Pollination of food crops is essential to society, for without this pollination service, most fruits, nuts and other foods would simply disappear off our dinner tables. Today, the world depends on a variety of pollinators to perform this task from a variety of sources: Honeybees and a number of other insects – and the hard working Mason Bee.
From 3/8th inch Plywood – “Cut and Assemble
2 ea 9X8 Sides
1 ea 12X8 Back
1 ea 12X13 Top
1 ea 9X13 Bottom
And now the fun begins. In King County, we wait impatiently for spring, even though our winters are relatively mild compared to the rest of the country. The bulbs you planted last fall are blooming, and the flowering plum and cherry trees put on a wonderful show. Incessant rain may keep us indoors; fortunately there are some outdoor and indoor activities that will get you started.
BDG Greenhouse news means starting the season off with its small greenhouse all fresh and clean inside and out.
Wally Prestbo with the assistance of Jim Downing, Ralph Federspiel and Tom Sherrard took off the old cover and put on the new. Wally and Jim will install the lights and it will be ready for planting tomatoes Wednesday, April 6.
All Master Gardeners in King County are eligible to vote for members of the Board of Trustees of the Master Gardener Foundation of King County, including those MGs who have completed their training this March and who have indicated their desire to be a member of the Foundation.
Chaired this year by Carol Rubado, the Search Committee is looking for a few (six, in fact) good men – and women – to be members of the Foundation Board of Trustees. The Foundation is critical to all of our MG activities and programs, and it is the Board who guides its activities. In fact, the Foundation funds all of our programs except Training.
In 1996 the City of Kent approached the Master Gardener Foundation of King County to ask for assistance in restoring the acre of moribund gardens surrounding the Neely-Soames Homestead in Kent. The Neely house, built in 1884, is the oldest standing residence in Kent and it also was in need of preservation and restoration. King County master gardeners have been in charge of restoration and improvement of the garden since 1996, using no pesticides or herbicides.
Every time a clinic shift comes up in my calendar, I look to see who I’m working with. Having served as a Master Gardener now for several years, I know many of my clinic cohort and it’s nice to reconnect with folks I don’t always see regularly. As much as I respect and enjoy my old friends, I especially love to work with interns. I like getting to know the new folks, to hear what inspired them to become MGs, and to learn what they’re exploring in our county-wide public outreach efforts. On a purely superficial level, it’s nice to sit with interns who think I know everything. There’s so much more fun, though, in hearing what they bring from their own experience and the training they received.
The snow has come and gone while the volunteers at BDG have been busy since the closing of the garden in October, planning and preparing for the 2011 garden year. Already in 2011 Master Gardeners have had two general meetings and several Steering Committee meetings. The seeds have been ordered and delivered, garden assignments and responsibilities are almost complete, materials have been ordered to outfit the old greenhouse with a new covering in preparation for planting the 1000 tomatoes for the MG Plant Sale and the garden annuals, the directory/handbook is nearing completion, 43 interns from the class of 2011 have signed up following our class presentation, 9 public workshops have been presented and 1 garden tour given as we await opening day Saturday, April 2.
Gordon Polson helping out at the Master Gardener
booth at the Northwest Flower and Garden show.
Ed LaCrosse was named Washington State Master
Gardener of the Year at the Master Gardener
Advanced Education Conference held in
Vancouver, Washington on Sept. 23rd-25th, 2010.
Ed LaCrosse was named Washington State Master Gardener of the Year at the Master Gardener Advanced Education Conference held in Vancouver, Washington on September 23rd-25th, 2010. 
Ed is a gifted leader with integrity, commitment, and a legendary knowledge of native plants. Ed leads a community based coalition at the historic Neely-Soames Homestead Garden, one of the King County Master Gardener demonstration gardens. He is Chair of the Native Plant department of the annual King County Master Gardener Plant Sale and is a native plant steward for the Native Plant Society. WE CONGRATULATE ED ON THIS WELL DESERVED HONOR!
