SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 356 • May 16, 2015

VIDEO ARCHIVE

Today is Subaru Garden Dayz! We only have a couple of sponsored events every year and this is one of them. During these events we partner with different vendors and businesses to bring our viewers some great deals and lots of free stuff! The Garden Dayz event is taking place at Capitol Subaru on the Parkway in Salem. If you stop by between 11 and 3 you can get a tray pack of plants from Al’s for free, or a free packet of chive or parsley seeds, a free hot dog or a soda. There will be drawings every half hour for a $25 Portland Nursery gift card, or you can enter to win a $100 gift card from Al’s Garden Center. Hope to see you there!

We are also half way through spring. Do you have everything done in your garden? Not to worry, for us, and most gardeners, gardening is an on-going thing. Except for a few months in the winter we can be found a few days a month out in the garden. We enjoy our time outside and don’t feel pressure to get stuff done based on what the calendar (or ‘experts’) say we should do. Each week we make suggestions and showcase events that are timely for that week, but you should always work at your own pace and just enjoy your garden, no matter what state it’s in.

So get out and enjoy!

This week we featured...

4 Simple Trellises

4 Simple Trellises

If you are looking to add height to your garden you can buy something, or you can build a simple trellis yourself! William and Judy walked us through the steps of building a couple of different ones. The first one was easy. William showed us how to make a simple teepee of bamboo sticks. He tied them at the top and they made a quick and simple structure. Next Judy used a tomato cage, for something other than tomatoes, to help her climbing peas. She also planted the peas on the inside of the cages to protect them when she was going to weed. The third structure was a folding trellis made from PVC pipe. We cut the pipe into various lengths to fit our garden size. This one had 3, ¾ inch pipes that were 3 feet long. These are for the two base pieces and the top. Then we cut 4 longer pieces (6 foot) these are for the sides. 6 elbows create the square and then we also had 2 tees. The top of the tee was a bigger size than the rest of the pipe. This will allow the folding of the trellis when the season is done. The finishing touch was the string. Last year we used a hemp string for the plants to climb on. This quickly broke down and that meant it didn’t work as well as we had hoped. This year we are using a cotton fiber string, which will give our trellis the strength to give our beans and other climbing plants a good strong base to grow on. The final one was a simple set-up of eyehooks that were screwed into the post on an arbor that we built a couple of weeks ago. Then we ran fishing wire through the hooks to make a structure for the plants to climb on. The fishing wire was invisible to the naked eye and if you are looking for more support you could use a wire, or if you wanted something more ‘earth-friendly’ a hemp string would be good. Give one (or all of them) a try and see if you can get your gardening ‘off the ground’.

Baja Chimineas

Baja Chimineas

Even though we are close to the ‘summer’ season, there are nights where we still get a chill. To take the chill off we stopped at Little Baja (503-236-8834) to look at the ‘Baja Chimney’, or chiminea, an outdoor fireplace for your deck or patio. Jared gave us a couple of tips for making your chimney last for years and years. Always start your fire small and let the chimney slowly warm up. Never use a metal poker, it can damage the clay and cause cracks. When burning a fire, use a hard wood or pressed log. This will minimize the ‘popping’ of softer woods, and never burn garbage in the chimney. Finally make sure you keep all combustibles away from the area around your fire. Little Baja will also help you in selecting a metal fire pit or instructions on how to create your own. They even have one that is made out of an old washing machine! Stop by for instructions and tips.

Cactus 101

Cactus 101

Ask almost anyone to draw a cactus and they will give you a picture of a plant that looks like a guy with his hands up in the air, but there are so many more varieties out there that it is hard to tell them apart. To learn some of the basics about cactus we stopped by Rita Lees Nursery and talked to Heather. Rita Lees grows cactus that are sold locally in independent garden centers like Al’s Garden Center in Sherwood. Heather’s family grow a huge amount of cactus and succulents. We started with the desert species. There were a large array of different looking plants from small one that almost looked like ground covers to tall ones that were well over our heads. These desert varieties like to be dry and warm. In fact they need to have dry soil before you water them. Heather recommended that you err on the side of caution when watering. If they look like they are doing ok, then leave them alone and wait a few more days before watering them. They also like to have a light all-purpose, general fertilizer added to their containers about once a month. We then move to the euphorbia type of cactus. These can grow from the desert to the mountains. They like full sun to part shade. They like a moist, but well drained soil. They can also handle the cold a little better than the desert cactus, even though that varies by species. One of the weirdest cactus we saw were the Living Stone cactus, from the Lithops family of plants. These look like little stones in some gravel.

The next plants looked very familiar to us. They were all different types of Jade Plant, from the Crassula family. They are originally from South Africa and they are one of the easiest plants to grow. They can survive anywhere. Finally we looked at the rain forest cactus, also called orchid cactus. If you have had an Easter or Christmas cactus, you have had one of these. These are from the genus, Schlumbergera. Some of the more exotic of these plants grow huge flowers and have long pendulous arms that hang over the edge of their containers. They also like moist, but well drained soil and an all-purpose fertilizer once a month. All the cactus we saw were heat loving. They don’t handle the cold very well, in fact the growers don’t let their cactus grow in temperatures that are below 55 degrees. The final tip? The number one enemy of cactus is over-watering. If you would like to learn more about these cactus and Rita Lees Nursery you can check out their Facebook page or look for their plants at Al’s and other fine garden centers. Another way to check out their great cactus is at the Subaru Garden Dayz event. They will be there between 11 and 3 selling some great cactus varieties.

Farmington Spring Vines

Farmington Spring Vines

You can add height and structure to your garden and you don’t even need to build anything! Just add a vine to your plant selections. We met with Mary at Farmington Gardens (503-649-4568) to a large assortment of vines that you can choose from. She had 3 full carts of different vines and she started with a hydrangea. This one was a climbing hydrangea called Miranda and it has wonderful variegated foliage. She also had come clematis vines on her cart. Clematis like to have some protection on their roots so you want to have them planted with another plant like a hosta to shade those roots, but they love full sun on their leaves. You can also bury these plants a few inches deeper when they go in the ground, which is something you can’t do with most of the other garden plants you have. One of the most popular plants recently is hops. Yes, these are the plants that they use to make beer, but you would need to grow a lot more to do your own brewing. Instead, these are great landscape plants. They can grow quite tall in the full sun and will return year after year if you want. The variety that we saw was an incredible golden color. Some of the more unusual vines we saw included; honeysuckles, porcelain vine, the silver creeper vine, akebia, mandevilla, bougainvillea and jasmine. So you can see that there are an incredible amount of vines out there. All you have to do is try to find your favorite! If you need help, just stop by Farmington Gardens and check with Mary or one of the other great staff members!

Tender Summer Succulents

Tender Summer Succulents

A lot of people think that most succulents are tender and not meant for the outdoor garden. Even if that is the case, you can still enjoy these ‘lightweights’ in your summer garden. We stopped by to see how one of the experts in succulents, Burl Mostul from Rare Plant Research (503-780-6200), uses them in his garden. Burl and his wife discovered years ago that they could add tender succulents in the middle of their hardy plants in the landscape. Most people would add annuals and color spots, but Burl would argue, why not try succulents instead. He took us on a tour of his garden and we saw what he was talking about. For example in one bed he had a hardy yucca and a barberry, but in between he had a ground cover sedum and a echeveria ‘After Glow’. Further down in the same bed he showed us some ‘flapjacks’ plants from South Africa in the middle of some other hardy sedums. We also some other echeveria and an aloe named ‘Dorothy’. Burl also showed us some of his containers around the garden that were packed with tender and hardy succulents. They can live on the patio and, because they are in containers, can be moved inside during the winter months.

If you would like to see more unique plants and Burl’s beautiful gardens this weekend is the time to do that. Burl is having his annual open garden. Saturday and Sunday, the 16th and 17th, you can buy some rare plants, walk the gardens, enjoy lunch and sample wines from their award winning Villa Catalana Cellars. The event is from 11 to 4pm both days so stop on by and enjoy a day in a beautiful garden!

Hanging Basket Roses

Hanging Basket Roses

Did you know that roses make a great plant for a hanging basket. Not the huge climbers or hybrid tea roses, but the smaller ground cover type of roses. We met with Ben Hanna at Heirloom Roses (503-538-1576) and he showed us how easy it is to plant one of these baskets. First of all, you need one of those smaller varieties of rose that will cascade over the side of the container. Then you will need to plant at least 3 of them in one container so it fills out fast and looks even. Then you will need to water it in and watch the moisture level like you would with any type of hanging basket, and don’t forget to fertilize with a water soluble fertilizer every few weeks.

Now remember that you will only get one or two years of the rose in the basket, but the good news is that you can then move it into the ground in your regular garden and enjoy it for many more years! No more trying to winter over the old hanging basket to save the tender plants. If you are interested in trying out a rose basket, stop by Heirloom Roses between St. Paul and Newberg for some tips and some help. They will even pot it up for you. Remember to bring a picnic lunch, the display gardens are just starting to burst into bloom for the season! If you have any questions this weekend or would like to pick up some cool roses you can check out the Heirloom Roses booth at Subaru Garden Dayz this Saturday from 11-3.

Tip of the Week – Candling

Candling

People often wonder how they can prune their conifers. It can be hard if your trees and shrubs get away from you and get too big. There is one way you can keep them in check! It is called candling. When your conifer starts showing new growth, those are called candles. You can regulate the growth of your conifers by removing some or all of these candles. It is a great way to avoid unnecessary pruning as your plants get older.

 

Bee Thinking

Bee Thinking

Bees are hot! Bee keeping, colony collapse, raw honey are all among the ‘bee’ topics grabbing headlines these days. One local company is part of this wave of bee news. Bee Thinking (877-325-2221) is a becoming known for their store, mead selection and for their innovative designs in bee hives. To learn about the company we stopped by their store and talked to the owner, Matt Reed. He didn’t start out as a bee ‘master’. His wife provided the spark for his introduction to the industry. She found a bee languishing on a windowsill. Matt fed it a little honey and set it free, soon some of its bee friends we banging on his screen door looking for more honey. Soon Matt was researching bees and learning everything about them. That led to his penciling out new designs in hives and the business was born. Recently he was able to work that interest in bees into an appearance on the show ‘Shark Tank’. On that show, business owners present their ideas to get more funding to help grow their business. Even though his idea was not chosen by the ‘sharks’ the exposure was as sweet as the honey his bees make. His modifications on hives, including the Kenyan Top-bar hive have made it easier for anyone to become a bee keeper. Bee Thinking has also helped with the numerous classes, supplies and expert information that they share with the public. Soon the business will be even bigger. They are expanding their bee supplies store and the Mead Market at their location in Southeast Portland. If you want a great mead to go with your bee keeping, this should be the first place you need to visit.

Grilling Bamboo Shoots

Grilling Bamboo Shoots

Edibles in the garden are the talk of the garden industry right now. People are always looking for new fruits, vegetables and herbs to plant, but we found someone who is making culinary use out of a very common garden plant, bamboo. We met in the backyard of Saysana Jeung to check out his bamboo stand. He has numerous varieties of bamboo and he told us he harvests all of them for grilling in the spring! Spring is the perfect time of year for grilling bamboo. Says told William how he looks for shoots that are 3-6 inches long and just twists them off to harvest them. He will even harvest some of the longer shoots but he always just takes the most tender part of the shoot in the 3-6 inches near the end.

He then takes these raw shoots and peals away the outer rough layer to expose the more tender shoots inside. These are then mixed with olive oil, salt, pepper and sesame oil and placed on a grill at medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until they are brown on one side. They are flipped and the other side is done for the same amount of time. Says serves his grilled bamboo as a substitute for asparagus. He learned about using bamboo from his family while growing up. His family now owns the Lily Market (503-255-0448) on NE Halsey in Portland. They are a Thai market and deli that specializes in ethnic foods and supplies focusing on Asian cuisine. They will have everything you need if you want to tackle grilling bamboo at home. You won’t be disappointed if you try!

Limoncello

Limoncello

This year we had a great lemon year! We grow an Improved Meyer’s Lemon tree which is a variety that does well in our area (with some winter protection). This past winter we had over 30 lemons on our small tree. What do you do when life hands you that many lemons, you don’t make lemonade, you make Limoncello! Limoncello is an lemon liqueur from the south of Italy. It is the second most popular drink in Italy and is very easy to make. We started by cutting up the lemons into small wedges. Those were placed, tightly, into a wide mouth jar. Then we added grain alcohol in the jar to the top. You don’t have to use grain alcohol, you can use an unflavored vodka or another spirit, or even just water. Then we placed the jar in a cool dark place for a month. Every few days we would turn the jars to mix the lemons and alcohol. This would release the oils and juices from the lemons. After the month was up, we emptied the jar into a large strainer to separate the lemons and the infused alcohol. You save the alcohol for later. Next we made a simple syrup. This was 4 cups of water, 3 cups of sugar and then we added something different, a cup of honey. This was dissolved together in a pan over low heat. When everything was dissolved we added the lemons into the pan and using a potato masher we got as much lemon juice as possible from the lemons. We once again strained off the mixture adding it to the infused alcohol in a large bowl. That was strained and place in bottles for us to enjoy all summer long. This is just one of the recipes you will find on the internet. If you would like to try something different, just type in ‘Limoncello recipes’ and see what you come up with!
 

 
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