SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 190 • November 20, 2010

VIDEO ARCHIVE

Cold and frigid temperatures are sweeping through the Northwest and that means it is time to batten down the hatches and think about protecting your garden for the colder weather and snow to come. The cold weather is also a reminder that we must be near the end of the Garden Time season. Next week will be the final episode for 2010. As we finish our 5th season, and approach Thanksgiving, we want to thank all of our viewers for making us the most watched garden show in the Northwest, but don't worry we will return in the spring of 2011 for our 6th season.

This week we featured...

Olive Oil Harvest

The taste of fresh olive oil can't be beat. Whether it is in a salad dressing or cooking, the flavor is intoxicating. And the freshest olive oil is right here in the Willamette Valley at Red Ridge Farms. The Oregon Olive Mill at Red Ridge (503-864-2200) is in the process of harvesting and milling fresh olive oil just outside of Dundee. We paid a visit and received a personalized tour of the production facilities from one of the owners, Paul Durant. We visited one of the fields where we saw how they are growing the Arbequina variety of olives along with the Picual variety. Once they are harvested the local olives are combined with selected high quality olives from California. The olives are then milled for their oil. Most people think that the olives are pressed, but they are actually ground up whole, heated and the oil is spun off using a centrifuge. The new oil is called 'Olio Nuovo' and appears cloudy. After the a few months the sediments settle to the bottom of the storage container and the oil is clear.

Your chance to see this process in action is happening this weekend at Red Ridge Farms (503-864-8502) during their Olio Nuovo Festa. Stop by for tastes at the farm all this weekend. Check out their website for the times of all the events!

Building a Holiday Centerpiece

Welcome the holidays with a beautiful centerpiece on your dinner table. It is easy to build and decorate if you follow the right steps. William and Judy showed us how to build a lovely centerpiece with a battery operated candle for the Thanksgiving holiday and how to convert it to a Christmas centerpiece with just a few changes. We started with a candle called Enjoy which we found at Target. We also found similar candles at Al's Garden Center in Sherwood and others at K-Mart. These are great because you can use them in any decoration and because they are battery operated they will not catch anything on fire. Plus the Enjoy Candle has a timer so you can set it for 4, 6 or 8 hours and it will shut off by itself. They also look so natural with flickering bulbs that resemble a real flame.

We started our first centerpiece with cut greens from an evergreen in our garden and some sword ferns too. You just layer them in the container you have chosen. Pick lots of different textures so it is more visually stimulating. Next we put in buds from the pieris shrub, for more texture. We added gourds and silk leaves (they will not dry out and crumble) for the fall/Thanksgiving look. To change the look to a winter or Christmas look we pulled the gourds and silk leaves away and added pinecones and rose hips for a totally different look. You can have a beautiful centerpiece on your holiday table and it is easy to build!

Portland Nursery Inspiration Open House

If you are looking for inspiration to liven up your holiday decorating, look no further than Portland Nursery on Stark St. (503-231-5050) this weekend. The Stark street store is having their Inspiration Open House on Saturday and Sunday and they have a huge list of events that are happening! Classes include making handmade snowglobes, decorating tips, making floral centerpieces, and wine and candy tasting. You can also get some great deals on plants, selected holiday decorations and even get your picture taken in their holiday sleigh. They will even mail you the picture! At the Division Street (503-788-9000) store you can enjoy the Super RAD PDX Craft Show on Saturday from 2-6pm. This event will feature over 40 different independent local artisans and craft people. They will also have live music and refreshments! There is a lot to do at both stores!

Tsugawa Gifts from the Garden

If you are looking for a unique and interesting gift, maybe all you need to do is look as far as your garden. This weekend Tsugawa Nursery (360-225-8750) is having their holiday open house and one of the classes that they are offering is the 'Gifts from the Garden' class. This class is a 'hands-on' event that will show you how to make simple gifts for the holidays from your garden. Merle showed us some of the things you can learn to make including planters of colorful plants, herbal vinegars, oil and sugars, forced bulbs and other elegant gifts. Other classes will show you how to make a Mosaic Stepping Stone, a bonsai and wreaths and centerpieces. There are events for the kids including a treasure hunt, a nature craft and a yummy treat! Events fill up fast so check out the complete listing on the Tsugawa website.

Hardy Ferns

The winter garden can be a depressing place. Most of the color is gone and there is not much to look at on those drab days. We found a variety of plant that changes that outlook, hardy ferns. We stopped by Sebright Gardens (503-463-9615) to visit with Thomas and learn more about these great winter plants. These hardy ferns can take pretty much anything that nature can dish out. Thomas showed us some of his favorite ones in their display garden including; Polystichum setiferum plumoso multilobum, the Lace Fern 'Microlepia strigosa', the Mexican Male Fern 'Dryopteris pseudo Filix-mas', Polystrichum setiferum 'Congestum Christa', and the Beaded Wood Fern 'Dryopteris bissetiana. Tough names to pronounce that fit the tough plants they describe. These plants like dappled shade, light fertilization and well drained soil. For more information on these plants feel free to contact Sebright Gardens.

 
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