Garden Time - This Week

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Welcome to Garden Time -- Fall 2008/Winter 2009

It is the final stretch as we head toward Christmas. The weather has not been helpful, with gardening or doing anything outdoors. With all the snow and ice it has been hard to get around, anywhere. The extreme cold has turned some of my plants into mush. All of the soft stemmed plants are drooping and the woody stems are looking pretty beat up as well.

Oh well. All I can do is to take a walk outside between snow showers and make sure they are all protected. And I’m not just talking about protection from the elements; I’m also talking about protecting them from sledders and the kids making snowmen in your yard. Stepping on your plants during this cold could permanently damage or destroy them. And according to the weathermen it will be very cold for a few more days (and to think winter is just starting!) Check out the G arden Time blog this week to hear about Judy dealing with Chicago weather, Producers Jeff and Therese, traveling to Florence in Italy and get tips for taking care of your local bird population.

Happy Holidays from Garden Time!

Wishing you the best of the holiday season! Therese Gustin, Production Assistant; William McClenathan, Co-Host; Judy Alleruzzo, Co-Host; Jeff Gustin, Owner and Producer.

Garden Time returns with new episodes February 28, 2009.

Judy Alleruzzo

December 20, 2008

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William McClenathan

Check out these features, created especially for the Garden Time website!

Fall and Winter Citrus

What kind of plant delivers great fragrance and beautiful blooms in the winter, and is delicious as well? It is citrus! We stopped by Drakes 7 Dees (503-256-2223) on SE Stark in Portland to see all the wonderful varieties they have in the store right now. Lynn Snodgrass pointed out a couple of plants of interest including the Meyers Improved Lemon. Citrus also has a lot of significance at this time of year. It is one of the featured fruits of the Chinese New Year, citrus and anything in the red range symbolizes good luck. That includes oranges and tangerines which are piled in a pyramid shape. "Piling the oranges brings you closer to heaven," Families offer the pile of citrus fruits to ancestors as a sign of respect. Also, fruit gifts convey the wish for health and happiness for the season and the new year to come. A lemon type (citron) fruit is also used by the Jewish faith to celebrate one of their fall festivals (Sukkot). Stop by Drakes or any other local garden center and try a citrus plant.

Deb’s Easy Holiday Centerpiece

It is easy to build a spectacular centerpiece for your holiday table. Debbie Yost walks Judy through the assembly of this masterpiece. All you need are a container, lemons, cranberries, water and a candle. It will bring bright and festive colors to your home and is a great accent to all your regular decorations.

And for one last time before the holiday…

Gifts for the Gardener

If you have a gardener in your family it may be hard to find the right gift for them. If you are having troubles check out this list of suggestions we put together. We also brought out a bunch of different gift ideas to show you on camera. You can always pick out a big gift like a fountain or fire pit, which will last for years, or you can focus on a favorite interest for your friend. If they love birds you can pick up some bird watching/feeding items. There are also tools, books, seeds, gloves and garden accents. The main thing is to not stress out about gifts for your gardener friends. As a gardener, they love things of beauty and the fact that you are thinking of them will make them enjoy you and your gift.