R ecords ■JUNE'S GABDEMl Not quite enough a F e b r u a r y is the m o n t h to p r u n e b a c k r o s e s and s u m m e r b l o o m i n g Cle m a t i s . I w a i t u ntil the last part of February. Pruning fo r c e s ne w g r o w t h and the new g r o w t h c a n be b u r n e d by w ind storms an d night fr o s t s if p r u n e d t o o early. TAPES ETC 1023 BROADWAY 3EASIDL OR 038 OPEN 7 BAYS A WEEK dedicated Steps to prune your rose s : gardener R a i n c o m i n g d o w n - but lighter. Wild fuchsia drip and bounce in c o u n t e r b a l a n c e . Coral B a r k m a p l e red agai n s t th© sky branches like coral brachea o r lungs t r a c i n g blood. Some yellow star leaves say irrefutable Oregon, Mom, people work in spoken by my o l d e s t son. still words, the I n s p e c t ros e bush. If it has g r o w n s u c k e r s fro m the roots, di g d o w n and pull t h e m off the roots. 2. P r u n e away all dead, b r o k e n or d i s e a s e d canes. If t h e c anes are not w h i t e or g r e e n inside, cut lower. 3. Cu t awa y thin, straggly canes. These will not s u p p o r t b l o o m s and will w a s t e the b u s h ' s energy. 4. If c a n e s are c r o s s e d and r u b b i n g t o gether, cu t the smaller one back. This wil l strengthen the r e m a i n i n g canes. reef shine. R a i n is a r e p r i e v e h o l d i n g o f f all I c o u l d d o - an excuse to s t a y i n s i d e I use, b l o c k i n g the b r a n c h e s of my m i n d that t hose 1. "In rain," Anne Splane Phillips c. 11-96 T his p o e m r e m i n d e d me of a d i s c u s s i o n I r e c e n t l y ha d w i t h Jeff, m y g r a n d s o n and his w ife Elaine, a b o u t h o w to dea l w i t h the sea of m u d t h a t s u r r o u n d e d th e n e w l y - b u i l t h ome t h e y had just m o v e d into. T h e y ha d l ived in a p a r t m e n t s and h a d n e v e r h a d a garden. Elaine was most anxious to s t a r t planting. She w a n t e d a g a r d e n full of flowers. She had the en t h u s i a s m , if not the e x p e r ience, of becoming a d e d i c a t e d gar d e n e r , but m y not- s o - e n t h u s i a s t i c g r a n d s o n said, "Elaine, t h e r e are m o n t h s of r a i n ahead, let's w a i t until n e x t s u m m e r to s t a r t p l a n t i n g a garden." Jeff turned his a t t e n t i o n to a f o o t b a l l g a m e on TV. I b r o u g h t ou t a t a b l e t of graph p a p e r a n d s ome g a r d e n b o o k s to s h o w E l a i n e d i f f e r e n t st y l e s of g a r d e n s an d to h e l p her s t a r t a l a n d s c a p e plan. I s u g g e s t e d she b u y tw o large d e c o r a t i v e cla y p o t s to p l a n t p a n s i e s an d p r i m ­ r o s e s in, to s a t i s f y he r d e s i r e to h a v e som e c o l o r n e a r her f ront d o o r , but u r g e d h e r to t a k e t i m e to d r a w out a l a n d ­ s c a p e p l a n on th e g r a p h paper. S ince the ball g a m e wa s over, Jef f looked at th e p i c t u r e and said, "Well, I c o u l d try." He s t u d i e d the p l a n s E l a i n e had d r a w n and a dded a c i r c l e in the c o r n e r of the b a c k y a r d and labeled it "W.W. II." He said, "Cookie, r e m e m b e r t h a t tree I u s e d to c l i m b in y o u r g a r d e n w h e n I wa s little? W.W. II is w h a t G r a n d f a t h e r al w a y s c a l l e d O n c e y o u hav e c u t o u t u n w a n t e d growth, p r u n e b a c k the main canes above the nearest h e a lthy, o u t w a r d - g r o w i n g bud to t h e d e s i r e d height. R o s e s that s h o u l d be p r u n e d in this m a n n e r include Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Old-fashioned shrub Roses, Species Roses, Grandifloras. t hat tree." I l a u g h e d and said, "He c a l l e d it that because it wa s a Weeping Willow tree and its r o o t s e v e n t u a l l y c l o g g e d the s e p t i c t a n k ' s d r a i n a g e ditches. He s aid he felt like he had to f i g h t W o r l d Wa r II all over again, as we h a d to tak e down t h a t t r e e an d h ave a w h o l e ne w s y s t e m built. I t h i n k y o u ' d be b e t t e r off t o p l a n t an apple tree. That willow was our s e c o n d mistake, the first was n o t h a v i n g a l a n d s c a p e plan. We were continually changing t h i n g s a r o und." I cut b a c k m y s u m m e r - b l o o m i n g , purple—flowered clematis ' Jackamanii S u p e r b a ' to about 3', w h e r e n e w g r o w t h later in t h e s p r i n g will s o o n c o v e r the picket fence and send out hundreds of blooms in the summer. The spring-blooming Clematis m o n t a n a c a n be p r u n e d a f t e r it blooms. It f l o w e r s on o l d w o o d and is hardy, so s h o u l d be t h i n n e d o r p r u n e d to r e j u v e n a t e or r e d u c e the size. "I l oved t h a t garden, Cookie. R e m e m b e r w h e n y o u ' d let me p i c k a b u c k e t of b l u e b e r r i e s an d r a s p b e r r i e s that yo u h a d g r o w ­ ing at the edge of you r v e g e t a b l e g a r d e n and yo u m a d e me b l u e b e r r y p a n c a k e s and m a d e s y r u p o u t of the r a s p b e r r i e s to pou r o v e r th e pancakes. Ge t C o o k i e ' s recipe, Elaine, and leave r o o m for a r a s p b e r r y and b l u e b e r r y patc h . " I a lso h a v e a C l e m a t i s dio- scoverfolla (C. peniculata) s w e e t a u t u m n c l e m a t i s I have p r u n e d in t h e fall a f t e r it bloomed, cutting off all growth, leaving about 5' of stems, as this clematis is e x t r e m e l y h a r d y a n d c o u l d soon b e c o m e an a g g r e s s i v e vin e if left u n p runed. I c o u l d see the b e g i n n i n g s of a n o t h e r g e n e r a t i o n of g a r d e n e r s d e v e l o p i n g , as Jeff a sked if I h a d any g a r d e n i n g c a t a l o g s he c o u l d l ook at to ge t some ideas of w h a t k i n d s of seeds he m i g h t w a n t to b u y for a v e g e t a b l e She d r e w o u t t h e d i m e n s i o n s of the house, d r i v e w a y and a small p a t i o the b u i l d e r had provided, t h e n s k e t c h e d in a f l o w e r bed for r o s e s a n d o t h e r flowers. We t a l k e d a b o u t i m p r o v i n g th e soil w i t h h u m u s a n d I s h o w e d her p l a n s to b u i l d a c o m p o s t bin a n d s u g g e s t e d sh e t a l k to the n u r s e r i e s a b o u t w h a t s h r u b s and trees would grow best where t h e y live. We a l s o d i s c u s s e d m o u n d i n g t h e soil or h a v i n g raised beds to give be t t e r d r a i n a g e for th e plants. The mounded beds would add a d i f f e r e n t d i m e n s i o n to t h e i r f lat yard. She a d d e d a fence to c l o s e off th e b a c k y a r d and included play equipment for t h e i r li t t l e boy. "Jeff, come here. C a n you b u i l d an a rbor for s o m e c l i m b i n g roses like t his one," she asked, s h o w i n g him a picture of one in a g a r d e n book. Please send your comments, q u e s t i o n s a n d s u g g e s t i o n s to J u n e ' s Garden, P. 0. Bo x 74, C a n n o n Beach, O R 97110. garden. My thoughts were how I wish Jeff had known his great g r a n d f a t h e r and m y g r a n d m o t h e r , as t h e y ha d b o t h ha d r a s p b e r r y p a t c h e s at t h e i r homes. . .r • - a . ' - C-. Jef f a n d E l a i n e ' s e n t h u s i a s m wa s c a t ching. T h i s spring I'll plant s ome blueberry bus h e s a l o n g s i d e my r a s p b e r r y patch. After all, I hav e a great g r a n d s o n w h o will soon be old enough to p ick berries for p a n c a k e s a n d syrup. It was still lightly raining an d t h e y ha d the start of a l a n d s c a p e plan. Jeff said, as we pu t on our rain clothes, "Let's go out and look at y o u r garden, Cookie, what's a li t t l e r a i n ." Ja - f * & (kuOtKSGW- ' ' V al ? .H ouse . H ollow .tUAOPUU STY ?>Et> t ERE a XFAS I “N "N 1927 s\v >ox 217* AHWOk 5tA¡> R* ;?7>K0« 4 VFPLR. LIFT EDGE. F Í 5 W Y ff7 J efferson t 2 2 6 -7 0 1 0 I am not a vegetarian because I love animals, I am a vegetarian because I hate plants A. Whitney Brown • American editor, publisher