Check out these features, created especially for the Garden Time website!
Winter Indoor Plants
 The cold and wet weather may be keeping you out of the garden, but you can still enjoy wonderful unique plants indoors! We stopped by Portland Nursery (www.PortlandNursery.com 503-788-9000) on Division to see a few of the special plants they have for gardeners trapped indoors. We started with a very unusual plant, the pitcher plant. This one traps insects in its cup shaped pitchers and then absorbs the nutrients from the decomposing insect. Remember, the pitcher plant loves a nice warm and humid place to grow. Next was a Pineapple plant. This will grow an actual pineapple that you can eat, though it may be smaller than the ones you find at the grocery store. Another tropic loving plant is the Vanilla Orchid. This plant has the ability to grow a vanilla type bean, but you really need to provide more heat and humidity than most homes have. Still it is a great house plant. Next was a beautiful color plant, the Rose Pine Cone. This plant has a wonderful multicolored bloom that has shades of pink, red and purple. Plus it blooms all year long! Finally we found the Chinese evergreen. This is a foliage plant with huge mottled leaves that is very easy to grow. If you are feeling like you need a plant boost during these dreary winter months, try some indoor plants!
Winter Seed Starting
It may seem a little early to start your new garden for the season, but there are some plants that you can give a little head start to now. We looked at some of the tools that you can use to get a successful start to your garden. Judy started by showing us how to start plants by using cuttings from your already established plants by using rooting hormone. William then showed us how to start seeds with planting trays, heating mats and a special seedling soil made by Black Gold (www.Blackgold.bz). Most of your local garden centers have a big selection of seeds with more arriving everyday, and they also have great advice and tips for your best garden ever.
Chainsaw Museum
We traveled to Amboy Wash. to visit the private chainsaw museum of Wayne Sutton. Wayne is the representative of Stihl (www.stihlusa.com) tools and began collecting chainsaws years ago. He now has one of the biggest collections in the country. He took us on a private tour of his collection and showed us the evolution of the chainsaw and how it has changed over the years. Of course, one of the first chainsaws was a Stihl and they are still the leader after all these years. If you would like to see Wayne’s collection or learn more about it, drop him an e-mail at Wasaw@tds.net.
Plant Pick – Pyracantha
Our plant pick this week is a great plant in any season. The pyracantha is an evergreen shrub that is grown for its foliage and its fruit. During the winter months it is a great natural food source for the local bird population. It has plentiful orange or red fruit. It is also a great plant for culturing, because it can easily be pruned to any shape or espaliered. The 2 varieties we featured were from Drakes 7 Dees (www.drakes7dees.com, 503-256-2223). They were Red Elf and Graber’s pyracantha. One word of caution, it is also known as ‘firethorn’ because of its needlelike thorns. Remember to wear your gloves!
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