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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 31, 2017)
HOME & GAR DEN A8 Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, May 31, 2017 TIPS FOR A STURDIER GARDEN “ Deer, clay soil common obstacles What you take out of soil you need to put back into it.” Julia Justice Better Blooms & Gardens By Rylan Boggs Blue Mountain Eagle Building a resilient garden takes time and requires ad- dressing a number of factors. One of the biggest things people ask Julia Justice of Better Blooms & Gardens about is a deer-resistant gar- den. “That’s the main thing peo- ple want to know, what deer don’t mess with,” she said. As browsers, deer will eat just about anything, but Jus- tice said there are some things they’ll skim over if they have a choice. Plants like the potentilla and barberry shrub are fairly safe bets, according to Justice. Deer will sometimes eat the new growth on them, but the 120 E Main St. | John Day 541-575-0629 | www.lensdrug.com Get set for spring with low prices on everything to spruce up your home, inside and out! Shop Monday-Friday 9-6, Saturday 10-4, Closed Sunday The Eagle/Rylan Boggs A petunia at Better Blooms outside of Prairie City. The Eagle/Rylan Boggs Julia Justice holds a handful of topsoil at Better Blooms outside of Prairie City. She advocates for constantly replenishing nutrients in the soil with compost. barberry’s thorns will often shield it from the worst of the munching. Strong-smelling plants such as lavender, salvia and catmint are usually a turn off for the ungulates as well. Or- namental bunch grasses, to Justice’s bewilderment, also seem to be a fairly safe bet. However, she said there are only deer-resistant plants, not deer-proof plants. Another big issue is choosing plants that will handle the elements. Every- thing Justice carries at Better Blooms is capable of surviv- ing the local weather. “I’m not going to get anything in that doesn’t over-winter,” she said. She has customers com- ing in from Spray to Seneca and carries a wide variety of plants suited to different conditions. Grant County Building Supply • tools & hardware • lawn & garden • building & lumber • home improvement 05632 124 N Clark • Canyon City • 541-575-3550 WE CAN HAUL IT ALL! DUMPSTERS AVAILABLE Call for pricing CLARK’S DISPOSAL 541-575-0432 Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9 am - Noon Transfer Station Hours: Thurs. - Sun. 9 am - 4:30 pm Fencing Solutions For Your Farm Dedicated to quality, service and selection for 34 years. Pet & Livestock Feed • Fertilizer • Farm, Ranch & Irrigation Supplies G ibco Ag & Industrial 312 N Canyon City Blvd. • Canyon City 541-575-2050 “I have stuff that can work in Seneca, and every- thing is happy to go to Spray where you’ve got a long growing season,” she said. However, even the hardi- est plants will have a tough time growing in poor soil. One of the biggest issues in the area, Justice said, is clay soil. If roots sit in water trapped by clay, they can rot and kill the plant, she said. One way to test for clay is to fill a hole for a plant with water and watch how quick- ly the water drains. If water drains slowly, you may have clay issues. “Not too many plants are going to do well in clay,” she said. If you have a soil heavy in clay, she recommends adding bark or sand to break up the clay and build up a mound of soil where you want to plant so roots aren’t sitting in water. She also sells a sandy loam soil mix she recommends as a starting topsoil. However, she advocates for constantly re- plenishing nutrients in the soil with compost. “What you take out of soil you need to put back into it,” she said.
