Polk County Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 19, 2017 9A
Fight fires with appropriate landscaping
Drawing a line around the
house with fire-resistant
landscapes can mean the dif-
ference between a home
consumed by flames and one
left standing.
“Fire specialists often
show pictures of houses
where people took adequate
precautions,” said Brad
Withrow-Robinson, forester
with Oregon State Universi-
ty’s Extension Service. “I’ve
seen lots of photos of land
charred all around and a
house left standing in the
middle because the owners
created a fire-resistant space
next to it. Not always, but
often.”
It’s fire season again, and
people who live in rural areas
or on rural-urban boundaries
throughout the state need to
exercise caution.
“People tend to think of
wild fire as an issue only in
central or eastern Oregon,”
Withrow-Robinson said.
“But the vigorous, dense
growth typical of western
Oregon, along with our hot,
dry summers, means we
have a significant fire danger
most years here, too.”
People should create and
maintain “defensible space”
around their homes. Among
other things, these areas
should be free from brush,
debris and firewood, have ir-
rigated zones near the house
and feature fire-resistant
plants.
To help people establish
K YM
P OKORNY
Your
Garden
such spaces OSU Extension
developed a guide to Fire-re-
sistant Landscapes Plants for
the Willamette Valley, which
can be downloaded free as
an app for iOS and Android
phones. The 190-page publi-
cation also comes as a mo-
bile-friendly or printable
PDF.
Co-author Brooke Ed-
munds, a horticulturist with
OSU’s Extension Service, said
the guide features 170 plants
that thrive in the Willamette
Valley. Plants are organized
into ground covers, perenni-
als, vines, shrubs and trees.
Icons indicate what level of
water and sun a plant needs,
as well as other details such
as deer-resistance, and if it
attracts bees, butterflies or
birds. Height, width and har-
diness information and other
descriptions are also includ-
ed.
“No plant is fireproof,” Ed-
munds said, “but some are
considered fire resistant.”
In general, these are plants
with more supple leaves
without a waxy or resinous
surface. Such plants don’t
readily ignite. They may be
damaged or even killed by
fire, but their foliage and
stems don’t significantly con-
tribute to a fire’s intensity,
said Amy Jo Detweiler, an
OSU Extension horticulturist.
In essence, they can create a
living wall that reduces and
blocks intense heat. Howev-
er, she stressed that fire-resis-
tant plants will burn if not
watered and pruned proper-
ly.
Some of the plants fea-
tured in the guide are:
Carnation (Dianthus): An
evergreen ground cover that
grows to about 6 to 9 inches
tall and 15 inches wide, has
pink flowers that appear in
June and July and is hardy in
Zones 3-9. It takes partial to
full sun, attracts birds and
butterflies and grows well in
rock gardens.
Tickseed (Coreopsis): A
perennial with yellow, or-
ange, maroon or red flowers
that bloom from March
through November if kept
deadheaded. The blossoms
entice butterflies and the
seeds are attractive to birds.
Grow in part to full sun in
well-drained soil. Hardy in
Zones 3-9.
Delphinium: A perennial
that prefers well-drained soil
and grows upright to 2 feet
and gets 18 to 36 inches wide.
The blue, pink, purple or
white flowers bloom in
March and April. Delphini-
ums take partial to full sun
and need well-drained soil.
Hardy in Zones 5-9.
Daphne (D. x burkwood-
ii): A 3- to 5-foot, semi-ever-
green shrub with highly fra-
grant white to pink flowers
that bloom in May and June
and attract butterflies. This
plant needs partial shade and
well-drained soil with a neu-
tral pH. Hardy in Zones 4-8.
Black oak (Quercus veluti-
na): A deciduous tree with a
spreading crown and good
fall color. Grows 50 to 60 feet
tall and wide. The diminutive
flowers in March through
May appeal to birds and but-
terflies. Acorns attract
wildlife. Grows in full sun
and is drought tolerant.
Hardy in Zones 3-9.
In addition to planting
fire-resistant plants, Ed-
munds recommends the fol-
lowing precautions:
Move plants, especially
flammable ones, away from
the house.
Clean up dead brush and
debris and move firewood
away from buildings.
Trim trees and shrubs to
keep them about 10 feet from
each other.
Use non-flammable
mulch such as rocks near the
house.
Have irrigated zones
around the home’s perime-
ter.
Clean off debris from roof
and gutters.
Remove lawn close to the
house or keep it closely
cropped and watered.
Keep potted plants well ir-
rigated.
MI TOWN
We’re an entire month
away from the solar eclipse,
but it seems like there are
so many mugs, T-shirts and
other items that are for sale
all over the internet — and
at some stores as well. Sev-
eral people have compared
notes with one another
about members of their
families and friends who
want to camp in their fields
or backyards to view this
historic occasion. Others
have questioned the cost of
hotel and motel reserva-
tions at various locations,
as well. Oregon’s last
eclipse of the sun was back
in 1979, and while many
don’t think it was a big deal
— a generation of school
children and young adults
will have the opportunity to
learn more about science,
and the rest of us might
learn something new, too.
—
Summertime brings
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
about blood shortages for
many reasons — regular
donors are on vacation;
there are more car crashes
because of the increase of
summer travelers, people
plan elective surgeries dur-
ing this time of year, and
other factors contribute to
the need for blood dona-
tions. The next scheduled
American Red Cross blood
drive scheduled for MI
Town will be at First Baptist
Church, located at 1505
Monmouth St., in Inde-
pendence, on Monday from
12:45 p.m. until 6:15 p.m.
More information is avail-
able at www.redcross-
blood.org. The Red Cross
has many other dates and
times where you can sched-
ule an appointment, as the
need continues to rise dur-
ing these next few months.
—
Both Independence and
Monmouth libraries con-
tinue to have fun and inter-
esting programs available
during the summertime for
readers and curiosity seek-
ers of all ages. There are
two events today worth
checking out, where stu-
dents in fourth through
12th grades can Build a Bet-
ter Galaxy Craft at the Mon-
mouth Library at 2 p.m.
Juggler, Henrik Bothe, will
be featured in the Build a
Better World at 3 p.m. at the
Independence Library.
—
Pack up a picnic supper –
or get everything to feed
your family from vendors in
the park or nearby — and
come to Main Street Park
this evening (Wednesday)
where Hillstomp, a blues
group, will be featured from
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Be sure to
patronize the many mer-
chants and other business-
es who help pay for these
great evenings.
—
Let’s all try to remember
to stay hydrated on these
hot summer days — cold
water, iced tea and lemon-
ade are great thirst-
quenchers and help us
maintain sound and
healthy bodies. Another
good idea is to keep fresh
water in pet bowls outside
so our pets and neighbor-
hood birds and squirrels
have access to needed liq-
uids. Fire season is definite-
ly upon us, so use added
care when using any kind of
burning materials and grills
or barbecues.
PEDEE NEWS
Judy Guida went to Hous-
ton, to spend time with her
seven grandkids, Adrianna,
AJ, Neko, Sam, Tristen,
Layla, and Josie, children of
John and Gina Guida. They
spent lots of time in the
neighborhood swimming
pools, as temperatures were
in the 90s. Judy celebrated
the Fourth of July at a family
barbecue with fireworks for
the kids. Her birthday was
July 6, so she and Joe took a
dinner cruise in Trinity Bay
near Galveston. She had a
great time in spite of the hot
weather.
—
On July 1, June Clark
headed for Colorado
Springs on her motorcycle.
The first days were lovely as
A RLENE
K OVASH
Columnist
she visited Mapleton, Cave
Junction, Glendale, and
Shady Cove in Oregon, and
McCloud in California, to
get motorcycle club check-
points. On to the Narrows
south of Burns, and then it
was time to go east.
By Rock Springs, Wyom.,
she encountered a random
problem with fuel delivery
to the engine, which led to
several days of trying to
solve the problem. No way
to get to Colorado Springs
to meet with other Women
on Wheels members on
time, so she headed home
via Highway 26 to get two
more checkpoints in Unity
and Dayville, then over the
pass and home, which she
was glad to see.
—
Ted and Ethelene Osgood
spent a week in the Steens
Mountains with friends
Nancy Russell, of Wren, and
Leon Goebels, of Albany.
They had a good time en-
joying the scenery, even
though the best views were
up miles of gravel roads.
Still, it was worth the effort.
—
Amy Shifley was among
the more than 900 under-
graduate, adult degree and
graduate-level students who
received diplomas in com-
mencement ceremonies at
George Fox University this
spring. She earned a bache-
lor of arts in art and design
and is now interviewing for
jobs.
—
On July 29, the Pedee
Kids/Youth will have a car
wash from 1-3 p.m., then
cool off with a swim in the
Luckiamute from 3-5 fol-
lowed by a barbecue, all at
Pam Burbank’s house. This
is for anyone with a dirty
car, so come on over. Con-
tact Pam Burbank at
zpamepoo@gmail.com or
503-838-4103 for details.
Good time guaranteed.
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
These Polk County groups would welcome individuals
who have time or expertise to volunteer. Organizations
that would like to be added to this list should call 503-623-
2373 or email IOnews@polkio.com.
• AARP Foundation Tax-Aide – 503-930-7636
• After DARC — 503-623-9501
• American Cancer Society Road to Recovery
— 1-800-227-2345
• Arc of Polk County — 541-223-3261
• Ash Creek Arts Center – 971-599-3301
• Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of
Polk County Inc. — 503-623-8473
• Central School District — 503-838-0030
• City of Dallas — 503-831-3502
• City of Independence — 503-838-1212
• City of Monmouth — 503-751-0145
• Crime Victims Assistance Program — 503-623-9268
• Dallas Area Chamber of Commerce — 503-623-2564
• Dallas Fire Department — 503-831-3532
• Dallas Food Bank — 503-623-3578
• Dallas kids, Inc. — 503-623-6419
• Dallas Police Department — 503-831-3582
• Dallas Public Library — 503-623-2633
• Dallas Retirement Village — 503-623-5581
• Dallas School District — 503-623-5594
• Delbert Hunter Arboretum — 503-623-7359
• Ella Curran Food Bank — 503-838-1276
• Falls City Arts Center — 503-559-6291
• Falls City School District — 503-787-3531
• Family Building Blocks – 503-566-2132, ext. 308.
• Friends of the Dallas Library — 503-559-3830
• Gentle House Gardens, Monmouth — 503-838-2995
• Girl Scouts of Southwest Washington and Oregon
— 1-800-338-5248
• H-2-O — 503-831-4736
HART (Horses Adaptive Riding and Therapy)
— 971-301-4278
• HandsOn Mid-Willamette Valley — 503-363-1651
• Heron Pointe Assisted Living — 503-838-6850
• Independence Health and Rehabilitation
— 503-838-0001
• Independence Public Library — 503-838-1811
• kings Valley Charter School — 541-929-2134
• Luckiamute Watershed Council — 503-837-0237
• Luckiamute Valley Charter School — 503-623-4837
• Meals on Wheels — 503-838-2084
• Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce
— 503-838-4268
• Monmouth-Independence YMCA — 503-838-4042
• Monmouth Public Library — 503-838-1932
• northwest Human Services — 503-588-5828
• Oregon Child Development Coalition — 503-838-2745
• OSu Extension Service - Polk County — 503-623-8395
• Perrydale School District — 503-623-2040
• Polk Community Development Corporation
— 503-831-3173
• Polk County Community Emergency Response Team
— 503-623-9396
• Polk County Museum — 503-623-6251
• Polk County Public Health — 503-623-8175
• Polk County Resource Center — 503-623-8429
• Polk Soil and Water Conservation District
— 503-623-9680
• Relief nursery Classroom — 503-566-2132
• SABLE House — 503-623-6703
• SALT (Sheriff’s Auxiliary & Law Enforcement Together)
— 503-851-9366
• Salvation Army — 503-798-4783
• SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) — 503-391-8423
• Salem Health West Valley Hospital — 503-623-8301
• Victim Assistance Program-Polk Co. District Attorney’s
Office — 503-623-9268 x1444
• Willamette Valley Hospice — 503-588-3600
• WIMPEG Community Access Television — 503-837-0163
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