SHOW ARCHIVE

January 1, 2013

VIDEO ARCHIVE

Happy New Year, it has been awhile since I have posted anything to the website, but with the arrival of the new year and the cold winter winds that have shown up I thought I would put some season appropriate stories up so we can all get our ‘garden fix’ for a couple more weeks.

We also have some other great news to share. Garden Time will be doing a special broadcast from the Yard, Garden and Patio Show on the 9th of February at 9am on KOIN Local 6 TV. We will showcase some of the highlights of the show and visit a few of the vendors that you can find there. It should be a blast!!!!

Also, Garden Time will be returning to the air on the 2nd of March. We will keep you updated about times and stations as we get closer!

This week we are featuring...

Winter Tree Prep

Winter Tree Prep

The wind, rain and possible snow of the coming winter can mean trouble for your large landscape trees. How can you tell if your trees are healthy enough for all that mother natural has to offer? We sought out our favorite ‘Certified Arborist’ Terrill Collier from Collier Arbor Care (503-72ARBOR) and asked him for some signs we can look for. Terrill took us to an area near Wilsonville for our first stop to show us a multiple trunked tree that could lose one of its trunks due to rot and decay at its base. That is just one of the 8 signs that you should look for in a dangerous tree. Other signs included weakly attached branches, cracks in the branches of the trunk, pealing bark and signs of decay or rot. These are the most obvious of signs, but if you are unsure of the safety of your trees you can contact Collier Arbor Care or a certified arborist. Collier’s even has a brochure that can tell you what else to look for. Terrill emphasizes that you insist on a certified arborist. They are trained to look for the damaged spots and are trained (insured and bonded) to remove the weak tree safely.

Hardy Groundcovers

Jan's Tips

The weather is getting colder and most of your perennials are starting to look pretty sad. There is one type of plant that is still looking great in the garden and that is the hardy groundcover. These plants can make your garden look good anytime of year and provide a good backdrop for your other plants, no matter what the season. We stopped by Al’s Garden Center (503-726-1162) in Sherwood to chat with Mark Bigej and see a few of his favorites. He had pulled 10 different ones to look at. We started with some of the smaller ground covers. The Wirevine ‘Little Leaf’ has a cute texture and will do well even in shady areas. Speaking of cute textures, the Brass Button ‘Platt’s Black’ has a tiny fern-like leaf that is very unique. It can be a little aggressive when it grows and it may not look sturdy, but it is. We have this one in our garden and we walk on it all the time! Next we saw one of the old standbys in the garden, Irish Moss. This one is not as aggressive at the Brass Buttons, and is great between stepping stones and in pathways. If you are looking for a fragrant plant, Corsican Mint is your plant. This one is also a plant that can take heavy foot traffic in the summer and when you step on it, it will give off a great mint smell. In the winter it may get beat up a bit, but it will come back in the spring. Another plant that is very popular is the Blue Star Creeper. This one not only is a great ground cover that can take heavy traffic, it also produces tiny blue flowers that cover the ground in the spring. The last of the small groundcovers was the Elfin thyme. It also gets covered with small blooms in the spring and can take heavy foot traffic. We then moved to the larger groundcover plants. The first one was the Taiwan Creeping Berry or Rubus. It spreads out and covers large areas really well. It also will look great as a weeping plant, spreading out and covering rocks on hilly areas. A plant with a great story behind it is the Wintergreen. This is a low growing plant that was once used as a flavoring in chewing gum. The berries are safe to eat and they taste like a mint flavored gum. Another low shrub is Knick Knick. Knick Knick stays evergreen and is a good replacement for ivy in the landscape. It is also very drought tolerant once it is established and is good for larger areas.

These are just a few of the groundcovers that you can find on the market. A great place to see more of the different varieties is at the Stepables website, then stop by your local garden center and see which ones might work in your garden.

Cold Protection

Cold Protection

On a recent show we showed you how easy it was to build a Solexx Greenhouse. This is the best way to extend your growing season and the get a jump start on the spring, but what if you don’t have the room for a greenhouse? There are still plenty of ways to protect your tender flowers and vegetables. We returned to The Greenhouse Catalog (800-825-1925) and visited with Bev again. We started outside at a cold frame that was on a hinge that protected a flower bed that even had strawberries in it. It opened up and if the weather started getting bad you could just lift up the legs and drop it to the ground. Bev also recommended that you get a soil heating cable. This cable can be slightly buried in the ground and it will help keep the soil warm so your plants won’t suffer. We then ducked inside a greenhouse to escape a heavy rain shower and see some other season extending tools for your kit. These were a collection of frost cloths and bags that you can use to cover or wrap your plants. They are easy to use and let the water and air in, but keep the cool out! If you are looking for tools to extend your growing season or even to get a jump start on the new growing season, stop by The Greenhouse Catalog in Brooks, or check them out on-line.

Grimm’s Fall and Winter Mulch

Grimm’s Fall Mulch

Believe it or not, now is the time to start thinking about your summer garden. If your garden is getting tired and needs a boost, then you should be adding garden compost now. It is also the time to add mulch to your garden to protect your plants and add nutrients to the soil. Jeff Grimm from Grimm’s Fuel (503-636-3623) showed Judy all the different mulches and composts available and the benefits of each one. You can even use some of them for erosion control. We also found out the differences between all the different barks that are available, plus if you don’t want to spend time shoveling, they can even blow it in for you. Now is also the time to get your wood for the coming winter. Grimm’s not only has barks and mulches for your garden they also supply wood and heating oil too. Give them a call before it’s too late!
 

 
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