SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 211 • July 9, 2011

VIDEO ARCHIVE

Cruise control… our garden seems to be on cruise control right now.  Summer is here and the plants are responding to all this sun and warmth.  We are just watering, doing a little clean-up every once in a while and enjoying all the color.  The one thing we have noticed is that the first wave of blooms are starting to fade and we will need to start deadheading soon.  That will help us get a second wave of color on some of our plants and it will make the garden look cleaner too.  Before the really hot days of summer return do a little bit of work and then sit back and be rewarded!

This week we featured...

Lawn Gravel

Lawn Gravel

A lot of people in the Northwest have problems with clay or compacted soils.  It sometimes makes growing a nice lawn tough.  When we heard about a method of adding gravel to your lawn to improve it we had to check it out.  We met with Sarah from the Regional Water Providers Consortium at her house to check out her lawn which had the gravel added to it.  We have to say the lawn looked great and not a rock could be seen!  Sarah and her husband bought the house a few years ago and after they moved in they found the lawn to be a constant problem.  At first they tried to roll in some turf and that worked for about 6 months.  After that they noticed that it was dying in some spots and they still had drainage problems.  Then a trip to Joy Creek Nursery in Scappoose brought their attention to this new technique.  They recommended that you cut the existing grass very short and cover it with one inch of ¼ ten gravel over the entire surface.  Cover that with a layer of compost and then seed the area with an appropriate grass seed.  Keep it moist and then mow in a couple of weeks.  You will find that the grass will grow better and you will practically eliminate the drainage problems… but here is the most impressive part, no gravel will be in the lawn to poke your feet.  For complete instructions on how to do this in your own garden click here and for more water saving tips for your home and garden you can check out the Regional Water Providers Consortium website.

Culinary Lavender

Culinary Lavender

Lately there has been a trend to use more fresh herbs and seasonings from your garden.  Lavender is one of the most popular garden herbs for its beauty and fragrance, and now for its flavor in recipes.  We stopped by Lavender at Stonegate (503-638-5218) to visit with Sarah about the best varieties that you can grow at home for culinary purposes.  Sarah recommended that the home chef use varieties in the augustifolia family.  These are a tiny bit sweeter and won’t overpower your other ingredients.  Lavender can be used dry or fresh.  You will only use the flowers and preferably the buds.  If you are using fresh you want to add 2-3 times the amount you would use for a dried amount.  Go easy when you first start using lavender.  You can always add more later to recipes, but it is hard to remove the taste if you add too much.  If you are harvesting your lavender for cooking you will want to cut the flowers off when the very first buds start to bloom.  Cut it all off and let it dry by hanging it upside down in a cool dry area.  Once it is dry you can just rub the bunches between your hands to harvest the buds (they will fall off easily).   Sarah brought out a couple treats for us to try that featured lavender.  One was a lavender cookie and the other was a lavender muffin.  Both were incredible!  You can try to make your own. We have the recipes listed here.  If you would like to grow your own lavender plants you can contact Sarah at the nursery.  She has 6-packs of lavenders that are popular varieties that are grown in France and she also has a 6-pack of ‘herbs de province’ which gives you a combination of different herbs for cooking.

Lavender at Stonegate is just one of over 20 different lavender farms and events that are part of the Oregon Lavender Festival which is happening this weekend around Oregon.  To find a lavender farm or event near you, check out their website.  

Building a Raised Bed

Building a Raised Bed

Gardening in small spaces has grown quite a bit in the past couple of years.  Because of that people are looking for ways to garden efficiently in those spaces.  One way of doing that is with a raised bed.  A friend of the show, Alan, recently built a new raised bed and he let us record the steps so you can see how easy it can be!   When picking out a spot for a bed you will want to look for an area that gets 6-8 hours of sun a day.  You will want to get it level so look for level ground or be prepared to do a little digging.  Lay out the area that you want to build the bed and measure to make sure everything will fit.  Try to keep your bed no wider than 4 feet in its widest part.  This will help you in weeding and harvesting.  Start with at least a 2x6 or a 2x8 for the sides, which will give you the depth you need for all the new soil and plants.  ‘Measure twice and cut once’ is an old adage for builders and it is a good reminder for you when you get started.  Remove all the soil and sod in the area of your new bed and work the old soil with a tiller or shovel.  Once your boards are cut you can lay them out and make sure they are all square and level.  If everything fits you can start assembling the frame.  Use brass screw so they are resistant to rust and corrosion.  Screw the frame together on the outside corners and then reinforce the corners with inside brackets as well.  Back fill around the edges of the frame to create added stability.  Once the frame is in place you will want to fill it with clean soil.  If you add old top soil you will just be bringing the old problem into the bed including diseases and pests.  We filled the bed with Black Gold Natural and Organic soil, but if you have a large bed you can get a bulk delivery of Garden Mulch from Grimm’s Fuel (503-636-3623).  Once it is filled with soil you can plant your veggie garden.  Make sure that you water everything in once you plant it since the soil may be a little too dry for planting.  

If this all seems like it is too much to tackle, you can find a bunch of different ‘raised bed’ kits at your local independent garden centers.  Enjoy the summer and your great harvest from this new bed and next year try adding one more for even more veggies!

Garland Bee Plants

Garland Bee Plants

Bee colony collapse has become a real problem for growers and gardeners in the US.  Bees have been dying in record numbers and people are afraid of what might happen if we lose these active pollinators.  You can help combat this decline by creating a welcoming environment in your garden by planting bee friendly plants.  We stopped by Garland Nursery (541-753-6601) in Corvallis to see what types of plants they recommend to attract bees to your garden.  Lee Powell pulled out a few of his favorite plants to show us.  Here are the plants he recommends…  Vitex agnus-castus or the Chaste Tree, Ceonothus ‘Victoria’,  Monarda ‘Jacob Cline’, Ninebark ‘Center Glow’, Gaillardia ‘Gallo Orange’, Salvia ‘East Friesland’, Potentilla ‘Goldfinger’, Scabiosa ‘Vivid Violet’, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and Escallonia ‘Pink Princess’.  Of course there are other varieties and different plants that will do the same thing.  It is always best to check with your local garden center to find the plants that will work the best in your area. 

Al’s Patio Makeover

Al’s Patio Makeover

Summer is finally here and it is time to get out and enjoy the outdoors on your deck or patio.  But if your patio is looking a little ragged around the edges you can spruce it up with just a couple of quick changes.  To get some ideas we stopped by Al’s Garden Center in Sherwood (503-726-1162) and talked to Amy Bigej.  The staff there took a few minutes to run us through 3 different looks and it was surprising how easy the changes were to make. 

The first look had a tropical feel to it.  Most of the plants were indoor plants or hardy outdoor tropicals that were paired with warm colors of red and orange.  If you do use plants from indoors you will want to transition the plants from inside to outside by making sure the temperatures are high enough to prevent damage. In the fall you will want to treat them with a systemic insecticide so you don’t bring the bugs inside with the plants. 

The second look was more in line with a Northwestern feel.  It had cooler colors and a wide variety of conifers in containers.  These conifers are hardier and so they can stay out all year long.  We also noticed the artwork on the wall.  This ‘painting’ is designed to last outside in any weather.  It had blue tones that made it fit quite well into the new décor.  Blue candles and a water feature added to the cool natural setting of this layout.

The final setting had an exciting mix of blue, green and orange that was found in the plants, containers and accents.   These warm tones made it more fun and exciting than the second look.  We also noticed something else about this set-up.  The ‘bones’ of the patio were the same for each ‘look’.  The furniture and tables were the same; it was the little details that made the difference.  If you are looking for ideas on freshening up your patio for summer entertaining, stop by the Al’s in Woodburn or Sherwood.
 

 
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