SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 380 • October 31, 2015

VIDEO ARCHIVE

Happy Halloween! We recently had a scary thought, we are just 4 weeks away from our last episode for this 10th season of Garden Time. The end of November will mark the end of our 10th season. We are still working hard though, to get you the best in gardening information in these final weeks of our season.

It looks like this weekend will be a wet one for those little trick-or-treaters. Remember to stay as dry and safe as possible on Halloween night. Carry flashlights and wear reflective gear, and if you’re enjoying an adult holiday, drive safe and don’t overdo it. We want you all to be safe and ready for another season in the garden!

We are about a month away from the price increase for our trip to Ireland next June, and there are only 7 spots still open. It promises to be a great time and remember, if it sells out William and Jeff from the Garden Time crew will be wearing kilts! What were we thinking?!?!

 

This week we featured...

 

Bamboo Projects

 

Bamboo Projects

People are always looking for ways to add structure to their garden, either to add height for plants to grow on, or for garden interest. One material that is becoming popular is bamboo. This strong caned plant can be used to create just about anything in the garden. We ran up to Bamboo Garden (503-647-2700) outside of North Plains to talk to Noah about what you can do with bamboo canes. He took us out to a bamboo fence that they had built quite a few years ago and, even though it was faded, it was still structurally strong and looking good. This was only one use that he mentioned. You can also build trellises and arbors. We found an incredible arbor that had peek-a-boo cuts in the canes that revealed the inside structure of the canes. Noah also said that you can build garden art out of the canes too. There was a round ball and a large piece of art that looked like a giant pill. It was incredible what you could make from bamboo! Now, if you don’t have any bamboo in your garden to harvest, not to worry, they have tons of cut bamboo to choose from at Bamboo Garden in lots of different sizes. If you would like to tackle a project, give them a call and they can set you up.

 

Fall Grape Harvest

 

Fall Grape Harvest

This past summer was a warm one, but what did that mean for the grape harvest. To find out the answer to that question we travelled to Stoller Family Estate (503-864-3404) to chat with Melissa Burr, their award winning wine maker. She told us that their grapes had a record year. They usually watch the amount of grapes they are growing to make sure that they are not just growing a lot of wine grapes, but that they grow quality grapes. This year they had both! The warm summer, combined with the dry fall with cooler nights made for a wonderful year for growing. She even mentioned that the home gardener had a similar year. The only major change from this past summer was an early harvest. Some varieties were about 3 weeks early in ripening.

Now that the summer is over and the harvest is in what can a home gardener do to prepare for next summer. Right now, nothing. Melissa recommends that you just let the vines rest and then in late winter you can get out and prune your grapes and get them ready for the new season.

If you would like to taste some of the great Stoller wines you can stop by anytime at their tasting room outside of Dundee. They are having a special tasting weekend during Thanksgiving as well, check out their website for all the details.

 

Fall Rose Care

 

Fall Rose Care

Fall is a season of transition for your roses. What should you be doing right now? To get the answer to that we met with Phil Edmunds from Garden Rose Consulting (503-476-4262) in a Portland rose garden. Right now roses are slowing down in their growth. It has been a great year for most roses and Phil told us that those conditions are continuing right now. Without a frost the roses are continuing with their blooms, though we are seeing less of them right now. He recommends that you just let them go and enjoy them right now while they are looking good. If we don’t have a hard frost you might be able to have some cut roses on your dinner table. The one thing you don’t want to do right now is prune them back or fertilize them. Pruning and fertilizing might promote new growth and that would just get hit by frost when it does come. When that frost does come you will see all the leaves start to fall off. You will want to clean those up and keep the weeds down to promote a healthy environment for next year. After that frost you can also cut the canes down to about waist high to keep the plants from whipping around in those winter winds. Then when we get to the late winter (mid-February) you can start to prune them for the new season. If you have any other questions about roses you can contact Phil. He does a free consultation for new clients and can help you keep your rose garden in best shape for any time of year.

 

Parr Bulletin Board

 

Parr Bulletin Board

We always find some great home and garden projects when we stop by Parr Lumber (866-214-7277). Amber and her crew always have simple and creative projects that anyone can do. This week we saw one that just used cedar fence boards, 1x2’s and some recycled paint. What they make is a wonderful and decorative bulletin board. First she started with some distressed fence boards. You don’t need the best boards to work with for this project, in fact the cracked and rough boards add character to your bulletin board. Next she picked up some recycled paint from the recycling center, though you could use new paint or even a stain. Get a few different colors and then thin them down with water or thinner. Apply these to the boards to give them a light washed out look. Use outdoor paint or stain if you are putting this project outside. Then attach the boards to a few 1x2’s with either wood glue, or galvanized nails or staples. You can edge the whole thing with more 1x2’s if you like and you are done. Another project is just to leave the edging off and make it a little crazy. It was very creative and easy, a perfect project for homeowner. If you would like to pick up the materials for this project you can stop by any Parr Lumber location.

 

Poinsettias - Evening of Lights

 

Poinsettias - Evening of Lights

Believe it or not, it is time for poinsettias. They are starting to make their appearance at local garden centers and other stores. The big push will be in a couple of weeks but you can get some nice plants right now. The big question that we hear is ‘how do I pick a good one’ and ‘how can I make it last’. To find out the answer to these questions we stopped by the Woodburn location for Al’s Garden Center (503-981-1245) and talked to Amy. She pulled a few plants out of the greenhouse to show us some of the different varieties that they are offering this year, how they grow them and how you can take care of them. We started with one of the newest varieties on the market called ‘Autumn Leaves’. This one had a nice light color that is perfect for the fall and will last until Christmas. It is already a popular one for people who shop early. Next we moved to ‘Orange Spice’ with an orange color to the leaves, perfect for the OSU Beaver fan in your family. We moved to an old favorite ‘Christmas Day’. This is a traditional red variety that has been bred with an improved habit. It stays nicer for a longer period of time. We finished with 2 more of the newer favorites, Red Glitter, with its red leaves and white speckles, and ‘Ice Crystals’ with its soft pink centers and red edged leaves.

If you are looking for a good plant; first look for good branching. A single branch plant will not give you the bunches of blooms that you want. And speaking of blooms, the bright colors you see are not the flowers of the poinsettia. The flower is the small center buds that are usually yellow. The bright colors are modified leaves (bracts). As for the blooms you will want small tight buds that are not yellow yet, that means they are early in their bloom cycle. Also look for good healthy green leaves under the brightly colored ones.
Now that you have picked out a good one, how can you make it last? Al’s recommends that you treat your plant with tender loving care. Make sure that is doesn’t get placed in too hot of a spot, that it doesn’t get in too many drafts and keep it in bright non-direct sunlight. You will also want to water it regularly without over watering or having it set in water. Remember to remove the decorative foil sleeve when you are watering it. If you follow these tips it will be around for a couple of months if not longer! You can find a sheet of ‘care tips’ at all Al’s Garden Center locations or on their website.


Also, you can find all of these varieties at the up-coming Al’s Evening of Lights event. The event takes place at the Sherwood location on November 5th from 4-9pm, the Woodburn location on November 6th from 4-9pm and the Gresham location on November 7th from 4-8pm!

 

Portland Nursery Cover Crop

 

Portland Nursery Cover Crop

Cover crop is seed and plants that help your soil ‘rest’ over the winter. It also helps replace the nutrients in your soil by returning nitrogen to the earth as ‘green compost’. To see some of the different types of cover crop we stopped by Portland Nursery on Stark (503-231-5050) and talked to Sara. They carry numerous types of cover crop and even have various ‘blends’ that you can use. You just sprinkle the seed mixture over the soil and work it into the garden, and let it go. It will grow over the winter and come spring time you just rototill it back into the soil to add the nutrients back to the earth. If your garden has been kind of weak the last few years it may need the refreshing boost of a cover crop. Over time the soil can lose a lot of the nutrients and that means smaller plants and less yield from your best vegetables and flowers. Cover crops also help prevent soil compaction caused by the rough winter weather. Planting a cover crop now will help your garden be healthier this coming season! To see the different types of cover crop you can check out this handout at Portland Nursery or stop by and ask one of the helpful employees.

 

Pot Lifter

 

Pot Lifter

We are tired of lugging our potted plants around every time the season changes. Our problem was solved by a new product we found called the Potlifter. This product is designed to lift just about anything in the garden. The buckle was easy to latch and handles were comfortable to use. They say you can use it to carry pots, stumps, boulders and even sacks of concrete. As long as it is 72 inches around and less than 200 pounds it can be carried safely and easily. You can find them at most of your local garden centers or at The Greenhouse Catalog (800-825-1925).

 

 
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