1. Water for Arid Realities Go Deep! Water mornings or evenings. In the high desert's low humidity, afternoon watering loses too much moisture to immediate evaporation, while overnight watering can attract pests. Drip Over Overhead: Direct drip irrigation or soaker hoses deliver water right to the root zone. Double-Soak Potted Plants: Terra cotta and plastic containers bake in high-altitude sun. Move potted plants into morning-only sun and group them together to retain ambien

When hot weather hits, it’s tempting to give your lawn a short trim so you don't have to mow as often—but mowing too short during a hot stretch can actually destroy your grass. Why Shorter isn't Better in the Heat Deeper Roots, Healthier Lawn: Grass foliage and roots work in tandem. The taller the grass blade above ground, the deeper the root system below ground. Deep roots allow grass to tap into subsoil moisture during dry, hot periods. Natural Shade & Moisture Lock: Taller

While doing research into fencing for my garden, I fell down a hole. I was looking at using recyled products in the garden and came across articles mentioning on railroad ties. Consider today's blog a short publice service announcement. "Avoid Railroad Ties!" As tempting as may seem to use them for raised beds, retaining walls and garden steps. DON'T! Railroad ties are coated with creosote which contains over 300 chemicals. What the EPA says…. https://www.epa.gov/ingredien

One of the joys of my childhood was catalog shopping. Oh the excitement when we would get our Sears “Wish Book” For the Christmas Season! My mother received seasonal catalogs from Spiegel, JC Penny, and Montgomery Ward. We would find the toys and clothes we liked and point them out to mom. She would either complete the order form or call the number on the catalog place it and then 4-6 weeks later…. Our items arrived! Fortunately, I was a slow growing child, and most of the c

If you read this blog, you will notice that I will be referencing a lot from the Oregon State Extension Service. (In my first blog post I explained my connection to the Extension Service). Amy Jo Detweiler is the Horticulture Agent for Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties and has several excellent publications on gardening in Central Oregon. Today, I am excerpting from/ highlighting her article, "Winter Care of Perennials". Mainly, because it talks about mulch. You can

Blog Introduces the Master Gardner Program and Encourages Gardeners to apply