McKenzie River Reflections - Make the McKenzie Connection!

How plants and animals react when skies turn black during the annual solar eclipse on October 14 is mostly a mystery, but a horticulture expert with Oregon State University Extension Service has some...

Anticipation of ripe pears and apples peaks in fall as fruits hang heavily from branches and begin their gravity-aided trip to the ground. But how do you know when it’s prime picking time?...

While the practice of no-till gardening is not new, information has traditionally centered on agricultural field crops. Now, home gardeners are catching on. “The concept of no-till has been around...

For most gardeners it’s been a normal or above-average year for the country’s most popular vegetable. “It was a fairly decent season for tomatoes,” said Brooke Edmunds, horticulturist with Ore...

Even as the days shorten precipitously during the onward march to the fall equinox, August heat is still a threat. Temperatures of 100 F and up are expected next week. Hydrate and stay cool! But when...

Controlling pests outdoors is a common summer activity for gardeners, but it’s also important to know how to safely and effectively protect against an insect that feeds indoors and can ruin...

The Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener Program and the nonprofit Oregon Master Gardener Association have recognized five Oregon gardeners with statewide awards that reflect their...

In the year since the emerald ash bud borer was detected in Oregon, questions have been pouring in about what to do if an ash tree becomes infested. Currently, the emerald ash borer has been found in...

Drawing a line around the house with fire-resistant landscapes can mean the difference between a home consumed by flames and one left standing. “Fire specialists often show pictures of houses where...

Reality can get skewed when there are so many sources of information - books, magazines, newspapers, nurseries, and, most of all, the internet and social media open up lots of room for contradiction....

The most consumed drink in the world has more benefits than just keeping us awake. Spent coffee grounds can be used as a soil amendment and compost ingredient, while liquid coffee acts as an...

Summer has arrived and so have the weeds to take over our gardens and make us tear our hair out in frustration. Ed Peachey, Oregon State University Extension Service weed specialist, can relate. He...

In the 1980s, the utility Denver Water coined the term “xeriscape” by combining the word “landscape” with the Greek prefix “xero” for “dry.” A niche movement was born, but the use of l...

June is a great month for gardening. It has great weather, long days, pleasant evenings and, typically, mild weather. (We know, try telling that to the 2021 Heat Dome, which was severe, but was also...

As water runs down roofs, over driveways and patios, and off other impervious surfaces, it might pick up pollutants as it flows directly into streams, wetlands, lakes, and groundwater aquifers....

Gardening is one of the more therapeutic things a person can do – emotionally, mentally, and physically – but for some, it seems out of reach. Good design and practices can make gardening...

Most gardens have a diversity of plants, usually with a representation of at least one or two categories. This would include annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines and trees. In the urban gardens of many...

Tips for picking pollinator-attracting plants for your garden Pollinators need our help. From birds and bees to butterflies and other crucial insects, pollinators’ numbers are declining as loss of...

With a swish of his cape, Count Dracula ruined the reputation of bats forevermore. Maybe. In the 125 years since Dracula came on the scene and spooked us into believing bats are bad, we’re...

David Coon is on a mission. Not exactly a Mission Impossible save-the-world mission; more of a quest. He’s out to educate others about the potential for unusual vegetables in the garden and the...

Gardeners increasingly look to drought-tolerant varieties that beat the heat The summer of 2015 was a turning point in the Northwest, which suffered the longest heat wave in 75 years. Portland had...

In 2011 Jim Myers did something no one had done before. The Oregon State University vegetable breeder released the first purple tomato containing the same healthy compound found in blueberries. The...

When starting a garden, the first step is often deciding what will be in the garden. Will it be a vegetable garden? Will flowers and fruits be included too? These are important questions to answer...

Ezequiel Lopez-Reyes will never forget the taste of fresh fruit and vegetables brought straight from his father’s farm field when he was a child in Mexico. In honor of that memory, he established a...