Fever Gardening Symposium and it is sponsored by the Spokane County Master Gardener Foundation.
Here are the details:
The theme is “Gardening Now and For the Future” and is also a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the WSU Extension Spokane County Program’s 50th Anniversary. This event begins on March 2, 2024 with a keynote address by Jennifer Jewell, host of the public radio program and podcast, Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden. Her address begins at 10 a.m. PST.
There will also be 10 recorded presentations on wonderful topics, which you can view anytime over the course of 2 months. You get all of this for a mere $50! Look for the pertinent details on the Foundation’s website. Here is a list of the presentations:
Bringing Nature to Your Garden with Native Plants _ Diane Stutzman. This talk will cover the requirements, in general, of the natives in this area, and problems people occasionally have (plant placement, water regime, fertilizer.) It will discuss the benefits of planting regional natives, including showing some of the insects, caterpillars, and birds that rely on them.
Landscaping and Gardening in Wildfire Country _ Guy Gifford. Wildfire is part of every summer here in Spokane and in many other regions in North America. The landscaping practices we choose make a huge difference on a home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. Learn about the characteristics of plants and trees and what type of ground cover that are a good choice to use around your home when you live in “Wildfire Country.”
Gardener/Garden Connection Balances Strength and Resilience _ Cathi Lamoreux. Gardens and gardeners age and change. The view changes over the years, whether you make that happen or nature takes over. No matter what, there is a delicate balance that leads to inherent resiliency providing support both to the garden and the gardener. The human-nature connection is one of the strongest forces of strength and inspiration. The resilience provided by our interactions with nature give us the strength we need as we deal with aging, change, loss, joy, achievement and challenges. Nature also is environmentally resilient. Being conscious of what we do for ourselves and for our gardens to facilitate a connection with the natural world is as urgent for today as for the future.
Gardening Practices that Protect the Aquifer and River in a Changing Climate _ Tonilee Hanson. The Spokane Valley Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer is the sole source of drinking water for over 600,000 residents. Individual stewardship by gardeners and engaged citizens can make a difference in maintaining water quality and conserving water resources to protect the aquifer and Spokane River in a changing climate. In this session, Tonilee Hanson will share solutions and free resources on how to prevent stormwater runoff contamination from fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides; water conservation practices such as leak detection, retrofitting, and smart controllers; and best planting practices with native and drought tolerant plants. The information presented can apply to water sources in all regions.
Building Understanding of Pesticides in IPM _ Rachel Bomberger. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is managing plant damaging pests using cultural control methods, like manual pruning or water management but also includes the use of chemical pesticides. The use of chemical pesticides comes with specific concerns and considerations for appropriate and effective use. Understanding how pesticides contact and interact with their target pest are critical for pest management as well as preventing the off-target impact of pesticides to the surrounding environment. Competent and confident use of chemicals in IPM requires the ability to read, understand and follow a pesticide label. Reading the label enables Master Gardeners and those who rely on them for IPM options to protect themselves and the environment as well as determine what products work best for their specific conditions and how to integrate their use into the wider IPM “toolbox.” Our presentation will cover IPM and how chemical pesticides are best utilized for effective pest management. This presentation will cover how to develop a IPM plan for a client.
Tougher Than Turf _ Kathy Hutton. Establishing a healthy, low water use, sustainable native garden to replace your turf requires putting the right plant in the right place. Kathy will give you information on specific species requirements for some native grasses, wildflowers and shrubs that will work well for a backyard garden if given the correct conditions and care.
The Washington Bee Atlas _ Karen Wright. Invasive species, whether aquatic or terrestrial plants, animals, insects, or pathogens threaten Washington’s community health, recreational opportunities, agriculture, and other economic and environmental factors. At a national level, the costs to prevent, monitor, and control invasive species, combined with the damage to crops, fisheries, forests, and other resources, cost the nation an estimated $1.2 trillion over the past 50 years. Closer to home, the introduction and spread of just 22 invasive species in Washington equates to more than $1 billion in damage and loss. Join Maria Marlin and Anne Schuster to learn more about highest priority invasive species and ways you can help protect our economy, environment, and well-being.
Resilient Gardens for a Changing Climate _ Karen Gilkeson. Our regional climate is changing as the global climate changes with extreme weather events reaching record levels last year. What does this mean for our food gardens and landscape plants? Learn how extreme weather affects plants, including trees, how to design resilient food and ornamental gardens and help plants survive extreme weather. Also find out the role gardeners can have in mitigating climate change, including designing landscapes to capture carbon.
Traditional Teachings, Modern Approach _ Michelle Week. Farmer Michelle of x̌ast sq̓it / Good Rain Farm will share with us how we can all incorporate ancestral ecological knowledge into our honorable and reverend land stewardship practices.
Learn from this Indigenous, woman-owned, human-scaled farm that exemplifies values driven food sovereignty, seed kinship and celebrates cultural and biological diversity!