Welcome to the final episode of the Garden Time show for 2010. We are
wrapping things up this weekend on our fifth season. It has been a great
year, even though it started out so wet and cold this past spring. As most
of you know, Garden Time is produced by Gustin Creative Group. We are a
small company and it is only through the support of our great advertisers
that we can put on this fun and informative show. Because of their support
we can tell you that we will return in March of 2011 for our sixth season.
Stop by one of our many advertisers and say thank you the next time you are
shopping.
If you are looking to keep in touch with the Garden Time crew you can do
that in many different ways. Garden Time Magazine, our on-line
publication, will continue through the winter months. You can sign up to
receive the FREE issues by clicking here.
The Garden Time Blog will get a lot more action in the winter
months ahead. William, Judy and the producers, Jeff and Therese, will be
adding stories to the blog for your enjoyment including tours of gardens in
Turkey and France.
The Garden Time website will be updated as well. We will be
updating stories on the site on a weekly basis, so check in and see some of
our favorite stories.
Finally, we are looking at starting the Garden Time Store. This
store will offer some of the great Garden Time gear that you see William and
Judy wearing on the show. Plus we will also have a wide assortment of other
garden related items for you and the gardener in your life.
Remember, we will be as close as your computer! See you in
March of 2011.
This week we featured...
Indoor Tropical Plants
The change in seasons doesn't mean that you have to give up
gardening. There are lots of options for gardening indoors! You can even
stretch your 'garden' palette by trying tropicals inside during these winter
months! Alani joined us at the Division Street Portland Nursery
(503-788-9000)
to learn about all the different types of tropicals that you can choose
from. We first started with citrus. You can grow lots of different types
of citrus indoors including one of the most popular varieties, the Meyer
Improved Lemon, which can fruit many times during the year. There is also
the Kaffir Lime and the Kumquat which make wonderful indoor plants. One
thing about citrus, it can lose some of its leaves during the change of
seasons. Some other fruiting plants include the Barbados cherry and the
Lychee plant. One of the most interesting plants is the Miracle plant. If
you eat the fruit of this plant everything you eat for about an hour after
will taste sweet. We then moved to the anthurium which is one the plants
that we typically call 'tropical'. The flowers last for a long time and
almost look like they are made of plastic. Some other tropical flowers
include orchids, Christmas cactus and the Bougainvillea. If you love to
garden you need to check out all the options for growing indoors during the
colder months of the year!
Portland Garden Club Market Basket
The holidays bring lots of opportunities to buy gifts for family
and friends. We found a place where you can pick up some cool holiday
crafts and support the gardening community at the same time. Every year the
Portland Garden Club has their Market Basket sale. This
sale raises funds that help support their many events through-out the year.
These events are open to the public and help promote gardening and gardeners
in the Portland area. They even offer grants and scholarships with some of
the funds that are raised. We met with Linda Morrow who makes topiaries for
the sale and she even shared some of her secrets for making a beautiful
topiary. During the event you can sip hot cider while strolling past
'antique bird cages, red faux chandeliers and bold wallpaper to view
handmade Victorian crafts such as elegant angels with poofy gowns,
flower-filled fabric cornucopias, "popper" potpourris, lace stars, lady
apple trees, table runners of greens, rosebud kissing balls, dried
topiaries, garlands, stone animals' and so much more. The event takes place
on the 4th of December from 10am to 2pm, but get there early to get the best
deals. Check out the PGC website for all the details.
Bauman Holiday Happenings
If you missed some of the holiday open houses in these past few
weeks, you needn't worry. The Bauman family has come to your rescue. We
stopped by Bauman's Farm and Garden (503-792-3524) to learn more about their
upcoming events to kick off the holidays. Brian showed us some of the cool
wreaths that you can pick up at the farm. These wreaths are made with fresh
greens and covered in cool accents. You can also check out some wonderful
'living' plants for your winter garden including some of the newest
varieties of hellebores. These will bloom for you indoors and then you can
place them outside to enjoy year after year.
Two of the must see events include the Chicks Night Out on the
3rd of December from 5-8pm. This Merry Chicksmas event will have beer and
wine tastings, food sampling, free massages and door prizes. The next
morning you can enjoy their Early Bird Event from 8am to noon. During this
event you can enjoy 20% off everything in the store.
Plus don't forget the great fresh produce and bakery items for
some tasty holiday eating. Stop by and enjoy a holiday on the farm at
Bauman's.
Christmas Trees
Thanksgiving has past and now it is time to start thinking about
Christmas and Christmas trees. We stopped by Lee Farms (503-638-1869) in Tualatin to
visit with Craig Lee about the most popular types of cut Christmas trees
this season. The varieties that Oregonians are buying include Douglas fir,
Grand fir, Nobel fir and the Frasier fir. The most popular tree is the
Noble fir, but the Frasier fir is gaining ground, because it is very
fragrant. The newest variety of tree that is also gaining in popularity is
the Nordmann fir. Lee's also carries the wonderful Davis Tree Stand. Pick
one up and you will never need another stand again!
Now that you have your tree and your new stand, how can you make
sure that it will last through the season and stay fresh? You could get a
flocked tree. The flocking on a tree helps to seal in the moisture and that
means little or no water is needed. If you have a green tree there are a
few rules you need to follow before you decorate to make sure it lasts
through the season and into the New Year. Craig 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. Don't use any soda in
your water. Some people think the sugar in the soda will help the tree last
longer, but it really just promotes the growth of bacteria and that is not
good for your tree. Remember, if it runs out of water once, it will seal up
and then it doesn't matter how much water you add, so make sure you have a
large reservoir of water under your tree. Don't let the tree run out of
water and you will have a longer lasting green tree for your holidays.
Indoor Plant Care
A lot of people take their indoor plants outside during the
summer months. It is good to get them some sun and fresh air, but if you
brought them in to protect them from the cold you may have brought some
plant problems indoors as well. We had some tips that will help keep those
plants healthy and happy. First, start adjusting them for the reduced light
and watering they may encounter indoors. Next, prune off the old, dead or
diseased leaves and limbs. Finally, get those bugs! Hit your plants with a
stream of water from the hose. This will clean them up and get rid of most
of your bad bugs that are on the plant. Next you will want to spray your
plant with an insecticide. You can use one of the commercially available
products out there. If you are concerned about chemicals or you have a
citrus (or other edible plant) you can choose an insecticidal soap or Neem
Oil product. The insecticides will kill the sucking insects, the natural
products smother them. Check with your local independent garden centers for
more tips.
Gartner's Season Finale
Every year for the past five years we have ended our broadcast
season with our friends at Gartner's Meats (503-252-7801). Jerry Yost from Gartner's
and his lovely wife Deb have welcomed us into their home and also shared
tips on how to enjoy the holidays more with outdoor grilling. In the past
we have had turkeys, hams and even Prime Rib all prepared on the Traeger
grill on their deck. Jerry has showed us how to take some of the work out
of the kitchen (and the holiday) by firing up the grill. This year we
enjoyed something really special, a stuffed turkey breast. This is a
smaller portion of turkey that can be easily prepared on the grill and can
feed a smaller group of people. No longer do you need to prepare a huge
bird to celebrate the holidays. This turkey breast can feed six to eight adults
without a ton of leftovers. Of course if you are looking for a bigger bird
Gartner's can take care of that too.
We would like the thank Gartner's for their support and
friendship for these past five years. This time of year we are thankful for
family and we are proud to have them as part of the Garden Time family!