Saturday, October 13, 2018
11a.m. to 3p.m.

 844 SW 35th Street

The Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture is a hidden gem on OSU’s campus. Managed by the Department of Horticulture, OCCUH serves as a learning laboratory for sustainable horticultural practices in both rural and urban landscapes. The 6-acre site provides hands-on opportunities for many horticulture class laboratories, a student urban farming club, and for many educational beekeeping events.

The beautiful, shady apiary is a serene respite from busy campus life. Research projects at OCCUH include dryland farming, riparian zone restoration, turfgrass research, and honey bee research. James Cassidy will be on hand to talk about soil.  Amy Garrett will share information on Dry Land Farming.  OCCUH buzzes with activity, and you can get to know the bees with Andony Melathopoulos and learn about backyard bee keeping with Carolyn Breece.  Come taste the honey!  Cody Buckman and Alan Shay will speak about vegetable production and riparian zone exploration.  You can even play croquet on the low input fine fescue plot!

Tour the gardens and research sites and stay for a slice of pizza provided by Papa Murphy’s and baked in our outdoor, wood-fired pizza oven. ($5/donation for pizza)

Directions to the Oak Creek Center For Urban Horticulture: 35th Street and Oak Creek (just north of Western Blvd.)

For event questions or accommodation requests, please contact Shelly Signs, (541) 737-0724 or shelly.signs@oregonstate.edu. 

About the Center for Urban Horticulture

 
Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture is an excellent learning laboratory for sustainable horticultural practices in both rural and peri-urban landscapes. OCCUH continues to be a hotbed of activity during the summer. There are several areas, individuals, and groups that are using the 6.5 acres of space on the SW corner of campus for research -- as well as just plain fun.

The yearly annual plant trials continue and are simply an explosion of color and texture with most plants being about two weeks ahead of where they would typically be due to the warmer than normal temperatures. The same area sports 20 large containers that are producing both food and flower power for pollinators. Pollinator plants produce both nectar and pollen for a wide array of pollinators from bees to beetles. The green tower likewise is a virtual amorphous undulating orb of vegetables and flowers. This construct has a footprint of 12.5’ stands 6’ tall and creates a planting area of nearly 90 sq. ft.--you just have to see it!