May 2015 - What's Growing in the Garden?

May 28, 2015May 28, 2015

THANK YOU Work Party Volunteers!

Thank you to all the Master Gardeners who came out and volunteered in the garden on Wednesday!

We got so much accomplished:

Freed the rose garden of benches (very heavy benches) that were blocking it in.
Starting adding numbers and solar lights to the raised beds
Weeded bed #6 in preparation for seeding lettuce. Got the nasturtiums planted
Harvested fava beans.
Weeded along the boxwood hedge
Planting and weeding in the Adaptive Garden
Added lines to the raised beds for soaker hose or drip line irrigation
Weeded, tilled and planted the sunflower and pollinator plant patch.
Began prep to extend the brick sidewalk to the back parking area.

Want to see some photos? Visit the OSU Extension Lane County Facebook page.

May 27, 2015

In progress: Rose Garden

Update on the rose garden: This garden area will need some renovations to make it shine. Last week we knocked down the weeds and took stock. Dead and dying plants were removed. The remaining will benefit from some pruning next winter. The plan for this area is to make a demonstration of a no-spray garden using roses that are resistant to common diseases. We also will showcase some of the different types of roses: floribunda, grandiflora, hybrid tea, etc.

Doesn’t look like much, yet-but there is a rose garden in there somewhere!

I think this one is “Birthday Girl“: Any rosarians want to chime?

May 19, 2015May 21, 2015

The 2015 tomato trial is in the ground!

Thank you to the Master Gardeners who donated tomato plants for the trial in the raised beds! The bed was planted today with eight varieties. Check back for progress and for the date of the tomato tasting.

Varieties planted in 2015 (from the side nearest the shed): Saucey, Legend, San Marzano, ~~Pink~~ Anna Russian, Indigo Rose, Bloody Butcher, Katana, and Blush. (And a few basil plants thrown in so we can make this recipe!)

May 12, 2015

Adaptive Gardening tip: Vertical strawberry tower

Did you know that the OSU Extension Lane County Master Gardeners
have expertise in adaptive gardening?

Not familiar with adaptive gardening? Adaptive gardening is adapting tools and techniques commonly used in gardening to fit the needs of people of various levels of physical ability. Gardening adaptations can be used for the elderly, the wheelchair bound, or for people with a limited range of motion. Anyone wanting to reduce stress on joints while gardening is a potential adaptive gardener.

Here is one example from their beautiful demonstration garden at the office: A vertical strawberry tower!

Created from clay pots and recycled bamboo stakes for support (threaded through the drainage hole in the pots). This structure stands about 2.5 foot high. The top tier is a trailing variety called Albion, the midlevel is Tristar (an everbearing variety) , and Seascape (also everbearing) is in the base pot. Can’t wait for the fruit-yum!

Front view

Side view of the tower

Want more tips on growing great strawberries? Visit our publication catalog!

May 8, 2015June 2, 2015

The “Four Season Low Maintenance” Entrance Garden

If you’ve visited the OSU Extension Lane County office recently, you’ll have walked right by one of our newest gardens! Between the sidewalk and the accessible ramp is our “Four Season Low Maintenance” Garden.

This garden area is in progress: The first step was to remove the very large laurel shrub that had taken over the entire area. The aboveground portion of the laurel was removed and then the stumps were ground out. The soil was amended with compost and key anchor plants were added this winter. A drip irrigation line was added to help provide water to the plants as they get established. Even in it’s first year, this garden area graced us with amazing plant architecture and beautiful blooms even in those dreary winter months! Keep your eye on this garden area as it expands and new plants are added!

Rhododendron ‘Blaney’s Blue’

Looking west towards the early spring flowering hellebore.

Pyracantha ‘Victory’

May 6, 2015

Garden Tour 5/7 2-3pm

Stop by the Extension office for a free tour of our Master Gardener demonstration garden!
Thursday 2-3pm at 996 Jefferson St. in Eugene.
Look for us out back transplanting peppers into the Salsa Garden!

Showing off a worm composting bin at last month’s garden tour:

(Want to learn more about composting with worms? Take a workshop!)

May 1, 2015May 6, 2015

Growing a Salsa Garden

One of our raised beds is being used to grow a Salsa Garden this summer. Tomatoes are in the ground (Stupice-early season red and Curry-a pink beefsteak) and onion transplants were put in along the edge (sweet Walla Walla and Copra, a yellow storage variety). We put the onions in close together and will thin to use as green onions during the early summer. Bell peppers, hot peppers and cilantro transplants will be put in this week. Check back for updates as this bed fills out!