Community Clicks
Learn to attract butterflies to your garden at the Soroptimist Gala Garden Show
There’s nothing quite like going to the backyard to pick dinner from your garden.
Imagine fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits growing in rows off lush plants, vines and trees.
Add a few flowering shrubs, flower beds bursting with colorful perennials, a few hanging baskets, a birdbath and a comfortable chair and you have a perfect backyard oasis.
Learn how to make your gardening dreams a reality during the 12th annual Soroptimist Gala Garden Show, held at the Boys & Girls Club, 400 W. Fir St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 20, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 21.
The fundraising show with the theme, “Planting Possibilities,” combines educational garden speakers, vendors from across the Pacific Northwest, live music, delicious treats from The Garden Cafe and more.
Admission to the show is $5 per day at the door.
Proceeds will help Soroptimist International of Sequim continue to provide scholarships for young women and programs and services for residents living in the area.
One of the highlights of the show will be a lecture by Northwest gardening expert and author Ed Hume.
Hume will present “Vegetable Gardening Start to Finish” in the gymnasium of nearby Helen Haller
Elementary School, 350 W. Fir St., at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 20.
“Ed is a wonderful speaker and is so knowledgeable about growing on the North Olympic Peninsula,” said Jan Chapman, show co-chair.
Chapman said gardeners of all experience levels will learn something during Hume’s hour-long presentation. Following the talk, Hume will sign copies of his books.
Other show highlights include free presentations from a variety of local gardening experts.
Soroptimist International of Sequim partnered with Clallam County Master Gardeners to develop a diverse lineup of speakers during the two-day event.
Show attendees can learn how to grow vegetables in small spaces, how to plant a vegetable garden successfully year after year, how to solve gardening dilemmas, how to keep ponds healthy throughout the year, how to use vegetables and grains in the kitchen and more. For a complete list of presentations, see the sidebar below.
Attendees will be tempted to purchase the latest and greatest garden-related items at dozens of vendor booths.
Vendors will offer everything from seeds, tools and stepping stones to one-of-a-kind pottery items and greenhouse and raised-bed kits.
“We have 12 new exciting vendors this year,” Chapman said. “Vendors from across the Pacific Northwest will be in attendance. There will be something for everyone.”
When show attendees need a break from touring booths or garden lectures, they will find The Garden Cafe serving up a variety of culinary goodies.
Tempting breakfast items include spinach and cheese or ham and cheese souffles and warm cinnamon rolls.
The lunch menu includes an Asian chicken salad, meatball subs, clam chowder and gumbo.
Cookies baked by culinary students from Sequim High School are sure to tempt the taste buds.
Beverages include coffee, sodas and water.
In between presentations, attendees can also view works of art by featured artist Catherine Mix, owner of The Cutting Garden.
Soothing harp music will be provided by David Michael, a Port Townsend-based musician, composer and producer.
Students of WIN (Women in Networks), a partnership project between the Soroptimists and Sequim High School, will assist in various ways during the garden show.
Show attendees will have a chance to purchase raffle tickets for hand-painted Adirondack chairs.
Raffle tickets cost $2 each or six for $10. Winners can select the chair they want to win.
Chapman said show attendees have a great time each year.
“Your admission fee goes to a great cause,” she said.
Soroptimist International of Sequim provides more than $12,000 annually in scholarships for high school seniors, maintains a medical supply closet for residents in need of a variety of medical supplies and sponsors the WIN Mentoring Program.
Soroptimist International of Sequim is a nonprofit organization that’s part of an international organization whose mission is “improving lives of women and girls in local communities throughout the world.”
The group was chartered in 1947 and has members who represent a variety of professions and backgrounds.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
SATURDAY, March 20 at 1 p.m. — “Vegetable Gardening Start to Finish” by Ed Hume, a Northwest gardening expert, author and owner of Ed Hume Seeds.
This hour-long presentation will take place in the gymnasium at Helen Haller Elementary School, 350 W. Fir St.
Admission is free with the purchase of a $5 show entry fee.
Hume will point out the importance of soil preparation and show some of the ways vegetable garden soil can be improved.
Hume says success of any garden starts with quality soil and the yield is a direct result of how well the soil was prepared.
He will also discuss the advantages of growing vegetables in raised beds.
Hume will talk about how raised beds provide warmer soil temperatures and better drainage, which are major factors in successfully growing vegetables in a Northwest marine climate.
He will talk about the advantages of increasing your yield in a limited space by growing vegetables in a wide row.
The importance of vegetable garden layout to provide better light exposure and air circulation will also be addressed.
Hume will also tell attendees about different types of vegetables, fertilization and possible problems and how to solve them in an environmentally friendly way.
Free Presentations
SATURDAY, March 20
10 a.m. — “How to Plant Your Vegetable Garden for Success Year After Year” by Rita Dinger.
Crop rotation and planning are two keys to a successful vegetable garden.
Learn to plan a 3-year crop rotation system and how to keep useful records for garden layout, planting, fertilization and harvest.
11 a.m. — “Clallam County’s Onsite Septic System Program” by Janine Reed.
Reed will discuss the county’s Onsite Septic System Program and new state regulations that required the program.
She will discuss the major do’s and don’ts of homeowner septic system maintenance.
3 p.m. — “Intensive Vegetable Gardening for Small Spaces” by Bob Cain.
The presentation will cover the basics of raised-bed construction, preparation of growing soil, using containers as an alternative to raised beds, planting and watering options for high density planting and crop rotation.
Modifications to assist senior and physically challenged gardeners will also be included.
All scenarios will be illustrated using local examples from Washington and Oregon.
4 p.m. — “Gardening and Your Health: How to be a Happier and Healthier Gardener” by Jeanette Stehr-Green.
Research shows that gardening is an ideal form of exercise, reduces the risk of many diseases and can help you cope with stress.
However, gardening is not risk free. Gardeners must take certain precautions to avoid injuries and health problems that can result from bad gardening practices.
All gardeners must consider proper use of equipment, protective clothing, techniques to prevent back injury and safe pesticide use.
This session will focus on 10 things that you can do to be a happier and healthier gardener.
SUNDAY, March 21
11 a.m. — “Preparing Vegetables and Grains for Success in the Seasonal Kitchen” by Chef Shara Truett.
Truett, a culinary intern at Nash’s Organic Produce provides an up-close and personal look at the ins and outs of handling veggies and grains for meal preparation.
Truett will share quick meal ideas, suggestions for success with seasonal foods and will hand out recipe cards and samples.
Noon — “Sherlock Holmes for Plants” by Bill Wrobel.
Following a systematic approach, you too can become a plant detective.
Wrobel will show you two analysis methods. Find out how to define the problem and determine causes of the problem or problems.
Attendees will receive a flow chart for plant diagnosis.
1 p.m. — “Sustainable Gardening with Native Plants” by Joe Holtrop.
Basic permaculture design principles are utilized to explain how to develop a site-specific landscape design intended to meet the needs of both people and the environment.
A naturalistic landscape style will be emphasized.
2 p.m. — “Keeping Your Pond Healthy Year Round” by Brian Burke.
Burke will discuss various aspects of pond maintenance for each of the seasons: spring — plantings and pond preparation for the warm weather; summer — algae control and fish care; fall — clean up and plant care; and winter — freeze preparation and winterizing your pond.
