SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 206 • June 4, 2011

VIDEO ARCHIVE

The sun has returned!  And so has the heat!  The garden loves this weather and it is about time.  Everything has been behind all season and the Northwest gardener has been very frustrated.  Still, this wet spring will be long forgotten if this dry spell keeps up.  We can only hope!  The tomatoes are going in the ground this week and even the roses are starting to bloom.  And speaking of roses… Today, Saturday the 4th, William and Judy are going to be out at the Heirloom Rose Days celebration sponsored by Meta.  Stop by between 11-3 and sign up to win a bunch of watering tools from Dramm and pick up your free garden gloves and shopping bag provided by Meta!  Don’t forget to wear your sunscreen!

This week we featured...

Down Under Pots

Down Under Pots

One of the most interesting planters in the past few years has been the Topsy-Turvy, the upside down planter.  But long before this lightweight planter came along there was the original Down Under Pot!  This is a heavy duty clay container that is designed to last and to be better for your plants.  Carol James from C James nursery in Newberg is a distributor of this one-of-a-kind container.  Carol showed us how easy it is to plant one of these containers up and how they are designed with a special water reservoir to help your plant thrive!  You can order them through their website or you can see them in person and get tips on planting them at the Hillsboro and Orenco Station Farmers markets every weekend.  Carol has a booth at both markets and is more than willing to explain how much better they are than the competition. 

Heirloom Rose Days

Heirloom Rose Days

We paid a visit to Heirloom Roses (503-538-1576) for their annual Rose Days event,  sponsored by Meta®.  Heirloom not only grows roses, they also hybridize new varieties and this weekend you can get a sneak peak at some of the 1000’s they have growing for the future.  In addition to the roses, you can catch seminars from local gardening experts, enjoy the gift shop and stroll the huge display gardens.  You can also sample wine and buy a nice BBQ meal.  Other vendors include N&M nursery, one of the leading perennial growers in our area, Pacific Hazelnut Farms and even  Rio Con Brio, a great musical duo.  IF your roses are struggling to recover from the cold and wet winter, they will help you give them a jump start with some tips and information.  They will even cover rose pests and how to control them.  The biggest damage to their roses was from the local deer.  Deer love to munch on roses and Heirloom has a recipe that you can spray on your roses to deter the deer from snacking.  If you want to learn more about pests or need the recipe give them a call.  And don’t forget to stop by and say hi to William and Judy on Saturday and sign up to win some great prizes!  Now is a great time to stop by and see (and smell) the best roses in the state!

Reel Mowers

Reel Mowers

The push is for going green in the garden and for some gardeners that means going back to basics.  For your lawn that means dumping the gas powered mower in favor of the old fashioned reel mower.  Even though this garden tool has its root in the 1800s it is designed with up to date technology.  To learn more we stopped by Parkrose Hardware (503-256-3103) and talked to Michael Nelson.  Today machines are not some lightweight knockoffs.  These machines are built with heft!  This weight is meant to keep the machine on the ground and give you a consistent cut.  The blades are also designed to stay sharper longer (as long as you don’t hit too many rocks).  There are other design features that will make this workhorse easier to use.  If you are looking to give one a try you can stop by Parkrose and have one of their helpful staff show you one.  Right now they are even offering a a coupon in the current edition of the Chinook Book!  To learn more about the Chinook Book you can check out their website at http://pdx.chinookbook.net/.  

Kindergarden – Chalk Pots Part 2

Kindergarden – Chalk Pots Part 2

On an earlier show we showed you how to make a ‘chalk pot’ with your kids.  This is where you use chalk paint on a terra cotta pot so you can write on it.  This week we revisit the idea and turn it into a perfect little gift for that favorite teacher.  Amy Bigej joined us again to show us how to ‘season’ the pot so you can write on it.  Then we saw how to add some soil and seeds to make it really special!  If you would like to try and make one it is really simple, but if your time is really tight, your can pick one up already painted at your local Al’s Garden Center (503-981-1245) location. 

Hypertufa Pots

Hypertufa Pots

Hypertufa is the art of making lightweight cement pots.  Donna Wright from Black Gold/Sungro gave us the step by step instructions for making these wonderful pots.  Hypertufa means ‘light weight cement pots’ and she walked William through the process of making them.  The 3 ingredients to remember are ‘Peat, Perlite, and Portland Cement’.  You can customize them by adding moss, creating patterns and changing the color when you make them.  It is a great project for families and will last for years!  Check out the recipe if you missed it on the air. 
 

 
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