SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 596 • June 19, 2021

VIDEO ARCHIVE

COVID-19 AWARENESS: Please note that we are taking all necessary precautions to keep our on-air personalities, interviewees and crew safe during this challenging time. However, we do run repeat stories and segments that were shot last year, before social distancing practices were recommended by health officials. If you see our hosts standing close to someone, please be assured that the segment was shot before March of 2020. We thank you for your concern and your interest in Garden Time.

Happy Father’s Day weekend! We would like to wish all the dads a wonderful weekend, and we hope everyone enjoys hanging out with their ‘cool’ dads. It may be the only COOL thing about this weekend. Yup, the temps are going to get hot and that means you need to make sure that you stay safe and well hydrated. That goes for your plants too. Check on your family, friends, pets and plants to make sure that we all make it through this span of hot days.

We are starting to see new garden events popping up on the calendar as things open up and people feel safe. One event that we are excited about is the Subaru Garden Dayz event. We are gearing up for a fall event at the new Capitol Subaru campus in mid-September. We are looking at having a harvest theme to the modified get-together. So mark your calendars for September 18th. It will be a blast! To get you prepared, check out our tour of the new Subaru facility in this week’s show.

This week we featured...

Jan’s June Tips

Jan’s June Tips

The beginning of summer is when the garden starts hitting its stride. Plants are growing like weeds and so are the WEEDS! We are starting to see bug and disease problems too. This brought a warning from our garden expert, Jan McNeilan. She told our viewers that if you have a possible problem, you need to do a little bit of homework first, before you apply a treatment. Even organic products like B.T. (Bacillus thuringiensis) or Spinosad, even though they are natural/organic, should be used with caution. In fact, all your garden products need to be used only when necessary and by following all printed directions. Even if you have a problem, you may not need to apply anything at all! Jan told us about her clematis plants. One was completely devastated by aphids. It was something that she had never seen before, and they were moving to her other clematis. She started treatment with an insecticidal soap. This is a good natural way to battle aphids, and then she noticed something. There were Asian Lady Beetle larvae all over the infected plant, munching down on the aphids. A perfect solution to a pesky problem, and no other treatment needed.

Another problem that Jan has this year in her garden is rabbits! A lot of people think they are cute, but for the vegetable gardener, they are a big problem. All those veggies become bunny food if you don’t take care of the problem. Some will trap them, but a safer way of dealing with them is to look for a product that you can apply to your vegetables to make them taste yucky. The way that Jan is dealing with them is to use a row cover to protect her plants, but still allow light and water to get in. Jan also told us that she had run out of pots for her vegetable and flower garden, so she found some fabric planting pots. There are a lot of them on the market so she picked up a few. She already has one planted with a tomato and another has a dahlia in it. The best part is that they are portable and when the growing season is done you can empty the soil into your garden and fold them up to use next year. Finally, we talked about June Drop. This is when you start noticing a bunch of the small fruits at the base of your apple and pear trees. This is normal! After the flowers drop the tree will start to produce fruit. The fruit that has good pollination will stay on the tree and the fruit with incomplete pollination will drop to the ground. A viable fruit will contain at least 3 seeds. This is a way for the tree to conserve its energy to produce fruit that will propagate and produce more trees.

Jan always has great tips and if you are looking for more tips and information you can check out her Facebook page, or you can always go to the OSU Extension website.

Portland Nursery Irrigation Tips

Portland Nursery Irrigation Tips

The summer is looking like it’s going to be a hot one! If you are a gardener that means more water for the garden, but how do you make sure your plants get all their needs taken care of and your water budget doesn’t bankrupt you. It is all about finding the right watering tools for the job! To get some ideas on responsible watering and the equipment to do it right we stopped by Portland Nursery (503-788-9000) on Division to talk with Sara.

There are a couple ideas about watering. One requires a little effort every time you go to your garden and one requires more work to set up, but saves you time and water in the long run. The first version of watering deals with the moving of watering devices. Oscillating sprinklers and other tools like it require the movement of your sprinkler every time you need it. These fit on the end of your hose and you place them when and where you need them. Sara’s favorite pieces of watering equipment are the soaker hoses. These can be placed where you need them and apply water directly to the root zone of your plants. Another great way of applying the water directly to the plants is to hand water your plants, this is especially true for container plants. Dramm Tools makes a great assortment of hand tools (and other watering devices) that can help you control and direct the water to where you need it.

The watering system that takes a little more time to set up, and less time to operate is a drip watering system. If you look at all the parts, it may seem complicated, but the key to success is figuring out the actual water needs of your plants before you install a drip system. The water is delivered by small pipes/tubes. At the end of those tubes is an emitter. This little nozzle comes in various colors. Each color tells you how much water is distributed in GPH, or Gallons Per Hour. A smaller plant/container may only need a half GPH nozzle, where a larger tree may need a 2 GPH emitter. Once you have the plant needs determined, you can then lay out your system and with the right backflow and pressure regulators in place, turn it on. It is also very easy to set up this system with a timer so you have to worry even less!

If you are looking for the right watering system for your needs, stop by either location of Portland Nursery to get started.

Art in the Garden

Art in the Garden

The Oregon Garden (503-874-8100) in Silverton is a showcase garden any time of year, but this summer it has so much more to offer. This year, once again, they are featuring ‘Art in the Garden’ an event that runs through Labor Day weekend. Art in the Garden features dozens of stunning art installations in the Garden featuring pieces from 6 artists. All pieces are available for sale and some of these great pieces are made from wood, glass and metal, but all would look great in the garden. The Art in the Garden event is included in your normal admission and all you have to do is ask for a map when you come to the garden. We visited with two of the featured artists on our visit.

We started with Mary ‘Mo’ Mosier. Ryan found her surrounded by whimsical garden stakes, plaques and birdhouses. She uses recycled materials and her own sense of fun to create cool one of a kind objects. If you want to add something fun and colorful, you have to stop by and see Mary’s stuff. Then we moved over to Judy with another artist, Mo Hurless. Mo also used recycled materials but his art is on a grander scale! Mo makes large metal sculptures. He has large structural pieces, bird baths and quirky pieces that will make you smile. One piece that he was standing next to was a circular wagon wheel with old electric insulators on the inside. He knew the history and uses of his recycled materials, and the way he used them was very creative. He told us that he often has to ponder a piece before he starts it. Ideas come to him and he goes with it so that every piece has it own look and story.

If you want to see these pieces, or even pick one up for your garden, stop by the Oregon Garden. If you like a piece, you can take it to the gift shop to buy, or if it is too big, take the number of the piece so they know which one you want. Flowers are only part of the garden, adding art will take your garden to the next level. You only need to check out these artists to see how art can benefit your garden.

Bird Deterrents

Bird Deterrents

Your strawberries, early blueberries and just about everything else edible is disappearing! The birds are taking everything in your garden, leaving little or nothing for you to enjoy. The same thing is happening to us, so we went to our local garden center to see what they have to scare the flying felons away. Ryan and Judy shared what we found. Ryan started with a giant plastic owl. Owls are natural predators of most small birds and that presence of an owl is sometimes enough to do the trick. He also had some ‘Scare Tape’. This is a reflective tape that sparkles when it is hung by your plants to scare them off. Judy had another example of something flashy to scare the birds away and that was an old CD. These can be hung in the trees and bushes when fruit starts to appear and they will scare the birds away. The final item we shared was a physical barrier. A bird netting. This provides a barrier so they can’t get to the plants.

There is one other solution that some people prefer, and that is to plant more fruit trees and shrubs. Then you can share the bounty with the local wildlife!

Sebright Summer Event

Sebright Summer Event

Summer starts this weekend and if you are looking for a way to celebrate it, why not stop by Sebright Gardens (503-463-9615) in Brooks to start the new season. Judy met with Kirk to talk about some of the great plants that they have for sale right now. Kirk started with Gingkos. They are a cool plant and there are now a bunch of dwarf varieties on the market. One that he had out was ‘Spring Grove’. This one only gets to about 6 feet tall and has great fall color too. Another plant that is looking great right now are lilies. These plants will have blooms that will last for weeks, a relatively long bloom period. There were ones for sun and for shade! Astilbes were next and Sebright had some of the early blooming ones in reds, pinks and purples. Their cloud-like puffy blooms really show off right now and will look great for a while, even the foliage can look great in the spring with bronzy colors showing up early. A pollinator favorite is the sun loving Monarda (bee balm). The one that we saw, ‘Pink Frosting’, had fuzzy pink blooms that even have a light fragrance. Sticking with the pink color we also saw a carnation. Pinball Wizard has a multi-toned bloom of pink, red and white. It looked almost like candy!

Sebright is known for their hostas and so we saw 4 of their favorites at the nursery. There were 3 different sizes that we saw with two-toned leaves of gold and green. The tallest was ‘Imperial Palace’. A medium large was ‘Tangerine Tango’ which was hybridized at Sebright. A little smaller was ‘Cream Topping’, and the smallest of the bunch with solid green leaves was ‘Blue Mouse Ears’. This tiny hosta was about ready to bloom and when it does, Kirk says they fly off the shelf! Another smaller ground cover plant was the Silene ‘Clifford Moore’. The variegated leaves stay low to the ground and the flower stalks burst up tall above that foliage with periwinkle colored flowers. They seem to do well in full sun or full shade. Finally, we saw an explosion of color with a bunch of different penstemons and fuchsias, almost too many to talk about!

With all this color and texture in one place it will be the place to go this weekend, but there is another reason to stop by on Saturday. Sebright is having their Beginning of Summer Garden Festival. This event, from 10am to 3pm, is a plant sale and art show. Other plant vendors include Fancy Fronds with their huge selection of ferns, Hydrangeas Plus and Secret Garden Growers. Plus there will be a number of artists in attendance too, featuring ceramics, leaf castings, metal art and garden flags. There will also be a food vendor if you get a little hungry. It is setting up to be a very cool and unique event. Make the trip to Brooks to catch all the fun.

Ed’s TP Seed Tape

Ed’s TP Seed Tape

Seed tape is a great way to make sure that your vegetable plants and annuals are well spaced in your garden. Unfortunately there are a couple of drawback to the tape. One is cost, and the second is getting the varieties of seeds you want on the tape. Well Ed, one of our viewers, came up with a great idea that he found on the internet for making your own seed tape, using toilet paper. This idea came about because he is a busy guy and thinning his vegetables was bugging him. He didn’t have the time and he felt he was wasting seeds when he had to thin out the rows. Building the tape was incredibly easy! You simply take a roll of toilet paper and roll off a long strip. Make the spaces where you want to put seeds with a pen. Pour your seeds, Ed was using tiny carrot seeds, into a bowl or plate. Then make up a flour and water mixture into a nice paste-like consistency. Using a small paint brush get a dab of paste on the brush and pick up a seed. Apply the seed to the spot, the paste should make it stick, and repeat. Once it is dry, and that should only take an hour or so, you can plant the roll of TP in your garden or roll it up for later in the season.

This is a great project for any gardener and can even be a craft for young ones in your family. Plus it will cut down on seed waste and save you a few bucks too! Thanks Ed, for the great idea!

Smith Raspberry Scones

Smith Raspberry Scones

Berry season is upon us. One of the best places to go to enjoy the taste of the season is at Smith Berry Barn (503-628-2172). We met with Joelle in her kitchen once again for a tasty recipe. She told us that they are just finishing up on the strawberry season and this weekend is probably the last chance to get some great strawberries, they are just getting into raspberries and even some early blackberries like Obsidian blackberries. The best way to find out what is fresh and available is to check out their website where they post new information daily.

Today though we were looking at making raspberry scones. This is a ‘mix-in’ recipe. That means you assemble the main ingredients first and fold/mix in the fresh or frozen berries last to keep them from getting mushy and breaking up. We started by mixing almond flour and regular all purpose flour in a bowl. The purpose of the almond flour is to add a little almond flavor to the scones. Then sugar went in with baking powder and a little salt. This dry mixture went into her food processor with chilled or frozen, cubed butter. The chilled butter helps with keeping the scones light and fluffy. The butter was ground up until it was in small pieces, almost the size of peas. Then everything was returned to the bowl and a cup of berries was added to the dry mix. The berries were lightly stirred into the dry mix to coat them. Then a cup of heavy cream with a little almond extract was added and it was lightly mixed again.

This whole mixture was turned out on a cutting board coated with a little flour and was formed into an 8 inch disc. This was cut into 8 wedges and placed on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Joelle also told us that you could use a scoop and make little balls of smaller scones too. The finished wedges were topped with a brush of heavy cream and a sprinkling of sugar too before they go back into the fridge for about 15-20 minutes to help chill them and firm them up before they go into the oven. After chilling they went into the oven at 400 degrees (convection) for about 20 minutes. Joelle checks them at about 15 minutes and rotates the cookie sheet for a more even bake. Once they are crispy and light brown on top, they should be ready.

If you are looking for this recipe you can click on their webpage, and you will find this recipe and many of the others we have done over the years. If you are looking for berries, they are open for u-picks but you will have to register on-line for a time to pick. This allows them to control the flow of pickers so everyone has a chance to get some good berries when they show up. If you don’t want to pick your on, you can always stop by their store where they have a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables already picked, and don’t forget to go into the store for some great kitchen and décor items! To be honest, we also have to get a coffee or a shake while we are there!

Dancing Oaks Pollinators

Dancing Oaks Pollinators

June Is National Pollinator Month. Nurseries encourage the planting of pollinator gardens that have nectar and pollen producing plants for bees, birds, bats, and other natural pollinators. One of the great places to visit to learn about pollinator plants is at Dancing Oaks Nursery (503-838-6058). Dancing Oaks always has some great pollinator plants that are welcoming to all pollinators. To see a few we took the scenic drive down to the nursery outside of Monmouth to talk to Leonard. The first plant is one that we are used to seeing as a different cultivar, the Red Hot Poker. This one didn’t have the normal tight cluster of flowers at the end of the bloom stalks. The Kniphofia thompsonii is a native species to South Africa and has its tubular flowers spread out over the stalks. It still had the tall structure that people love in their gardens. Another structure plant that people love are the Sea Hollies (Eryngium alpinum). These bluish/green/grey foliage and early blooms are a great contrast to other brightly colored plants in the garden. The blooms open to a darker metallic blue that the bees just attack. The next plant was just covered in flower spikes. The Chinese Mint Shrub, Elsholtzia stauntonii, should not be confused with the Australian Mint Bush, which is a totally different plant. This one is hardy and is in its glory right now with tall stalks of light purple flowers that will bloom all the way to the fall. The foliage has a nice fragrance too, which makes it deer resistant. The next plant was a smaller ground cover type of plant in the Honeysuckle family called Lonicera crassifolia. It has shiny evergreen foliage and cute little yellow/orange blooms. Next we had a small plant, but watch out! The Fremontodendron – Flannel bush ‘Ken Taylor’ does not stay small for long. It becomes a big shrub in the garden so give it room! The bees love the big showy yellow flowers so, make room for this in your garden. The next plant has gotten a lot of attention the past few years, Asclepias speciose, or Showy Milkweed. This is the plant that you should have if you love butterflies, specifically the Monarch Butterfly. The adults feed on the nectar in the flowers, lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves and when they hatch the larvae eat the leaves. It is a one-stop shop for Monarchs! It also has something for us, showy flowers that are fragrant too. The next plant was a member of the potato and tomato family from South America, the Fabiana imbricate, ‘Violet Pichi’. It has heath or conifer type foliage, but it has really cool tiny blooms. The large plant behind it was the Eucomis bicolor (Pineapple Lily). This is a unique plant because its central flower stalks look like little pineapples when they bud and bloom. The top is unique too. In fact, Eucomis, means ‘good head of hair’ and that is what it looks like too! The final plant was the Arisaema ringens or Cobra Lily. These are also called Jack in the Pulpit for those who may have heard of it before. Some of these species can be a little stinky, but this one isn’t that bad. They have the really cool bloom and unique leaves that make a statement in the garden.

You can drive out to the nursery and pick up some of these great plants, but they also ship as well, so you don’t even have to leave your home!

Subaru Grand Opening

Subaru Grand Opening

Capitol Subaru (1-888-698-1973) is a great sponsor of the show. We love them not only for the great cars that they sell, we have one for the TV show, but also for their commitment to the environment and the local community. Recently they finished construction on a brand new building for the Subaru dealership. We have to tell you, it is outstanding! We met with Jeff from Capitol Auto Group to learn more about the facility and the area around it.

We started outside at a brand new pavilion. This covered area will serve as a place to gather and relax for customers of all their dealerships. It has raised beds, native plantings, a coffee cart, a dog exercise area and a walking path through a natural area. This area is beautiful and was built with protecting the natural area in mind. They even have a native bee house set up near the pavilion. The native plants are also designed for local pollinators. It is beautiful and relaxing.

Then we moved inside the new building. Here we talked to Jeff in front of a huge living wall. Indoor plants climbed over 20 feet in the air on a wall that has its own lighting and watering systems. People love standing in front of the wall and taking pictures! Another area where people are taking a lot of pictures is near Mabel. Mabel is a 1970 Subaru 360. This vintage car still looks cool and is in pristine condition! Earlier we saw the Outback Dog Park, and inside they have another place for pet lovers, the Happy Paws Pet Shop. This area is loaded with pet toys and other items for our furry friends.

The whole building is filled with neat little areas. There are multiple kids areas. Seating areas with fireplaces, including an indoor/outdoor fireplace, with natural wood finishes. Some of the furniture was made locally by the youth detention center. There are plenty of plantings and fountains too. It feels like you’re in a mountain lodge!

If you would like to see all this, stop by the dealership and take a walk around and enjoy what Capitol has done. Plus, they also sell cars too!

 

 
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