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We are finally getting a little warmer! The beginning of June has us thinking about hanging up our sweaters but since it is still spring, according to the calendar, we are dipping down into to cool, rainy weather sometimes. This week we saw both ends of the spectrum. Hang in there folks, summer will eventually get here.

We are now just a few weeks away from the final episode of Garden Time. June 25th will be our last episode and we are getting sad as it approaches. However it is also a celebration of 17 great years! To help celebrate and to honor the show, Garden Gallery Iron Works is  giving away a $200 gift card to one lucky viewer. All you have to do is go to the link on the Garden Time webpage (www.gardentime.tv/gardendayz) and enter. The deadline for entries is midnight on the 19th of June. Check out the page for all the details and restrictions. Good Luck!

This week we featured...

Portland Nursery Roses

Every year the Portland Rose Festival has a specially selected rose that it promotes to raise funds for the Portland Rose Festival foundation. You can find this beauty at only one nursery in the Portland area, Portland Nursery (503-231-5050)! This rose is a hybrid tea rose with pink petals and it comes from Weeks Roses and is called Rosy Reunion. For each Rosy Reunion rose bush purchased, Portland Nursery will donate $2.00 to the Portland Rose Festival Foundation. It has a great fragrance and is very disease resistant!

While we were talking with Sara about the rose we noticed that Portland Nursery has one of the largest selections of all types of roses. Sara gave us some tips for taking care of your roses. When planting, remember to dig the planting hole as deep as the pot and twice as wide. Then amend the soil with a good transplant fertilizer and mix in some compost. Once planted keep it well watered (but not drowning) until it establishes a good root system, usually within a year. Once you have it in the ground keep an eye on it for pests and diseases. Treat as needed. The biggest problems are aphids for pests, and blackspot and mildew for diseases. If you want to know if you have a problem you can bring pictures or a sample of the problem, in a sealed bag, to the help desk at either location. They can help you find the perfect rose for your garden or the solution to any of your garden problems.

Garden Gallery Iron Works Gift Card

As I have mentioned before, we will be ending the Garden Time TV show and Magazine in a few weeks. Don Sprague and the wonderful people at Garden Gallery Iron Works wanted to say thank you to us for supporting and promoting the garden industry these past 17 years. They are going to have a drawing for a $200 gift card to their store for some lucky Garden Time viewer to win. If you have been to their store or seen their products, you know that they make a huge array of great garden products. Trellises, arbors, garden stakes, garden furniture, gates, fencing, garden beds and even indoor decor items. It is amazing to step foot in their store! If you are in the Hubbard area, this is a must see store.

To enter to win the gift card, simply go to this link, and follow the instructions. The contest is open now and will end at midnight on June 19th, with a winner drawn on the 20th and announced on the last Garden Time episode on the 25th of June. Thanks to Garden Gallery Iron Works and good luck!

Subaru Garden Dayz Preview

We are out and about again! Subaru Garden Dayz was canceled the past couple of years, but we are now able to get together again for the new Subaru Garden Days. This great event is taking place next Saturday, June 11th between 11am and 3pm at the Capitol Subaru Pavilion, just off the Salem Parkway. We will have a great group of garden plant and art vendors. Garden Thyme Nursery, Out in the Garden Nursery, The Robins Nest, Garden like a Girl, Branch Leaf Bloom and Peggie Moje Garden Artist (see her story in this weeks show). The Oregon Orchid Society will also be there, do demonstrations and selling orchids. Plus you can stop by and see Ryan and Judy, and enter to win a $25 Portland Nursery gift card every half hour and a selection of garden books. There will be a kid’s area where kids can take home a sweet pea kit for growing their own sweet pea flowers. Capitol Subaru will also be giving away vegetable 3-packs (while supplies last) and Subaru swag! There is a food cart and the Happy Heart Coffee Cart will be serving too. The Oregon Humane Society will also be there and Dapper Dog will be doing complimentary dog grooming.

Their pavilion is wide open and we will also have tents so people will have room and stay dry at the same time. Stop by and see us during this great event and say hi!

FPG Berries Brews and BBQ

It is berry time at French Prairie Gardens (503-633-8445). We met up with Katey in the greenhouse to talk about the great event starting this weekend. The cool spring had the berries a little behind schedule, but now they are coming on strong! You can come out and ride the wagon out to the berry field and u-pick your own, or you can stop by the store and buy some already picked.

The Berries, Brews and BBQs event is happening over the next 3 weekends at the farm. This is a ticketed and timed event so you will need to go to their website to reserve your time. The tickets allow you to park, enjoy the event and even have access to the strawberry patch. You can even order your food, drink tickets and other goodies on the website so you don't miss out on any of the fun. Once you get in you can find tons to do for the whole family. If you are into brews and ciders, they will have over 15 different ciders and brews on tap each weekend for you to sample. Of course they will have the farm animals out for visitors, slides, lots of stuff for the kids. New this year is the Super Mega Ride n’ Slide! And don't forget the live music!!! This year they are having music on all weekends, and it all benefits the Em's Fight Foundation! Stop by and enjoy a day in the country with the best tastes of the season.

Ed’s Toilet Paper Seed Tape

Seed tape is a great way to make sure that your vegetable plants and annuals are well spaced in your garden. Unfortunately there are a couple of drawback to the tape. One is cost, and the second is getting the varieties of seeds you want on the tape. Well Ed, one of our viewers, came up with a great idea that he found on the internet for making your own seed tape, using toilet paper. This idea came about because he is a busy guy and thinning his vegetables was bugging him. He didn’t have the time and he felt he was wasting seeds when he had to thin out the rows. Building the tape was incredibly easy! You simply take a roll of toilet paper and roll off a long strip. Mark the spaces where you want to put seeds with a pen. Pour your seeds, Ed was using tiny carrot seeds, into a bowl or plate. Then make up a flour and water mixture into a nice paste-like consistency, or use a water soluble glue. Using a small paint brush get a dab of paste/glue on the brush and pick up a seed. Apply the seed to the spot, the paste should make it stick, and repeat. Once it is dry, and that should only take an hour or so, you can plant the roll of TP in your garden or roll it up for later in the season.

This is a great project for any gardener and can even be a craft for young ones in your family. Plus it will cut down on seed waste and save you a few bucks too! Thanks Ed, for the great idea!

Bartlett Boxwood Blight

Boxwoods are almost everywhere. A lot of people love the structure of the single tall varieties and others love the form of a trimmed hedge. Others like the fact that for the most part (unless it is a trimmed hedge) they are pretty maintenance free. Recently though, there has been a problem that is starting to pop up, Boxwood Blight. To learn more we paid a visit to a local garden and talked with expert, Dr. Tom Smiley from Bartlett Tree Experts. He said that this disease is relatively new to our area, just appearing in the last 10 years or so. This is a fungal disease that starts with dark spots on the foliage and lesions on the stems, and quickly leads to defoliation (loss of leaves) and eventually the possible death of the plant. Dr. Smiley recommended that homeowners keep an eye out for anything unusual with their plants. If it is boxwood blight they should take a sample to the local extension office (in a sealed plastic bag) for confirmation, or they can contact Bartlett for assistance. The treatment for the plant includes cutting out the diseased part of the plant and allowing for more airflow. Then you should apply a fungicide to the affected plants. Good gardening techniques like disinfecting your pruners and cleaning up diseased leaves and cutting and putting them in your garbage, not your compost, will help limit the spread. He also told us that people and animals brushing up against diseased plants can transfer the spores, so be careful and wash your clothing if you have been working on the diseased plants. To find out more check out this great OSU Extension website, or contact the local Bartlett Tree Expert office.

A Vintage Flea Preview

Antiques have always been hot. Now they are getting hot in the garden! Flea markets are the place to be for some of these buried treasures that you can use in your home or your yard. This weekend there is one place where you can get your garden and flea market fix at one time. Margie's Farm and Garden is hosting 'A Vintage Flea'. A Vintage Flea a vintage/flea/antique market with everything from antiques and mid-century vintage to crafts and castoffs. Margie joined us to tell us about the event which is happening from 9am to 4pm on Saturday, June 4th. Here you can find just about anything you want for your home and garden. As I mentioned before you can also get your plant fix too! Margie joined us to tell us that they will have 20% off almost every plant in the nursery. They are still full of great color plants and baskets. You can still add color to your garden. If you are thinking about planting now you should just pay more attention to the watering and you should be fine. If you are out and about this Saturday, stop by!

Terra Casa Pottery

Putting your garden together is about more than plants! Garden décor and accents are the finishing touches that really make your garden stand out. Terra Casa (503-577-8242) in Damascus is widely known for their great selection of containers and fountains. There is nothing like the sound of water in the garden and one of the best ways to bring the sound to your backyard is with a fountain. We took a walk with Diana to see some of the different styles that they have at the store. At Terra Casa they say that they can make a fountain out of any container at their store and now we believe them. Diana told us how you can build a fountain above ground or even make a small feature that can be buried in your backyard. They will even come out and dig the hole for you and install it. One previous visit 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! In the outside display area they had fountains made from clay, stone and ceramic. Plus they have one of the largest displays of pottery in the Metro area, so you can find something that will work in your garden. They are also known for their smaller features too! In another area near the store we saw smaller, self-contained fountains. These little fountains would work in any size area and help bring that soothing water sound closer to you. They also have a great selection of birdbaths too, be sure to check those out too!

They also have other décor items to really make your garden pop. They have Shroomyz, ceramic mushrooms that comes in tons of different colors. You can hide these in your garden to bring a little color to those dull places once the blooms have faded. Another colorful item to add to your garden are spheres. Gazing balls used to be the thing people added to their garden, but these solid colored balls add more dimension to your decorating. You can also mix and match these to go with your potted containers. Metal art is big and Terra Casa has a wide assortment of rusty metal pieces including, garden stakes, trellises and decorative items.

As you can see there is a lot more to Terra Casa than pottery and fountains, and don't even get me started on all the great treats inside the store!

McMinnville Garden Tour

There is nothing like a garden tour. You can visit some really beautiful gardens while supporting a wonderful cause. We were invited to McMinnville by the McMinnville Garden Club where they are having their 21st annual Garden Tour and Faire on June 12th. This great event is a city wide celebration and a big fundraiser for the club. This year 4 Glowing Gardens (the theme) will open up their gates for visitors. We were able to visit the garden of Susan, a member of the club. Her garden is the culmination of two people. The former owner, who was a plant person and Susan, a plant collector! This garden was loaded with beauty. Nearly every little nook and cranny was packed with different plants featuring colorful blooms or cool foliage. In addition to all the plants, Susan is a painter and she had her artwork dotting the garden as well. If all the gardens are as pretty as this one it will be a great tour. This tour will benefit a new serenity garden at the Willamette Valley Medical Center. Located near the cancer center, it will be a wonderful place to take a break from treatments, or visit as a community member for a moment of relaxation. This project is a huge partnership between the hospital, the garden club and the community as a whole. It is going to be beautiful!

The tour is not the only thing to enjoy on the 12th. Downtown near City Hall you can shop over 50 different vendors during the Garden Faire! While the tickets for the tour are only $10 (check their website for locations to purchase), the Garden Faire downtown is free. The hours of the tour are 10am-3pm and the Garden Faire is 9am-4pm. Take the short drive out to McMinnville on the 12th, visit this great event and support a wonderful cause.

The Perfect Rose – Spring Rose Show

What are judges looking for when judging roses? We have all seen those blue ribbon winners at the rose shows, but did you know you can pick an award winning rose too, maybe even one from your own garden! We met with Rich Baer from the Portland Rose Society and he told us what makes a perfect rose! Judges look for a number of things; form, stem and foliage, color, substance, and balance and proportion. If you are looking for a winner, you should pay attention to these key areas, but don’t forget the foliage! The rose will be judged on all areas. If you still think you have a winner your chance to prove it is coming up. The Rose Society has their annual Spring Rose Show happening next week at the Lloyd Center. You can bring your rose down on Thursday the 9th between 6:30am and 9:30am to enter. Don’t worry if you don’t know what rose you have or even if you are scared because you have never entered a rose before, there are lots of friendly people who can help you out! Who knows, maybe you have big winner!

This rose event has been happening for over 130 years! It was started by Georgiana Pittock in her backyard all those years ago and that started the beginning of the Rose Festival!

Even if you don’t have a rose to enter, you should come down to the second floor of the Lloyd Center and see some of these great roses on the 9th and 10th! Help support the Portland Rose Society by entering or just coming down to take a look!

Peggie the Painter

A picture can say a thousand words, but a painting can speak to your heart. We have found an artist that can speak to the heart through her paintings. Peggie Moje is a familiar face around local public gardens and flower events. Her paintings really capture the vibrancy of the colors in the garden. The way she paints helps to bring a new attention to the details we sometimes miss in the garden. Peggie told us how she starts a painting. She sketches the scene first to figure out her composition and where everything will fit in the frame of her canvas. Then she fills in the spaces with her ‘impressionistic’ style of painting. The scene is real, but with subtle accents that she uses to make the picture better. She also uses the composition to pull the viewers eye through the scene. There is a ‘path’ for your eye to follow. She works quickly but also sometimes uses a photograph of the scene to help her stay true to the image even if the light changes or she has to leave. If you are interested in learning more about her paintings you can get a hold of her through her website. She even has art available through the Portland Art Museum Rental Sales Gallery, where you can rent her painting for your own home.

If you would like to meet Peggie, she will be at Subaru Garden Dayz in Salem on the 11th. Stop by and say hi and watch her work her magic.

TOW – Smart Phone Gardening

Our tip of the week showcases how you can use simple technology to make your lawn and garden thrive. We showed you how to use the calendar in your phone to put in reminders to do simple home and garden chores. For example, when you prune your roses in mid-February you should put in a reminder to fertilize those roses again in 6 weeks. In fact, every 6 weeks is a good time for deadheading and/or fertilizing all your roses. Also, if you have houseplants, it might be tough to remember when you last watered them. We tend to overwater them anyway. Put a reminder in the phone to check them every 2 weeks to see if they need water. If you have a lawn, the best way to make it stronger and less susceptible to diseases and moss is to keep it fertilized. About 3-4 times a year, your reminder in your phone will tell you that your lawn needs a feeding. Put that smartphone to use and get healthier plants and a stronger garden.