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Alrighty then.  I have to admit, in this particular climate,  in the spring when the grass grows like nobody’s business, a push mower just ‘doesn’t cut it" , if you’ll pardon the pun.  Now that things are finally heating up and drying out, the grass has slowed significantly.  If you’ve been considering abandoning that noisy gas-using thing you’ve been using, this is the time.  Hang on to the old mower for next spring. 

The key with a push mower is to keep the blades sharp, and mow when the grass is good and dry.  The benefits are - you get a really good workout - how good depends upon the size of your lawn - you don’t use precious gasoline, the noise is negligible compared with the gas mower, and your lawn is still getting mown.

It’s a thought.  And just a note from me - I think for those of you who are sticking with the noisy gas powered mowers, consider getting together and picking a day to mow, would you?  I hear mowers going all day, all weekend long.  There’s a relaxing noise.  Does anyone else notice that?

It’s just about strawberry time.  Ok, we’re running a little late this year due to the weather, but it IS almost strawberry time nonetheless!

If you typically lose some of your berries to birds, here is a tip I found that will save your berries for yourself.

When your strawberries set on and are still green, paint some small strawberry sized rocks red, and scatter them near the plants.  The birds will try to eat the ‘fruit’, but will soon realize these aren’t good to eat.  By the time your berries ripen, the birds will have moved on to someone else’s untended berry patch and you’ll be able to harvest yours.

Your roses have finally begun to bloom.  You want to keep them healthy and blooming as long as possible.  Here are some useful tips:

First, after your first batch of blooms, get busy pruning those rose bushes.  They need to be thinned, and the spent blooms need to be removed.  This will discourage black spot, which is most prevalent during the mid summer months, and will encourage more blooms throughout the summer.

This can be a really thorny job, so be sure to wear protective gear on your arms.  A tip I just read about in 1,001 Gardening Secrets by Gayle K. Wood suggests using tongs to hold the stems as you prune.  This definitely reduces the risk of you looking like you just got out of a fight with a feline after a rose pruning session.

Also, when you are pruning, keep some rubbing alcohol and some cotton pads with you.  As you move from rose bush to rose bush, take a second to clean your pruners with the alcohol to reduce the spread of any diseases such as blackspot.

In this climate, especially, I find that pruning roses does nothing to slow down their production of blooms.  Have at it, and enjoy a colorful yard all summer and autumn.

Apparently corn gluten sprinkled on the ground will deter "problem Plants"  - dandelions, purslane, crabgrass from even popping up in the first place.  A good garden store should carry it.

CREST is selling tomato starts from their new greenhouse for just $3 per plant.  All proceeds from the sale will be used to fund CREST garden activities.  There will be heirloom varieties as well as slicing and cherry tomatoes available.  For more information, contact Ellen Haugh at 503-673-7348

SALE HOURS:  Friday May 30 2pm - 5:30 pm,  Saturday  May 31 10am - 2pm

It’s been such an unbelievably cool, damp spring that the slugs have thrived this year.  I know, they are always a problem here in the Valley, just by the nature of the place, but this year seems worse.  Slug baits can be toxic to both pets and people, so really, this has to be a last resort option.  Here are some other options for gardeners who want to protect their crops and flower arrays.  Remember, this is war!

1.  Beer.  Slugs love it.  Plant a clean tuna can down in the soil so that the top is even with the ground, and fill it halfof the way up with beer.  Slugs will flock to it and, not being able to escape, they will drown happy in the beer.

2. Make an inexpensive slub trap with a two-liter soda pop bottle.  Just cut off the top third of the bottle and stick it back into the bottom 2/3, neck first.  Secure the edges with duct tape or staples and drop some beer inside to lure in the slugs.  Oddly, their carcasses left in the trap will be inviting to even more slugs.  When it’s full, throw it out and make a new one.

3.  Leave a moist garbage bag in your garden for the slugs and snails to crawl into overnight.  In the a.m., tie off the bag and put it in the freezer for a few hours to kill them without a mess.

4.  Are you a night owl?  Head outside at night with a flashlight, and catch the nocturnal slugs in the act of raiding your garden.  You can wear rubber goves and pick them off, dropping them into a jar of soapy water with a screw -on cap for the jar.  Obviously, you will want to get rid of the jar…..

5.  Plant to deter the slimy buggers.  Slugs love to chew on potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and lettuce, but they abhor the taste of highly scented plants such as rosemary, lavendar, or sage.  Interplant these herbs with your tender veggies to deter the slugs.

6.  Slugs love beer, but hate coffee.  Throw your cold coffee out in the garden.  It attacks the central nervous system of all kinds of insects, but works really well with slugs and snails because it is water-soluble and seems in through the mucus menbranes they rely on.

It has finally warmed up, and I can guess from the activitiy I saw at several garden centers yesterday that people are planting their yards at last.

Here are some tips:

1. Whatever you do, don’t transplant during the heat of the day!  In fact, one of those cloudy mornings the valley is famous for would be perfect for planting.
2. Work up your soil first, then give the plants a good soak in their old containers.  Let them sit for a few hours, or even let them sit  a few days .
3. Carefully remove from container, try not to damage the roots.  If rootbound, it’s ok to loosen the roots slightly so they can discover the new soil you are placing them in.
4. Fill soil in around new planting, but don’t ‘tamp down.  You don’t want to kill the plant - so pat soil in gently.
5. Give that plant a nice drink of water, and then let it settle into it’s new home.

The nationwide housing slump is reaching into our community.  According to the real estate website Zillow’s latest Home Value Report, home values in Wilsonville decreased 5.3% in the first quarter of 2008, compared to the first quarter of 2007. Nationally, single-family home values decreased 7.5% while condo values declined 9.0% during this same period.  Zillow’s ‘zindex’ rates the average Wilsonville home at $390,000 after the decline.  Comments?

This is about as green as you can get.

Take half an eggshell - rinsed out of course -  poke a hole in the bottom with a pencil or needle or something about that size.  then, fill it with potting soil, and lay your seed.  When the seedling is looking like it’s ready to put in the ground - this is the cool part - squeeze the eggshell just enough to generate a small crack.  Then put the seedling, shell and all, into the soil.  the roots grow right throug the cracks, and the shell decomposes adding rich nutrients to the soil.

And there you have it.

Since it’s finally warming up enough to consider planting your garden, I wanted to share this little tidbit with you.  Apparently you should keep some distance between your potatoes and your squash or tomatoes.  Potatoes block the growth of squash vines, and they share a weakness to the same blight that attacks tomatoes.  So, there you have it. 

Speaking of companion planting…..plant some basil around your tomatoes.  They make a happy couple, and you’ll get incredible yields.