Are you ready to turn up the heat?! The last couple of weeks have been a little chilly! We have been turning up the heat in our house and hoping for a little more sunshine. The weeds that we pulled a couple of weeks ago are coming back and we feel the need to get outside and do a little yard work. This coming week may be the time to do that!!! Around the state, we are looking for temps in the 70’s if not higher! Get outside and enjoy this weather… either by planting something in your garden, going to your local garden center or by dropping by a local event. This weekend alone we have lots to see. The Tulip Festival is happening in Woodburn, the lilac festival is starting in Woodland and we even have a pancake feed at Bauman’s in Woodburn.

There is so much to do and see, there is no reason not to get out this coming week!

This week we featured...

Orchid Varieties

A lot of people think that orchids are hard to grow and difficult to care for. We put that myth to rest with a visit from Lori from the Oregon Orchid Society (503-632-4884). Lori was not a collector of orchids, in fact she was growing cactus until someone gave her 2 orchids and that got her excited about orchids and she now grows over 10,000 orchids as a hobby. She brought some of her collection to show us. They included a number of different types including Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) and some Paphiopedilum varieties (slipper orchids). As far as growing conditions, they pretty much like what we like; 70 degrees and comfortable, and a little water once in a while. Most people kill them with kindness and water them too much. Really they are not that touchy. You can find different varieties. There are some that are fragrant, some are delicate and some are pretty tough. If you are interested in orchids you can see a bunch of them at the 2013 Oregon Orchid Show and Sale, happening this weekend at the Ambridge Event Center from 10am to 5pm both days. This event is bigger than ever! If you have questions about orchids you can stop by the show or you can also find out more at the Oregon Orchid Society website.

Pest Patrol – Stink Bugs

Stink bugs are not new to the northwest gardener. I remember seeing the bright green ones in the garden when I was a little kid. What is new is their dangerous cousin, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. We joined garden expert Claudia Groth to learn more about these new pests. These bugs were introduced to the US in the late 1990’s. They are dangerous, not to humans, but to our plants and crops. They attack plants and suck the nutrients out of them. They have no natural predators, and that is what makes them dangerous. On the east coast of the United States they have decimated fruit and vegetable crops. Claudia told us that there have even been outbreaks in the Portland area. OSU and the Oregon Department of Agriculture are working on ways of combating them, but for now there is little you can do. You can use a spray or a systemic pesticide on your plants but that may harm some of the beneficial bugs that may help keep them in check. The best advice? Use a pheromone trap to catch some (Rescue Company makes one), collect the others you can find and dunk them in a bucket of water, then contact OSU or the ODA and let them that you have found some in your garden. They will help monitor these pests and give you advice on controlling them. Here are some of the best websites to check out for more information. http://www.stopbmsb.org/, has mountains of information, but is directed to a nation audience.

http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/PLANT/IPPM/pages/bmsb.aspx, this is the Oregon Department of Agriculture site - their flyer has great photos so you can see what you are fighting! http://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/group/brown-marmorated-stink-bug-Oregon, this is the Oregon State University site. The newsletter contains the most up to date info and even asks folks to capture and hold the critters for collection. We think this is the best site for local people to get their information for this pest.

Trilliums

One of the wonderful natives in the woodland garden is the trillium. You can find these blooming right now if you take walks through the forested areas in our state. Did you know you can grow them in your own garden as well? To learn some tips about helping them thrive in your landscape we stopped by to visit with Gail Austin. Gail used to be one of the leaders in the growing of Daylilies. She retired and started to just garden for fun… and one of the plants she fell in love with was the trillium. There are lots of new varieties that are coming out on the market and she seemed to have all of them in her garden. Her main tip for success was to grow them in the same conditions they thrive in, in the forest. That means lots of deep rich humus from the breakdown of trees and plants. Gail has added nothing but ‘ground up’ trees to her beds for years. She also noticed that they can handle moist conditions in the spring but prefer to be a little dryer in the summer. One of the most interesting things she showed us was baby trillium seedlings. These first year plants can be easily confused as small leafy weeds. They just have straight leaves and are very small. The second and third years are not much better. They may start getting their trademark 3-leaf clusters, but still may be confused with other weeds in the garden. If they survive a 3-4 years they may give you a bloom or 2. As you can see, growing them can be a labor of love! If you would like to add one of these woodland favorites to your garden you can find them at most of your local garden centers (but please don’t dig them up in the forest!)

Call Before You Dig

There is no better feeling than turning some soil in your garden. That feeling will disappear quickly if you dig into a utility line. We found out that there is a new, easy way to avoid this problem. Scott from NW Natural Gas told us about the 811 number. This number is a nationwide number to help homeowners and businesses locate buried utility lines so you can stay out of trouble. The ‘Call Before You Dig’ program is not new, but people still don’t know much about it! One call will help you locate any line. If you don’t call you can be held liable for the damages of cutting a line. Besides, it is the right thing to do! Just call 811 (www.call811.com) two business days before you dig.

Bauman’s Pancakes and Berry Plants

Yum yum! We had a real treat this week. We stopped at Bauman’s Farm and Garden (503-792-3524) to get the big news. They are going to stay open on Sundays for the spring. To celebrate they made us some pancakes! Well, we thought we were pretty special until we learned that everyone can have a chance for some of these delicious pancakes this Sunday, the 21st, at their 1st annual Pancake Feed. They will be serving pancakes from 9 to noon for just $7 for adults. The best part is that they are topping the flapjacks with all the different varieties of toppings made from their fresh fruits of last season. If you like the taste of the berry toppings you can also take home a berry plant of your own. Bauman’s has a great selection of plants for your garden. Brian was able to share a few with us before we had to go. These included the ‘Bountiful Blue’ Blueberry, the Raspberry ‘Shortcake’ (made for containers), marionberries, and the full sized raspberries for the larger gardens. Stop by Bauman’s this Sunday for some tasty pancakes or anytime for great berry plants and other flowering beauties.

Jan’s April Tips

Are we too late? That was the question that started our conversation with Jan McNeilan when we met with her or the OSU tips of the month. The question is in reference to our tomato plants. We have been itching to get our tomatoes in the ground and we feel like it is too late! But we found out that you can still plant your vegetable garden as late as June and still get a great crop in the fall. Jan told us that patience is a virtue when you are gardening, especially in vegetable gardening. Now is also a good time to cut back your perennials in your garden and your containers. Remove all the dead and damaged foliage, and be careful not to cut off the new growth that is appearing from the base of the plant. You may also notice the first aphids of the season, Jan did. You can spray your plant with insecticidal soap or even just a hard stream of water to knock them all off. Finally we talked about indoor plants. These plants may not have the ‘POW’ of your spring blooming plants but they still can look great if you take care of them. Don’t forget them just because you garden is drawing you outside. In fact in a couple of weeks you should be able to give them a little vacation outside once the weather warms up. For more tips on what you can be doing in the garden, check out the OSU Extension website at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/

Grimm’s Spring Mulching

Now is the time to apply a good layer of mulch to your garden. Chuck from Grimm’s Fuel (503-636-3623) joined us to talk about the different types of mulches you can get for your garden beds. In the past people liked the red, fresh color of a new Fir or Hemlock mulch. This type will age to a grey color and will help keep the weeds in check. The problem is that they tend to pull nitrogen from your soil as the wood breaks down and that leaves less for your plants. The other problem this year is availability. The wood based mulches are harder to come by due to the housing market, fuel costs and timber harvesting. The new popular mulch is Garden Mulch. This is a nice dark color and it will help your garden by providing nutrients for your plants. Grimm’s has all the different types of mulches and can deliver them in bulk or can even blow them in so the work is done and you save your back!

Grande Valley Garden Gate

Metal is HOT in the garden this year and now you can join the ‘heavy metal’ trend and save yourself some time and money. We visited with Ed Viska of Grande Valley Ornamental Iron (503-981-6923) to check out one of the new metal garden gates they just finished. Old wooden gates look nice, but after about 6-8 years they can start to sag and even rot in certain conditions. Decorative metal gates look better and can last over 40 years with little or no maintenance. Sure they may cost a couple dollars more, but you won’t be replacing them! Ed walked us through the process of creating one of these functional art pieces. First you meet with Jan, Ed’s wife, who is the designer. She will help you come up with a perfect design. The best part is that they try to not copy any previous design, and that makes your gate unique! Then the plans go to the metal fabricators. These guys, build your gate piece by piece, by hand, right here in the Willamette Valley! They are true artists! Then, once the gate is done it goes to the painters to be powder-coated. This process actually bakes the paint on to the gate so it will never peel or rust. Then Grande Valley will send a crew out to install your gate. Let me tell you they do a great job. The posts are very long and when secured that gate will never move! If you don’t have time to wait and want a gate right away, stop by their store between Aurora and Hubbard to pick out one that is prefabricated. While there also check out their wonderful selection of arbors, trellises and other décor items. Then bring something ‘hot’ to your garden.

Rhubarb Soup

Rhubarb is one of those old-time vegetables from your grandmother’s garden. Who would ever eat this stuff if it wasn’t in a Strawberry-rhubarb pie? Well, count us as people who are rhubarb lovers! Chef David Musial joined us at the Standard TV and Appliance (503-619-0500) kitchen for a recipe that will change the way you look at this vegetable. Rhubarb is considered a sour or bitter vegetable. The leaves are not good to eat and can give you an upset stomach if you eat them, but the stalks are where the flavor is. Chef David used a couple of cups of rhubarb chunks, some sugar, orange juice, water and orange zest to make this wonderful chilled, soup recipe. It is another great way to enjoy the fresh fruits and vegetables of the season. Check out the recipe here.

Terra Casa Pottery

Just like clothing, pots and containers go into and out of style! We stopped by Terra Casa (503-577-8242) in Damascus to get a little ‘fashion show’ of the newest colors and styles of containers for the coming year. Diana told us about the new style of ‘flow’ pots. These have a ‘falling’ colored glaze that looks like it oozes down the side of the container. They had a turquoise, blue and even a ‘lava’ series of these ‘dripping’ glazed pots. The big color this year is blue. The staff at Terra Casa talks about the 3 basics of container planting; the thriller, the filler and the spiller. This refers to the plants that you are using. The thriller is the main focal point plant. This is the one that will attract the most attention. The filler plants are the ones that create the base of your design and compliment the major piece. And the spiller… these are the plants that will spill over the sides of the pot to soften the edges of your container and really blend it into your landscape. Speaking of plants this year they are carrying 3 types of palms for your garden. These 3 varieties are great because they are all hardy for our area.

Terra Casa is also about fountains. They say that they can make a fountain out of any container at their store and now we believe them. The coolest feature that we saw was how they designed their water features so you can adjust the amount of splash you get. The valve is just right below the surface of the water, so all you have to do is reach in and turn the valve! If you love cool décor whether indoors or out, stop by Terra Casa. They are just 10 minutes east of Clackamas Town Center in Damascus.