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The INDEPENDENT, July 19, 2007
Can You Dig It?
3. Cherish what you have now. Unexpected blessings appear and disappear
constantly and without warning.
Two unexpected plants returning: The tall evening primrose (a biennial,
Oenothera ) for their first year of vegetative growth. These small plants will (hope-
fully) be transplanted in late fall or early spring to a more favorable, ie. sunny, loca-
tion. You can stand and watch three-inch soft yellow blossoms open individually for
their one evening of luring moths. I turned the soil somewhat in that area and buried
seeds were brought to the surface to sprout. Sometimes this is a good thing, as with
the poppies that now come up in drifts and will be used as mulch this year. Some-
times it is NOT a good thing. Scotch Broom seeds can lay dormant in soil for many
years and come to the surface to fill an entire hillside in an impenetrable and inhos-
pitable monoculture. My 1988 Sunset Western Garden Book lists nine varieties of
broom, several with more than one named variety, as landscape plants, with mild
warnings of aggressive behavior (except for the aforementioned Cytisus scoparius
and a cousin C. canriensis ). Since the development of plant gene manipulation,
one hopes that new cultivars have had their reproductive mechanisms extensively
limited while preserving the hardiness, texture and color. Maybe the genetics will
transfer back to the ‘wild’?
And back for the second year: A dark red begonia that was like a firecracker in
a dark bed last year. Planted in the ground, I forgot it after it disappeared in an ear-
ly frost. This lovely I’m going to dig up and plant in a plastic trough that will fit on
the inside of my upstairs windows. I’m going to put in the amaryllis bulbs from last
Christmas, too. Though they were disappointing last winter, it may be possible o get
blooms after building up the bulbs. Any surviving coleus that I paid too much for, will
also be included.
A brief word about watering: Water in the morning, if possible, or after it cools in
the afternoon. Morning is better because foliage will dry during the day and be less
hospitable to our wide variety of molds, fungi, blights, rusts, etc. Plants in contain-
ers are hotter and dry faster than those in the ground and need to be watered every
day. Mulch heavily and water deeply to encourage roots to seek water in the cool
earth and not on the blazing surface. By the time it gets cool and starts raining
again, I am usually keeping my most precious bonsai, pots and baskets alive with
recycled water from the kitchen. This leaves the little bit of irrigation water available
for over-wintering vegetables that can feed us throughout the winter, if successful.
Free ranging garden discussions happen every Friday while I’m selling eggs at
the Black Bear. I try to set up by 10 a.m. and stay until 1:00 p.m., unless the only
thing I’m selling is eggs and I’ve sold them all. Eggs are $3 per dozen. I’m in the
shade if it’s hot, in the sun when it’s cold, and inside when it’s freezing. Stop by and
add your bit of garden lore. Questions are encouraged, but answers are varied and
sometimes hard to come by.
By Schann Nelson
OSU Master Gardener
Let’s hear it for PINK! A pale poppy, can it be the Hungar-
ian Breadseed ? Finally, seeds planted in the dead of winter
begin to show their presence. These last two months have
been full of embracing the unexpected. First, the huge clouds
of palest possible pink and white rhodies appearing in the
shade, enough for lavish bouquets. Then, in staggering suc-
cession, flowers in a vast array of hue, intensity, texture. The,
oh so hopefully planted in February (well before the ‘final
frost date’), summer bulbs are beginning to put on their show.
I finally have dahlias (!) in the ground and ready to burst into
bloom. Dark burgundy Canna’s are coming up, though they
probably won’t bloom till next year. The little pot of Ixia turns out to have charming
long-lasting blooms.
It’s great when it finally comes together and starts to look magical. We are
blessed to be able to live where we do. The post-top baskets are starting to look
impressive, adding COLOR against the trees in an unexpected spot. I’ve finally
achieved at least one cottage-style border that starts blooming with the daffodils
and will keep blooming until October, or later, when the structural elements (two
young trees and two large pots) appear. A soft pink double-double petunia that I
HAD to get as soon as I saw it in the big box, is filling out nicely in a pot with an
alyssum border. For the first time in a long time, I’m beginning to see a dim light be-
hind the huge wall of stuff that hasn’t gotten done or that made the translation from
the vision inside my head to some fair semblance of reality.
I’ve recovered from NOT falling and breaking a hip (it was only three inches on
a stiff leg, followed by a week as horizontal as possible). Thanks to so many of you
for your good wishes. This getting older stuff is nonsense! Now I have to learn how
to work in the yard without needing muscle relaxants for two days afterwards. Mas-
sage and physical therapy, here I come! In spite of this temporary setback, over the
last two months, the entire vegetable garden (10 approx. 5x12 feet beds) has been
planted at least once. The perennial beds that line the yard fence, in shade under
the (sort of wild) cherries, and the front yard are full of stuff to pull out, but not over-
whelming. This subtractive method of pulling ‘weeds’ when mature but before they
go to seed, is way more fun than being on your hands and knees pulling weeds. I
just yank big piles of stuff out. This year a lot is getting used as mulch since straw
has been unavailable.
Lessons learned so far this year:
1. Outdated seeds are rarely worth the trouble, but you might be pleasantly sur-
prised. (See pink, not red poppy above.)
2. Despite the packaging, I won’t be buying any more annuals
from Territorial. Too many were wimpy and/or didn’t make it at all.
You’d think the word “seed” in the company name might be a hint.
Next year? Farmington Nursery is on one of my routes now, or
N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH
maybe Iwasaki will give Willow and me a tour? Note to self: Try
harder to get to St. Helens for the Master Gardener Sale in April!
Gary Taylor, Pastor
$1.00 tomatoes!
Grant & North Streets, Vernonia
Church Directory
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Every Wednesday:
Ladies' Bible Study 9:30 a.m.
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Children’s Choir 3:00 p.m.
Family Bible Study 7:00 p.m.
C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST
OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS
Marc Farmer, Branch President
1350 E. Knott Street, Vernonia
503 429-7151
Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m.
Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m.
Relief Society, Priesthood and
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