Polk County Social
6A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 27, 2017
Winter-blooming plants brighten dark days
In January and February,
the flowers of winter arrive,
blooming as cheerfully as
the showoffs of spring.
“One of the coolest things
about gardening in the Pa-
cific Northwest is winter
gardens,” said Neil Bell, a
horticulturist with Oregon
State University’s Extension
Service. “Spring is over-
whelming with flowers, but
in winter it’s surprising. It’s
nice to see something that’s
so unexpected. And then
there’s the scent; such an
enjoyable thing.”
One of the showiest of the
cold-weather shrubs is Ma-
honia ‘Charity,’ a relative of
native Oregon grape with
bountiful spikes of yellow
blooms. The large evergreen
leaves give the plant a tropi-
cal look and make it a stand-
out yearround. Snow is no
deterrent for this easy-care,
10-foot shrub that will take
t e m p e ra t u re s d ow n t o
minus 5. A bonus is the mul-
titude of blue berries.
For those who are only fa-
miliar with camellias that
bloom in spring, Camellia
sasanqua will come as a
pleasant surprise, Bell said.
Blooming right smack in the
middle of winter, this 8-foot
camellia doesn’t get the
mushy, brown flowers some
hybrids display. White-
blooming ‘Setsugekka’ is
easily found, as is ‘Yuletide,’
the most popular of the
Camellia sasanqua with its
Santa Claus-red flowers dec-
orated with prominent puffs
of yellow stamens that pro-
K YM
P OKORNY
Wild Women calls for artists
Your
Garden
vide sustenance for over-
wintering Anna humming-
birds.
In the darkest part of the
year — sometimes before
Christmas — the vanilla per-
fume of sweetbox hovers on
the air. The small white
flowers aren’t a big deal, but
the scent more than makes
up for that. The shiny, dark
green foliage is similar to its
relative the boxwood and
useful as a hedge or back-
drop for colorful perennials
and annuals in other sea-
sons. Several species are on
the market, most commonly
Sarcococca ruscifolia and S.
confusa, both topping out at
5 feet. They’ll take tempera-
tures down to around 5 de-
grees and grow happily in
shady, dry areas of the gar-
den, where most other
plants turn up their toes.
Bell mentions Grevillea
victorae, one of his favorite
winter-blooming plants. The
8-foot tall and wide ever-
green shrub with small gray
leaves and stems can bloom
September through April
once it gets established. The
unusual red-orange flowers
emerge from rust orange
buds making it a standout in
the garden. It’s attractive to
hummingbirds and bees.
Blooming December
httpsflic.krpD49CPZ
Mahonia ‘Charity’
through March, two months
earlier than the Oregon na-
tive flowering currant (Ribes
sanguineum), is the chapar-
ral currant (R. malvaceum) of
the California coastal ranges.
The 5-foot shrub attracts
hummingbirds that will sip
the nectar and forage for
bugs among downward-fac-
ing pink flowers. Because the
foliage is aromatic, many gar-
deners will be happy to know
that deer will typically leave
chaparral currant alone.
Bell can’t finish his list
without mentioning native
silk tassel (Garrya elliptica).
There’s no missing the water-
fall of catkins dangling in
long chains of 6 inches or
more. The large shrub can
grow up to 12 feet tall and
wide, has glossy green leaves
with white undersides and is
drought tolerant.
These six shrubs, all of
which are hardy down to
about 5 degrees, are on Bell’s
short list. Others worth re-
searching, he said, are witch
hazel (Hamamelis), winter
jasmine (Jasminum nudiflo-
rum), ‘Dawn’ viburnum, win-
tersweet (Chimonanthus)
and Harry Lauder’s walking
stick (Corylus avellana ‘Con-
torta’).
“Having color in the gar-
den in winter is not that hard
to do,” Bell said. “Once you’re
aware of the possibilities, it’s
just a matter of planting the
right plants.”
MI TOWN
The beautiful Christmas
carols and other seasonal
tunes have taken flight from
the airwaves and it’s some-
what bittersweet to say
good-bye to music that
helped transform the dark
and rainy days in this wintry
season. One moment, we’re
sharing good times and
making happy memories —
and it seems like in the blink
of an eye, we’re back to our
usual routines like work and
school and other responsi-
bilities. Let’s hope the Christ-
mas season lingers in our
hearts throughout the next
several weeks and we can
look back and enjoy those
special times long after the
thank you notes have been
written and the decorations
have been put away.
—
I’m beginning 2018 with a
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
heart full of gratitude for the
return of strength and ener-
gy following surgery just a
couple weeks ago. The
words, “you are free from
cancer,” are almost as beau-
tiful as, “I’ll love you forever
and a week,” a phrase I
never tire of hearing even
after 36 years. I hope that all
young women will do breast
self-exams every month,
and that all women over 40
will have a mammogram
every year. Medical research
is the key to a cure, and we
are so fortunate to live longer
and better lives as a result.
—
With the New Year just
right around the corner, it’s
time to think about making
resolutions — something
most of us do as a matter of
habit — or having thoughts
about making positive
changes in ourselves and
our lives. It seems like we all
plan to lose 20 pounds and
love our enemies and be one
with nature and the world, at
least for a couple of days or
so. Then reality rushes in
and most of the unrealistic
expectations disappear as
quickly as they arrived.
Wouldn’t be great if we could
make some positive resolu-
tions everyone can all live
with — and enjoy the good
results — in the coming year.
—
Take the time to clean out
the closets and drawers
filled with all the things you
don’t wear and haven’t used
in awhile. There are many
organizations that provide
families and individuals
with much-needed clothing
and household items, and
they are a phone call or a
quick stop away. While
you’re at it, look through the
cans of food in your pantry
and see what you can take to
the Ella Curran Food Bank
to share with others.
—
Our Central Lions Club
invites all MI Town seniors
— and family members —
to begin the New Year with a
complimentary breakfast at
the Monmouth Senior Cen-
ter on Jan. 1 beginning at
8:30 a.m. What a great way
to begin 2018. Happy New
Year everyone.
PEDEE NEWS
The Women’s Club met at
Mel and Marguerite Nice’s
home in McMinnville today
for a Christmas potluck.
Twenty-six of us were there,
including Pedee neighbors
Darrel and Shirley McBeth,
Ted and Ethelene Osgood,
June Clark, Pete and LaV-
erne Bennett, Linda Chertu-
di, Alberta Jones, and me.
Pam Burkhalter’s husband
Art had taken a picture of
the women a few weeks ago
to include in the boxes they
send to soldiers. He’s an ex-
pert at PhotoShop, and so
was able to insert five mem-
bers into the photo who
were not in the original. Of
course, after the potluck
June and I checked out
A RLENE
K OVASH
Columnist
Boersma’s quilt shop in
McMinnville.
—
Steve and Audrey
Cameron were delighted to
welcome son Bob and his
wife and three youngest
children, Maime, Bobby,
and Zoey, who came from
Rochester, N.Y., to spend
Christmas with them. Over
Thanksgiving lots of family
came, and many will join
them again for Christmas.
Son Clayton and Jennifer,
and son Noah, came from
Andersen, Calif., to visit, and
son James and Eleana were
there from Milwaukie for
Thanksgiving, as well as
Xiao Hong and Natasha
Cameron from Astoria, and
Stephanie and Stephen
Barth and daughter Ana
from up the road. Stephen
Barth had a stroke recently,
but was out of the hospital
for Thanksgiving and is im-
proving each day. Audrey’s
sister Susan Mahoney and
son John, and his daughter
Liz, visited from Isaqua,
Wash., and John enter-
tained the family with his
wonderful bluegrass music.
—
The neighbors of Pedee
Creek Road gathered at our
home last week for a Christ-
mas potluck, and pretty
close to everyone was there.
It was a good chance to get
better acquainted with rela-
tively new neighbors Mike
and Kim Heggen, Kim’s
brother Mark and their em-
ployees James and Draven,
all who live in Nola Womer’s
old home, and Liz Edwards,
who lives near Judy Guida. I
recommend getting togeth-
er with neighbors this way
to forge close-by friend-
ships; otherwise, who do
you run to for help or to bor-
row a cup of sugar from?
LIBRARY CALENDAR
DALLAS
950 Main St. • 503-623-2633
www.ci.dallas.or.us/library
• Thursday, Dec. 28, 10:30 a.m. — Chil-
dren’s Story Time.
• Friday, Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m. — Pajamas,
Pillow and Stuffed Animal (Movie).
• Monday, Jan. 1 — Library closed.
• Tuesday, Jan. 2, 10:30 a.m. — Morning
Children’s Story Time.
• Tuesday, Jan. 2, 3:30 p.m. — Afternoon
Children’ Story Time.
—
INDEPENDENCE
175 Monmouth St.
503-838-1811
www.ci.independence.or.us/library
• Wednesday, Dec. 27, 10:30 a.m. —
Family Story Time.
• Thursday, Dec. 28, 3 p.m. — Wii games.
• Friday, Dec. 29, 3 p.m. — Kid’s Coloring
Fun.
• Wednesday, Jan. 3, 10:30 a.m. — Fami-
ly Story Time.
• Wednesday, Jan. 3, 1 p.m. — Scrabble
with Betty.
Itemizer-Observer
COMMUNITY
NOTEBOOK
—
MONMOUTH
168 S. Ecols St. • 503-751-0182
www.ci.monmouth.or.us/library
• Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2 p.m. — Movie.
—
WAGNER COMMUNITY LIBRARY
111 N. Main St., Falls City
503-787-3521, ext. 319
www.facebook.com/
WagnerCommunityLibrary/timeline
• See the library’s Facebook page for up-
coming events.
Visit our website, www.polkio.com
for local news, sports
and community events.
The River Gallery is seeking artist submissions for its
annual Wild Women show. The deadline to submit a JPG
image of submissions is Friday.
The juried show opens Jan. 16, 2018, with an opening
reception planned for Jan. 27, 2018.
All the work for this show is to specifically reflect the
spirit of women. At the artist’s discretion, it may further re-
flect this year’s theme, “HerStory,” in whatever way the
artist interprets.
Each submission must include artist’s name, title of
work, size of work, medium and retail price. The River
Gallery retains 40 percent commission on items sold.
A jurying fee of $10 per piece or $25 for up to three
pieces by an individual artist must be received by the
gallery no later than Friday.
For more information: 503-838-6171, or www.river-
galleryart.com.
The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday
through Saturday.
Heritage Museum to host open house
The Independence Heritage Museum Society will host a
holiday open house from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the
museum, 112 S. Third St.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Community Calendar is a listing of upcoming events
taking place in Polk County that are open to the pub-
lic. To submit an event for calendar consideration,
please send it at least two weeks before the actual
event date to the Itemizer-Observer via email
(ionews@polkio.com).
—
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27
• Respite care — 1 to 3 p.m., 182 SW Academy St., Suite 216,
Dallas. Free child care for parents who need time to run errands,
pay bills, etc. Free. Open for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.
503-877-8473 to reserve space. Diapers are provided.
• Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank
— 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutoff Road, Building E,
Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members.
503-831-5634.
• Pickleball — 9 a.m. to noon, Roger Jordan Community
Park. Meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m.
to noon. Karen Freeman, 503-871-4172.
• Brew and BS: The New Testament — 7 p.m., St. Thomas
Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. A lecture series on
New Testament figures. Bring brew of choice — coffee, tea, chai,
beer, wine, cider. 435-503-4304.
—
THURSDAY, DEC. 28
• Monmouth-Independence Rotary Club — Noon, First
Baptist Church, 1505 Monmouth St., Independence. Visiting Ro-
tarians, guests and prospective Rotarians are welcome to these
luncheon meetings. Free. 503-838-4884.
• Mom and Me — Salem Health West Valley, 525 SE Washing-
ton St., Dallas (enter through emergency door on Clay Street).
Breastfeeding support group. Free. 503-831-5593.
• James2 Community Kitchen Meal — 4:30 to 6 p.m., Dallas
United Methodist Church, 565 SE LaCreole Drive, Dallas. Free;
everyone welcome. 503-623-8429.
—
FRIDAY, DEC. 29
• Take Off Pounds Sensibly Club Meeting — 9:45 to 11 a.m.
Church of Christ, 127 Heffley St. N., Monmouth. First meeting is
free. 503-930-7936.
• Altered Attitudes Alcoholics Anonymous — Noon, 186 SE
Mill St., Dallas. 503-399-0599.
• Guthrie Park Acoustic Music Jam Session — 6:30 to 10
p.m., Guthrie Park Community Center, 4320 Kings Valley High-
way, Dallas. Free (donations accepted). 503-623-0809.
—
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
• Last Sunday at River Gallery — 2 to 4 p.m., River Gallery,
184 S. Main St., Independence. Reception to honor corner and
window focus artists. Free. 503-838-6171.
—
MONDAY, JAN. 1
• Happy New Year!
—
TUESDAY, JAN. 2
• Indoor Play Park — 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., First Presbyte-
rian Church, 879 SW Levens St., Dallas. Open to children pre-
kindergarten and younger with parent/adult. Mondays through
Thursdays. Free.
• James2 Community Kitchen Meal — 4:30 to 6 p.m., St.
Philip Catholic Church, 825 SW Mill St., Dallas. Free; everyone
welcome. 503-623-8429.
• Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Club — 6 to 7 p.m.
weigh-in, 7 to 8 p.m. meeting, First Christian Church basement,
1079 SE Jefferson St., Dallas. Meetings offer programs and activ-
ities aimed at losing weight. Open to anyone. First meeting is
free.
• Overeaters Anonymous — Noon to 1 p.m., Salem Health
West Valley, 525 SE Washington St., Dallas. Support group meets
in the quiet room/chapel immediately inside the emergency
entrance on Clay Street. Dee Ann White, 971-718-6444.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3203 meeting — 7:30 p.m.,
182 SW Academy St., Dallas. Meets first Tuesday of each month.
• Dallas Rotary — Noon, Dallas Civic Center, 945 SE Jefferson
St., Dallas. Lunch and speaker. Public is welcome.
—
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 3
• Monmouth Business Association — 7:30 a.m. A meeting
of business people, the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of
Commerce director, and city officials. 503-751-0147.
• Indoor Play Park — 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., First Presbyte-
rian Church, 879 SW Levens St., Dallas. Open to children pre-
kindergarten and younger with parent/adult. Mondays through
Thursdays. Free.
• Senior meals, Dallas — 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday,
LaCreole Manor, 204 SW Walnut St., Dallas. Free, but $3 dona-
tion suggested. Reservations required. 503-623-6232.
• Senior meals, Monmouth — 11:30 a.m. Monday through
Friday, Monmouth Senior Center, 180 S. Warren St., Monmouth.
Free, but $3 donation suggested. Reservations required. 503-
838-2084.
• Scrabble with Betty — 1 p.m., Independence Public Li-
brary, 175 Monmouth St., Independence. Scrabble games first
Wednesday of every month. Free; refreshments and prizes avail-
able. 503-551-7687 or 503-838-1811.
• Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank
— 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutoff Road, Building E,
Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members.
503-831-5634.
• Yarning for Others — 3 to 5 p.m., St. Thomas Episcopal
Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. Knitters and crocheters
gather to make clothing and accessories for those in need on
the first Wednesday of every month. 503-689-7222.
• Pickleball — 9 a.m. to noon, Roger Jordan Community
Park. Meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m.
to noon. Karen Freeman, 503-871-4172.
• Brew and BS: The New Testament — 7 p.m., St. Thomas
Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. A lecture series on
New Testament figures. Bring brew of choice — coffee, tea, chai,
beer, wine, cider. 435-503-4304.