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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency services, May 23 Cedar Links developers drop commercial area Jury will consider death penalty in double-murder case Workers put finishing touches on parking lot Memorial Day travel expected to hit 10-year high Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, May 23 Jury will consider death penalty in double-murder case Emergency services New suspect arraigned in 2014 robbery of Ashland gas station Flood warning issued for southwestern Jackson County Politics and Elections Case, Salmon leading in Central Point School Board race Lundberg, Mannenbach leading Eagle Point races Jackson County district election turnout under 17 percent Arthur I. Cyr: Camp David summit will not help Mideast stability Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Education Departing Ashland High principal Zundel looks to next challenge Jacksonville Elementary students on stage at Britt Case, Salmon leading in Central Point School Board race Lundberg, Mannenbach leading Eagle Point races Ashland High's Michelle Zundel heading to Medford district Environment OR-7, mate may be adding to their pack Rogue jet boat tour company eyes TouVelle for permanent home Why is Bear Creek so muddy? Blame Emigrant silt and winter storm Mt. Ashland Ski Area proposes summer adventure center Jackson County declares drought disaster State News Bill would cancel 'kicker,' use money for budget reserves, education Oregon Senate passes bill keeping domestic abusers from having guns State investigates spray crew exposure to herbicide Corvallis-based Bravo company returns home from Afghanistan Judge's order could de-escalate Josephine County gold mine dispute Nation - World Uh oh .... Apple Watch demand is weak There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Obituaries Warren Irving Paul Dorothy Isabelle Murphy Bayliss Bruce Michael McGregor Walter Schweiger Dawn Borns/Hagler/Huttl Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Check out top import and export for every U.S. state Patriots fan sets up GoFundMe page to help pay for team's Deflategate fine Sports Latest Stories Na leads at soggy Colonial Ghelfi, Sanders secure more All-American accolades South's Bartlett falls short at state tourney Spieth claims share of lead at Colonial Warriors fend off Harden, Rockets Varsity 541 College Sports Ghelfi, Sanders secure more All-American accolades SOU's Sanders takes fourth in hammer SOU hires Carlson as coach Ducks down Beavers in 11 innings, 3-2 Raiders prepare for NAIA national meet Pro Sports Na leads at soggy Colonial Spieth claims share of lead at Colonial Warriors fend off Harden, Rockets Ducks beat Blackhawks, take lead in Western finals Giants again blank Dodgers Community Sports Business Latest Stories The Beanery coffeehouse in Ashland closes abruptly Blog: The Gateway to Summer Allegiant Air resumes flights to Arizona Two Crown Markets planned for Talent Cars We Remember: 1955 and 1956 Plymouth memories Real Estate News Single-family home sales take off Never enough: New Starbucks proposed on Barnett Road in Medford Jackson County debt-ridden homeowners have an option New home in an old house People In Business People in Business Transportation Allegiant Air resumes flights to Arizona Tourism stronger than ever in Southern Oregon Medford airport still flying high with record passenger counts Erickson finds room to work at Medford airport Agriculture 1-800Flowers.com reports $10.5 million loss in third quarter Opinion Latest Matthew T. Mangino: Is Nebraska a death penalty game-changer? Letters to the Editor, May 22 Our View: Free tuition could fly if 'fifth-year' plans reined in Michael Gerson: The Clintons' cloud of deviancy Arthur I. Cyr: Secretary Kerry’s reply to North Korea Editorials Our View: Free tuition could fly if 'fifth-year' plans reined in Our View: Josephine voters choose lawlessness again Our View: Renovating the Capitol is important but costly Our View: Take it easy on hunting and fishing fees Our View: Kicking state government down the road Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, May 22 Letters to the Editor, May 21 Letters to the Editor, May 20 Letters to the Editor, May 19 Letters to the Editor, May 18 Columns Michael Gerson: The Clintons' cloud of deviancy Arthur I. Cyr: Secretary Kerry’s reply to North Korea Guest Opinion: Medford needs SkyPark more than it needs parking Dana Milbank: Hillary Clinton's hypocrisy Kathleen Parker: Unswaddling the bab(i)es on campus Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Medford needs SkyPark more than it needs parking Guest Opinion: Ample water? Think again Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers Guest Opinion: Child poverty and the Schneider Children’s Center Guest Opinion: Animal-killing program pulls wool over taxpayers' eyes Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: It�s a Shame: How to Understand and Manage It Hiking the fringes of the monument Religion Briefs: Friday, May 22 Looking Up: Spica stands out in spring’s sky Fishing Report: Friday, May 22 Food Community blog: Roasting rhubarb riffs on beet-goat cheese salad Page H. Onorato: Saturday brought treat for supper Taste of Alba Wine by the keg, growler, box and ammo can Potluck: A Gooey Butter Cake to cherish Home and Garden Homeowner’s insurance: What it covers, what it excludes Monarchs are disappearing, but you can help with a wildflower garden Linda Cobb: Time to make a list of spring garden chores Dear Monty: Novice homebuyer’s first attempt disappointing Home Help: Keep a man cave top of mind when choosing a new home Health Community blog: It�s a Shame: How to Understand and Manage It Health Watch: How to avoid the diet rut Donna Knight: How to lessen your risk Community blog: Little Free Libraries Community blog: Fasting out of Cancer Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, May 22 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 15 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 8 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 1 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 24 Milestones and Achievements Prefontaine-style running trail proposed in south Medford Bukair-Hinkle Wedding: Stephanie Anne Obad and Mark Douglass Schmor Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Drones helping create unique wedding photos Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories 5 things to do in the Rogue Valley Live Music in Local Clubs Memorial Day celebrates veterans Rogue Rage Duo at The Point SOU presents Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale' Theater SOU presents Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale' OSF commissioned plays tour throughout country 'Cuckoo's Nest' is a big play, well presented 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' REVIEW: Randall Theatre's 'Little Shop of Horrors' a rollicking good time Music Live Music in Local Clubs Rogue Rage Duo at The Point The Farr Side: Swift dominates Billboard Music Awards Interview: Country mainstay T. Graham Brown reflects on career Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum at The Mountain House Community Events Memorial Day celebrates veterans Third Friday: 'Into the Woods' is a must-see 5 things to see at Art in Bloom Flowers, art and music highlight Art in Bloom Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at OSF's Black Swan in Ashland Movies Interview: ‘Good Kill’ offers blistering look at ‘battlefields and blackjack’ of drone warfare Review: ‘Tomorrowland’ feels like another Disneyland staple — Dopey Movie review: Disney takes us to ‘Tomorrowland’ Dwayne Johnson rocks in a new way in ‘San Andreas’ Movie review: Cast keeps laughs coming in ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ Dining Upscale pub fare at The Point Wine by the keg, growler, box and ammo can 6 stars of the Rogue Valley food universe Cool down with a cold one (or two, or three) Nguyen Street Food Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Cedar Links developers drop commercial area ... The Beanery coffeehouse in Ashland closes abruptly ... Our View: Free tuition could fly if 'fifth-year' plans reined in ... Cedar Links developers drop commercial area ... The Beanery coffeehouse in Ashland closes abruptly ... Our View: Free tuition could fly if 'fifth-year' plans reined in ... Linda Cobb: Time to make a list of spring garden chores By Linda Cobb More Content Now MailTribune.com By Linda Cobb More Content Now Posted May. 20, 2015 @ 8:46 am By Linda Cobb More Content Now Posted May. 20, 2015 @ 8:46 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Now that spring is in full swing and the garden is breathing down the neck of summer, it is time to make a list of garden chores to do. The glow of spring can be very deceiving and can lull you into a false sense of security. So take some time to stroll through your garden and take paper and pen with you. Great gardens all have one thing in common, and that is the gardeners who live there and tend the garden have great gardening habits. The first thing on the list is to be sure your garden has a fresh layer of mulch down. This is probably the single most important thing I do all gardening season because it has the most benefit to your plants and overall health of the garden. We put down mulch every year in the springtime because it does three things: It keeps the roots cool when it is so hot; it keeps the weeds out; and finally, and most importantly, it keeps the moisture in. Many of us choose to use pine needles because they are easier to put down and are less expensive. I say it is okay to use pine needles on large bedded areas that are located far away from the house. Why am I not a fan of pine needles? Because pine needles have no benefit to the soil they cover. I use triple ground hardwood mulch only. This is very finely ground up hardwood. The pieces are small and sit on my soil all year and disintegrate down into the soil over the course of the year and improve it tremendously. After using the triple ground hardwood mulch for the last 20 years my garden has very impressive soil, and all because I used a product that benefits my existing soil. You can dig with a teaspoon anywhere in my garden. I mulch every year in my garden, consistently. You can buy this product locally, just be sure to ask for triple ground hardwood mulch and nothing else. Next on the list, you need to do a mental review of what will be blooming in your garden from June through August. Let’s face it, you know the old expression: “Anyone can do spring.” Well, that is partially true. The real test comes after the show of spring blooms when the weather is hot, frustrating and just plain trying. Day lilies are a simple but yet very important plant group to add to your garden. This plant group is so simple to grow but is very rewarding, as it is a long bloomer. Each flower on the multiheaded flower spikes bloom one at a time and lasts for only one day, hence the name day lily. A sun-loving flower group, it even has attractive foliage, after all the bloom spikes have flowered out, with its striped, slim green leaves. But what makes me love this flower is the wide range of colors it is available in. I am crazy over the peach colored flowers with the crinkly edges to them. What makes this plant so popular is its long bloom period and that fact that it is so easy to grow. The other must-have midsummer flower is the dahlia. Dahlias are tubers which look like small baked potatoes that you can mail order from companies such as Swan Island Dahlias (dahlias.com). They arrive in the mail and you plant them out into the garden soil sometime after the soil warms up. They are planted 6 to 8 inches deep and are planted on their sides. You should never fertilize a dahlia until it has leaves above the ground. After you plant it, it would be wise to stake the area right around the bulb right away. If you do it later, it never works because it is usually too late and the plant is lying on the ground by then. Dahlias come in many colors — except blue and black — and many different flower styles. They range in size from 1 inch across to 10 inches. They love full sun and are disease resistant. Out of one tuber, you can get maybe 20 to 30 flowers that are drop-dead gorgeous. They bloom reliably from June through November, with fall being their main season. Dahlias are one of the most valuable plants in my garden, giving me foliage, terrific blooms and cut flowers for a long time in the growing season. The last thing on my list is a new weird plant I bought, mail ordered, and am going to grow it out to see what it does. You may have heard of it. It is called “Ketchup and Fries” tomato plant. By now you are saying, huh? Let me explain. This is a tomato plant on top and it grows potatoes in the ground. Can you believe it? The plant is a tomato plant grafted onto a potato plant. I bought mine from Territorial Seed Company (territorialseed.com.) I am planting this plant in a pot that is 22 inches in diameter. I will stake it on top, grow the tomato out, harvest the fruit and then in mid-September I will cut the top off the plant and let the potatoes ripen. This is an experiment that seems like great fun to me. I will give you an update on how it performed. Linda Cobb is a correspondent for The Spartanburg (S.C.) Herald-Journal. By Linda Cobb More Content Now MailTribune.com By Linda Cobb More Content Now Posted May. 20, 2015 @ 8:46 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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