Summer has finally arrived. The weather has been downright HOT since the sun has returned. Is it just too hot or have we become happy with moderate temperatures and rain? I hope that is not true. We look forward to enjoying the sun for many more weeks (dare I say months) to come. We can only hope. This week we enjoy the final weekend of June. Soon vacations will be taken and summer will be in full swing. We hope that you don't forget to check out the Garden Time show during these summer months. We will always give the best in timely gardening information.

This week we featured...

Tsugawa Bonsai

Bonsai is a wonderful art. Each plant becomes a microcosm of a miniature landscape. It can become a hobby that can consume you if you get bitten by the 'bonsai' bug. It can also be very intimidating for the beginner. To help people understand how easy it can be we stopped by Tsugawa Nursery (360-225-8750) to get some tips from Brian about how to get started and what tools were involved. Tsugawa's holds classes on a regular basis and Brian was willing to shorten up his talk for our show. First he showed us a plant that he was going to trim and move to a new, bigger home in a larger pot. First Brian trimmed the foliage that had gotten a little long over the winter. His description of 'creating clouds' was perfect for what he was trying to accomplish. Opening the structure of the plant to expose the branching was wonderful. He was told many years ago that you should be able to imagine a butterfly moving between the 'clouds'. After a few minutes he was done and it was a dramatic change. Next he showed us how to prune the roots in preparation for the move to a bigger container. Brian used a root hook and a scissors to cut a massive amount of the root ball off. By cutting, combing and thinning the roots he insured that the plant could stay in the new pot for the next 3-5 years without too much stress. Brian also showed us how to position the plant in its new home and explained how the support wires help secure the plant while it grows. If you have any questions on how to get started in this fascinating hobby stop by Tsugawa's and check with their experts for some easy to understand instruction!

Grafted Tomatoes

The hottest plant on the market this late spring and early summer is not a new plant but an old favorite with a twist. Grafted tomatoes have made an appearance recently at Portland Nursery. Grafted vegetable plants are not new. For years growers in Europe and Japan have used disease resistant root stock and familiar fruiting varieties in combination to get better and bigger yields from their plants. Not only can they resist disease better, they can also handle stress better and even produce fruit earlier (depending on the variety). Ken from Portland Nursery on Stark (503-231- 5050) showed us a couple of the varieties that they carry and also showed us a double grafted plant that will produce 2 different types of fruit. Pretty awesome! There are some tips for ensuring the success of your grafted plant. First, you can't plant these tomatoes deep. We have told you to plant your tomatoes deep, but these are grafted and if you plant the graft below the soil it will negate the benefits of the grafted root stock. Also, you will want to use a tomato cage or support of some kind. The young plants will need the support until the graft becomes stronger. Keep an eye out for suckers coming from the graft and prune those off if they start to grow. If you are interested in trying these 'new' plants, check out the selection of plants available from Portland Nursery on Stark or Division. You can also learn more from the grower's website, http://loghouseplants.com

Ant Solutions

Ants are the #1 pest problem in the US. Recently we have noticed that we are having a bad year for ants. To learn how to get rid of them we contacted Norm from Central Garden and Pet. A couple of years ago we met with Norm to learn about the Amdro product. Norm explained how the Amdro product creates a barrier to your home. The ants treat this as a food. The other products only take care of the ants that touch the product. Amdro is a bait that they take back to the nest. They take it back to the queen and once she is gone, so is the problem. This time Norm also showed us the new line of products from Grants Kills Ants. Grants has come up with a liquid and a solid product that works as well as the Amdro product. For the liquid version all you do is remove a small stopper from the trap. The ants climb in and take the 'food' back to the hive. Grants has come out with a solid product that is safe around kids and pets. It is in a capsule that only allows the ants in and out. There is also a spray product that works on contact! You can find these products at selected home and garden retailers all over the state.

Edible Plants Part 2

On an earlier episode we visited Portland Nursery (503-231- 5050) and talked with Laura about edible flowers in the garden. There are just so many, that we had to return to learn about more. First of all, we have to remind everyone that you shouldn't just start eating your flowers. Make sure they are safe to eat and that you haven't used any chemicals on them. Laura's first pick was a nod to Portland's heritage as the City of Roses. She showed us how you can eat the petals off your roses. Be sure you remove the bottom 'white' part because that part can be bitter and another interesting fact, the stronger the fragrance the more flavor. She then moved on to the fuchsia. This one has edible flowers and some people even make jam out of the berries after the flowers have died. Marigolds are also edible. They tend to taste like they smell, kinda zesty.

We also talked about cooking blossoms. Did you know that you can batter and deep fry squash blossoms? The first blossoms of the season are smaller male flowers and they will not produce fruit anyway. Nasturtiums are a favorite of many gardeners and they are one of the most popular of edible flowers. They have a nice spicy kick when you eat them, similar to a radish. Don't forget the flowers of basil and thyme. They can have a very intense flavor. We finished with a couple of very interesting flowers. The Pineapple Guava which tastes almost like candy. And last but not least the daylily; this one is sometimes stuffed and cooked, and is very popular in some cultures. If you would like to learn more, you can stop by Portland Nursery or download this list from their website.

Hydrangeas for the Crew

We ended the show this week at Hydrangeas Plus  (866-433-7896). We love to hang out with Kristin and this trip we all left with some wonderful varieties to take home, and all of them were different! Producers Jeff and Therese found the Schizophragma 'Roseum', which has a delicate lace cap type of bloom with small pink (turning to white) petals on the blooms. Judy found the Hydrangea 'Oak Hill'. This one has multicolored blooms, starting greenish and then turning purple and fading to pink. A very beautiful bloom! William bought a Hydrangea arborescens 'Radiata'. This hydrangea has a spectacular white color to the underside of the leaves. Very striking when they get blown in the wind! Finally we showed you a Hydrangea macrophylla 'Sol'. The Sol has a dark leaf that remains dark for the length of the season and brighter white, pink laced bloom that is a wonderful contrast to that foliage. If you are interested in any of these plants you can check them out on the Hydrangeas Plus website. Hydrangeas Plus is not open for retail sales but can send you the plant or pull it from inventory for you to pick up by appointment.