SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 615 • October 30, 2021

VIDEO ARCHIVE

COVID-19 AWARENESS: Please note that we are taking all necessary precautions to keep our on-air personalities, interviewees and crew safe during this challenging time. However, we do run repeat stories and segments that were shot last year, before social distancing practices were recommended by health officials. If you see our hosts standing close to someone, please be assured that the segment was shot before March of 2020. We thank you for your concern and your interest in Garden Time.

Happy Halloween! It looks like we will get a little break in the weather this weekend so we can get a little trick or treating in before the next wave of rain appears. It is also a great time to get out and do a little cleaning around the garden. We are cutting a few things back, but we are also leaving a little plant material out there to help feed and protect the birds and other wildlife in the coming weeks and months. Plus, we'll be planting the last of our perennials that we picked up this fall. Then we can focus on enjoying the weekend.

This is also the last weekend to enjoy harvest festivals around the area. Check out our story at Bauman's in today's show. Some of our smaller nurseries are also closing for the season after this weekend. Be sure to check with your favorite nursery to get those last minute plants and gifts.

This week we featured...

Tried and True Houseplants

Tried and True Houseplants

We have said it many times, houseplants are hot! These indoor loving plants really are popular and even newbies want to get in on the trend. But where does one start? To answer that question we stopped by Garland Nursery (800-296-6601) between Corvallis and Albany, to talk with Erica about the 'tried and true' plants that even the beginner can have success with. She had pulled a lot of really nice plants that would work well for any level of plant lover. We started with the Pothos. This is a great trailing plant with wonderful variegation. It is very fast growing and works well in medium to low light. The next couple of plants are REALLY tough, the ZZ plant. The larger version is one that a lot of people are familiar with, but there is a smaller variety called 'Lucky' and it has a nice round leaf. You could let this one dry out for a short time and it will still survive. It also survives in very low light too, but it actually likes a nice indirect medium light. If you like a tropical look for your plants the Monstera deliciosa is the one for you. This plant has a gorgeous large leaf that gets nice little splits in the foliage that look like little windows. Give this one some space because it can get pretty big! The next plant was the Chinese Evergreen 'Cutlass'. This one has a great variegated leaf and can get big too. It takes medium light and watering. The final plant was probably one of the easiest plants to grow, the Snake Plant (variety 'Whitney'). It has go strong leaves and can handle really low light and low water. We have seen these actually do well in a room with no windows at all! To really enjoy them you should keep them in medium indirect sunlight with medium watering, then you will get stronger foliage and more leaves.

The way to be successful with houseplants is to monitor the watering. Be sure to not 'kill them with kindness' and over water your plants. Know their watering and sunlight needs. When you do water your plants, make sure they drain completely. Some people will water them in their kitchen sinks so the water drains out completely, and that may require a container with drain holes in it. For more information on watering, or information on these plants stop by Garland Nursery or check out their flyer here.

Japanese Garden Fall Color

Japanese Garden Fall Color

Fall is a great time of year if you love color. Spring and summer have their wonderful blooms, but the fall brings huge displays of color to trees and shrubs everywhere! One of the best places to catch some of that color is at the Portland Japanese Garden. Right now the plants around the garden are putting on a wonderful display of colors and textures. We met with Megumi from the garden to take a tour and chat about the colors. Although she sees the garden all the time, and it looks beautiful all year long, the fall is when the garden really puts on a show. With the differing weather changes throughout the year, the colors change too. This year there are a lot more red colors to accent the oranges and yellows. Megumi mentioned that the peak is happening right now, but that you should be able to catch a good show anytime between now and mid-November. It was also mentioned that tours are happening again as well as other events. It has been awhile, but the garden and all their activities are returning to normal. To find out more about the garden events and tours, or to pre-book tickets, you can always go to their website. We would suggest that you go soon, these colors are incredible!

Christmas Tree Themes - Evening of Lights

Christmas Tree Themes - Evening of Lights

Believe it or not, it is time for Christmas. Holiday decorations are starting to make their appearance at local garden centers and other stores. Poinsettias are also starting to show up as well. Did you know that colors of poinsettias and holiday décor change every year? Buyers and designers at your local stores know this and try to bring in the new and 'trending' decorations every year. We met with Candice at Al's Garden and Home in Sherwood (503-726-1162), to see what they found this past year to get for the local homeowner. Candice had picked out 3 of the many themed decorator trees that you can find at Al's, one was called 'Candyland'. The theme of this one was everything sweet, cute and nostalgic! It was very bright and loaded with candy canes, gingerbread houses, and other 'flavorful' decorations. This one had some of the trending colors of red and white in a whimsical display. We then moved to the next themed tree 'Treetops glisten'. This one featured a white, silver and gold theme that was crisp and clean. It also had fun lighting that really made the colors sparkle. This tree was more classic and it was mentioned that you could set this one up and enjoy it during Thanksgiving as well. The final themed tree had a gnome theme and a Scandinavian feel to it. This look has been around for the last couple of years and is still very popular. It has a lot of reds and whites, sweaters and Nordic themed ornaments. We also learned some tips for decorating. Always start at the top and work your way down. Lights and larger ornaments go on the inside of the tree with small and treasured ornaments hanging on the outer branches.

This coming week is a great time to get started on your holiday prep, you can find some of the nearly 30 different varieties of poinsettias and lots of Christmas decorating ideas at the up-coming Al's Week of Lights event. The event takes place at the Sherwood location on November 4th, the Gresham location on November 5th, the Wilsonville location on November 6th, and the Woodburn location on November 7th! Lots of opportunities to get you and your home ready for the wonderful holidays ahead.

Bauman Cider Festival

Bauman Cider Festival

A few years ago we went out to Bauman Farms to see the kickoff of the Bauman Cider Company. This weekend marks their Annual Cider Festival after taking a couple years off for safety. We met with Brian Bauman in their store near their cider stand to talk about the festival and their last weekend of the Harvest Festival. There has been a lot of rain over the last week or so and so if you are coming out to enjoy the festivities, be sure to wear your best rain and mud gear. They will have a full slate of fun activities for families to enjoy!

We then turned our attention to the cider festival. Bauman's has been in the cider business for a short time, but they have become a leader in the industry. It started when Christine, a member of the extended Bauman family, asked why they weren't making cider with all the apples and fruits they were growing. It is amazing how far this company has come! Christine has been the driving force behind the success of this new company. Her tasty ciders have drawn quite a crowd and she is now winning awards for her flavor combinations! One of her newer ones had just arrived for a tasting. 'Butterflies and Unicorns' is the latest entry into their line of ciders. It has a blue color to it and there is also an edible glitter inside the bottle. It is quite a treat for the eyes and tasted a little citrusy. You have to try it!

This weekend, during the festival you will not only get a chance to taste the Bauman blends, but there will be 10 different cider makers there with a huge selection of different ciders to taste. This Cider Festival event will take place within the Bauman's Harvest Festival on October 30th only! There is only room for 1200 people so go online to register to attend! The Festival hours will be from 11 AM to 5 PM. Your $25 Tasting Fee includes 6 Tasting Tickets, a Bauman's Cider Festival tasting glass and a Harvest Festival general admission. Additional tasting tickets are only $1 each.

It is a great way to wrap up your fall fun!

Fall Bird Care

Fall Bird Care

The change of the seasons signals a change for your local bird populations. Some of the non-migratory birds will be hanging around and may need a little help from you to survive the cold and wet of winter. We visited with Amanda of Backyard Bird Shop (503-449-2699) in West Linn to learn more about helping our feathered friends. We started with food. For seed eating birds you can use a black oil sunflower seed. This is a good basic seed that provides calories for high energy birds. We checked out the already shelled seed. It is a tiny bit more than the whole seed product, but there is less mess. For insect feeders you can set out a suet cake. Use different types of suet to attract different types of insect feeders. For most suet feeding birds they love insects and if you see a suet block with seed it is generally used as a filler in the suet. There is even a new product that will help keep your bird seed dry so there is less moldy seed that can get your birds sick. Once you have their food needs met, then you need to think about water. You may want to take a look at heaters to keep their water from freezing. You should also remember to put out fresh water whenever you can, since the birds prefer that over standing, dirty, water. If you have a standing birdbath, you may want to get some stones or pick up a bag of stones from Backyard Bird Shop so the water in your standard bird bath is not so deep for the smaller visitors. The one bird that has special needs in the winter is the hummingbird. They use lots of calories and so their food needs are more critical than other birds. You can keep their nectar in the feeder fresh by changing it every week or so. You can find a simple recipe for making their nectar at the Backyard Bird Shop website. Plus, they need to have a nice clean feeder so they don't get sick over the winter. You can also welcome birds to your garden by incorporating different types of shrubs and trees. For a list of winter interest plants you can check with your local garden center. To learn more about attracting birds to your garden during the winter you can check with Backyard Bird Shop or The Audubon Society of Portland.
 

 
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