Back to the routine. For a lot of families we are now back to the routine of school and work. No more vacations or lazy evenings on the patio. For the Garden Time crew we never really stopped. We always say that we are going to take a break and repeat some stories so we can have a lazy summer, but once again that didn’t happen. We have been bringing you some great garden related stories all summer long and it won’t stop. We are just getting started. In fact, this year we have been on the road more than usual with stories from Eugene to Woodland, the cascades to the coast. There is a little something for everyone!

This week we also wrap up our stories from Costa Rica. That trip was a highlight for those viewers who joined us and for the Garden Time crew as well. And we are gearing up for another trip just like that one. This time we are headed to Ireland. We now have only a few seats left. Nearly 25 of our viewers are signed up and time is running out. Make sure that you join us next June or you will be sorry. Right now we can also offer a discount of $250 a person on the tour, but that discount will disappear soon! Go to the Garden Time website and click on the tours link. Hope to see you on the tour!

This week we featured...

Garden Gallery Farmhouse Style

We have been to Garden Gallery Iron Works (800-452-5266) many times and Don Sprague and his crew always has something new for us to see. The newest addition to his store is the Farmhouse Style section. Farmhouse Style is a combination of antiques and reproductions that will take you back to the '30s, '40s and '50s. This collection of home décor is both functional and decorative. Don pointed out some of the various pieces that you can find in the store including rustic signs made from barn siding, antique bottle dryers that can be used for coffee cups and drinking glasses, and even large pieces like cabinets and cupboards. If you would like to check out this collection of new ‘old’ stuff this weekend is your time. Garden Gallery is having a Farmhouse Style Harvest Market that will not only celebrate the opening of this section of the store, it will also include demos, samples, grilled potatoes and cider! They will also have discounts on your purchases and free Salsa recipe books for the first 50 people who show up, plus a mini farmers market with fresh veggies to enjoy. If you are looking to decorate, this is the place to be this weekend!

Slug Gone Wool Pellets

Most gardeners hate slugs. The question is ‘how do you get rid of them safely’? We have seen lots of products but one of the newest products on the market is made from wool! Slug Gone Wool Pellets are made with wool that is a waste product in processing. The wool is made into pellets that you spread around your plants. Aaron at Al’s Garden Center in Sherwood (503-726-1162) also told us that the slugs hate the feel of the wool and so they avoid it. It is like having an itchy sweater around your plants! Another benefit that Aaron told us about is once you apply it around your plants it creates a mat and helps prevent weed growth. If you would like to try this product you can find it at all 3 locations of Al’s Garden Center.

Tomato and Salsa Fest

How do you think your salsa shapes up against the competition. Well, now you have a way to find out. We paid a visit to Timeless Gardens (541-258-7693) near Lebanon, Oregon in the valley to preview their annual Tomato and Salsa event happening on September 12th from 11am to 4pm. We met with Trudie to get one of the award winning salsas and to also learn more about the event. The Fest is a benefit to raise funds and awareness of Hannah’s House. Hannah’s House is a shelter and rehab facility for troubled women and their children. A big chunk of the proceeds will go to help this great organization. The recipe she shared was really easy! You just cut all the ingredients into chunks and throw them into a food processor, no fine chopping needed. All you need is 8 Roma tomatoes, ½ a medium onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 jalapeno, a little salt, the juice of one lime and a handful of cilantro! Just pulse it in the food processor until you get the right thickness.

The salsa fest allows anyone to bring their best fresh salsa (not canned) to the garden center by 10:30 on the 12th of September. There are 3 categories and people can stop by and have a taste, then vote for their favorite in any of the 3 categories. There are lots of other things going on as well. There are kids activities, a ‘biggest’ tomato contest, and all types of tomatoes to try. If you would like to learn more about entering, or just need directions, check out their website. Should be a great time for everyone.

Turf & Lawn Rejuvenation

It has been a tough summer on lawns. The extended heat and dry conditions have left many yards dry and brown. You may think that your grass is dead but that is not the case. We met with Alec Kowalewski, a turf management specialist at OSU and he told us how we can get that beautiful lawn back. There are 3 things you need to focus on right now. Fertilization, overseeding and watering are the keys to get your lawn to return. The grass in your lawn may look dead but it has just gone dormant. The fall means cooler and wet weather, just what your grass needs to return to its green color. Alec mentioned that right now he would apply water. He recommends a few deep waterings to get the ground saturated. When you do this watering you will want to apply a fall fertilizer as well. By doing them both together you will help jump start your lawn. You can cut your lawn a little shorter too. The dry conditions required a higher grass length, but now you can cut it a little shorter. After a good watering and fertilization, you should also apply more grass seed. The lawn will not regenerate new grass plants quickly so you will need to apply seed to make your lawn thicker and fill in bare spots. Once you get your lawn healthy again you will need to get on a maintenance schedule to keep it that way. Alec told us that a healthy lawn this fall will help you avoid moss, disease and insect problems in the future! If you have questions about your lawn, you can check out the OSU Turf Management website or stop by your local independent garden center.

Garden Time Costa Rica Tour

As most of you know, Garden Time is now offering tours. We have had 3 so far. In the spring of 2014 we traveled to Victoria BC. This summer we took a bus tour around the Willamette Valley to visit nurseries and growers, and this past January we traveled to Costa Rica for a couple weeks in the sun looking at flora and fauna on a Collette tour with nearly 40 of our Garden Time viewers. While we were there William took a few minutes to chat with Chris, our tour guide. Chris told us about some of the places we visited. We started with a coffee plantation tour where we learned how they grow and process coffee for use around the world. Then we traveled to the western, white sand beaches of Tamarindo in the Guanacaste region. We then traveled to the cloud forest of Monteverde in the mountains. There we saw a completely different climate than the tropical feel of the coast. It was rainy and cool. This created a rain forest environment that supported thousands of different species of plants and animals. Plants that we could only grow as indoor plants in the Pacific Northwest, grow outside in huge clusters. We traveled to the area around the Arenal volcano and even took a boat ride into Nicaragua (for about 5 minutes) looking at some of the unique plants in northern Costa Rica. We finished the tour at an Eco lodge in Tortuguero on the Caribbean side of the country. This area of the country was the home of a lot of agricultural production including pineapples and bananas. We had a great time and learned a lot about the plants and animals of Costa Rica in addition to enjoying their culture and learning about their history.

If you would like to join us on our next adventure we are headed to Ireland in June of 2016. We have a similar type of trip planned. We will tour 9 private gardens around the Dublin area and then proceed to travel around the southern part of Ireland visiting public gardens and other cultural spots. And yes, you can even tour the Guinness beer facility! We are down to our final 15 seats and if you sign up in the next few weeks you will save $250 per person. The cost also includes your airfare and hotels. It also includes 15 of your meals! Some of the people who have signed up are using this trip as a jumping off point for more adventures in Europe. After our tour some are headed to London, Rome or Paris. We have a great tour guide, Carolyn, and she can help you make any additional travel plans if you join us on this great tour. We hope to see you next spring in Ireland! Just go to the Garden Time website and click on the Tours link, or for more information you can sign up for a webinar on the 21st of October to get your questions answered https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5307505724125656321.