It’s gloomy and wet most of the time — and dark by 5 p.m. So, those who love being in their garden might be asking: what is there to do in the garden right now? Plenty. No, not as much as spring and summer — but more than you might think. Oregon State University Extension Service November garden calendar  has answers for what you can do with that available daylight to keep your garden healthy, maintained, and ready for winter. Mechanical things like lawnmowers and sprinkler systems need maintained, and some plants need winter protection. You can also plant bulbs, trees, shrubs and c ..read more

Whether you want a cut or potted, unusual or tried-and-true tree, here are options and care tips The holidays always seem to sneak up on us, don’t they? If your holiday celebrations include a Christmas tree, this is the perfect time to start considering your options. You don’t need to confine yourself to the typical or traditional Christmas tree. Whether you are craving a distinctive cut tree or a potted tree, here are some options to help you choose a good one, and tips to help you keep it looking its best. In terms of sales, firs reign supreme. They are what most people picture as the iconi ..read more

Fall is an ideal time to plant bulbs that will yield spring blooms When it comes to plants, bulbs are about as easy as it gets and now’s the time to get them in the ground. “You plant spring-flowering bulbs in fall, they grow over winter, flourish in spring and go dormant in summer,” said Heather Stoven, a horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. “Once they’re in the ground, they do quite well over multiple years with little maintenance.” On top of that, bulbs are drought tolerant. “That’s one of the great things about them,” Stoven said. “Since they go dormant in su ..read more

A rainbow of flowering deciduous hybrids makes this tree a perennial favorite Magnolias have remained popular the past few years, thanks to the introduction of new deciduous magnolia hybrids that have added more vivid colors, smaller sizes and precocious flowering (first flowers emerging before the leaves). White-to-pink magnolias Stephanie Mack, buyer at Portland Nursery, knows exactly when magnolias are in bloom because customers come in asking for them by name, especially saucer magnolias (Magnolia × soulangeana). “They are so spectacular and early,” she said. Mack said customers are typic ..read more

In spring, garden centers stock a tempting variety of brightly colored tuberous begonias that are hard to resist. Gardeners have a tremendous choice of flower color in shades of orange, pink, yellow, white and bi-colored.  “There are so many choices for tuberous begonias,” said Nicole Sanchez, Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturist. “They come in so many colors and there are a lot of new salmon/orange varieties on the market now. In my experience, the yellow ones are always a little less vigorous than other colors.” As much as there is to recommend tuberous begonia ..read more

A tiny invasive insect from Europe and the Middle East that attacks oak trees has been found several times in Oregon, including most recently in an Oregon white oak in Wilsonville, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) reported. The Mediterranean oak borer (MOB), Xyleborus monographus, transmits multiple fungal species to the trees it infests, some of which may cause oak wilt. Officials say the insect is tiny and brown, about 3mm or 0.1 inches long. People are more likely to notice its damage than the insect itself. A factsheet on the pest can be downloaded here. ODF and ODA are asking p ..read more

Four gardeners share plants that survived and thrived in the summer heat For those of us living in the Pacific Northwest, we have had quite a summer of extremes in the weather, just like much of the rest of the country. Last winter we had low temperatures down to the high teens and low twenties, which is not the norm. Spring brought us abundant rain, which was welcome. Then came summer, with no rain, and high temperatures, over 100 F, which once again is not the norm for us. Our plants have had to be resilient and adapt to these challenging weather conditions, and the adaptation has not alway ..read more

Home gardeners catch on to no-till techniques traditionally used for growing field crops While the practice of no-till gardening is not new, discussion has traditionally centered on agricultural field crops. Now, home gardeners are catching on. “The concept of no-till has been around for a couple of decades, but research has been very focused on field crops like wheat and corn, things largely grown in the Midwest,” said Erica Chernoh, Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturist. “There’s not much on vegetable production or fruit. There’s a lot to learn, and research is ongoing ..read more

Fall weather has arrived, and the Oregon State University Extension Service October garden calendar can tell you where your garden needs attention at this time of year. There’s a lot of maintenance and cleanup you can do to prepare for winter. Additionally, it’s a great time to plant ground covers, trees and shrubs. It’s also an important time for pest management, but Extension encourages sustainable practices, which means preventing pests rather than reacting to them. It is best not to treat for a problem unless it has actually been identified in your garden. You can get the plants, trees, g ..read more

Retail nursery and greenhouse Egan Gardens in Salem, Oregon, and will be closing at the end of the year. Longtime owner Ellen Egan has sold the business to new owners who will reopen it under a new name next year. “After 41 years I am ready to retire and get some much-needed rest,” she said.  “I’m looking forward to doing all the things that I can’t do now. Of course, make the house and the yard I’m moving into mine, get back into drawing and painting and learn some new things. I want to be able enjoy doing things at a slower pace. Plus I’m not going to miss having to get up in the middl ..read more