Garden Time

Fall in France – A Villa in Provence

2011-12-08T21:47:00.000-08:00

Recently we had the opportunity to visit some friends in Provence between Nice and Marseille. They live in a small village called Carces and are retired to a nice little villa there. We had heard quite a bit about this wonderful region of France and were looking forward to seeing what types of plants they grew there. We spent a day just getting over the jet lag from the flight, and then we started to explore the grounds. Our friends have a nice sized piece of land surrounding the villa. They rent out their villa to visitors over the summer. When we arrived at the end of September the weather was still incredibly pleasant. We were able to enjoy their gardens during sunny days and brisk nights.

They have a broad open patio and the first thing we noticed was the huge pots of begonias and oleanders. The heat during the summer is incredible in Provence and these plants love the heat!

We also noticed that they had planted Virginia Creeper on the sides of the villa and it had grown to over 3 stories high.

Also located on the property was a pond fed by a canal from a nearby reservoir.

We also enjoyed treats from the trees!

They had a fig tree that supplied fresh fruit for breakfast every morning and a persimmon tree that was ripening well. Their olive tree in the front drive looked like it had a nice crop as well, though we found out that the olives are not harvested until November. The one concern that our friends had was that the roses were not performing as well as they had seen here in the Pacific Northwest. Still we thought the gardens looked stunning. We would start most days outside for breakfast and end each day on the patio with a glass of the local rose wine.

There was one ‘pest’ problem that they had that we don’t have, wild boars! These guys would come in during the night and dig everywhere for grubs and roots to eat. The next morning the ground would be torn apart. I guess I’ll take my mole problems any day instead of these ‘little pigs’.

Next we will travel into the village of Carces and other areas in the south of France.

Please excuse our tardiness!

2011-12-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, it has been awhile since we have posted anything on the blog…. I guess we have been focused on the Garden Time Magazine. As most of you know, we are just a small crew of people (7 people produce the Garden Time and Fusion shows). We are now busy each month writing articles for the magazine and we have been neglecting the blog. I hope to make up for that in the next few weeks. We have just finished our 6th season of Garden Time and our 3rd season of Fusion. We are very happy with the success of both shows. This past year both shows were on 8 times each week around the state of Oregon and SW Washington. We had 4 stations as partners (KOIN-Portland, KEVU-Eugene, KWVT-Salem, and CGN-Hood River) who were great supporters of the shows. The magazine continues to grow and we are proud that the Gardenpalooza event has become a annual event for everyone in the Portland metro area. We will return in March of 2012 with both shows and we will try to keep in touch through the magazine, websites, Facebook, and the blog!

Jeff
Garden Time Producer/Owner

Dormant spray

2011-02-25T17:47:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we had such lovely weather that I took some time to prune my rose garden and home orchard. Although I did not see much in the form of growth in the orchard I did see allot of activity with the roses. Because of the growth in the rose garden, I decided to do my dormant oil spraying after everything was completely pruned. I was never a huge fan of dormant spraying as it seemed an extra step in an already over burdened schedule. However, after several years of growth, my orchard was not producing the way I had envisioned it, especially with the stone fruit varieties and the apples and pears. Two years ago (2008) I had made the decision to dormant spray in the fall and spring. Having been in this industry for almost 3 decades, I was a little sad that I felt I finally folded and started this annual procedure, but as I said, the fruit trees were just not preforming well. There was plenty of aphids and shot whole virus each year and I really am loath to use synthetics on my fruit and vegetable plants.
Now when I do something, I try to see the big picture. To tell people, "This does not work" without some form of empirical evidence seems foolish to me. As you might have already suspected from that last sentence, I saw absolutely no improvements. The disease and insects still seemed to be as prolific as before and fruit production was certainly no better overall. As we humans often do, I quickly decided is was a waste of my time. But then I took a step back to look at our last two years of gardening in this area. I don't think there is one person I have spoken with that has seen these last two years as great for edible production. From the home gardener to the farmers, everyone seems to be held hostage by changing weather patterns. It is not the fault of the gardener or the product when nature changes her ways, the best we can do is calmly roll with the punches. And as there are countless studies of the efficacy of dormant oil spray I had to rethink what may have occurred.
I also thought, what might have happened if I had not sprayed? The host of concerns in my orchard may have been twice (or more) as bad. I consistently try to take the higher positive road on things so I decided to do this with dormant spraying as well. My thoughts are that as long as this trend in weird weather continues, I really can't make a completely logical assertion on dormant spraying. And as any Northwest gardener knows, roses always seem to attract black-spot but the colder wet weather we have had in the last two springs must be taken into consideration when formulating an opinion on the value of spraying dormant oil.
So I am back to step one it seems. I did spray again and we will see what this season provides with the weather and if the fruits that do set will be better than previous years. The window for dormant oil spray is always fluid as there are specific times and temperature requirements to consider. 40-70 degrees is optimal for performance with at least 3-4 days without a freeze after application. And the buds on the fruit trees must be at the infantile stage of development to right before they pop. You do not want to spray when the buds have opened. So take a look at your garden and see what stage they are in and if you choose to spray dormant oil...let me know what happens this Spring in your gardens, because I can always learn something new about nature and she always has something new to teach us.
Happy Gardening,
William

The Winter of our discontent…

2011-01-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

I feel like every winter is.
What more can we do in the Northwest but wait. We wait for spring. We wait to see what has survived and what may have been done in. We wait for warmth. We wait for our new seed purchases to get here. We wait to see of ponds and fountains are ok. We wait for a thaw. Winter really feels like a time for waiting…
It seems like nature waits too but this is actually not the case at all. Only in the most cold of temperatures do plants go completely dormant, and even in that state they are still living. Just because we cannot see the growth does not mean they are not alive and thriving. Often, with many, many plants, they are doing some of their best work in the winter. Deep in the soil they are growing stronger roots. Bulbs are utilizing their nutrition they stored up from the previous year to create their vibrant colorful blooms for the coming spring. And life, although at times slowly and most often unseen by us, is working its way thru their tiny roots to get ready for when, in an arena that can only be described as miraculous, the time is right for them to burst forth. For us mere mortals it is tortuous. If you are anything like me, you are constantly glancing outside, looking around for any visible sign of growth…anything that will herald the renewal of life.
Ask any woman that has given birth. It may take many weeks for anything to appear different on the outside, but inside it’s like a factory. DNA is hard at work. Cells are replicating, fingers and toes are being formed, and the very essence of life as we understanding is going thru some of the most magical changes it will ever accomplish…all without most of us even being aware of it!
Winter is a garden at it’s industrial best. Talk about behind the scenes labor. The foundational building blocks for the future of the plant are being created. Where we see a time of dormancy, of rest, there is actually countless things occurring to ensure the success and fruitfulness of another year.
I have had to reinvent how I look at winter, if not because of scientific reasons…for my own sanity. Not only for my gardens but for myself. Yes, life does seem to slow down in winter, and we do seem to have to wait for life to it forth again. But the reality is that this is only our perception because the garden is, at a basic building block level, working very hard to set it’s self up for the coming changes. A time when everything works together to bring to life the glory of this ’down’ time…what we perceive as dormancy, nature only sees a time of hidden agendas, working just as hard as the rest of the year to ensure healthy life is ready for the time it is needed.
So take hope my friends. Nature is not dead nor does she truly sleep. Perhaps the appearance of this is more for us. Perhaps it is we that need the rest. Perhaps we should learn this simple lesson from nature. That for us to be at our best as the sun begins to warm the soil, we must have a time when we do not need to mow, or hedge, or harvest…and if…if we have done what nature does each year, we will have stored our energies up and will take this season for what it was intended to be. A time when the most basic tools for our success are being restored. Invigorated by nature herself so that when those first days of spring arrive, we are prepared to meet them head on…
Happy (restful) Gardening,
William

My love hate relationship with Liquidambars & Maples…

2010-12-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

I do adore trees. I have countless varieties in my gardens. But the Sweet Gums were there when I arrived….Eight of them in all.
Now granted, I do indeed love their festive fall foliage. The gold, yellow, red and orange make masterpieces’ every fall. And their dense dark green foliage from spring till fall casts much needed shade. I also think the leaf shape is beautiful and the bark on the trees as they get older is quite delightful…but that is where my love for them ends. And rather abruptly!
They tend to be, in this region, rather weak trees. Snow, ice, even wind will snap the limbs easily. I solved this concern by cutting them back into a type of hedge, much like you see in France or Mexico.
But they still drop copious amounts of round seed balls covered in prickly, thorny spins. And yes…step on one barefoot and they hurt!
And then they are so late in dropping their leaves. All the deciduous trees in my gardens finished their leaf drop weeks ago…not these grand dames. Only a smattering of leaves have fallen thus far. It will take another two-three weeks for them to complete their yearly defoliation…and by that time it is always cold, wet, windy and rainy…or worse yet…snowy!
I did not choose these trees myself, but they are beautiful and so large now, I just can’t justify taking them down. But boy are they work, and at times painful if you enjoy going without shoes in the summer, which I most certainly do.
Just like my maple trees which were also here when I bought the property. There are seven of these 40 year old beauties. And they are beautiful… but so much work. First they drop their ‘blooms’ in the spring. Then just when I think all that mess is cleaned up, out come the dropping of their ‘helicopter’ seeds. Not only are these trees prolific producers of seed but the little buggers are very difficult to blow or sweep up! Their small stems get caught on the tiniest part of the concrete and blacktop and send me into a fury of frustration. Then the real fun begins in fall. For 5-6 weeks I am continually cleaning up their leaves.
All of this complaining was actually to relate something. Before you buy any tree you must really find out the seasonal changes to that specific plant. We often sell trees because of shape, size, leaf color or bloom. We need to also be sure about the seed pods and/or fruit of the tree. When does leaf drop usually happen? Is it a long drawn out affair or does it happen quickly? Is the tree a strong hard wood tree or a more tropical soft wooded tree.
In our efforts to streamline our lives, the hours spent having to do multiple clean ups in a year can become a negative to the best examples of trees.
So be aware as you shop, that like us humans, many changes occur each year in our gardens. Make sure to collect as much information as you can before you go to a Garden Center to purchase a tree. If you are informed about what that tree does throughout the year it will take away any surprise you might run into before it’s to late to do something about it. None of us really want to cut down big trees from our gardens just because they perform in ways we were unaware of.
Happy Gardening.
William

What's that smell???

2010-09-22T19:54:00.001-07:00

Fall brings us many wonderful things...it also brings stink bugs. These shield-shaped bugs are notorious for having a foul order. They use it for protection in the wild, and although you may find them spring thru early winter in our area, their most prolific seasons are spring and fall.
While they are a pest in the garden, they can also become one in your home. Being attracted to light, they tend to maneuver toward it and as the weather cools will find cracks and crannies to enter your abode. Just make sure you have the cracks around your windows and doors sealed, and keep screens in good repair. A few can be picked up and thrown away. Use a paper towel or gloves though as they may emit their 'not to pleasant odor' on you. Closing your shades at night may lesson the attraction to your inner sanctum as well. I keep a lot of lights on outside at night as a theft preventative measure. If you do the same you may want to occasionally check these areas for infestation.
In the garden, they attack crops mostly...broccoli, cauliflower, soy beans and others. They do so by piercing the fruit, leaf or stem with their sharp 'snout' and sucking out the juices. Although I have killed many of these this year and have never gotten bitten, I am told that they can pierce human skin. It feels rather like a pin prick so again gloves may be in order. If you do use a vaccumn, which you can, just be aware that if they are crushed thy can still stink!
There are some sprays that can work on them. They are a sizable bug and you would have to go with something harsh. Maintenance seems to be the best way to control them. I recently found a big infestation in one of my greenhouses. And yes...they were on a crop plant, my edible portulaca (Purslane oleracea 'Golden mammoth') so I just got a plastic garbage bag and cut off the tops of the plants with the bugs on them and threw them in the trash (after doing my famous bug dance on top of them). Remember that the potential to emit their fragrance grows stronger with crushing and handling so a trash bag is a good idea. Then I looked for any eggs...Their eggs can be various colors, white, reddish, green, and are found clustered under leaves usually. Squishing them can end an entire generation...sans the smell...so that is a good way to control them too.
Like almost all pests in the garden or home, vigilance in observation is the primary way to control both disease, insects and bugs.
For more information, go to your independent Garden Centers, they will have both the knowledge and the products to assist you.
Happy Gardening,
William

Powdery mildew

2010-08-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

You would think, after the vegetable gardening season we have had, that some kind of mercy would be given us…this seems to not be the case.
As I wandered through my garden this morning I was mortified to see the strongly entrenched white spots of powdery mildew already covering some of my plants.
The squash and cucumbers had some spots but the poor peas were covered!
How could this happen so darn quickly? Wasn’t it just two days ago when there was nothing but lush green foliage?
The reason I even noticed it was because on my way to film Garden Time I was driving through a densely forested area in Lake Oswego and saw tons of powdery mildew already covering many of the Maple trees. I had also noticed a bit of it on my Monarda in the gardens, which I just snipped the offending branches off.
The problem with powdery mildew is that it really will not do damage to the plants or vegetables…the produce has set and will ripen…but it is the appearance! I work so hard for a beautiful vegetable garden and it seems overnight this pesky problem invades.
Because I want the garden to look lovely I will spray with Neem oil, which will control the exploding spores from jumping to other leaves (the peas I am going to just pull out, they lost the battle far to quickly) and I will cut off the leaves that I see it on with the squash and cukes.
I must confess though, after a couple more weeks…I won’t even try anymore.
It is and always will be the nature of Northwest vegetable gardens to have powdery mildew. Perhaps a small price to pay for the bounty we can grow here.
But you all should know that this is not the end of your gardens. The produce will be fine and we will all live to garden another day.
So just pull off the offending leaves and spray with something (hopefully organic, like Neem oil, as it is stuff you are going to ingest) and everything will be ok…
Happy Gardening!
William

Gardenpalooza - revisited…

2010-07-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy summer for the Garden Time crew. We have had the usual stuff… the show, the monthly writing and other stuff for the Garden Time Online magazine and the visits to nurseries and garden centers around the area. But there is a new opportunity that we have to tell you about.
Many of you local NW gardeners know about the Le Tour des Plants. This was a fall gardening event that covered 9 days and had over 25 participating nurseries. It had become a great way to get people out to their local garden centers in the early fall and enjoy all the great plants that are in full bloom. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled after last fall…
People kept asking the Garden Time team if there was anything we could do. Soooo… we have come up with ‘Gardenpalooza: the Tour’. This event will cover 4 days this coming September 9-12. Unlike our spring ‘Gardenpalooza’ event, which takes place at one location, this event will include participating nurseries and garden centers from around Oregon and SW Washington. You will be able to go to the Gardenpalooza.com website and from there you can select an area you want to visit, click on a participating nursery and learn about their specials, events, classes and even watch a video of the nursery and print out coupons from your own computer.
We are excited about starting this new event and we hope everyone can come visit the participating nurseries!

Jeff
Garden Time

Gardenpalooza plants

2010-04-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

I just realized that a month has gone by. I had said I would write about my plants from Gardenpalooza in a couple of weeks. Sorry about the delay! Spring is so busy that times slips away...
It seems this year that I purchased several tropical and temperate plants. I purchased way too many to go over all of them but I will high-lite some of my favorites.
Burl from Rare Plant Research is one of my favorite people and nurseries. He got alot of my money this year.
Gluacium Flavum is a great zone 7 perennial with bright orange poppy like flowers. The 'horned poppy' is so named because of it's seed pods. They are long, semi-curved creatures that do indeed look like slender horns and appear after the plant has bloomed. Quite a conversation piece. Yellow is the usual color but the orange one (which I bought) is much more dramatic to me when it blooms against the grey/blue foliage.

Aechmea blanchettiana looks like a bromiliade on steroids and is a member of that family, with the exception that it is terrestrial which simply means it grows in the ground and not up in trees. I have had this one before but for some reason...even in my greenhouse, it expired this year. Not to worry...Burl had more! I love this plant because in the full sun during summer it takes on a wonderful reddish orange tone to it's massive leaves. A stunning specimen indeed.
Many years ago we were filming with Dan Hiems at his home. In the ground he had a hardy Schefflera (a houseplant commonly called umbrella tree). The name is Schefflera delvayi. Even though I have seen this plant outside and winter hardy, having lived in Ft. Lauderdale Fl and knowing the difference in climate from here to there...I just can not get myself to plant it outside...so it in went in the ground in my greenhouse. At 50.00 bucks a pop I am not taking any chances!

Edelweiss Perennials is a wonderful nursery owned by a great guy named Urs. His plants are consistently beautiful and well grown. From him I bought Hellebourus abruzzicus. This new found introduction was found in the Abruzzia area of Italy, it has amazing deeply cut leaves. The flowers are pretty but the foliage is it's true glory.

I also got a great Pinella 'Gold Dragon" They grow into sturdy stands of long tongued (10") 'jack in the pulpit' type blooms, plus the color of the flower and leaves is a chartreuse yellow color. Great for highlighting a shady area.

Leonard from Dancing Oaks hooked me with the Tulip 'Fire of Love' His tag on it said 'with leaves like this who needs flowers?'. I couldn't agree more.

For the life of me I can not remember where I got this last plant I will tell you about. It's name is Salvia Chiapensis. The Family Saliva is huge. There are so many different plants with an array of colors and fragrances. This one was a new one for me and although it can grow natively upwards of 6000 ft in the mountains of Mexico, I planted it in the greenhouse. We are a lot more wet than Mexico and cold and wet is totally different than cold and dry. As with so many of the Saliva's this one promises to attract hummingbirds. It's beautiful tubular shaped fuchsia colored flowers do seem to be exactly what the tiny fowls enjoy.
So there you have it. A short list of a few of the plants I got at Gardenpalooza. Sorry it took so long...
Happy Gardening,
William

The big pile!

2010-04-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

I have always been a little intimidated by composting. It seemed so...difficult. Then...a few weeks ago we did a segment on the show with Jan Mcneilan (gardentime.tv) and I really got inspired.
There were several reasons I did not want to compost..
1st...I did not want this huge ugly 'thing' in my yard...
2nd...it would be too much work with the turning of the compost pile and the additives to make it work and on and on and on...
3rd...did I mention it would be too much work?
Well...we filmed the segment and Jan had this amazing compost pile and all she did was...nothing but pile the debris up...really...she made a pile and left it. No turning, no additives, nothing. I thought while we were filming...'I could do this'
I have more than 60 trees in my gardens at home and right behind my property are several 60' tall Sycamores...so I have a ton of leaves each year that I usually send to a land fill. Armed with my experience with Jan I decided to give her methods a try.
I raked up the leaves and piled them in the veggie garden. As I did not do a great job last year of clean up, I had a lot of leaves. I have also been putting any weeds I have pulled into the pile. When the gardens are finished and ready for summer...in about a week...I will cover the whole pile with plastic to hide it a little and assist with heat from the sun in the decomposition. The pile does not look that bad and by next spring I will have a ton of great compost for my yard and veggie garden. Plus...I will be NOT sending over a hundred bags of leaves to a landfill.
Hopefully by now you all know me well enough that if this is a failure for me I will totally tell you. But if it works...I can't wait to spread the rich new compost over everything. It really makes me feel good to think I am doing more than in the past to be self contained a leave a smaller footprint on this earth.
So if composting seems out of reach, if you don't think you don't have the space, if you are intimidated by the idea..take hope! It really is easy. Thanks Jan for teaching this old a dog a new trick.
Happy Gardening,
William

Michelia Figo

2010-04-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

I just finished planting a new shrub. It's name is Michelia Figo, commonly known as banana shrub.
This amazing member of the Magnolia family is stunning. After viewing Ray Schreiner's ( of Schreiner's Iris Garden fame) private gardens I have fallen in love with Magnolias again anyway, so the Michelias are just a small step in a little different direction from the rest of that family.
Figo is an evergreen shrub that can be pruned, but they say it is best left to it's own growth habit, which will ultimately be about 15' high and wide. It's true glory though is the blossom. Like many members of this family, that is what draws us to them.
Starting with a whitish 1" bud, it eventually opens to reveal a yellowish bloom about 2-3 inches wide. On each petal there is a blood red edging. But wait...there's more. Although I do have buds on my plant I purchased they have yet to open but when they do I have it on good authority that the blooms smell like bananas...thus the common name. Blooming from spring thru summer, you will have a long time to enjoy their fragrance.
It is technically a hardy shrub here (zone 7, marginally, thru 10) I am thinking it is more like 8 or 9) so I planted mine in a protected place inside my unheated greenhouse because to oft have I been burned by what others tell me is hardy! I would think if it was hardy here we would already have it in our yards.
Even if it struggles some I believe it will be well worth the effort. I have never seen this at nurseries here in Portland but bought mine from my good friends at Gardino's Nursery in Del Ray Beach, Florida. I have been buying marginally hardy plants from them for years and thier products always come perfectly wrapped and always looking great. It's like Christmas to me every time I order from them. And they are not cost prohibative either...which is nice.Originally from China, banana shrub was introduced to the United States in late 1700s and is one of the classic evergreen shrubs of the old south and since I was born in Texas...well you get the idea. But I never did see one while living there so I am not sure how 'classic' it could be.
It also likes acidic soils, which we have in abundance here in the northwest, and good drainage. You can order this plant yourself from Gardino's Nursery, http://www.gardinonursery.com. Remember that even if it's name is banana shrub, no parts of the plant are edible, fragrance notwithstanding.
I will be blogging more in the next couple of weeks on some of those kickin' cool plants I got at Gardenpalooza! With the few sun breaks we have had this week I did get everything planted. I will enclose some pics as well.
Happy Gardening!
William

Gardenpalooza Wrap 2010

2010-04-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

I gotta be honest...I thought going to Gardenpalooza this year would be dismal! The weather was not going to act well and I really had misgivings about its success. When I am wrong I own it and boy was I wrong!

Thousands of people faced the ridiculously rotten weather. Heck in the calm frenzied shopping I got caught up as well and left with dozens of treasures of my own. I just got home a few minutes ago and was trying, on the ride back home, to define how and why it was so great even with the extenuating circumstances. I boiled it down to three groups of people.

1st are those people we in the biz call 'vendors'. These people were there wrapped up like the little kid on a Christmas Story...so bundled up you would have thought they all put on 50 lbs each...but there they were, plants filled in and ready for customers. From the plant vendors to the charming fellow that built furniture out of old...things, to the food vendors (beef chili soup and Granny Smith apple fries, yes fries. Gartner's Meats was there again. And don't even make me mention the donuts made fresh right there at Fir Point Farms) there was something for all your senses.

There is a web site called the 3/50 Project (http://www.the350project.net/). If you have not heard of this, please take a few minutes to check it out. I hope that each of you will understand the need to shop locally. In January I met the lady that created this program. She had such an easy; simple concept and it could and should work for folks like the vendors at Gardenpalooza. Although Gardenpalooza is once a year, these good people sell year round. So kindly support them when you can. There is a list of the vendors on http://www.gardenpalooza.com/. They were outstanding today. Thank you all for sharing this function with us at Garden Time.

2nd group are those amazing, wacky, and just slightly off kilter people (of which I am very proudly one) named Gardeners. Thousands of you braved the climate to attend and purchase all kinds of gardening and human treats. And purchase you did. I am not sure, although I have lived coast to coast in this great country, that I have ever encountered such wonderfully fanatical humans. I truly did think there would be this obvious drop in attendance but boy was I wrong. Overall, there were less people but still it was a mass of moving humanity almost the whole day. I am so proud to be a part of this industry and this group of us that love to garden. And talk about kind hearted and funny! I laughed so much today my jaws ached. Questions,stories, ideas...that kind of interaction is priceless. Thanks to all of my fellow gardening freaks out there. It's a pleasure to be part of the family 'Plantnerd'.

3rd and last group are the viewers that watch Garden Time. From around 9am till about 1:30pm, Judy and I were chatting non-stop and almost always with fans of the show. I wish I could express how grateful all of us at Garden Time are for each of you. Without you there really would be no Garden Time. You support us by buying from the vendors and sponsors of the show which allows them to advertise, which allows the show to be on KOIN Local 6. It proves first hand how completely interconnected everything is. Plus your passion for your yards is gratifying...and many of you are too funny!
So to all of you that traipsed thru the mud, withstood blowing wind and biting cold, occasional downpours...a big huge THANK YOU! And to all of you that were there behind the scenes, Therese Gustin (the maternal side of Garden Time, Sarah, Hannah (Jeff and Therese's lovely daughters) and Jen (Sarah's best friend...love you). Jerry Yost (Gartner's Meats) brought his boy JC (you rock dude) for the first time, Jim Hughes (all around amazing man), and our new hosts at 'Fir Point', Erika and Aaron Wilcott...and to all the ones I haven't mentioned, we would be lost without you.

Is it too early to mark it on your calendars for next year...well, yes because the exact date isn't set yet, but you can get a general idea.

My free time this week will be working the stunning plants I got into my gardens and working off the apple fries! But totally worth it. I have long thought that the gardeners of the Northwest are serendipitous treasures, each and everyone. I think it is what helps make this area of our beautiful country the richest in the land. See you all next year at Gardenpalooza 2011!

Happy Gardening,
William

I'm on a horse...no..wait...a hedge.

2010-03-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

I did it. I did my first pruning of all the things in my gardens that need a hedger. Ok...so maybe my initial fear of pruning my hedges was not substantiated with the time involved. As often happens, our concerns over a thing seem almost always greater than the actuality of that thing. It only took me 4 hours. And with the exception of the 12' spiraled arborvitae's in giant clay pots..I did everything...everything! An honestly I just forgot those and by the time I had put everything away; hedger, extension cords, ladder...I just didn't want to get them out again.
Well...I still have to go back a rake up the debris. That will add a couple more hours. I can see how NOT having to do that could cut allot of time off of my pruning.

Heck I even planted my 'Pink Lemonade' blueberry! Thanks to Al's on Barbur Blvd for having them in stock!

So, I guess it may be possible to accomplish this 'every 8 week pruning rotation' I penciled myself into. I can say I did not want to do it but it is done now and with far less angst and ennui than I thought there would be. Plus...I have not done done any hedgeing since last fall, so logically, it could even go faster the next time it rolls around, which would be mid May.

Part of the fun for me too was getting up close and personal with my garden. The lily of the valley's are beginning to show themselves and the Magnolia's...breathtaking.
So if my blog on pruning hedges scared you off a bit...not too worry. It was much less painful than I imagined. As the weather is suppose to be nice for several days I am also planning to tackle the veggie garden this week. I have to order my soil and widen a few pathways but I want to get it all done before the rains hit next week.

I also moved out a few of my more cold hardy tropicals...just can't wait any longer.
Happy gardening

William

Shaping our gardens...shaping our lives.

2010-03-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

I took a walk around my gardens this morning...fully believing I was going to put in a tremendous day of gardening. I have to say...it was just too cold for me still. I know, I know...we live in a zone 7 (or 8 depending on who you believe) but still...I was so bundled up I would have had a difficult time bending down to do any work. So instead I did what any good gardener does...I made a list for future projects.
On that list is shearing the different hedges in my gardens. I have several so this is not a quick project. There is the two foot walkway hedge in the Japanese garden out back. The huge semi circle hedge that is the focal point for one of my outdoor living rooms. The are several shrubs that are more easily pruned with a hedger. There is the 'hobbit house' hedge that sets under my ginormous holly tree. The hedge of variegated ligustrum and spirea out front. A new hedge of something evergreen that blooms...yep..I forgot it's name. The hedge surrounding the formal rose garden and last but in no way least...the garden maze where my outdoor sleeping room is set squarely in the middle.

So, you can see these hedging projects are intense to say the least. Which brings me to this...A man called Pearl. Ever heard of him? If not I would suggest going on line and googeling him. I won't go into his story here but needless to say I am so impressed with him and what he accomplished and still does to this day. He said at a meeting I heard him speak at in in January that he clips his hedges every 4-6 weeks, What? OMG...I am totally frustrated now. I was lucky to do trimmings twice a year! He also thought if you have to rake up after you trim that you are not pruning enough. That the job should be done so often there is not enough to clean up. Whoa...

So what do I do now? I really can not see myself even having the time to accomplish that feat much less the desire. I mean honestly...it would become like mowing...which I hate doing, thus the shrinking of my lawns each year until now I have little more than pathways of grass. But if you saw his gardens...the exquisite way he has worked with nature...I know in my heart he is doing something right. That he understands something about trimming hedges I do not. There is no control without understanding. Frances Bacon said that "nature, to be controlled, must be understood". Pearl gets this with an uncanny understanding that came from passion, not education, and by just doing what his heart told him to do. And as I think one can't, nor should not, ever stop learning, who am I to disagree with obvious success?

So I am going to give it a try. I am going to allow myself once every two months though instead of every 4-6 weeks. I tend to think that planning is everything so as I am listing my year for the garden today and I am going to make a bi-monthly time to try this out. For some reason I can justify every 8 weeks but not every 4 to 6 weeks! As Judy said a few weeks ago in her blog on shoveling snow...I will think of it more as a zen moment for myself and my gardens. Who knows what dreams may come from this? Perhaps my hedges will look the best they ever have. Perhaps I will discover some part of me that needs "trimming" as well...makeing me not just a better gardener but a better human too? That's the beauty of gardening in't it?. Besides all of the very tangible things that come from it, one also can receive so many esoteric things that can assist with living a better life...and who wouldn't desire that?

I hope this year that all of your garden adventures do as many good things for you as mine do for me...

Happy Gardening,
William

Zonal Denial

2010-03-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

I don't like that phrase. Never have. It seems too dismissive, too hateful. Perhaps it is because the word denial has such an ugly connotation. It connotes someone that doesn't see reality...that is blind, stupid... perhaps it's because I don't like to think of myself as stupid...and why would any intelligent gardener go outside of his zones...be in denial...unless of course we're stupid; tempting fate, laughing in the face of nature?

I am not stupid. And I adore nature! So I have come up with a different terminology...Zonal Expansion. Now, doesn't that sound much more grand? More adventuresome? And really, all that we gardeners that try plants outside of our zones are is those kids in school that colored outside of the lines, or saw a palm tree as blue instead of green, or want a plant that we love to grow where we are. Right?

The problem is that some things are just not meant to be, there are what they are, they grow where they grow. Nature itself has evolved, or was created, depending on your personal belief system, to withstand where it is on this planet.

Last year I had a beautiful large specimen of Idesia Polycarpa. This amazing tree had been in my yard for many years. Even my good friend Dan Hiems was stymied by it at a party I had...
"What is this William?".
"Idesia Polycarpa Dan".
Then, because he is a great deal more intelligent then me, he had to ask what family it belonged to! I didn't know then and I still don't...
My point is this. Last summer when we had that terrific heat wave...it died own to the ground. Fortunately, it is growing from the ground again but still, such a glorious trunk, great canopy, beautiful structure...all gone in one week. It is classed from zone 6 to 9. But here is what I think...that heat wave was just too much for it. The stress was more than it could handle, it had become used to our mild, northwest climates. This was an especially brutal loss for me as it had been growing for so many years and had finally reached a size that was needless to say...impressive. I am turning the stump into a place for a bird-feeder...lemons into lemonade.

I ultimately do not know what killed it to the ground. What I DO know is this. Plants are uncanny when it comes to survival. We could learn much from them in this effect. They start, where all good things do, with their base, their roots. Roots are amazing little creatures in nature. They are able to withstand drastic adverse weather conditions, too much or hardly any water, winds, earthquakes and the ridiculous things that we gardeners do to them.
But in each environment on earth, plants have acquired very specific roots for where they are natively located. I mean really, how different is gardening in the west hills of Portland vs the valley floor. Or how about we compare Canby to my neighbor hood; the Rockwood district of Portland? Ridiculously different.
So we try to amend the soil, remove that which the plants we want desire and add that which they require. However, this is time consuming and really never ending. But still...I know I do it!

Lets look at tropical roots. Most of them are formed completely different that those in our area. They are able to withstand heat and water but not cold very well. That is why many tropicals won't survive here. They are very fibrous...not woody like an oak tree. They can certainly handle a few HOURS of cold and wet but not months or even days or hours. My brother Stephen lives in Houston. He lost all of the Queen Palms in his yard this year (and he, like me, loves palm trees) because of the unseasonably cold weather there. Even in Houston, gardeners long for Zonal Expansion.

So will I continue forcing nature to be something it isn't...well...yes. Because I love the tropics. But I can tell you that in the future I will be more selective about what I try. I have a dear friend in Salem. I did her yard about 10 years ago. Valarie still has a Kumquat tree I planted (which I KNEW would die) outside. It's facing south and under an eave but is still going a decade later...who knew??? Sometimes it's about something as simple as finding the perfect spot. Sometimes it's about luck. Sometimes it's about skill. Whatever it is, I know I will keep trying plants that are not hardy here. Why...because I believe in Zonal Expansion!
Happy Gardening,
William

Weeds and leaves...

2010-03-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

Each year I allow the leaves on my many trees to drop where they may. I do keep them off the lawn and hard surfaces but they stay on the beds protecting the tender roots just beneath the soil surface. I know that on the down side of this it does add a lot of places for slugs to breed and live during the winter months but the payoff has always been greater than the few damages that some new grown leaves receive.
Today I began the arduous process of removing last fall's bounty. It really is like Christmas in spring. I am always delighted and saddened to see the kids that made it thru and those that did not. As always, I will withhold my final judgement until much later in the year before I say a plant is completely dead. One that is for sure dead though is my beautiful Chocolate Mimosa...yep, as dead as could be. I don't foresee any chance of this amazing new introduction returning. And sorry, but I can offer no logical reason why it went the way of the Dodo. At 100.00 bucks a pop, I don't think I will be replacing it. However three feet away in the same bed a peppermint eucalyptus was just fine! I would have thought it to be much less hardy than the Mimosa. Well...just goes to show what I know!
Anyway, I digress...the leaves are now raked off of half the beds (and remember; that is quite a feet considering my gardens cover over an acre) and most of the piles have been removed. If tomorrow holds out with nice weather I may just hit it again.
As I raked away this detritus, I already noticed a plethora of weed seedlings. Man, what is it about these promiscuous little buggers? Have they NO shame? They procreate with such ease and abundance that it really makes my head spin.
This year is, I think, unseasonably warm....after all, last year at Gardenpalooza, Wooden Shoe Tulips always provides us with bunches of daffodils to give away at our booth but they couldn't yet as there were not any blooming! I have some varieties that are already blooming this year! And in February!!!
With some remorse, as I continued to remove last years leaves, I found out today that I missed the first round with the weeds. Normally I would get the leaves cleaned-up and pre-emergent down before they could start their nefarious underground little actions...But this year....Weeds-1 William-0...However...the year has just begun! I will live to fight another day and hopefully have a better strategy.
All in all...it was a good day. Sun, cool breeze and the ability to stand back at the end of the day and see what was accomplished. That is one of the things I love most about gardening...a complete sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with a job well done.
I hope you all get the same feeling as you begin your winter clean-up.
Happy Gardening
William

Hungry birds

2010-02-27T21:14:00.000-08:00

I'm easily amused. I can watch the birds at my suet feeder for hours. Well not hours, but for a long time. It's hysterical. I have a very cool suet feeder that is a feeder within a cage. This gadget prevents big birds like Jays & Starlings from stealing all the suet.
Finches, Kinglets & Bushtits can easily squeeze through the outer cage to get to the goodies.
It's comical to watch the Juncos, a ground feeding bird wait around to pick up the crumbs falling below.
I thought this feeder would out smart all of the bigger birds from hogging all the suet. I guess I underestimated the neighborhood Flicker. This bird is a little larger than a Robin with a little longer neck, white shoulders & a brown throat. They feed on ants, berries & seeds. Seeking out these kinds of food sources make Flickers very ingenious. As I watched the Flicker arrive at the feeder, he seemed puzzled. He moved around the outer cage of the feeder, trying to figure out a way to get to the suet.
He finally figured out that the center cage was a bit closer to the far side of the outer cage.
This is where his longer neck became his greatest asset.
He was able to stretch his neck through the outer cage to reach the suet.
It was a sight. I was impressed.
He did scare away all the little birds, but I didn't have the heart to shoo him away.
He had worked hard & earned his lunch.

Take Care,
Judy

A Winter Cleaning?

2010-02-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

Ah...the first lawn mowing of the season. Yep. I did that today, along with a plethora of other things in my gardens. My Pauwlonia Tomentosa was never intended to get blooms in my garden. I want the huge tropical leaves only, so I pollard it each spring, both to keep the blooms off and the leaves huge. Check. It's always amazing to me how fast it grows...15 feet in one year! That girl wants to grow!
As I pruned off last years remaining branches, leaves and growth on many of my perennials...I was really surprised to see them already growing...even a couple of hostas! Don't they know it is still February?
I also opened up one of my outdoor living rooms...some animals...stray cats, possums or perhaps raccoons, had decided the couch out there was as comfortable as we humans do. It's alright; a little elbow grease and the muddy stains will come right off. I thought about working on several fountains too (I think a garden without water features is like a garden without plants!) but it was still a little chilly for me to be knee deep in musty, moldy, rotting leafy water! Still...if the nice weather continues....
I did promise last fall that I would tell everyone about my palm tree protection experiment...do I have to? Really?
Well, it was utter failure! All three of them are as dead as a door nail, I have never understood that phrase, but you get the idea. It's always difficult to know who to trust, and so many people have so many different experiences; sometimes you just gotta go for it yourself and see what happens. Instead of beating myself up too much though, I chose to see it as a chance to plant three different things this year...and plant them I will!
I also noticed that my Salix Magnifica was already budding out. If you have not seen this plant you must find it. I think I got mine at Dancing Oaks Nursery. Heck of a drive but so worth the effort! Very large oval leaves follow the biggest catkins I have ever seen. Truly a unique specimen.
Spring in the garden is always about racing to me...racing to get the last years leaves raked up before the new plants emerge or I might damage the tender new growth. Racing to prune off last years remnants for the same reason. Racing everything cleaned up before the spring bulbs force themselves up. Racing to get pre-emergent down before the evil villainous weeds take hold. Racing to mulch. Racing to get the veggie area ready....but all that racing pays off for months to follow. Because summer will afford those most lazy of days where you set in a chair or lay in a hammock having the beverage of your choice and start dreaming about all the things that might have been and that you want to do....Happy dreams my friends....and ...
Happy Gardening!
William

P.S. Don't forget the new season of Garden Time starts March 6th! Check your local listings for the times...see you then.

Getting Dirty

2010-02-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

With spring right around the corner everyone is gearing up for the warmer weather. One of our close friends is Donna Wright from Black Gold and she is doing more than your regular spring cleaning. In the past she has shown us how to plant up pots and baskets with the Black Gold product but she also grows sedums with her daughter Becky. They also build and sell Hypertufa pots for their sedums.

If you don’t know, hypertufa is light weight cement pots. We had the pleasure of joining friends and family for a Hypertufa Day at Donna’s house recently. It was a blast!

We had nearly a dozen people working in stations to build hundreds of containers. Some were outside working the mixer with all the ingredients and others were inside prepping containers or filling and shaping them with the cement mixture. Even with a short break for lunch, we were done in just a few short hours.

If you are interested in trying to build your own hypertufa containers you can check out this story from the Garden Time archive.

Hypertufa – http://www.youtube.com/v/RcRJ2XbPA3I

Good Luck,
Jeff
Garden Time Producer

Travel blog 2009

2010-01-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

During the course of the year I do quite a bit of traveling. The Garden Time and Fusion shows do keep me busy, but I’m not going to get rich and retire from doing them. I need to do other video jobs to keep the shows going during the lean times and to ‘pay the bills’. When I’m out traveling I notice gardens, unique plants and places everywhere in the country. In late 2008 I was able to observe gardening in Italy and share those observations with you. You can read about those adventures if you scroll down this page or check out the entries from late fall 2008 and early winter 2009. But for now, here are some interesting places I visited this past calendar year.

First, check out these cool ceiling support columns in the Sacramento airport... not garden related but still pretty neat.

Atlanta -
My first stop this past year took me to Atlanta to simulcast a big business conference. While there I was staying at the Omni Hotel near the Centennial Olympic Park. Check out the orchids they had hanging from the planters in the lobby (left).

They have a Fountain of Rings in the shape of the Olympic rings and it has a ‘dancing waters’ type of show that can be seen multiple times each day. This is the view from my room…

Down the street I also saw these huge, cool looking planters in front of a parking garage. I’m glad I didn’t have to fill those up with Black Gold soil!

Washington DC –
This place can be a zoo! I was there to do a story for the MDA and the Labor Day Telethon. There are tons of gardens to see and visit while you are there, unfortunately I had other things to do, but it is amazing what you can run into just on the street!

Check out this statue called The Awakening. It is at National Harbor near DC in Maryland. National Harbor is a shopping, condo, park area that attracts people all year round.

I was also able to wander through a farmers market near Connecticut and Q streets. A great selection of fresh veggies and other pretty treats.

Escanaba, Michigan –
This place is not a tourism Mecca. We were in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan to visit my wife’s relatives and we came across these parking strips and highway dividers. Now, doing a garden show we get a lot of complaints when we feature plants that are not ‘hardy’ here in the Pacific Northwest. I can tell you that some of these plants are tender, even in our climate. Still the city of Escanaba, in the upper mid-west, has embraced these plants in a zone that is much colder than ours, and the residents are the ones who get all the benefits of these ‘tropical’ plants.

Chicago –

Our final stop was in Chicago. It was a garden trade show that took us to Navy Pier. On the way downtown we noticed all the great plantings on State Street and Michigan Avenue. Absolutely beautiful... Of course, after a long day of walking the convention center floor there was just one garden left for me to check out…. The beer garden!

Take care and we will start checking out the northwest gardens when we return to the air in March of 2010.
Jeff
Garden Time
Producer

50-50 Chance

2010-01-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

I meet gardeners of all levels of experience. Many are humble in their stories, many are loud & proud of their accomplishments and many are newbies. Last week I met a man that said he is not a gardener. He said he just puts the plants in the ground & stands back. “Do you water them”, I asked. Oh, of course I do the regular care of my plants but that is it. I don’t baby them. When I plant them, I tell them, “you can do 2 things, grow or not. You are on your own”. I have never heard of that style of gardening but I like his tact. I know I can kill a plant from too much care & fuss. I’ve done it enough. You would think I would learn.
He & I are alike that we keep trying. He said if the plants don’t grow, “I plant another one. It had its’ chance”. “I’m 75 years old, I’m not waiting around too long to see the end result”.
I’m not one for instant gratification but I like this man’s reasoning.
We work hard in our gardens to make them a beautiful place. I am going to take his advice and tell my plants a thing or two this spring!

Take care,
Judy

Zen & the Art of Shoveling Snow

2010-01-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Crazy Blog Title, eh? I was in Chicago for the Holidays. It’s snow season there so I shoveled. It’s funny what I miss from my Chicago days. If you dress with a warm coat, have good boots & gloves, snow shoveling is almost fun and actually good exercise.
During the holidays, I had been vegging out at my Mom’s house. We visited all the relatives & ate way too many Christmas goodies. I needed a more strenuous activity.
Snow storms large & small came & went the 2 weeks I was there. Here was my chance for a bit of exercise. I got out my Dad’s very thick Down coat & Down gloves.
I found a pair of overshoes. too. I was armed with a straw broom & shovel.
The first snowstorm was just a dusting with very dry snow. It was an easy 20 minute workout. I remembered to brush the snow off the Yew shrubs out front of the house. The snow can build up & then cause serious breakage of limbs. I was off the hook for the next 2 days as an unseasonal rain storm came in & washed all the snow away.
A few days later, winter returned & a beautiful all day snow began about 6AM.
It was a Thomas Kinkaid kind of snow. Big, fat clusters of snowflakes slowly descended all day long. I shoveled 3 times that day, between mugs of hot tea & hot chocolate and a few more cookies. Maybe it’s because I don’t live in a snowy area, but I enjoyed shoveling snow. I was warm in my Dad’s coat & it was so pretty to be out in the fresh air, out of doors on such a beautiful day. I didn’t think of driving to my Aunties house the next day or did I get gifts for all the relatives. I didn’t even think of all the cookies I had been eating all week. I just enjoyed being out of doors at that moment. It was very quiet as it was too early for the kids to be out & the adults had already left for work.
I thought it’s just like weeding my garden. It is that same Zen-like state when your mind is at peace from the moment to moment thinking. It’s relaxing & invigorating! It didn’t feel like a big chore. I even shoveled the neighbor’s front walk as they usually use their snow blower on my Mom’s walkway. I was on a roll.
I finished up all the sidewalks & garage entryway. I was putting away the shovel & broom & my brother pulls up with a snow blower in his truck. He was shocked that I had shoveled everything “by hand”. He is such a sweetie & stops by almost everyday to visit my Mom. I guess he has forgotten I was raised by the same parents. I didn’t need to be told to go out & shovel. I didn’t tell him about enjoying it, he would really think I have lost my mind!
Being back in Oregon, I feel the need to “Zen out”.
Last Saturday, I found a few bitter cress weeds to pull. Ah, it’s almost spring

Take care,
Judy

Bulbs and Houseplants

2010-01-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

As I was cleaning the carpets this week at home and doing my thorough cleaning I do every year after Christmas, I noticed how bare everything looked. I started bringing in some houseplants from the greenhouse. While I was placing them around my home I noticed how bare they looked.
One of the great things about working at a nursery is the write off stuff….once it’s out of inventory, you can take home. I had a dozen or so scilla peruviana bulbs that I was going to plant outdoors. Even though I know several people that have successfully grown these outside here I still tend to think they are about one zone away from true hardiness. The thought crossed my mind…’why not plant them in the bottom of the plants that look so bare?’ so I did.
Earlier in the day I had seen a very old bag of orchid bark that someone had given me this last summer. Unlike bark for your yard I knew this would be sterile and free of insects and such. I ran out to the garage and brought it inside. It was the perfect touch to finish off my new houseplant pots. The medium red bark really spruced up the entire pots. The plants looked great and like they were complete.
I then started thinking of all the great bulbs to plant indoors…the striking, brightly colored leaves of caladiums (which love shade outdoors so they seem perfect for indoors), the astounding fragrance and rainbow of colors from Freesias, and heck, why not plant Narcissus a couple months before the Holidays for their bright color and great fragrance at Christmas. For that matter you could even plant Amaryllis directly in the soil of your larger houseplants. How beautiful would that be during the holidays! Afterward you could dig them up, dry them out and reuse them next year. Or better yet, get new ones of a different color and style.
The point is, there are many ways to bring nature indoors. Try coming up with some of your own ideas…if they are successful, let us know!
I will be sure to follow up on this experiment and let you all know how the scilla’s turn out. Hopefully by the end of March I will not only have beautiful spring bulbs blooming outdoors but several indoor as well.
Happy Gardening,
William

Lemons, Limes & The Cold Weather

2009-12-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

I love having plants in containers. They add so much texture & structure to the front door or patio. The tough part of container gardening is borderline hardy plants in winter. I don’t have a greenhouse so they are left to “fend for themselves”. I know this sounds harsh but, it’s a chore to protect them & coddle them.
The very, very cold spell we had 2 weeks ago took its toll on my ‘Bearss’ Lime plant (pictured on right). I did take it & the ‘Improved Meyer’ Lemon plant inside during the wickedly cold nighttime temps. In the morning, I put them back out on the deck. I’m not used to paying attention to daytime temperatures. I figure it warms up during the day so what’s the problem. Not so during that week. Our highs were in the high teens & low 20’s.
Limes are not that hardy. They are not as hardy as ‘Improved Meyer’ Lemon plants.
On my way home one night from the gym, I noticed the temperature reading at the local school was 26F. Oh-Oh. I had left the citrus out all day. I pulled them both in & saw leaf damage on the Lime. The Lemon looked OK.
Over the next days, the leaves kept turning browner & browner. It finally dropped all of them. The Lemon & even its flower buds look great (pictured on left)!
I think the Lime will eventually recover. The stems are still green. I think it will leaf out by spring after a bit of dormancy.
I did put it back outside on the covered front porch. It’s more protected than the deck & it’s out of the wind. I believe Citrus plants do better outside than in our too warm, dry houses.
Whatever happens to my Lime plant, it is OK by me as it’s an experiment. Gardening is always an experiment as every year is different. Now I know what it can really take by way of winter temps. Next year, I will be smarter about plant protection or not. If I need another Lime plant, I know where to get one.

Enjoy the Holidays
Judy

Freezable…

2009-12-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

Whoa, it is cold outside. It seems to me that no matter how much we prepare for winter it always seems top throw us a curve. As I came home a few days ago from work I raced out to the water shut off valves to turn them off and drain the sprinkler system. I thought it may get as cold as predicted and wanted to make sure I had done everything I could to assure a smooth transition back to warmer weather.
I noticed that a few feet away from me was a Correa ‘Dusky Bells’ which I had just planted this summer. This plant is not terribly hardy here so I had my misgivings as to how it would fair. After two nights below 20 degrees…it looks stunning. Covered in the soft pink and mint green pendulous bell shaped blooms, the coldness seems to enhance their color, making them glow against the dark, evergreen small oval leaves…just lovely.
I did also see that with such a harsh freeze my Dahlias and Chrysanthemums finally gave up the ghost. Boy do I think these are so underused in our gardens! They have been blooming for months now, offering nonstop color. I purchased three varieties at the Chrysanthemum show in 2008 at Portland Nursery on Division and was too delighted to see how amazingly they preformed in their first year, especially the spider mum.
My palms I wrapped seem to be fairing ok as well…I did have to recover the top as the rains we had a few weeks ago filled them up like miniature swimming pools.
My Musa Bajoo could not withstand the freezes either. And no, I did not make the time to wrap them. Hopefully they will once again forgive me and come bursting out of the ground next year again, content to start from deep within the earth rather than at six feett tall already.
And much to my surprise, my bulbs are already pushing their way out of the ground. Imagine that, in December! Some people say to push them deeper in the ground a cover them with mulch but I figure if Mother Nature’s telling them to start growing…who am I to stop them? Besides, selfishly, it makes me think spring is just around the corner…an event I am already greatly anticipating…
And lastly I was watering inside the greenhouse when I went around a corner and felt really cold air! You guessed it. There was an 18” tear in the plastic. It looked like someone had falling into it because their were finger stretch marks where they tried to right themselves. Nothing a little greenhouse tape can’t mend.
If you don’t have a greenhouse you should really consider the investment. How beautiful it is to stroll thru there when it is this cold outside and feel the warmth of the tropics…The Greenhouse Catalog store in Brooks has really nice greenhouses that aren’t cost prohibitive. Check out their website…they do shipping as well. What could be easier?
Sometimes I feel like being on Gardentime should force me to have the perfect gardens year round. Well, I’m here to tell you my friends, that’s just not the case. But nevertheless, I adore my gardens and even though I never seem to get everything done that I desire to, I try to be as gentle and forgiving to myself as much as mother nature is to my gardens.
Stay warm, be happy and dream of spring…
Happy Gardening,
William

The Falling Leaves…

2009-11-05T22:05:00.001-08:00

Time is an odd taskmaster. It seems to me that time has become rather disjointed. Each year there are things I do in the garden that seem to be like clockwork. Perhaps it is really my own mind making these perceived timelines.
While filming Monday Judy made a comment on vegetables and planting when I realized it was almost November! November…and people are still planting…
This erstwhile thought came to me again yesterday as I took a rare, casual stroll through my gardens. Generally by this time of year I have Halloween decorations up, the leaves are all on the garden beds and I am ready for whatever Old Man Winter has to through at me…well, to the best of my ability.
This year has been different. There are precious few decorations up, the leaves are still all over the driveways, paths…and the lawns and I realized with that ‘sideswiped-on-a-Tuesday-morning’ feeling…I am not prepared for this winter or the Holidays.
What I have accomplished though is something I have never done before. This Summer I planted three palm trees in the yard. A Bismarckia and two Triangle palms. Working in a nursery gives me the benefit of free plants because they are diseased or struggling. I always take these less than desirable plants and nurse them gently back to health. Probably 80% of my gardens are clearance or throw away plants. As many of you may remember, I do love the more tropical settings on this spinning orb so anything I can get to grow that is a tropical feeling plants makes me giddy as a little school girl. I did my research on these two palms and found that they are cold hardy to 15-20 degrees. Not wanting to take a chance with other people’s opinions on them, I decided to wrap them up for the winter. I have always admired the Portland Classical Chinese Gardens for the beautiful and loving way they wrap their Musa Bajoo bananas every year. I never take the time to do that with mine so they die down each year but come back with a vengeance, however I don’t have the 15’ stalks they do. This year I made the time to wrap my palms. I carefully tied the frond up, then placed HUGE tomato cages over them, wrapped them in burlap, filled the cavity with leaves and put a giant black plastic bag over the top. I am hoping this protects the crown from moister and the insulation of leaves add enough protection to keep the lower temperature at bay.
Now I must get to putting the rest of the leaves on all the beds. It feels to me that time is short and I really need to hurry to do this. I mean Halloween is this weekend and the scariest thing to me is how unprepared I feel for winter!
The leaves, once placed on the beds, will provide a warm covering for all those many plants that I force to live where they most likely would prefer not to…
Then in early spring I will gently rake and hand pull them all off only to compost them in the veggie garden and start the whole process over again. If I remember to I will let you all know how the palms fair this winter…and myself too…
Happy Gardening!
William

More Holland Gardens

2009-10-27T23:38:00.000-07:00

I have traveled a fair amount over the past 25 years.
I love to visit different places & see how people live their lives. I enjoy walking in neighborhoods, far from the touristy sites. I want to see the similarities & differences of where the real people live.
Being a plant person, I always have noticed the plants people grow in their gardens or front doorstep.
It must be in our genes, our DNA to keep plants surrounding our living space.
Last year, I enjoyed Therese & Jeff's blog & photos of their trip to Italy.
My favorite photos were from Venice. The city is surrounded by water & yet everyone has potted geraniums on their balcony!
On my trip to Amsterdam this summer, I again was impressed on the gardens of this very urban city.

There were flower boxes on the pedestrian bridges!

Wisteria & climbing roses erupt from the cobblestone pathways in front of houses. They look ancient.

Flower pots hang from balcony railings.

Private courtyards provide respite from city life.
Inconspicuous doorways open to reveal lush gardens just for the residents of the townhouses.

The Civic building in the photo is awesome with hanging baskets & railing plantings of petunias.
Looks like a few buildings I know in Portland.

In smaller cities like Edam, I saw gardens with a bit more size than the small spaces of Amsterdam.

One garden was bursting with plants & adorned with whimsical pieces of Dutch nostalgia.
I loved the use of old wooden shoes & wash pans. It was funny & pure Holland.

The garden beyond the iron gate frames a beautiful home. It seems such a peaceful space.

All of these gardens make me think that the world over, we are all the same inside. Gardeners!

Take care,
Judy

Fall fun

2009-10-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

Fall is a great time to get outside. When the rain and cooler weather is chasing everyone indoors you can still get outside and enjoy the garden and many other events around the area.

Right now there are lots of Harvest festivals happening around the area. In the past few weeks we have visited a bunch of cool ones including the one at Bauman’s Farm and Garden where they had the giant pumpkin weigh-off and tons of fun every weekend until the end of the month. This past week we found the really neat harvest festival at French Prairie Gardens. The French Prairie festival had the very fun and exciting pig races… something you can’t miss, but be prepared for the ‘pig’ jokes, there are some real groaners.

If you are not a ‘harvest’ type of person, you can still enjoy fall. Check out these pictures that we captured in our garden and at the local garden center.

The color is tremendous this season… check out the sumac. There are new varieties that are out there, but they all share this wonderful color.

The witchhazel is also showing off with striking color and even the hosta has one last blast of color before the leaves die off.

Finally we found this euonymus (also called Burning Bush) with its intense red foliage.

See there are lots of reasons for stepping outdoors and, after all, we are Oregonians (and Washingtonians) and a little rain never hurt anyone.

Jeff
Garden Time Producer

Holland

2009-10-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

This Summer I was very lucky & with permission from the Garden Time gang, I went off on vacation to The Netherlands or as most of us call it - Holland. My family converged on my niece's house in Amsterdam. Not only was I seeing my sister & her family, but my Mom was along too.
Family & gardens what a combo. We had a blast!
Holland is a kind of the holy place for gardeners as it's where so much plant breeding is done today. It's also the birthplace of plant geeks. Tulipmania happened in 1637. Tulips were the newest flower in Holland brought there from Turkey. The wealthy class had to have the beautiful new flower bulbs & there was a spending spree. Where else in the world would tulips sell for more than 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman of the time.
The bottom of the market eventually fell out. Another flower probably turned their heads.
Unfortunately, it is not tulip flower time in August but bulbs were for sale everywhere.
Someday, I hope to visit Keukenhof Gardens in April & see the 5 Million, yes 5 Million blooming tulips.
Holland is a wonderful country to visit in the summer.
It reminds me of Oregon with it's very green landscape & varied crops growing across the countryside.
On farms, canals are used for irrigation water. The beautiful windmills of The Netherlands were used to pump this water, mill grain & keep the sea at bay. There are few original windmills left in rural areas. We visited an historic village called Zaanse Schans that had several working windmills.
Amsterdam reminds me of Venice, Italy as there are canals everywhere.
The canals were the roadways of earlier days. Now they are for tourist boats
and resident's houseboats. How cool but to live on a canal in the heart of Amsterdam on a boat.
These houseboats are as varied as houses on a regular street.
There are brown & green, new & old houseboats and even floating wooden shoes.

My favorite houseboats were the ones that had gardeners aboard.
The craving to garden even hits these water dwellers.
Most house boats had a container of geraniums or potted palm. Many houseboats had whole flower beds.

There were even the busy gardener's bed of weeds. I felt at home!
My family was very patient with me & let me visit gardens and garden centers. I will have a few more blogs and photos in the next few weeks.
Take care,
Judy

Small Space Veggie Recap

2009-09-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

Way back in May, I planted a mini-veggie garden in a hanging basket and herbs in containers. I was into small space gardening at the time and those containers were the space I had.
I have vegetable garden envy with William's beautiful garden. I know he blogged how disappointed he was with the production but it was still a work of art in my mind. (He's a perfectionist!)
I planted a Cherry tomato, leaf lettuce and onions in the hanging basket. The lettuce turned out great as it was cool and kind of shady where my garden hung. I used the leaves for sandwiches & a few salads. I just stepped out my patio door & clipped the leaves. The lettuce grew back a few times until the heat of June became too much for it. It was very easy & convenient.
The tomatoes & onions were more challenging. In June, the temperatures were up & down. That is hard on heat loving vegetables like onions & tomatoes. That patio did not get a sun until about 2PM but it was intense afternoon sun. I thought the PM sun, reflective heat off the cement & small container would equal out the shorter duration of sun. My experiment had not panned out as I had hoped. The tomato plant was just not very fruitful. I fertilized, watered & also trimmed off extra foliage to help produce more fruit. I got few tomatoes but they were very tasty. I was glad of that. The onions were OK as green onions. I had not expected them to grow too large as there was not much space.
The herbs fared much better. I planted Rosemary, Italian Parsley, Basil and Chives. Even though these are herbs that do well in the sun, they grew well on the patio. I think foliage plants do not need as much sun as fruit producing plants need. Well, Duh?
I think it was a good experiment. I was entertained most of the summer and enjoyed the
Cherry Tomatoes as they ripened. I went to the local farmer's market to feed my tomato addiction.
That was always a fun excursion. There is nothing like vine ripened tomatoes and Summer is not the same without them.
I agree with William about the trials & tribulations of vegetable gardening. We gardeners have good years & not so good years. We work with whatever space we have available.
Whatever your success or failure was, try again next year.
That's the fun of it!

Take care,
Judy

PS The photo is from Mid-July

Senior Gardening Day

2009-09-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

Many of you may know that I am the store director of Portland Nursery on Division St.
Every year we have a Senior Gardening Day. Hundreds of senior citizens from all over are bused in and many that do not live in assisted living homes come in as well. It is a day filled with laughter, music, food and fun. For many, it is the only time a year that they get out. Seniors tend to get a bad wrap in our society. Many think that all of them are crotchety and mean. If that is true…there is no sign of it on this day at our store. Smiles are as ubiquitous as sand at the beach. There is dancing and conversation and remembering more youthful times in their gardens. It is very heart warming to be a part of as it both honors me and humbles me at the same time.
As everything in my life makes me reflect on nature, I couldn’t help thinking this year during the festivities how very connected to nature each one of us are, whether we realize it or not. For the people that live a long time life must be much like an oak tree. It starts out so small but as time passes, such strength and stamina abound and before you know it there is a behemoth tree in front of you that certainly will eventually pass on but for this moment in time, withstands everything that life can throw at it.
It is always with excitement that I listen to someone’s tale of their youth, what vegetables they used to plant or ‘wicked’ little tales of fruits stolen from some neighbor’s yard, only to become sick on the bounty from eating too many or ones that were not ripe enough.
Yes, we humans and our gardens are inexorably tied together, for better or worse.
If you have parents or grandparents still around you, ask them about some tales from their youth. Plant those seeds so that you can, in turn tell your tales eventually. Or perhaps donate a bit of your time to work in an assisted living home. They will appreciate it completely and what you grow will be as beautiful as anything nature has to offer.
Whatever you do, do it with the vigor of nature, because even a lifetime can go by too quickly…
Happy Gardening,
William

Veggie-blues

2009-09-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

I was very disappointed with my vegetable garden this year. After a harrowing winter...spring and summer were not all that much kinder. As I walked thought my veggie garden today I was so frustrated. Powdery mildew, poor quality tomatoes, cucumbers and squash, peppers? I shouldn't even planted them this year!
As I was whining in my own mind about the dismal display in front of me, I was ok, as I knew that none of this was my fault. I can not control nature and nature was the major component of my less than admirable veggie garden.
And all of a sudden I thought, "I have done this for decades...I know it's nothing to do with my abilities" However, this year saw so many new gardeners trying their hand at home veggie gardens. And I have heard so many complaints about the lack of success with people's veggie garden this year. So I thought, I should blog about this and encourage people to not give up!
There are simply going to be years when veggie and other gardening attempts will not do well. It's just life. But when everything comes together...on those years...watch out. Because the success will go directly to your head. But then we have a year like this and everything comes into balance again. Nothing brings balance to us humans like Mother nature.
So if your gardens have been less than you expected...do not lose hope. It happens to the best of us!
Happy Gardening,
William

Big changes

2009-08-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

Many of you are wondering about the recent announcement that Garden Time TV is moving to KOIN Local 6, in fact some of you may have noticed that you can watch the show on both channel 6 and channel 12. I can fill you in on some of the reasons for the move to KOIN. Gustin Creative Group, the producers of Garden Time, also puts together the Fusion TV show. Fusion is a home improvement, home design and cooking show that recently had a 13 week run on KOIN Local 6 during the spring. KOIN approached GCG about having Fusion return for the fall. We were very interested in having the show back on the air and we also wanted to have both Garden Time and Fusion together. Both KPTV and KOIN wanted the shows, and after negotiations we decided that KOIN was a better fit for us. KPTV has been a GREAT partner for us during the past 3+ years, in fact, producer/owner Jeff worked there for over 18 years and so it was a hard decision to make.
The key thing to remember is that the shows are products of my company and the decision to move them around is not the stations, but mine (i.e. if you have complaints, send them to me). Starting on the 12th of September you will be able to watch Fusion and Garden Time back to back from 8-9 am every Saturday morning. It will be a one-stop place for all your home and garden questions. We hope you understand and continue to support Garden Time, Fusion and the clients who make both shows possible. We look forward to being your local choice for home and garden information for years to come.

Jeff
Garden Time and Fusion
Producer/Owner

Bring out your dead…

2009-07-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Although it has been a long time coming, I finally have the time to write about plants that died this winter…just in time to write about the ones that are now struggling with summer heat.
Which brings up an interesting question I had someone ask me the other day…”Are the zones that you see on plants as important when the go higher as when the are lower?” And the answer is…Yes. But more on that later.
This last winter was difficult at best. For gardeners in the northwest that are accustomed to a temperate year round climate, the horrific cold we had this winter really tested the limits of plants and gardeners alike.
My original thought was to give a list of plants that had died, tell you which ones I replaced and why and which I gave up on. But quite frankly the list was far too long. So I decided to write about a few that either really saddened me by their demise or ones that truly surprised me as to why they did not make it.
The first and most surprising to me was my Ceanothus. This lovely evergreen shrub had actually become a small tree. Having been in for several years I did not think twice about it not surviving…however, it did not. Other smaller and more newly planted species did but not my Ray Hartman. I did do a hard prune on it last year but it had already begun a healthy amount of re-growth. So my analysis is that because I had pruned it so hard it had less protection from the winter’s harsh weather and thus the added stress caused it to expire…much to my chagrin. I replaced it with a beautiful variety of Eucalyptus.
Another plant that caused me great consternation was a South African shrub that for the life of me can’t remember, nor find, the name! It was planted four years ago and was not suppose to be hardy here. The evergreen leaves were delightfully fragrant. As it had survived for so long I was confident it would make it. And it did…until a month ago. New growth had sprung abundantly from it and I thought,’ wow…this puppies gonna make it”. It didn’t. I noticed three weeks ago the new leaves were wilting. With in a few more days they were completely flat against the stems. The only explanation for this I can come up with is that the plant had stressed too much, lost the majority of its root system and even though it started to grow, it did not have the roots to accommodate and sustain new growth. I dug it up and shed a silent tear…I replaced it with nothing as it was a very full bed anyway. I would try it again if I can ever find its name in my plant name cookie jar. Yep, I keep all my tags in a cookie jar.
I was very saddened by the loss of my Chamaecyperis ‘blue surprise’. Fortunately I have two and only one expired. I for the life of me can’t figure out why. You may have heard that these plants were not terrible hardy in the sense of their root systems but the growers did come up with a new grafted one that does seem to hold up better. Both of these were that newer kind. And as only one died and one survived just fine…I got nothing on what happened.
Coleonema pulchrum is a tropical feathery small shrub with wonderful fragrance. The blooms, which are nice too, do not have so much fragrance but brush by the foliage and…wow. My entire hedge of these beautiful plants died. They had been in for about 4 years, I put in wax leafed begonias for this year because I really want to replace Coleonema but have not decided if it is worth the risk yet.
So as not to end on a sad not I wanted to tell you of a few fantastic surprises. My Buddleia ‘Kews Red’ which I thought was dead for sure came back from the roots. I am especially thrilled about this because all Buddleias are quickly becoming illegal to sell in Oregon as some people believe it is extremely invasive as it can reseed prodigiously in the right environment.
Also, Colquhonia coccinea, leafed out very late spring. I was almost certain this woody member of the salvia family would not make it, but much to my pleasant surprise it did. It has such soft grey green leaves that are eclipsed in beauty only buy the salvia shaped, large orange-red blooms in summer.
So there you have it. More importantly than anything else to me is that new gardeners realize that ALL of us have success and failures every year. Even though I have been in this game many, many seasons, each season is fraught with new experiences. Some make me sad as I see plants I adore vanish silently into oblivion. Other experiences bring me ecstatic pleasure as I realize…’you made it, Yeah!’ And it is always eventually big fun to find and try new plants, testing the water with some and having a certainty with others, for success.
Whatever your proclivity for gardening, keep trying. It will always reward you with some experience that will, as you help your garden grow, help you grow as well.
Happy Gardening,
William

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

For some, summer began on Memorial Day, others when school finished! But for a small group the 4th of July is the true beginning of summer. Why? Because it only starts getting hot in July. And boy has it gotten hot! The heat has chased everyone out of the kitchen. So to the grill we go! We have finished about half our shows for this 4th season and we often mark the half way point with a stop at Gartner’s Meats.

Short ribs, chicken and kabobs are in the freezer and ready for a quick dinner. Don't forget the twice baked potatoes! We have spent most of the spring working in the garden (or shooting stories for the TV show). Time to relax, before we start working on the next series of shows. I’ll be planning the next show after I finish eating…

We also would like to remember Jack Gartner who passed away just a few weeks ago. What a great businessman and a nice gentleman.

Jeff
Garden Time Producer

Oregon Coast Garden Expo

2009-06-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

We are on the road. Garden Time will be in Newport this weekend for the Oregon Coast Gardening and Landscaping Expo. This year’s theme is ‘Gardening on the Edge’. Today, Friday the 26^th, and tomorrow the 27^th, there is a huge plant sale at the Newport Middle School. Over 50 plant vendors, garden artists and informational booths will be set up.

Sunday, there will be a secret garden tour. You can take this self-guided tour and see some of the best private gardens on the coast while you enjoy live music, food and wine and a glass blowing demonstration (at some locations). The cost for the plant sale is $5 for a single day, and $8 for a 2-day pass. The cost for the garden tour is $20. All the proceeds benefit the Samaritan House family shelter of Lincoln County.

Stop by the ‘Garden Time’ booth and sign up for the Garden Time On-line magazine and have a chance to win a plant or a cool Garden Time t-shirt. For more information about the Expo, check out their website, http://oregoncoastgardeningexpo.com.

Jeff

Garden Time Producer

Rose Days

2009-06-20T00:03:00.001-07:00

Wow, color! The gardens at Heirloom roses are looking great. A lot of people want to get ‘into’ summer when the seasons change. Well this is the place to do that. The gardens are looking fantastic. It is a great place where you can hang out with just a blanket and a picnic lunch and enjoy the day. Every time we stop by for a shoot it is hard for us to get in the car and drive away. It is a little oasis outside of Newberg. Check out some of these varieties that we found out there.

Benjamin Britten,

Rock and Roll,

Velvet Fragrance.

Your chance to enjoy the gardens and enjoy a true springtime event is this weekend (June 20-21) for the annual Rose Days event. Heirloom will have a ton of events happening this weekend and you can enjoy them all. There will be tours of the gardens, wine and chocolate tasting, hot bar-b-que and lots of garden tools and art to take home. It should be a great time. Stop by and enjoy the garden. Check out http://www.heirloomroses.com/ for more info.

Jeff

Producer

Garden Time

Small Space Veggie Gardens

2009-05-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air & so is my yearly drive to plant tomatoes & vegetables. It must be an Italian thing. I did get my love of gardening from my Grandpa Sam (Salvatore Miritello, now that's an Italian name). I have vague memories of his tomato plants in his small, city size garden in Chicago.
His garden would be very trendy today! The whole yard was about 400 SF with a huge cherry tree in the center. He also grew “fig shrubs” as he would have to bury them each winter to protect them from the very cold weather. He was also into Zonal Denial.
Grandpa loved to garden & tomatoes were his favorite. He made the best use of his garden space as there were always fresh tomatoes at the Sunday lunches at his house. I'm glad I have inherited my love of gardening & of growing tomatoes. Ever since I have had my own home, I have put in a veg garden. I have made raised vegetable beds in the past & they worked well. Raised beds are great as you add compost & topsoil above the normal soil level. This lets the soil get warmed up faster which helps the plants grow faster & produce more. The plants are grown in great soil which also has great drainage. Happy vegetable plants make delicious vegetables.
This year, I am going to shrink that growing space even more and try my hand at growing tomatoes in containers. To me, it's a mini raised bed. I think it will be a fun challenge and a new experiment. I can grow all kinds of plants in containers, I don't think vegetables can be that difficult. I do think there will be a bit more planning. I planted a Cherry Tomato, Lettuce & Onions in a hanging basket. I also started a Tomato in a container. I'll keep you posted!

Take care,
Judy

I have listed the tips that are the most important to think about for Container Vegetable Gardening
Sunlight 6-8 hrs
Bagged potting soil
Compost
Good sized containers (minimum14 inch diameter)
Healthy starts or seed
Trellis/supports like Tomato Cages
Fertilizer
Watering

Plants to try for sure fire success
Tomatoes
Hot & Sweet Peppers
Onions
Lettuce
Basil
Cilantro
Beans
Radishes

Mother Nature and ‘Hardy’

2009-05-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

This winter was a rude awakening for many gardeners. I am one that loves to push the envelope on zones. Pressing nature to make it be something it isn’t or can’t or won’t.
I adore the tropics; hot days and warm nights filled with exotic songbirds, intense fragrances and the pulsating feel of nature as it runs uninhibited by cold weather or the concern of such banal things as snow.
But I live in Portland, Or. Snow happens. Cold spells that even though they may show up only occasionally…they DO show up. And in those winters when that occurs it can wreck havoc on our gardens.
Playing it safe has never been the way I live or garden. I was walking my dear friend Valarie around my gardens a week ago and was devastated by the amount of plant material that had simply died during the winter. Many plants that should have been hardy did not make it and many that were on the cusp didn’t stand a chance.
On the bright side, many did. A great plant from South Africa (I will say more on this in my next blog, ‘Bring out your dead’…) that truly should have been dead is pushing new growth. Although I lost about 50 plants in all, the process of removing them, identifying them and the possibility of replacing them made me start pondering the concept of the word ‘hardy’.
In this Industry we are constantly looking for the next new plant. One that will be different from it’s predecessors in some way and will make it necessary for everyone to have. Although this can be fun and exciting, It is incumbent upon us, the people that sell these plants, to make sure that they are hardy in our area or at least tell customers when they are not. Opinions abound about just what that means. For me the bottom line is what does the word ‘hardy’ mean. We first have to have a base understanding that we can all agree on. If you have to wrap something to protect it, it really isn’t hardy. If you need to move it up by the house or in the garage or greenhouse, that’s not hardy. If you must mulch it heavily, probably isn’t the true meaning of the word ‘hardy’.
Websters defines hardy as
1 - BOLD, BRAVE
2 - AUDACIOUS, BRAZEN
3 - a. inured to fatigue or hardships: ROBUST b: capable of withstanding adverse conditions
Hum…there you have it. ‘Capable of withstanding adverse conditions’. This winter certainly threw its fair share of adverse conditions at my gardens and many of my plants couldn’t withstand those conditions.
So what does that mean? Am I less likely to plant in a zone denial state? No! Will I perhaps spend more time ‘protecting’ those more temperature sensitive plants. I would love to answer with a resounding yes…but no! Will I still try to create a tropical paradise in Portland…You betcha! Because it’s my nature. And my nature is well able to take on Mother Nature any time. Sometimes with success and sometimes, like this last winter, with dismal failure. But even in that failure I can choose to learn. What worked and what didn’t and why. Many things are factored into why a plant survives sometimes, and why…sometimes…it does not. That for me is the joy of gardening.
So whatever your proclivity in gardening is, whatever style you enjoy, whatever design you want to achieve, make sure that as your buying your plants you are well informed. Ask questions. Your Independent Garden Centers are well equipped to assist you with those questions. And if you, like me, had some failures this year…take heart! Try again and rejoice in the beauty that you can create with this wonderful nature we call “Mother”.

William

Feeding frenzy

2009-04-25T09:22:00.001-07:00

We were out working in the garden this last week and couldn’t believe all the activity at the Ribes sanguineum. It is covered with mason bees, hummingbirds (sorry, I couldn’t get a picture of them) and other beneficial bugs. The funny thing about this plant… it is a volunteer. We think a bird did a little seed dropping, and voila, we have a new plant in the garden! Another great benefit of bringing birds to your backyard!

Check out the happy mason bee in our bee block. They have been busy with the ribes and all of the dwarf fruit trees we have in our garden.

Jeff
Garden time
Producer

Spring Break Part 2

2009-04-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the real Spring Break!
The false Spring Break is a distant, sad memory, if you were hoping to have fun in the garden. Even as kids, we hoped for a warm Spring Break just to ride our bikes or run around with our friends. Our hopes of warm weather hasn't changed, just our activities.
My 'To-Do List' has gotten a bit long for this weekend. Does this sound like yours?
Buy Compost
Buy Tomatoes
Buy Lettuce & Onion Starts
Plant the above starts
Make a 'To-Do List' for next week

I have been ready to get the veggies started for a long time.
I have a new plan to containerize the tomatoes this year.
The big buzz is veggie gardening & container gardening had been popular for the last several years. I am going to combine the two.
Each year I am a bit disappointed with my tomato crop. The sprinkler system in the garden beds waters them all Summer long & they taste weak. There is not that robust tomato flavor I had when I gardened in Chicago. The intense heat in Summer sears flavor into the tomatoes. Many nights, it is still 90 degrees at 10PM. The tomatoes are fantastic.
In Oregon, our beautiful, cool evenings are great for sitting out of doors without mosquitoes & sweating to death, but not for ripening tomatoes.
I want my Chicago tomatoes, so I'm going to try tomatoes in pots. The theory is that the smaller soil volume, the solar radiation on the pot and control of water will make a more flavorful tomato. I can almost taste them now.
The lettuce is for early satisfaction for fresh from the garden produce. I love walking out the door & picking lettuce for my dinner salad. It's easy. Plant it just like planting petunias & let it grow. The onions are easy too. I plant them in a row and harvest
every 3rd or 4th for green onions. I leave the rest spaced & let them mature to be big onions later in the Summer.

When all the planting is done, maybe I'll get my bike out too. Hello Sunshine!

Take care,
Judy

A Garden ‘Fusion’

2009-04-16T00:28:00.000-07:00

Time is tight around the home of Garden Time. We are not only busy with the Garden Time show. We also just finished the hugely successful Gardenpalooza event. The Garden Time On-line magazine is receiving rave reviews (you can sign up for your free copy on our website http://www.gardentime.tv/). I’m also working on the new Fusion (http://www.fusionnw.com/) show. This new show deals with Home Improvement, Home Design and Cooking. You can find it on KOIN-6 at 7am on Saturdays and at 10am in Hood River on CGN-7. It features Ken Ackerman and Robin Burke as hosts.

I will be looking for ‘garden’ type ideas that we can do on the Fusion show. In fact, this weekend on Fusion we will be doing a story on indoor plants from Al’s Garden Center. Give it a look and let me know if you have any garden ideas that we can tie into our new ‘home’ show.

Jeff
Garden Time and Fusion producer

Gardenpalooza is here!

2009-04-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well it is that time of year again. Gardenpalooza has arrived. People get really excited about this event. It seems to be the place a lot of people come to get their plants for their summer gardens. Gardenpalooza started 7 years ago at KPTV when I was producing the Good Day Lifestyles garden segments. There were a lot of smaller nurseries that couldn’t afford to advertise on the TV show. I was looking for a way to get them some exposure and to get people excited about the TV show (and about gardening). This event seemed to fill a need. Boy, did it ever! The first year we held it at the OSU Research Station near Charboneau and we overwhelmed the property. We had people parking nearly a half mile away and walking to the event. It also was a foreshadowing of future events. It was COLD and wet. We had the Millstone coffee cruiser there and they ran out of hot coffee, one of the few times that had ever happened to them. The OSU people loved us, but asked us to leave. It was hard to control all the people and keep them from wandering through some of the research plots!
The next year we moved to Hoffman Dairy Garden near Canby. It was a great location with lots of permanent covered areas in the barn. The only drawbacks were muddy parking and vendor space. The event really started to grow! After a couple of years Hoffman’s moved most of their activities to Hillsboro. I decided that we needed to stay south of Portland and near the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, more activities in the same direction and we had become good partners in promoting each others events.
So we moved to Fir Point Farms! We have had the great pleasure of working with 3 different groups of managers at the farm and are excited to be working with the Femrite family for the first time this year. The Gardenpalooza event is now the property of Gustin Creative Group and the Garden Time show. It has become a labor of love for the Garden Time crew. We are still bringing smaller nurseries and other garden vendors to you. They have the latest in unique plants and cool tools, and in the past few years we have started to include garden artists too. Some estimate that we have been getting between 7,000 to 9,000 people every year and most of those years have been in the rain! We always hold out hope for dry weather, but local gardeners have shown us that they love their plants no matter what weather we have.
If you have visited in the past, we hope that you have had a good time. If you haven’t been out to see us, give us a try this year.

Jeff and Therese
Garden Time owners/producers

Gardening made Easy?

2009-03-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

At Garden Time TV, you might often hear us say how easy gardening is in some aspect or another. Having a far too open mind and being way too honest, I sometimes cringe when we say that.
Bottom line is...sometimes gardening is, plain and simply put, HARD WORK!
I would never want to scare someone off from the delight of spending time in their gardens or starting a new one up but I would be remiss if I didn't say that sometimes you just have to roll up your sleeves and get down and dirty.
I just came in from working in my yard. Now remember, I worked at store, Portland Nursery on Divison St., from 7:00 am until 4:45 pm, so I had already put in a good days work. I had decided this year in an attempt to save some money to try to do my yard alone. Whoa...what was I thinking? I tackled a Choyisa Ternata that was 9-10 foot tall and a Viburnum Davidi that was just totally out of control. They whupped me...and good! But, after a couple of hours and some language I won't repeat here, they are pristinely pruned.
What I am not able to explain to people is this. Even though the work is very hard (I really was rolling around on the ground, covered in dirt and thinking things that made ME blush I was so frustrated) when it was all said and done...perfection!
Seeing my yard to the level I demand it to be is a reward I am not sure many people can even understand. It fills me with pride and excitement and a sense of communion with nature that is almost spiritual.
After I was done, while showering and trying to remove dirt where dirt should never be on a human, it dawned on me that this extra hard work was actually my own fault. You see, gardens need constant attention. I have found that only when I delay or ignore a part of my yard does it demand increased care and maintenance. Both of these plants tend to root in very easily when a branch lays on the ground. And as I had not pruned them well in several years it cost me an extra amount of effort to get them back to where they needed to be. In truth, gardening is usually difficult only when we allow things to get out of control. Consistency and maintenance are key.
Always an optimist me, I can tell you that the blooming Daphne Oderata fragrance would waft thru the air and right when I thought I was going to implode with frustration while pruning, that indescribable smell would invade my olfactory and honestly would calm me like a drug.
So I guess my moral to the story is IF you don't keep up with your yearly pruning and IF your a perfectionist as I am, and IF you find that you have to tackle something in the yard you really don't want to...make sure you do it when the Daphnes are blooming!
And always remember that the best things in life may be free but the cost of a exquisit garden is...ocasionally...some hard work!
Happy Gardening!
William

Herbs in the Kitchen

2009-03-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Herbs in the kitchen, what a concept! I don't mean the dried kind of herbs you have stored in zip-lock bags or the Herb Bouquets you've purchased at the market.
I mean containers of live herbs growing in your kitchen or inside the house. This idea may or may not be new to you. Sometimes an idea needs to resurface & be tried again.

Most people like to cook with fresh herbs or like the idea of cooking with fresh herbs. We see it in all the magazines & on all the cooking shows. It's a healthy way to get flavor in our meals.
It's also a budget minded practice. Growing herbs inside, on our patios or in our gardens is a renewable resource. Most herbs are perennial plants. They live for a long time. The annual-type herbs like basil* & cilantro* are worth their flavor in gold while they are growing. Enjoy them when they are in their warm weather growing season.

Easy tips for growing herbs indoors

Select containers with drain holes & saucers
Use good quality potting soil like Black Gold All Organic Soil
Select herbs that grow easily indoors
Rosemary
Thyme
Parsley
Chives
Sage
Bay Leaf
'Boxwood' Basil (New small leaf Basil - Ideal for indoors)

Place containers in a window with bright light like an Eastern exposure.
Western or Southern Exposures may get a bit too much sun in the Summer.
You make need to move the container a few feet away to prevent leaf damage.

Water containers thoroughly as needed. Let the water go through the whole pot, but don't let water stay in the saucer. This may damage the herb's roots.
Herbs need to dry out just a bit between waterings.
Harvest the leaves as needed for recipes. By harvesting, you are actually pruning the foliage to keep the plant compact.
Pick off Herb flowers to add to salads or use as a garnish.

*Large leaf Basils are best grown outdoors
*Cilantro is best grown outdoors

Enjoy your new indoor herb pots. I'm sure you have recipes in your collection to try them out.

Take care,
Judy

Full speed ahead…

2009-03-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we are in our 4th season of the Garden Time show! It has been crazy as we get back up to speed on gathering stories for the show. We usually put 100+ miles on the car every week as we visit nurseries, garden centers and different locations. We try to get out and show you different garden places around the area, which feature plants that will work in your garden. So even if we don’t make it to your neighborhood you can be sure the plants we show will grow here. I have also received a request for a home make over. Unfortunately we can’t do make-overs. It is very expensive and tough for growers, retailers and landscapers to give up the resources to get it done. Landscaping is very subjective. What you may find attractive, others may not like so much. We recommend that you work with a designer or garden center and do your own makeover. Many garden centers have design people on staff or they can recommend one to you. Most will work with you on a budget and a timeline for any size project. Plus, half the fun of gardening is getting your own hands in the soil. To get ideas for a landscape, take one of the local garden tours in your area. There are more and more tours as the season progresses. Take notes of what you like. Watch for shade and sunny areas and which plants are used in those places. Most of all look for something that fits your personality and lifestyle. Keep watching the show and we will give you more tips from the experts!

Jeff
Garden Time Producer

YGP show

2009-02-28T23:55:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a busy week. We started this week shooting stories for the new season of the Garden Time show. Then we ended it by shooting the first show of the season at the Yard, Garden and Patio show at the Oregon Convention Center. This show is one of the best shows if you are looking for the coolest new things for the garden. We saw tons of people visiting great places like Ferguson's Fragrant Nursery,

the Swan Island Dahlias booth,

And the award winning Dinsdale Landscaping display.

William and Judy had a seminar on Gardening Myths…

And then met with viewers in the Home and Garden Journal booth.

Garden Time even had a container on display…

But we couldn’t compare to the 1st place container done by Deby and her crew at Cornell Farm.

There is one more day left (Sunday March 1st) to enjoy this great event. Take your family and stop by! It's a great time.

Jeff
Garden time producer

A Strong Statement!

2009-02-24T21:23:00.000-08:00

Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer. ~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

Every year I go through the same illness...it's a winter sickness accompanied by the distaste that comes from drinking sour milk. Sometimes I feel a physical aching for spring.
Then, right when I think I am at the end of my abilities to handle one more day, one more frustration, I walk through my gardens and see something bright and beautiful bursting forth. Like the proverbial balloon bursting in a mid summer water balloon fight, I am instantly taken to a place of happiness.
While wrapped in a coat and several layers of clothing a few days ago I happened upon my Lonicaera Fragrantissima.
This demure family member of the honeysuckles is exactly what I needed to see. It's small white (almost translucent) blooms not only laugh at the still hanging on winter weather but they pack a powerful delightful fragrance as well. Their blooms appear in February to March on leafless rather unattractive wooden stems. This plant, with one foot in the vines grouping of plants and the other in the shrub family, is well suited to taking a good pruning. It trains very well too, so whether you want a espaliered form, shrub or gangly hedge (mine is trained as a small tree with a single trunk) it's blooms are it's glory!
Science tells us that things that smell good to us do so because they release endorphins in our brains. I am aware that every time I take a deep breath around this plant...I do get a bit happier. My winter illness abates a little and the hope that spring really is coming takes a stronger foothold.
The beauty of Nature is that she does not comprehend nor does she care for the insanity of man. Her clock is set by a much grander design that what we mere mortals cling to.
With so much bad news around us, one sometimes wonders if spring itself will shy away from showing it's face. Well, if my garden has anything to say about it, it's going forward regardless of what anyone thinks.
So wrap up warm, take a walk in your yard or one of the many Public Gardens we are so blessed to have in Portland or even walk through an Independent Garden Center. Let the fragrances and the early blooming plants inspire you to hold on few more weeks....
Happy Gardening!
William

Tracy stops by

2009-02-23T19:01:00.001-08:00

We had the pleasure in the Portland area to hear Tracy Disabato Aust recently. She stopped by the Al’s in Sherwood to talk about her new book ’50 High-impact, Low-care Garden Plants’. She picked 12 criteria that she wanted plants to meet to be included in the book. Areas like cold tolerance, minimal division and deadheading, being non-invasive and disease resistance. All of these helped narrow down a list to the 50 she mentioned. Some great plants she found include Golden variegated sweet flag, Paperbark maple and Rozanne Hardy Geranium.

Tracy is such a great speaker and she knows what gardeners are looking for in these tough economic times. You must get this book! Check out the Timber Press website for more info. She also has a website you can visit, www.tracylive.com. Also, check out her story on the Garden Time show coming up in March. We will also be featuring her in the new Garden Time On-line magazine coming out in April.

New changes…

2009-02-21T15:22:00.000-08:00

The Garden Time crew has been busy during the break since last November. William has traveled the country taking some classes and viewing some shows. Judy has been busy with seminars and helping decided what varieties to grow at the nursery. Producer Jeff has been planning stories for the new season and working on starting the new 'Garden Time On-line' magazine. You can sign up for the Free magazine at the http://www.gardentime.tv/ website. We have also take some new pictures for the website.

Aren’t they cute!!!

We are also getting ready for the move. Garden Time will be seen at a new time on KPTV Fox-12 in Portland. We are moving to 8:30am, Saturday mornings. This will be better for a lot of viewers who have wanted us to be on a little sooner so they can get outside and gardening! We are also expanding. We have added CGN-7 in Hood River to our station group. We will be seen there at 9:30 Saturday mornings.
Get ready we start shooting our new season this coming Monday and in our first show we will be at the Yard Garden and Patio show. Check the Garden Time website for a discount coupon so you can see the show and save a little cash!

See you on TV soon!
Jeff
Producer

Garden Time Field Trip

2009-02-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

The Garden Time gang went on a field trip to the Portland Classical Chinese Garden (PCCG) during the Chinese New Year festivities. We are lucky that we visit PCCG a few times a season for segments on Garden Time. We are usually on a tight schedule to film & then move on to the next story. We decided to take the time & enjoy the garden. We had a grand time & even took a garden tour with a volunteer guide. It's always an interesting a mix of exotic & familiar plants, beautiful buildings & stonework. The garden looks great this time of year. The Winter Jasmin is still in bloom,
Edgeworthia is in full bud and the ornamental plum is almost ready to flower. We found Bill & Glyn, the PCCG garden staffers, working on projects & enjoyed catching up with them. They said the garden didn't suffer too much snow & ice damage. They are glad they wrap the hardy bananas each fall. The exposed leaves are toast but the trunks are wrapped in layers of card board & burlap. The bananas should be fine. It will be interesting to see what they look like this spring. Can't wait to visit next time & enjoy the change of season.
Take care,
Judy

Lazy

2009-02-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

I admit it, I've been lazy in keeping up these blogs. I was supposed to update my blog a few weeks ago but I played hooky. How could I stay at my computer & write about gardening when the sun was shining. I wanted to participate in the real thing!
I pruned my pear tree and cleaned up perennials I know won't need protection for the rest of Winter.
I hope you played hooky too as those sunny days were fleeting. Every February we have those beautiful teases of Spring.
I was really glad I took the time to work in the garden as I watched the beautiful snowfall the next Tuesday. It was pretty and such a picturesque scene it was. The flakes were huge & drifted so perfectly from the sky. I tried not to grumble as it was such a pretty sight but also reality. It is February!
Moral of this blog. Enjoy each day & make the most of it!
Take care.
Judy

Italy Gardens - The Amalfi coast

2009-02-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

The next leg of our trip took us south through Naples to the Amalfi coast. This is what we would consider the ‘banana belt’ of Italy. The climate here is a lot warmer than the northern part of the country. We also saw larger growing operations. There were lots of these large greenhouses and I was told that they are used to grow flowers and vegetables for the garden centers and stores in the city.
Our first stop was Sorrento which was surrounded by citrus. You can tell this is a major product down here because everything was tied to the citrus. We found citrus based items on the menu, and even in the local liquor, Lemoncello. In Sorrento we even found a garden in the center of the city that had grafted lemon and orange trees together. There was so much citrus that the trees in the street were dropping ripe fruit.

We also found a full seed rack at a small store in town. Check out the selection of seeds they were offering in early November...

We traveled further down the coast and stopped in Positano. These small towns are crowded against the sides of the steep cliffs and so they make use of every space. Check out these gardens squeezed into small spaces on the hill. Also, because of the warm temperatures they can grow plants that we would consider annuals.

This bougainvillea was climbing all over the side of a hotel. We even saw it on bare cliffs in the middle of nowhere.

Finally we made it to Amalfi. Here we were greeted by this tremendous specimen of a Norfolk Island Pine. Very impressive.

I will leave you with our last shot of this tour. I think these locally grown peppers say it all. Gardeners around the world still have a sense of humor!

The final thought I have for you. If you are traveling, take time to look at the plants and how people enjoy them. I found that the love of plants has no boundaries. I also realized that we live in a rare part of the world. We can grow just about anything in the Northwest and that is what makes it special!

Jeff Gustin
Garden Time Producer

Pre-spring fever?

2009-01-28T23:55:00.000-08:00

Are you tired of winter yet?
I think we all were, right during the crazy snowstorms of December.
How crazy is 6-18 inches of snow in the Willamette Valley?
I hope that you all did not have too much plant & structure damage from those storms.
Being out of town during that time was weird as I kept seeing photos from friends & on the Internet. I was shocked to see the amount of snow covering the area.
As I said in my Blog from Chicago, that city still moves when there is snow.

Since I am back in the swing of the Gardening World, I am ready for spring. I have Pre-Spring Fever. The hellebores & Edgeworthia are blooming as are Primroses & Pansies at the Garden Centers. Bare root roses & fruit trees are in stock. I go to my favorite garden centers & they are ready for us gardeners. The calendar is the one thing holding us back. It’s Mid-January.
I get my garden fix & buy a few Primroses to brighten up my containers. I even brought some in to brighten up the house. I making notes & checking out the new varieties of everything that is available so far. It makes me feel like the calendar doesn’t say January.
At home, I have several new catalogues & magazines. These help by letting me dream a little more. Have you seen the new Plant Delights catalogue or Herb Companion magazine? I see plants to delight the senses & herbal recipes to entice you to cook something up in the kitchen. The Herb Companion spurred me on to try an old recipe I have. I made delicious rosemary herbal butter to spread on my baked potatoes last night. Yum!
We have several weeks to go before the real spring begins. I’ll have to find some more diversions to get me through. Maybe I’ll make some scones with last year’s frozen blueberries.

Take care,
Judy

A Time for Planning (planting?)

2009-01-23T23:15:00.000-08:00

As we work our way through the final winter weeks of January we don’t just sit a home and eat bon-bons waiting for the new season of Garden Time to start. As part of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of Garden Time I thought I would fill you in on the process of planning for the new season. As many of you may know, each year brings new trends to gardening. An example, container gardening is a hot topic, due to the shrinking of the standard garden. In the past few years we have been doing lots of stories on building great containers. We will continue doing stories on letting your garden go to ‘pot’. This year we are also seeing the expansion of the ‘grow-your-own-food’ trend that started last year. Garden centers are gearing up for gardeners that are interested in saving money on their food bill by letting nature help them feed their families. We definitely will be doing more stories on that trend. We will also be covering the ‘green’ trends in gardening. In case you didn’t notice when watching, when we do a story on the show we showcase ‘all’ types of treatment. For example, a weed control story will include chemical controls and also non- chemical treatments. Our job is to educate the viewer and let them make the choice of the type of treatment that best fits their needs.
These stories are not just going to be covered on the show. We will also be including them in our new on-line magazine, Garden Time On-line. The GTO will also tell you about the ‘must have’ plants, local garden adventures you can take and items you can bring from your garden to your table. Stay tuned! Spring is just around the corner!

Jeff
Garden Time Producer

Italy Gardens – Rome, part 2

2009-01-23T22:36:00.000-08:00

This week we talk about other parts of Rome. While there we took a short tour of the Vatican and found out that they have a collection of fantastic gardens. Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to see all of them. We did see some interesting parts though.

Check out this fountain at the Vatican museum it is covered with ferns, callabracoa and other moisture loving plants.

In the Garden of the Pinecone we found this sculpture in the middle of it.

It is the sphere with-in a sphere. A complex piece of art representing a complex world. One interesting insight, all the old buildings, walls and structures reminded me of the resilience of plants.

They seemed to be growing out of every wall and crevice. This plant found a home in the ancient wall of Vatican City.

We also took a day trip to Montecasino where a Benedictine monastery was bombed during World War II. It has been mostly rebuilt from donations from around the world. We found this wonderful courtyard garden that included a good collection of roses. Later we saw this garden, on the right, that used mixed containers in patterns on the bricks. The only permanent plantings were in small beds against the walls. The patterns were created with different containers of geraniums, citrus, maples, palms and boxwood plants.

Finally, I had to include this small terrarium in the lobby of our hotel in central Rome. I thought this really was the epitome of small gardening in Italy. Located in the middle of a lobby in the center of a building, away from all natural light, it was thriving. It showed me that if people want to garden, they will find a way.

Last notes… Garden Time makes an appearance at the Vatican. This is Fr. Bernie Starman wearing a GT hat. How handsome! Even the cappuccino’s are in the trying to copy the plants.

Next week we travel south down the Amalfi Coast

Jeff Gustin
Garden Time Producer

Italy Gardens – Rome, part 1

2009-01-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

Rome took us out of the growing area of Italy and into the city where we saw how garden products make it to the people. As you recall from our earlier blog. Small gardening and containers are a way of life for the gardener in Italy. We saw lots of small florists/plant shops and we found out that is how most people get their plants. This small florist shop is also the local garden center. These small shops try to fill the needs of the local citizenry, but as you can tell it doesn’t have much room for plants. We found a limited selection of plants including citrus, cyclamen, mums and azaleas.

We were told that they rotate their stock to offer the best of each season. We even saw unique selections like this spray painted lily.

In a different part of the city we found this small garden center/flower shop that even had posters that talked about the correct use of pesticides and efficient water management. It had a little more room and even carried heathers, cypress and small maples.

The small maple was selling for 63 euro. Right now that is over $85; pretty expensive for a small tree.

In the local grocery stores you won’t find too many fresh vegetables, at least not the selection that we are accustomed to here in the stores. Most neighborhoods still have vegetable stands. Every morning we would wake up to hear the sound of the market next door to our hotel, getting their delivery of local fresh vegetables.

It was a new, very colorful, show every day when we walked by and sure to make you hungry!!

Next week we see part 2 of Rome.
Jeff Gustin
Garden Time Producer

Italy Winery Tour –

2009-01-06T23:16:00.000-08:00

Talk about Italy and people think about great art, friendly people and wonderful food, but for others it means lots of fine wine; and some of the finest wines are produced in the Tuscany and Umbria regions of Italy. These areas are covered with grape vineyards and olive groves. We were able to tour the fantastic Cantina Novelli one of the more progressive vineyards of the region, located near Spoleto and Montefalco. This winery is unique in that it is replanting a long neglected variety of native wine grape.

The vineyard is surrounded by hills topped with villas.

We were able to sample various styles and types of wine, along with a sampling of local meats and cheeses.

The winery itself is stunning, built in the middle of a beautiful area.

It is designed for wine tours and educating people about the wine and the country where it is made. Wine in Italy is unique; every winemaker tries to place their own stamp on the vintages and I can truly say that we didn’t have a bad wine while we were there. To find out more about their wines you can check out their website at http://www.cantinanovelli.it/, they will be happy to answer any questions you have if you e-mail them.

Next stop Rome

Jeff Gustin
Garden Time Producer

Winter Damage

2008-12-31T15:51:00.000-08:00

I have been watching the Willamette Valley weather from far away Chicago.
We have both been having extreme weather.
I’m glad that for now, Mother Nature has returned us to ‘Normal’ winter weather.
Once we all have assessed our gardens, don’t panic! Plants are very resilient & stronger than we think. Broadleaf shrubs & trees can have more branch breakage from ice & wind. If you have broken branches, you can wait until the coldest weather is over to prune them. If you need to prune now, just remember to use clean, sharp tools & make good cuts.
For more tips, check out these videos on Winter Tools (http://www.youtube.com/v/L3zjaFxlKUs) & Winter Tree Care (http://www.youtube.com/v/-4NiQG7G1xE
I know I have Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina) with broken stems. This has happened before & in my garden, these shrubs can always use a trim. I will cut the stems all the way to the ground. This will promote new stems from the crown of the shrub.
I also have Rhodies that will need a few branches trimmed back. I will lose the flowers that would have come on the stems, but the plant will be OK. Once spring has arrived & new growth is emerging, I will check & see what plants need additional pruning & a shot of fertilizer or top dressing of rich mulch. This will help stimulate healthy new growth.
Sometimes winter takes it toll on our gardens. That is a fact of life in our gardens.
Shopping for new plants --- sounds like fun to me! Maybe I hadn’t planned on replacing a shrub or tree but it is exciting to have a space to plant a new variety!
I know that all the garden centers that Garden Time visits will be stocking up with new plants to tempt us this late winter & spring. It will be a great new project to try something new!

Judy

Italy Gardens – Assisi

2008-12-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

Assisi is one of those hill towns that we have been talking about. It is known as the home of St. Francis and St. Clare. St. Francis is the patron saint of the environment and St. Clare became the patron saint of TV, a perfect combination for a visit from a garden show! St. Francis has lots of ties to gardens and gardening.

One of the most interesting garden sites is the rose garden in the lower part of Assisi (seen on the right) where it is said that St. Francis threw himself when he was tempted. The roses, recognizing who he was, dropped their thorns so he would not be hurt. According to legend, they remain thornless to this day. You can even buy a leaf from one of these rose bushes in the gift shop.

On the grounds in front of his basilica you will find this topiary of the word ‘Pax’ which means ‘peace’ and the greek Tau symbol, the symbol he choose to represent his redemption.

A walk through the upper town took us by one of the most interesting uses of containers we have ever seen (on the right). In the corner of a Franciscan office building we saw a climbing variegated ivy and an assortment of terra cotta pots containing cyclamens, geraniums, and petunias. Very beautiful!

A couple of blocks away we saw this large oleander outside of a clothing store (on the left). Look at the base. It shows you how you can grow a large plant in a small space.

As with the rest of Italy, we found a lot of people with containers on their decks, patios and balconies. The one on the right contains oleander and citrus in containers and further down the street there was this established garden (pictured left) at the top of the ancient brick city wall.

The view from Assisi shows the large groves of olives that you see in this region. This area is loaded with farms and as you can see, they make use of all the land.

Next stop a special winery tour…

Jeff Gustin
Garden Time Producer

Chilly Birds and Pets

2008-12-20T16:56:00.001-08:00

This blog about winter bird and pet care is at the suggestion of Judy. She has been watching her local birds and the cold weather has her thinking about their well being. In fact all of the Garden Time team has been thinking about the cold weather and how we can help our feathered friends and pets.
The number one rule is to provide protection. If you have pets and they need to go outside, they need protection. Let them out to do their ‘business’ on the protected side of your house. Go outside with them, when you start to get cold, they are probably cold too. Don’t just let them outside by themselves. Most of the bird population will find their own protection but there are ways you can help. This past fall we left part of our garden with untrimmed bushes so they could find protection in the branches. Some will leave pile of yard debris to help the smaller birds.

The second rule is to provide water. This bird bath is absolutely worthless during cold and wintry days like these.

We have left the water running in our water feature so our bird friends can get a drink if they need one. For you pets, if you have water dishes outside, check them for ice. Just because they are under cover doesn’t mean that they won’t get frozen over.

The third rule is to provide food. We stocked our bird feeders with black oil sunflower seeds. These are a good all-purpose feed for your seed loving birds. We have neglected to keep our suet feeder full for our insect loving birds, but we will fill it as soon as we get a new suet block. The one thing we don’t have is a hummingbird feeder. These types of feeders need special attention. Because they are a liquid feeder they need to be watched to make sure they don’t freeze.
Finally, you need to be consistent in your approach to caring for your birds or pets. If you start providing feed and water, you have to continue providing it as long as it remains cold (and perhaps longer). If you need more tips or help in being a friend to your outdoor animals, check out the Audubon website (http://www.audubonportland.org/) or the site for the Backyard Bird Shop (http://www.backyardbirdshop.com/).

Stay Warm!
Jeff
Garden Time Producer

Winter in Chicago

2008-12-18T14:25:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday, I flew from Portland to Chicago for Christmas vacation & ended up in the same weather. Go figure.
On previous years I left rainy, cool Portland & arrived in very cold, snowy Chicago. On this trip, the weather was virtually the same in both cities. Very strange.
I took this whole adventure in stride. Most of my fellow travelers were grumbling about snow hampering their way to get home. They are not used to services being stopped or curtailed. Chicago’s motto is “the City that Works”. It’s almost like the Post Office motto, “rain or snow or dark of night shall keep us from our rounds”.
I had just left a city that had closed down on Monday because of snow & ice. The schools were closed and many businesses were closed or on short hours. The Mayor of Portland asked people to stay home or use public transport. Portland & the Willamette Valley understand you can’t go up against Mother Nature & win. Chicagoans put up big muscle of huge plows & salt trucks to get the city moving during & quickly after a snowstorm. Many years ago, the voters were reminded by the opposing candidate, about the horrifically slow city response to a snowstorm. They voted the sitting mayor out of office in next election. It wasn’t really the mayor’s fault as there were huge back to back snow storms. Any response would have been helpless. That response shows how determine Chicago is to not be stopped by snow!
Driving from the airport last night, the city looked very beautiful. The ugly toll of shoveling, salt trucks & snow plows had not hit the pristine landscape. Everything was heavily dusted with snow. It was a Christmas card moment! I enjoyed the view as I knew it would be gone in the morning.
Wednesday morning was sunny with crystal clear blue skies. The temps topped off at 26F and the snowplows & neighborhood snow blowers were out.
We’re due for another storm on Thursday. We’ll all plan around it & know that we won’t be house bound for long.

Good Luck in the Valley.
Merry Christmas!
Judy

Italy Gardens – Florence and Siena

2008-12-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

We made our way into the Tuscany region of Italy and the city of Florence. The beautiful scenery of this region is what most people think of when they think of Italy. The rolling, picturesque hills are seen on postcards and in paintings. We were there during the first part of fall and the hills were just starting to change color. We spent a few days in the heart of Florence, walking the city. We were surprised at the number and location of the city parks. You take your life into your own hands when you walk the streets trying to get to the parks, but you are not the only one. We found the parks to be well used.

This fountain is in a park is near the Firenze Fiera near the central train station. Here some of the locals strolled, some sat chatting on benches. We even saw one couple sharing a bottle of wine (what is Italy without wine!, we will take you to a winery later). The local botanical gardens are located in the old city too, not far away from this park.

Some of the container plantings were pretty elaborate.

Check out the containers in front of this restaurant.

We then traveled to Siena. A lot of these small fortress towns are built on hills and are surrounded by forests and orchards. Because of the location you have steep streets and alleys.

I noticed a café down this street (on the left) that had planters designed for the slope so they would stay level. Even the chairs had 2 legs shorter than the others so you can use them on the hill with out falling over.

Next stop Assisi

Jeff Gustin
Garden Time Producer

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

2008-12-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I heard the winter weather is coming this weekend. Timberline ski area is finally getting snow. Snow is predicted for the valley floor. It is Wednesday afternoon, I’ll believe it when I see it. The media has to talk about something and snow for the weekend is today’s topic!
Just in case the temperatures drop & snow appears, here are some tips for the garden & patio.
Make sure you take in the saucers for your containers. If the water in them freezes, they may crack. Use ceramic feet or some kind of riser to create an air space between the containers & surface underneath. This is to ensure good drainage during the wet season & therefore prevent ice in the pot. The pot may crack if that happens.
At night, bring in your Citrus plants. They are pretty cold hardy but extreme temps will hurt them. I leave my ‘Meyer’s Improved Lemon’ tree on the deck as long as possible in the winter but take it in when it gets below 25F.
We have had rain the last few days but if it’s just cold & dry, make sure plants get watered. Trees & Shrubs die more from being dry, cold & wind blown than just cold temperatures. If you use the hose, bring the hose back in the garage & shut off the water so the hose isn’t damaged & the faucet doesn’t freeze.
Use Wilt Pruf or other antidessicant on evergreen plants. This product seals the plants pores & prevents water loss through the leaves.
All winter rain or not, you should check your plants & containers that are in rain shadows or under the eaves. They may not be getting enough water.
Protect tender or newly planted plants. Put a covering of leaves over the crown of the plant or if feasible, cover with a blanket over night. Remember to take it off in the morning.
After all the chores are done, it’s time for us all to be warm & snuggled for the Arctic Blast that might be coming. Make sure you have a good garden book/magazine, seed catalogue or other fine reading available. Make sure you have wood for the fireplace or the pilot is on for the gas one. I like to have an adult-type beverage to accompany this kind of burrowing in on a cold day.
Relax, it’s the start of Winter.

Take Care. Stay Warm.
Judy

Italy Gardens – Padua

2008-12-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

The next stop on our trip was the city of Padua. This city is famous for being the site of the Basilica of St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost items. It is also a beautiful city in its own right. Here, even though there is more space for gardening, you still see a lot of container and patio gardening. You will also see a lot of gardens mixed with laundry. A lot of Italians do not own clothes dryers, so every day is laundry day as you see clothes hanging out to dry among the plants on balconies.

We also noticed that the city has made use of planted traffic circles that have lots of different plant material in them (this picture was taken from our bus).

On a walk through the city toward the Basilica of St. Anthony, we found the piazza of Prato della Valle. This square is one of the biggest in Europe. It has a canal with 4 bridges that surrounds a garden. Around the canal are statues of 78 famous men of the city.

We also were wondering if the city leaders had been to the Pacific Northwest! We found hanging baskets similar to the ones you find in cities around here.

The real treat was at the Basilica of St. Anthony! We found a Magnolia on the grounds that was planted in 1810! This magnolia grandiflora and a sister plant in a near-by cloister were huge but very healthy for their advanced age.

Next Florence and Sienna.
Jeff
Garden Time Producer

Winter Grasses

2008-12-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

I love seeing the fog each morning these last few weeks. The landscapes look so quiet & other worldly. The world looks soft. The water droplets or if it’s very cold, the frost, sticks on the plants, especially the ornamental grasses. That is why I like to leave the ornamental grass foliage for the fall & winter. In late summer & fall, the green leaf blades start to turn burgundy or tawny brown. The grass flowers turn to seed that will be ornamental or edible for the coming seasons. By the time the fall rains start, the silhouettes add beautiful form to the fall & winter landscape.

I have seen this Purple Fountain Grass shining in all its’ late season glory.
I love the white see heads contrasting with the dark foliage. During the summer, this grass is a garden mainstay as the burgundy-purple foliage & pinkish flowers add motion & texture to our containers and borders.

For all your ornamental grasses, leave the foliage & seed heads up for food & protection for birds. It’s fun to watch them hanging on the tops of the grasses on windy days. As the winter progresses, grasses do start to look haggard. They have been through many weeks of rain & wind. In late March, it is time to cut back the old foliage. New foliage will be up before you know it and the new cycle begins.

I have always loved the fall & winter landscape. I am from Chicago where it can be cold & grey or cold with clear blue skies. Any plant left up for the winter besides a yew or pine is interesting. There’s just not a lot of plant variety in that area! But I got used to seeing some beauty as that was all we got! Now that I have lived in the Valley for 12 years, I see so many plants go through physical changes all year long. The late fall & winter have a beauty that is theirs alone. Take the time to enjoy this quiet time of the season.

Take care,
Judy

Italy Gardens - Venice

2008-12-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

Recently I traveled to Italy with my wife Therese for her birthday. A big one, and I won’t say the numberJ. Our trip took us from Venice in the north to Amalfi on the Mediterranean and while we were there I decided to check out the local garden scene. Italy is very interesting in its approach to gardening. There are large cities like Rome and Florence, where container gardening are popular (and necessary), and quaint little cottages in the rolling hills of Tuscany. I thought I would kick off with the first stop we made on our trip, Venice.
In case you didn’t know, Venice is an island. It was a marshy area that has been filled in and a good portion of the city is built on piers and pilings that have been driven into the water. As you can imagine, there isn’t a lot of soil for garden plots! Venice is a wonderful city that has no vehicle traffic except around the area of the train station. Walking (or water craft) is the only way around this wonderful place. The first thing you will notice is the creative use of plants and planting areas.

Outside of our hotel window was an apartment building. Check out the various uses for containers. People even created entertainment spaces where they could find room. And if something grew, they let it grow!!!

This ivy is coming from a 2nd story garden and trails over the edge of the home and down to the water.

This wisteria vine was growing in one person’s backyard (if you can call it that) and the neighbors have trained it around the building so everyone can enjoy it.

Window boxes are the container of choice. Almost everywhere you look you can see window boxes. This is a view of 2 major streets coming together and crossing a canal. That’s right, these 2 small walkways are considered streets. And you will find people growing plants anywhere there is a little light and soil.

There were 2 very interesting garden type displays we found in Venice. Down one street we found the Singapore Supergarden. This area was a showcase of design styles from Singapore, but the area of the garden (the entry) was very beautiful.

The other very interesting ‘garden’ display was the ‘Deep Garden’, a tribute to Venice. It was a sculpture that featured a single maple planted in the middle of a glass cube that was painted red on the inside. An outdoor room immersed in water. Very interesting!

The next stop on our tour will be Padua…

Stay tuned,
Jeff
Garden Time Producer

Banana Trees in Fall

2008-11-26T20:46:00.000-08:00

I don’t actually own a banana plant but I sure see a lot of them in people’s gardens. I am amazed they still look nice in late November. This photo was taken in Woodburn at Al’s Garden Center. It will be interesting to see how it fares without being wrapped & mulched. They are pretty hardy, down to –3F & down to –20F with mulching & protection. Last year, I interviewed Bill at The Portland Classical Chinese Garden on the November 17th 2007 show (http://www.youtube.com/v/LKJlbM77wXE). At the PCCG, they want to ensure that the 12-15 ft trunks repel winter damage as that will help to ensure they will bloom & produce fruit. Their banana trees were beautiful this year. The banana bunches were so cute even though they are not edible.
If you are nervous about your banana tree, wrap the trunk with cardboard & burlap & cover the crown with leaves & mulch. Don’t worry about the leaves. In late winter/early spring, just cut off all the old leaves. The tree will sprout new ones. Apply fertilizer once the weather warms up. Use your favorite, general-purpose fertilizer. If the trunk does sustain some winter damage & is mushy, cut back below the damaged part. You don’t have to cut down the whole trunk. The leaves will sprout from the clean-cut healthy tissue.
I’ll put a note in my calendar to report back on the bananas at Al’s & let you know if they get a bunch of bananas.
Take Care,
Judy

The best teacher is experience…

2008-11-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

As long as there have been gardens there have been gardeners that have opinions about what, when and how to garden.
I received a call at work a few days ago from a customer who had just heard on a T.V. show that you should not transplant Camellia’s. The person doing the show said that if you moved a Camellia it might and most likely would, die.
Well, I can assure you that after a lifetime of gardening I have moved countless Camellias with great success. My first reaction was, ‘What a quack”. But then I thought about it for a few moments….
I know a lot of wonderful people in this industry and not one of them would ever even think about giving out wrong information, it is just not in their nature. So why this bit of misinformation?
Well, I can tell you that the person that said this really believes it IS accurate.
So what is the public suppose to do, how do they know what information is accurate and which is not, or more accurately, which information will garner them the best success in their garden.
One of the easiest things any gardener can do is A) try it yourself and B) pay attention! There is no information out there on gardening that can compete with your personal experience. I take all the info I can and then process that into a formulation that I can use in my gardens at home. When I hear, ‘you can’t do it that way”, well I just give it a shot! “Those won’t live here”, We’ll see about that! “You aren’t supposed to move those plants…they just do not transplant well”, Tell that to my peonies that have been moved countless times!
What I am saying is that each one of us has more to learn, each of us has ideas and desires for our own spaces and many failures and successes to have. Listen to everything that professionals say and then strike out on your own! It’s your garden with your sweat and efforts pored into it. And then pay attention to your space. Nature is so good at telling us exactly what it needs, we need only pay attention. If you are stumped, take a sample and your questions into any independent garden center, they are chucked full of people that have years and years of experience. But more than anything else…have fun! Take some time this winter to do some planning. How about a new vegetable garden? Maybe you have been waiting to expand your perennial beds, or put in a pathway. It is all with in your reach and you will have plenty of time this winter to plan it all out. And then that first day of warm weather hits and you begin whatever it is you are planning to do.
I know I have already started planning my veggie garden, tweaking it from last year, adding some things, removing some. Successes and failures, but always, always learning.
What can nature and experience teach you?
Warm Thoughts,
William

Lemon Tree very pretty….

2008-11-12T23:07:00.000-08:00

Having a lemon tree on my patio reinforces the belief that I live in gardening paradise. I know we get a lot of rain and days & days with no sunshine but we can still grow lemons on our patios or in our house! What a hoot!
It is the easiest fruit tree to grow next to figs, but that’s a previous blog.
My plant is a Meyer’s Improved Lemon. This Improved variety is resistant to a virus that affects commercial lemons. The Improved Meyer’s Lemon was developed in 1970 is the best for containers. It is a cross between a lemon, a type of orange & a mandarin.
This fruit is the best lemon to use for baking. It has a very flavorful juice & zest, the yellow part of the rind. The flowers have a delicious fragrance that fills the air. I sometimes carry the plant indoors for a few days just to get that aroma in my house.
Lemon plants & Citrus plants in general need at least 8 hours of sun.
Water regularly & let dry down a bit. The first two inches of soil can dry out. Make sure the water goes through the entire pot & does not stay in the saucer. The plant’s roots may rot if left sitting in water.
Fertilize in spring & early summer when the plant is actively growing.
The best part is the Meyer’s Improved Lemon bears fruit as young as 3 years old. You may remove some of the fruit when small so the remaining fruit gets larger.
The other great fact about lemons is that they are hardy to 25F.
I left my plant on my covered patio for most of the winter. I just took it into the house on the coldest nights in January. I would then put it back out the morning. It was very happy!
Think about adding a lemon tree or orange or lime to your patio plants. With just a little care, you can be reminded of a garden paradise.

Take Care,
Judy

The Figs Are Ripe!

2008-08-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

Some gardeners can’t wait for the first taste of their homegrown tomatoes. I am not among those gardeners.
I cannot wait until my ‘Desert King’ Figs are ripe. If you have never tasted a tree-ripened fig, you have not lived. The figs look like chartreuse-green globes hanging from the branches of a very weighted down tree. There are 100’s. As of August 13th, my count is 115 for me. There have been 23 casualties of figs eaten by slugs, birds or some kind of critter. It’s hard not to eat every other one as I pick them. Almost all are ripe with this hot weather we’ve been having.
The inside flesh of this fig is strawberry-red. They do look kind of weird. As a kid in Chicago, my Italian Grandpa Salvatore, had a fig tree in his back yard. It’s not easy to grow figs in Zone 5 Chicago. He had to dig around the roots & bend the tree over to bury it. A layer of mulch was added for insurance against the harsh winters. He & my family thought it was well worth the trouble come August. They were in Heaven. It was a little bit of their heritage & of memories of long ago summers.
I was ecstatic when I learned that I could grow figs in the Willamette Valley.
The first 2 trees I bought were my ‘Desert King’ & a ‘Negronne’ fig. The ‘Negronne’ had purple black fruit with deep raspberry flesh. It was a great tree that grew in a very wet site & finally fell over last winter. It was very sad. I miss that fig tree.
Fig trees are a great fruit tree as they grow like weeds & are not bothered by any kind of insect. The only maintenance is pruning & harvesting. The fruit is borne on last’s year’s growth. You just have to make sure you leave on enough branches to produce fruit the next year. I was lazy last year & did not prune very hard. The tree reaches to my 2nd story window. My husband, Ben, was determined to pick the first figs from the tallest branches. He scared our neighbor when he stepped out on the overhang to pluck the ripe fruit. Poor Jay couldn’t see where the voice was coming from when Ben said Hi!
Since we have such a bountiful harvest, I am drying figs in the oven. They don’t get very dry but they get to a rubbery stage that’s great to freeze. When it cools down a bit, I’ll bake some delicious biscotti, scones & cookies.
Figs are also very tasty with baked pork tenderloin, wrapped with prosciutto or bacon & grilled or stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese & drizzled with honey. YUM. I have a wonderful cookbook called Fig Heaven by Marie Simmons. She feels the same as I do about figs.
I hope I’ve peaked your curiosity about figs. Plant a tree & Enjoy.

Judy

Good ol 'fickle' Summertime

2008-07-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

Oh! We humans are a fickle group.

Weathers raining, we're complaining,
When its hot, grumpy lot...
If it's cloudy then we're dowdy,
If it's hailin', seedlings failin'

The elements DO seem to control us on many levels and our gardens too.
I was walking thru my yard today and was actually chilly! In late July!

Here is what I noticed though. My plants seem far less concerned with the weather than I am. Perhaps a lesson to learn.
Nature changes, constantly. We prefer consistency. And yet I adore my gardens. They invigorate me, entice me, heal me, motivate me. They are my therapist, confidant, and friend.
Then there are those rare days when everything seems perfect. The weeds are gone (or at least hidden from my sight). The insects and disease are under some control, and everything seems...right.
On those occasional days, I do simple things that harken to a past era. Things like taking a drink of water from the hose and watching the drops of water sparkle like jewels in the summer sunlight. Or walking past a gardenia that just opened; and having the fragrance remind me of a gentler time, a time when life appeared, at least, to be easier.
Gardens are like children. They can teach us, frustrate us, anger us, vex us, and yet at the core of all these different emotions lies the one that sustains us...our love of them.
So, regardless of the weather and it's taciturn ways, we can find inspiration and growth for both ourselves and our gardens.
So get out there and spend time in your yard.
If it's chilly throw a sweater on. If it's raining take an umbrella (or better yet, get soaking wet!). Too sunny for you, put on some sunscreen. Just get out there and live. We put so much effort into our gardens, don't let a day go by that you don't let them invigorate you.
I am going out to attack a stand of red clover that cropped up in the middle of on of my lawns. Put up a pedestal for a new garden light and tear down an old green house and recycle it.
They say that action comes from motivation, not the other way around. Perhaps the Nike slogan is correct...Just do it.
Happy Gardening!
William

Summer Pruning

2008-07-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

I don't like to prune. I would also like to believe that when I buy a plant, I plan it's eventual size and plant it appropriately.
But what do you do when the size of the plant far out grows what the tag says? You suck it up and prune. Sometimes, where possible, I transplant; but most times it is so large that moving would be a huge endeavor.
So...I prune. I planted an ailing Ceanothus several years ago from work. It should have gotten 12-15 foot tall. This year, as it topped 25 feet, I decided it was time to wrangle it down a notch.
Pruning is both necessary and important. Not only for the shape and control of the plant but also for it's health and vigor. The blooms were weak this year because usually the plant stops traffic as it burst into it's spring time sky blue color. So I knew it was time to work on it.
After cutting it down by half I was thrilled to discover my Kentucky Coffee tree (Gymnocladus) which by the way is suppose to get almost 100 feet tall!!). It was just setting it's small white blooms so I was thrilled to have rediscovered it.
As I toiled away, I realized that pruning is as much a part of gardening as watering. Perhaps it is not always fun but it does do good things to the plant if done properly. Even if done incorrectly, Nature is very forgiving....usually. Plants tend to bounce back quickly.
So, get out there and prune those plants. If you are not sure how too, go to any of your Independent Garden Centers and I know they would love to assist you.
Until next time....Happy Gardening!
William

Hot Time in the Garden

2008-05-23T00:16:00.000-07:00

What a few weeks it’s been! Just when we all thought the spring hail/sleet were over & the tomatoes could be planted in the veggie beds, the weather turns to ‘August’. What a mini-Heat wave. I know we were all warned the high temps were coming but we couldn’t warn the plants. The poor things. Many plants suffered toasted leaves & flowers. (Like this fern at Jan McNeilans)
After hearing of the impending temperatures, I quickly tested my sprinkler system to make sure the sprinkler heads were in good working order. I checked that plants were being actually watered. I responsibly ran the cycles in the early morning of the first day of the heat wave. I nearly lost a well-established, very beautiful, oriental poppy called ‘Royal Wedding’. That afternoon, I thought that it was just wilting from being over heated in the hottest part of the day. It was actually very dry, as the sprinkler had not really soaked it that morning. I should have given it more water as an insurance policy. I learned my lesson & ran the sprinklers the next morning. I watched the spray patterns more closely & trimmed back an Abelia that was shielding the poppy from getting more water.
I am offering my boo-boo as a tip to all. Check out your garden after you water to make sure the water is really soaking in to soil. This is so very important for new transplants and even your old favorites. Deep irrigation, means to let the water percolate down to the whole root ball, It’s healthier for your plants.
Have fun in the Garden. It’s perfect gardening weather this weekend.

Judy

And A Good Time Was Had By All

2008-04-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of our Garden Time friends that stopped by to say hello at GardenPalooza. William & I are so very happy to have met you all.

We had a great time last Saturday at Fir Point Farms. So what the weather was very cool & windy. So what that it sprinkled on & off all day. We all got to shop for plants, garden art & tasty treats!!!
Plants were flying out of the tents. I saw Fritillarias, Hydrangeas, Hellebores & Senettis in many people’s arms. There were bags with bulbs & garden gloves & many a piece of garden art in the hands of happy gardeners.
All in all there were smiling faces. We are a strange lot, us gardeners. We brave the cold & wet to get together & celebrate Spring!

Take Care,
Judy

The Traveling TV

2008-04-12T10:52:00.001-07:00

Update on the TV set planter from the YGP show

Many of the audience of Garden Time had seen the TV planter William & I and Show producers, Jeff & Therese created for the Yard, Garden & Patio show in February. The whole TV planter concept was very fun & a lot of donations were made for all the containers in the Celebrity container event. (All monies were donated to the Humane Society of Oregon)
A wonderful G.T. audience member, Laurel, had the winning bid for the TV planter. We were all thrilled. Not only did Laurel win the TV, she did a great deed & turned around and re-donated it to her church silent auction. That TV is on wheels!
We are all happy our ‘creative project’ made the rounds & won a lot of money for great causes.
Thank You Laurel!

Judy's Top 10

2008-01-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

Since the weather has been very Chicago-like, I have made up a “Top 10 things to do when you can't garden”.

10.Sit under a heat lamp & dream of Oregon in August
9.Read a garden book & dream
8.Read a seed catalogue & place an order
7.Check out the Garden Time Web-site.
6.Look at your garden from different rooms inside your home.
Take notes for possible improvements to that view.
5.Clean out your garden area in your shed or garage.
Clean & sharpen tools & get ready for Spring.
4.Take a Winter tour of all your favorite Garden Centers.
3.Buy Primroses & enjoy them on your window sill.
2.Plan your visit to the Portland Yard, Garden & Patio Show February 15-17
1.Click on your favorite Garden Time Segment from 2007

I know some of these are corny but you get bored in winter & need to do silly things.
Indulge yourself.

Take Care,
Judy

Belated Merry Christmas to All!

2008-01-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

Spending time visiting my family in Chicago really makes me count my blessings about living in Oregon. Wow, did they have a lot of snow over the holidays.
I flew in with about 8 inches of snow on the ground & left with almost that much. It snowed, and then it rained & washed it away & then snowed again. It was getting ridiculous!
I did learn some important lessons. Gardeners in the Willamette Valley are lucky.
We have a lot of green in our winter landscape & I’m not talking about just the Doug Firs. We have Rhodies & Camellias (which may be blooming), Hellebores, Pansies, Nandina (Heavenly Bamboo), Eucalyptus, Choisya (Mexican Orange), Heuchera (Coral bells) etc. I did not see any of these plants even when the snow was in the melted stage.
I did see my advice of leaving seed heads undead headed for Winter Interest.
I’m bias as it is my Mom’s Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ covered in a heavy dusting of snow in the photo. She is not big gardener so I don’t know if she just didn’t get to cut the plant back or she left it intentionally. Either way it looked nice. The Yew in the front of her home also looked pretty with the snow cover. I did brush off the snow later in the day, as when snow accumulates too much it will break branches. I was out shoveling for the 2nd time that day anyway.
Enjoy your Winter Garden
Judy

P.S. If you want to see more snow, check out the New Year’s Photos Next Week.

Fallen Leaves

2007-12-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Ahh, autumn leaves, the colors are beautiful. I should say were beautiful. The Oregon rains have begun in earnest & the beautiful autumn leaves are now on the lawn & driveway. I could let them lay where they are, but it is destructive to the grass & unsightly on the driveway. I’ll leave them gratefully, on the flowerbeds to decompose & add organic matter to my clay soil.
Armed with rakes, brooms, garden debris totes, shovel & lawnmower, I am ready for leaf clean up. A great way to ‘rake’ the leaves off the lawn is to mow them. Set the lawnmower blade a bit higher, unless the lawn needs to be cut. Make sure the grass catcher is attached to the mower. The leaves are picked up, chopped up & bagged.
It makes this job a lot easier & faster! I just took the full grass catcher & emptied it on the perennial beds or empty vegetable bed. The leaf mulch will protect the soil from getting compacted by the winter rains. They eventually break down & are a good source of compost for the beds.
Now to the driveway. I had an idea. Why can’t I use the lawnmower on the driveway? I swept the leaves into rows & set the lawn mower blade to the highest setting. I rolled it over the leaf rows. It wasn’t a total success or total failure. I’ll take what I can get. I had to sweep the rest & deposited those leaves in the composter to break down this winter.
I need to research a machine to vacuum, chop & bag leaves from solid surfaces. I don’t know if there is one out there.
Please let me know of one. I’ll put it on my Christmas list.

Take care,
Judy

‘Fuyu’ Persimmon

2007-11-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

Yeah! My ‘Fuyu’ Persimmon tree finally has ripened fruit.
This is the 4th season for this tree. I had almost given up seeing & tasting persimmons from my very own tree. If you’ve never seen or tasted persimmons, please take time to read this blog. The trees alone are worth growing in your garden. They grow to 30 feet tall & wide but can be kept smaller as fruit trees should. In summer, the foliage is shiny green. The fall leaf color is a beautiful blend of yellow, orange & red tones. The best part, once the trees are mature, is the orange fruit that hangs on the tree. The fruit is noticeable when it is growing during the summer, but it’s best seen when the fall color display is over. The fruit hangs on the tree after the first frosts to finish it’s ripening. The effect is very pretty.
‘Fuyu’ persimmons are squatty shaped like a flatter tomato. The fruit is a very unique taste. The texture is kind of like an apricot but flavored like an apricot-cantaloupe. It’s hard to describe. You can eat them when firm or a little soft.
I love to slice them & serve with a baguette or crackers and a sharp cheese like gorgonzola. The sweet persimmon & tart cheese tastes great together.
I have also used persimmon in cakes. I even cooked them in a Risotto with Gorgonzola. It wasn’t a pretty dish but very tasty. I haven’t tried it yet, but you can dry them too.
If you’re into trying new foods, just look at your local produce store & pick up a ‘Fuyu’ persimmon. You may even want to plant a tree!
Take care,
Judy

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

2007-11-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

This tends to be a time of year when we nestle into our homes, open our doors and hearts to Family and Friends, and see people a little less harshly than we might usually...
I was thinking the other day...What would these wonderful seasonal holidays be without the gifts brought to it by this delightful industry I work in?
Starting in October, there would be no bales of straw for decorating, no garland of brilliantly colored leaves, no pumpkins, squash and decorative corn swag. As the fairer holiday, Christmas, approaches; the tree, the evergreen boughs and holly would vanish. There would be no pungent fragrant narcissus blooming, no large, brightly colored amyrillis trumpeting their beauty. So much of what brings joy to our hearts during these holidays comes directly from nature herself; adding tremendous beauty and life to our world.
So if the winter tends to get you down. If grey, cloudy skies and continuous rain darken you vision...I invite you to go to one of the many independent garden centers. Get something that reminds us that we are all surrounded by nature and it's beauty. Let that one small plant give you joy. Because before you know it...Spring will be here and the party starts all over.

May each of you have the Happiest of Holidays, filled with love and laughter, and the Warmest of Celebrations with Family and Friends.

Seasons greetings!
William

The rains have started

2007-11-10T14:54:00.000-08:00

Time flies too fast plus I have been busy & lazy.
The dog days of summer were here & gone. I turned around & it is November.
There was a weird storm a few weeks ago & I lost my ‘Negronne’ fig tree & ‘Brooks’ Prune.
There was hail & thunder & lightening, strange weather but not a really bad wind or even a power outage.
Next morning it was clear with the sun peeking out. I looked out my kitchen window and my view was obscured by the leaves & branches of this fig tree.
I thought maybe the downpour had really saturated the huge fig leaves & it was over weighted.
I went outside to check it out & the tree was leaning at a 45 degree angle.
It wasn’t cracked, but pulling itself out of the soil.
I also noticed my ‘Brooks’ prune listed a bit. My house sits at the bottom of a hill. I have strived to improve the drainage but I guess I hadn’t done enough.
It is sad when trees have to be taken down.
As gardeners always say or what I tell my customers, you have a new plant opportunity.
Since putting in the new gravel patio & pathways this summer, I worked around existing plants. The fig was right along the path & had to be trimmed to not over step. Figs are a rambunctious plant to espalier!
Now that the Fig is gone, I will plant a Shrub Dogwood ‘Midwinter Fire’ (Cornus). It will love the extra water that comes down the hill & its’ yellow & red branches will be a pretty accent for winter. This plant needs to be cut totally back ever few years for a new brightly colored winter look. The Dogwood will be fast growing shade for my ‘Lemon Daddy’ Hydrangea. It will need PM shade, next summer.
I also bought a Sundance Mexican Orange (Choisya). I will plant this where the ‘Brooks’ prune tree was. The chartreuse, evergreen foliage will echo the Hydrangea foliage & have flowers with orange-blossom fragrance.
I will add compost to the soil & hopefully improve the drainage to prevent root rot.
I will miss the figs & plums from these trees. I have another fig called ‘Desert King’ which has green fruit with a pink inside. It is a great producer & I sometimes get 2 crops when the late summer & fall is hot. The prunes should be available at the local Farmer’s Market. All & all it is a quiet fall with regular chores in the garden.

Goodbye for now. I’m off to rake up leaves.

Judy

William's Fall Garden

2007-10-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hummm, another year in my gardens has already slipped by. This will be the last Fall I enjoy here as I am selling my property to move out to the country. It is an odd mixture of excitement and sadness. I have lived here longer than any place in my life and created a rather extensive set of gardens. So, I have tried to savor this Fall especially and acquire all I can from this thing that is, like summer, going away. It seems that Fall always brings me a touch of melancholy…Summer, which I love more than any other season, is always filled with laughter and beauty. Fall though is filled with it’s own special beauty. As I walk throughout my gardens I see the pendulous blooms of various Fuschias, bravely swaying in the breeze. The gently blossoms showing no lack of vibrancy for the colder, insueing weather. And Begonas…grandis, sutherlandii, even the annual waxleaf, are still bursting with color. They too seem unconcerned that nature has put on warmer clothing. Happy with the act of just being themselves. If anyone tells you that the bloom is off the lily during fall, you have but to look at the Amaryllis belladonna….she needs no warmer outfit as her beautiful four foot stalk, topped with multiple soft pink blossoms, seems to almost taunt winter to arrive and steal her glory!
I am filled with gratitude to live here in the Northwest. Gardening really can be year round…and if you find yourself overwhelmed by change. Or if the race of life seems to misdirect you on your path. May I invite you to find yourself again by walking in your own yard or going to any of the open gardens available to us in Portland. They say we are a reflection of our environment. I can think of no better reflection then that of nature.
Happy Fall to each of you.
Always my best, William

Garden Project - Part 2

2007-07-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been remiss to have not updated you on the new patio for my yard.
I actually finished by 4th of July & actually had S’mores on that evening!
I was very excited about the hardscape design by Trish Jensen. It was just what I was imagining. I set to work. I took down the raised beds & finished killing off the weeds & old creeping thyme. I used weed barrier to block out the sun & help smother the plants.
It was then a bit easier to dig them up. I composted a lot of the debris & also sent some to the town green garbage. I rented a small rototiller to help smooth out the soil. That was a lot of fun. I liked using a rototiller to help with the work. I did not want to hire a bunch of people to get the semi-hard work done.
I kept raking the soil until I got a nice surface. I also used a hose to help define the path & patio edges. (I read that tip in a magazine.)
I hauled out the ton of small & medium sized rocks I had chucked under the deck. I knew I would need them in the future! I used these rocks to define the patio & pathway edge. I played around with the shape until I was satisfied with the look.
Now was the time for the weed barrier. I went back & forth with the idea of using weed barrier under the pea gravel. Many articles said that fabric may show itself through the gravel. It was also mentioned that weeds come in anyway.
Well, I decided to use it as I have a drainage problem in some areas & did not want muddy spots. (It is showing through in spots but I just re-rake the gravel to cover it.)
I picked out pea gravel for the patio surface, as I like the look. It is a bit hard to walk in some spots where the gravel is too thick. (I still need to rake out these areas.) I also hired 2 young guys from the neighborhood. Chris & Daniel were a BIG help.
They are pleasant young men with strong backs. Between my husband, Ben, Chris, Daniel & me, the schlepping of gravel took only about 3 hours. I couldn’t believe my project was almost complete.
Next step-plants, containers & lights.

Judy

A New Design

2007-06-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

We all have romantic notions about relaxing in our gardens. What do we do?
We sit down with a cup of tea or a glass of wine and within minutes we are critiquing the garden design, deadheading flowers or pulling weeds. I want to break that cycle & put in a patio with a fire pit and really relax in my garden.
I know about plants. I know about perennials, shrubs and veggies. I know which flowers are for cutting & which flowers hummingbirds & butterflies love. But, what do I really know about garden design? I’m not a designer.
I know what I like & don’t like. I have looked at photos & have visited a lot of gardens.
I do have basic ideas about the new area in my back yard.
1. I want a patio area with lounging-type chairs & a fire pit. I have a covered deck for sunny days but it’s kind of small & it feels cut off from the garden.
2. I want to take apart the 4 raised beds that have grown my vegetables for the past 5 years. The area has gotten more shade from the ‘Negronne’ Fig & ‘Brooks’ Prune trees to be very productive.
3. I want to remake the paths with a hard surface. The garden border needs an edge.
I want a little more definition to the area.
4. I need to re-grade the whole area to let winter rainwater drain more rapidly.
I don’t think that’s too much for an early summer project.
With all these ideas, I decided to contact a real garden designer. I had met Trish Jensen at the Silverton Garden Club where we both are members. Trish has 18 years of garden design experience. She also was raised in a garden nursery environment. Her Dad, Bob, was a grower for many years in the Silverton area.
Trish came over & listened to all of my wish list. She walked the garden, took notes and measured the area. About a week later, she came back with a sketch. Since I don’t need help with the plant selection, Trish said the drawing was pretty easy.
Her ideas are just what I had in mind but better!
She drew a wider, more centered stair leading to the new pathway from the wooden deck. She suggested the new patio area be closer to the ‘Brooks’ Prune and added a new garden bed to screen the wooden fence. She widened the herb bed next to the house to incorporate the few summer vegetables I like to plant.
Trish suggested ¼ minus gravel as a material for the garden paths and pavers or stone for the patio. Rocks that I have dug up from the garden can be used to help define the pathway border. Trish also thought about up lights for nighttime interest. The fig tree, the ‘Oshiobeni’ Japanese maple & the Vine Maple can have lights installed underneath for a final touch.
Tune in soon to hear how the project is shaping up. Here is the contact info for Trish... Trish Jensen, “The Home Gardener”, 503-873-3828.

Judy

Spring

2007-05-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

For me it is both the best and worst time of year. The best part of spring, well that seems obvious. What isn’t growing? Blooms are popping out everywhere; leaves are breaking their dormancy on rare and unusual trees that I had forgotten I had even planted! The worst part of spring for me is the weeds. They too seem to revel in this, the busiest season of all. After years of pulling and spraying and cursing; I finally started using pre-emergence (preen, miracle grow, and organically, corn gluten). After two years of a faithful spreading in spring and fall I can finally say that the weeds are under control. Good mulching in the late winter and early spring has also helped to stem these ubiquitous little creatures. As my personal and business life becomes more and more hectic and complicated I am thankful that I chose to use these products as now I can actually walk thru my gardens and find the peace that I have always thought a garden should bring to each individual. So if you are finding yourself taxed by the seemingly merciless growth of weeds, I would encourage you to begin the process of using pre-emergence. I invite you to go to an independent garden center close to you and talk with the staff there about these products. They really can save time and money and a lot of frustration. They have saved my sanity (at least some of my it) and have allowed me to enjoy my gardens more in this wonderful season we call spring. Happy Gardening and we will see you on Garden time!
Best, William

Opportunity calling

2007-04-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

This is a great time of Spring. I love to see the new plants coming up, leaves on the trees coming out & seeing what made it & what did not. It's part of gardening. Seeing old friends arrive back after the winter & missing the ones who will not be returning. As I heard one day at a plant sale, this is called opportunity. I now have an opportunity to try some new plants & a new design in my back yard.
I'm taking out 2 of my 4 raised veggie beds. The bed with the asparagus is definitely gone. I'm bummed that my asparagus didn't make it. This would have been the 3RD year. The year to harvest. I think the bed, eventhough raised, collected water from a higher bed. I'll have to re-think an asparagus patch. This whole area does get alot of winter water. My yard is the lowest on a sloping street. I'm going to stop fighting the lay of the land.
I am going to put in a mini patio with a fire pit & containers.
I will re-position the remaining vegetable beds & landscape around them.
I will also take out a sickly looking miniature rose bush & a sickly looking Nandina (Heavenly bamboo).
I am getting my ideas down on paper. I will be shopping around for plant ideas while visiting Garden Time sponsors & other nurseries we discover.
I hope to keep you filled in on my progress. I also think I will keep on track because you will be looking over my shoulder. Let me know if you're working on new garden projects.
Take care.
Judy

Judy's Spring Day

2007-04-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah! A dry & sunny day.
I’m getting a bit picky on the kind of day I will play in my garden.
I won’t go out if it’s a steady down pour anymore.
Today was a perfect garden weather day.
I had a To-Do list of just 5 tasks. I’m trying to work smarter in the garden & not over do at one kind of job.
Task 1 – I finally trimmed back a few winter damaged branches on the Silver Dollar Eucalyptus. It’s about 10 ft tall & helping to shade some Rhodies in the back yard.
While I had all the trimming tools out, I did shape the crown a little. It looks much better & I even brought in some stems for a flower arrangement.
Task 2 – I am still in the process of deadheading perennials. I cut back the old flowering stems of Asters, Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium) & Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’.
These plants are just emerging so I didn’t damage any new foliage.
I had taken care of the earlier emerging perennials weeks ago so I’m still ahead of the game.
Task 3 – I am a bit late on stringing up my 4 Clematis that form a wall of foliage & flowers at my back deck.
They are Tall! 2 plants were already 3 ft. high.
I use fishing line strung from an eyehook at the top of the eave to a tent stake pushed in at the base of the Clematis.
The vine then travels up the line & flowers in June & July. I have a beautiful green screen all Summer.
Task 4 – Weeding, the Zen of my garden tasks. I know that sounds kind of strange, but that’s what it feels like.
I have a weedy patch to work on & my mind concentrates on that process. I don’t think of anything else but weeding. I used to get anxious about the weed issue. I’ve relaxed my stance on weeds, sometimes too much, but I do get to them before too long.
I work smarter by bending correctly & taking more breaks. And that leads to...
Task 5 – I took a walk around my garden. This wasn’t really a ‘task’,
I needed a break from weeding. I checked plants out, what was coming up and what was finished blooming. I saw the new little figs forming on the ‘Desert King’ Fig. I also saw the huge flower buds on my orange Oriental Poppy and I picked lettuce for dinner. I did made a few mental notes for the next ‘Task’ List.
Enjoy your task list too.
Judy

Welcome Eugene…

2007-03-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

We made our first trip to Eugene this week. It was a blast to see all the great garden centers in the Eugene/Springfield area. We started our day at Northwest Garden Nursery. Ernie and Marietta were wonderful hosts and we spent too much time there because there was so much to see. We look forward to returning later in the year to see how their display gardens will change. Next we stopped by Gray’s Garden Center, where we chatted with Donna about birding. The hi-light of that stop was the trained jays. They dive for peanuts in the hands of the nursery staff. Very cool! Next stop, Bloomers Nursery. The hard part of shooting here was the increasingly cold rain! Bloomers is a great family business and we had most of them with us for the shoot in their wholesale fields. Still a fun (and wet) time AND we got to play on the caboose! Our afternoon found us at a brand new nursery, Oregon’s Constant Gardener. Scott is an old friend from Portland and he returned to Eugene to open the store with Ryan. They are focusing on hydroponics, but will move into being a full service nursery in the near future. We got to see their new growing room. They will soon have planters all around the store growing all sorts of flowers and veggies. The best part, they will be donating the excess food to the Lane County Food Bank. Our final stop for the day was Gossler Farm Nursery in Springfield. Roger Gossler and his family have been in the nursery industry for many years and grow a wide selection of plants! We got to tour some of the nursery (we lost William for a short time!) and did a story on magnolias. It was a long day, but a fun one! We found everyone excited about the show and we will see them all again real soon, we just hope for warmer, dryer weather next time!

Jeff
Garden Time
Producer

Welcome back…

2007-03-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome back…

We finally return for the new season of Garden Time. Who said it was easier the second time around? William and Judy are up to speed but I seem to be having trouble remembering all the stuff I need to do each week. All week I have been a step behind! Monday was normal. It is our ‘shoot’ day, the day we videotape the stories for the show. This is the most fun I have during the week. I laugh so hard when William blurts something out and then Judy joins in! (And none of it will ever see the ‘air’.) After Monday I got buried fast! Adding KEVU in Eugene this year was cool, but it did add another element to the routine. Each station has its own deadline and that means multiple trips to the post office. Then this week it was promos, Happy Spot specials, events calendar, streaming video, tips of the week for the KPTV crew; every time I turned around it was something else I had forgotten about. Oh well, that being said, I wouldn’t want to do anything else!
As for this first show back, it is always easier when you have a good crew behind you. For me that includes William and Judy, the great sponsors for the show (there wouldn’t be a show without them!) and of course my family, Therese, Sarah and Hannah, who put up with my stress and constant worrying. I know it is all worth it when I get comments from the viewers. Gardening can be fun, and so can building a gardening show.

Welcome back!
Jeff

Returning home

2007-02-11T09:18:00.000-08:00

Can spring really be just around the corner? I have recently returned from a month of seminars and meetings all over the country. I decided to take a walk around my yard upon my return, expecting to see nothing but the remains of plants from last year. Much to my pleasant surprise many plants were already showing growth. My day lilies were pushing up growth thru the midst of the detritus from last year. My large stand of Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ looked like a child had piled marbles right on the crown; the green, round, new growth already pushing upward. Many of the fruit trees in my orchard have already started budding as well. I do not know how it is that each year I still am delighted and amazed by nature. You would think that one of these years I would walk around and NOT be surprised by my gardens. It’s not as though I don’t know what is going to happen! Yet, I am still amazed as I was 25 years ago. Perhaps that is why I love gardening. Not only does it assist with the balance of the planet; helping create a sustainable environment, but also it helps me. Renewing my strength and encouraging me to get ready for the veritable cornucopia of gardening delights that will thrill and sustain me for the next year. What ever the reasons you choose to garden are. It seems that it is time to once again don the muck boots, get out the felco’s and compost and begin the process of celebrating the beautiful outdoors. I know I am ready, are you? Happy Gardening and I can’t wait to see you all again on the first show of Garden time, March 17th. Best, William

Happy New Year!

2007-01-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

As you enter the new year it is good to look back and review where you were when the year started.
A year ago I was leaving the Good Day Lifestyles show after we were cancelled. KPTV had given me a wonderful opportunity when they let me start the program 3 years before. I had started my own company when I was approached by some people in the garden industry to put together a new program to get local gardeners excited about gardening. I was a little hesitant, but I needn’t have worried. The support from viewers has been incredible! The Garden Time show has become the highest rated garden show in the Northwest and a great learning experience for everyone involved. I’m a photographer/producer/director by nature. So running my own company and starting a new show was a real eye-opener.
We are now planning on kicking off the new season of Garden Time in just a few short weeks. I have been contacting sponsors, talking with TV stations and penciling ideas down for this coming year. We have also been critiquing the stories we did this past year. We want this next year to be a great one! One of the big changes is the addition of the Eugene market in March. Gardeners and clients in the Eugene area heard about the show and requested that I take it down there! If you live there you can see it on KEVU starting in March. It is right around the corner.

Jeff
Garden Time
Owner/Producer

Message from the midwest...

2006-12-17T22:45:00.000-08:00

I'm in Chicago for the holidays. What a difference a couple of climate zones make. Not much is green here so for a garden fix I went to the local garden center & bought herbs. I found Thyme, Oregano, Italian (Flat) & Curley Parsley & a very cute Christmas tree topiary of Rosemary. All of these herbs will do well in my Mom's house if we don't use them all as we cook for the parties. She has a sunny (when it's out) spot that is close to the kitchen. We just have to remember to water the pots as needed. This time of year there isn't too much sun but the house is warm & dry so these small containers need to be checked every 3 days for dryness. So far we've cooked Rosemary potatoes, & Pasta with Parsley Pesto. Using these herbs is easier than remembering to pick them up at the grocery store.
Take care Judy

Where did Garden Time go?

2006-12-03T22:20:00.000-08:00

I’m sure everyone is wondering where we went… Garden Time is taking a little break. We are a paid program and need to take off a couple of months to stay within our budget. Garden Time will be back on the 17th of March. It has been a great year and one full of pleasant surprises. The amount of support from the garden industry is incredible. Everyone loves the show. The viewers all love it as well. We have been at the top of the ratings since we started. I owe everyone a big ‘Thanks’. People can continue to come to the website as I will be updating it with new stories and videos. Of course, you can always get a hold of us by e-mail. We can still answer your garden questions for the winter months ahead.

Jeff
Garden Time
Owner/Producer

Winter Renewal

2006-12-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

December. A dismal month and one of two or three to come for gardeners. But as I stroll throughout my gardens I wonder just how dismal it really is. Each of us has experienced the “down side” of life. Disappointments, heartache, frustrations. What do we do with those emotions? I have always equated my life with my gardens. So as I walk amongst the broken limbs, the brown and seemingly dead perennials, the lack of color, of vibrancy, of beauty, I realize that without this time of death, with out this time of sleep, solace and loneliness, I, like my garden would never feel the bounty of spring, the lackadaisical romance of summer, the fruition of fall. So, as I wonder thru this least favorite time of year, I do what I can. I stake young trees. I prune off the dead foliage, I cover the sleeping plants. Realizing that as with all things in life, winter is but a season. A necessary season and that from this dismal time comes the cacophony of a spring. The glory of new life. So hang on my friends. Do what you can to prepare; for only in effective preparation can one truly anticipate the greatness of the future seasons to come and guiltlessly reap the bounty of those seasons. My best to you all, William

Post Thanksgiving decorating

2006-11-23T22:13:00.000-08:00

Since alot of rain is in the forecast for the next few days, I think I will work on a few indoor Christmas decorations. I'm picking up poinsettias and decorating my dining room table. I don't really use it for anything right now & it looks bare with the harvest decorations gone.
I think I will go for the traditional red or burgundy varieties. I'll let you know the ones I choose.
I have some gold meshy fabric, baskets & ceramic pots to make a nice display.
Do you have any centerpiece ideas?
In between rain squalls, I want to clip some of the Nandina(Heavenly
Bamboo) foliage & berries from my front yard. I will also pick up some cut pine & cedar. I love to make arrangements with these to bring in fragrance of the season. Nandina berries will last a long time indoors.
I'm also taking a cue from Carol Sprague at Garden Gallery Ironworks. She had great ideas on last week's show using evergreen boughs to decorate hanging baskets. I think with a little practice, my baskets will look just as nice!

Judy

November in the Garden

2006-11-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

I don't like to cut back too many perennials at this time in my garden. But, I'm not a fastidious gardening. I do like to let the tops of the perennials decorate the Fall & Winter landscape.
The birds like to pick at the Coneflower (Echinacea) & Tickseed (Coreopsis) seed heads.
I also like the way the ornamental grass looks on a frosty morning. The frost crystals seem to glow if the sun is shining on them.
I do cut back & clean up the old Hosta foliage. If the leaves stay on, they just make slug motels for the Winter. It's best to stop that right away! (Don't forget to bait early in Spring).
I don't have a big garden so I don't see leaf raking as a huge chore. It's kind of a relaxing mindless task, like hand weeding.
I do save the non-diseased leaves to put on the raised beds as a 'Cover Crop'. I missed the window to plant a real cover crop but this will work as a substitute.

Judy

Welcome to Garden Time

2006-11-12T15:02:00.001-08:00

Greetings,
I would like to welcome you to the Garden Time Blog. This forum will allow you to take a peek into the inner works of the Garden Time TV show. It is my hope to create more gardeners in the Northwest and do it in a fun and creative way. Both William and Judy will be occasional contributors to the site and will give their insight as well.
Thanks for joining us on this garden ride.

Jeff, Garden Time, Owner/Producer