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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2015)
3C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015 Lower expectations lead to more enjoyment in the garden Q&A with Carole Birney Q: You are a 2014 graduate of the OSU Master Gardeners program. Describe that program for us. A: Thanks for the opportunity to talk about the Master Gardener program. It’s a function of Oregon State University Extension Service and operates here through the Clatsop County Office. I completed the initial training in 2014, which requires 60 hours of instruction and 60 hours of volunteer time. The in- struction covers such topics as soils and fertilizers, entomology, pruning, botany basics and much, much more. The program promotes sustainable garden- ing, which is a balance between inputs such as wa- ter, labor, amendments and results. Master Garden- ers participates in local activities such as a presence at the Sunday Market and farmers markets, a yearly gardening seminar, staffing a help/information line to answer garden-related questions, maintaining the demonstration garden at the Fairgrounds, and educa- tion programs. Q: What did it do for you? A: I have become a more relaxed gardener due to the sustainable gardening concept. I don’t like to use a lot of pesticides or herbicides, so what it amounts to, is your level of tolerance. I don’t mind a few weeds or sharing a little with garden pests, but I do want my plants to grow well and my garden to look nice. In other words, I no longer feel my garden has to be perfect and relaxing my expectations has made for a more enjoyable gardening experience. Q: What are you doing in your garden right now? A: Weeding, pruning, soil preparation which, because I have a lot of garden area, usually takes until May. I start in January as weather permits. Be- cause I have sandy soil, my ground is workable a little earlier than those with clay-type soils, which hold more water. I try to get most of the grunt work done before the planting fun begins, but I plant- ed cool weather crops, kale, lettuce and peas in my small, raised vegetable bed in March. I have two fairly large ornamental beds and a large herb gar- den which need to be reworked this year. Not a very exciting project, but the prospect of visiting garden centers and nurseries and choosing new plants is tantalizing to a gardener! Q: What is the biggest gardening challenge you face? A: Well, it would be weeds. Because I have san- dy-type soil, I am always fighting weeds. I don’t care much for bark mulch, but use it in some areas such as around my ornamental grasses. There are other types of mulches that help to hold down the weeds and hold in moisture during the summer months, but JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Blossoms from a liberty apple tree in Carole Birney’s backyard garden. I don’t mind a few weeds or sharing a little with garden pests, but I do want my plants to grow well and my garden to look nice. mostly it just involves hand labor and my tolerance since I use minimal herbicides. Oh, I forgot the deer and elk! There are deterrents, but fencing and plants they don’t like to eat work the best. No tulips or roses — deer candy. Q: What part of your personality is reflected in your garden? A: I have been gardening since I was a child in 4-H with my father, in Seaside. My grandfather had a nursery in Olney, and my great-grandmother grew flowers on her Seaside property and sold them. I like lots of color, and I would say my gardening style is somewhat casual. I do like the full-blown, in-your- face, overgrown English cottage garden look. Color- ful and crowded as opposed to the neat, organized, well-spaced garden look. I like to grow native plants and encourage some native wild flowers to fill in the spots. Carole Birney lives in the Hammond historic area. She retired 2013 from the Clatsop County District Attorney’s Office after 30 years in the support enforcement division. She sings with North Coast Chorale and St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church choir, is a 45-year member of Beta Sigma Phi, member of Clatsop County Master Gardeners’ Association and a volunteer for St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Astoria. She is married to Daryl Birney and enjoys clam digging and spending time with children and four grandchildren. 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To subscribe, go to oregoncapitalinsider.com W hile other n ew spa pers give you less, The D a ily Astoria n GIVES YOU M ORE O u r n ew C APITAL B UREAU covers the sta te for you From left: Peter W on g, H illa ry Borru d , M a teu sz Perk ow sk i