The rain drops continue, but at least we are not having the horrible rains of California. This weather is great for your plants and it is mild enough so you don’t have to worry about frost issues. Still you will want to make sure your planters that are near the house, and your favorite plants under the eaves, get some water as well. The cold, cloudy days of winter can really stress your plants, but they will bounce back quickly with good watering!

This weekend the lovers of houseplants can add to their collections by stopping by Portland Nursery. They are having their big houseplant sale this weekend, and if you stop by the Division Street location on Saturday night (until 8pm) you can enjoy snacks, drinks and other specials too (say "hello" to William and Judy while you are there).

Also, Producer Jeff is pitching in on the Garden Time blog this week. He travels around the country doing video shoots and this week he talks about gardens, plantings and other things he observed during this year's travels.

One last reminder… the new issue of Garden Time On-line, our free monthly magazine, is getting ready to be e-mailed to subscribers. Sign up for your free copy here.

Winter Indoor Plants

The cold and wet weather may be keeping you out of the garden, but you can still enjoy wonderful unique plants indoors! We stopped by Portland Nursery on Division to see a few of the special plants they have for gardeners trapped indoors. We started with a very unusual plant, the pitcher plant. This one traps insects in its cup shaped pitchers and then absorbs the nutrients from the decomposing insect. Remember, the pitcher plant loves a nice warm and humid place to grow. Next was a Pineapple plant. This will grow an actual pineapple that you can eat though it may be smaller than the ones you find at the grocery store. Another tropic loving plant is the Vanilla Orchid. This plant has the ability to grow a vanilla type bean, but you really need to provide more heat and humidity than most homes have. Still it is a great house plant. Next was a beautiful color plant, the Rose Pine Cone. This plant has a wonderful multicolored bloom that has shades of pink, red and purple. Plus it blooms all year long! Finally we found the Chinese evergreen. This is a foliage plant with huge mottled leaves than is very easy to grow. If you are feeling like you need a plant boost during these dreary winter months, try some indoor plants!

Winter Tool Safety Tips

The storms have passed, for now, and it is time to head out into your garden to clean-up the damage. Before you head out we have some tips from Wayne Sutton of Stihl Tools to help you get ready. Wayne talked about the safety issues involved in using power equipment to get the job done. Always use some form of ear, eye and body protection. Using a power tool also means that you should be aware of your surroundings. Keep all the spectators, kids and pets away from your work area, even if you have protection they can be injured by flying pieces of debris. If you encounter any type of power line that has fallen, or you are working on a weak tree near a power line, call the power company. They are experts in dealing with those situations. Finally, if you encounter any job that seems to be too hard to handle, contact a certified arborist. You can find names at your local garden center or call your local Stihl dealer.

Chainsaw Museum

We traveled to Amboy Wash. to visit the private chainsaw museum of Wayne Sutton. Wayne is the representative of Stihl tools and began collecting chainsaws years ago. He now has one of the biggest collections in the country. He took us on a private tour of his collection and showed us the evolution of the chainsaw and how it has changed over the years. Of course, one of the first chainsaws was a Stihl and they are still the leader after all these years. If you would like to see Wayne’s collection or learn more about it, drop him an e-mail at Wasaw@tds.net.