Crook County Garden Club

07/01/2026

The third Tuesday of each month Crook County Garden Club meets at 1:00. Our April meeting was all about seeds and propagation! Two of our awesome members gave hands on learning demonstrations! Thank you to Carrie WM Bauer and to Patti Smiley!
Carrie taught us about soil blocking! An ingenious way of sprouting your seeds! Such valuable information for those of us who love sprouting seeds! Patti taught us how to propagate a dahlia tuber. An eye, a neck and a body! I started several! Fingers crossed I have a few great dahlia starts! We had an outstanding learning meeting in April! Looking forward to our May field trip!
Smiley Lavender Farm
Bauer's Desert Blooms

07/01/2026

Our June CCGC meeting/Summer field trip was nothing short of spectacular! Thank you Patti for arranging our trip!
I’ve always wanted to go to the desert to see the cacti in bloom. Our trip to Smith Rock Cactus Co has made my dream come true!

I pulled up the map and wow! It’s at the edge of the Crooked River Canyon! I mean “the edge”! Below, ran that little crooked river! As I looked look up at the buzzards, circling above my head I took one step back, turned around and there it was! As I walked back thru the garden, the sweet vanilla fragrance of the mock orange bush hit me. I was walking thru a sea of spiny beauty! Columns, big globes, little globes columns with spiny arms , spiny little Christmas cacti all topped in reds, pinks, yellows, oranges! The pollinators were just a buzzing! Objects of art and nature, placed beautifully through those spiny little beauties! Cacti from Oregon, and those iconic Southwest deserts I’ve always wanted to visit! Julie’s passion, her vast knowledge of the cacti she has grown shows in every step! Thank you to our most gracious host Julie for sharing Your passion, your knowledge, your artful creative high desert cacti garden, Smith Rock Cactus Garden! Oh and did I mention , across that real deep canyon is Monument rock! Who knew? They have weddings up there!

This is how our summers roll in CCGC! We go on field trips to gardens, we learn , we share, we have fun.

Our July field trip will be at a perennial garden that specializes in deer resistant plants! I said deer resistant, there is no truth to the label that says “deer will not eat these”. At least that’s what I’ve heard. I know they really like Ge**er daisies! They must be really sweet!
Happy summer, happy gardening! 💐

PC: Michelle Lawler & Mary Ann Pogany

05/25/2026

05/20/2026

A most pleasant afternoon was spent at Wintercreek Native Plant Nursery located in Bend! The greenhouses are surrounded by trees, with an aspen grove on the south end and a natural dry garden on the north end. Which Includes blooming cacti! The greenhouse manager is passionate and very knowledgeable about native plants and our pollinators that need them! We learned so much! It inspires me to rethink my garden choices. My tiny subdivision yard can make a difference for the birds and bees! The purple bush is Oregons only native Salvia, and it was loaded with pollinators! My fellow gardeners will remember the name of the native plant and butterfly picture, I don’t! lol! I remember they depend on one another! Last but not least fabulous cacti blooms! Big shout out to Wintercreek for hosting our meeting! Thank you! I left with a recently discovered new native plant, which I adore! Palmers Penstemon! It is so fragrant. I’ll put it in the fenced backyard, I understand deer eat them. I don’t blame em , if I were a deer I’d eat them too! lol!
Happy digging!

💐
Michelle Lawler, President

05/18/2026

Just a quick reminder to our members; we are having a field trip for our May meeting: Tuesday, May 19th
Plan to meet at 12:15pm to carpool or meet at the location at 1pm. Bring a sack lunch if you want. There is a nice little picnic area.
For more information, please check your email from Patti 💐

04/06/2026

The Crook County Garden clubs maintains several areas in our community. Friday we met and cleaned out one of the rose gardens at the old courthouse . We worked hard! One more bed to do, then we’ll mulch and fertilize! Join in on the fun, we’re always looking for new members!
Next meeting: Tuesday April 21st 1 pm
Crook County Library, Broughton room
We will be learning about how to make a soil block, and seed starting.

02/11/2026

The Central Oregon Chapter of OSU Master Gardeners™, in cooperation with the Oregon State University Extension Service, will present the annual Spring Gardening Seminar, online only.  

01/31/2026

📣Attention! February meeting date change. 📣
The date of our February meeting has been changed to Tuesday, February 10. 1pm .

We normally meet on the third Tuesday of each month, however, the Broughton room was not available.

This will be an exciting meeting to attend, as we’ll be talking about our plans, and field trips for this upcoming year.

💐