ARCHIVE


William McClenathan

 Episode 34
 November 25, 2006

PREVIOUS SHOW ARCHIVE


Judy Alleruzzo


Welcome to the holidays!  The turkey is gone and we are looking ahead to parties, shopping and maybe a little gardening.  Shopping for the gardener can be hard, but your local independent garden center is packed full of friendly employees and great gift ideas.  Most of them are hosting great functions as well.  Some are offering classes that will show you how to make a wreath or door swag.  Some even have kid’s events and story times.  All of them have the most knowledgeable people in the business!  But before you head out the door, kick back and enjoy this week's Garden Time show.

This week we featured...

Portland Nursery Holiday Open House

Portland Nursery (503-231-5050) will turn on the lights for the holidays on Saturday, November 25, 10:00am - 4:00pm. We caught up with Margie McDonald at the Stark Street location to learn what they have planned.  She told us about the wonderful displays they have to give you ideas for creating a winter wonderland in your own home.  They have areas that duplicate a Japanese Garden, an old world floral market, a formal dining area and even a Mardi Gras tree.  Enjoy refreshments at both the Stark and Division locations. See what is new for that gardener on your holiday list – from an unusual conifer, to the right pruners, or even a gift certificate, they can help you find the gift sure to please.

Drake's Holiday 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 Drake's 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 Drake's or any other local garden center and try a citrus plant.

Kindergarden – Milk Jug Feeder

It is easy to teach your kids about backyard birds and recycling, with this easy craft project that’s for the birds!  You can recycle a milk jug and make it into a bird feeder.  Myra Lukens from the Backyard Bird Shop (503-635-2044) brought some of her friends to the store and gave us a quick lesson on building one.  All you need is an empty clean milk jug, a dowel for a perch, some wire for a hanger and some seed.  Hang it from a tree branch, and the birds will soon find the new feeder.  You can find instructions at your local Backyard Bird Shop or print them here.  

Fall Equipment Maintenance

It is the time of year that we are putting away our power tools for the season and to keep them in the best condition for the next year is to give them a tune-up for the winter.  Scott Ashby from Stark Street Lawn and Garden (503-255-5393) in Portland showed us how to prepare your mower, blower, chain saw and generator for the cold months ahead!  The benefit of doing it now keeps your tools in the best condition so you have less maintenance in the future.  A couple of pointers: Use all your gas now.  Old gas becomes weak gas and can foul your engine.  Check air filters and spark plugs.  Sharpen blades/chains and clean all surfaces.  If it sounds like too much to tackle, you can always take it to your local Stark Street dealership.  They have three locations in the Portland area.

Christmas Tree Care

Thanksgiving weekend is the first big weekend for people to start getting their Christmas trees.  Before you decorate your tree there are a few rules you need to follow to make sure it lasts through the season and into the new year.   Craig Lee from Lee Farms (503-638-1869) told us to always make a fresh cut on any tree you purchase from a tree lot.  If you cut your own tree make sure you get it into some water as quickly as possible.  Some other tips; use lukewarm water the first time you water your tree, and add an aspirin and a couple drops of bleach to the water.  Remember, if it runs out of water once, it will seal up and then it doesn’t matter how much water you add.  Don’t let the tree run out of water and you will have a longer lasting green tree for your holidays. 

Lee’s also carries the ‘Davis Tree Stand’.  It is a quick and easy-to-install stand that takes the hassle out of setting up your Christmas tree.

Holiday Pots

We were looking for a container that can be reused all year round and we found a neat one at Garden Gallery Ironworks (1-800-423-0158) at the Woodburn Company Stores.  Carol Sprague showed us one that she planted up with cut greens, pinecones and ribbons to welcome people to her house.  It was very easy to do and when the weather changes she told us how she will convert it to a fresh flower planter.  We also saw a new design that looked like a window box!  If you are looking for a neat planter, check out the one at Garden Gallery Ironworks.
 

 
main page this week

plant of the week

tip of the week tool shed how to gardens to see sponsors events calendar the happy spot
streaming video read our blog join our twitter e-mail us archive press relations links to other websites
 

Website design and content ©2006-2019 Gustin Creative Group.  Please send website inquiries to gustingroup@comcast.net.  This page last modified March 06, 2020.