SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 379 • October 24, 2015

VIDEO ARCHIVE

The days are getting so much darker, so much earlier! We have been out shooting stories and it is really getting dark sooner. Sometimes we feel cheated since we are running out of daylight. The rains have also returned and we are now dodging showers to get our stories shot on time. It is tough, but fun at the same time, and a sign of the seasons changing.

The dark days remind me that the holidays are not far away. We are starting to see that in the next few weeks on the show. This week on the show we talk about holiday lights and an annual Halloween pottery sale. Yup, the seasons are changing!

 

This week we featured...

 

Tsugawa Fall Crape Myrtles

 

Tsugawa Fall Crape Myrtles

The fall really brings out the colors. One plant that most people would not think of when they think of fall colors is the crape myrtle. We traveled to Woodland, Washington to visit Brian Tsugawa at Tsugawa Nursery (360-225-8750). He had a few different varieties of crape myrtle around the nursery. These all had wonderful fall color just starting to bust out with the promise of more color to come. The crape myrtle is known for the wonderful late summer blooms that they get, but it can offer so much more to the fall garden. The leaves on most varieties are striking with their vibrant colors and the bark has a multicolor variation that looks great in the winter garden after the leaves are gone. Plus there are a bunch of different heights to choose from. The larger plants can get as tall as 25 feet and the shorter bushes can stay around 3 feet high or shorter with pruning. If you would like to see some great late season blooms followed by wonderful fall color, consider the crape myrtle. You can find a great selection at Tsugawa’s or your local independent garden center.

 

Japanese Garden Makeover
 

Japanese Garden Makeover

The Portland Japanese Garden (503-223-1321) is known for its tranquility and beauty, but for the next few months there will be the sounds of construction equipment filling the air. The garden is going through a renovation and is currently closed to the public. To learn more about this closure we stopped by the garden and chatted with marketing director, Lisa Christy. She told us that the 6 month closure will allow them to expand outside the main garden area with an improved entrance gate, meeting and educational facilities, plus other amenities that will make the garden better. The main garden is not being affected at all. This expansion is the first major project at the garden since it was built. When it is done in the spring of 2016 you will probably notice the garden will seem less hectic as a lot of the activity of meetings and support functions will be in this new area. It is giving everyone a little bit more elbow room, and making the overall garden experience better. If you are looking for updates on the construction, they have created a new website where you can get all the information you need. It is www.CulturalCrossing.com. There you will find pictures of the plan, artist sketches of the new buildings and a description of the entire project. They even have a webcam so you can follow the progress of the project. We can’t wait to see how the garden looks in a few months, it will make a great garden even better!

 

Solexx Grow Tube

 

Solexx Grow Tube

The nights are getting colder and that means you need to think about protecting those tender plants in your garden. If you have tender plants in containers it is easy to move them under cover or into a greenhouse, but what about those plants in the ground? We found a great solution for protecting them at the Greenhouse Catalog (800-825-1925) in Brooks. Michelle met us at the store to show us how they use the Solexx material to make a protective cylinder for any size plant. The Solexx material is a double walled composite material that they use to build their greenhouses. It comes in sheets or rolls that you can buy from their store or on line. Michelle showed how they use short pieces in the form of a cylinder with a tube in the middle to slide over those tender plants. The tube can be slid over a rod to make sure that the protection stays in place, even in the worst weather. If you would like to pick up some of this great material, give them a call at Greenhouse Catalog, or stop by their store off I-5 at exit 263 in Brooks.

 

Jan’s October Tips

 

Jan’s October Tips

When fall comes around there are a whole new set of chores to do in the garden. To get an idea of where to start we stopped by and visited with retired OSU Extension Agent, Jan McNeilan. We found Jan in her greenhouse busy getting her indoor plants ready to move back into her house. During the summer months those indoor plants have enjoyed a nice vacation outside in the sun and warmth, but now Jan was getting them ready for the transition back inside. First she had to clean up the plants. She removed the leaves and debris from the top of the soil, even removing a tiny bit of the soil to get those little critters that might be living in that layer. She also checked the plant for any other pests that might be living on them. Then a couple of them had a light pruning and they were ready to go inside. Jan had also planted some onion starts that she found in her greenhouse and they were just starting to get going. It’s going to be nice having fresh green onions later this winter.


Then we headed outside. We saw that Jan’s Christmas cactus was all budded up and just about ready to bloom. Actually, it will probably be a Halloween cactus, since it will probably be blooming next week! To help slow down the blooming process Jan was keeping it outside in the cooler weather. She told us that once she brings it inside it will bloom pretty quickly. So the lesson here is to keep them cool! We also looked at her tomatoes. Jan had planted a bunch of tomatoes in pots. There were a mix of grafted and non-grafted varieties. They were all doing well and still producing. She is just going to leave them outside and continue harvesting as long as she can. She could bring them inside her greenhouse, but the season is winding down anyway and it has been a great tomato year. Sometimes it is best to just let the plants go at the end of the season and not worry about trying to extend the season. It might be more work than its worth.
Finally, we talked about the Ash White Fly. This little fly has created clouds of pests that seem to have taken over the skies this fall. These pests have just arrived in our area in the past 2 years and have proliferated due to the fact that they don’t have any natural predators. Jan told us that researchers at OSU are recommending that we don’t do anything right now. They are migrating from deciduous trees and plants to the evergreen plants for the winter. They can possibly do damage to plants by sucking out juices and causing weaker plants, but they are doing little to no damage at this time, so there is no need to spray. There is a natural parasitic wasp that will follow these pests and they predict that within the next year or 2 we will see a decline in the white fly. For more information you can click on this link. If you would like more information on what to do in the fall garden, you can always check out the OSU Extension website.

 

Fall Fab 5 Plants at the Children’s Garden

 

Fall Fab 5 plants at the Children’s Garden

The Legacy Health system is known for the quality care they provide to their patients. They are a healing place. This healing goes beyond the operating rooms and MRI labs, it extends to the gardens outside as well. Teresia Hazen is the coordinator of the Legacy Therapeutic Gardens and Horticulture Therapy programs and she works hard to bring plants into these gardens to stimulate all the senses during healing. She met with us at the Children’s Garden at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center to share her Fall Fab 5 plant in the garden. We started with green beans. Patients and staff at the hospital are picking green beans straight from the plant and eating them now. Another great plant right now are the crape myrtles. These smaller plants are loaded with blooms and soon will be enjoying some great fall color. Fuchsias are looking great right now too. The vibrant colors and different varieties are visually stunning, bringing a smile to everyone’s face. Another bright fall plant are the asters. These little daisy like flowers are creating carpets of color in the garden. The kids really love our next plant the ‘turtlehead’ plant, also called the Chelone. This plant looks like a little turtle head and kids love to touch it. The final plant that we looked at was the Rudbeckia. This plant is covered in bright blooms and looks like little spots of sunshine in the garden beds.
You can stop by and see this wonderful garden even if you are not a patient or visitor. The garden is on the main floor of the hospital and you can ask at the front desk for directions. Teresia recommends that you build a garden like it in your own backyard. When they were building this one they visited the garden centers every month to see what was blooming and then filled the garden with those plants. As you can see it is stunning! Build your own and get a little ‘garden’ healing at your home.

 

Sparkle Magic Lights

 

Sparkle Magic Lights

I know it may be a little early to talk about the upcoming holidays, but we found a product that we just had to share. The Sparkle Magic Illuminator Light is something really spectacular and we were very impressed from the first time we used it. The Illuminator Light is a high tech laser that is great for home use. The light is easy to install. You just plug it in and point. It projects a light pattern wherever you point it. We were amazed at how much area the light covers. It covers a 25 foot by 25 foot area. The laser patterns are adjustable so you can change the pattern on your home by just turning a wheel. The Sparkle Magic also uses less energy than a string of old decorative light. With just 3 of the lights you can cover your whole house in color. No more climbing a ladder or crawling on your roof to decorate your home! Plus the lights come in 3 colors (red, green and blue) so you can have multiple colors covering your home. It truly is a ‘magic’ product.

 

Lonesomeville Straw Protection

 

Lonesomeville Straw Protection

Your tender garden plants might be starting to sweat a little bit! The landscape is getting cooler and winter weather is just around the corner. To get a tip on how you can protect your landscape plants from the cold we stopped by and talked to the ever entertaining Wayne at Lonesomeville Pottery (503-774-5387). They have some incredible gardens surrounding their home and they work hard to keep them that way. One of their favorite plants is the abutilon or flowering maple. These plants will bloom during the summer and continue to bloom for months, but they can be finicky in the cold. Wayne, with the help of assistant Danny, showed us how you can use straw and some netting to cover those tender plants. Wayne told us that they use straw instead of hay because straw is cleaner and does not have seeds (which will attract mice). This straw is ‘fluffed’ up to create an air filled pocket around the plant. The netting holds it all in place with sticks and pegs holding it down.


The other reason for our visit was to preview their annual fall sale. The sale is happening this weekend, the 24th, from 5-8pm. They have a lot of Halloween inspired pottery and other incredible designs too. This is a ‘must see’ sale. While you are there don’t forget to check out their wonderful decorations too!
 

 
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