Are you the touring type?  You should be.  The Le Tour de Plants is kicking off this weekend and the participating garden centers are full of special deals and fun events.  Le Tour will run for 9 days from the 16^th until the 24^th. Check out the list of nurseries we are visiting this week.  Pick up a special Le Tour wristband (sponsored by Monrovia) for $2 and enjoy huge discounts and specials gifts at the participating nurseries.  With the recent rains we are having prime planting weather.  Now is the time to go out pick up some new plants (at a tour discount) and freshen up your garden!

This week we featured... 

Le Tour de Plants

Monnier’s Country Gardens (503-981-3384) – Our first stop on Le Tour de Plants was at Monnier’s.  Debbie Monnier stepped in to help William with his entry in the container contest for their ‘Meet the Garden Greats’ event that is happening on Friday September 22nd from 3:00 -7:00pm.  William will be joined by Mallory Gwynn and Anne Jaeger as they build containers that you can vote on and even buy a container at the end of the evening.  The proceeds of this event will go to our celebrity’s favorite charity.   Monnier’s also has some great specials including 3 1-gallon fuchsias for $12.

Al’s Garden Center (503-981-1245) – We also paid a visit to Al’s in Woodburn where they are really excited about Le Tour!  All three of Al’s locations are involved in the tour and if you show up at Al’s with your wristband you can walk away with a free perennial (valued at $9.99 or less)!  Other offers include 25% off all house plants and 50% off Al’s selected fertilizers.  You can also enjoy a full slate of classes and seminars including perennial dividing and building winter containers.  Check out their website for more details.

Bauman Farms (503-792-3524) – Our last stop for this day brought us to Bauman Farms.  Brian Bauman has filled his garden center with a ton of new plants, and with the help of Bailey’s nursery is offering up to 40% off plants with a Le Tour bracelet.  Bauman’s is also offering a flat of pansies at 37% off and huge mums for less than $10.  If you stop by on Saturday you can enjoy a country lunch for $5.  The lunch includes Oktoberfest sausage, corn on the cob, a fresh baked cookie and a drink!  What a deal!   

Stanley Small Conifers

The other day we were looking for a small tree for a little corner of our landscape.  So we went to the expert in small conifers, Stanley and Sons in Boring.  Larry Stanley first educated us on the differences between Miniature, Dwarf and Intermediate conifers.  Miniatures grow less than 1 inch a year.  Dwarfs grow between 1 to 6 inches a year.  Intermediates grow from 6 to 12 inches a year.  Stanley and sons grows almost 3,000 varieties of conifers, so they know their stuff.  There are 5 common uses for dwarfs and miniatures; trough gardens, patio containers, rock gardening, bonsai and miniature railroading.  But we are sure you can find many other uses for these miniature marvels!

Jan’s September Tips

It is the middle of the month and that means it is time for Jan McNeilan and the OSU Master Gardener tips of the month.  Jan told us to look out for mildew on your vegetables and flowers.  There is not a lot you can do about the problem now.  Let your plants slowly die as the fall progresses and compost the leaves, but make sure the compost pile is hot enough to kill the mildew.  Then we talked about tomatoes.  If you are worried about the upcoming cold weather you can pick the translucent fruit and bring it indoors and let it ripen inside.  That will increase your yield.  Now is also the time to clean up your apples to prevent future coddling moth and apple maggot infestations.  Jan also told us to clean our roofs and plant cover crops.  For more information and garden tips check with your local extension office or on-line, and the next time you drive past Jan’s house pick up some zucchini.

Kindergarden – Bug Vacuums

This week we really vacuum up a neat kids project.  Amy Bigej from Al’s Garden Center (503-981-1245) showed us how to build a bug vacuum for the kids to use.  This vacuum will allow your kids to collect and view those giants of the insect world.  It is easy to do with a plastic cup and a couple of straws.  Be sure to use some gauze at the end of one of the straws or you may end up with a mid-day snack!