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Can you feel it? It is the change of the season. Yeah, I know it seems early, and it isn’t just the ‘back to school’ sales. I have noticed some of the small signs. The diminishing amount of daylight, the slow changing of the color in the trees, the large amount of veggies we are getting from the garden, the talk of pickling cukes in our house; all these are signs of the change. Speaking of change we are moving Garden Time. We have been given the opportunity to put our two sister shows Garden time and Fusion together on one station. The move to KOIN Local 6 will allow our viewers to get their entire local home and garden information all one station. KOIN is your local station and we, being a local show and company, feel right at home there! In fact you may notice that Garden Time is being seen on both stations until the transition is complete on the 12th of September. Enjoy!!
This week we featured...
Jan’s August Tips
It is harvest time and that could not be more apparent than in the garden of retired OSU extension agent Jan McNeilan. Jan has been showing us her garden through the entire season and now we are returning to see her bountiful harvest. We are also noticing some of the problems in the vegetable garden. The first ‘problem’, is really not a problem at all. Powdery mildew is the white ‘feathery’ splotches that you may notice on your zucchini and pumpkin leaves, though it can show up on other plants as well. This problem is caused by the hot days and rainy weather. The mildew grows in these favorable conditions. The remedy is to remove the leaves. Don’t spray because it is too late in the season and it doesn’t affect the fruit of the plant anyway. Next she pulled out a chard leaf and a beet leaf to show us the damage created by the ‘leaf miner’. It is the larva of a small fly that eats the green chlorophyll tissue between the leaf layers. It does minimal damage and can be avoided by rotating your crops during planting. Then we talked about tomatoes and how to ripen them indoors. Even though it is early and there is plenty of time to have them ripen on the vine, it is still good to know how to have them ripen if they are picked too early. To have the most success, ripen a green tomato is when it is a translucent green. A darker green tomato will not ripen. Just put it on the counter, keep it at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. Finally, Jan showed us her ‘Strawberry-Fig Jam’. This was an easy and VERY delicious jam that helped her use up all the ripe figs in her garden. Check out her recipe here: (.doc) (.pdf) For more tips about the home garden, check out the OSU extension website.
Hughes Fish Tips
With more and more water features and ponds showing up in the home garden people are wondering if they can add fish to these features. We stopped by Hughes Water Gardens (503-638-1709) to chat with Eamonn about the different types of fish and which ones will work well in your pond. Eamonn told us about the 4 main types of fish; goldfish, koi, shubunkin and sarasa. First Eamonn discussed goldfish, which are a popular fish for the small pond, but have some problems. They reproduce quickly and can stir up the sediments in your pond that will make your water murky. If you want something that looks like a goldfish, you may want to try a sarasa. They have the same coloration as a goldfish but create fewer problems in the pond. Next we looked at Shubunkins or the ‘poor mans koi’ as Eamonn called them. These fish have the same type of coloration and they only get 6-8 inches long, where as koi can get 2-3 feet long. Once you have chosen your fish you need to think about the habitat. Fish need protection from predators and you can accomplish that with a long submerged tube or very deep water. You will also need some shade where they can rest during the hot days. Finally you need some plant material to compliment the normal feeding that you do. Plant material will attract insects as a food source. In addition the algae will promote a varied diet. For more fish tips, stop by Hughes Water Gardens.
Easy Pesto
One of the great tastes from the summer garden is fresh basil. You can add it to salads, dressings and other culinary delights, but one of the best ways to enjoy it is to make a pesto from it. Joelle from Smith Berry Barn (503-628-2172) joined us to show us how easy it is to make a delicious pesto that you can add to many dishes from the kitchen. First she gathered about 4 cups of fresh basil leaves and a handful of parsley, and then blended them together with about 4 cloves of garlic. Then we added pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and some olive oil and blended again. You can use it fresh or you can freeze it for later. Joelle uses a flexible Teflon muffin tin to freeze single servings. If you want to try this yourself you can find the recipe on the Smith Berry Barn website. You can also join in the fall harvesting at Smith.
Top Watering Tips
During this story we told you that we would have the top 5 watering tips for your garden, but we ended up with 8 tips! We may think that summer is nearing an end but we will still be watering well into the fall if the weather stays warm. To learn more about conserving water in the garden we went to the Regional Water Providers Consortium (503-823-7528). The RWPC is THE source for using water wisely. Jim walked Judy through some of the many tips you can find on their website. First we talked about the amount of water you should use. 1 inch of water a week is all that is needed to make sure that your grass will stay green. Next we learned that a timer is the best way to make sure you don’t go over that 1 inch rule. It is also recommended that you water before 10am or after 6pm to minimize evaporation. It is also good to water specific areas according to their needs. Planting similar types of plants, with similar needs, together will make sure that you water them all the same. To help in watering specific area you can use a soaker hose or drip irrigation system. This will make sure that water is used in areas where it is needed. Maintenance is also a big issue. Once your have a watering system in place you will want to make sure that it is aimed correctly (you don’t want to water the street) and has no leaks or breaks. For more water saving tips for inside and out, check out the RWPC website.
Sprayers
Sprayers are one of those pieces of garden equipment that people tend to forget about. Judy showed us a couple of the different styles of sprayers to use. A lot of manufacturers are making it easy for the home gardener by adding a hose-end sprayer to the bottles of product that you buy. These are mini-sprayers that are designed to disburse just the right amount of product on your plants. You have to remember that they are only designed for the product that they are attached to and should not be moved to other containers. Fertilome makes a cool sprayer that attaches to most Fertilome products and can be adjusted to deliver the right amount no matter which product you use. Finally we saw some of the battery operated sprayers and the old fashioned pump sprayers. Some final tips; wear protective gear including eye protection and gloves, and never spray during a breezy day. Also, you may want to label your sprayers so you don’t mix your chemicals when you spray. See your local, independent garden center for more information.
Garden Lights
Extending your outdoor entertaining into the evening in the late summer and early fall is easy. All you need to do is add a little light! We found a great assortment of solar and passive lights at the Greenhouse Catalog (800-825-1925). These lights need no plugs or power; they get their energy from the sun. There are also a bunch that are powered by batteries for those typical northwest cloudy days. We saw all-weather Chinese lanterns, garden stakes and even one that floats in a bowl! If you are looking for some colorful night time accents for your garden, check out their website or give them a call.
Garden Time On-line Magazine
One of the newest garden tools in our shed isn’t even a tool. It is the Garden Time On-line magazine. This once-a-month ‘free’ magazine is delivered to your e-mail and contains a wide variety of information for the home gardener. Some of the monthly features include:
Got to Have It section picks a plant or a collection of plants that are so cool we just have to talk about them. From new releases to classics that just don’t get enough praise, we share what’s makes them so fabulous that you just Got to Have It.
Backyard section shares stories on great ideas that you can do in your own backyard. On those rainy days it may be an indoor project to move outdoors when the weather clears. From starting seedling, designing beautiful container to building a container bubbler we’ll write about small projects you can do in your own Backyard no matter its size.
Eats section is all about edibles, from growing your own produce and herbs to great recipes that fill your table with good Eats.
Horties section interviews some of our Northwest’s great plant people. Designers, breeders and gardeners galore, we give you the facts about what makes them some of our favorite Horties.
Adventures section gets you to break out from your own garden and go on an Adventure to some of our favorite shops, garden centers, events, public gardens and garden tours. From Yard, Garden and Patio Show to Oregon Garden there’s a garden adventure every month to excite every reader.
Read through some of our back issues here: April 2009 • May 2009 • June 2009 • July 2009
Or go to the GTO Magazine page of the Garden Time website and sign up today!
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