It’s been 11 weeks since my fifth child entered the world. I am so glad he’s here, but some naive part of me thought that his arrival would somehow be easier than being pregnant.
Question: I have recently moved to this area and am currently in an apartment with a small patio, surrounded on three sides with dirt and fencing. I miss not only my garden and my fruit trees but I miss gardening. Any tips for me?
Question: Hostas are such pretty plants. Are they difficult to grow?
I’ll be honest, thankful and 2020 are two words I would never consciously put together. This year has made me tired in ways I never thought I would be.
Question: My silver maple is starting to drop its leaves. As I was raking them up, I noticed that many of the yellow leaves are covered with all these little red or black bumps on the upper surfaces. Then I looked up and saw that the whole tree seemed to have the same raised areas on most of…
Children who spend a lot of time outdoors benefit from exposure to nature in myriad ways, some of which may surprise even the most devoted outdoorsmen.
A few years ago I wrote about the challenge of pruning landscape plants. It is a complicated subject since one pruning style does not apply to all plants.
Question: When walking through my neighborhood, I came across a very unusual tree called the monkey puzzle tree. What can you tell me about it?
Question: Is it too late to plant shallots? Last year my shallots were very small. How can I grow larger shallots?
Question: Our two-acre property is mostly devoted to grass and we are tired of maintaining it. We would like to drastically decrease the lawn area, but still want to work in our yard. Any suggestions for us that aren’t too drastic? I don’t want to rip it all out.
Question: I’m concerned about my vegetable garden and landscape plants because of the effects of these prolonged wildfires. Does all this ash and smoke harm my plants, and are my fruits and vegetables safe to eat?
Question: My neighbor has a Curly willow tree. Would that be a good tree for my yard?
Question: Can you give me some tips for growing hops in the Umpqua Valley?
Question: I found this large striped beetle bumbling around my porch light at night. What is it and is it harmful?
Question: Does garlic grow well in the Umpqua Valley? It seems my attempts to grow garlic result in small heads, or they tend to rot or split apart in the ground.
September and October in western Oregon is usually still very warm, with daytime high temperatures often in the 70s or 80s, while much of the country experiences their first frost or freeze and the gardening season comes to an end. This lovely fall regional weather condition for Douglas Coun…
Question: My neighbor gave me some homegrown potatoes. I never knew a potato could be so delicious! Now I am planning to grow them next year. What are the steps I need to take?
Question: I need some deer-proof plants. The deer are eating my garden!
Question: My pepper and tomato plants are looking good and starting to set fruit. Last year, just before the peppers and tomatoes started to get ripe, the side facing the sun got scorched. How can I keep that from happening?
Question: I remember visiting my grandmother in the winter years ago and she was still serving fresh tomatoes from her summer garden. How did she do it? I wish I had paid attention!
Question: Can you give me some advice for growing artichokes?
The OSU Douglas County Master Gardener Plant Clinic, 1134 SE Douglas Ave., Roseburg, has open on a modified schedule. Experienced volunteers are available to answer gardening and landscaping questions 1-3 p.m. Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Question: The iris season has come and gone. I admired some in a neighbor’s yard and want to buy some for myself. Any suggestions?
Question: What is a good plant choice to make a bold statement in my garden?
I feel like the mom in me comes out when I offer life advice, but these practices have been prominent enough in my daily life to not want to scream from the roof tops or, just for loves sake, write and share. In no particular order these are five things that highlight the most important part…
Question: My lawn is sprouting dandelions all over. What’s the best way to control these weeds?
Question: I am a beginning gardener and would love to grow vegetables for my table but I am concerned about pesticides I might use on plants getting into the nearby river. Do you have any solutions for this dilemma?
Question: How can I fill in the spaces in my landscape beds and add some color among the evergreen trees and shrubs?
Question: We are landscaping our yard and plan to include agapanthus. Is that a good choice?
Question: I want to increase my garden food production this spring. Gardening in raised beds is becoming more common. What are the advantages and disadvantages of raised beds over traditional, in ground gardening?
Question: How can I grow better peppers? Some of my transplants either die or fail to thrive. If the plants grow well, the weight of the peppers tend to break the branches before they are ripe, and if they get ripe, the peppers get burned by the sun.
Question: I’ve been noticing these globs of foam on some of my landscape plants and strawberry leaves. It looks like someone spit on my plants! What in the world?
Question: My grandmother always had a beautiful array of marigolds in her garden. I would love to add some to our landscape here. Can you give me some tips for growing marigolds?
Do you want your children to feel stability, resilience and resourcefulness so they can cope with challenges, disappointments and losses that are part of living life?
Question: On my property, I have one area that just doesn’t drain well. This area is always spongy underfoot, and it is only in the sun a small part of the day. I love to grow beautiful flowers and am up for the challenge, but I don’t really know what to consider when dealing with a poorly-d…
Question: Recently I have been hearing about victory gardens. What are they, and are they different from a regular garden?
Douglas County has such a mild winter and spring that nearly any type of deciduous fruit crop can be grown here successfully.
