SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 200 • April 23, 2011

VIDEO ARCHIVE

Happy Easter weekend… if it is Easter, why does it feel like February?   Yeah, the spring has been a little colder and wetter than most years, but it just makes the summer so much better.  We are getting closer to that warmer weather and now is a ‘touchy’ time in the garden.  It is still too cold for some crops to go in the ground without protection.  If you are anxious about getting your garden in, spend a few dollars for frost cloth or ‘walls o water’ to protect your investment.  Don’t worry; it is only for another week or two.

This week we featured...

Urban Chickens

Urban Chickens

One of the hottest trends in gardening is the idea of growing your own food. For some that means a vegetable garden.  For others, they want to go a little further and bring poultry to their gardens.  The benefits of chickens are many.  They can help control insects and pests by eating them.  They can help with fertilizing by just doing their ‘business’ as they walk around your garden.  They can also bring you fresh eggs.  Plus there is the added benefit of just looking cool!  To learn more about chickens we stopped by Urban Farm Store in SW Portland (503-234-7733) to talk to Robert Litt.  If you have decided to have chickens in your garden you will want to get a few items to help them thrive.  First of all you will need to get at least 3-4 baby chicks to start.  In Portland the law says you can have three hens in your backyard.  Remember to check with your town or county to see what the regulations are for your area.  In some towns they don’t allow backyard poultry at all!  Sometimes one of the chicks turns out to be a rooster and then you will have to get rid of it.  Chickens are also social creatures and they are happier if they have company in the garden.  As far as supplies you will need equipment for feeding and watering them.  Smaller chicks will also need a heat lamp to grow.  Then you will also need shelter for them.  Even when they grow larger, chickens are not self-sufficient.  You will need to feed them and make sure they have all that they need to thrive.  Also, people move them around the garden from time to time to give them a fresh place to scratch and peck.  If you would like to get started on having chickens in your garden, you can stop by Urban Farm Store and pick up a copy of their book, ‘A Chicken in Every Yard’ which was written by Robert and Hannah Litt to answer all your chicken questions.  If you would like to start raising chickens and also want to save a few dollars you can check out the Urban Farm Store coupon in the current Chinook Book.  Learn more about the Chinook Book by checking out their website.  They feature savings with lots of local retailers.  Chickens are a cool way to bring the family farm to your backyard! 

26th Annual Tulip Fest

26th Annual Tulip Fest

William and Judy visited the Woodburn Tulip Festival at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm for the 26th annual Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest (1-800-711-2006).  This event showcases the fields full of beautiful tulip blooms.  This year the cold weather has delayed the start of the blooms by a couple of weeks.  The blooms were held back but now they are just starting to pop!  In fact the cold weather has been a good thing; the Iverson family has decided to extend the festival by a week until May 8th. Barb Iverson took William out to the fields and we were surrounded by incredible blooms!  The flower fields are just hitting their peak and the farm is full of events and it is still a must see for anyone, even non-flower lovers.  Every weekend they are packed with different activities including a wooden shoe carver, pony rides, arts and crafts, steam tractors, wine tasting and other entertainment for a small fee.  The rest of the week has a discounted fee, so you can save a little money by coming out on the weekday!  This weekend they are celebrating Easter with an Easter egg hunt on Saturday at 10am and an Easter service on Sunday morning at 7am.  Even when the weather is a little damp, the fields never disappoint.  You can even check out their ‘field report’ link on their webpage for the most up-to-date bloom report.  Bring a camera; this is a scene you have to capture on film!

Sharpening Tools

Sharpening Tools

As you start pulling out your garden tools for the coming season, it is a good time to give them a good cleaning and sharpening.  Clean and sharp tools will make your garden chores much easier.  Some tips to follow include using alcohol and steel wool to scrub them clean and disinfect them.  Then you want to use a sharpening stone to give a good sharp edge to them to make the cutting easier.  Remember to only sharpen the beveled edges of the blades!  Also, if you have a pruning saw, take it to a professional or buy a new one.  They are just too dangerous to attempt on your own.  Your local garden center has all the tools you need and they can even demonstrate how to do it correctly.  Do a little sharpening now and all your spring garden clean-up will be a breeze!  We found all the tools that we needed for cleaning and sharpening at the Portland Nursery (503-231-5050) on 50th and Stark, but you can find these same tools at most of your local independent garden centers.

KinderGarden – Chalk Pots

KinderGarden – Chalk Pots

Our KinderGarden segment for this week found us back at Al’s Garden Center in Woodburn.  Amy Bigej had yet another segment that will get your kids interested in gardening.  This week she showed us how to make Chalk Pots for the garden.  These pots are just simple clay, terra cotta pots.  What you need is acrylic paint, chalkboard paint and the pots.  You can paint the pot with an acrylic paint and then add a patch of chalkboard paint.   This paint is available at most local craft stores.  Once it is dry you can add a message to the side of the pot in chalk.  These make great gifts for Mothers day, Father’s day or any special occasion. 

Planting Onions

Planting Onions

If you like fresh vegetables, you can’t beat onions fresh from the garden.  Some people have a tough time with onions, but they are really easy if you follow these simple rules.  First get your starts from your local garden center.  You may find them in 2 different packages.  One package will be the tray pack; the other is a bunch of starts that are rubber banded together.  In either case you will want to separate them into individual plants and plant them in the ground as a single stalk.  If you plant them close together you will get smaller onions.  If you have a larger variety like Walla Walla you can plant them further apart to allow them to get larger in the ground.  William also shared his rules for success. Use good loose soil and water well for the best success.   

Tropical Succulents

Tropical Succulents

Every gardener wants something that looks cool and unique in their home or garden and one of the most unique plants that you can have are succulents.  We paid a visit to Cornell Farm (503-292-9895) because we heard that they had a twist on these fascinating plants.   Deby showed us some of the planters that they have filled with tropical succulents.  These planters don’t need much in the way of care and maintenance.  Even though they are not generally hardy outside they can bring some cool textures, colors and forms indoors.  Some of the wonderful plants she focused on included the aeonium kiwi, the strange ‘chalk fingers’ plant and the ‘topsy turvy’ succulent.  These plants don’t need much water and love a fast draining soil or cactus mix.  If you would like to take a ‘trip to the tropics’ and build yourself a succulent planter, stop by Cornell Farm and see all the great plants they have.
 

 
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