The heat is returning. We have had a nice break from the really high
temperatures for the last week or so. Get ready for a few hot days. As
gardeners we know what that means... extra eyes on your plants to see if
they are suffering from the lack of water and extra eyes on you for the same
reason.
The heat also tells us that summer has returned and that means summer problems in the garden. Jan addresses some of the problems on this week's show, but William also talks about some of the problems he has seen in his garden. Check out the Garden Time Blog
for more on that and his solutions for your summer vegetable garden.
Gardenpalooza returns! Well, not the same Gardenpalooza as in the spring.
This fall we kick off Gardenpalooza, The Tour. Happening September 9-12 we
will have over 20 nursery locations opening their doors with specials,
classes and demonstrations for the Northwest Gardener. Check out the new
Gardenpalooza website for previews of some
of the locations.
Stay cool!
This week we featured...
Mosquito Plants
This summer has seen a large increase in the amount of
mosquitoes in the garden. We can owe it all to the wet spring and cooler
temperatures. Some days it is just too brutal to go out after dark for fear
of being eaten alive. You know that you can cover yourself in bug spray or
you can try a more natural approach, with plants! We stopped by Drake's 7
Dees where we found a display of plants that help repel mosquitoes. These
plants seem to have natural oils and scents that these bugs can't stand!
Some of the plants that people have had luck with include citronella grass,
basil, catnip, rosemary, marigolds, geraniums, cedar, verbena, pennyroyal,
lavender, pine, cinnamon, lemon balm, thyme, allspice, garlic, and
peppermint. For these plants and more tips on dealing with mosquitoes check
with your local independent garden center.
Crape Myrtle
It is known as the 'lilac of the late summer', it is the Crape Myrtle and it
is busting out all over right now. If you have driven around neighborhoods
lately you may have seen the prolific blooms on these trees or small shrubs.
We had a chance to learn more about this great plant from Mark Bigej at Al's
Garden Center (503-726-1162). Mark loves these plants and so does Al's. They are Crazy
for Crapes for the next week or so. You can stop by and see tons of
different varieties in bloom and they even have them on sale. Crape Myrtles
love sun and the more sun the better, it means more blooms for each plant.
Mark also told us that these plants can be very drought tolerant too. He
also showed us how to prune them. There really are no rules for pruning.
They bloom on new wood and you can hack them back pretty far and they will
still come back. Plus they go very well with some of the late summer
blooming perennials too. Most of the local garden centers and nurseries
have a great selection of perennials and they are in full bloom! Stop by,
check them out and add one to your summer garden.
Triple Crown Cobbler
It is still berry time in the Northwest. We found one of the
best cane berries still producing right now is the Triple Crown Berry.
Jolene from Smith Berry Barn (503-628-2172) took us out to the field to
pick some of these wonderful berries. The Triple Crown is a great late
summer berry. It has a great taste, holds up well for eating or canning and
is thorn-less! After we had picked a big bowl we went in and learned a
brand new recipe to make a tasty cobbler. This recipe is located on the
Smith Berry Barn website as a peach cobbler, but we easily changed it to use
the berries. First we mixed the berries with some ingredients and baked the
berries, and then we made the topping and added that to the mix. When it
was finished we had a great dessert that was done in about 40 minutes.
Check out the Smith website for more delicious recipes and a daily update of
what is fresh from the fields.
Jan's August Tips
The summer garden has problems all its own, but there are
benefits too! We joined Jan McNeilan in her garden to see both ends of the
spectrum. First we started with a success story. 2 months ago Jan planted
a hydroponic tomato and now it is nearly 9 feet tall. We have told you
about the system from Green Air Products (800-669-2113) and it is looking really good right now.
Compared to her other tomato plants these are the stars! The ones in her
greenhouse are doing ok and the ones in her garden she joking says have one
tomato per plant. That seems to be the story around the Northwest this
summer. In fact, Jan even showed us a pepper plant that had one huge pepper
that had bent the plant to the ground, with no other fruit in sight! Jan
also had problems with rust on her plants and root weevils munching on her
leaves. She recommends that you get out in your garden to observe and
clean. Look for problems and clean them up before they become big issues.
For more tips on working in your summer garden, check out the OSU Extension
website.
Summer Lawn Tips
The heat of summer can really beat up your lawn and turn your
lovely green grass into dry crunchy straw. To get some tips on creating a
healthy and happy lawn we visited with Dave Jones of TruGreen
(1-800-TRUGREEN).
Dave told us that the health of your lawn can be tied to 3 things, mowing,
watering and fertilizing. The first thing we talked about was watering.
Determining the correct amount of water to apply to your lawn can be
difficult. Dave recommended trying to find out the amount of water you have
coming out of your system. You can do this with the 'tuna can' test (or
with gauges provided by TruGreen) Put the cans out and run your system,
check the amount in the cans and adjust so you are putting about 1 inch of
water per week on your grass. Once you have determined how much water is
applied check to make sure it is enough for your lawn. You can do this
several ways. The first way was the 'step test'. Step on the grass and see
if it bounces back. You can also use a shovel to see how deep the moisture
reaches into the soil. If there is a need for more water you can adjust
your system accordingly. Next we moved to mowing. Raise the level of your
mower to allow your grass to grow to 3 inches. This will create a barrier
so your grass won't dry out, and never take off more than 1/3 of the height
of the grass. A sharp mower blade is also extremely important. Finally we
talked about fertilization. Having a balanced fertilizer program is very
important. You will want to monitor your lawn and feed it more than once a
year. Grass needs nutrition and you provide a lot of that with a good
fertilizer. If you have any questions about your lawn you can always call
your local experts at TruGreen.
Year-Round Hanging Basket
The hanging basket is a symbol of summer. It is usually filled
with colorful annuals including bacopa and tender fuchsias, but we found a
basket that can last through summer and through the whole year too! Dan
Heims from Terra Nova showed us a basket that was filled with perennials and
other hardy plants. This basket was loaded with heuchera, heucherella,
brunnera, begonia, and some new trailing tiarellas! It loves the shade, and
is loaded with colorful leaves and flowers. During the winter months you
can just take it down and place it on the ground. Water it and forget it.
In the spring, trim off the old leaves and you are good to go again for the
season. The only rules that remain the same are the ones about water and
fertilizer. During the growing season, keep them well watered and fertilize
once a month. Plant a basket with perennials this year and enjoy a year of
great color and interest!