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Plant sales and gardening classes

Bring the Forest Home and support Washington County Students

Saturday, March 16, 9 am-3 pm, The Hillsboro Armory, 848 NE 28th

It would be a rare person who didn’t appreciate the beauty of our woodlands and native plants. The Pacific Northwest is acclaimed as one of the best places in the world to grow these beauties. Much of the forest land in Washington County belongs to people owning small tracts of woodlands. Many of these people are members of Oregon Small Woodlands Association, Washington County Chapter. Our goal is to support the health and sustainability of woodlands and share what we learn with others.

For the past 19 years, we have shared the beauty of native plants and trees with the public through our annual Native Plant and Tree Sale. Native plants adapt well, require less water and fertilizer, attract wildlife, bees and butterflies, AND, they love to be planted in early spring. All profits from the sale goes to support scholarships at the OSU College of Forestry with preference given to a Washington County student. You can find a complete plant list at www.wcswa.com. If you have any questions, please call 503-747-3095 of 503-324-7825.

Skyline plant sale

Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6, 9 am-5 pm, 11275 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland

All plants are acquired from licensed nurseries.

Native Plant Section: Over 110 species of native wildflowers, shrubs and trees! We have native plants that thrive in sunny, shady, wet or dry locations; plants good for erosion control, are drought-tolerant, are beneficial to birds, bees, and other wildlife. Enjoy choosing.

All available as Native Pre-Order or during the sale. Place a Native Pre-Order soon to better assure getting what you want since some species may be in limited quantities. We fill the Pre-Orders on a first come, first served basis. You can print out the “Native Pre-Order Form” and “Descriptions of Native Plants” for your convenience at http://www.srnpdx.org/events.html. The deadline for Native Pre-Orders is March 27.

Bareroot Section: We will have a good selection of bareroot fruit-bearing, shade, flowering, ornamental trees, and ornamental shrubs. Most of these bareroot trees and shrubs are not true PNW “natives,” but they have been selected for their compatibility to thrive in our area without out-competing plants in our native habitat. Bareroot stock is NOT available to order on the Native Pre-Order Form. They are available only during Sale days.

Drip Irrigation-How What When Where Why and You

Saturday, March 16, 10 am-noon, Building 4 Workroom, at PCC Rock Creek campus, 17705 NW Springville Rd (see directions below)

Thinking about drip irrigation but not sure where to start? Well, here’s the answer. In this session we’ll cover the following: drip vs. overhead watering; how to convert an existing system from overhead to drip; determining water needs for your site’s size, light conditions, soil and plants ; installation options; resources for information and supplies; tour of irrigation system at WCMGA Education Garden at PCC Rock Creek: hands-on activity with take-home sample plus ample time for questions.

Enter from Springville Rd, follow past Building 9 and continue straight on the gravel road to Building 4. Parking is free campus-wide on Saturdays. Free event, free parking, no registration needed. Event is held, rain or shine. Hosted by Washington County Master Gardener Association

Restore the Natural Areas of The Bluffs Park

Saturday, March 16, 9 am-noon, The Bluffs Park

Join us as we continue to remove English ivy and Himalayan blackberry from the natural areas of The Bluffs Park, nestled in the hills of Cedar Mill. Staff and volunteers have made great progress in restoring the park over the past few years. Join us as we continue the fight! Please bring a reusable water bottle to drink from throughout the event. Tools, gloves, snacks and a water cooler will be provided.

Meeting Place: The Bluffs Park is located between 119th Avenue and Saltzman in The Bluffs neighborhood. Volunteers will meet at the trailhead located at the end of Haskell Court, which is just off of NW Big Fir Circle.

Register here.

Working with Mason Bees – Hands-on Workshop

Sunday, March 31, 12-2 pm, Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, 7175 NE Evergreen Parkway, Suite #400, Hillsboro, free

Join Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District and local bee experts from Bee & Bloom to learn about creating bee-friendly habitat in your backyard to support important pollinators! This workshop will have a focus on the lifecycles and nesting strategies of mason bees, and you’ll construct a mason bee house to take home with you!

This workshop will include: A presentation on bee diversity and conservation; Tips for creating the perfect pollinator habitat; An in-depth discussion of working with mason bees; Construction of a custom tunnel-nesting bee house and native flower seed mix to take home!

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