Top 5 “to do’s” in January and February:

• Read and dream through the seed catalogues.
• Lay out plans for next summer’s vegetable garden.
• If it doesn’t snow, remember to water the trees and shrubs.
• Enjoy the houseplants.
• Explore the inner, personal garden. By this I mean making time to be still, to explore through reading and quiet meditation just exactly what is growing inside my head and heart, hopefully discovering the parts that need to be fed and the parts that need to be weeded.  Winter is the perfect time to do this.

Recent local gardening trends: Throughout the state and specifically in central Oregon there is renewed awareness in the concept of sustainable gardening. As MGs we are paying more and more attention to good gardening techniques. These include being water-wise—we do garden in the high desert after all—planting the right plant in the right place and making a large effort to include the return of native plants into our landscapes.

About Jacqui: I have been a MG for 8 years.  Although I live in Sunriver, Oregon, about 20 miles south of Bend, I garden at the Hollinshead Community Garden in Bend. Members of COMGA oversee this garden and it has the advantage of being in the banana belt of Bend and has infrequent visits by the deer. In Sunriver my favorite plants are my many houseplants, particularly a Euphorbia (pencil cactus), a bottlebrush fern and seasonal amaryllis. In addition to my gardening I teach and practice yoga, read, do handwork (knit and embroider) and enjoy my friends and family (husband and two adult sons who are both gardeners)

Central Oregon Chapter of OSU Master Gardeners