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: My coleus plants die every winter. Is there a way to enjoy coleus all year round?
Question: In spring I planted cilantro and lettuce. Both were doing really well, but now the cilantro is just producing flowers and the lettuce is getting really tall and the leaves have become tough and bitter. Can you tell me why these plants are doing this and what can I do to make them g…
Question: My friends tell me that Asian vegetables are healthy and easy to grow. I’d like to experiment with my garden and am looking for some fun alternatives. What can you tell me?
Question: What is eating my rhododendron leaves? They have all these notches along their edges. What can I do about it?
Question: Can you give me some information on easy to grow vegetables for the fall garden?
Question: I bought a home that has an established garden spot, flower beds and a few fruit trees. This was my first year of managing these spaces, and I’ve experienced enough success to make me feel like my hard work has paid off. Even though summer is not over yet, I’m thinking ahead to wha…
Question: This has been a year of extreme weather events from January with temperatures in the 60s, a late February snowstorm, a March freeze with temps in the teens, an April frost, 90 degrees in May and a few summer thunderstorms with hail. It seems odd to say this, but my vegetable garden…
Dallas Amer cracked open a beehive and knew immediately that there was something wrong with the hive.
Question: I’ve heard the flowers and berries of elderberry plants can be used in pies, syrups, juices, wines and jellies. Can you tell me more about elderberries and how to grow them in our area?
Question: I want to experiment growing peppers in my garden but don’t know which ones will be enjoyable in salads and which ones will light my mouth on fire!
I really thought that this summer would be the one; the summer I have dreamed of since moving out to the beautiful countryside of Douglas County. The big one. The infamous, rainbow-unicorn of motherhood bragging rights — the screen free summer!
Question: What is wrong with my camellia bush? It’s covered with these white fuzzy lumps and some of the leaves have turned black.
Question: Can you give me some information on growing asparagus?
Question: With these hot summer days, I am watering more than ever. I want to keep my vegetables well-watered so I can enjoy the fresh bounty, but my water bill is expensive.
Question: I love the colorful, abundant flowers of summer, but they never seem to last long enough for me. Is there a way to prolong this beautiful and colorful time of the year?
Question: I would like to have more bees, birds and butterflies in my yard. I’ve heard adding native plants will help attract them. Can you provide information about growing natives and suggest plants for our area?
Poisonous plants and Hügelkultur are just two of the features included in the eighth annual Spring Garden Tour, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Umpqua Valley.
Question: Help! My shrubs are yellowing. I think they get enough water, but they are looking worse by the day. How do I figure out what could be wrong?
Question: How can I eradicate invasive Scotch broom that’s taking over my property?
Question: A couple came into the plant clinic this month and asked if figs grew in the area and if we had any tips for growing them.
Weekend getaways in the great outdoors can be a great way for families to break from the norm and spend some quality time together while getting some fresh air. Such trips are popular, as the U.S. Travel Association notes that nearly three out of four domestic trips are taken for leisure purposes.
Finding time for hobbies can be difficult. Commitments to work and family take up the bulk of many people’s free time, making it hard to squeeze in a favorite hobby.
Question: Every year I spend lots of time and effort in preventing the weeds from overtaking my vegetable garden. What is an easy and effective way to weed my vegetable garden?
EDITOR’S NOTE: The columns of Bill Duncan are being reprinted in The News-Review. Duncan, who died in November 2011, wrote a weekly column for The News-Review and The Capital Press of Salem from 1981 to 2011. Duncan wrote the following column in March 1991. His thoughts are still pertinent t…
Question: I love planting daffodils in the winter and having them pop up and cheer me in the summer, almost like a surprise. Any suggestions for a similar feeling and look for fall?
Question: A few years ago we put in a beautiful sod lawn, but now it is looking a bit shaggy with a variety of grasses and weeds in it, and it’s not as green. What can we do to improve the lawn so that it is more like the sod we installed?
If you draw a line across the country from Northern California to New Jersey, the last expected spring frost date for states above that line falls around the last week of April to the first week of May. So tying Mother’s Day, that falls on the first Sunday of May, to an important gardening d…
EDITOR’S NOTE: The columns of Bill Duncan are being reprinted in The News-Review. Duncan, who died in November 2011, wrote a weekly column for The News-Review and The Capital Press of Salem from 1981 to 2011. Duncan wrote the following column in February 2005. His thoughts are still pertinen…
Question: I’ve heard about a new stinkbug that is causing lots of damage to gardens. Can you tell me about it?
Question: I’m noticing that local stores are already selling tomato and pepper plants as well as other vegetables. How can I tell if it’s the right time to plant these?
EDITOR’S NOTE: The columns of Bill Duncan are being reprinted in The News-Review. Duncan, who died in November 2011, wrote a weekly column for The News-Review and The Capital Press of Salem from 1981 to 2011. Duncan wrote the following column in April 1997. His thoughts are still pertinent t…
Question: What are the differences between pole and bush beans?
Question: When I sit out on my back porch, I’m looking directly into the neighbor’s backyard. I want to build a trellis and then plant something attractive which will give me some privacy. Do you have any suggestions?
As parents, we do so much for our children. We stay up at night with them when they’re small, shuffle them back and forth to school and activities, and hold their hand when they’re sick. And we do so much for others as well — at work, for our significant other, and for our friends. Sometimes…
Question: We recently moved into a new home that has several beautiful rose bushes. I have never grown roses and do not know how to care for them. What should I be doing now to keep them healthy and blooming this summer?
Oregon State University Extension Service of Douglas County has partnered with the Douglas Forest Protective Association and Douglas Small Woodlands Association to offer a class designed to teach landowners how to prepare their land for wildfire.
