Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 2015)
3C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 in the garden with Cathy Peterson Q: This seems to a different sort of winter, with moderate temperatures. Does that present opportu- nities for coastal gardeners? A: Coastal gardeners can take advantage of those moderate temperatures, particularly home gardeners using greenhouses, hoop houses or window boxes, but I would still pay close attention to frost this early in the year. Also, it has been my experience that these mild winters prevent a garden pest die-off so l plan to be more vigilant in spring when we start our vegetable garden, and to keep an eye out for chewing insects and slugs. Q: What’s the most recent gardening book you’ve read that you would recommend? A: While I wouldn’t call it so much a “gardening book,” my go-to guide at the park is Jim Pojar and Andy MacK- innon’s “Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast,” Lone Pine Publishing, 1994. Just last week I had a discussion with a visitor about the different lichens and moss found at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. My Pojar and MacKinnon definitely informs me and helps me sound informed! I also am a great fan of plant collector and author Dan Hinkley and keep a couple of old Heronswood Garden catalogs around for inspiration and quick reading. Q: What is your favorite plant? A: That’s hard because we can grow so much here. I would have to say that I am a big fan these days of har- dy and disease-resistant plants. I’ve been growing a big herb bed for a couple of summers now, and have en- joyed having a mix of flowering herbs that attract polli- nators, and savory herbs that taste good in our food. I’ve also made a concerted effort to have different varieties of catmint for their beautiful flowers, as well as a reward for our two hardworking mousers. Q: What is your most significant coastal gardening failure? A: About 10 years ago, my friends and I swapped plant starts that have since grown out of control. One is JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Education Program Coordinator at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Cathy Peterson stands along the Fort to Sea Trail. Peterson is a Master Gardener. cious grower in my ornamental beds is Crane’s Bill gera- nium. With its pale pink flowers and ability to fill in blank spaces, Crane’s Bill seemed like such a good idea. What was I thinking?!!! Photo courtesy Cathy Peterson A photo of Cathy Peterson’s son and daughter, Ben and Jenna, in the family garden, about 10 or so years ago. curly germander, a tough little herb that deer hate, but also appears to be impossible to curb. The other vora- Q: What part of your personality is reflected in your garden? A: My practice to “collect” stories and memories in- forms how I have gardened. For instance, there’s a Jap- anese maple that a family friend gave us when our son Ben was born. Now 19 years later the tree has withstood a move, and anchors our front yard with interesting col- or, intricate branching and the capacity to survive our clumsy pruning attempts with patience and grace. We have another tree in our front yard, a Cercidiphyllum or Katsura, with heart shaped leaves that smell like brown sugar in fall. Friends gave us the tree when our daughter Jenna came into the world. After 15 years, it’s tall, dra- matic and spectacular year-round. Cathy Peterson is a Master Gardener and the education program coordinator at Lewis and Clark National Histor- ical Park. She formerly wrote a gardening for The Daily Astorian. Technology TODAY’S By JESSI LOERCH The Daily Herald EVERETT, Wash. — Lisa CUTTING-EDGE IDEAS ARE AT WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY - - - A Spot locator is helpful to hikers and others who may become lost. - - - - - Call for help - AP Photo/The Herald, Joe Dyer - In this Aug. 2, 2012 photo, a search and rescue volunteer glides down to the ground on a line from a Huey helicopter as part of a training exercise at Taylor’s Landing Search and Rescue Facility in Snohomish, Wash. - - - - - - hours. - - - - - - - - FREE PUBLISHED THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH January 2015 ess in the Chronicling the Joy of Busin n Columbia-Pacific Regio striverbusinessjournal crbizjournal.com • facebook.com/coa Volume 10 • Issue 1 lenges Inside: Shellfish farm copes with chal conditions an oce c despite changing Industry spotlight: Taylor remains optimisti The January edition available at a newsstand near you NEWS County makes a splash PacifIc in the pot biz page 10 NEWS Seaside Muffler and Off-Road 21 revs up its reputation page BOAT OF THE MONTH The Sadie out of South Bend, Wash. page 24 crbizjou rn a l.com -