Harvest Festival at Bellevue Demo Garden

Saturday, September 18th was a delicious day at the Bellevue Demonstration Garden..... the annual harvest festival!

 
50 or so Master Gardeners and Interns gathered to show the public how garden produce can be turned into all things delicious, and educate folks on the sheer variety of fruits and vegetables one can grow up here in the Pacific Northwest   Wow!  What a production! 

When I arrived, a little after 8:30am set-up activities were already well under way. 
When all was said and done we had a magnificant bounty ready to share with everyone.

After checking in at the greeter's table for a bowl, utensil and napkin it was off to the shelter to check out all the tables laden with assorted dishes, each focusing on a different theme: asian style dishes using vegetables, and another table focusing on salads.....

Jams, jellies and juices.....

....and breads and cakes.....

Outside under a canopy, there was a tomato tasting station......(I never realised how many varieties of tomato could be grown up here in the PNW!)

There was a table serving stews, soups and chili...... and folks were even working a grilling station cooking up grilled fruits and veggies.....

2 hours to sample umpteen dishes, pick up interesting recipes, listen to great music, play a potato guessing game, pick up a bouquet of everlastings, meet and mingle with MGs and gossip about gardening.... what fun!

So, being an MG isn't just about digging in the dirt and diagnosing sick plants...... it's also about celebrating the bounty of the garden and sharing with the community.  I hope you'll come and celebrate with us next year!   

Training Update

Well, summer is almost over and my MG training continues.

I'm up to 45.5 hours so far this year in clinics, demonstration gardens and other extraneous assignments.  Humming along!  With one more clinic and two demo garden visits still on my calendar I'll be up to 57 hours when all is said and done, putting me well over the minimum 45 hour requirement for the first year intern, and in good position for a much lighter load next year.

I'm really enjoying the garden assignments..... love digging in at the Bellevue Demo Garden (part of the Lake Hills Greenbelt Park in Bellevue, WA).  Many MGs are there every week working away in their assigned spots, or hosting the clinic, so there's always lots of company.  A large number of the folks there are seriously seasoned MGs with years, if not decades of experience and knowledge.  What a resource! Just start up a conversation and all kinds of information comes pouring out.... great learning environment.

On the other hand, I'm finding the clinics terribly boring. : (
 

I'm the world's worst sitter!  I hate sitting!  I've never been able to sit still for very long, and to be sitting behind a table at a clinic for 4+ hours is a killer.  If there's an alternate way for me to contribute value to the MG-cause after my internship is finished, I'm going to have to seek it out.....

I've also managed to rack up 4.5 hours of continuing ed (CE) stuff.... we have to complete 10 hours of CE during our 2 year internship, so I'm well on my way to getting that done.  I've attended two of the lectures offered by the Bellevue Demonstration Garden - the topics were Water Gardens and Ferns (especially loved the Fern lecture.... didn't realise how cool ferns are... fascinating plants).  I also went to another lecture hosted by the PRKC folks (People for Rural King County) on the topic of knotweed and how best to manage (and ultimately eliminate) it. 

Knotweed's nasty stuff - a bully plant that can wreak havoc on native landscapes.  If you have a stand of it in your garden/community I highly encourage you to get involved with PRKC and learn how to get it under control.  Just let me know and I'll put you in direct contact with someone there for more information.

Got my eye on a few more lectures being offered this Fall, so still have more learning to look forward to!

So, yes, the first year of the MG training program is seriously demanding. 150 or so hours of classroom and homework, and another 50+ hours of field work/clinics and lectures.  But it's been so worth it. I'm making new friends; learning all kinds of cool stuff; becoming a smarter, more appreciative gardener, and am doing my small part to give something back to the community.  Can't beat that!