? gardens utaae) s TO REDUCE OR HJJSWE FESDCOEUSL Nature is endlessly ingenious and, of course, unspeakably vicious and barbaric. i 1* Henry Michell’s well chosen words certainly describe the weather the West Coast experienced in December. The news media told us many stories about the devastation in many areas and how people pitched in to help others. Much of it is now old news, but I want to tell you one more story that helped to add a bit of humor to a neighborhood after the big wind storm. A friend told me how a neighbor of hers dealt with the 10ft circular, deep holes that were left in his front yard after four huge fir trees toppled to the ground in the wind storm. As he stood there surveying the gaping holes full of rain water, he laughed and said, “I’ve always wanted fish ponds.” Q u e s tio n : How do I care for holiday cactus, Paperwhite Narcissus, poinsettias and azalea plants I decorated my home with during the Christmas season ? Can they be saved to continue blooming? A n sw er: Holiday cactus plants are sold either as Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri or Schlumbergera bridgesii, and are unlike desert cacti. These plants come from the jungle. In nature, they live on trees, much like orchids. If you repot them from their original containers that were bought at a nursery, be sure to use rich, porous soil with plenty of leaf mold and sand. Water frequently (avoid soggy soil, use good drainage), feed often with liquid fertilizer recommended every 7-10 days. Last summer, I moved my holiday cactus plants to my garden shed which has filtered light, and kept the plants moist with diluted fertilizer. In the fall I brought them into the house and placed them near my west windows. They started to bloom before Thanksgiving and have continued to bloom. Paperwhite Narcissus are not hardy bulbs, however, I did plant some of the Christmas bulbs two years ago and was rewarded with a bloom last spring. Instead of tossing them, try planting them in a protected area. Azaleas: Wait until late March to plant them outside. Azaleas and rhododendrons require the same porous acid soil, rich in organic matter. Poinsettias: A large, filled tub of four poinsettia plants in full bloom is evidence of the success Judy Osburn has had in saving these plants the last three years. Her formula is to wait until the first of March to move them out into the garage. She waters them only once a month through spring and summer. She keeps them on a shelf on the east side where they have some filtered light. The leaves will fall off. In October she prunes any dead branches, then brings them into the house and places them in a north bay window, keeps them moist, and every two weeks waters them with liquid fertilizer. The new leaves appear in about two or three weeks. By December they are in full bloom. Poinsettias’ blooms consist of petal-like bracts. The true flowers of the plant are yellowish and inconspicuous in the center of the red, white or pink bracts. Other literature I have read about the care of poinsettias has suggested that the plants need darkness for 14 hours around the first of October to bloom colored bracts in December. For a sturdier plant, cut stems back to two buds after the leaves fall in late winter or early spring. Reduce water during that time as Judy did. Two different shrubs I’ve chosen to add to my yard are: (1) Arbutus unedo: This is commonly known as a Strawberry Tree. The fruit ripens from the previous year’s blossoms, and resembles strawberries. This shrub is an evergreen. It needs little w liter once established; tolerates much water if planted in well-drained soil. (2) Contoneaster Cornubia: In autumn it bears great, heavy crops of large, red berries for an exceptionally long time - sometimes well into winter. Since I didn’t keep my last year's New Year resolution to stop buying more plants than I have room for, I’ll quit feeling so guilty about ordering more plants out of the flower catalogs. It’s hard to resist the colorful illustrations and the text that promises summer blooms. Please send your gardening experiences, comments, or questions about coastal gardening to: June’s Garden, P .O . B"X 7 4 , B each, WE CREATE tUAJKWN ROWER BOXES, RANTERS I Henry Micheli Garden Design C annon attention busksses OR 97110. "«nv MNGMGBASKTS 43M738RES J LJCEXSED ■ BOCED WSURED *052 3 ôorpfîbi, QòAiA g ‘, C¿ty « Now the New Year Reviving old Desires, The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires. - Edward Fitzgerald Box 602, N. Hemlock S t Connon Beach, Oregon 97110 503-436-2661 Mother Nature's . .Jr* j _ — v : N Natural Foods • Juice Bar 298 Laneda Avenue P.O. Box 737 Manzanita, Oregon 97130 503 • 368 • 5316 Open M o n d ay - Saturday 10-5:30p m , Sunday 12-5:30pm NEW PLASTICS RECYCLING PROGRAM The City of Cannon Beach Recycling Program will be adding plastic bottles to the materials it collects. Beginning January 6, 1996, you may bring your plastic bottles to the recycling depot on east Second Street. At this time plastic bottles will not be collected curbside. The hours for drop-off at the depot are, RESIDENTIAL: SAT. 9AM-12PM COMMERCIAL: TUES. & THUR. 8:30-11:30 AM CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTANCE: Plastic bottles are defined as any bottle not containing hazardous materials with a neck smaller that the body of the bottle. The bottles are to be sorted into two categories; Milk and Water Jugs All Other Bottles All bottles must be cleaned and no lids can be accepted. You do not have to remove the plastic rings around milk jugs. To help enable us to recycle more effectively Recycle Saturdays will now be held every Saturday between 9AM and 12PM. i M y ^ ur . L ife -1 The Moby Dick Hotel and Oyster Farm on Willapa Bay Nahcotta, Washington Now serves Dinner By Reservation Chef Julianne Maki M ake your b ird w atch in g m ore m em orable o r fo r th a t m a tte r a n y g e ta way, b u s in e s s re tre a t, fa m ily reu n io n , e t al For reserv a tio n s or inform ation (206) 6 6 5 -4 5 4 3 fax 66 5 -6 8 8 7 P.O. 82, N a h co tta , W A 98637 OTHER MATERIALS COLLECTED Cardboard Grey Board ex.: cereal boxes, egg cartons, shoe boxes Tin Cans Aluminum Glass; White/Clear, Green, Brown Newspaper Office Paper, Computer Paper, Mixed Paper Magazines Phone Books RECYCLING CHANGES Like all industries the recycling business is always evolving. Here are a few changes that we need to be aware of when we prepare our recycling to bring down to the depot or if it is left for curbside. 1. Aluminum foil cannot be mixed with aluminum cans, it must be separated. 2. You do not have to separate the slick ads from newsprint any longer. 3. Lids cannot be recycled. 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