LOWDOWN NEWSLETTER 2023

"Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true." - Alfred Lord Tennyson Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them." - Vincent A. Simeone January portends a better future and the beginning of a new gardening season as we look at seed catalogs, inventory garden tools and decide what we’ll do differently in our gardens. Winter tends to make us turn inward and retreat. However, it’s also a time to work on gardening ideas and look forward to the beauty of blooms and the wonderful resilience of our gardens as our plants prepare themselves for growth with the coming of Spring. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cold outside and snow probably covers much of the spaces surrounding us. But nothing says you cannot dream and plan for the time when it is time to go outside and garden again. At this point, I’d like to take the opportunity to say goodbye to a pretty terrific Master Gardener, Whitney Parker, Class of 2016. She moved back to the westside to be with family. Whitney is a stalwart volunteer, not only serving a term on the Program Board, various committees, and the foundation, but was an enduring member of our Trees, Annuals, Perennials, and Shrubs (TAPS) team volunteering long hours and growing plants for the annual Garden Fair. Thank you Whitney! We miss you already. The WSU Endowed Chair Campaign, as I said last month is an opportunity for Master Gardeners. This first ever faculty chair dedicated to the Master Gardener Program means we’ll have a voice within the halls of academia at WSU! So, I encourage you to donate to this worthy endeavor. The NW Flower & Garden Festival is next month,15-19 February 2023! Late last month you read about volunteer opportunities in Happy Tuesday. Spokane will be well represented as a number of Master Gardeners have volunteered to man the WSU/MGFWS booth at the festival. It’s at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. In MGFSC membership news, 2023 membership continues to grow from renewals. You can renew or join on MGFSC website or at Winter Meeting on 3 Feb. We’ll have a membership table there so come and visit and say hello! As always, Master Gardener Foundation members are welcome to attend our monthly BOD meetings held every second Wednesday of the month except August and December. We start at 3PM. I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record but…Take advantage of our Educational Grants. Take a horticulture or gardening class or attend an eligible gardening symposium/conference, all courtesy of the Master Gardener Foundation. Membership in the Foundation is not a requirement and all Master Gardeners are eligible to apply for a grant. Just navigate to our foundation page and learn more: https://www.mgfsc.org/grant Perhaps January is a dreary month but be on the lookout for Violas and Pansies. Winter Jasmine and Crocus can also bloom in our zone during this time. Of course, I’m always excited for the coming of the yellow blooms on our Witch Hazel. I’m not certain about any clean-up in the garden until spring with all the snow/ice continuing to hang on—I say this mainly for my own benefit because I wasn’t able to finish my fall chores when the early winter hit us this past year. Anyway, looking forward to it! Part of looking at the world around us is seeing what is happening in the skies above. It’ll be a Full Moon on 6 January. And, on 23 January, just after sunset, the crescent moon will appear to the southwest and below that thin crescent moon we’ll be able to see Saturn and a very bright Venus. Although it might be hard to view them with the naked eye, binoculars or telescopes work well. Don’t hesitate because both will rapidly sink below the horizon. Let’s start January with a short synopsis of its holidays and other known and unknown events! However, this month I’m only going to name a very few. 1 Jan is of course New Year’s and Polar Bear Plunge Day--if you’re interested, you can participate at Coeur d’Alene Sanders Beach—it starts at noon! It’s National Bird Day on 5 Jan, National Houseplant Appreciation Day on 10 Jan so visit our three houseplant Discount Partners and get discounts on houseplants. Of course, you can always get discounts year around as MG Foundation members from our fifteen (15) business partners. Martin Luther King, Jr Day is 16 Jan. Now, whether or not you like squirrels in your yard, 21 Jan is National Squirrel Appreciation Day, so feel free to feed them or not. Don’t forget National Seed Swap Day on 28 Jan and my favorite, National Croissant Day on 30 Jan!So, we have another 2.8 months of winter left before Spring is in the air. Not long at all! Enjoy the New Year and take advantage of the outdoors in beautiful Spokane! "Bare branches of each tree on this chilly January morn look so cold so forlorn. Gray skies dip ever so low left from yesterday's dusting of snow. Yet in the heart of each tree waiting for each who wait to see new life as warm sun and breeze will blow, like magic, unlock springs sap to flow, buds, new leaves, then blooms will grow." Nelda Hartmann, January Morn “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” Napoleon Hill

"The shortest day has passed, and whatever nastiness of weather we may look forward to in January and February, at least we notice that the days are getting longer. Minute by minute they lengthen out. It takes some weeks before we become aware of the change. It is imperceptible even as the growth of a child, as you watch it day by day, until the moment comes when with a start of delighted surprise we realize that we can stay out of doors in a twilight lasting for another quarter of a precious hour.” V. Sackville-West, "Over winter's hump" “Without Valentine's Day, February would be... well, January.” Jim Gaffigan, tweet, 2011, jimgaffigan.com February is Black History Month. Although I’m definitely not a weather forecaster, it seems February will be snowy, some say 12 days’ worth and perhaps wet for at least eight days—hopefully, I’m wrong and we’ll have much better weather to finish those garden chores we didn’t get to do because of the early winter last year. But we’ve seen this before, and at least the temps will hover in the mid-30’s, so that’s nice. Just think, more time to pour over those gardening and seed catalogs and refine our plans for the upcoming gardening season, which by the way, starts next month! So, by the time you read this Groundhog Day will have come and guess what…I’ll let you decide what the groundhogs predicted! As you know, as much fun and hopeful it would be for groundhogs to actually predict the change in seasons, I’m almost certain they cannot do so. Anyway, just know the days are slowly getting longer especially in the mornings and some of our plants like Hellebores are starting to peek out of ground.Cabin Fever 2023 is next month, on 18 March. It’s online, and only costs $45 to attend. The theme this year is “Sustainable and Resilient Gardens.” This online event will start on Saturday, March 18, 9-11 AM with a live presentation by Benjamin Vogt. Benjamin will speak on, “The New Garden Ethic,” addressing in a time of mass extinction and climate change, how and for whom we garden matters more than ever. Recording of Benjamin’s presentation will be available for 30 days following his presentation. Multiple NW-based speakers on topics ranging from urban food forests, native plants, waterwise gardens, wildfire preparedness, climate change and more will be available to all registrants to watch virtually through May 31, 2023. Get the topics and bios for our regional speakers under the Cabin Fever tab at https://www.mgfsc.org/ or by clicking the following link, https://www.mgfsc.org/class-schedule Garden Fair and Plant Sale 2023 is 28 and 29 April. It’s at the Extension Center again this year and we look forward to having all Master Gardeners volunteer their time and plants to our largest fundraiser of the year. More to follow next month. The WSU Endowed Chair Campaign is an opportunity for Master Gardeners. This first ever faculty chair dedicated to the Master Gardener Program means we’ll have a voice within the halls of academia at WSU! So, I encourage you to donate to this worthy endeavor. You’ll start to see more about this important campaign in the coming months from WSU as well as the foundation. The NW Flower & Garden Festival happens this month. See you there! Maybe we can even have a Spokane Master Gardener Meet-Up in Seattle like we do here every month! In MGFSC membership news, 2023 membership continues to grow from renewals. We ended January with 92 renewals, including 21 Friends of the MG Foundation members. That’s more than January 2022. You can still renew (see Happy Tuesday), join on the MGFSC website, see the Membership Committee during MG training at the Ext Center on Thursdays, and at Winter Meeting on 3 Feb. Winter Meeting is at the Shadle Park Library this year 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We’ll have a membership table there so come say hello and renew your membership to the foundation! As always, Master Gardener Foundation members are welcome to attend our monthly BOD meetings held every second Wednesday of the month except August and December. We start at 3PM, the February meeting is on Zoom. Just let me know and I’ll send you the Zoom link. And, it’s never too late to take advantage of our Educational Grants. Lots of horticulture, gardening classes, and/or eligible gardening symposium/conferences available, all courtesy of the Master Gardener Foundation. Membership in the Foundation is not a requirement and all Master Gardeners are eligible to apply for a grant. Just navigate to our foundation page and learn more: https://www.mgfsc.org/grant February means we’re on the cusp of Spring! Watch the trees and you’ll start to see the buds forming, a clear sign that spring is not far away now. Keep an eye out for Snowdrops, some Witch Hazel and perhaps even daffodils. And as I said earlier, Hellebores, depending on where you are here in Spokane, will either be flowering or definitely poking out of the ground intent on giving us all an early show of color. Did anyone take part in the annual Polar Bear Plunge last month in Coeur d’Alene? Alas, I did not, perhaps next year! It’ll be a Full Moon on 5 February. By the way, there’s a new moon on 20 February so that night will be the best time to observe faint objects in the night sky like galaxies and star clusters because the moon won’t interfere with the viewing. Two nights later, on 22 February, one hour after sunset, is the “close” encounter of the Moon with Jupiter. We’ll also see a very bright Venus, just below the two. Okay, February is an interesting month aside from Valentine’s Day because it seems that it’s mostly about chocolate. It’s National Dark Chocolate Day on 1 Feb, National Chocolate Fondue and World Nutella Day on 5 Feb, as well as National Crème-Filled Chocolates Day on Valentine’s Day. Then we have National Chocolate Mint Day on 19 Feb, Tootsie Roll Day on 23 Feb, National Chocolate Covered Nut Day on 25 Feb, and finally National Chocolate Souffle Day on 28 Feb. That seems like a lot of chocolates! Oh, there’s a three-day weekend with President’s Day on 20 February followed the next day by Mardi Gras. We are about a month and a half away from the onset of Spring which officially starts on 20 March 2023. Happy Gardening! “February is the border between winter and spring.” Terri Guillemets, Years “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi

"And Spring arose on the garden fair, Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere; And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.” Percy Bysshe Shelley “Gardening is learning, learning, learning. That’s the fun of them. You’re always learning.” – Helen Mirren March is Women’s History Month. I wanted to touch on last month’s NW Flower & Garden Festival to let you know how wonderful, interesting, and informative the whole experience was for all gardeners. Our Master Gardener (MG) Foundation and the MG Program was well represented at the combined WSU MG/State Foundation booth. The booth was in a very high traffic area and although I don’t have the numbers on contacts, I believe it was very significant, in the hundreds every day for the five days of the festival. As you know, we invested time, treasure, and people to the effort and it was worthwhile and important to get our volunteer efforts in Spokane County noticed in the state. Additionally, it allowed our MG counties around the state to be introduced to the work our MGs do for our community. A big shout out to Cecilia McGowan for her tremendous work as the state coordinator for all of the volunteers staffing the WSU/State Foundation MG booth! Congratulations Cecilia and all the Spokane MGs who made the trip to Seattle and volunteered their time manning the booth! Cabin Fever 2023 is this month! If you haven’t already bought your ticket now is the time to do so, it only costs $45 to attend! As I said last month, Cabin Fever is online this year and the theme is “Sustainable and Resilient Gardens.” It starts on Saturday, March 18, 9-11 AM with a live presentation by Benjamin Vogt. Benjamin will speak on, “The New Garden Ethic”. He addresses how and for whom we garden matters more than ever because we are in a time of mass extinction and climate change. The recording of Mr. Vogt’s presentation will be available for 30 days following the presentation. Additionally, a variety of NW-based speakers will talk on topics ranging from urban food forests, native plants, waterwise gardens, wildfire preparedness, climate change and more. All of these presentations are available to watch virtually through May 31, 2023. Learn more under the Cabin Fever tab at https://www.mgfsc.org/ or by clicking the following link, https://www.mgfsc.org/class-schedule Garden Fair and Plant Sale 2023 is next month. It is quickly coming up on 28 and 29 April. Check out Happy Tuesday as it provides you with plenty of opportunities to volunteer for the many jobs available. The set-up for this important event begins on 25April with the loading, transport, and unloading of over 6126 TAPS plants, including grasses from the Quarry to the Extension Center, followed by pollinators, berries, dahlias, natives, herbs, veggies, houseplants, and books on 26 April through 27 April. We again look forward to having all Master Gardeners volunteer their time and plants to our largest fundraiser of the year. We look forward to volunteering with you and having fun educating the public about gardening while also fundraising for the MG Program. The shopping days start on 28 April with early shopping, by appointment, for Foundation members (8:00 to 1:00 PM) followed by shopping for all shoppers 1:30 to 5:30 PM and again on 29 April by appointment, for all shoppers from 8:00 to 1:00 PM and 1:30 to 3:30 PM. The WSU Endowed Chair Campaign. Help WSU and the foundation support the WSU Endowed Chair Campaign by donating $5 a month for 5 years—this is an important opportunity for Master Gardeners in Spokane County to support having a faculty member whose emphasis is specifically on the MG Program. I encourage you to donate to this worthy endeavor. The $5 monthly donation for five years is equivalent to a total donation of just $300. MGFSC Membership continues to grow. We now have 168 members, including 60 Friends of the MG Foundation members, that’s 76 additional members than the previous month. See Happy Tuesday for more information or go to the MGFSC website to join or renew your membership. You can also see a Membership Committee member during MG training at the Ext Center on Thursdays. Join the MG Foundation, it’s $10 for MGs, Emeritus and Trainees and enjoy discounts from our 15 business partners. As always, Master Gardener Foundation members are welcome to attend our monthly BOD meetings held every second Wednesday of the month except August and December. We start at 3PM, the March meeting is at the Extension Center Conference Room and can also be available by Zoom. Just let me know and I’ll send you the Zoom link. Educational Grants are an opportunity for MGs, whether a Foundation member or not, to apply for a grant. Once again, it’s never too late to take advantage of our grants and there are plenty of horticulture, gardening classes, and/or eligible gardening symposium/conferences available to attend, all courtesy of the Master Gardener Foundation. Just navigate to our foundation page and learn more: https://www.mgfsc.org/grant If you haven’t noticed, the days are getting longer and we’re all starting to see buds, blooms, and plants accelerating their emergence out of the ground and on branches of trees and shrubs—nature is amazing! It won’t be long before we see more blossoms while Orchard Mason Bees once again begin the cycle of renewal and growth that is Spring. I’ll be bold and say, your Orchard Mason Bees, because I believe every garden has them, will start the process of pollinating plants in our gardens any time after 1 March, so be on the lookout for them. Sometimes we just don’t notice them because they can often be mistaken for the common fly. These solitary native bees pollinate more plants than the honey bee. Anyway, lots of mason bees are going to be busy these next couple of months. This cycle of nature coincides with the emergence of blossoming plants and the weather. Yes, the weather, it has to be at least above 50 degrees F for multiple days for these native bees to come out of hibernation.So, it’s finally March. This year, 20 March officially marks the beginning of Spring and all that it entails, warmer weather, plants beginning its eventual march to flowering, and the renewal and birth of a myriad of birds, insects, and plants. Even the lawn is growing and turning green because of the rain and wet conditions. See the daffodils, Narcissus, and early Tulips in bloom. And if your Hellebores haven’t already done so, expect the beautiful colorful show of flowers quite pleasing to the eye. Enjoy Spring! As you know, February was a cold, snowy and sometimes wet month. Let’s hope March is less so. The average March temperatures in Spokane will typically be in the 40’s and lows at night in the high 20’s. And of course, the days will continue to lengthen and Daylight Savings Time starts on 12 March. March is another interesting month. And because it is Women’s History Month, it is a time to reflect upon and recognize the inspiring and trailblazing women who helped shape our nation and fought for women’s voting rights. Here are some important dates this month for your consideration as part of this Women’s History Month celebration: 1 March is National Black Women in Jazz and the Arts Day, International Women’s Day is on 8 March, Harriet Tubman Day is on 10 March, and Women in Construction Week is 5-11 March. Don’t’ forget St Patrick’s Day is 17 March. We can also celebrate Chocolate Chip Cookie Week and Girl Scout Week 5-11 March. And for our MGs who love the color purple, wear purple on 26 March in support of the international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy around the world. Spring is in the air! “The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses” Hanna Rion “If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.” A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

"It is only when you start a garden -- probably after age fifty – that you realize something important happens every day.” Geoffrey B. Charlesworth "When March goes on forever, And April's twice as long, Who gives a damn if spring has come, As long as winter's gone." - R. L. Ruzicka April is Arab American Heritage Month. Garden Fair and Plant Sale 2023 is at the end of this month, the 28th and 29th of April. There are still plenty of opportunities to volunteer during the set up and the sale itself. Even if you forgot to sign up, show up anyway and help your fellow Master Gardeners during the prep starting 25 April through 28 April. This is our largest fundraiser of the year and with your help it will again be a great success! The shopping days start on 28 April with early shopping, by appointment, for Foundation members (8:00 to 1:00 PM) followed by shopping for all shoppers 1:30 to 5:30 PM and again on 29 April by appointment, for all shoppers from 8:00 to 1:00 PM and 1:30 to 3:30 PM. MGFSC Membership continues to grow. We now have 208 members, including 87 Friends of the MG Foundation members, that’s 40 additional members than the previous month. See Happy Tuesday for more information or go to the MGFSC website to join or renew your membership. You can also see a Membership Committee member during MGtraining at the Ext Center on Thursdays. Join the MG Foundation, it’s $10 for MGs, Emeritus and Trainees and enjoy discounts from our 15 business partners. As always, Master Gardener Foundation members are welcome to attend our monthly BOD meetings held every second Wednesday of the month except August and December. We start at 3PM, the March meeting is at the Extension Center Conference Room and can also be available by Zoom. Just let me know and I’ll send you the Zoom link. Educational Grants are an opportunity for MGs, whether a Foundation member or not, to apply for a grant. For example, if you wanted to go the WSU Master Gardener Advanced Education Conference (AEC) in Tacoma in 27-30 September 2023, don’t hesitate to apply for grant that pays for registration. Once again, it’s never too late to take advantage of our grants and there are plenty of horticulture, gardening classes, and/or eligible gardening symposium/conferences available to attend, all courtesy of the Master Gardener Foundation. Just navigate to our foundation page and learn more: https://www.mgfsc.org/grant If you haven’t noticed, the days are getting longer and we’re all starting to see buds, blooms, and plants accelerating their emergence out of the ground and on branches of trees and shrubs—nature is amazing! Well, well, we are beginning to enjoy the warmth of spring, hear birds singing away, watching our plants leaping out of the ground as they seek the sun making the landscape lose the dreariness of winter. It is Spring, bulbs of all kinds are blooming and we spend more of our time outdoors tending to our renewed gardens. And in the meantime, the busy Dig Gig season for Master Gardeners is starting to emerge as gardeners throughout the community are deciding that it’s time to divide plants and donate them to the Master Gardeners of Spokane County. So if a friend needs helps removing or dividing plants tell them that we’re more than happy to come over and dig up those plants for next year’s Plant Sale. If interested in having a Dig Gig at your home or a friend’s home just contact Matt Velasco mrvelasco06@gmail.com. There will also be a short notice in Happy Tuesday. Enjoy Spring! April is another interesting month. And we start it with April Fools’ Day on 1 April and Opening day for Major League Baseball. Here are some dates that is part of what April is all about: if you still have eight tracks, 11 April is your day, National Eight Track TapeDay, it’s Record Store Day on 15 April, and National Exercise Day on 18 April. If you like dessert, well then April is your month too because 3 April is National Chocolate Mousse Day, 7 April is National Coffee Cake Day, 13 April is National Peach Cobbler Day, 20 April is National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day, and finally, 28 April is National Blueberry Pie Day! Earth Day is on 22 April. Some additional important days to consider as well: Easter is on 9 April this year, Orthodox Good Friday is 14 April, Yom HaShoah is 17 April, and Eid al-Fitr is 22 April. And you’ll be happy to celebrate National Gardening Day on 14 April so spend that day in your garden doing gardening stuff! Spring is really here! That is all. “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!” Robin Williams “When everything seems to be against you, remember that the aeroplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” Henry Ford