In the U.S. we have become known for our large expansive lawns. But the upkeep and maintenance of these lawns can cost you a lot of time, water and money. To learn about alternatives to the traditional lawn we stopped by a home in the Tigard area that has a couple of different types of lawns. We were joined by Steve Carper from the Regional Water Providers Consortium to talk about the benefits of replacing your turf. Steve mentioned that most traditional grass lawns take a lot of time and money to look good. You have the mowing and watering every week, but you also have fertilizing, de-thatching, aerating and disease and insect problems to take care of too. For all those reasons people are moving away from the traditional grass turf. Steve also mentioned that these alternative lawns are not for everyone. A lot of people still enjoy the feel and look of grass, and that is OK too, but there are other choices too.

To learn about those choices we met with the homeowner, Keith, who has installed a couple of different types around his house. We started in his side yard where he had planted a mix called Fleur de Lawn. This mix includes ryegrass, dwarf clover, yarrow, daisies and alyssum. It only needs to be mowed about 3-4 times the whole year! It looks like a meadow the rest of the time. It allowed for better drainage of rainwater and less pest and diseases problems. The front part of his lawn was planted with a mix called ‘Rough and Ready’. This one doesn’t get as tall and stays green without a lot of watering. This mix also has a micro-clover that stays low and full, plus it adds nitrogen to the soil for all the other plants and grasses in the mix, so there is less fertilizing! Keith picked these blends up at Hobbs and Hopkins Company right here in Portland. If you would like to learn more about water saving tips you can do around your home or garden, check out the Regional Water Providers Consortium website at www.conserveh2o.org.

If you are looking for some plants to create year round interest without taking over the garden, look no further than dwarf conifers. These little gems can provide different colors and textures, and most are slow growing so they won’t take over a flower bed for many years. The place to get expert help with conifers is at French Prairie Perennials (503-679-2871) in Dundee. Rick joined us in the nursery to show off 5 of his favorites for the small garden. The first plant we looked at was the Canadian Hemlock ‘Moon Frost’, This one has a bright white color in the summer, but it gets a little pink tint in the winter. It gets about 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Next we moved to a little blue cypress called ‘Curly Tops’. This one had foliage that was soft to the touch and keeps its soft blue color all year long. We moved to a very bright plant next. This one was a Japanese Yew called ‘Dwarf Golden’. This yew pushes out new golden foliage in the spring and holds on to that bright color through the winter, another nice bright spot in the garden during those cold and dreary days in the winter. Rick then had another golden plant to show us the Arborvitae ‘Golden Tuffet’. This one has a lot going for it, it starts out lime green in the spring, turns to a golden color during the summer and then has an orangey color for the fall and winter. It also grows in a uniform pattern, so it looks nice and manicured all year long. The final plant we saw was not as short as the others but was a very interesting one nonetheless. Oriental Arborvitae ‘Franky Boy’ looked like it was having a bad hair day. ‘Franky Boy’ has a nice lime green growth, but it is the long, grass like foliage that makes it stand out. If you would like to see these or any of the other conifers in their inventory, stop by French Prairie Perennials. While you are there, ask them about their Visualscaping service!

One of the most frustrating things that happens in the garden is the constant misplacement of garden tools. How many times have you been searching for your favorite pruners or hoe and can never find it. To help solve that problem we stopped by Orchard Supply Hardware (503-469-0935) in Beaverton and talked to Jeana about some ideas for storage. First she showed us the new sheds that they have in stock. These are all wood sheds with a plastic bottom so they don’t have a problem rotting. This shed was also painted to match a home with some Benjamin Moore paint. Jeana pointed out that they carry Benjamin Moore paint so you could paint your shed to match your own home. It looked great. Next we looked inside and saw the Gladiator System that she used to organize the tools. This system allows you to hang up all your tools, even the long handled ones. This system is a modular system so you can add and subtract with you need. One part of the system that we loved was the towel holder so you can have paper towels within reach when you are out in the garden. There were also little bins that could hold your seed packets and other small, loose items and keep them off the ground. There was also a decorative hose holder as well. This holder could be out in the garden during the summer and then you can just pick it up and move it in the shed or the winter without wrestling with the hose to put it away. If this seems like it would be a solution to your ‘lost tool’ problem, stop by Orchard Supply Hardware and check out the Gladiator system.