Moss Musings

I have long been fascinated with moss. In fact, as a child I was so enthralled with moss that, before I turned 10, I thought of becoming a botanist specializing in moss. The little “trumpets” that grew above the verdant mounds were fascinating. And I was convinced that fairies inhabited mossy woodlands (I’m still pretty sure they do, which is why I love hemlock forests so much). Somehow, I was sent the first edition of Moss Musings in April and I’ve been meaning to share it with you because moss inhabits much of our environment here in the Northwest. Personally, I’m all for letting the moss grow where it will, which is on my concrete patio and driveway, rocks, lawn, etc. In fact, a landscape contractor visiting my house looked at my moss-covered concrete patio and knew immediately that I preferred a more natural style of garden. I aspire to lots of mossy rocks in my yard…I just don’t quite have the energy at the moment to haul the tons of necessary rock into the back garden to get started!

Lots of Gardening Going On

June 26-27 – 2nd Annual Wine & Wags! at Garden World, Hubbard, Ore. This doggie adoption event is shaping up with more than 10 local animal shelters, rescues, & foundations on-site with adoptable pets to meet! Leashed pets are welcome to attend as well! Wine Garden opens at noon under the majestic oak tree. Free seminars and activities, including pet-friendly gardening, dog training and trick demonstrations, the Doggie Lawn brought to you by Oregon Turf & Tree, organic dog biscuits from Lucky Dog Treats, onsite pet photography and portraiture, and much, much more!

June 26 – “Music in the Garden” Garden Tour, 1-4pm. Tickets $15. Tour five unique gardens in Northeast Portland. Proceeds benefit Growing with Music. Tickets can be purchased at Garden Fever! (3433 NE 24th), Marbott’s Greenhouse & Nursery (108 NE Columbia Blvd), and Portland Nursery (5050 SE Stark), among other locations. For more information call 503.282.1839 or email growingwithmusic@yahoo.com.

June 26 – Garden Gala at Shorty’s Garden and Home (10006 SE Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver, Wash.), 11am-2pm. A summer kickoff event for families featuring prizes, activities, crafts and entertainment, including free face painting and balloon art.

July 10-11 – Oregon Lavender Festival. Visit www.oregonlavenderfestival.com/festival.htm for details. At lavender farms, you can cut your own bouquets of fresh lavender; at nurseries, you can purchase specialty lavender plants and speak to experts on growing and cultivating lavender. Each location has special events planned for the festival weekend, so be sure to click on the destinations tour page to see what each lavender location has to offer. Be sure to stop by Lavender at Stonegate (22615 SW Ulsky Rd., West Linn, 503.638.5218) and visit their Web site for tips on growing lavender.

July 20 – “Friend Raiser” at the Oregon Garden, 10am. For those of you that love gardening and have wanted to donate some of your time, The Oregon Garden is hosting a volunteer “Friend Raiser” to let you know about the many—and varied—volunteer opportunities at the garden. The event takes place in the Natural Resources Education Center (next to the visitors center). Contact Beth Maurer (503.874.2533, membership@oregongarden.org) for details or visit http://www.oregongarden.org/.

July 24 – Berry Festival at Fresh To You Produce & Garden Center (41579 Stayton-Scio Rd., Stayton, Ore., 503-769-9682), 10am-4pm. BBQ, live music, arts & crafts. Fun for the whole family!

The Life of a Nursery Town

By Trillium Dollar

Editor's note: The nursery industry has a long history in Oregon, with its roots dating back more than 150 years when fruit trees traveled west on the Oregon Trail. I thought you might enjoy the story behind the Orenco name, which many of you may recognize as part of the Hillsboro, Ore. area.

"Company town" brings to mind bustling sawmills and mining operations, but in Oregon one grew up around a nursery. And Orenco was its name.

Traces of Orenco linger on in the names of a MAX station, the townhouse/condo neighborhood west of Portland and a golf course. Part of Hillsboro is known as Old Orenco. But of the bustling town that numbered 500 souls two years after its founding in 1908, not much remains. And of the company that built the town—the Oregon Nursery Company—well, it’s become part of the lore of Oregon's agricultural past.

Back in the day, though, the company was reckoned an innovative, fast-growing concern. It shipped one of the nation's largest orders for nursery stock—350,000 trees—to Montana in 1907. Its ambitious owners had moved the company from Salem to the Hillsboro area in the early 1900s and also persuaded a railway to move a proposed route so it directly served the nursery site.

The nursery's innovations included a profit-sharing plan for employees and a landscape architect to help customers choose plants. Its crops included fruit and nut trees, shade trees, roses and various ornamentals.

The town boasted a school by 1909, a church in 1911, a new city hall including jail and fire station in 1912, and it incorporated in 1913. That year a children's fair association was formed and promoted the growing of vegetables on an acre of garden. There were grocery stores, a dry goods store, barbershop, boarding house, blacksmith, a hardware store, hotel and printing plant. And of course there was that rail line, run by the Oregon Electric Railway that put Portland a mere 45 minutes away.

Sadly, the company’s fortunes faltered. Overexpansion probably played a part: In 1916 it planted acres of apple trees for export to Europe. Then the European market imploded with the spread of World War I. Increased competition from other nurseries, plus the plant overstock, probably played into its decline. In 1925, both the company’s and the town’s finances were drawing scrutiny. By the early 1930s, the company dissolved. Businesses moved away, though the town hung on until 1938, when it disincorporated.

The vision that powered a nursery and a town faded, but one bite of history remains: the Orenco apple, locally famous as a rival for the McIntosh and Spitzenberg varieties. Nurseries that specialize in heirloom varieties still offer it.

Seeding the Future

by Trillium Dollars
I found a comfy chair on the sunny tiki terrace at a garden featured on this Saturday’s Seeding Our Future tour -- and nearly didn't leave. It was that inviting. But moving on, I saw the creations of seven other dedicated gardeners in the Tigard-Tualatin area. You can, too, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Inspiration for a summer wedding waits inside a wooden gate bedecked with a wreath of white impatiens. There’s a dog-friendly small garden (no lawn!); a fairy garden on a shady slope; a steep, multi-level garden with ornamentals cozying up to fruit trees and vegetable beds; creative side yards in both sun and shade; a birdhouse collection nested not only in the back yard but on the side of the house; and a tree-canopied garden with an Asian corner and strategically placed sunny sitting area. A hydrangea collection, native plants, edibles, vine-draped arbors, roses, garden art, fountains and waterfalls are included in gardens ranging in size from a city lot to nearly half an acre. Garden hosts, tour volunteers and OSU Master Gardener volunteers will be on hand to share their knowledge.

All for $20. Tickets are available at Tigard High School, Tualatin High School, McCann’s Pharmacy, and several area nurseries. See http://www.foundation4smartkids.org/. Along with the tour, there will be a garden art show/sale Friday (12-8 p.m.) and Saturday (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) at Fowler Middle School, 10865 SW Walnut St, Tigard. The events benefit the Foundation for Tigard Tualatin Schools.

Have fun! I did.

"Housing" for Butterflies

Back in May, I wrote that my garden was Woefully Lacking Butterflies and I told you I was going to challenge myself to plant more butterfly host plants. While visiting Garland Nursery a few weeks ago, I noticed an endcap display of Butterfly Bed & Breakfast plants grown by Log House Plants, a wholesale nursery located in Cottage Grove. I didn’t have with me the list of butterfly host plants I’d researched and decided I wanted, so I had to wing it, so to speak.

Home with me came Rumex acetosa (common sorrel), host to the Purplish Copper; Cornus sericea (red dogwood), host to the Echo Blue (Spring Azure); Viola glabella (a woodland yellow violet), host to the Great Spangled Fritillary (if I were a butterfly, I think I’d want that name!); and Stipa gigantean (golden oats), host to the Northwest Ringlet.

As I was researching what plants I wanted to add, I also checked the list to see what butterfly host plants were already growing in my garden. Turns out I had more than I thought, including: Geum macrophyllun (I’d been pulling these out as weeds for years…sorry about that Two-Banded Checkered Skippers); Dicentra Formosa (the western bleeding heart), host to the Clodium Parnassian; Trifolium rupens (clover…I hope the butterflies can find it if it’s in the lawn), host to the Orange Sulfer; Humulus lupulus (hops), host to the Golden Satyr Anglewing and Red Admiral; and Asclepias speciosa (milkweed), host to the lovely Monarch butterfly.

I really want more Western Tiger Swallowtails in my garden, which means I need to find and plant Salix purpurea ‘Nana’ (willow). And I need to create some muddy areas and place some rocks to warm in the sun to create a more hospitable environment for all butterflies. Next on the “to do” list for the butterfly project is assessing how many nectar plants I offer these beautiful creatures. I may need to add more flowering plants to the garden (oh, darn!).

Have you embarked on the Butterfly Bed & Breakfast challenge?

Gardening enthusiasm and expertise needed

The interest in and demand for community gardens in the Portland metro area and throughout Oregon has increased dramatically in the past few years. This surge of demand has put a huge strain on available resources.

There is an immediate and long-term need for materials, volunteers, and cash donations. In Portland alone, there are 1,100 garden plots at 35 sites serving 4,000 people, and there is a substantial waiting list of users, which the City and many supporters are trying to address.

Community gardens serve an important function in our communities.

• They offer low-income citizens a way to feed themselves and their families;
  
• They provide healthy produce and flowers to those in need;
  
• They help create a sense of community and offer a welcoming environment for community members of all ages; and
  
• They offer a place for new and future gardeners to learn new skills

Due to the high demand and interest in Portland community gardens, a variety of resources are really needed. [For other areas of the state, please check with your parks department.]

Materials

Seeds, vegetable starts, blueberry plants, dwarf fruit trees, compost, organic fertilizer, mulch, cover crop seed, Reemay (cover crop fabric), trellis material, picnic tables, materials for construction of raised beds, and edging products. For details on donating these items, contact Portland Community Gardens (503-823-1612, Tuesday through Saturday or e-mail Leslie.Pohl-Kosbau@portlandoregon.gov).

Volunteer Opportunities

• Help organize and build new gardens.
  
• Assist in garden clean-up, programs, and social events.
  
• Work with skilled leaders to assist with children's and classroom gardens.
  
• Connect with prospective gardeners.
  
• Help with the bi-monthly newsletter.
  
• Assist with public relations, fundraising, and grant writing

Specific skills that are needed include: photography, carpentry, landscaping, gardening, and fruit tree care. For more info, call 503-823-1612.

Cash Donations

Friends of Portland Community Gardens, a non-profit 501C3, accepts tax deductible financial donations, which help pay for building gardens or other dedicated needs.

Scaling Nature's Masterpieces

A nursery friend shared this link with me. He serves on the board of Oregon Community Trees so we share a love of trees. A group of climbers scale Oregon's largest trees to give you a birds-eye view of our state's champion trees. The purpose? Helping us stay connected to nature. I think you'll enjoy the fascinating view.

www.uncagethesoul.com/video.php?category_id=2

Feeding Ourselves and Others

Community gardens are top of mind these days for me. I was just notified that I am now the proud (and slightly overwhelmed) renter of a 12-ft. by 12-ft. community garden plot. Pesticides, tires and plastics and paper mulches are not allowed and produce and flowers have to be for home use. But those appear to be the only restrictions.

I’m in the planning stages. A few plants and seeds have been purchased, as have large bags of planting compost. But first I have to figure out before planting how to eliminate the grass starts that are emerging because the grass in the park was just rototilled to create the garden.

I’m relatively new to food gardening so this is going to be a great learning experience for me. So if you have tips, PLEASE share them! Here’s the “before” photo. “After” photos will come as the planting and season progresses.


I know I’m planting more than I’ll be able to eat or share with friends, but I’m doing it so I’ll have produce to share with “Plant a Row for the Hungry” (PAR) and the Oregon Food Bank. PAR was started by the Garden Writers Association to help feed the nation’s hungry by encouraging home gardeners to deliver excess produce to local garden centers on specified days, which then deliver the product to local food banks.

In the Portland area, Farmington Gardens has embraced the program and last year collected more than 6,000 pounds of produce! Farmington Gardens weighs and records your donations so that it can be itemized as a charitable donation at tax time (though I doubt this is why most people donate food). Drop off your produce on Sundays and Wednesday, from 10:30am to noon beginning June 13 and it will find its way to Sunshine Pantry and Tualatin Valley Gleaners. Other area garden centers may offer a similar service; call ahead and ask.

You can stop in at the information desk at either Portland Nursery location (50th and SE Stark St or 90th and SE Division) and look at the Oregon Food Bank notebook, where you can see neighborhood maps and find the closest food pantry, get a handout that gives the list of desired vegetables and other information. And as a thank you from them, you’ll take home a free packet of seeds.

If neither of these nurseries is convenient, getting your extra produce to where it can be used is easy: visit the Oregon Food Bank Web site to see the list of the produce that works best for food boxes and maps where you can locate the food pantry closest to your home. Or, if you want to set up a project to donate fresh produce, contact Eric Sopkin at the Oregon Food Bank (esopkin@oregonfoodbank.org).

The Climate Friendly Gardener – How do you Rate?

By Gardennia nutii

The Union of Concerned Scientists just published "The Climate Friendly Gardener: A Guide to Combating Global Warming from the Ground Up".

This is a very educational and balanced read. In a nut shell they outline five basic areas you can work on to be a more climate friendly gardener:

Step 1: Minimize Carbon-Emitting Inputs. This relates both to gasoline-powered tools and chemicals (fertilizers of all types require a lot of energy to manufacture, transport and package). “Even organic nitrogen-based fertilizers can create additional heat-trapping gases...excess nitrogen is converted into nitrous oxide – a heat-trapping gas 320 times more potent than CO2.”

Step 2: Don’t Leave Garden Soil Naked. “There are periods of time—perhaps as much as half the year, depending on your local climate—when plants are not actively growing. During these times, bare soil is vulnerable not only to erosion and weeds, but carbon loss as well.” For this area they suggest using cover crops to develop healthy soil, fix nitrogen and store carbon.

Step 3: Plant Trees and Shrubs. Trees and shrubs remove and store heat-trapping CO2 from the atmosphere, and well placed trees help shade buildings thus reducing energy use. All plants absorb CO2, but since trees and shrubs live a long time and are large, they can store more CO2. “One study found that in addition to storing between 10 and 24 pounds of carbon annually, a single shade tree in Los Angeles helps residents and businesses save enough energy to avoid the release of nearly 40 pounds of carbon from power plants each year.”

Step 4: Expand Recycling to the Garden. Yard debris and food waste make up about 25% of the country’s municipal solid waste, and when these wastes break down methane gas is released (methane is 23 times more potent than CO2). No matter where this waste breaks down it is going to release methane, but composting takes place aerobically (in the presence of oxygen) which minimizes the formation of methane. Landfills lack oxygen circulation so organic materials are broken down primarily by bacteria which produce methane.

Step 5: Think Long and Hard about Your Lawn. “80% of all U.S. households have access to a private lawn, and the total area of the contiguous U.S. covered with turf grass is estimated at more than 40 million acres—three times the area devoted to our irrigated corn crop.” This isn’t about getting rid of your lawn; it’s about how you manage your lawn. Don’t water as much, leave grass clippings on the lawn, don’t fertilize as much, and mow high for healthier roots and less water need.

This publication made me realize that while I do in fact practice many sustainable actions when gardening, there are still areas where I can improve. But most of all, I now have an amazing “excuse” to use when buying yet another car load of trees and shrubs. When my husband asks what I’ll possibly do with more plants, I can say I’m saving the planet...one amazing and beautiful plant at a time!

How sustainable are you? Let us know!

Special Sale: Rare Plant Research

Rare Plant Research is having a special 3 hour, 10% off sale and open garden for the public June 19th from 10am to 1 pm at 11900 S. Criteser Rd. Oregon City, OR 97045. RPR is normally only open once a year to the public and specializes in rare tropical and hardy container and garden plants. Echeverias, Aeoniums, Lewisia, bromeliads, grasses, gingers, cannas, hardy cacti, Agaves, and hardy olives are some of the plants available. The Villa Catalana garden will be open featuring a desert garden, old olive trees and the new bromeliad garden. For more information, photos and directions visit www.rareplantresearch.com or phone Burl at 503.780.6200.

Art in the Garden

I was visiting local artist Patrick Gracewood at his studio/home/garden. In addition to being a wonderfully talented sculptor and artist, he is an avid gardener that takes great care when placing art in his garden (see photo of The Little Monk on pedestal perfectly placed before the columnar conifer). That got me to thinking about the art in my garden and the art I’ve seen in the gardens of so many others.

My garden art purchases are generally impulsive and placement is intuitive rather than a carefully thought-out decision. Subconsciously, however, I must understand the interplay between the created art and the color, form and texture of my garden because, once placed, it usually stays put (I’m hoping that isn’t just a sign of laziness).

I mix my artful metaphors, in that I have a flurry of whimsical garden blossoms (seven, to be exact) made from recycled saucers and glass and placed in a shade garden so I have color year round. And a steel sculpture touting my soul’s mantra (peace), which was given to me as a very special gift; it resides in the sunniest spot in my ornamental beds. I also have the universal rusted steel signs shouting dream, joy, and inspire as well as ceramic orbs—circles are a reappearing theme in my garden—marking entry points in the garden. And then there’s the concrete and resin pieces scattered about...and the list goes on and on.


Art can be as simple as painted boulders anchoring a planting or space (a la Michael Schultz, a Portland-based landscape architect) or as complex as a grand statue at the end of an allee or reflecting pool (think Versailles).

I’ve often said that I’d spend my last dollar on plants and art—but then a friend reminded me that I’d have to feed Barney, my adorable golden retriever...and I would put food in his dish first.

I hope you enjoy this montage of garden art from the many garden tours I’ve been on (regrettably, I don’t always remember where I took the pictures...they are attributed where I do remember). Thank you to those that open your gardens to the rest of us so we can enjoy what you’ve created!

ODA offers homeowners advice on using pesticides

March 17, 2010 Story of the Week from Oregon Department of Agriculture

[Editor's note: I happen to avoid using pesticides and do things as organically as possible in my garden (except I did use a copper fungicide spray for my apples and use Sluggo to deter slugs around my vegetables). However, the vast majority of gardeners fight garden pests and disease by chemical means. Pesticides can harm beneficial insects, such as butterflies, humans and our pets if not used properly, so I thought it worthwhile to share this story issued from ODA [edited for brevity]:

Daylight is now extended, the temperature is rising, and Oregonians are emerging from inside their homes. Spring has arrived, and homeowners are getting ready for yard and garden work. It is also time to remind residents that home-use pesticides can be used safely and effectively if all precautions are taken.

“People working in the yard and wanting to use pesticide products should first get informed and take consideration,” says Dale Mitchell, assistant administrator of ODA’s Pesticides Division. “Home-use pesticides are important and often necessary in the battle against unwanted plant pests and diseases. There is nothing wrong with using pesticides–as long as they are handled properly.”

ODA licenses commercial pesticide applicators, requiring them to take a test to show their knowledge of how to use pesticides safely. Many of the materials available to commercial applicators are available to homeowners, who are not licensed and tested.

1. Identify what type of plant pest or disease problem [you] have. Information is available at the local garden center, county extension office, ODA, and the Internet. Those resources not only identify the problem, they can point to pesticide products most effective in treating the problem. [Editor’s note: Another good resource is the book What's Wrong With My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?): A Visual Guide to Easy Diagnosis and Organic Remedies by authors David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth.]

2. Purchase the product and read the label. The most important advice is something often repeated by ODA’s Pesticides Division: Read the label.

“Read the label and those instructions,” says Jones. “Just as importantly, actually follow the instructions on the label. You are going to save yourself a lot of headaches in the long run if you can follow those two steps.”

In fact, it’s a good practice to read the label at least three times– before the pesticide product is purchased, before it is applied, and after it is applied. The label tells you not only what pests the product takes care of, but it gives you special precautions. It spells out what steps to take to protect yourself and others during application. Reading the label before you buy the product can help you understand if it’s the right pesticide for you and how best to use it.

3. Apply the product. Once again, reading the label will guide you through the proper method of handling the pesticide. It tells you how to mix the product. Some products may be already mixed but most need to be diluted before application. The label also tells you when to apply the product. Some pesticides require dry conditions, others do fine even if it rains afterwards. The label emphasizes keeping children and pets away from the material during mixing and application.

“Set aside the proper equipment ahead of time,” says Jones. “If the product needs diluting, use measuring cups or spoons that are specifically used for pesticides and don’t use something normally kept in the kitchen. Keep the product to the site of the application. It doesn’t do any good to apply weed and feed on the sidewalk.”

Pesticide products should not be allowed to drift or be applied anywhere outside their intended target. But for peace of mind, and as a good neighbor policy, giving a heads up might help.

“Sometimes it is beneficial to let your neighbor know ahead of time that you are spraying a pesticide in your yard so they can keep children or pets indoors, and can close their windows,” says Jones. “Not spraying right along a fence, if possible and depending on the situation, can improve neighbor relations. In general, you want to avoid spraying pesticides onto your neighbor’s property.”

4. Storage. The product label also has information on storage and disposal. Always try to store pesticides in the original container in a safe, dry location that is out of reach of children. Of course, storage and disposal problems can be avoided even before the product is purchased.

“By making sure you only purchase the amount of product you need, you are going to reduce the amount you need to store, which is going to take up less space, result in less potential for kids to come in contact with the product, and will be less money out of your pocket at the time of purchase,” says Jones.

5. Disposal. If you want to get rid of leftover pesticide products, most cities and counties have hazardous waste disposal programs. The product should never be placed in the traditional garbage can and sent to a landfill. If you plan to store the pesticide in your garage, always leave the label with the product so you and others can later identify the product.

Pesticides are often a necessary and useful tool for yard and garden care. Whether the user of pesticides is on a farm, in a forest, or at home, the product must be used according to its label. And, it’s the law.

[Home use pesticides] may be easy to find and easy to purchase, but that doesn’t mean they should be treated lightly.

Got Herbs?

By Gardennia nutii

I grow a lot of herbs. They are fragrant and beautiful, and gathering herbs for a meal satiates the “gatherer” part of my instinctual needs. I’m sure most of our readers grow herbs, the popular ones being basil, chives, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano. These are all great—essential in fact—but I thought I’d highlight a few herbs I wouldn’t be without that are a bit off the beaten path:

Vietnamese coriander (Persicaria odorata): I love coriander (a.k.a. cilantro), but growing the variety commonly found in the store (Coriandrum sativum) has proved difficult for me because there is only a short window in which to harvest, and I’m not organized enough to sow seeds more than once. I discovered “Vietnamese coriander” about five years ago and now I wouldn’t be without it. It’s a perennial and available for harvest about seven months of the year, or year-round if you bring it indoors during the cold months. It’s more pungent than the store variety (so be careful not to use too much of it in your recipes) but whenever you need that wonderful coriander flavor, it’s there for the picking.

French Sorrel (Rumex acetosa): A sprawling perennial herb that grows approximately 6-10 inches tall, I use it as a ground cover. The leaves are a beautiful light green and small white/green flowers appear in long stocks in the summer. It prefers moist soil and full to part sun, but that is it; once it’s established I do nothing but harvest it for about seven months of the year. I typically throw the fresh new greens into salads and soups where it adds a wonderful lemony flavor.

Lovage (Levisticum officinale): This perennial tastes like celery but with a hint of anise. Try leaves and stems in fresh salads, stews and soups, and dried seeds in soups, casseroles and sauces. You can harvest any part of the plant as needed, but leave the central stem for continuous growth. It’s very easy to grow, but does require full to part sun and well-amended soil. After the first year, it can grow 3-6 ft tall, so take that into account when planting.

While we’re on the subject of herbs I thought I’d share a bit of good news with all of you: N & M Herb Nursery, Inc. just opened an outlet at 11702 Feller Road, NE, Hubbard, Ore. The outlet is open Thursday – Sunday from 9:00am to 5:00pm from May 6 to July 4, 2010. So instead of searching for their wonderful herbs at farmers markets or specialty sales, we can go right to the source!

Do you have a favorite herb? Let us know!