SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 491 • September 15, 2018

VIDEO ARCHIVE

The rain returned! It has been a long and hot summer, and this week we had a return to the cool and rainy weather of fall. It really feels good! The garden is responding too. Our plants, though they love the sun, are bouncing back with new growth. They just don’t look so tired and droopy. And neither are we.

This week we made the transition to fall on the show. We visited a fall hoedown, the Oktoberfest and we previewed a fall fair. Plus, we got some tips on fall gardening and fall clematis care. Yup, fall is here!

This week we featured...

Jan’s September Tips

Jan’s September Tips

Jan joined us in her greenhouse for this month’s tips for the garden. First we looked at rose gall which looks like a fuzzy ball on some of your roses this time of year. This gall is formed when a specific wasp lays her eggs in your rose. The stem then forms a ball around the eggs. They will hatch in the spring next year. If you don’t like the look of it, you can cut it off. She also told us about a pantry moth that you may see in your home this time of year. They eat dog and cat food, cereals, and grains in your pantry and then lay their eggs to produce more moths. They can be a real nuisance in your kitchen. You can easily trap the males and end the cycle of moths with a pheromone trap. They are attracted to it and are stuck to the paper inside. After they are trapped, be sure to give your cabinets a good cleaning to make sure they are gone. We then talked about Blossom End-rot on your tomatoes. This is caused by a calcium deficiency in the tomato and can be taken care of, most of the time, by adding lime to your planting hole in the spring. It can also be aggravated by inconsistent watering in the summer months. To prevent it you can also look for ‘rot resistant’ varieties of tomatoes. If you do find it on your tomatoes, you can just cut it off and use the non-rotten part of the tomato.

Finally, we checked out the fresh lemons and limes on the citrus plant we have been tracking during the summer… OK, it was just fruit from the store that Judy and Producer Therese had attached to the Meyer’s Lemon Tree. The plant does look very healthy, but it is no-where close to producing fruit. We’ll keep an eye on it and let you know if it ever does produce blooms and fruit! If you would like more tips on what to do in the fall garden, check out the OSU Extension website at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening.

Mt Angel Harvest Monument

Mt Angel Harvest Monument

When you say ‘Oktoberfest’ most minds go to the thought of beer and bratwurst! If you are in the Mount Angel area, it means so much more! If you’re in their area, the Mt Angel Oktoberfest can also mean ‘harvest festival’ and part of that is the harvest monument in the center of town. The monument has been the central meeting place for the entire history of this great community event. The monument itself is built from scratch each year. We met with the artist Philis Schmidt, who has been building the monument for the past 17 year, and talked about the process that goes into making such a great creation. She told us that it starts a year ahead of time when she gets the theme for the new year. Then she designs the monument with panels that represent that theme. These panels are eventually covered in seeds and beans and attached to the sides. Then there are ribbons of hops, rows of vegetables and bunches of flowers added during the final days of prep. This is all done in a warehouse close to the center of town so it can be moved and assembled easily right before the festival starts. It is quite a process with a huge group of people involved in the final prep.

This volunteer effort is just part of the overall community response that makes this festival possible each year. We walked over to talk to Monica about the details of this involvement. She is the marketing and PR person for the festival and she told us that the festival has been going on for 53 years and over 7500 community members, including the entire board of directors, pitches in to make this happen. This is truly a family event and everyone makes sure that it includes something for everyone! Yes, there is beer, but there are events and activities for the whole family! Plus all the proceeds of this event go back to the community in the form of grants for projects and improvements. That means over 3.3 MILLION dollars has been put back into the community!

So next time you go to the Mt Angel Oktoberfest, stop by the harvest monument, have a brat and a beer, and help support this wonderful event!

Fall Clematis Care

Fall Clematis Care

We have often mentioned that clematis is the ‘Queen of the Garden Vines’, and if you were thinking of adding clematis to your garden, this is the time of the year to add one. To learn how to plant one in your garden and for other fall tips, we stopped by the Rogerson Clematis Garden in Lake Oswego to talk with garden curator, Linda Beutler. We started in the part of the garden where we had done some summer pruning in July. The new shoots were back, but shorter, and covered in wonderful blooms. The next area we visited was a bed that was being prepped for a new clematis. With the planting of a new clematis, you want to be sure that you give it the best chance for success and that means you have to prepare the planting hole really well. That means digging a large hole and filling it with water. This makes sure that the ground is hydrated and full of moisture to help your new plant avoid transplant shock. The area had also been amended with composted steer manure. When you are filling the hole with water, you are also placing your plant in a bucket of water as well. When they plant at the Garden they also add Mole Max to the hole. This will help keep the moles and voles away for quite a while and help your plant establish itself.

This summer has been really dry and that has been no different at the Rogerson garden. They are struggling to keep things hydrated in parts of the garden, but since the plants are planted deep, they are sure to recover. That is the beauty of the clematis! We also noticed that some of the plants had little bags on some of their clematis. Linda told us that they were doing this to save the seed from these spent clematis blooms for an upcoming planting class. Yes, you can plant the seeds and grow new clematis. One way to learn how to do this is to attend their seed starting class in November. This is just one of the many classes that they offer through the garden. There are many that are open to the public, but there are even more classes offered if you are a member! If you love clematis, or plants in general, consider attending one of their classes, or better yet, become a member. To learn more check out their website!

Oregon Garden Fall Garden Fair

Oregon Garden Fall Garden Fair

There is a new fall fair in town! The Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs and the Oregon Garden (503-874-8100) in Silverton have paired up to present the Fall Garden Fair. This new event will take place on September 22nd and 23rd at the Oregon Garden. We met with Marcia and Gaye to learn more about this great event. They told us that there will be a judged flower show, horticulture and floral displays, workshops and presentations, including a presentation from Dave Doolittle from Petal Heads Nursery. There is so much more, with children’s crafts and activities too! If you are a plant lover you can find plant vendors and a garden book exchange. It really is a family event, plus you get to enjoy the entire Oregon Garden too. If you would like to go you can get discounted tickets by going to the Oregon Garden website! Spend a day in Silverton and help out this new garden event!

Blooming Junction Hoedown

Blooming Junction Hoedown

It’s time for a harvest hoedown, and we’re lucky to have a great one to attend. The Blooming Junction (503-681-4646) ‘Harvest the-good-life Hoedown’ is happening this weekend. We stopped by the nursery before things kicked off to find out what it is all about. Ron told us that this family friendly event is packed full of fun! There is the Orenco Station Band providing music, Reverend Nat’s with hard cider tastings and King Cuisine with great food. There are also lots of garden vendors with crafts and products for your home and garden. Don’t forget the great Blooming Advantage plants that you can take home and their new selection of fountains for your garden too. You can also pick up some wonderful, fresh produce that they grow right on the farm! Bring the family and enjoy a day in the country!
 

 
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