When people think of Oregon weather, they often think of record rainfall. Just not in this sense. The just-concluded period from July 1–Sept. 30 set a record, all right, but it was for a lack of moisture, not an abundance of it. Just .25 inches of rain fell during that period, according to the official […]
Minimum wage to rise in Washington, too
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Washington state officials announced last Friday, September 28, that the state minimum wage will increase to $9.19 per hour, effective January 1, 2013. This represents a hike of 15 cents per hour, or 1.67 percent. Like Oregon and eight other states, Washington has linked its minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index. Oregon announced earlier […]
Nurseries a blend of red and blue
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Ryan Kost of The Oregonian wrote an interesting article on the politics of the mid-Willamette Valley, which happens to be the heart of Oregon nursery country. He points out that political preferences are not as cut and dried as one might expect.
Euonymus featured in October issue of Digger
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The October issue of Digger magazine is now available for your online reading pleasure. Featured on the front cover are Euonymus plants (PDF) a versatile workhorse of the garden. Go here to read the entire issue as a flipbook — fast connection recommended — or download the individual articles as PDF files. Additional articles in […]
Impatiens downy mildew gets attention
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Impatiens downy mildew, which kills any Impatiens walleriana plants that it infects, has been a huge topic of discussion this year. When a pathogen kills entire beds of a plant that swiftly and dramatically, people tend to notice. The American Nursery and Landscape Association and OFA have put together a couple of resources to help […]
Scientists discover quick drought tolerance test
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Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, working with a botanical garden in Yunnan, China, have come up with a new method to quickly predict the drought tolerance of plants. According to a UCLA press release: It is based on an important trait known as “turgor loss point.” During drought, the leaf cells’ water […]
Incentive available for thermal greenhouse curtains
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Ulrike Mengelberg at the Energy Trust of Oregon dropped us a note to let us know they’re offering an incentive for growers who install energy-saving thermal curtains in their greenhouses. Qualifying growers can receive 9 cents per square foot of heated greenhouse (or square feet of curtain, but the former number in most cases will […]
Ecotrust reports economic boost from restoration projects
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Watershed and fish habitat restoration jobs provide benefits for more than just fish and wildlife, according to Ecotrust. These projects created 6,483 jobs in the state from 2001–2010 and generated $977.5 million in economic activity over that same time period, according to the Portland-based nonprofit, which works on a variety of environmental and restoration projects […]
Native Grounds Nursery becomes certified for sustainability
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Kudos to Native Grounds Nursery and owners Mike Nehls and Keli Gunning! The wholesale nursery, based in Brownsville, Ore., has become the first nursery and greenhouse operation to earn a sustainability certification (PDF) — and the official seal that goes along with it, shown — from the Food Alliance. Despite the name, the Food Alliance […]
Arizona begins enforcing ‘papers, please’ provision
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Officers of the law have now begun to enforce the “papers, please” provision of Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070, Reuters has reported. This means they can demand proof of legal residency from anyone they stop and suspect of being in the country illegally. The law made failure to carry this paperwork — which federal law requires aliens […]
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