Add Compost for Sustainable Landscapes

The OAN publishes a monthly publication for the nursery trade called Digger magazine. In May, there was an article written by Oregon State University staff at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center (NWREC) on how landscapes can address three emerging challenges: Water scarcity, fertilizer usage, and compacted and stripped soils due to construction. (I know it doesn’t feel like there’s a concern about water scarcity when we’ve had above average rainfall—146 days with rain since Oct. 1, 2010, the start of the current water year—and the Columbia River is nearing flood stage but remember our dry summers where it rains very little from July through September.)

There’s been some controversy about whether or not it’s appropriate to add amendments to planting holes. Research done at NWREC "confirmed that adding compost to the soil, and using drought-resistant Mediterranean plants, both result in healthier landscapes." The article concludes "that compost addition is a valuable part of soil preparation for sustainable landscapes. All plants tested benefitted from compost application." Read the article in full or read more about "Improving Garden Soils with Organic Matter" in the OSU publications catalog.

Coccinellidae...who (or what) is that?

Reprinted with permission by All Seasons Plants from their May 18 e-newsletter

Answer: the much-loved ladybug. Otherwise known as ladybird, or lady beetle. Or lady cow. Or golden knop, or freyjuhena, or bishy-bishy-barnabee. It depends on where you're from and whom you've named it after. The Norse goddess Freyja? Saint Barnabas? If you opt for "ladybug," you're alluding to "Our Lady" Mary, whose red cloak and seven joys and sorrows correspond to the bug's red shell and seven spots. (But you have to admit, bishy-bishy-barnabee has a nice ring to it.)

Anyway, not all ladybugs are seven-spotted, and not all are red. There are something like 500 different species, some yellow, some grey, others brown or even pink; and each has its specific number of spots. You might have heard you can tell the ladybug's age by counting them, but that's not true. Spots fade with age, but the number stays the same.

So, how do you get ladybugs to live in your garden? Buy some wild-caught from your local nursery. (Farm-raised ladies won't survive in the wild.) Add a little water to their bag and let them rest in your crisper drawer for a few hours. Meanwhile, water your garden well. At dusk, release the ladybugs. If you have an aphid-infested plant, release them right there.

Ladybugs don't just eat aphids, of course. They eat other soft-bodied sap-suckers, too. And they eat pollen; it’s an important dietary back-up for when the pests aren't so numerous. So, if you want to make a ladybug haven, don't neglect to plant. Coriander's good. Red clover, legumes, mustards, geraniums, even dandelions. Our favorite? Coreopsis.

Oh, and by all means, don't crush the larvae! (Check the photo so you know what a lady baby looks like.)

All Seasons Plants is a wholesale broker, but they also sell retail (they exhibited at Yard, Garden & Patio Show and had some beautiful purple-flowering daphne for sale). Their Web site offers good plant information and you can search on a the plant characteristics of interest to you, e.g., bloom time, sun exposure, foliage color, etc.

Oregon: Rhododendron Paradise

It was on a day like today—sunny and the perfect temperature—that I visited the Smith Garden as part of the American Rhododendron Society (ARS) Annual International Convention. Hidden away in St. Paul, it’s a rhododendron and azalea wonderland in a woodland setting now owned by the Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society (ARS) and jointly cared for by the Portland, Willamette and Tualatin Valley ARS Chapters. I love (LOVE!) woodland settings so I was as interested in the other woodland plants as I was the species and hybrid rhododendrons. In fact, I found a woodland groundcover anemone I’d like to introduce to my own garden.

The air was scented by the huge blossoms covering the towering Rhododendron loderi ‘King George.’ It made me think that I should plant the tall evergreen shrub to shelter my woodland garden instead of another tree.

And then there was the delicate flower and pink-almost-white coloration of ‘Snow Queen’ azalea as I exited the garden.

On the same day, we also visited the Cavender Garden, a private garden near Sherwood, with its more than 600 rhododendrons and azaleas. I loved the rhododendron with its bronzey new leaves and pink flowers. I didn’t capture the name of it, so if any readers know the name, please let us know.

Water to the Weather

According to the Regional Water Providers Consortium, the Portland metro area can use two to three times as much water in the summer months as in the winter months due to our dry Mediterranean-like summers. Hard to imagine with the wet winter we’ve had. The greatest waste of water is watering too much, too often, which isn’t good for the lawn, plants or planet. To help us conserve water, the Consortium derived The Weekly Watering Number, which is the amount of water in inches that your lawn will need each week based on changing weather conditions. Not surprising, it’s telling me that I don’t need to water my lawn! The number can also be used for other types of plants by using these general guidelines:

Shrubs & Perennials - adjust to 50% of the Weekly Watering Number
Vegetables - adjust to 75% of the Weekly Watering Number

Get the Weekly Watering Number emailed to you each week to help guide your water use. Other things to consider: (1) never apply water at a faster rate than will soak into your soil (Mother Nature hasn’t learned this lesson in my garden!), instead divide your watering time to ensure water is getting to the roots where it is needed; (2) if the water doesn’t penetrate the soil well, the lawn may need to be aerated or de-thatched; and (3) water early in the morning, if you can, to keep evaporation to a minimum (watering in the evening is the next best time). In general, water thoroughly, but infrequently to help roots go deeper, resulting in more water-efficient, drought-tolerant plants and grass.

Patience, my dear. Patience.

As hard as it is to wait, let your soil dry out before you work it—or even walk on it very much—advises Carol Westergreen, owner of Out in the Garden Nursery. You’ll be glad you waited. Almost everyone in the Northwest has an abundance of clay in their soil. Clay is notorious for poor drainage and when wet, it is easily compacted. Without the addition of organic matter, when clay dries out it becomes hard and difficult to work. To determine when it’s a good time to work your soil, pick up a hand full and gently squeeze your hand into a fist. If you have a wad of soil when you open your hand it’s still too wet to work. If it crumbles, get planting!


Recently, I was able to get some of my garden planted in areas that are typically considered “dry shade” during the summer months, but the rest of the garden is still too wet to get much done (although plucking those early weeds is satisfying work at this time of year, as is pruning). Those ornamental Alliums I bought at the Yard, Garden & Patio Show, are just going to have to wait at least another week before getting tucked into their new garden home.

For information to help you improve your garden soil, click here.

Lots of Gardening Events!

Photo: Rare Plant Research

There are too many garden events to list all of them but this is a good selection of what's out there; many of them are free. Check your local garden center Web site for event listings. Enjoy!

May 6-June 5, Iris Festival, Schreiner's Gardens, Salem—Make a tour of Schreiner's Iris Gardens one of your springtime traditions. During bloom season, the 10 acres of display gardens are open from dawn to dusk. The gardens contain 500 named Iris varieties that will be in bloom. Bring the family for a picnic lunch (tables are available) or steal a romantic moment at the end of the day surrounded by blooms and sunset. Parking and admission is free. Schreiner's Cut Flower Show is 9am- 6pm. Cut flowers are available on site for $6.00 per dozen.

May 12, 19, 26 & June 2, 10am-2pm, Legacy Gardens Annual Spring Plant Sales—Rain or shine. Top quality, locally grown plants from N & N Garden Farm; they grow with healthy, safe, organic practices (cash and checks only to N & N). Plant sales benefit the healing garden maintenance funds and are at Good Samaritan Stenzel Healing Garden (5/12), Meridian Park Healing Garden (5/19), Emanuel Lorenzen Courtyard (5/26) and Good Samaritan Stenzel Garden (6/2). For more information, please contact Teresia Hazen, Legacy Therapeutic Gardens at 503.413.6507 or thazen@lhs.org. See the gardens at www.legacyhealth.org/gardens. Maps at www.legacyhealth.org/maps.

May 13 through August, The Oregon Garden —Help select the best of seven new flower varieties. The Oregon Garden plays host to a 2011 American Garden Award flower competition where the public is encouraged to vote for their favorites. For more information, log on to www.americangardenaward.com/.

May 15, 11am, What to do in the Veggie Garden: May & June, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland – Discover what to do in the veggie garden for the months of May & June! Tim Lanfri, of Community Garden Creators, will talk about the ideal crops to plant and harvest, important garden tasks (cover cropping, watering, mulching, fertilizing, etc.), and the various undesirable pests that might patrol your garden. Click here to register for this class.

May 15, 1pm, Amplifying the Garden with Containers, Joy Creek Nursery, Scappoose—Lucy Hardiman will share how a well-chosen and well-planted container becomes much more than an art object with it is used purposefully in the garden as a focal point of a garden bed, as a complement to a plant vignette, screening an unsightly view or transitioning from one part of the garden to another.

May 18, 4-7pm, Garden's Night Out, Schreiner's Gardens, Salem—Enjoy music and merriment as part of the Keizer Iris Festival kick-off. There will be food, drinks, and wine for purchase and a drawing for a beautiful Iris collection or a rare private tour and tutoring by Schreiner brothers Steve and Ray. Special guest Sue Bielemeier of Green Thumb Florist will be providing free instruction on flower arranging with a focus on the use of Iris in arrangements. Parking and admission free; food, drinks, and wine for purchase.

May 21-22, 11am-4pm, Open Nurseries, Rare Plant Research, Oregon City—Gardeners have one weekend a year to join in the garden festivities on mile long Criteser Rd. near Oregon City, Oregon. Four specialty nurseries, including Amber Hill Nursery, open their doors for free garden design advice (bring photos), garden exploration, wine tasting, lunch and rare plant sales. For more information, directions and photos please visit http://www.rareplantresearch.com/.

May 21, 10:45am, Strawberry Care, Drake's 7 Dees Nursery (Stark Street location), Portland—There is nothing like fresh Oregon strawberries, and nothing better than getting them from your own garden. This mini clinic will give you insights you'll need to create your very own strawberry fields.

May 21, 1pm, Designing Your Garden: Pulling it all Together, Garden Fever!, Portland—Gary Marsh, Marsh & Fear Garden Solutions, will focus on the key elements that create good garden design, including assessing your garden site, determining your personal style, creating a site plan, dealing with hardscape issues and introducing plants for good scale and balance. He will also touch on how structures such as arbors, fences and decks can be integrated into your overall plan. A free event but reservations are required: call 503.287.3200.

May 21, 1-2:30pm, Building a Pondless Waterfall, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—George Bowman will be teaching you how to build a pondless waterfall. Topics covered will be design, installation, care, and troubleshooting. George has been ponding since 1976 and has been the past president of the local Koi and Goldfish Club. Click here to register for this class.

May 22, 11am, Native Plants in the Landscape, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—Discover the endless benefits of integrating native plants into the landscape. Jen Aron, of Peaceful Gardens, will talk about why native plants are so important to our urban landscape, and highlight how natives can attract beneficial wildlife to your garden. She will also discuss some great native plant selections for sun, shade and small urban lots. Click here to register for this class.

May 27-29, American Peony Society Convention—Peonies will be celebrated with the first ever west coast APS convention. There will be competition flower exhibitions for commercial growers and home gardeners, and if you're a member of the APS (there's a $25 fee to join), there will be tours and workshops. The public gets free admission to the flower displays and vendors on Saturday afternoon, May 28, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Sunday, May 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wilsonville (Ore.) Holiday Inn. Peonies will be shipped in from all across the country; it's a real treat to see what the different growers consider their best. For more information, click here.

May 28, 10am-4pm, Inviting Vines IV Garden Tour, Friends of the Rogerson Clematis Collection, Portland area—Tour five private gardens in SE Portland and the Rogerson Clematis Collection garden at Luscher Farm in Lake Oswego. See how local gardeners integrate these unique and beautiful vines in their versions of paradise. Tickets may be purchased on-line at http://www.rogersonclematiscollection.org/ or at Dennis' Seven Dees Nursery, Magnolia Manor, Garden Fever, Portland Nursery (SE Stark location), Joy Creek Nursery, Farmington Gardens, Gardener's Choice, Digs and 13th St Nursery in Salem. Ticket Price: $20.00; benefits the Friends of the Rogerson Clematis Collection.

May 29, 11am, Shade Gardening 101, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—Learn great tips and techniques for creating structure and beautiful contrasts in the shade garden with Jen Aron, of Peaceful Gardens. Jen will talk about the rewards and challenges of gardening in the shade, and the diversity it can bring to your landscape. She will go over the specifics of gardening in partial shade vs. deep shade, dry shade vs. moist shade. She will also share great plant picks and her favorite shade-loving flowers to brighten any shade garden. Click here to register for this class.

May 30, 11:30am-4pm, Memorial Day Chicken BBQ, Schreiner's Gardens, Salem—Features the culinary delights of the Gervais Knights of Columbus, and offers the lively music of the Capital City Jazz Band from 1-5pm. This annual event takes place every Memorial Day and is filled with fun for the whole family. Cost: $10.00.

June 4, 10am-4pm, Couples Workshop: Build Your Own Willow Furniture, Farmington Gardens, Beaverton—This has been a very popular workshop in the past, and this year they decided to make it for couples. Bring your sweetie and have fun creating a garden bench, chair, plant stand, end table, plant trough, or trellis. Have the satisfaction of taking home your unique piece of furniture at the end of the day! Class fee: $125; $10 registration fee.

June 5, 1pm, What to do in the Garden in June, Farmington Gardens, Beaverton—New to gardening? Need a little extra garden coaching? If you are new to gardening, it can be a puzzle to know what to do in the garden throughout the different seasons. Tony Van Houtin can help you learn when the right time is for different garden activities. Bring your questions!

June 11, 1pm, The Cutting Garden, Portland Nursery (SE Stark location), Portland—A fabulous cutting garden is not limited to full sun annual plants. Linda Beutler, author of From Garden to Vase will give suggestions of great plants for bouquets for all types of garden situations. She will bring some of her inspiring bouquets to showcase different styles of arranging flowers. Click here to register for this class.

June 12, 1pm, Terrarium Craft, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—Easy to make and a wonder to behold, terrariums are winning over a new generation of crafters and gardeners. Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant, authors of Terrarium Craft, offer up everything a beginning terrarium crafter needs to get started, from advice about tools and materials, information about plant choices and simple maintenance tips. Click here to register for this class.

June 17-19, Oregon Cactus & Succulents Show & Sale, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—Find rare and hard to find specimen cacti and other succulents.

June 18, 10am-4pm, Behind-the-Scenes Garden Tour, presented by the Association of Northwest Landscape Designers – Showcasing eight professionally designed private gardens in the Portland Metro and Lake Oswego areas. The landscape designer of each garden will be on hand to share their experience and inspire with fresh, new ideas for the landscape. Proceeds benefit ANLD's scholarship programs for aspiring landscape designers. $20 per person. Buy tickets online or at select garden centers.

June 18, 10am-4pm, Flower Show, Shorty's Home & Garden , Vancouver—The Lewis & Clark District Garden Clubs in Vancouver, Wash., are holding a flower show (horticulture and design).

June 25-26, Pink Days to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Farmington Gardens, Beaverton. Pink plants, guest speakers, live music, food, local wine tasting, children's activities, and more. Visit their Web site for details.

June 25, 11am-12:30pm, Year Round Vegetable Gardening, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—Join Tim Lanfri, of Community Garden Creators, to learn techniques for growing and harvesting fresh produce throughout the entire year, even in the "dead of winter"! Tim will discuss topics such as timing your plantings, fall and winter growing techniques, and how to maximize your harvest without a greenhouse. Click here to register for this class.

June 29, 3-7pm, Ladies Night Out, Drakes 7 Dees (Stark St. location), Portland—Annual ladies night out celebration event. Visit their Web site for event details and specials.

New Spring Stars

I’m adding new plants to my garden all the time, but I’m not always very good at checking how they are doing, especially perennials. (In fact, sometimes I don’t even know whether they live or die because I don’t have a good system in place to track my where I put them, and their plastic plant tags are often lost or broken.) A few days ago during a sun break, I wandered around the yard to see how my plants were doing. A number of things I planted last year are proving to be delightful spring surprises.

Uvularia grandiflora (Great Merrybells, Bellwort)

I found this at Dancing Oaks Nursery because I was charmed by its nodding, yellow bell-shaped flowers. It’s native to the Eastern US and Canada; according to the USDA, it’s endangered in Connecticut and New Hampshire, perhaps because the deer find it tasty. The arching stems reach 12-24 inches tall and the flowers on my plant are almost two inches in length. Prefers shade to part-shade. I can’t wait to have this grow into a larger clump!

Erysimum capitatum (Western Wallflower)

Native to the western US, this tangerine-colored, short-lived perennial is supposed to attract butterflies. I sure hope so! I found it at Doak Creek Native Plant Nursery, a native nursery tucked in the hills southwest of Eugene.

Lamium orvala (Giant Dead Nettle)

This Lamium was recommended to me by Maurice Horn at Joy Creek Nursery (he assured me it was well-behaved and wouldn’t take over my garden like other Lamium are prone to do). A native of Europe, its hooded orchid-like flowers appear in whorls. It offers wide leaves and grows 26-30 inches high and 30 inches wide. Plant it in part shade.

Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’

A new introduction that may be hard to find in the garden centers for a few years, but certainly worth asking about. ‘Orange Rocket’ is an upright, columnar form of Barberry. As you can see from the photo its new spring foliage is a vibrant coral-orange that ages to mid-green then offers bright orange-red fall color. Foliage colors best when grown in full sun. Deciduous and modest in size, it grows 36-48 inches tall and only 12-16 wide.

Viola glabella (Pioneer Violet)

I have been adding more natives to my garden, starting with those that are host plants for butterflies. The Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly (don’t you LOVE that name!) lays its eggs on the Pioneer Violet; the caterpillars eats its leaves to survive. This lovely yellow violet is now a bright spot in my shady woodland garden. This is one violet I’d be delighted to have spread as much as it wants!

Share what you consider to be spring stars with us.

Gardening ABC's—or rather NPK's

Adapted from the April e-newsletter from HydrangeasPlus®

The three essential components of fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the N-P-K numbers on any fertilizer. Nitrogen (N) is for healthy green growth; it helps the plant to grow chlorophyll. Phosphorus (P) helps a plant grow good roots and stems in the early growth season then in flower production. Potassium (K) helps your plants generate and process nutrients. A mix like 10-30-10 is great for flowers on your annuals and perennials.

Hydrangeas, as an example, do best with a balanced fertilizer. Kristin VanHoose, owner of HydrangeasPlus®, prefers the granular time-released kind that delivers nutrients to the plant over a three-four month period. Water breaks down the outside coating of the fertilizer slowly and nutrients don't dwindle out in the active spring growth season. Soil should be slightly moist when applying the granulated variety and keep the fertilizer off the foliage to prevent burn. When hydrangea leaves start showing through the leaf nodes, it's time for an application of time release fertilizer, according to Kristin.

If you prefer an organic or natural fertilizer alternative, your local garden center should be able to give you good advice (check the OAN’s online Retail Nursery Guide for garden centers near you).

Tip-toe Through the Tulips

Last Friday was a beautiful day in Oregon so we slipped out of the office and headed to OAN member Wooden Shoe Bulb Company and the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. Spring bulbs turn stress and doom and gloom into smiles; it was a perfect way to end the week. With thousands of colorful tulips in the fields, there were smiles and laughter in abundance. I wanted to share a few of my blooming favorites with you. For best selection, download a catalog and order your bulbs now for fall planting.

Burning Heart – A white Darwin Hybrid with touches of red and yellow blooming mid-late spring. Grows to about 18 inches. (Not sold in this year’s Wooden Shoe catalog.)

Daydream – A Darwin Hybrid blooming mid-spring. Opens yellow and turns orange as flowers mature. Introduced in 1980. Grows to 20 inches.

Inzell – The catalog description describes the color as ivory-white but it looked like a brilliant white to me. A Triumph tulip that blooms mid-spring. Grows to 16 inches.

Jimmy – This was my favorite massed in the field. It’s a rose color edged in orange. Introduced in 1962, it grows 12-18 inches tall. A Triumph Tulip blooming mid-spring. [Jimmy-tulip photo credit: Courtesy of Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm]

New Design – A soft pink and cream Triumph Tulip with cream-edged leaves. Introduced in 1974, grows 12-18 inches and blooms in mid-season.

Orange Favourite – A fragrant Parrot Tulip with curled and serrated orange petals with a touch of green and yellow. This bulb was introduced in 1930, grows to 20-24 inches and blooms mid-late spring.

Prinses Irene – This orange with purple flame Triumph Tulip is stunning. It was introduced in 1949 and grows to 14 inches.

Pretty Woman – A Lily-Flowered Tulip, it is fire engine red, blooms mid-season and grows to about 16 inches.

I Remember You

By Gardennia nutii

We had our first really brilliant day this past Saturday and like many avid gardeners, I spent the day in the yard weeding, planting, pruning, hauling, dividing, bending, kneeling, and…enjoying the sun. And like many avid gardeners I woke up the next morning remembering a few muscles I’d forgotten and that the sun can indeed burn skin if given ample chance.

There are some great websites to help gardeners combat the strains we put on our bodies. From general gardening safety, to great stretching exercises, to overall tips on how to protect your back when gardening. I think the most shocking site I found after limping into my office that next morning has to do with something I wasn’t inflicted with – injury associated with power lawn and garden tools. Wow…who knew that 135,000 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms in 1992 for injuries associated with power lawn and garden tools?

It is one thing to find this information, but quite another to internalize and use it. So I’m capturing my thoughts and pains in this write-up as reminder to use my head a bit more on our next sunny Oregon day.