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Grant funding awarded and our garden wish list

A few updates on the garden:

1) Look for a new informational kiosk to be installed later this summer!  Thank you to the Oregon Master Gardener Association for funding our Extension Educator proposal for $500.  We’ll use the funds to install a kiosk for a weather-resistant place to post a map of the garden, QR codes linking to more information on specific demos, and promote upcoming classes.

2) We have a new page on the blog called ‘Donation Wish List‘.  This is where we’ll post how to make a donation and what the garden is in need of.  Check it out and thank you for all your support!

 

 

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Wanted: Disease-resistant roses for our demo garden

Want to contribute to the Lane County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden?

Here is a wish list for new editions to our “No-Spray Rose Garden”:

Hybrid Tea: Electron, Just Joey, Keepsake, Las Vegas, Silver Jubilee, VooDoo
Grandiflora: Love, Tournament of Roses
Floribunda: Europeana, Impatient, Liverpool Echo, Matangi, Play Girl, Playboy, Regensburg, Sarabande, Sexy Rexy, Showbiz, Trumperter, Viva
Climbers: Dortmund, Dublin Bay, Royal Sunset
All are considered resistant to rust, powdery mildew, and blackspot per http://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/node/267/print
You can bring a plant by the Extension office, contribute a gift certificate to a nursery, or make a monetary contribution (checks payable to the Lane County Master Gardener Association and note that use is for the garden) IMG_6009
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Fruit trees are in the ground

IMG_6155The MG Fruit Tree Specialists have finished planting and mulching a fruit tree demonstration area.  From West to East here is what is planted:

  • Flemish Beauty, a cold-climate pear variety
  • Stanley, a very large purple plum used for prunes.  It is self-fertile and a freestone type.
  • Oregon Curl Free peach
  • A dead tree that will be replaced
  • Shinseki, an Anissa Pear that is picked in late August.
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Planting a Pollinator Patch

We planted a patch for the pollinators on May 27th.  This area was previously in grass and weeds so it took a while to get into shape.  Large weeds were removed by hand, the area roto-tilled and then smoothed into a planting bed.  A mixture of sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds and a pollinator mix were seeded.  We got lucky with the weather and have had warm rainy days.  Looks like most of the seeds are germinating just fine.  Just have to keep the dogs and people from walking through until the patch gets established!

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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.

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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.

Rose garden-in progress

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

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

 

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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.  Tomato flowers

tomato trial 2015-the day we planted

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!)

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Adaptive Gardening tip: Vertical strawberry tower

Did you know that the OSU Extension Lane County Master Gardeners
have expertise in adaptive gardening?IMG_5965

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!
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Front view

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Side view of the tower

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

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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!

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Rhododendron ‘Blaney’s Blue’

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Looking west towards the early spring flowering hellebore.

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Pyracantha ‘Victory’

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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: IMG_5435

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