Happy Labor Day.  As you may have noticed we are off this weekend.  Holiday programming is giving us a much needed vacation.  But we are not just sitting around.  We are gearing up for the GardenPalooza event.   You can get ready too by checking out the GardenPalooza website.  You will find over 20 featured garden centers.  Each one has its own page on the site with a list of events, specials, door to door directions and even a video where they explain what’s special about their nursery.  During the GardenPalooza you will also be able to see William and Judy at selected nurseries.  While at these nurseries you can enter to win a gift card from some great local restaurants like The Glockenspiel, Oswego Grill, Metrovino and East Indian Co. Grill and Bar.

While we get ready, check out some of these featured stories.

This week we featured...

Labor Day Grilling

The best part of a big holiday weekend is the food.  We all look forward to that unique ‘taste of summer’ that we get when we fire up the grill.  To get another grilling idea on what to prepare we dropped by to visit Jerry Yost from Gartner’s Meats (503-252-7801).  Jerry pulled out a couple of favorites that we have seen before!  He was preparing the wonderful marinated short ribs and the marinated chicken breasts.   The combination of these 2 different pieces of meat is a prefect choice for those picky eaters in your family.  We also heard how easy they are to grill.  Jerry started by putting the chicken on first, then about 20 minutes later he added the ribs.  He kept turning it about every 5-7 minutes.  From start to finish, it took about 20-25 minutes and the whole thing was done!  By putting the chicken on first and allowing it about 15 minutes head-start, they both ended up being finished at the same time!  What made this taste so good was the marinade.  Gartner’s makes their own special sauce that just knocked our socks off.  Remember barbeque season is never over here in the Northwest!  If you get a chance stop by and see them at 7450 N.E. Killingsworth and make a huge impression at your next barbeque.

Kindergarden – Sun paper

This is a perfect kid’s project for those sunny summer days.  Amy Bigej from Al’s Garden Center (503-981-1245) found some sun sensitive paper from Educational Innovations, where they have it listed as "nature print paper".  This paper changes color when it is exposed to sunlight.  Have your kids pick flowers, collect leaves or other interesting things from the garden and then place those things on the paper.  Leave the paper out for 2 minutes and then immerse the paper in water.  Whatever you had on the paper will now leave its ‘shadow’ on the paper.  You can frame the image, make note cards or give them as gifts.  It is a great way to get outdoors and save a part of your garden to enjoy year-round.

Silver Falls Seed

If you have been driving through the countryside in the valley, you may have seen fields full of flowers.  This is not the work of a flower fanatic; they are flowers that are grown for their seed.  Angela Rose from Silver Falls Seed Company (503-874-8221) showed us some of the varieties that they grow.   In the field where she took us we found poppies and godetia.  Then we went to the cleaning operation where we saw how they clean, sort and package the seeds they grow.  We also learned that since the seeds are grown locally, they are acclimated to the area and you have a better chance for success.  You can find Silver Falls Seed at most of the local garden centers in the area, or you can buy them on-line through the Silver Falls website.

Tool Shed – Broad Fork

Our trip to the Tool Shed took us to Boring Oregon again to chat with Bob Denman from Red Pig Tools (503-663-9404).  Bob pulled out an old tool that is finding favor with new organic gardeners.  The Broad Fork is a great tool for breaking up the soil without ruining the soil profile.  This tool works to loosen the soil and keeps it intact.  Sometimes by using a tiller you are breaking up the structure of the soil and actually causing damage to the structure and beneficial animals that you are trying to create.  You use this tool by first creating a row along one end of your garden.  Then you slowly work backwards from that row and break up the soil by using that negative space.  This is a great tool if you are trying to get the job done without a lot of negative impact on the soil.  

Dahlia Design

You can build an award winning flower arrangement with flowers from your garden if you follow a few simple rules.  We stopped by the Swan Island Dahlia Festival (800-410-6540) to learn how easy it is to do.  The Festival is in full swing and features over 400 cut flower arrangements on display.  Heather from Swan Island walked us through the steps of building a great display.  First she heat treated the stems in 160-170 degree water, which will make the cut flowers last longer.  Then she started with one variety of flower which established the size and height of the arrangement.  Then she filled in with the other styles and types of blooms.  She even used the discarded stems to add filler to the display.   It is very easy to do!  If you are looking for ideas or you want to fill your day with color, stop by the Dahlia Festival and check out the display or the fields of color.