In case you hadn't noticed we are in the last weekend of spring! Yeah, me too. It is hard to think of spring being over when we have been having nothing but rain and cold for the last month or so. Summer officially starts on the 21st of June but as we all know the truly warm weather doesn't start until July. No worries, we will just wait and enjoy it more when it finally arrives. You can still get in the spring of the season by stopping by one of the many strawberry festivals in the area. If you live in the south Portland Metro area, check out the Berries, Brews and Bar-B-Ques event at French Prairie Gardens (503-633-8445). If you live in the North Metro area or Vancouver you can stop by Tsugawa's Strawberry Festival (360-225-8750). Either way you can't miss out on this tasty treat.

This week we featured...

Tomato Helpers

This year everyone is planting tomatoes. Growing your own tomatoes helps your health and your budget! We decided to check with Larsen Farm Nursery (503-638-8600) to see the different materials that are available to help you grow the best crop of tomatoes ever. The first thing we noticed was the proliferation of products that are colored red. Studies have shown that red helps promote fruit growth. We started with the protective red plant cover called the Tomato Greenhouse. This is a bag that you can pull over your tomato cage to retain the heat. We also saw the Better Reds Mulch product that will reflect the color and also helps retain the ground heat that tomatoes love. We also saw the red watering tray. These trays are placed around the base of the tomato and slowly release the water the plants need, retain the heat and reflect the red color. Judy then showed a couple of other 'helpers'. The Wall O'Water (or the Season Starter brand that we found) helps retain the heat around the plant by trapping it in the water and then releasing it to the plant to help them survive the cooler nights and promote plant growth. We also found the Topsy Turvy tomato planter which is the popular up-side-down plant growing container. This one is very popular because it is featured on TV. The jury is still out on whether this will grow more or bigger fruit, but it will help you add growing space if you have a limited space. To find these and other 'helpers', check with your local independent garden center or stop by Larsen Farm Nursery.

Herb Pots

Growing your own vegetables and herbs are very popular right now. So to learn how to make an herb pot we went to one of the local experts, Rosie Sullivan from N & M Nursery (503-981-9060). Rosie, and her husband Sean, grow herb and perennials that they sell at the Beaverton Farmers Market and to local garden centers around the area. She showed us how to plant up 2 different kinds of planters, one for cooking herbs, and one for salads and teas. First, Judy tried to help by handing her cilantro. Rosie recommends that you keep the cilantro separate. It is such a short lived annual that you should cut it and use it 4-5 times and then just compost the plant. In the culinary herb pot you can include African Blue Basil, chives, sweet basil, Rosemary, Oregano, thyme and sage. In the salad and tea pot she included saliva, mint (keep it in a pot, it spreads), Stevia (natures sugar) and lavender. Try building your own herb pot this spring and enjoy fresh herbs all summer long.

Worry Free Products

With the push to organics more and more people are asking for products that are effective and don't harm the environment. William met with our friend Norm from Lilly Miller and he showed us the newest line of Worry Free Products from Lilly Miller. The first products are ones that we have become familiar with, the Worry Free Slug and Snail bait, and the Moss and Algae Control. Now Lilly Miller has a bunch of new products that can help you control almost any pest. For the garden they have the new 3 in1 Garden Spray and the Garden Insect Control. Both of these products can naturally control bugs and diseases like mites and black spot. They also have an insecticidal soap that will take care of insect eggs too. The big introduction is the new Weed and Grass Killer which takes care of grasses, broadleaf weeds and is safe to use around pets and wildlife. Check out these new Lilly Miller products at your local garden center.

10 Toughie Ground Covers

We are always looking for plants that can handle the worst we can dish out and still come back for more. Some groundcovers do that and more! We stopped by to visit with Fran from Stepables to learn about the new Top 10 Toughies in groundcovers. These are plants that were chosen by customers, growers and retailers as the best at handling cold winters, heavy traffic and 'mean' conditions in the garden. Some of the favorites include Blue Star Creeper, Scotch and Irish moss, wooly thyme, and elfin thyme. For a complete list you can visit your local independent garden center or go to the Stepables.com website.