Photo by: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Common name: Western columbine
Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
Height: 2’ – 3’
Spread: 1’
Bloom Time: Late Spring to August
Flower Color: Red, Yellow
Exposure: Full Sun to Deep Shade
Soil Requirements: Good Drainage, Organic Material
Water Needs: Low to Moderate; irrigate once a month once established
Attributes: Nectar in Flower Blooms are appealing to Hummingbirds;
Seed Heads provide Bird Food; Deer Resistant; Supports Bats, Birds, Butterflies, Caterpillars
Note: Self-sows, but Deadheading controls spread
Uses: Containers; Native Plant Gardens; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden
Firewise: YES
Native to: Lower 48 state, Alaska, Canada
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9
From SOU News: “The Buzzway map helps visualize pollinator habitat connectivity – a vital element in helping native pollinators such as butterflies, bees and moths to navigate the urban landscape. The map also encourages people to create new gardens by showing areas with no certified pollinator habitat, and shares stories about how existing gardens were created.”
Seed starting mix is known as a soil-less mix , and unlike garden soil or potting soil, it is a sterile pathogen free growing mix. This is important because pathogens can kill seedlings while they are germinating, so growing seeds in a soil-less mixture increases their survival rate. After your seeds have germinated and grown two true leaves, then they can be transplanted into containers filled with potting soil.
DIY Seedling Mix recipe:
4 parts screened (mature) compost 1 part perlite 1 part vermiculite 2 parts coir (coconut fiber)
Use hands, or trowel to mix until ingredients are well combined.
Wet the seedling mix only until you can form a loose ball (water should not be dripping from the mixture)
Fill pots, or trays, with seedling mix
Plant seeds to the depth shown on the seed packet, cover seeds with seedling mix, then use a spray bottle to gently water the seeds.
Plant Name: Allium acuminatum Common Name: Hooker’s onion Plant type : Deciduous Perennial Herb Height: 0’ – 2’ Spread: 0’ – 1’ Bloom Time: May – July Flower Color: Purple, White, Pin Exposure: Sun to Part Shade Soil Requirements: Dry, well-drained; sandy/loamy Water Needs: Occasional Summer Water Attributes: Bulblets reproduce easily; strong onion smell; deer resistant; attracts pollinators: bats, butterflies, birds; nectar source for butterflies Note: Flowers appear on long stalks after leaves have died; goes dormant in summer after going to seed Uses: Rock Garden; Dry Open Meadows; Habitat Restoration; Green Roof Native to: Western United States Oregon Native: YES USDA Hardiness Zone 5 – 9
Prune fig trees between late February and early March, before new growth appears.
Prune young trees for shape and good scaffold branching. A scaffold branch forms the main framework of the tree. Prune mature trees to maintain tree structure, health and easy harvest.
Pruning:
Do not remove more than 30 percent of the tree’s canopy in a given year. Figs bear fruit on new wood, so over pruning will not only reduce fruit yields it also causes the tree to focus on foliage production. Over pruning can also cause a hormonal imbalance, which regulates its growth and fruit production.
Prune out dead, diseased, and crossing branches, cut back excessively long branches, and shape to retain scaffold branches. Monitor pruning cuts for bacterial or fungal problems until they heal.
Fertilize:
Fertilize fig trees with an all-purpose fertilizer; a 10 -10 -10 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Spread fertilizer evenly around the tree, keeping it at least 18 inches away from the trunk. Water the tree well after applying fertilizer.
Young fig trees: For the first two years in early spring apply 1 ounce of fertilizer once a month through August. Do not apply after August.
Mature fig trees: Apply in the spring when new growth appears, fertilize with 1/3 pound of fertilizer per foot of height.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Italian Honey Fig: A dessert Fig with a pale slightly tart chartreuse skin and sweet amber flesh. Dries well.
Article by: Carlotta Lucas, Ashland Garden Club board member
