As we settle in at the table of summer’s harvest, savvy gardeners pause long enough to consider the coming season. “Most folks are familiar with and love summer vegetables, but if you want to maximize your food and nutrition, then growing fall crops is a great strategy,” said Weston Miller, a horticulturist with Oregon State
Along with hydrangeas, sweet peas and roses, peonies pack a wallop of nostalgia, bringing to mind romantic gardens of old. It’s no wonder their popularity continues to grow. Joyce Heinke was bitten by the peony bug 40 years ago and now has 58 plants on 1 acre and more coming along all the time. “I
Growing vegetables without irrigation may sound farfetched, but two Willamette Valley trials proved crops can be grown in home gardens without a drop of irrigation. At demonstration gardens in Benton and Marion counties, Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardeners successfully grew tomatoes and other vegetables without irrigation except on the day they put them
Drawing a line around the house with fire-resistant landscapes can mean the difference between a home consumed by flames and one left standing. “Fire specialists often show pictures of houses where people took adequate precautions,” said Brad Withrow-Robinson, forester with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “I’ve seen lots of photos of land charred all around
Whether dipped in chocolate, tossed in a fruit salad or eaten naked, strawberries say summer in a big way. But they aren’t always cheap or sweet when bought at the store, so save money and get the freshest by growing your own. The first thing you need to know is what type of strawberry you
When it comes to sharing space, humans and wildlife don’t see eye to eye. “Our homes and gardens often overlap with spaces and resources used by wild animals, both native and non-native,” said Dana Sanchez, Oregon State University Extension Service wildlife specialist. “A ‘shared habitat’ situation can pose some challenges when the animals’ day-to-day activities
As the gardening season gets started in earnest, you may want to think about how you can be kinder on the environment – and your wallet, too. “Everyone can be sustainable,” said Ross Penhallegon, a horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service. “If you use drip irrigation, you’re doing your part to save this resource.
As you celebrate spring, get your hands in the soil and start buying plants to decorate your garden, consider the benefits of natives. “There’s a new aesthetic,” said Weston Miller, horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “Gardeners want to connect to nature and the heritage of plants that grow in the Pacific Northwest.” Part
Wet weather, which is bound to come in the weeks ahead, builds potential for apple scab, a fungal disease of apples. The apple scab disease fungus overwinters on dead apple leaves and fruit left on the ground, explained Ross Penhallegon, horticulturist for the Oregon State University Extension Service. During spring moisture, scab spores are forcibly
We all make gardening mistakes, some more serious than others. Planting an invasive plant will plague you for years. Putting the right plant in the wrong place can be fairly easily resolved by taking up a shovel and moving it. At a recent meeting of the Oregon State University Extension Service Benton County Master Gardeners,
Spring is here and you’re raring to get your garden in. Well, hold on just a minute. Sowing seed or planting seedlings at the wrong time will bring nothing but heartache. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to plant too early,” said Weston Miller, a horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “They
Hummingbirds are garden jewels, as beautiful as they are valuable. Each weighing less than a nickel, hummingbirds play an important role in the garden as pollinators and insect predators. Five kinds of hummingbirds regularly visit Oregon, according to Nancy Allen, faculty member in fisheries and wildlife at Oregon State University. Rufous hummingbirds, the most common,