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William McClenathan

 Episode 49
 June 9,
 2007

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Judy Alleruzzo


Spring in the northwest.  We are seeing gardens slowly make the transition from quick growth of the early spring warmth to the fullness of summer.  Everything is filling out.  The trees are full of leaves and the bushes are thicker.  I’m also noticing that some of my plants have out-grown their locations in the garden.  It is time to decide whether to move them or replace them.  It is also time to start thinking about water.  The spring showers are no longer enough to keep my plants happy.  Anything in the ground will need moisture of some kind, especially those new plantings.  Double check the water needs of your garden plants and take care of that now so you can have a great summer ahead.

This week we featured...

Tsugawa Strawberry Festival

It is that time of year when the local strawberries are starting to show up in your local market.  That means it is also time to visit Tsugawa Nursery (360-225-8750) for their annual Strawberry Festival.  Tsugawa has a farm that also grows strawberries and raspberries.  This weekend they show their appreciation to their customers by sharing some strawberry shortcake.  Saturday from 11:00am-3:00pm you can get free strawberry shortcake when you stop by.  Another event of interest is the Koi Seminar.  If you have a pond full of fish or looking to add some, this seminar will give you tons of tips for success.  Also, next Saturday you can come and get your CASA rose.  CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates; they represent children in the legal system so they have someone looking out for their interests.  Tsugawa’s has the special CASA rose and all proceeds with help the Clark and Cowlitz county programs.

Patio Clematis

Clematis are known to be big time climbers, in fact some varieties have been known to take over small countries.  Just kidding.  Still, if you have a small garden space you haven’t been able to enjoy a clematis until now.  Pat Hughes from Hines Horticulture (800-877-7823) called us to tell us about a new series of clematis from expert breeder Raymond Evison.  These little beauties are perfect for a patio planter since they stay 6 feet tall or shorter.  They also bloom in a different way then most clematis; they bloom all along the whole stem.  So you get bloom over the whole plant!  The varieties we saw included Parisienne, Angelique, and Cezanne.  Because these plants love to bloom they will need a little more fertilizer than most.     

Heirloom Miniature Roses

When you think of hardy, beautiful roses you think of Heirloom Roses.  But Heirloom started as a small company, and I mean small like in miniature.  Before there was Heirloom, there was John’s Miniature Roses (800-820-0465).  John Clements was a lover of small roses and that is how it all started.  Louise Clements took us on a tour of the mini and micro rose flower beds.  We saw some plants with flowers as small as your finger nail.  But don’t think that these small plants can’t perform.  They are just as hardy, fragrant and beautiful as their bigger cousins.  The ones that caught our eye were ‘Baby Betsy McCal and Blue Peter.  If you stop by the Heirloom display gardens don’t miss out on touring the small flower bed where there are some big-time winners.

Al’s June Perennials

June is Perennial Plant Month and to celebrate we stopped by Al’s Garden Center (503-726-1162) in Sherwood to check in with Mark Bigej to see what plants are looking spectacular right now.  Perennials are those plants that you can plant and forget about for quite a while.  They are the anchor plants in your flower bed that keep looking great year after year.  The ones we featured were Penstemon ‘Minaret Purple’, Coreopsis ‘Jethro Tull’, Verbena ‘Homestead Purple, Gaillardia ‘Fanfare’ and 2 hardy fuchsias (magellanica and Tri-color).  If you plant them now remember to keep them well watered for the first year until they root-out.  Also, remember the rule for perennials.  Sleep, Creep and Leap.  The first year they establish, the second they slowly grow and the third year they really take off.  Celebrate Perennial Plant Month by adding one to your garden.

JB Lawn Tips

Growing a lawn or repairing one can be easy if you know what to do.  We went to the experts at JB Instant Lawn (800-527-1439) to learn how to grow an award-winning lawn.  James Schneider walked us through a step-by-step process for doing it right, the first time.  Tip 1: Get a quality grass seed.  Look for 0 weed seed and a good mix that is made for our area.  Tip 2: Check the needs of your turf.  Do you need a new lawn or will an over seeding work better.  Tip 3: Add lime to ‘sweeten’ your soil.  Our soils tend to be acidic and the lime will balance the pH so the seed will perform better.  Tip 4: Fertilize as needed.  Too much fertilizer and you are wasting it, too little and the lawn becomes weak and that opens the door to more weeds and other turf problems.  Tip 5: Pay attention to watering.  Once your lawn is established, deep water once or twice a week to encourage root growth.  And finally, tip 6: Watch your mower height.  Mowing to the correct level and keeping it close to that level will encourage growth and will allow sunlight, water and nutrients to the whole plant.  If you are looking for more tips, contact JB Instant Lawn.
 

 
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