Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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Veggies in pots By Kym Pokorny The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired millions of people to grow vegetables, but many don’t have room for traditional gardening. Don’t let lack of yard space keep you from gardening this spring and summer. Many vegetables grow well in containers on a patio, porch, balcony or windowsill. Small spaces make it hard to grow some of the larger vegetables, according to Brooke Edmunds, Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturist. For instance, growing corn on a balcony may not be practical. But a wide var...
Sticks on fire By Kym Pokorny About 10 years ago, succulents began an extraordinary rise in po an extraordinary rise in popularity. They turned up everywhere – on windowsills, in wreaths and centerpieces, arranged in frames, even dyed. Nowadays, succulents are hipper than ever. Everyone seems to have at least one. Marcia Sherry, an Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener since 1999, has many more than that – around 50 different varieties at last count. When she was in college, Sherry came face to face with a...
Seed packets By Kym Pokorny From garden center racks and catalog pages, colorful seed packets remind gardeners it’s already time to start thinking of spring. But before grabbing a handful and heading to the checkout stand, take a few minutes to read the envelope. What’s on the outside of a seed packet is almost as important as what’s on the inside, said Weston Miller, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service. “There’s a lot of information on the seed packet, everything from how deep to plant to how long it will take unti...
Bishop's hat" src="http://mckenzieriverreflectionsnewspaper.com/sites/default/files/small_Bishop%E2%80%99s%20hat.jpg" style="width: 180px; height: 134px; margin: 5px; float: left;" By Kym Pokorny Pacific Northwest gardeners are faced with the pleasant dilemma of choosing from an encyclopedia-length list of perennials that grow in our friendly climate, and many of those thrive in low-water situations. To transition the landscape to water-wise plants, start with a small area such as a parking strip or an already-dry area of the garden, said Gail...
Oregon grape By Kym Pokorny 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 of the draw is the correlation between native plants and pollinators. A native garden translates into nirvana for bees, birds, butterflies and other beneficial...
arborvitae By Kym Pokorny For a hedge, arborvitae has a place. It’s tall, skinny, evergreen, low-maintenance and cheap. “Some people look down on arborvitae, but it fits in places that other things can’t,” said Neil Bell, a horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service. “And it’s about as low-mainten-ance a plant as anything you can buy, if it’s sited correctly.” When finding a location for arborvitae in the garden, Bell recommends full sun and well-drained soil. “They can take some afternoon shade,” Bell said. “But when I s...
Strawberry pot By Kym Pokorny 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 corn on a balcony may not be practical. But a wide variety of crops can be planted, including lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, carrots, beans,...
Wisteria & house By Kym Pokorny Wisteria delivers a beautiful spring display, but this vigorous vine needs plenty of pruning to keep it from swallowing the garden. “Wisteria are very vigorous vines and can climb easily to 30 to 40 feet,” said Neil Bell, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service. “They can be quite heavy and should be grown on a strong structure.” When people see the jaw-dropping blooms erupt in mid-spring, they covet wisteria for their own garden. But, they should first know that in addition to the pro...
Saving seeds By Kym Pokorny As the gardening season winds down and you pick the season’s last vegetables let some plants go to seed and harvest them for planting next year. “Saving seed can be really fun and is a great way to learn about plants,” said Weston Miller, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service. “If you choose the right types of vegetables, you can keep them going year after year without buying them again.” The key to saving seed is selecting open-pollinated or heirloom plants, which produce offspring...
Kids garden tools By Kym Pokorny When grubby little hands grip your pant leg as you head for the garden, put them in the soil and they may dig up a lifetime of learning and pleasure. “One of the keys to getting kids interested in gardening is to get them engaged,” said Joy Jones, Oregon State University Extension Service master gardener coordinator in Tillamook County. “Let them explore what catches their attention, especially small children.” Stimulating a child’s imagination can be as simple as filling a dishpan with dirt, passing them a ha...
Slug By Kym Pokorny Follow the glistening trail and you’ll find the gardener’s most familiar, frustrating and certainly slimiest pest, the common slug. It’s spring, after all, and as soil temperatures start to climb, slugs rise from their winter hiding place underground to munch tender seedlings, emerging perennials and even seeds. “What slugs want is a place that’s warm and moist,” said Claudia Groth, an Oregon State University Extension Service master gardener. “That’s why they’re coming out now. The soil temperatures are getting to be abo...
Mason bee By Kym Pokorny For mason bees, the wait for their first meal is a long one, six months if it’s a day. There’s no TV, no smart phone, not even a book to while away the time as these solitary bees hang out in their tight cocoons waiting for the cool temperatures of early spring to break them out of lethargy, to convene at the floral banquet waiting for them among the branches of fruit trees. And because honeybees and other pollinators haven’t made an appearance yet, there’s more sweetness for the native mason bees. “Mason bees fill...
Lavendar photo By Kym Pokorny Pop some flowers in among the beans and lettuce and you’ll have two times the chance for an edible harvest. “Edible flowers look great in the garden and on the plate,” said Brooke Edmunds, horticulturist for the Oregon State University Extension Service. “Some especially pretty and tasty ones are the blue blossoms of borage, classic roses and chamomile with its little, white flowers.” Others on her list include annuals such as happy orange or yellow flowering calendula, marigold or nasturtium; the distincti...
Onions By Kym Pokorny Get onions in the ground in spring and avoid heartbreak when it comes time to harvest big, beautiful bulbs this summer. Plant as soon as the soil is dry enough to work, said Jim Myers, a plant breeder at Oregon State University. March and April are prime times. Most onions grown in Oregon are long-day onions. They make top, green growth until a critical day length is reached, which triggers bulbing. That generally begins at about 14 hours of light per day. If you plant onions in early spring, they’ll grow to fairly l...
Rose By Kym Pokorny Valentine’s Day is coming up and that means it’s time to pay attention to your loved ones and your roses, too. On the west side of the Cascade Range, mid-February is generally time to start thinking about pruning, according to Amy Jo Detweiler, a horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. In Central Oregon, April or May is the best time. In both cases, take your cue from the plants. When the buds begin to swell and get ready to break open, pull out your pruners. Detweiler recommends using bypass prune...
Wreath By Kym Pokorny Wreaths hung on the door with care call out a festive “Happy Holidays.” Share that message in a special way by making your own circle of cheer with plants clipped from the garden or gathered from friends and neighbors. “A good part of the fun of making your own wreath is going around the neighborhood, collecting plants and talking to people,” said Susan Hoffman, who has been a master gardener with Oregon State University’s Extension Service since 2012. Be sure, she added, to ask before you clip. At the entry to almost ev...
River Stop baskets By Ada Weeks WALTERVILLE: We know summer is over when the spectacular floral hanging baskets are taken down from their custom metal supports on light poles at the Walterville Shopping Center. These beauties have delighted both local folks and Highway 126 travelers, from May through October, with their massive display of flowers. Greg and Tamara Clift, owners of the McKenzie River Nursery, are the dedicated providers and caretakers of the baskets. Greg recalls, “Tamara and I had been to Victoria, BC, on our honeymoon, and m...
Paperback maple By Kym Pokorny When trees get dressed with the colors of fall, it’s time to go shopping. “If you’re specifically interested in fall color, it will soon be the time to start looking,” said Neil Bell, a horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “There are already some trees starting to display color.” First, though, Bell recommends doing some research. Walk around neighborhoods, parks and public gardens to get ideas. If you can’t identify the trees you like, snap good photos, pick up several leaves or ask th...
Spider By Kym Pokorny In corners and along baseboards, on ceilings and spun between shrubs, spiders crawl through our lives this time of year. “Spiders are on the move right now because they’re looking for a mate,” according to Gail Langellotto, an entomologist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “The domestic house spider is one that regularly makes its way into houses in fall and if you haven’t seen one in the past, it can be a startling sight,” she said. “If you include their legs, they’re about as big as a silver dollar.” O...
Russian lavender By Kym Pokorny Hotter-than-usual temperatures and longer stretches between measurable moisture this year mean plants need more water from the end of a hose. Choose plants that require less water and you’ll save time and money and help sustain Oregon’s water supply, said Amy Jo Detweiler, a horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. Detweiler recommends these 10 plants for water-wise gardens: - Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa): A compact deciduous shrub that grows about three feet tall and five feet wide...
Training a fruit tree into an espalier takes a good dash of dedication Espaliered trees By Kym Pokorny Espaliered trees bring fruit down to eye level. They allow for easy picking and take advantage of small spaces. But don’t kid yourself into thinking espaliers are any easier than regular-sized trees, said Ross Penhallegon, a horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “Espalier is one of many ways to prune – or design -- a fruit tree,” he said. “It’s beautiful, it doesn’t take up a lot of room in the yard. There a...
Cut down on chance of disaster with fire-resistant landscape Fireproof By Kym Pokorny 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 love to show us pictures of houses where people took precautions,” said Brad Withrow-Robinson, forester with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “I’ve seen umpteen photos of land charred all around and a little house left standing in the middle. Not always, but often.” This year could be a...
Watering By Kym Pokorny The forecast promises high temperatures this summer, so take care to protect plants for the long, hot haul. “Already this year, I’ve noticed soils are drying out more and sooner than I’ve seen since I moved to Portland eight years ago,” said Weston Miller, a horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “It’s critical to be proactive about watering.” Once soils dry out, plants get stressed and struggle to recover, he explained. So water deeply and regularly. Especially vulnerable are plants put in t...
Stressed fir By Mary Stewart Many Oregonians have noticed widespread damage in landscape and forest trees this spring – and weather may be the culprit. “Browning or dieback is often caused by weather-related stress, sometimes in combination with pests and diseases,” said Glenn Ahrens, a forester with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. Douglas-fir trees are the most common victims, he said, but stress due to weather is affecting many tree species and a variety of problems are showing up. On some Douglas-firs, branches and tops...
Rust disease By Kym Pokorny Charmingly warm weather coaxed roses into bloom early this year, which means dealing with the usual diseases and pests earlier, too. When it comes to one of the county’s most popular perennial plants, the “big four” vexations are powdery mildew, black spot, rust and aphids, according to Jay W. Pscheidt, a plant pathology specialist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. More recently, downy mildew, which looks strikingly similar to black spot, has become an increasing problem. “People are confusing...
