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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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… […]
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 […]
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 […]
