I’ve been telling you that this cold weather has had some benefits… we paid a visit to the Hulda Klager Lilac Garden this past week and because of the cold they are extending their Lilac Days event until the 14th of May! The plants are just starting to bust out and that means it is a perfect time to head up to Woodland to visit the garden, and it’s only $2 per person! We even came back with some wonderful lilacs that we are going to plant in the garden. We are also just a week away from Mother’s Day and now is a good time to head to your local garden center to get some ideas for Mother’s day gifts. Maybe you could plant her vegetable garden for her or get her a hanging basket. There are lots of possibilities!
This week we featured...
The Hulda Klager Lilac Days 2011
We took the short trip up I-5 to Woodland Washington to check out the lilacs at the Hulda Klager Lilac Days (360-225-8996). The 2011 Lilac Days is running a little late this year. Due to the cold weather this spring, the blooms are just starting to pop and the smell is better than ever! They will be starting to hit their peak this weekend and next. Ruth met us once again to fill us in on what was new for this season. It is a great time to see some of the different varieties and what they might look like in your yard. She also gave us the simple tips for success in growing these beauties: Alkaline soil, good drainage and sun! This spring has also tested the lilacs for you! You can check out the varieties that are performing the best in this challenging weather. Hulda hybridized many lilacs and became known as the ‘Lilac Lady’ in the Woodland area. She opened her garden to the public for an open house in the spring during the 20’s. She passed away in 1960. The Hulda Klager Lilac Society now runs the garden and opens it every year for this festival. They charge a small $2 fee during the festival. That, and the proceeds from the gift shop, keeps this garden going all year long. Take the time and visit it when you get a chance, it is spectacular!
Orchid Varieties
A lot of people think that orchids are hard to grow and difficult to care for. We put that myth to rest with a visit from Lori from the Oregon Orchid Society (503-632-4884). Lori was not a collector of orchids, in fact she was growing cactus until someone gave her 2 orchids and that got her excited about orchids and she now grows over 10,000 orchids as a hobby. She brought some of her collection to show us. They included a number of different types including Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) and some Paphiopedilum varieties (slipper orchids). As far as growing conditions, they pretty much like what we like; 70 degrees and comfortable, and a little water once in a while. Most people kill them with kindness and water them too much. Really they are not that touchy. You can find different varieties. There are some that are fragrant, some are delicate and some are pretty tough. If you are interested in orchids you can see a bunch of them at the 2011 Oregon Orchid Show and Sale, happening this weekend at the Ambridge Event Center from 10am to 5pm both days. This event is bigger than ever, they even had to move it to a new venue to get more room! If you have questions about orchids you can stop by the show or you can also find out more at the Oregon Orchid Society website.
Spring Pond Care
The weather is warming and that can create a few problems for your pond or water feature. We stopped by Tsugawa Nursery (360-225-8750) to get some tips from Doug King to learn what you should be doing now to get ready for the season. Doug gave us his ‘4 It’s’ of spring pond care. They are Kill it, Sink it, Eat it, and Starve it. First you want to kill the algae in your system with a treatment of Algae Fix. Next you want to sink it with Accu-clear. This will drop all the algae to the bottom of your pond or pool. This is actually the bottle of ‘instant gratification’. If you are having a party you can use this and your pond will be clear in just a day. Next you want to ‘Eat it’ with Microbe-lift. This is a bacterial pond clarifier that introduces bacteria to your system so it can eat all the nasty stuff at the bottom of your pond. Finally you can starve it with a good selection of pond plants. You should be cleaning up your plants. Get rid of the dead and damaged foliage; it will just add nutrients to your water that will foster the growth of algae, but be careful of the new growth and the flower buds. Now is also the time to fertilize your pond plants. Use a pellet fertilizer that will release over time. You can also start monitoring your fish. Remember that you need to be careful about feeding them right now. If the temperature of the water is below 45-50 degrees they won’t be able to metabolize the food that you feed them, so you will want to feed them a wheat germ product until the water warms up and they can process the protein in a regular food. The warmer weather will also mean a bloom of algae and mold in your system. You can control it with a variety of natural and organic products. For more information on pond maintenance you can always check with the experts at Tsugawa Nursery.
Tualatin Kids Blueberry Planting
Getting your kids in the garden may be as easy as your ABC’s. It is at Tualatin Elementary! We caught up with Paul Taylor who is a garden designer and a school volunteer. He had a bunch of the kids out in the garden to plant some blueberry bushes which had been donated to the school by the great folks at the Garden Corner (503-885-1934)! These kids were having a great time planting these berry plants and they showed us how easy it is to do it yourself. First you will want to pick more than one variety of plant. Pick an early, mid and late season plant so you have fruit production spread out over many weeks. Next you will need to dig a big hole, about twice as deep and wide as the root ball. Mix some of the soil from the hole with a good compost and throw in a handful of a balanced transplant fertilizer. Rough up the edges of the root ball. This will break up the smaller roots and stimulate them to grow once the plant is in the ground. Place the plant in the hole but make sure that the base of the plant is a tiny bit taller than the soil level. You don’t want to bury the crown of the plant, the moisture in the soil could damage the lower part of the bark. Fill in the rest of the soil and give it a good drink of water.
Blueberries are a great plant for the home gardener. They can supply fruit to you and the local wildlife, they are easy to grow and they have great fall color when their leaves change for the season. Stop by your local garden center to find the varieties that will work in your yard. Also, check out your local school and see if they have a garden for the kids. If they don’t, help start one. They will get to learn about nature and you get the feeling of satisfaction of passing on your gardening skills!
