How are your plants doing? The summer has just started and the plants are probably showing little signs of being stressed. If you had new plants that you put in this spring they don’t have a very good root system and so they might be the first to show signs of drying out. Also, you may have some plants in your garden that have always been stressed during the summer. That means they are not happy with where they are. You can try to nurse them though another season or you can try to move them now to a better location where they might survive better, and maybe even thrive. Now one caution, you will have to watch these transplants really carefully! Once they are moved they will need extra water to make sure they handle the transfer well. Either way, you should keep your eye on your garden to make sure that everyone is staying happy and healthy!

This weekend is also the annual Oregon Lavender Festival. Check out the story below and then go to their website at www.oregonlavenderfestival.com to find a location near you!

This week we featured...

Miniature Roses

When you think of hardy, beautiful roses you think of Heirloom Roses (503-538-1576). But Heirloom started as a small company, and I mean small like in miniature. Before there was Heirloom Roses selling large plants, there was John’s Miniature Roses. John Clements was a lover of small roses and that is how it all started. Heirloom still has one of the best collections of miniature and micro roses in the country. Cheryl met with us to tell us more about the roses and how they compare to the larger varieties. Miniature roses are just like their taller brethren in that they like lots of water, well drained soil and a good fertilizer every 6 weeks or so. The smaller varieties can be easier to deadhead and maintain though, and are excellent for a raised bed or container. The ‘miniature’ and ‘micro’ categories are mainly based on flower and leaf size. 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. 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.

Top 5 Lavenders – Festival

It is July and that means the lavender is in bloom. To check out these fragrant plants we stopped by one of our favorite lavender farms, Lavender at Stonegate (503-638-5218), and talked to Sarah Berringer Bader. Sarah just celebrated the 1 year anniversary of her new book ‘The Lavender Lovers Handbook’. This is a great book that covers everything that you need to know about lavenders. It has segments on pruning, planting and even recipes for cooking. One of the best parts is Sarah’s top 10 favorite lavenders. She brought some for us to look at too. Her number one favorite is called ‘Folgate’ which is an English lavender. Folgate has a sweet fragrance and is very easy to grow; it even looks great in the winter time. The second one she brought out was ‘Purple Bouquet’. This one is known for its long stems and great fragrance. It is great for crafts, cut flower bouquets and will produce a second crop if you cut off the first blooms. It is what they line the driveway with at the nursery because it is so showy! The third one she showed us was ‘Buena Vista’. This one was bred in Oregon and is a continuous bloomer. It is also one of the best varieties for culinary uses. The fourth one she brought out is considered the most fragrant of all lavenders, Grosso. About 70 percent of the lavender oil production in the world comes from this variety. The final one we looked at is also an Oregon bred variety called ‘Ana Luisa’. This one is hardy with long stems and wooly, silver foliage.

If you would like to check out Lavender at Stonegate and pick up a copy of her book, this weekend would be a great time. Lavender at Stonegate is part of the Oregon Lavender Festival which is happening this weekend around Oregon and SW Washington. You can check out their website to see all the participating farms, download a map and check out some of the special events that are happening around the area. Sarah will be signing copies of her book at her place and answering all your lavender questions.

Flavor Plants

There are lots of plants in the garden that will bring some flavor to your summer cooking. Some of these plants are familiar herbs that are already found in your kitchen in a dried form. During the summer months you can actually grow some of these same spices in your own garden, fresh! We started with parsley. This plant is not just for decoration it can also be added to salads and soups. English thyme was next. It also can be used in stews as well, but is also good with roasted beef and pork. Mint can be used in adult beverages and also is great when brewed in teas. Be careful to keep this one in a pot because it can get invasive. Chives are great for baked potatoes. When they are fresh, chives can just be clipped off and chopped and added to any number of dishes. Stevia was next. This is a plant that is used as a natural sweetener. A lot of diabetics are now using this plant because it won’t affect their blood sugar. Lemon grass is a plant that is not hardy in our area, but it is a lovely plant in the garden. It can also be used in a lot of Asian recipes. Judy then showed off a few more of her favorites. One of her favorites is rosemary. This can be used in stews and soups, and the woody spears can be used as skewers for shish kabobs. It will add a great flavor to your meat as it cooks. Basil is a great plant. It can be used in salads straight off the plant, but can be combined with pine nuts and olive oil to make a tasty pesto sauce for pasta. Bay is another great plant for roasts. Use the leaves when you are roasting meats for a distinctive flavor. You can add the leaves to stews when cooking; just remember to remove the leaves before serving. Sage is a great garden plant with a lot of different varieties to choose from. Sage will work well in stuffing during the holidays. Lemon verbena is a nice herb for teas and sauces. Just add a little when you are cooking or brewing for a nice light lemon flavor. You can also chop it up and use it in fruit salads. The final herb was tarragon. This one will give you a subtle licorice flavor. If you add it to vinegar or oils it will give them a light flavor. It is also good with chicken or chicken salads. If you would like to try to grow some of these, a good way of doing that is with an herb container. Just plant a few of these in a pot and place the container by the back door so they are right there when you need them. We found a huge selection at Portland Nursery on Stark (503-231- 5050) but most of these are available at you local independent garden center.

Living Wreath

A variety of plant that is hard to kill is the sedum. These little wonders grow in areas that other plants find hard to endure. Donna Wright from Black Gold shared a way to enjoy your wreath on a garden wall or on your picnic table. She used a wire wreath frame and then planted 5-6 varieties of sedums in patterns of 3 for a beautiful display of color and texture. If you would like to build your own wreath, check out these directions.

 

Dwip Pan