Issue 24 • Seasonal tips and featured varieties coming to a retailer near you • May 8, 2009
Things to do:
1. transplant tomatoes, cucumbers, greens, squash, pumpkins, melons, peppers, eggplant, beans, basil, dill, cilantro, sweet corn, more cabbage and broccoli, more lettuce…..
2. weed & mow
3. add new perennials to beds and borders
4. watch strawberries blossom and small green berries appear; anticipate June berries
5. sow beans, potatoes, corn, squash, cucumbers, melons, basil, cilantro, onions, leeks, greens…
6. harvest and eat early lettuce, spinach, asparagus, scallions, parsley, radish, kale and other greens….
7. plant annuals for seasonal color, cut flower gardens, or just to attract bees and butterflies
8. weed & mow
9. do something nice for your mom….
…A gardener’s To Do list for the month of May is waaaay too long to complete here, and we know you’re busy, so we’ll try to keep it short this week!
SUMMER VEGGIE TIPS
Vegetable starts are the hot item this year – in addition to nearly 80 varieties of heirloom and hybrids tomatoes, we are now sending out flat after flat of peppers, cucumbers, summer and winter squash, and eggplant – as well more lettuce, greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and early season veggies. Watch your local garden center for fresh shipments this weekend!
And keep in mind, when transplanting out these warmer season plants, watch the forecast carefully because nighttime temperatures can still drop low enough to nip or stunt plants like tomatoes, peppers, and squash. Have some clear plastic, row covers (like Remay), or even old tarps or bedsheets to throw over tender seedlings at night if frosty temperatures threaten. Unless you’re using something really light, place stakes or hoops around the plants to hold the weight of your row cover so it doesn’t crush the small plants.
MOTHER’S DAY
In case you’ve been in a media vacuum and missed the other thousand reminders out there, remember that Sunday is Mother’s Day. For plant-loving moms in Lane County, this weekend offers a great selection of garden-related events. Take your mom (stepmom, mother-in-law, grandma, kids) and spend a few hours walking around Eugene browsing for terrific ornamental and vegetable plants – it will help work off that big Mother’s Day brunch!
Oregon Plant Fair 2009
Saturday, May 9th
8am to 3pm
Alton Baker Park Picnic Shelters
Eugene, Oregon
Presented by Avid Gardeners and the Willamette District Garden Clubs and featuring specialty nurseries and artists from around the Northwest. Part of the proceeds go to support the OSU Extension Service Lane County Master Gardener Program.
Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Sale
Saturday, May 9th
9am to 2pm
Lane County Fairgrounds
Eugene, Oregon
The volunteer organization dedicated to helping people learn about and love plants puts on “a sale by gardeners for gardeners,” with over 30 vendors offering a range of plants and garden art.
www.thehardyplantgroup.org/plantsale.html
Lane County Farmers Market
Saturday, May 9th
9am to 4pm
8th Street, Oak and Park
Eugene, Oregon
Over 160 local farmers and growers offer Oregon-grown vegetables, fruits, herbs, cheese and other foods as well as fresh flowers and plant starts for your garden.
http://lanecountyfarmersmarket.org/
Have a wonderful sunny weekend!
You can read previous issues of Garden News in the Log House Library.