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Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau In the early decades of the nineteenth century gardeners cultivated vegetables and herbs.  There was little time or energy for flower gardening since most of the population lived on farms where working the soil took up most hours of the day.  That all changed in the second half of the […]

After hatching in spring, baby birds sometimes end up on the ground, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they need help. It depends on how old they are, how long they’ve been on the ground and whether they are injured, said Dana Sanchez, Oregon State University Extension Service wildlife specialist. Identifying the age of a bird […]

Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau Get the Best Front Yard on the Block Curb appeal: it’s a term bantered about by real estate agents and DIYers. You’ve heard about the importance of curb appeal, and maybe you’ve tuned into TV shows that flipped sad-looking properties into dreamy, darling aspirational homes. But what’s involved with creating […]

Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau There are many species of beans in cultivation around the world, yet it is the common garden bean, Phaseolus vulgaris that takes on celebrity status as National Garden Bureau’s vegetable focus for 2021. One of the earliest cultivated plants, garden beans can trace their beginnings to Central and South America. Vining […]

Dahlias are addictive, at least for Julie Huynh Moore, an Oregon State University Master Gardener, who plans to grow 2,000 by the end of May. That’s quite an accomplishment for anyone, but considerably more for Moore, who lost her home and all 1,200 of her dahlias in the Labor Day wildfires. When she was allowed […]

“Trees to Know in Oregon and Washington,” the most popular publication in the Oregon State University Extension Service catalog, celebrates 70 years with a new edition. Author and Professor Emeritus Edward Jensen, who taught thousands of students about tree identification in his tenure from 1976 to 2014 in the OSU College of Forestry, added several […]

Hardy Hibiscus adds a splash of tropical flair to your perennial garden. Fast-growing and fabulous, these plants explode with pinwheel-like flowers the size of dinner plates in late summer. Often confused with their tropical cousins, these plants are actually capable of surviving temps as low as -30° F (-34° C). North American gardeners can feel assured […]

Many vegetables grow well in containers located on a patio, porch, balcony or windowsill, so don’t let lack of yard space keep you from gardening this spring and summer. Limited garden space precludes being able to grow some of the larger vegetables, according to Brooke Edmunds, Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturist. For instance, growing […]

What is the Hydrangea Danger Zone™? Right now you and all other gardeners who grow hydrangeas could be in the Hydrangea Danger Zone. It’s that time between the fall when your “old wood” hydrangeas set their flower buds, and the coming spring when those buds emerge. That is if they have made it through the […]

Adding organic matter is the best way to improve nearly all kinds of soils. If you’re unsure if your soil needs amendments, take note if it dries and cracks in summer, drains slowly or is difficult to dig whether wet or dry. Adding organic materials improves the ability of sandy soils to hold nutrients and […]