The warmer weather has arrived and that means the blooms are busting out all over!  It can also mean a new set of problems for the local gardener.  Take a gander at your garden and see what your plants are doing.  The summer season is starting next weekend and that means you could nip the problems in the bud now before they get worse.  For example, the warm days and the moisture could mean that your plants could see signs of mold and fungus.  Check your plants to make sure they are happy and healthy.  If you encounter a problem contact your local garden center for help.

This week we featured...

Schreiner’s Iris Gardens and the Keizer Iris Festival

The irises are blooming and that means it is time for the Keizer Iris festival.  One of the reasons that Keizer has this wonderful festival is because of Schreiner’s Iris Gardens (1-800-525-2367).  This family-owned business has been a leader in growing and propagating new varieties of iris for over 80 years.  If you don’t know the name, you do know the fields.  They are the fields full of color as you approach Brooks, Oregon. We met up with Steve Schreiner to wander in their beautiful display gardens!  What sets the display gardens at Schreiner’s apart is the companion planting that they do.  These beds are not just full of irises they have a fantastic combination of other plants including lupines, poppies and pansies.  It is a great place to get ideas for your own garden.  Steve also told us about all the fun activities that are happening over the next two weekends, so if you miss this weekend, be sure to catch it next weekend!

This weekend is also the big weekend for the Keizer Iris Festival.  There is a fun center, parade, a breakfast, a car show and even a karaoke showcase!  Take the family and enjoy a fun weekend touring the fields and enjoying the festival.

Mole Solutions

One of the most common pests in the NW garden is the mole.  They can really tear up your flower bed and lawn.  There are lots of products out there to deter them.  Don Sprague of Don Sprague Sales (1-800-423-0158) told us about a couple of them.  The products that don’t seem to work… the vibrators, the home remedies, and the gases and bombs.  Not only are they ineffective, but  the directions are complicated.  You may be doing more harm to your garden than the moles.  The problem with getting rid of moles, if you don’t remove them, they will just leave and will return later.  The best way of getting rid of moles is to trap them.  Don showed us how to use the Cinch Trap.  This product will trap them and remove them forever. 

Strawberry Choices

Plant your strawberries now for a bountiful harvest this coming summer.  Laura Altvater from Portland Nursery on Stark (503-231-5050) explained the different varieties to Judy.  There are three types of berries you can plant.  ‘June-bearing’ gives you one crop.  ‘Ever-bearing’ gives you two crops, one in the spring and one in the fall.  ‘Day Neutral’ gives you berries through-out the summer if you treat them well.  There are a couple of other things that growers do to get a good crop… plant new berries every three to four years.  Tip back the plant, which means you should cut off the runners. This makes the plant put its energy into the fruit.  One of the hardest things to do… remove the blooms from your first year plants… we think that may be going too far!  Check out your local garden centers for a full range of varieties.

Legacy Burn Garden

We visited one of our favorite garden people this week, Teresia Hazen.  She is a Registered Horticultural Therapist and the coordinator of the Legacy Therapeutic Gardens.  Legacy has realized the importance of garden in the rehabilitation of patients at the hospital and Teresia is a recognized leader in the field.  She recently took us on a tour of the burn garden, where people can make use of a special garden in their recovery for traumatic burns .  She also told us how gardens can be used to help stimulate the senses of any child.  Simple things can be done around a garden that will foster a life long love for learning (and Gardening!!!!)

Jan’s May Tips

The spring weather is here and it is time to tackle the problems of the spring garden.  Jan McNeilan of OSU Extension walked us through the garden to fill us in on things you need to think about for May.  First, walk through your garden and check out your plants.  If things are not blooming when they should, you should check them for problems.  You may need to move them or replace them.  Don’t be afraid, the worst that can happen is that you need to replace the plant with a new one!  Next, check to make sure the new plants in your landscape are suitable for planting.  Make sure that new plants are ok with the areas and conditions you are placing them in.  Finally, transplant your seedlings, plant new seeds and keep those newer plants watered.  You have spent a lot of time and effort buying or starting new plants and you don’t want to lose your investment.