Water,
water everywhere and not a drop to drink. A
lot of your plants are thinking the same
thing. If you have been on vacation you
have returned to dry or dead plants. Take
some time to check your plants. You spent a
lot of time getting your garden into shape,
take a couple of minutes to make sure they
are doing well.
This week
we featured...
Al’s Plant Trials
What to know what the hot plant for 2007
will be? Actually, you can help make the
choice. We paid a visit to the plant trials
that are happening at the
Al’s Garden Center (503-726-1162) in
Sherwood. The plant trials are where
growers are trying out new and different
varieties of plants. This is where they
determine what will be grown for sale for
the coming year. Now through the end of the
month you can check out the newest of plants
and vote for your favorites. Paul Fukasawa
told William about the trials and the
hundreds of varieties on display. This
year's trials,
"fontani e
fiori", which mean "fountains and
flowers" in Italian was designed in a
Mediterranean garden theme. The garden is
free and open to the public during store
hours beginning Thursday August 10th and
runs until August 26th. On August 27th the
display plants will be available for
purchase.
The trials display fills a 1/2 acre
greenhouse area at the Sherwood garden
center. Take some time to check out this
huge display and vote for your favorite.
Who knows you may pick the hot plant for
2007!
Silver Falls Seed
If you have been driving through the
countryside in the valley, you may have seen
fields full of flowers. This is not the
work of a flower fanatic; they are flowers
that are grown for their seed. Angela Rose
from
Silver Falls Seed Company (503-874-8221)
showed us some of the varieties that they
grow. In the field where she took us we
found poppies and godetia. Then we went to
the cleaning operation where we saw how they
clean, sort and package the seeds they
grow. We also learned that since the seeds
are grown locally, they are acclimated to
the area and you have a better chance for
success. You can find Silver Falls Seed at
most of the local garden centers in the
area, or you can buy them on-line through
the Silver Falls website.
Garden Fever Tropicals
Adding a tropical feel to your garden is not
a difficult chore. To find out how, we
stopped by Garden Fever (503-287-3200) in NE
Portland. Lori Vollmer told us that color
and texture can go a long way to achieving
that island look. She showed us a variety
of different plants that are good either in
your garden or in pots for your deck or
patio. Varieties included Coleus ‘Rustic
Orange’, Willow ‘Augustifolius’, Acorus ‘Ogon’,
Bamboo ‘Arrow’, Red Banana, and a flowering
Maple called ‘Marian’. Apart, they are
beautiful, but together they can really get
you in the mood to luau! These are all
plants that are readily available at your
garden center and can be added to your
landscape or pond to give it that ‘South
Seas’ look. Always check with your garden
center with any tropical plant you buy to
make sure it can handle our Northwest
climate.
Dan Heims Garden
Do you have a yard that is boring? Is it
hard to grow grass? Are you on a busy
street? All of these were problems for Dan
Heims of
Terra Nova Nursery. Terra Nova is the
grower of some of those interesting
perennials you find at your local garden
centers. Dan bought a house that looked a
lot like the houses you see in the paper; a
lawn, a few plants and not a lot of
interest…. He started by bringing in yards
of good topsoil. This helped set the ground
work for his future success. He then
planted a good foundation of trees and
shrubs that would create the backdrop for
his other plantings. Then he filled in with
a wide assortment of perennials. Paths,
patios, and garden art helped put the
finishing touches on his new urban oasis.
Rosie’s Herb Pots
Bring the taste of the garden to your
doorstep. It isn’t hard when you plant an
herb pot. Rosie Sullivan from N & M Nursery
(503-981-9060) walked Judy through the
process of building a pot full of herbs for
your kitchen. Some of the herbs included
bay, a couple of basils, parsley, sage,
rosemary, and oregano. But what if you
don’t use all those herbs She also
showed us how to build a pot of a single
herb. We also saw how you can extend the
harvest time for a temperature sensitive
plant like cilantro. She plants 6 small
plants in a pot and then once or twice a
week she gives one plant a hair cut. She
moves from one plant to the next and soon
she is back to the first one, which has
re-grown its ‘hair’. She gets lots of
cilantro with out it bolting too soon! You
can find Rosie’s plants at some of the local
garden centers or you will find her at the
Beaverton Farmers Market.