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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Herb Rothschild Jr.: The power of myth ... Guest Opinion: City must address deer issue ... Cooking up some fun ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: The power of myth ... Guest Opinion: City must address deer issue ... Cooking up some fun ... ASHLAND MASTER GARDENERS Ashland gardeners help make Spring Garden Fair an iconic event Comment By Rhonda Nowak DailyTidings.com By Rhonda Nowak Posted Apr. 22, 2015 at 8:12 PM By Rhonda Nowak Posted Apr. 22, 2015 at 8:12 PM » Social News Most local gardeners know about the Spring Garden Fair, hosted by the Jackson County Master Gardeners during the first weekend of May. However, less well known is that Ashlanders play a big role in the popular event — what one local calls a springtime “rite of passage.” In fact, Ashland residents have always made up a significant number of Master Gardener volunteers who grow all the plants in the JCMG fair booths and carry out the myriad other tasks required to put on the largest plant fair between Portland and San Francisco. Take Victor Chieco, for example. For the past two years, he’ been at the helm of the Spring Garden Fair Committee, bringing in booth vendors, setting up Compton Arena at The Expo in Central Point, and making sure things run smoothly throughout the weekend of the fair. Chieco’s wife, Eileen, also a Master Gardener, helps in the ticket booth. The couple participated in the MG training course in 2009, after moving to Southern Oregon from the East Coast. “We’d been gardeners for years, and wanted to learn how to grow things well here,” Victor recalls. It’s the reason many other folks take the Master Gardener course, which starts up every January and runs weekly through mid–April. Bob and Claudia Law moved from the San Francisco Bay area to Ashland in 1990 and took the class in 1996-97. Bob worked as a Spring Garden Fair manager for several years when the fair was smaller and housed at the Medford Armory. Bob and Claudia served as state representatives for the Oregon Master Gardener Association, and Claudia was president of the Jackson County Master Gardener Association for two years. The Laws’ involvement in the program helped them learn how to redesign their home garden. “We started out with an old, diseased black walnut tree, and a lot of crab grass and blackberries,” Claudia says. After learning about building soil tilth and Southern Oregon native plants, they’ve transformed their landscape and even know how to identify insects and plant diseases. “When we can’t find the answers ourselves, we’ve got other Master Gardeners to help us, too,” Claudia says. The sense of belonging to a community of gardeners is the reason Alan Miller is the longest-standing member of the JCMGA. He trained as a Master Gardener in 1984, when the program was only a few years old. Miller was so inspired afterward that he went on to become certified as a landscape designer and, today, runs Miller’s Renaissance Landscape & Design in Ashland. A resident for more than 30 years, Miller says, “The Master Gardeners program changed my life in lots of ways. It taught me to keep learning and trying different things.” Another local landscaper, Jeanine Sturm, is part of the Master Gardener Class of 2015. She represents an increasing number of participants who are working but still find time to attend the classes and volunteer in the greenhouse. Sturm was so excited about the learning opportunity that she paid for one of her employees, Ashland resident Susan Newman, to train along with her. Sturm says they have both learned a lot from the different speakers, all experts on their topics. “It’s unbelievable how much information you learn you didn’t know,” she says. The benefits of mulching is just one example of how she’s been able to apply the knowledge she’s gained to her business. From longtime members to upcoming graduates, Ashland Master Gardeners have helped “grow” the JCMG program into an important resource for many local gardeners. So, when you feast your eyes on thousands of plants at the upcoming Spring Garden Fair, you can thank Ashland Master Gardeners for some of them! For more information about Jackson County Master Gardeners and the Spring Garden Fair, visit their website at www.jacksoncountymga.org. Rhonda Nowak writes gardening columns for the Mail Tribune and the Jacksonville Review. Contact her at www.literarygardener.blogspot.com.         By Rhonda Nowak DailyTidings.com By Rhonda Nowak Posted Apr. 22, 2015 at 8:12 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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