ARCHIVE


Judy Alleruzzo

 Episode 5 - May 6, 2006

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William McClenathan

It seems like everything is blooming!  After the long winter and late frost we are finally getting the warm weather we (and our plants) deserve.  There are more festivals happening and more on the way.  Get out of your garden and enjoy all the fields of color around the Pacific Northwest!

This week we featured...

Adelman Peony Gardens

Most of us are familiar with peonies.  They are the flowers that were one of the staples in our grandmother’s garden.  These old favorites were popular because they are so reliable.  Carol from Adelman’s Peony Garden (503-393-6185) shows us why they are still a favorite with NW gardeners.  We see the start of the spring color in the fields and even one of the new spectacular varieties, Paeonia Ludlowii.  The gardens are open for visitors from now until the 15th of June.  Stop by and check out the blooms and take one of these favorites home.

Farmington Garden Spring Plants

With all the color bursting out all over it may be hard to remember that all our plants, including trees, shrubs and perennials, are starting to show off right now.  Jon DeBoer from Farmington Gardens (503-649-4568) pulled out a couple of his favorites from the long list of plants available at Farmington.  He gave us a good mix of plants including Brunnera ‘Jack Frost”, Heuchera ‘Peach Flame’, Improved Double File Viburnum, the Dappled Willow ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ and the Japanese Maple ‘Kamagata’.

Planting Potatoes

One of the early vegetables that we can plant now is potatoes.  There are lots of different ways to plant them.  You can plant them shallow or deep, but remember that the more stem you have underground, the more potatoes you will be harvesting.  They grow potatoes all along their stem.  What some people don’t realize is that you don’t have to plant them in your garden.  Some people have discovered that you can plant them in a deep pot or container.  Then when it is time to harvest all you have to do is tip the pot over and pick up your potatoes!

Low Conifers

One of the most over-looked plants in the garden is the conifer.  There are so many varieties of new conifers that you can’t cover them all.  Tim Clarke from Garden World had a few that are low growing that he liked.  Varieties like, Juniper ‘Daub’s Frosted’, Mugo Pine ‘Valley Cushion’, Dwarf Norway Spruce ‘Little Gem’, Dwarf Spruce ‘Globe’, and Balsam Fir ‘Nana’ are all great plants that can work well in your garden or even in a container on a deck or patio.  They have the benefit of being evergreen, relatively drought tolerant and slow growing.  A perfect plant for most home gardens!

Cutworms

If you have new seedlings in your garden that are cut off at the base, you probably have cutworms.  These little pests are the larval stage of a night-flying moth and they can do some real damage to your early season seedlings.  There are various ways to control them.  You can use an insecticide like a ‘Bayer’ product or a natural product like diatomaceous earth that will irritate their skin.  Or, you can create a barrier to prevent them from getting near your plants.  Check with your local garden center to see what is right or you.

Tsugawa Maples

If you like maples, then you will LOVE Tsugawa Nursery (360-225-8750) in Woodland, Washington.  Brian and his crew are experts in Japanese Maples and they usually have the biggest selection of maples in the NW.  Though they are known for their fall color, this week Brian showed us that they can be very showy in the spring as well.  We saw ‘Beni Maiko’, ‘Katsura’, Osakazuki’, ‘Fireglow’, ‘Beni Schichihenge’ and ‘Shinobuga Oka’.  Some of these varieties have light colored foliage and might in a shady spot in the garden, but they are well worth it.  Stop by Tsugawa’s and check out all the different types of Japanese Maples they have on display!

KinderGardening – Mothers Day Pots

Our Kindergarden segment takes us back to Al’s Garden Center (530-981-1245) in Woodburn.  Amy Bigej and her little helpers showed us how easy it is to decorate a small clay pot.  All you need are the pot, a tube of tile caulking and some little decorative pieces to dress it up!  Spread the caulking on the pot.  Spread it out with a knife and stick you small pieces to the still soft goo.  Let it sit for a day and it is done!  If you get the caulking in areas you don’t want it, just wash it off with a wet paper towel.  After it is dry, pot up a plant and surprise your mom with a cool gift that says "I Love You."
 

 
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