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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2020)
NEWS Wallowa.com Wednesday, January 8, 2020 A15 WINTER DREAMS OF SPRING The Accidental GARDENER By Felicity Nullim It’s so quiet. Except for the occasional howling wind. Not like the long months that came before — fi lled with the constant sounds of large and small machinery out in yards and fi elds. The Accidental Gardener has been exploring the winter garden and imagining the spring garden. And taking long naps. That’s what it’s about, right? Dreaming of spring? This is the time of dormancy, hibernation, conservation…waiting. The sun is just start- ing it’s gradual return, bringing the light and the warmth. Perennial plants and trees go dormant in the cold winter months. They’re not dead. While the outer leaves and above- ground foliage may die back, life still lurks in the roots and core of the plant. They sim- ply stop growing and conserve energy until better conditions present themselves. We don’t use this term to describe annual plants with a life cycle of a single growing season. Dormancy can be artifi cially controlled to store plants for shipping or to get them to fl ower at particular times. Tulip and daffodil Green buds reveal leaves biding their time until winter’s end. Asian giant hornet, a nemesis of honeybees, appears in Washington Probable sightings The fi rst Asian giant hor- net sightings recorded in the U.S. were Dec. 8 by a res- ident of Blaine, Wash., just south of the state’s bor- der with Canada. They had previously been confi rmed at three sites in British Columbia. Since then, WSDA has received 80 new sight- ing reports, three of which they deem probable. One was from a Bellingham Native plants bring many benefi ts to gardens and native pollinators Oregon State University Extension By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN Capital Press BLAINE, Wash. — As if life wasn’t hard enough for the honeybee, things just got worse with the appearance of a new hornet that can dec- imate hives. While honeybees in North America face many foes such as lethal varroa mites, a new nemesis buzzed onto the scene in Washing- ton state — an invasive spe- cies capable of decimat- ing honeybee populations, reducing crop pollination and stinging humans. The pest is the Asian giant hornet. According to entomologists, it is indig- enous to Asia, where it has many names: commander wasp, yak-killer hornet and tiger head bee. The hornets are dis- tinguishable by their yel- low heads, long bodies and three-inch wingspans. The hornets prey on other insects, feeding pulped bugs to their larvae. Where similar species of hornets are established in Europe, they have wiped out 30% of beehives, reduced honey production by two- thirds and dramatically slashed crop production due to lack of pollination, according to Washington State Department of Agri- culture public engagement specialist Karla Salp. A typical Asian giant hor- net is fi ve times the size of a honeybee and can kill up to 40 bees per minute, accord- ing to Tim Hiatt, commer- cial beekeeper and a mem- ber of the Washington State Beekeepers Association. “No one knows what trig- gers it, but sometimes they literally go into slaughter phase, decapitating bee after bee and eating their bodies,” said Salp. “It takes 20 hor- nets to kill an entire hive in one to six hours.” bulbs can be chilled to send them into dor- mancy, then brought out at the desired time to force them into bloom. Red tulips for Val- entine’s Day? Sure, no problem. Do you see the little nubbins on the bare trees and shrubs? Tiny bunched-up leaves just waiting to explode. That’s part of the joy of wandering through the bleak land- scape. And don’t forget “winter interest”. As you drive through Wallowa Valley, take a moment to marvel at the beautiful scarlet twigged red osier dogwood, set to burst into spring. The Accidental Gardener dreams of spring while perusing seed catalogues. It’s an adventure in imagining. There are fun and easy ways to get the garden going before spring arrives. But, as we know, that might not even happen here. We might just go from winter to summer. Big sigh. Winter Trees By William Carlos Williams All the complicated details of the attiring and the disattiring are completed! A liquid moon moves gently among the long branches. Thus having prepared their buds against a sure winter the wise trees stand sleeping in the cold. Karla Salp/WSDA/Capital Press Asian giant hornet. Karla Salp/WSDA/Capital Press An Asian giant hornet in a hand. beekeeper. “Since these hornets are normally dormant in the winter, it’s unusual to fi nd them active this time of year,” said Salp. “It’s prob- ably because the winters are milder here, so they’re sur- viving better. It seems the Pacifi c Northwest is their ideal environment.” Hitchhiking hornets All it takes to establish a new colony is one mated female, said Salp. And to invade a new location, a queen hornet just needs to do a little hitchhiking. “Honeybees are mobile,” said beekeeper Hiatt. Bees are shipped across the U.S. to pollinate crops. Three-quarters of all man- aged beehives are shipped to California in February to pollinate almonds. At the border, California Border Protection Stations, or as Hiatt calls them, “bug stations,” inspect for pests. In summer, fi nding stow- away hornets would be easy, said Hiatt. But in winter, when hornets are dormant, fi nding one tucked inside a pallet is nearly impossible. Experts say it will take everyone working together to stop the spread. “This is a good citi- zen-scientist moment,” said Laura Lavine, chair of Washington State Universi- ty’s entomology department. “Everyone can pitch in.” If you’re a beekeeper According to entomolo- gists, Asian honeybees have developed natural defense instincts. When a hornet invades, honeybees clump together around the invader in tens or hundreds, creating a giant ball and suffocating their attacker. North American honey- bees, said Salp, appear not to have this instinct. “I think there’s a need for panic,” said Lavine. “I’ve heard anecdotes of beekeep- ers in Asia standing around with badminton rackets, smacking the hornets to the ground and stomping them. I know that sounds totally insane, but that’s what it can come to.” Hobby beekeepers, said Hiatt, should consider put- ting a so-called robbing screen, which hornets can’t enter but bees learn to nav- igate through, in front of beehives. Robbing screens, how- ever, aren’t feasible for commercial-size operations. Hiatt suggests all beekeep- ers restrict the entrance size of hives, making it harder for hornets to enter. If you’re a farmer Farmers, Hiatt said, should watch for the hornets, which nest in the ground. However, he warned against fl ushing out any ground nest indiscrimi- nately. He said some native bees nest in the ground — many of which pollinate crops, especially alfalfa. Be alert Experts say everyone should be alert — especially in port cities, where there is ongoing trade with Asia. If you think you’ve found an Asian giant hornet, report it immediately to WSDA’s pest program via email at pestprogram@agr.wa.gov. Send a photo if possible. Put safety fi rst. In Asia, according to Salp, dozens of people die annually from stumbling into hornet nests. If you get stung and have an allergic reaction, call 911 and get medical help. CORVALLIS, Ore. – As you look back at last year’s garden and begin to plan next year’s, consider the benefi ts of native plants. “There’s a new aes- thetic,” said Weston Miller, horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Exten- sion Service. “Gardeners want to connect to nature and the heritage of plants that grow in the Pacifi c Northwest.” Part of the draw is the correlation between native plants and pollinators. A native garden translates into nirvana for bees, birds, butterfl ies and other bene- fi cial critters. “The habitat value is really high,” Miller noted. “Native pollinators are accustomed to native plants and are more likely to be attracted to them.” But even with natives, you’ve got to think about the right plant for the right place, he said. If you plant a sun-loving plant in the shade or vice versa, it’s not going to make it. For instance, plants that grow in the shade of the forest – such as salal and ever- green huckleberry – don’t want the full-sun, prai- rie conditions required by camas and meadow checkerbloom. Sun- or shade-loving plants native to the North- west will thrive in our wet winters and dry summers given the correct soil, water and sun exposure. If sat- isfi ed with their situation, these plants will reward you with a low-mainte- nance attitude. If you wonder what exactly native means, Miller suggests thinking of the area west of the Cas- cades if you live in west- ern Oregon, and east of the Cascades if you live in eastern Oregon since the climates are so different. For a list of native plants suitable for gardens west of the Cascades, refer to Gardening with Ore- gon Native Plants West of the Cascades or Native Plants for Willamette Val- Oregon Grape is a hardy perennial that attracts native pollinators. ley Yards, a booklet pro- duced by Metro in partner- ship with OSU Extension and other collaborators. For a list of native plants suitable for gardens east of the Cascades, refer to Selecting Native Plants for Home Landscape in Central Oregon. Miller acknowledges that some native plants can look out of place in mani- cured gardens, but he urges people to use them at the back of a border or to cre- ate an area in the garden dedicated to natives. How- ever, many natives such as Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium), which blooms a glorious yellow in early spring, act beautifully as specimens planted front and center. Another can- didate for the spotlight is the justifi ably popular vine maple (Acer circinatum) with its graceful, multi- trunked form and colorful fall presence. “Oregon grape is just an awesome harbinger of spring,” Miller said. “Vine maples are also very high on my list. They attract benefi cial insects in a big way and can be used as small trees or kept pruned smaller as large shrubs.” For back-of-the-border situations, Miller recom- mends oceanspray (Hol- odiscus discolor), a large shrub with frothy sprays of white fl owers in spring. Another plant that works best in the back is elder- berry, either red (Sambu- cus racemosa) or blue (S. caerulea). WALLOWA COUNTY One last book from Brian Doyle One Long River of Song Notes on Wonder 519 W. North Street, Enterprise 541.426.3413 107 E. Main St. 541.426.3351 Always open at www.bookloftoregon.com • bookloft@eoni.com Mon-Thurs 9 to Noon/1-5pm; Fri. 9-1
