The summer is in full swing and the heat is here to stay, at least for a little while. During these hot days, I've been headed out to the garden during the early morning hours and then heading back indoors when the heat starts to build. Those cool mornings are just the ticket for enjoying the garden. Everything seems to like those cooler hours. The birds are active, the plants are upright and facing the sun. It's a lot different in the afternoon. If you do make it out in the afternoon, look out for those plants that need a drink of water. And don't forget to have one yourself!

If you are looking for a 'hot' trip check out our tours page (http://www.gardentime.tv/tours) for our latest offering, a tour next August 2018, to London, Paris and Belgium. We will see some great royal gardens in London, tour Monet's garden and a few others in Paris and then go through the Champagne region on our way to see gardens and the Flower Carpet in Brussels. We have a price reduction this week and you can save $300 more if you register early! Come join us!

This week we featured...

Evening Outdoor Entertaining

The summer is the time for entertaining. When the weather is nice it's great to have friends over for a BBQ and a beverage. That time together can be extended and the enjoyment expanded if you set the right mood. The best place to set that mood is at Terra Casa (503-577-8242). We met with Diana to talk about the little things that can make those get-togethers more memorable.

We started at the edge of the patio to check out a fountain and wonderful lights. The sound of water is very soothing and can drown out bothersome noises and the lights create that soft mood lighting that people enjoy. We then moved to the table. Diana talked about just using your regular dishes if you don't want to buy an extra set, but accent that with nice glasses, serving trays and displays. Some of the glasses she had on her table were unbreakable, which is always a bonus! She also had lots of cool serving trays and dishes. These were wonderful for serving cheese, crackers and other nibbles for her guests. She also had battery operated candles on the table, mantle and in the serving area. How great is that? You just push a button and you have instant ambiance.

The key that Diana wanted to share was to create a warm and welcoming area for your guests. These will help you get there. Then just enjoy your time with family and friends! If you need more ideas for creating a beautiful space, inside or out, stop by Terra Casa in Damascus.

Garland Wine and Art in the Garden

There is nothing better on a warm summer day than to wander through a nursery looking at art and plants while sipping some wine! If you are looking for something of interest in your garden that doesn't require watering, you may be thinking of garden art. The local garden art scene is packed with talented people and you can see many of them this weekend at Garland Nursery (1-800-296-6601) in Corvallis. We stopped by the nursery to chat with Brenda and Erica from the Powell family (the owners of Garlands) to learn about this great event. This is their 18th year and they have over 40 garden artists and vendors on site, who work in metal, glass, fabric, pottery, paint and stone. There will also be 2 different wineries and 2 spirit vendors sampling their best libations. Plus there is live music and food is available for purchase. The event happens from 10-4 on Saturday and Sunday and is free to the public. If you are down in the Albany or Corvallis area, stop and check it out.

Navigating the Garden Time Website

Every week we tell people to go to the www.GardenTime.tv website for more information, but in this story we decided to take you on a tour of the page to show you what you can find. We start with our flower mascot 'Mortimer' on the front page. There are 6 petals to his flower and each is a link to a helpful page. A couple of these links include the 'Plant Pick of the Week', a listing of our sponsors (who help bring you the show each week), and our archive. This archive covers all the stories we have done over the last decade. Looking for a past episode or subject? Just type it in the search box in the upper right corner and hit enter. All the stories we have done on that subject will be listed. Another petal link from the front page is our How-to section. This covers and has links to lots of helpful gardening topics.

The most important link on the front page is the 'This Week' link. Click on this and you will get the most current information for that week. This page has all the current stories for you to read and watch again. Click on the video link to see the stories and read the content for links to the businesses and their phone numbers. You will also find links to recipes when we showcase those. If you want to watch the entire show over again, you can find that link right under the picture of William and Judy.

We also have ways you can win prizes too! Back on the front page you will see the Garden Time Subaru from Capitol Subaru. Just click on that and you will see a photo of our 'flower car'. Make a correct guess on its location and you'll have a chance to win a $25 gift card to a local nursery!

The bottom of the page has links to our magazine (see past issues), our GardenPalooza event and other great information. One link will show you stations and times for various cities if you are looking to find our show in your local area. We also have one of the most comprehensive events calendars in the state. We also have a link to our 'tours' page. Here you can find information on all our past tours and how you can join us for upcoming tours (including London, Paris and Belgium in 2018).

Two more links on the front page include our store where you can buy hats, t-shirts, backpacks and even Garden Time flowers! We also have our little mailbox so you can send us a note or get in contact with us.

So you can see, the Garden Time website is full of great information and all you have to do is 'click'!

Pruning Rhododendrons and Azaleas

Summer is a good time to prune most of your rhododendrons and azaleas. In the past we have shown you how to snap off the blooms once they finish. This is to keep your plant from growing too quickly and is good for small pruning jobs, but what if your plants are REALLY big or have gotten out of hand? Then you can go in and do some major cutting. Most rhodies and azaleas respond well to big cuts, just be aware that they will take a couple of years before you see blooms return. We have seen some rhodies go from 8-10 feet tall to 2 feet, and still come back to bloom on new growth in just a couple of years. If you can stand the bare branches for a short time, these guys will return to reward you with flowers.

The same is true with azaleas. These plants may be smaller in your beds, but they will respond like their older, larger cousins. In fact, some varieties can actually bloom a little quicker, so you won't have to wait up to 3 years for the color to return.

A couple of rules to follow. Give them a nice drink after cutting and make sure they are well watered to minimize stress, and prune them away from your home when you can so they don't hold moisture next to your bricks or siding. That could create problems to your home. For light pruning make sure you finish by late July to mid-August. Rhodies and azaleas set their bloom for next season during these summer months. Light pruning now may save some of those blooms for next season.

Turner Visualscaping - After

About a month ago Rick Naylor from French Prairie Perennials and Visualscaping (503-679-2871), invited us to Turner Oregon to see a project that he was starting. Dawn, the homeowner had asked him to do a few things to her new home to make the backyard more inviting and usable. The house had quite a mess in the backyard. Broken bricks made up the walkway, the retaining wall was retaining nothing and the plants were a mess. Dawn was looking for something that was easier to navigate for her mom and an area for her dog. At that time Rick and Dawn had a plan of attack.

Now we returned to the backyard to see what they were able to do. It was incredible! This yard was now all that Dawn had hoped for and more. Even though there were a few small changes to the master plan, as happens for most projects, Rick and Dawn made those changes and it was a transformation. We notice that the broken brick patio was now a nice smooth surface leading down to an area by the creek that flows through her back yard. The plant material was well planted and thought out. Rick prides himself on the selection of plants that they use and they are spaced so that you don't have to mess with them once they start to grow. Plus, the retaining wall now was stable and actually holding up the soil and flower bed. One of the best parts was the dog run. Now Dawn's puppy has nice soft grass to play on behind a nice safe fence. Rocks and weeds were gone and a nice mulch made everything so neat and clean.

If you would like something like this for your yard or garden, give Rick a call and do a little visualscaping to your yard!

Tip of the Week - Pool Plants

The heat makes us all thirsty! Our garden tip of the week helps quench the thirst of your hanging baskets and small container gardens. We found a small 'kiddie' pool, filled it ½ full of water and set our driest plants in the water. During those days that have excessive heat, the plants really like the extra water and we don't have to worry about constant watering. There are a couple of precautions you have to follow. Don't leave them in there for more than a day or two; they can get too much of a good thing and that may create mold, fungus or disease problems. And don't over fill the pool. Allowing the plant to take what it needs from the pool is good, drowning it is not!