Page 4 - LO Monthly & LO Homes - March 2014

spotlight

Man About Town

Man of the soil

Mike Darcy infuses life into the local gardening scene

LEFT: Mike Darcy continues to be a popular source for local plant and gardening information. RIGHT: Cody, the Garden Dog, assists Mike in the tending of his home garden throughout the year.

Story by Jillian Daley | Photography by Vern Uyetake

The lealess ingers of trees stretch up to a gray sky, seeds lie dormant in muddy “If I have a plant that’s prone to disease, I
I remove that plant,” he said. “My thing is not to spray in the garden; it’s to enjoy the
lowerbeds — and the joyfulness brought remove that plant. My thing is not to spray in garden.”
by the scent of cherry blossoms and the the garden; it’s to enjoy the garden.”
Mike Darcy’s bio
chirps of chicks seems far away.
Mike Darcy, the oldest of ive children,
Prepping a garden helps dream away winter and creates a verdant landscape in grew up in Tucson, Ariz, coming to Lake — Mike Darcy
the spring, which isn’t so far in the future Oswego in 1969. Darcy married his wife, which sports pink or white blossoms and way before creating it. Curvy paths pro-
as the Oregon rain makes it appear. The Linda, 47 years ago, and they have three children — Kent Darcy, Eric Darcy and bronze bark and thrives on sun and very vide more views than straight ones. Darcy
vernal equinox comes March 20.
Julie Strande — and ive grandsons: Jack- little water, Darcy said. Other resilient uses ilbert shells, which he buys in bulk at
“March is a good time to plan,” said Mike Darcy, of Lake Oswego.
son, 10; Nicholas, 8; Nolan, 7; Luke, 5; and plants include shrubs and hellebores, so re- processing plants, and many garden stores
Darcy’s a seasoned, award-winning Finn, 4 months. Mike Darcy’s black Labra- silient they bloom in December.
■ Most vegetables thirst for sunlight, so carry the shells but in smaller quantities.
■ Before adding plants to your land-
gardener who can offer up a few ideas on dor, Cody, also known as Cody the Garden Dog, was a regular guest on Darcy’s former Darcy advises against attempting a veg- scape learn what type of soil you have and
how to get ready for the sunny, or at least Comcast TV show.
etable garden in a shadowed yard. Shade- what will grow best in it, Darcy said. Pour-
sunnier, season. “In the Garden with Mike Darcy,” a show he’s done since 1981, airs 9 Awards Darcy has received include: the friendly greens include ferns, hosta — and ing on mulch or compost infuses soil with
a.m. to noon Saturdays on FM News 101 Garden Communicator’s Award from the hydrangea, which can survive in iltered light. Don’t be discouraged if plants die; nutrients, readying it for planting.
■ Some early vegetables can go in the
KXL, and Darcy earned a bachelor’s in American Association of Nurserymen, the Distinguished Member of the Horticultural that’s a part of nature.
ground now: peas, kale, lettuce, chard, and
horticulture at the University of Arizona. Allied Trades Industry Award from the Or- “It’s like baking a cake,” Darcy said. you can start tomato seeds indoors, prepar-
He is a longtime member of the Lake Os- wego Chamber of Commerce Village Bas- egon Association of Nurserymen and Lake “If you bake a bad cake, would you never ing them for their outdoor debut. Primros-
ket Committee, which is responsible for Oswego Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime bake again? Probably not.”
Darcy, who’s loved plants since he had a es, hellebores and camellias also can settle into soil this time of year.
the lower baskets around town, and he has Beautiication Award.
He serves in organizations such as: Gar- job at a gardening center as a high schooler, ■ Fertilizer spurs growth in a seedling
received the chamber’s Lifetime Beautiica- den Writers Association of America, Lake said his garden has a variety of vegetation. and new growth in a recently pruned plant.
tion Award.
Oswego Chamber of Commerce Village His favorite plant varies with what strikes ■ Once plants start sprouting the most
Tips from the master
Basket Committee, Hardy Plant Society of him as most beautiful in a given moment, but he is fond of peonies, the red leaved likely local pests to attack are slugs. Dar- cy said he avoids chemicals, but there are
Decide what plants you want. Visiting your neighbors’ gardens can reveal what Oregon, Salem Hardy Plant Society, Port- land Rose Society, Friends of the Rogerson banana tree and salvia-Black and Blue, a products such as Sluggo that are not toxic.
grows well in your area. Hardy Plant So- Clematis Collection, Friends of Crystal “magnet for hummingbirds.”
“If you’re going to use chemicals, read
ciety of Oregon publishes Open Gardens Springs Rhododendron Garden and Lan Su ■ Figure out whether you want plants the instructions,” which is crucial if you
Book, available to its members, which lists Chinese Garden.
in the ground or in pots, and plan accord- ingly.
have pets or children who run through your yard, he said. Then securely store
its members’ gardens and when they’re open for viewing.
For more information on gardening, email Mike Darcy at itgmikedarcy@com- ■ Pouring a meandering line of garden those chemicals.
■ Hardy plants include the manzanita,
cast.net.
lime can help visualize a potential path-
“If I have a plant that’s prone to disease,

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LAKE OSWEGO REVIEW
MARCH 2014