Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge
There
are lots of wonderful places to get out and enjoy wildlife
in their natural environment. The
Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (503-972-7714)
is one of those places. We paid a visit to see the final
preparations for their big grand opening scheduled for the
3rd of June. The TRNWR is packed with nature
trails. You can enjoy the Refuge with a guide or explore
the new trails, wildlife overlooks, wildlife photography
blind and interpretive areas on your own. There are tons
of activities planned so check out their web-site for all
the details.
Container Basics
You
would think that building a planted container for your
deck or patio would be easy, but some people get a little
overwhelmed in the details. Margie from
Portland Nursery (503-231-5050) stepped in to get us
back to the basics. The three main things you need: a
container, good soil and a healthy plant. Things to
remember: Look for a pot that will accent your home, deck,
or patio colors. As for soils, pick a good quality soil
and add a slow release fertilizer. Finally, the plant you
choose should be one that is not stressed and should be
healthy. The one way to guarantee that is to buy your
plants from a local grower or garden center!
Pot
Choices
There
are a lot of misconceptions about clay pots and
containers. We went to the local expert to get the
scoop. Wayne from
Little Baja (503-236-8834) told us how people will
blame their pots if their plants die or the pots break
apart during the winter months. The pots are seldom to
blame. People will allow their containers to get plugged
and if they don’t drain well then they can retain water
that will freeze and blow out the pot. Also, the quality
of the pot or planter will contribute to the life of the
container. Look for a quality container and an expert to
help you make your choice. You can find both at Little
Baja!
Lawn Grips
Sometimes working in the garden can really
do a number on your shoes. It is important to
project your feet and feel safe about getting around the
garden too. We found a garden shoe that was
developed locally and is perfect for those wet, soggy days
in the garden. It is called the Lawn Grips shoe. It
has a one piece sole that provides great traction on
freshly cut grass while easily shedding mud and clippings.
It also has a protective steel toe that keeps your toes
safe, and the double-stitched, leather upper helps keep
your feet dry. You can find them at selected
Parr Lumber
outlets including the Parr Lumber in Hillsboro
(503-531-7277) and on-line at
www.lawngrips.com.
Memorial Day Grilling
You have
spent all spring getting your garden ready for summer, now
it is time to set up the grill, have a cold drink and
relax. Memorial Day is here and to get us ready to grill
we dropped by to see Jerry Yost from
Gartner’s Meats (503-252-7801). Everyone seems to
grill hamburgers and hotdogs during the summer. Jerry
showed us how easy it is to impress people by trying
something different, short-ribs. These ribs are the most
popular item that Gartner’s sells during the summer
holidays. In less than 10 minutes you can have a real
mouth-watering treat, and a great start to the summer
grilling season!