By Brenna Wiegand Flowers signify love, well wishes, congratulations, holidays… Church flower committee members take turns lovingly creating Sunday’s arrangement. Many of these are gardeners who perish the thought of purchasing cut flowers. But it can be a stretch at times. Each flower bears its own message – the peony’s is ‘bashfulness’ while larkspur brings levity. Bringing bouquets is one […]
I can’t think of too many flowers best enjoyed outside, but surely the dragon lily is one. It is darkly exotic, unique, and called by several names not nearly so flattering. Mild interest only is roused when determined green-striped white shoots unfurl into antlers of foliage spiraling upward. But the unfurling of its striking deep purple-black spathe, which then sends […]
By Melissa Wagoner Choosing plants and seeds for a backyard garden can feel daunting, especially when faced with unfamiliar words like GMO, hybrid and heirloom. “These terms are important depending upon the gardener’s goals, offering different qualities especially for seed saving,” Michael Paruch – who has spent the past 34 years working and volunteering in various horticultural endeavors, including ag […]
By Melissa Wagoner Fighting off invasive pests – those insects, weeds and animals that aren’t a part of a gardener’s original plan – can turn a beautiful garden into a war zone filled with toxic chemicals. But it doesn’t have to be that way. “As a head gardener it is my responsibility to focus on IPM, integrated pest management, which […]
PLAN & PREPARE Prepare and prime irrigation system for summer. Place pheromone traps in apple trees to detect presence of codling moth. Plan a control program of sprays, baits, or predators if found. If needed, fertilize rhododendrons and azaleas with acid-type fertilizer. If established and healthy, their nutrient needs should be minimal. Remove spent blossoms. PLANT Plant dahlias, gladioli, and […]
By Melissa Wagoner Every year the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) – a non-profit organization of growers, retailers, landscape designers and educators – singles out a Perennial Plant of the Year. This year’s plant – Garden phlox. “Garden phlox is a staple in any cottage garden, with a vibrant firework of pinks, white, purples and reds,” Heather Desmarteau-Fast – a horticulturist […]
The graceful beauty of annual sweet peas with their ruffled blossoms, soft texture and glowing colors makes them one of the most irresistible and nostalgic of all flowers. Their scent is an exquisite perfume of orange blossoms and honey, surely one of the most seductive of all flower fragrances. A generous handful of their long-stemmed, winged blossoms make a beautiful […]
Planning Write in your garden journal throughout the growing season. Prepare garden soil for spring planting. Incorporate generous amounts of organic materials and other amendments, using the results of a soil analysis as a guide. Prepare raised beds in areas where cold soils and poor drainage are a continuing problem. Incorporate generous amounts (at least 2 inches) of organic materials. […]
By Linda Whitmore Planter boxes add pizzazz to a patio or porch, fit nicely on an apartment balcony and give flair to store fronts and downtown businesses. In driving through the communities of the Willamette Valley one can see amazing examples of pots, planters and baskets of trailing fuchsias and petunias, cheery daisies and brightly colored geraniums. To learn how […]
By James Day Kurt Berning is a born experimenter. In another era you would have seen him in greasy jeans with his head under the hood of an old Packard. Or at another time, perhaps, in his garage with a fellow tech geek developing a home computer with a four-inch screen. Instead, we find him in 2023 in his laboratory: […]
By Melissa Wagoner It may look like a carrot, parsley, parsnips or Queen Anne’s lace but gardeners and foragers should be wary because what might look like a tasty treat may in fact be poison hemlock. “This plant is very poisonous and can be fatal if ingested,” Brooke Edmunds, an OSU Extension Service Community Horticulturist, said. “Even contacting the sap […]
By Brenna Wiegand As he considered retirement, Bill Schiedler, founder of Gardenripe Produce in Silverton, hated the thought of closing the business he’d nurtured for 23 years. The answer came unexpectedly in the form of Melissa Pylipow, one of many WWOOFers in the program known as Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. In it, farmers open their land to people who […]
We’re in for sunny weather and people are planting. Some are putting in vegetable gardens, others are hitting the nurseries and plant sales for flowers and anything you can plant that kills the winter doldrums. If the forecast calls for cooler nights, tender plants should be kept moist during the dry days and have a plan for protection… protection from […]
By Mary Owen The Turner Community Garden and Flower Club will celebrate 100 years of gardening by hosting a flower show at the upcoming Marion County Lamb and Wool Show. The annual show will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on June 3 in the Turner Elementary School gymnasium. “At 11 a.m., we will ride and walk in […]
Fruit Crops First week: Spray cherry trees for cherry fruit fly, as necessary, if fruit is ripening. Spray for codling moth in apple and pear trees as necessary. Continue use of pheromone traps for insect pest detection. After normal fruit drop in June, consider thinning the remainder to produce a larger crop of fruit. Pick ripe strawberries regularly to avoid […]
By Diane Hyde, OSU Linn County Master Gardener Temperatures are warming and there are sunny days to do some yard and garden cleanup. As we pick up wind-blown debris and pull up weeds clusters of slug eggs are found. Some species of slugs bury the eggs underground so they are not found until the little slime-makers emerge. Slugs live under […]
Have you seen the tiny tomato plants in the garden stores? They are a tempting impulse buy for folks longing for sunshine and the taste of fresh home-grown tomatoes, especially plant addicts. But nights are still cold. They have no chance of survival. Anyone who can’t resist is going to have to nurture and care for them, and for the […]
If you neglected properly cleaning and storing your garden tools last year, it’s not too late. Halt corrosion, dry, splintery handles and dullness by taking a little time to care for these faithful gardening friends. Remove all soil from metal surfaces: after a stream of water from the hose, remove small soil particles and rust spots with sandpaper, steel wool… […]
PLAN & PREPARE Prepare and prime irrigation system for summer. Place pheromone traps in apple trees to detect presence of codling moth. Plan a control program of sprays, baits, or predators if found. If needed, fertilize rhododendrons and azaleas with acid-type fertilizer. If established and healthy, their nutrient needs should be minimal. Remove spent blossoms. PLANT Plant dahlias, gladioli, and […]
By Gregg Harris Don’t you just love all the wonderful plants we have available to us today? It hasn’t always been like this. In the 1820s there was a 95% failure rate whenever you tried to transport a live plant across the ocean. Salt spray, temperature and lack of light in the hold of the ship would cause nine out […]
By Melissa Wagoner This spring Sustainable Silverton’s Urban Natural Resources Action Team is enlisting the help of local experts to hold an educational series about birds, bees and butterflies at The Oregon Garden. “It aligns with our mission statement and Action Team goals and the need to find a way to create more awareness about preserving or maintaining natural resources,” […]
Do you consider yourself a gardener? What kind of gardener are you? Are you a person who appreciates the visual, culinary or functional gardening that nature and plant people provide, or are you one of the plant people? Studies all around the world reveal that people who garden generally live longer than those who do not. Gardeners develop a healthy […]
By Diane Hyde, OSU Master Gardener Wondering what plants to add to your garden landscape? There is an Oregon State University Botany and Plant Pathology website (and books) that lists all known Oregon plants. It is tied into the herbarium at OSU and herbarium across the nation to provide complete information about plants in an easy-to-search format: oregonflora.org. There is […]
Planning Write in your garden journal throughout the growing season. Prepare garden soil for spring planting. Incorporate generous amounts of organic materials and other amendments, using the results of a soil analysis as a guide. Prepare raised beds in areas where cold soils and poor drainage are a continuing problem. Incorporate generous amounts (at least 2 inches) of organic materials. […]
By Diane Hyde, OSU Master Gardener “Why hasn’t my tree recovered from last year’s heat wave?” For some damaged or traumatized trees and shrubs is takes years to die, just like a neglected cactus plant. Our plant hardiness zones have changed. Our minimum extreme temperatures have risen over the last 30-year average. There are not many studies to determine heat […]
