"Show me your garden and I shall tell you
what you are."
--Alfred
Austin
And
right now, I’m relaxed because my garden has
become a place of relaxation. We have
spent the better part of the spring and early
summer whipping the garden into shape, finishing
the deck, etc. The pots are looking good.
The beds are weeded, the vegetables are ripening
and before the summer sun gets too hot (for more
than a couple of days) it is time to enjoy these
long, warm days.
This
week we featured...
International
Rose Test Garden & Rose Garden Store
The
roses are looking good so we decided to head up
to the International Rose
Test Garden at Washington Park and the Rose
Garden Store (503-227-7033). The
garden are looking really nice this year and
that is not just our opinion: The garden was
recognized as a Garden of Excellence by the
World Federation of Rose Gardens, one of only
three in the U.S. You should pay a visit.
Penny Cruz also gave us a quick tour of the Rose
Garden store. The store has everything
that has to do with roses. As Penny says,
"it has to look like a rose, taste like a
rose, smell like a rose, have a rose on it, hold
a rose in it, or be for or about growing
roses." Check them out for anything
rose-themed on your next visit to the garden!
Tsugawa
Bonsai Basics
Bonsai
is the perfect hobby for anyone, especially if
you have a small garden space. Brian
Tsugawa from Tsugawa’s
Nursery (360-225-8750) walked us through the
basics of bonsai. There are really four
rules to follow. Number 1: Look at
perspective. Choose a plant that will
handle the scale. Small leaves, needles or
flowers. These will usually work well for
bonsai. Number 2: Get the right container.
Bonsai have special containers because of their
special needs. Number 3: The right soil.
The right soil ensures your plant will be
healthy and have the right nutrients for growth.
Number 4: The right tools. Since you are
working in such a small scale, get the right
tools. This will prevent damage to the
small plants and make them look good as well.
Give the experts at Tsugawa a call if you have
questions or to check on when the next bonsai
seminar is scheduled.
Deck
Fireplaces
It
may say ‘summer’ on the calendar, but the
evenings may remind you of early spring or late
fall. The chill can be taken care of with
a patio fireplace. Wayne from Little
Baja (503-236-8834) showed us how easy these
portable fireplaces are to use and maintain.
These small fireplaces are perfect for late
night entertaining and with proper care they can
last for years! They come in many
sizes and are very safe to use. Little
Baja also gives out a detailed sheet of
instructions for use. They also provide a
safe compressed log that burns clean without
popping.
Gail
Austin Daylilies
July
is here and the daylilies are blooming.
These old time favorites are gaining increased
popularity in recent years because of their
beautiful blooms and their evergreen foliage.
We visit the garden of Gail Austin of Gail
Austin Garden Perennials (503-246-5747) to
see how she has combined various perennials to
create year-round color! She has no grass
in her garden and she really doesn’t need any!
Her garden starts early with hellebores, then
moves into irises, followed by clematis,
daylilies, fuchsias and many more. We saw
some wonderful varieties including daylilies
‘Kensington Manor’, ‘Last Flight Out’,
and ‘Ed Brown’. If you would like to
see the garden for yourself, check it out today
from 11:30 to 3:30. You should stop by and
see how various perennials can be combined to
make a nearly year-round splash!
Jan’s
Tips for July
We
return to the garden of Jan McNeilan to hear
about the OSU
Master Gardener tips for the month.
Jan started by showing us her raspberry patch.
She grows ‘Tulameen’, which has a huge,
flavorful berry. She told us how to prune
them to receive the best yield. Then we
moved to her garden to learn about spider mites
and white rust. Both of these problems can
be taken care of with commercially available
products or by just letting them run their
course. We finished up by talking about
tomatoes. Jan has a trellis of
‘indeterminate’ tomatoes. This type
will continue to grow and gain height until the
fall frost. She has to extend her trellis
to keep them upright. The other type she
could have used is the ‘determinate’ type,
which reaches a certain height and stays there.
You will find great varieties in both types.
If you have any gardening questions you can
always contact your local OSU extension agent.