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The INDEPENDENT, May 21, 2009
Can You Dig It?
By Schann Nelson
OSU Master Gardener
It’s embarrassing to have to tell folks who ask me about
my garden that I scarcely have a thing in, though the 4 six-
packs (cauliflower, broccoli, red and romaine lettuce) I
bought optimistically in April haven’t died or been eaten to
shreds. Gardening is all about understanding YOUR microcli-
mate. The greater your understanding, the greater your abil-
ity to alter that microclimate to achieve the results you desire.
Gardening in the shade has its benefits. My ‘season’ for
any particular plant, especially flowers, is extended. Shade
grown flowers have a particular Luster that their
brassy full sun cousins do not. The inventory of
plants that thrive in shade or partial shade is quite different from the
common landscaping flowers. Instead of flashy annuals, shade
grown plants can become old friends and even have children.
I’ve found that I can grow several ornamental shrubs if I’m will-
ing to tolerate a one-sided structure. I enjoy creating a shape
with my trees and bushes, a collaborative sculpture over time.
I did manage to repot two of my three ‘bonsai’ trees – if
they survive I should be good for at least ten years. One
of my trees is a 4-foot pine that my mother dug up and
carried home from a ridge in Central Oregon more
than forty years ago. She planted it in a shallow,
rectangular porcelain sink (approx. 1.5’x 3’x6” max.
depth) where it has lived ever since. It took me several years
to get brave enough to repot it, even though it’s been clear for
at least a couple of years that it wasn’t thriving like its companion that I did repot.
I’ve lifted the tree onto a slab of basalt (mostly inside the sink) and created a minia-
ture woodland, complete with yellow Johnny Jump-ups, moss, and wild strawberry.
So far, so good – I saw the pine buds beginning to swell just the other day!
However, the vegetable garden continues to struggle. Our house and the yard
surrounding it are fenced to keep the chickens and cows out where they belong.
The sunniest corner of the yard, where we laid out the garden, it has gotten pro-
gressively shadier as the trees have grown, both our own cherry and the surround-
ing fir. Still most of the beds get the recommended six hours of sunlight. Few get
more than that and, with our changeable weather, hot season crops remain a chal-
lenge for me.
Last fall a neighbor with a machine moved the giant compost pile partially on and
very close to the garden. Dennis distributed this giant pile over all ten beds and cov-
ered the whole thing with a thick layer of maple leaves (off the barn roof). My next
soil amendment: quarter minus rock to improve soil texture and lime in the fall. It
Assembly of God Church is ready
for rededication, regular services
The remodeled Assembly of
God Church will hold services
starting on June 7. Sunday
school will start at 9:30 a.m. fol-
lowed by morning worship at
10:30 a.m.
The church, at 662 Jefferson
Ave., Vernonia, now has new
carpet and paint in the main
sanctuary and the dining room.
The kitchen has also been
painted and expanded. There
is a new roof and new outside
paint. Steve Hoskins, of Salem,
raised the parsonage for only
the cost of his labor and David
Rasmussen Construction Com-
pany, also of Salem, provided
building materials at his cost.
Pastor B. Wayne Marr and
Pastor Maureene Marr thank
all who assisted in the project.
Free Concert and a Night You Won’t Forget!
On Friday May 22 at 7:00 p.m. bring the family
to Nehalem Valley Community Church
at 80803 Hwy 103 in Jewell, Or
Enjoy the music of Todd Carter Koeppen
One of the northwest’s truly great songwriters
As he sings through the Gospel of John.
For info call Pastor Able Baker 503-717-2660
Refreshments will be provided.
seems overly gloopy to me [That’s a technical term: gloopy] and it surely doesn’t
want to dry out.
I managed to turn big clumps at the end of one bed but had to let it dry out for a
couple more weeks before I was able to rake out any kind of planting bed. Last
week I dug out some garlic and potatoes that were last year’s leftovers and it was
still too soggy to rake. I’ve decided to become rigorous about eliminating every
trace of last year’s potatoes as soon as they show their leafy heads, even if I have
to go down a-ways, in an attempt to inhibit the scab and black spot that DO thrive
in the shade.
Over the years I’ve learned that it will dry out and warm up eventually, even in
the shade. If I’m careful to plant reliable short season crops they usually mature in
late September. TIP: The days to maturity as listed on seed packets gets more ac-
curate if you add the number of days to germination to the number of
days to maturity. Example: ‘Seneca Horizon’ corn matures in 70 –
80 days, adding the 7 – 10 day germination time means that if I
plant on the third Saturday of June (6/20) I can’t begin to ex-
pect corn until Labor Day weekend (9/5)! ‘Seneca Horizon’ was
my standby for many years because I was always able to get
some fresh corn. This year I’d like to try ‘Quickie’ and ‘Early
Pink’, a popcorn. Both are short early season varieties so I’m
hopeful.
For those of you who appreciate specifics, an eclectic list
of veggies I have grown successfully over a period of years
[Don’t forget the six-hours of sun]: Jade, Violet, Red Runner
and Romano Gold Beans; Diablo Brussels Sprouts, Umpqua
Broccoli, Snow Crown Cauliflower; Seneca Horizon, Preco-
cious, Bodacious Corn; Wautoma, Homemade Pickles and
Lemon Cucumbers (for eating fresh); Dakota and Canoe Peas for freezing and
Maestro for fresh eating; Yukon Gold and Russian Banana Potatoes; Tromboncina,
Buttercup/Kabocha Squash (and ONE bush zucchini); Oregon Spring, Peron, Gill’s
All Purpose, Taxi and Sun Gold Tomatoes – Isis Candy and Persimmon are sooo
tastety they’re almost worth the wait and the relatively low yields.
I’ve got summer bulbs (glads, dahlias, caladiums, colocasia, etc.) spread out as
I try to figure out what to plant where. I wish I had started the dahlias in pots in the
house. The garden world can still surprise me. I’ve tried to grow various wind flow-
ers, an anemone, over the years with little success. I had already planned to start
my newest acquisition of ‘Lord Lieutenant’ in a large pot to alleviate the drainage
problem. I even read the instructions and soaked the shriveled weird looking bulbs
overnight. Wow! By the next morning they were twice the size and I could even
guess which side might be up. I’ve been turning them in a bit of water and more
parts of these tubers swell up. Last time I checked, one had some kind of exudate.
Time to Plant!
Church Directory
N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH
S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST
F IRST B APTIST C HURCH
Gary Taylor, Pastor
Grant & North Streets, Vernonia
503 429-5378
Sunday School 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Nursery available
Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m.
Gary S. Walter, Pastor
2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia
503 429-8301
Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m.
Sabbath School 9:30 a.m.
359 “A” Street, Vernonia
503 429-4027
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m.
A SSEMBLY OF G OD
S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH
Wayne and Maureene Marr
662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia,
503 429-0373
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m
Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator
960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-8841
Mass Sunday 12:00 Noon
Religious Educ. Sunday 10:30 a.m.
V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH
V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH
Sam Hough, Evangelist
410 North Street, Vernonia
503 429-6522
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Every Wednesday:
Ladies' Bible Study 9:30 a.m.
Ladies’ Worship 10:00 a.m.
Children’s Choir 3:00 p.m.
Family Bible Study 7:00 p.m.
Grant Williams, Pastor
957 State Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-6790
Sunday Breakfast 9:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 9:45 a.m.
Children and Nursery 10:00 a.m.
Youth Group 6:00 p.m.
Preschool Mon. & Wed. 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday Prayer 6:00 p.m.
Tues. & Fri. Adult Volleyball 7:00 p.m.
V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH
Carl Pense, Pastor
850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-1103
Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.
Children’s Sunday School
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
Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m.