Welcome to GardenPalooza weekend. We are excited to be returning for our 10th anniversary of this great gardening event. We hope you get a chance to come out and enjoy the day with us. We have been around for a decade and we enjoy having our friends and fans come out and visit with us. This year we also have the benefit of offering you a free viola. We have over 4000 of them to offer our friends. Come and get one while supplies last. We will also have a chance to enter to win a set of cookware and a design class at Geranium Lake Flowers. Stop by between 8 and 4 to see over 45 different garden vendors and take home a plant or piece of art for your garden! We will see you at Fir Point Farms in Aurora on Saturday. Check out www.GardenPalooza.com for more details.

This week we featured...

Growing Asparagus

Some people have tried asparagus in the past and have not had too much luck. Jack Bigej from Al’s Garden Center (503-981-1245) loves asparagus and gave us some tips for planting success. He uses a variety called Jersey Knight which is made up of all male plants that will not go to seed, plus it yields a bigger crop. First, you dig a well drained hole that is about a foot deep. That is the key…good drainage! Asparagus doesn’t like standing water. Then, lightly cover the root with a couple of inches of soil. When the plants get to be about a foot tall you fill in the rest of the hole. Don’t harvest the first year. Lightly harvest the second year and cut all you want the 3rd year. The plant will produce a good crop for up to 20 years after that. There is little or no maintenance of these prolific plants if they are in the right conditions, check with your local garden center or Al’s for more details.

Planting Fuchsias

Fuchsias are one of the most beautiful plants in the summer garden. They are also one of the easiest to winter over on your deck or patio. We found one that was a little tight in its pot and decided to clean it up a little bit. For the older plants you want to cut back the branches to the strong new growth. Look for healthy canes and new leaves. Cut above the new leaves to promote new branching. You will also want to break up the roots and shake off the old soil. Use a new potting soil to replant them. We used the Black Gold product because it has Multicoat fertilizer so we don’t have to worry about fertilizing for awhile. If you are planting new plants remember to break up the roots a little bit to stimulate new growth. If you are scared about planting new plants you can stop by any Fred Meyer store on Saturday April 14th from 7-4 to have them plant up your plants for you. Just buy the plants and the pot at Freddy’s and they will plant it with free Black Gold for you.

Crabapples

If you are looking for a small tree to use in your landscape, check out the newest varieties of crabapples that have been recently introduced. Tony from Farmington Gardens (503-649-4568) talked to William about the varieties that will do well in our area. The ones he hi-lighted included ‘Royal Raindrops’, ‘Pink Spire’, ‘Lollipop’ and ‘Firebird’. The old styles of crabapples were known for getting scab and rust, plus they could get 30 feet tall or higher! These newer varieties are more disease resistant and they have been hybridized to stay smaller. Right now they reward you with beautiful blooms and later they will reward your garden wildlife with small fruits too. Check out all the varieties at your garden center to find the right one for your yard.

Mole Traps

One of the most common pests in the NW garden is the mole. They can really tear up your flower bed and lawn. There are lots of products out there to deter them. Don Sprague of Don Sprague Sales (1-800-423-0158) has found that most of them don’t work too well. The products that don’t seem to work include the vibrators, the home remedies, and the gases and bombs. And with some of these products you may be doing more harm to your garden than the moles. The problem with getting rid of moles, if you don’t remove them, they will just leave and will return later. The best way of getting rid of moles is to trap them. Don showed us how to use the Cinch Trap. The Cinch Trap is VERY effective. This product will trap them and remove them forever.