Spring is here! Well, it is for the Garden Time staff. We seem to mark the beginning of the season by hosting the Gardenpalooza event. This weekend, April 5th, we are at Fir Point Farms for the 6th annual event. And because we host the event, this week’s show is heavily weighted with plants and people you will see there. Gardenpalooza is a free event. There is free parking, free admission and tons of fun. There will be free plants, free seeds and free cut flowers while supplies last.

This week we featured...

Fir Point Farms - Gardenpalooza

We are celebrating! Gardenpalooza is here! Judy and Kathy from Fir Point Farms told us about this great event. Over 40 vendors are celebrating too, by selling some of the best plants, tools and equipment around. Check out www.Gardenpalooza.com for all the details. You will find a map and printable coupons for the event. Come on out and enjoy the day.

Portland Classical Chinese Garden

The Portland Classical Chinese Garden has some very unique plants on display in the garden. People admire the variety and year round interest they display. Now is your chance to take some of those plants home with you. Glin from the PCCG showed William some of the plants they will have for sale at the Gardenpalooza event. She started with Crabapple ‘Prairifire’ and moved on to Loropetalum ‘Sizzling Pink’. We also saw 3 Quince varieties; Texas Scarlet, Contorta, and Cameo. There were 2 Lysimachia; paridiformus, and Persian Chocolate. We finished with Epimedium ‘O’Kuda’s White’, Osmanthus burkwoodi, the Uzu Lime. As you can tell they are all unique and you will find them all at Gardenpalooza.

Ferguson’s Fragrant Nursery

If you are only looking for color in your garden, you are missing a huge part of gardening. Scent and fragrance are big factors in creating a garden of enjoyment. The best place to find fragrant plants is at Ferguson’s Fragrant Nursery and this weekend they are bringing a huge selection to Gardenpalooza. Dani and William covered the attributes of a bunch of plants and they included Daphne ‘Summer Ice’, Pulminaria, Corydalis ‘Canary Feathers’, Dicentra ‘Gold Heart’, Geum ‘Fire Ball’, Cypress ‘Goldcrest’ and Hosta ‘Venus’. Some of these were in bloom and are showing off now, but others are holding their promise of blooms and fragrance for the coming months ahead. Check out the selection at Ferguson’s Gardenpalooza booth.

Edelweiss Perennials

One of the greatest small nurseries in the Northwest is Edelweiss Perennials. Urs is known for growing some fantastic perennial plants that perform well in our area. He pulled a few out of his greenhouses to show us. He believes that primroses are one of the most under-looked plants in the garden. A century ago they were favorites in the garden and he is hoping to bring them back to Northwest gardens. Edelweiss also grows a ton of other unique plants and we saw those as well. We saw four different types of Primula. There was ‘Amethyst’, ‘Argus’, ‘Boothman’ and the rare ‘Cortina’. We also saw Clematis recta ‘Midnight Masquerade’, Acanthus mollis ‘Tasmanian Angel’, Astrantia major ‘Sunningdale variegated’ and the Anemone hortensis. You can see Urs at Gardenpalooza or on the weekend of the 12th of April at the Hardy Plant sale at the Expo Center.

Mini-Greenhouse

Garden spaces are getting smaller and people are wanting to garden year-round. Those 2 factors are behind the idea of the mini-propagator. This tiny greenhouse is just right for small space gardening. Michelle from Solexx Greenhouse showed us how compact it is and how easy it is to use. This greenhouse can handle shelves and lights. It is so small that you may only need a single light to heat it. You can get your garden off to a early start in the spring or you can carry your garden into the late fall with this little wonder. It can also become a playhouse for your kids during the summer months when you are not growing plants. Stop by Gardenpalooza to see one set up and even take one home!

Biopots

With the excitement over container gardening we are always looking for new and exciting containers to try. We found one that also is good for the environment! Biopots look like any other thick plastic pot, but are actually made from fibrous wastes, such as bamboo, straw and rice husks. These all-natural pots are 100% biodegradable. Unplanted Biopots will last up to 10 years. Biopots planted outside will last one year while planted indoors will last 3 years. Biopots come in an array of colors and are lightweight and waterproof. Their unique, natural texture allows plants’ roots to breathe. Check out your garden center and see one of the many different styles of biodegradable pots they carry.

Kindergarden – Seed Starting

We tackled two different ways of getting your kids excited about starting their own veggie gardens. The first project showed how to plant seeds in a clear plastic cup. We used Black Gold Seedling mix to fill the cups. The Seedling mix is light and fluffy and will also help the tender shoots to grow quicker and easier. Then we pushed some bean and pea seeds down the sides of the cup. When they germinate your kids can watch them grow and see the roots form through the clear sides of the cup.

The second project involves planting seed in a pot and keeping them indoors until they start to grow. Instead of having the seeds in the back of the yard where no one goes to visit them, now you can have your garden right up close and personal! Once the seeds start to grow you can move them out on the deck or patio to harden them off (get them used to the cold), then move them to your garden for the season… or leave them on the deck for easy harvesting.