Indian summer is here! Actually, it is only called an Indian summer when the temperatures get over 70 degrees after a hard frost. Most of the state has yet to see the hard frost yet so it may not qualify as an Indian summer, maybe we should call it a "All-Hallowe'en Summer" as Shakespeare called it in Henry IV. No matter what you call it, it is spectacular! We are getting out and cleaning up the garden one last time and chopping a little wood for the woodstove (though we got most of our wood from Grimms Fuel, already chopped). Enjoy these remaining sunny and warm days and dream of gardens yet to come!

This week we featured...

Installing a Mailbox

There are lots of different ways to improve the look of your front yard. Sometimes we can replace a lot of plants and still not be happy. Have you ever thought about replacing your mailbox? We have a friend of the show, Alan Knapp, who was looking to replace his mailbox. The old one had peeling paint and was not a very good compliment to the rest of his front garden. He was also looking for something a little more secure. He recently went online and found Architectural Mailboxes (800-464-7491) and they had a great selection including one that fit right into his landscape and they delivered it right to his front door. After he had shown us the old mailbox he went to work on installing the new one.

First he dug out the old mailbox and prepared the hole for the new post. Then he checked out the directions on installation that were included in the packaging. The US Postal Service has strict requirements for installing a new mailbox. The instructions covered all the important information. The most important measurements were that the mailbox had to be between 41 to 45 inches off the ground and only 6 to 8 inches away from the roadway. This puts it a perfect height for the mail carrier to deliver the mail quickly. Alan also dug the hole so that the support post was no deeper than 24 inches. Too short and it may be pushed over and too deep and it will not give way during an accident. He used string and tent pegs to level the post. Every time he adjusted the post he measured again to make sure that he stayed within guidelines. Finally he used a bag of Quikrete (concrete) to secure the post. Before he poured in the concrete he wrapped the post to keep it from getting scraped up. By the next morning he was able to bolt the new mailbox on the post and he was good to go. The mailbox he selected was the Geneva model. This is a locking mailbox that provides security even when he isn’t home. Architectural Mailboxes also has a larger box called the Elephantrunk which is designed for larger parcels. After it was all done Alan had a beautiful and safe mailbox that complemented his front yard wonderfully!

Fall is a great time for the gardener, we get to relax and enjoy the wonderful fall colors in our garden. But for the birds who visit our gardens this is a season of transition. They start to look for plants that will provide them with food and shelter through the cold winter months ahead. One way of enjoying your garden and providing for the local bird population is to plant vegetation that will do both. We stopped by Farmington Gardens (503-649-4568) to check out some great plants that will give us winter interest and also feed our little flying friends. Mary joined us in the display garden with a huge assortment of plants for us to check out. The first 2 plants she brought out made us think about Christmas. The Cotoneaster ‘Cranberry’ was a dark green bush loaded with large berries that the birds love. This one is medium sized, getting only 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide. The second was a Blue Holly called ‘Castle Spire’ that was loaded with red berries and looked like a Christmas decoration. This one will need a pollinator called ‘Castle Wall’ to get all those red berries in your garden. The next plant is an old favorite for great winter color, the Red Twig Dogwood. This one has white berries that turn to a light blue as they age. The branches are a glowing red during the winter. The next 3 plants were shorter ones for your garden. The first one was a Salal, which is native to our area and will perform well in any garden. This one has nice dark blue berries that the birds and wildlife love. The next plant was a Gaultheria called Wintergreen and it has bright red berries that can also be eaten by people. They taste like minty chewing gum! And the third plant was the ‘profusion beautyberry’ another great old favorite that has almost neon-blue colored berries in the winter. Another local favorite is the Snowberry. This one is also a low grower and it can be covered with bright white berries in the winter. It is also a native plant to our area.

Next we looked at trees. Not all trees are done when their leaves drop. We took a look at a couple that had great winter interest for the late fall garden. The first one was a Crabtree called ‘Indian Magic’. This one was loaded with tons of small crabapples. It stays short reaching about 10 to 12 feet tall. A lot of people are turned off by the amount of fruit the crabapples drop during the fall season, but this one had small fruit that the birds and squirrels love so there is little or no waste. The next tree was a dogwood. This one was loaded with large berries and Mary told us that, from personal experience, the animals strip this tree clean first before they eat anything else in the garden. Finally we saw one last little bush, a Pernettya called ‘Chilean Wintergreen’. This one was also loaded with tiny berries that are edible by both human and animals. These can taste like cotton candy if you chew gently between your front teeth. If you are looking to attract different types of birds you can check out the list that is posted on the Audubon website or stop by Farmington Gardens and check with their great staff.

Deer can be a problem in the garden! That is especially true in the fall when their food sources start to dry up and they look longingly at your garden plants. To get some suggestions on deer resistant plants for the fall garden we stopped by French Prairie Perennials (503-679-2871) and talked to Rick. Rick’s nursery is in the Dundee area and the surrounding hills are loaded with deer. He has helped gardeners for years in planting plants that will turn deer away. He cautioned us, these plants are ‘deer resistant’ and not ‘deer proof’. There doesn’t seem to be a plant that is completely deer proof, if they are hungry enough, they will eat anything! That being said he showed us some of the best plants he recommends. Rick mentioned that the spruces are some of the most deer resistant plant you can find. He started with the Oriental Spruce ‘Skylands’ as a good plant for the garden. This one can get pretty tall so give it some space. The next one was the White Fir ‘Blue Cloak’. This one also gets really tall but it has some great vibrant blue coloration that can brighten a winter garden. The final tree we looked at was a Korean Dogwood called ‘Summer Fun’. This one is not only deer resistant, but it also had some fabulous variegation that will really pop out in the garden. Most of the Korean Dogwoods are deer resistant so you can look for those specific plants when you go to your local nursery. We then moved to the shrubs. Rick had pulled out 2 different vibernums. The first was ‘Trilobum’ and the second was ‘Mariesii’ Both had wonderful red fall color. If you are looking for some bright fall color you can check out the dogwood ‘Midwinter Fire’. It has bright yellow leaves in the fall that drop to reveal bright orange branches! Rhododendrons have traditionally been off-limits for deer and Rick pulled a really nice one out for us. ‘Superflimmer’ is a brightly variegated plant that puts on a show even when it isn’t blooming! We then looked at a couple of shorter spruces. The first one was ‘Silberzerg’ and the other one was ‘Tom Thumb’. Both bring great winter color to the garden for those lower border areas near paths or walkways.

Now if you are done picking the right plants and putting them in the right areas and you still have problems with deer you may need a little more help. Rick has found a product that might be just what you need. Deer Defeat is a deer, rabbit and groundhog repellant. Rick has used it at various clients homes and it has worked great. He sprays it on the plant and the deer leave it alone. It lasts a long time too! It is also safe around animals and kids.

If you are looking for plants or products to keep the deer away you can stop by your local independent garden center or stop at French Prairie Perennials.

The fall drives people inside again and that means entertaining indoors as well. We were looking for a great place for home décor and we found a great selection at Garden Gallery Iron Works (1-800-423-0158) in Hubbard. Don Sprague took us on a little tour to see what they have found to be the exciting new items for fall. We started in an area that focused on wine accessories. This area is packed with items that celebrate wine and a laid back lifestyle. Here you can find wine racks, stoppers, cork savers, cutting boards and even wine wall hangings. If you can’t find what you want Don told us that he could even custom make it for you.

We then moved over to another part of the store and looked at a display showing what you can do inside your home. Carol, Don’s sister, had built a display that used oil jars filled with plants and dried flowers. She had even brought in a real olive tree to create a nice transition area into an entryway. If you would like to see more you can stop by their store in downtown Hubbard. They will have a lot of events coming up leading into the holidays that include an appearance by local artist Kelly Rae Roberts. Check out their website or give the store a call for more details.