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Season 2 Episode 6 - March 22, 2023
This episode of the
Garden Time Podcast finds us at Bauman's Farm and Garden
to talk about
GardenPalooza. For those who don't know,
GardenPalooza is an annual event that started nearly 20
years ago. Producer Jeff was one of the original
founders of this event, which features small local
garden nurseries from around the Pacific Northwest.
After a couple years off for the covid pandemic, we
returned last year with the event at a new location,
Bauman's Farm and Garden (503-792-3524). The first
year at Bauman's was great and we are excited to return
for a second year! Recently we stopped by Bauman's to
talk with Brian Bauman about all the activities that you
will find when you come out on the 1st of April.
GardenPalooza is known for a great mix of garden
vendors. That hasn't changed. You will find a huge group
(over 35) of garden supply, art and plant vendors to
choose from. Plus there is free parking and free
admission. Being at Bauman's adds even more to the mix.
You can bring the whole family because the petting zoo
and kids play area is right next to the garden vendor
area. They also have a great bakery full of delicious
items. The selections include sandwiches, soup, and
salads. You can also grab a glass of Bauman Cider to
enjoy while you shop.
GardenPalooza is not only a great place to pick up
plants for your garden, you can save money while you
shop. If you check out the GardenPalooza website you
will
find a bunch of coupons that you can use at vendors
while you are there. If you stop by and see the
Garden Time crew at the Garden Time booth you can
register for giveaways on the half hour. These include
Bauman gift cards and watering and cutting tools from
Dramm,
which we will talk about later in the podcast. We will
also have a drawing for a large metal arbor, valued at
$850, from Garden Gallery Iron Works. Garden Gallery is
known for their great home and garden art. If you are
looking for useful and beautiful garden dιcor you need
to stop by their booth. If you want to see more of their
great items after GardenPalooza, stop by the Garden
Gallery Iron Works store in Hubbard!
Finding GardenPalooza is easy. Bauman's Farm and Garden
is located just
south of Woodburn on 99E. Just check out these
directions:
From Portland:
Take I-5 South to the Woodburn Exit 271. Take a left off
of the freeway and go about 2 miles to Hwy 99E. (you
will see Safeway on the corner). Take a right on to Hwy
99E and travel about 3 miles to Howell Prairie Road.
(You will see our signs on Hwy 99E before and at Howell
Prairie). Travel down Howell Prairie Road about 1/2
mile. We are the first place on the right.
From Salem:
Take I-5 North of Salem to the Brooks / Gervais Exit
#263. Turn right off the Freeway, go about 1 mile to the
stoplight. Turn left at the stoplight onto 99E. Go 6 1/2
miles to Howell Prairie Road. Turn Right, go 1/2 mile to
our farm. (There are signs on 99E when to turn.)
Once you get to the farm you will find signs to direct
you to the free parking. Park your car and then head
towards the barn/store. You won't be able to miss all
the great garden vendors on your way to Bauman's store.
Purchase the plants and garden art that tickles your
fancy and then drop them off at the free holding area to
continue your shopping. Since these are individual
vendors, please pay each vendor for your purchase, since
there is no central check-out area.
A couple more tips. Since the farm has gravel surfaces
the shopping carts don't roll well on those surfaces, so
use the plant holding area to 'store' your plants. Then
pull your car around to pick them up when you're done
for the day. Also, Bauman's Farm and Garden does welcome
well-behaved pets on a leash, but since crowds tend to
be large it may be upsetting to them. It might be a good
idea to leave them at home for this event. We do ask
that you clean up after your pet. Please be aware that
Oregon law prohibits all animals in the grocery, coffee
shop and bakery areas of the farm store at all times.
For more information on the event you can
go to the GardenPalooza website and check out the map of
the farm to help you navigate.
This year our friends at Dramm Tools are helping us out
by being presenting sponsors for GardenPalooza. Now that
Spring is here, it is time to start checking out your
tools to see if they might need replacing. This applies
to all your tools. If you have a poor tool it can really
make your job harder and that will take all the fun out
of gardening for you. We found an easy way to find some
really excellent tools. We just looked for the colorful
Dramm display at our local garden center.
Dramm
makes a huge line of quality tools. We first started
with the watering tools. Dramm has been the leader in
watering tools for decades.
Judy started with
the handheld watering tools, including the
One Touch Rain Wand You can ensure your newly
planted seeds get the right amount of water with the One
Touch Rain Wand. The One Touch Rain Wand creates a
gentle, full flow for quick and thorough watering. The
One Touch Valve allows complete and total water flow
control with just one touch of your thumb. The watering
wand is available in 16" and 30" lengths in all of
Dramm's eye-catching colors. The watering wand will help
you reach all those tall hanging baskets and when you
pair it with the shut-off valve you can save a ton of
water too. They also produce a hand-held sprayer. It has
a choice of nine different settings so you could go from
a powerful stream to a light mist; perfect for any
garden job. Brian and Ryan talked about how Dramm is the
choice of professionals in the gardening industry.
Almost all growers and retailers use Dramm watering
tools for their businesses because they are durable and
very functional. Dramm also makes a great line of
pruning tools. We focused on the two types of pruners
that they carry.
Bypass Pro Pruner This tool is a great item
for spring garden clean-up! You can prune small plants,
branches, and shrubs effortlessly. The
professional-grade pruner is equipped with a blade
adjustment gear, which allows adjustment for blade gap
maintenance. It has a one-half inch cutting capacity and
is made with corrosion-resistant stainless steel blades
and the ergonomic handle and non-slip grips fit your
hand for a comfortable cut every time. These are also
available in Dramm's six enticing colors: red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, and berry.
Compact Shear This is another great item for
garden spring clean-up on a lighter scale! It is an
ideal tool for cutting flowers and trimming back plants
with a fine point for detailed cutting. The lightweight
shear is made with corrosion-resistant stainless steel
blades for precise trimming and shaping. Dramm also has
a selection of large 'loppers' for those big pruning
jobs.
Dramm tools are available at most of your local garden
centers.
Finally, we had a chance to talk with Carla from Espoma
products. When you are planting your new vegetable
garden, remember to get it off to the right start. That
means helping your plant get the energy it needs from
the soil by using the great products from
Espoma.
We talk about Espoma and their commitment to the
environment. They have been producing great garden
fertilizers and amendments for over 94 years. They even
converted their production facility and head office to
100% solar energy! Carla brought out four of the main
products that people are focusing on for the spring. We
commented on the signature look of the bags and how they
are easy to pick out in the garden center, but those
bags are filled with some great products. The first
product was the Bio-tone Starter Plus. Bio-tone Starter
Plus is magic in a bag according to Carla. It has soil
microbes, mycorrhizae and a starter fertilizer all in
one bag. You add this to the hole when you plant. It
will attach itself to the roots of your plant and help
it convert the nutrients in the soil into food for your
plant. Once the plant is growing with a nice healthy
root system, you can use Garden-tone to keep the plants
growing with even more beneficial nutrients. You will
have healthy plants with more flowers and fruit later in
the season.
Espoma looks at the needs of many types of plants and
then formulates specific blends of fertilizers to
address those individual needs. Carla had bags of the
Azalea-tone, Rose-tone and Bulb-tone. Each one is made
to meet the needs of those plant families. If you are
wondering about what type of product to use on your
plants and how to apply them, check out their website.
They have a 'Learn' tab on their website where you can
find great information about when and where to use their
products.
We wrapped up our visit talking about soils. Last year
Bauman's replanted some beds around their offices. To do
that Brian picked the Organic Land and Sea Gourmet
Compost from
Espoma.
This new soil amendment was the newest to the complete
line of composts and potting soils from Espoma. This one
is called Land and Sea because it combines the best peat
and humus from the land and crab and lobster shells from
the sea. This gives you a great compost loaded with tons
of nitrogen. It also has the two different mycorrhizae
to help with superior root growth. This soil amendment
was worked into the existing soil. Then as he planted
the new plants Brian also added the Bio-Tone Starter
fertilizer. This transplant fertilizer helps the plants
deal with transplant shock and gives them a little more
nutrients to boost their early growth.
As it is said, you want to give your plants the best
chance for a healthy start, and to do that you really
need the Espoma products.
We look forward to seeing everyone at the GardenPalooza
event at Bauman's Farm and Garden on April 1st from 8am
to 3pm. If you miss the event and want to contact the
individual nurseries,
check out the GardenPalooza website. You can also
visit Bauman's any time of year for some of their great
events, wonderful plants and delicious food!
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