Polk County Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 9, 2016 9A
Have a date with your shrub
You’ve got clippers in
hand, a shrub in mind and
a gleam in your eye. It’s
pruning time.
But do you have a plan?
Before you clip a stem,
know your shrub, said Neil
Bell, horticulturist for Ore-
gon State University’s Ex-
tension Service.
“What you want to focus
on is flowering time and
growth habit,” he said. “Cer-
tain shrubs you can prune
right about now; others you
should wait until after they
flower.”
Spring-blooming shrubs
like forsythia, mock orange,
flowering quince, deutzia
and lilac, should be left
alone until flowering is
over. These bloom on last
year’s stems, known as old
wood, from buds that form
in summer or fall. Prune
now and you sacrifice flow-
ers.
Summer—and fall—
blooming shrubs, on the
other hand, flower on new
wood. They’re fair game to
prune now.
There are some excep-
tions, Bell said. If the goal is
to remove some older canes
to even out the canopy or
thin out the center to facili-
tate air circulation, pruning
a spring-blooming shrub
during the dormant season
is acceptable.
“It’s easier since you can
K YM
P OKORNY
Your
Garden
see the plant’s form,” he
said. “Just be judicious.
Thin out only the oldest
canes, leaving the height
and width the same to as-
sure you maintain growth
habit and you’re not cutting
off too many flowers.”
Keep in mind that many
shrubs need only light
pruning, especially if given
the room to grow to their
mature size. Rhododen-
dron, azalea, rockrose (Cis-
tus) and ceanothus are a
few of these. They’re better
off with a light trim every
couple of years. Pieris, rose-
mary, lavender and Daphne
odora and other winter
daphne are also low-main-
tenance. Just cutting off the
flowers does the trick.
If Bell has one piece of
advice he’s most adamant
about, it’s avoid shearing or
topping a shrub.
Instead, if you want a
rounded bush, seek out
those that grow that way
naturally, he said, pointing
to rockrose (Cistus), hebe
and some daphne and
spirea as examples. Or use
plants like boxwood, privet
PHOTO BY NEIL BELL
A spring-blooming shrub like forsythia should be pruned
after it flowers so that the following year it lives up to its
potential.
ENGAGEMENTS
Dunmire-Weaver
Janessa M. Dun-
mire, of Dallas, and
Broc M. Weaver, of
Rickreall, are plan-
ning a May wed-
ding.
The bride-to-be
is the daughter of
Bret and Mar y
Dunmire, of Dallas.
Her fiancé is the
son of Brad and
Jeannine Weaver, of
Rickreall.
Janessa is a 2010
graduate of Dallas High School. She is employed at Ag
West Supply in Rickreall as a customer service representa-
tive.
Broc is a 2010 graduate of Dallas High School. He is em-
ployed at Wilfong Farms as a mechanic and farm hand.
The wedding is set for May 21 at the Salt Creek Saloon
in Amity.
BIRTHS
Raymond
PHOTO BY NEIL BELL
Another forsythia pruned much, too hard has lost its
shape and most of its flowers.
and Japanese holly (Ilex
crenata) that respond well
to shearing into spheres,
squares or other shapes.
Pruning: Most of the time, well-considered pruning begins with determining the shape of the plant. Is it vase-shaped? Up-
right? Weeping? You’ll want to keep that form in mind as you proceed. When it comes time to pick up the clippers, start by cutting
out dead or dying canes (stems that grow from the ground). If the shrub needs thinning, cut out the old, less-attractive canes irst,
Bell said. They’ll often be the tallest, so pruning them will keep the plant at a more manageable size. Crossing branches within the
canopy can also be clipped out if they’re causing too much congestion. Cut some of those stems back to a main branch. But don’t
go wild. Less is more.
If a plant has gotten out of control, it can be cut to the ground and allowed to grow back, Bell said. However, that applies only
to vigorous plants. If a plant is declining because of too much shade, poor soil or a disease, no amount of pruning will rejuvenate
it. Even for vigorous plants, constant pruning is not ideal.
Unless you inherit an overgrown plant, he said, it’s always better to start with the right plant for the right place.
Naomi Grace Raymond was born to Tyler Raymond
and Cheyenne Bradford, of Monmouth, at 7:39 p.m. on
Feb. 24 at Salem Hospital Family Birth Center.
She weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and was 19.5 inches
long.
Naomi is the couple’s first child.
Grandparents are Sandy Dingle, of Willamina, Dan
Bradford, of McMinnville, Melissa Modglin-Raymond and
Gary Modglin, of Independence.
Great-grandparents are Jeffrey and Nina Lee, of Inde-
pendence, and Marge Kirkpatrick, of Sheridan.
Boal
Parker James Boal was born to Allen and Sabrina Boal,
of Dallas, at 1:12 p.m. on Feb. 26 at Salem Hospital Family
Birth Center.
He weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and was 20.5 inches
long.
Parker joins Aiddien, 7, and Landon, 4.
Grandparents are Virginia Crone, of Olympia, Wash.,
Dennis Maxfield, of Falls City, Chris Boal, of LaPine, and
Ida Hutchison, of Dallas.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Continued from page 8A
MI TOWN
Years ago there used to be
a saying: you could tell when
it was spring in Oregon be-
cause the rain was warmer.
I’ll tip my hot chocolate cup
to that statement, and add
that I’m thankful we’ve got-
ten through at least most of
another winter without any
real weather disasters like
people have experienced in
so much of the country this
year.
—
While you’re indoors and
staying dry from those not-
so-gentle spring rains, why
not take the time to go
through your bookcases as
well as the stack of books
you’ve been meaning to read
all winter long. Before long,
it’ll be time to do outdoor
tasks and spend more time
and energy on walks and
hikes and gardening, and the
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
books will still be there. The
Friends of the Monmouth
Library would appreciate
donations of gently-used
books for the upcoming May
Book Sale. Please stop by the
library during regular hours
to drop off your donations,
and check the ongoing book
sale while you are there.
After all, there’s more room
in your bookcases now and
you can find something that
you really want to read.
—
With all the political wran-
gling everywhere, it’s easy to
complain about “those
politicians” and how our
candidate of choice could be
so much better in every way.
Sometimes it’s frustrating to
hear all kinds of news —
along with the myth and
folklore that prevails every-
where — and feel that our
voices aren’t really heard in
the halls of Congress. All pol-
itics begins at the local level,
and a good way to really find
out what’s going on in MI
Town is to attend local gov-
ernment meetings. Inde-
pendence City Council
meets at 7:30 p.m. on the
second Tuesday and at 7:30
a.m. on the fourth Tuesday
of every month. Monmouth
City Council meets on the
first and third Tuesdays of
every month at 7 p.m.
—
Be sure to mark your cal-
endars and plan to celebrate
St. Patrick’s Day in MI Town
at the Monmouth Senior
Center’s Soup and Pie sale,
from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
on March 17. There will be
five varieties of soups and a
variety of fruit pies — all
homemade by some of the
best cooks in MI Town.
Prices are still $3 for a large
bowl of soup and $2 for a
generous slice of pie. See you
there.
—
The Independence Li-
brary Book Sale is scheduled
for March 18 and 19 at the
old library building, 311
Monmouth St. Be sure to be
there during the hours of 10
a.m. and 4 p.m. both days,
and discover all kinds of bar-
gains and great reading, in-
cluding the $5 per bag sale
event.
PEDEE NEWS
The Pedee community
increased by one on Thurs-
day with the birth of Ariah
Braelyn Crowe. Parents
David and Korin are thrilled
to have a girl to complete
their family. Big brothers
Preston, Parker, and Kayson
will have a hard time not
spoiling her, though, if her
dad doesn’t beat them to it.
—
Several women on the
way to the Women’s Club
meeting on Highway 223
last Wednesday had to take
a detour as a car had ca-
reened off the road near
Sunken Grade, hit a tree,
and a few minutes later
burst into flames. The driv-
er, Jon Carey, of Monmouth,
had been pulled out of the
A RLENE
K OVASH
Columnist
vehicle seconds before the
fire, thanks to two deputies
who witnessed the crash
and stopped to help.
—
Jimmy Libke and Micken-
zy Tootle are both recent
graduates of the Polk Coun-
ty Fire District No. 1 Fire-
fighter Academy and are
now responding with crews
from the Pedee Fire Station,
which Jimmy did on
Wednesday to help put out
that car fire. Their volunteer
efforts ensure that help is
available in the region
around Pedee when some-
one calls 911. We appreciate
them, as well as all our fire-
fighters.
—
Diane Telfer is a cover
girl! She was on the cover of
this month’s Ruralite maga-
zine, which featured her
and husband Paul’s volun-
teer work with the American
Red Cross. They have been
volunteering for three years
now, and she has responded
to several disasters around
the U.S., including the
Napa, Calif., earthquake, the
floods in Houston, and sev-
eral wildfires around the
West. Plus they have re-
24 hour
Service
Pick up &
Drop Off
sponded to several local
house fires.
—
The Pedee Women’s Club
has been preparing the up-
stairs area of their building
for a place firefighters would
be able to stay when on
duty; consequently, they are
getting rid of items that have
accumulated. There are
three sets of quilting frames
that are available, if any of
you out there are interested
in them, contact Ethelene
Osgood, 503-838-1944.
The women have appre-
ciated the work that Melvin
Nice has been doing to con-
solidate their shelves of fab-
ric, items for packing soldier
boxes, and candy-making
supplies.
We would like to thank the following
for their support of The Total Woman Event
held at the Majestic on February 26 – 27:
A Pleasant Place to Buy or Sell Your RV
CALL TODAY FOR A NO-CHARGE EVALUATION.
OPEN K!
WEE
Y
7 DA S A • Sat 9-5
Mon-Fri 9-6 -4
Sun 10
Rick 503-437-5398
TUESDAY, MARCH 15
• Dallas Wingdingers RC Flying Club — 7 p.m., Whitworth
Elementary School library, 1151 SE Miller Ave., Dallas. 503-623-
7288.
• Polk County Coin Club — 7 p.m., Monmouth Senior Cen-
ter, 180 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-362-9123.
—
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16
• Helping Hands Emergency Food Bank — 10 a.m. to noon,
Monmouth Christian Church, 959 Church St. W., Monmouth.
For eligible community members; available every Wednesday.
541-404-6517.
• Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank
— 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutof Road, Building E,
Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members.
503-831-5634.
• Day-2-Day Diabetes Support Group — 3 to 4 p.m., West
Valley Hospital (main conference room inside main entrance),
525 SE Washington St., Dallas. 503-623-7323
• Bingo at the Farm — 6:30 p.m., Rogue Farms Hopyard,
3590 Wigrich Road, Independence. All ages welcome. Free;
food and beverages available for purchase. 503-838-9813.
• Brew and BS: The Old Testament — 7 p.m., St. Thomas
Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. A lecture series
on the Old Testament. Bring brew of choice — cofee, tea, chai,
beer, wine, cider. 435-503-4304.
• Lenten series — 5:30 to 8 p.m., St. Thomas Church, 1486
SW Levens St., Dallas. Free. Worship service at 5:30; soup supper
at 6; video lecture series on Old Testament followed by discus-
sion from 7 to 8.
• Dale Recinella speaker, “The Biblical Truth About the
American Death Penalty” — 5 p.m., Werner University Center
at Western Oregon University. Free and open to the public. 503-
990-7060.
Ruben 503-915-2080
4075 NE Three Mile Lane, McMinnville, OR
www.macrvsales.com Next to the Spruce Goose Aviation Museum macrvsales@gmail.com
RECYCLE
A little effort.
A big difference.
• Ray Stratton, the Majestic
• Janey Jefferson, Dance & Fitness Studio
• Kathy Downey & Laurie Jandil,
New Life Ministries Women’s Bible Group
• Dr. Sharon Thornton, Thornton Chiropractic
• Joann Stutzman, RN, BSN, OCN, Corvallis Clinic
• Chicks Connect, Julie Muller & all members
• Jackie Lawson, Ruby Ribbon Mini Fashion Show
• Tawnie Sweet, Agnes & Dora Clothing Fashion Show
• Kurleen Nowickas, Teacher & Singer
• MB Bradshaw, Damsel In Defense • Prestige Theatres
• BeckenRidge Vineyards • Roth’s Family Market • Rick’s Place
• Limeberry Frozen Yogurt • San Antonio Restaurant
• Pink House Café • Ovenbird Bakery • NY Bagel & Bistro
• Domino’s Pizza • Les Schwab Tire Center
• Starbucks • Walmart • Costco • Safeway