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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2017)
Polk County Social Polk County Itemizer-Observer • October 18, 2017 8A Pot up some bulbs and dream of spring In fall, gardeners settle bulbs under a blanket of soil and wait for spring to watch them flaunt their beauty. “It’s easy to create a stun- ning display that bursts into bloom in the spring or early summer,” said Heather Stoven, an Oregon State University Extension horti- culturist. “But bulbs don’t have to be in the ground to be effective. A pot works just as well.” In fact, bulbs often do better in pots than in the ground because pots pro- vide better drainage, critical for their long-term survival. Also, gophers and other un- derground creatures will be foiled since they can’t find their juicy favorites, espe- cially tulips. Don’t be afraid to pack a pot full of bulbs, Stoven said. Plant a lot of bulbs at differ- ent, overlapping levels. You can easily put 20 to 30 bulbs, sometimes even more, into a pot that is 14 to 20 inches across. Use bulbs of many different sizes for an inter- esting display and longer seasonal appeal. “Although you can put each kind of bulb in a differ- ent pot, mixing them up provides an extravagant dis- play,” she said. For longest bloom, look first for crocus. Tulips of all kinds work well. Some of Stoven’s favorites are the “species tulips” and their cultivars. Species tulips, often available in garden K YM P OKORNY 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. Your Garden centers, are sometimes shorter than the taller bed- ding tulips and tend to come back year after year unlike the larger, more fa- miliar tulips that fade away after the first couple of years. Narcissus and daffodils also are stellar pot bulbs. Choose both early and later blooming varieties for con- tinued bloom. The taller alli- ums also work well, but shorter alliums can some- times take over. “I avoid grape hyacinth, which also tends to dominate,” Stoven said. Branch out a bit, Stoven advises, and try brodiaea, hyacinths, fritillaria, dwarf iris or other bulbs. Dwarf iris, like tulips, often do bet- ter in pots than in the ground because of their high drainage requirements. Plant bulbs with their tips pointing upward and, gener- ally, follow directions for planting depth on the pack- age. Use regular planting or potting soil, recently pur- chased if possible. “If you reuse older planting mix, be sure to add bulb fertilizer, and be advised of the risk of potential carryover of plant diseases, which can affect PHOTO: iclipart Tulips grow great in pots, either by themselves or mixed with other bulbs. the health of your new bulbs,” Stoven advised. “Fill the container a little more than halfway full of soil, then add a layer of large bulbs such as narcissus (daf- fodil). Leave only a little space between them; about half an inch is OK. Add more soil and plant the next larger bulb, such as tulip. Repeat adding soil and bulbs alter- natively, placing the small- est bulbs like crocus at the top, covered with another inch of soil. Water well and place in a protected spot out of the rain.” It is best to leave the pot outside so that the bulbs get a cold period, which stimu- lates growth and flowering. Be sure to bring the pot in- side temporarily when tem- peratures dip below about 28-30 degrees overnight. Bigger pots are safer than smaller ones because it takes longer for the soil mass to freeze all the way through. Once green spikes of fo- liage being to poke through the soil make sure the plants get plenty of light. A good time to add fertilizer is when plants are blooming; preferably a slow-release type. After the flowers have bloomed, leave the foliage to die back on its own. Then remove the bulbs and plant them in the garden in the fall, or simply leave them in the pot for the next year. The bulbs will remain dor- mant and need water only when the autumn cycle be- gins anew. MI TOWN The late President Lyndon Baines Johnson once said that people you could go to the well with were treasures above everything else. When pressed for an explanation, he spoke of the Texas fron- tier in the 1800s when there were dangers lurking every- where, and when the early settlers went to the well for water, they depended on trustworthy people to pro- tect them from wild animals and unsavory people. Their lives and the lives of their loved ones depended on it. — These days, when we need water it’s simply a mat- ter of turning on the tap, and the days are long gone when we fear wild animals or scary people when we’re thirsty. When we want to read a book or the newspa- per, a simple flick of a switch floods our room with plenty of light. Our communities are protected from dangers by police and firefighters and we can live safely com- P ATTY T AYLOR D UTCHER Columnist pared to those folks who long ago bravely set out for lands unknown. — In MI Town, there are many people you can “go to the wel” with. Our commu- nities abound with men and women who are willing to lend a hand and help when it’s necessary. People who stand up and do whatever it takes to help lessen a bur- den or walk a dark mile be- side you. People who offer to work on their scheduled day off so a coworker can attend a funeral. People who roll up their sleeves and pitch in to do the heavy lifting when others are un- able. No amount of money or fame can even begin to VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES compare to having people in our world who we can truly step up to the task at hand. We are blessed to live in our caring and giving community. — Unfortunately, there are those in MI Town who — for whatever reasons — don’t take a few minutes to toss half-empty coffee contain- ers or other debris in the nearby receptacle, and it ends up on the sidewalk or in a parking lot. Our mer- chants and their workers are busy providing good cus- tomer service, and certainly shouldn’t have to pick up after everyone as well. It doesn’t take but a mo- ment to properly dispose of trash and litter, and our community is better for our extra efforts. Remember when we used to keep litter bags in our cars? Let’s all work together to keep our streets and neighborhoods clean and neat. — The return of the rains and the change of seasons give us even more reasons to be careful when driving, whether on city streets or on the nearby freeways. Re- cent crashes have caused even more heartache and tragedy for families of those killed or seriously injured. After even one drink of alco- hol, our reflexes and actions aren’t nearly as sharp as be- fore, so if you choose to have a couple beers or a glass of wine, please arrange to have someone else do the driving. — It’s time to sample and enjoy the best homemade soups and pies in our neck of the woods. Thursday is the soup and pie sale at the Monmouth Senior Center. Hours are from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. If you’re looking for extra special gifts for friends, family or for your- self, Crafter’s Corner will be open for browsing and buy- ing during the day. • 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 Celebrating 35 Years of Service Pastor Ron Sutter, his wife Marijo, and his family were honored at a special worship service at Bridgeport Com- munity Chapel on October 8. We are blessed by his true heart for God along with his love and care for each and every one. Pastor Ron is a dedicated servant and it is a joy to witness his passion as he shares the beauty of Christ in a challenging world. We can help! Solution on Page 6A Pencil us in! www.polkio.com The Itemizer-Observer will be publishing a comprehensive list of all the holiday bazaars and art & crafts sales in Polk County on Wednesday, Oc- tober 25th. This feature will be designed for our read- ers to keep throughout the holiday season. We will publish the information for your event at no charge. Deadline to submit your event information is Wednesday, October 18th! So get your bazaar information to our office today! Event organizers who want more exposure than will be provided in the October 25th issue are encouraged to call Karen Sanks at 503-623-2373. If you wish to have your bazaar published any other time during the holiday season you must purchase an advertisement. Call Dawn Ohren 503-623-2373 ext. 101 or e-mail: dohren@polkio.com Itemizer-Observer • 147 SE Court St., Dallas