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SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 166 • May 29, 2010

VIDEO ARCHIVE

Happy Memorial Day and welcome to the unofficial start of summer. This long weekend is when you can feel the change of seasons. We would be happy if we could feel dry! The past few weeks have really made us wish for the return of summer. Forecasts call for the warming and drying to start and that means a return to the garden. Before you head out to your yard, take some time and enjoy the holiday and some of the wonderful festivals that are happening around the area. The peonies at Adelman's, Inviting Vines clematis tour and the ever popular Schreiner's Iris Chicken Dinner on Memorial Day are all ready to blow your socks off. In fact the Garden Time crew is looking at making an appearance at the Chicken feed, so if you are in the area, stop by and say hello.

This week we featured...

Adelman Peony Blooms

If it is right around Memorial Day you can bet that the peony fields are close to full bloom. We stopped by Adelman Peony Gardens (503-393-6185) and found out it is true. Carol Adelman welcomed us to the garden and showed off the relatively young display gardens that were planted a couple of years ago. She also talked about the recent weather and how it has affected the blooms. A lot of flowers in local gardens are on the ground with all this rain, cold and wind. She showed us how to use stakes, fertilizer and training to get them up and off the ground. She also talked about the differences in the varieties of plants including bush peonies, intersectionals and tree peonies. We even saw William's favorite 'Bartzilla' which is looking outstanding right now. If you are interested in seeing all the different types, you can stop by and view the fields while they are in full bloom. There are plants you can take home, cut flowers for your vases and order forms for planting in the fall. You can stop by anytime until the 13th of June.

Schreiner's Iris Gardens

Another of the showcase events in our area is the Memorial Day chicken Dinner at Schreiner's Iris Gardens (1-800-525-2367). We stopped by and found that the blooms are just starting to pop. The colder weather has slowed the blooms down and it seems like they were just waiting for this weekend to show off. Steve Schreiner took us out to the display garden to show us the great mixed beds and also to show us the new catalogue. OK, it was just a fake one with William's picture on it, but that is the type of fun everyone has at the gardens. It is hard not to have fun with all this wonderful color. The scent in the display gardens is intoxicating. People forget that most iris have a wonderful smell. Each bloom will remind you of candy, sugar, bubble gum or some other great smell. Schreiner's even has a fragrant collection that you can order for your own garden. The flowers in the garden are also wonderful because they are all labeled and are easy to see even if you have limited mobility. Iris also make great cut flowers and you can pick up growing tips for your own garden, though they are one of the easiest plants to grow. They like full sun, have little or no disease and other than slugs, they have no pest problems. If you want to see the fields or the display garden you have plenty of time to do so, they will be looking good until the middle of June. Stop by and check out all the colors!

Inviting Vines Clematis Tour

Did you know that we have one of the best clematis collections in the world right here in our backyard? The Rogerson Clematis Collection at Luscher Farm in Lake Oswego is the result of a lifetime of work of Brewster Rogerson. He is not a gardener; he just loves clematis as a plant. After years of collecting plants he decided to donate them to the Pacific Northwest Clematis Society and the beginnings of the collection were formed. A few years ago the collection found a new home at Luscher Farm and that is where we found curator Linda Beutler. Linda gave us a brief history and tour of the grounds and showed us some of the beautiful blooms that were showing off. 'Fairy Queen' and 'John Gould Veitch' were looking outstanding and work was progressing on the rest of the display gardens. Then Linda took us to a greenhouse where the rest of the collection is waiting until it can be planted. This weekend you can help these lonely plants find a home in the gardens. The Inviting Vines III, clematis tour runs Saturday the 29th from 10am to 4pm. This tour of 6 private gardens in SW Portland will show off the showcase gardens of local garden personalities and show how they use clematis (and other plants) in their gardens. The tour features favorites like Gail Austin, Dan Heims, and Barbara Blossom among others and all the proceeds benefit the garden. You can get your tickets at any of the gardens or at Luscher Farm. Check out the Collections website for more information.

Kindergarden - Sweet Pea Planters

You may think that Sweet Peas are just a spring time flowering plant. But this week's Kindergarden segment has your kids growing a variety that will perform any time of year. Amy from Al's Garden Center in Woodburn (503-981-1245) joined us with a couple of little helpers to show us how you can have your kids planting a nice little planter that they can enjoy all summer. Amy picked a dwarf variety of sweet peas called 'Little Sweetheart'. This one is great for smaller containers. First you want to soak the seeds for at least a day. It will soften the outer coat of the seed and help them to sprout. Next you will want a pot that is full of clean potting soil. Then you can start planting the seeds an inch deep or so (which was the second knuckle on these little helpers). You then can make a simple trellis with short bamboo stakes and you are done. It is a great project and one that the whole family can enjoy.

Gartner's Memorial Day Grilling

Holidays should be spent with friends and family and not tied to a grill. This start of the summer season is a great time to reacquaint yourself with those close to you, and to your grill! We stopped by the home of Jerry Yost to pick up some tips to keep our holiday worry free and easy. Jerry works at Gartner's Meats (503-252-7801) and is the master at the grill. He picked up some marinated short ribs (both beef and pork) and showed us how quick and easy the meal can be. Gartner's also carries a full complement of salads and breads to make your meal complete. The ribs come in a bag already sauced so all you have to do is put them on the grill, and in 10 minutes you are done. Of course if you want more meat, Gartner's has a full meat case with everything you need to make your meal a success. Check them out before you head to your next cookout.

 
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