As you may remember, in July Farmington Gardens hosted a benefit for the  Beaverton Chapter of P.E.O. – which provides scholarship funds for women.  We are so proud of the fact that this joint venture has netted over $30,000 for P.E.O. over the years – it is so cool to think of the lives that have been impacted by those scholarships. 

We are helping P.E.O. once again with ticket sales for their upcoming garden tour.  This is a great deal:  for $10 you can visit five Aloha Garden Club members’ gardens – they are all different and special in their own way.  They showcase native plants, raised-bed vegetable gardens, perennials, cottage-style gardens, and even a garden railroad.  Sounds like fun!  As I’ve said before, I think garden tours are a great way to pick up creative ideas for your own garden.  Tickets are $10 and available here at the store.   All proceeds benefit the P.E.O scholarship fund.

Tour Date:  August 21, 2010, 9 am – 12 noon.

For additional information, about the tour or P.E.O. – call Marianne at 503-515-2910, or email marianne@teleport.com.

This festival has been on my list of Things To Do for some time, and this year I hope to catch some of it.  The Oregon Lavender Association is organizing this extravaganza to promote and celebrate lavender and lavender byproducts in Oregon – and the timing is perfect, because the majority of lavenders will be at their peak.  It is scheduled for this weekend, July 10-11.  It would be impossible to list all the activities over this two-day period – classes, demonstrations, garden art, u-cut farms, music, winetasting, to name some of what will be offered – so please peruse their website for detailed listings and maps.  http://www.oregonlavenderfestival.com/festival.htm

 For those of you who come away from this fun event itching to grow your own, here are some tips for lavender in the Pacific Northwest, courtesy of OLA:

•  Lavenders need full sun – at least 6-8 hours a day.
• Provide excellent drainage; plant in gritty or sandy loam.  To provide better drainage, grow on mounds, raised beds, or slopes.
• Space plants with good air circulation around them.  English lavenders need to be 3-4 feeet apart and Lavandins 4-5 feet apart.
• Water well for the first season so they become established.  Lavenders are drought tolerant plants and so will require less once established.  A drip system or soaker hoses are the ideal method of watering.
• Depending on the variety, plants should be hard-pruned in late summer or early spring.  Light pruning can be done throughout the year to discourage leggy growth.
• Fertilize with low nitrogen fertilizer when planting in the spring.  A light application of lime is also recommended.
• Mulch for weed control.  Some growers use fabric cloth, which helps keep lavenders dry at the base especially during our heavy rains.
• Grow tender lavenders in pots and protect them during the coldest months.  Some of the dwarf English lavenders will grow well in containers and can remain outside all year.  Lavenders grown in containers will require more water, fertilizer, and pruning.  Make sure to use pots with plenty of good drainage.

Garden tours are an entertaining way to glean tons of ideas for our own gardens.  One of the things I like about these local tours is just that – they are LOCAL, and so all the ideas I take away will actually work here.  Good ideas are available from magazines, of course, but they might be East Coast gardens – what do they know about gardening in the Pacific Northwest?

 If you  have no plans this weekend, might I make a suggestion for a local excursion?  The Washington County Master Gardener Association are hosting their annual Open Gardens day, on Saturday, July 10th, 10 am – 4 pm.  This free self-guided tour opens the garden gate on ten local gardens.  You will see how these master gardeners are:

• incorporating edibles into their decorative landscapes
• practicing sustainable gardening techniques
• creating productive raised beds to feed their families
• designing intimate outdoor living spaces in which to entertain family and friends
• and much more!

Check out the full garden descriptions, and get directions for this fun, FREE tour at the Washington County Master Gardener website:  http://www.zsquared.net/gardentour2010

We are hosting our 4th annual benefit for P.E.O. – a philanthropic organization that provides scholarships for women.  This is a fun evening event here at Farmington Gardens, and once again our featured guests will be Mike Darcy and Kym Pokorny.   Mike has been the Garden Guru of Oregon for many years, first with his television show, and now with his KXL radio program ‘In the Garden’.  Kym is a garden writer for the Oregonian, as well as numerous other publications.  We are thrilled they are able to be with us again this year!

Enjoy wine or beer, as well as seasonal hors d’oeuvres, while you stroll the garden center and take in our selection of informal demos on a variety of topics.  There will be an extensive silent auction, featuring great items for home and garden, as well as Mike’s and Kym’s program, “Our Favorites in the Garden.”

This is a ticketed event, and advance purchase is required.  P.E.O. is handling all ticket sales:  tickets are $25 (not available at Farmington Gardens); call 503-645-6401 or email purdyjb@verizon.net to purchase.

Date:  Saturday, July 24  6-9pm

Location:  Farmington Gardens

Food and beverages provided by: Wild Currant Catering, Barefoot Wines, and Hopworks Urban Brewery

We are happy to be sponsoring this first annual Orenco Station community garden tour – it sounds like it will be lots of fun, and as a bonus is supporting the Oregon Food Bank and Loaves and Fishes.  You are invited to stroll through twelve lovely small, private gardens, all within a 10-minute walk.  They will have special garden information booths about gardening and sustainability as well.  (The Orenco Station community is located in Hillsboro off NE Cornell Road between NW 229th Avenue and NW 61st Avenue.  Use the Orenco Station Max stop.)

Saturday, July 10th, 10am-4pm

Tickets $10 – can be purchased the day of the event at the Orenco Station Main Park Pavilion.  Your ticket allows you participate in a drawing for a number of great gifts (one from Farmington Gardens!).

Just in time for summer vacation – something fun to do with the kids!  We are partnering with Radio K103 and Oldies Radio 106.7 for a fun day for kids here at Farmington Gardens.  It will be next WEDNESDAY, June 23, from 11 am-1 pm.

Parents of kids 12 and under are invited to enter their child for a chance to win this exclusive VIP Invitation. Fifty winners will be chosen from K103′s and Oldie’s 106.7′s Loyal Listener entries to receive a special Bonsai Tree from Farmington Gardens for your child, plus a ticket to spin the prize wheel to win one of many Gift Cards - including Mt Hood Railroad, North Clackamas Aquatic Park, OMSI, Applebee’s Restaurant, to name a few.

Lunch will be provided by On the Border Mexican Grill and root beer floats provided by Crater Lake Root Beer & Umpqua Ice Cream.  How fun does that sound?!

Now here’s the important stuff:  to enter, you must go to one of the radio stations’ webpages – 50 winners will be drawn to attend with their families.   Here are the links to enter:

http://k103.clearcontests.com/front/OpenContest.asp?Action=Login&SurveyID=78103&zx=680 

or

http://oldies1067portland.clearcontests.com/front/OpenContest.asp?Action=Login&SurveyID=78515&zx=781

One of the markers of the start of every new gardening season is the annual Yard, Garden and Patio Show, produced by the Oregon Association of Nurseries.  What a visual extravaganza of sights and fragrances to bolster the spirits on these cold winter days.  It is an inspiring experience to see the plant combinations used in the many display gardens, and to see some of the new garden gadgets available.  I always peruse the speaker schedule, finding several that pique my interest.

Farmington Gardens will be showcasing some of our favorites, so stop in and say hello.  And pick up an FG discount coupon to bring back here for your spring shopping.

Oregon Convention Center, February 12 – 14

Tickets are available at the door, or online at http://www.ygpshow.com/.

I follow the Kitchen Gardeners International webpage (http://www.kitchengardeners.org/).  Their mission is “to empower individuals, families, and communities to achieve greater levels of food self-reliance through the promotion of kitchen gardening, home-cooking, and sustainable local food systems. In doing so, KGI seeks to connect, serve, and expand the global community of people who grow some of their own food.” 

And there’s more:  “With the world in the grips of intersecting food, fuel, financial and environmental crises, it is clear that we need to make a shift in the way we eat and live. Kitchen gardens, food gardens, Victory Gardens – whatever term you prefer – have been an important part of our past and will play an even more critical role in the future as we work to feed a growing world population using a dwindling and increasingly polluted natural resource base. Over the past 100 years, we have lost a great deal of cultural knowledge about the production, preservation, preparation and enjoyment of healthy, whole foods. The good news is that we can bring it back and help those who would like to have a healthier, closer relationship with their food to do so.”

That’s a tall order, but I’m an optimist, so I think these societal changes are possible.  I am encouraged by the interest we’ve seen this year in edible gardening – it is obvious that our customers are interested in being more self-reliant when it comes to feeding their families.  And please remember that Farmington Gardens is here as a resource to help you along in this venture.

Kitchen Gardeners International has marked August 23 as Kitchen Garden Day — an annual celebration of food produced on a human-scale. It is an opportunity for people around the world to gather in their gardens with friends, family, and members of their local community to celebrate the multiple pleasures and benefits of home-grown, hand-made foods.

So, here are our suggestions for activities for the day:

• invite your friends or neighbors together for a backyard feast from your collective gardens – it feels great to feast on the bounty of your own garden!
• organize walking tours of the neighborhood gardens, so that you can see how each gardener incorporates edibles into the landscape
• arrange for a vegetable exchange with your neighbors – trade surplus produce over the fence.
• visit the terrific display garden at the Washington County fairgrounds which is maintained by master gardeners
• take the beautiful drive to Champoeg State Park and visit their pioneer kitchen garden and apple orchard with heirloom varieties; and bring your bikes, because there are some great bike trails!
• stop by Farmington Gardens to see how our demonstration vegetable garden is producing – the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are loaded with ripening fruit; the cucumber trellis has vines clambering up its sides; the Red Russian kale is billowing in the breezes…come check it all out!

And remember, NOW is a great time to stick some seeds and starts in the ground for your fall and winter harvest.  Refer back to our earlier post on appropriate fall veggies….

Here’s to self-sufficiency!!

Le Tour des Plants is fast becoming an annual regional event that gardeners have come to anticipate.  Participating independent garden centers plan interesting classes, demonstrations, and special give-aways to celebrate the fall garden season.  Did you know that  Fall is The Best Time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials?  Well, it is — the soil is still warm and  nurturing and, combined with the autumn rains, plants have a much easier time getting established.  In Oregon we are blessed with long mild autumns, so it is still a rich and abundant time in the garden. 

Stop in and pick up your free official program - complete with maps, schedule of events, and passport.  In order to participate in the Le Tour drawing for some fabulous prizes, you will want to get your passport stamped at each garden center you visit during Le Tour.  The more you visit, the higher value prizes you are eligible for!   Top prize is valued at over $600.

Le Tour des Plants runs September 12 -20.  Here is what we have going on at Farmington Gardens – we hope you will stop by and say hello!

All Week - Hot New Plants from Terra Nova – Check out our week-long showcase of exciting new perennials from Terra Nova Nursery.

 Saturday, September 12 — 11 AM – 4 PM     7^th Annual Tomato Festival

• Free tomato tasting, over 80 varieties, all locally grown
• 11 AM – Chef Dan Brophy cooks up tomato recipes – taste samples!
• 1 PM – Tomato Talk – learn how to grow your own, and which are the best varieties for this climate
• 2 PM – Chef Dan returns for a second cooking segment – more great samples!
• Red Ridge Farms local olive oil tasting throughout the day
• Check our website for all the day’s activities

 Sunday, September 13  1 PM – 3 PM     Preserving the Harvest, with Chef Dan Brophy from the Oregon Culinary Institute

Take advantage of the abundant harvest – from your own garden or the farmer’s market!  Chef Dan Brophy, of the Oregon Culinary Institute, will show you how easy it is to preserve food for the winter.  He will have information on dehydration, root cellars, and infusions, but will focus most of his time on the art and science of canning.  Once you master these techniques, your family will truly be living local, in a sustainable and healthy way!  Space is limited and registration required; call 503-649-4568.  Free class.

 Friday, September 18     1 PM;  $35      Green and Edible Wall Art, with Landscape Designer Lisa Annand

During this hands-on workshop, you will construct a beautiful vertical garden – your choice of edibles or succulents.  This thoroughly chic “green wall art” would look great on a deck, handy for picking and enjoying!  Space is limited and registration required; call 503-649-4568.

 Saturday, September 19    3 PM; $10     Girlfriends’ Afternoon Getaway  ~ Awesome Au Courant Fall Container Gardens, with Laura Nash and Marinda Parks from Farmington Gardens

Grab your best friend or your mom, and join us for a gardening afternoon.  Enjoy nibblies and a glass of sparkling wine while Laura and Doris inspire you with their container garden creations!  You will leave with “recipe cards” for each of their collections, as well as lots of trendy ideas for fall containers.  Space is limited and registration required; call 503-649-4568.

 Sunday, September 20    1 PM     Great New Perennials for Your Garden

Larry Finley from Terra Nova Nursery will introduce us to some fantastic new perennials.  Larry offers a very entertaining discussion about where these plants originated; how Terra Nova developed them for commercial markets; and most importantly, how best to use them in your own garden.  Class registration is limited to 50 – please call 503-649-4568 to sign up.  As an added bonus, Larry will bring a special gift for everyone in the class!

 Specials

•  One free 1 gal Terra Nova Coreopsis ‘Autumn Blush’ or ‘Gold Nugget’ with purchase of any 1 gal or larger Terra Nova merchandise.  One per customer please.  While supplies last!
• 50% off regular priced select containers and container gardens.  While supplies last!

Neighborhood House is a local non-profit that we support as often as we can – they are doing some terrific work in Portland serving low-income children, families and seniors.  So when they asked us to help them get the word out about their annual fundraiser, we are only too happy to help – especially since this event showcases a spectacular garden!

Their Summer Garden Party will be held on Friday, July 10th, at 6:30 pm, again  this year at Duckridge Farm.  Located in the West Hills of NW Portland, Duckridge Farm is Oregon’s largest private garden, and is listed in the Smithsonian Institute’s Archive of Gardens.  The house is styled after French country farmhouses, and is bordered by an 85-acre property and stunning gardens. 

Chefs David Barber of Hillsdale’s Three Square Grill, Kevin Sandri of Garden State Cart in Sellwood and Mark Doxtader of Tastebud Farm will prepare a summer feast celebrating the region’s finest foods, harvested at the peak of the season.  Listen to live music from local band, Rhythm Dogs, while you stroll through impressive gardens enjoying local wines and conversation with friends old and new.

Tickets are $75 per person, and available by calling Tia Sherry at Neighborhood House at (503) 246-1663 x 118; or email her at tsherry@nhweb.org.

I think I’ve said this before – touring private gardens is a really fun thing to do!  It is always interesting to me to see the way different gardeners use different materials and plant combinations – no two gardens are alike.

Another opportunity for this kind of an excursion is coming up next month:  The Washington County Master Gardener Association is hosting their 2009 Tour of Gardens, and I encourage you to take advantage of the chance to see some master gardener’s home gardens.  They are showcasing seven inspiring gardens with a focus on sustainable gardening practices for both ornamentals and edibles.

Free admission to this tour on Saturday, June 27th, 10 am to 4 pm, rain or shine.  Stop in here to pick up your tour guide.  For more information, call 503-821-1150.

The Friends of the Rogerson Clematis Collection are holding their second annual benefit, Inviting Vines II, on Saturday, May 23rd, and you can purchase your $20 tickets here.  See how local gardeners grow these unique and beautiful vines – from a few well-chosen clematis cohabitating in mixed borders and containers to gardens beset by clematis mania.  The tour will include:

• The lush and colorful borders at Phyllis McCanna and Gary Smith’s garden.
• Nancy and Ron Gronowski’s verdant woodland garden, which is framed by two 60-year old dogwoods, firs and hemlocks accented by specimen shrubs and perennials.
• A red barn focal point in the large, country garden of Charlene and Bill Tuttle where large mixed borders consort with vegetables, berries and a small orchard.
• Nancy Dunis’ eclectic garden of themed plantings augmented with colorful object d’art.
• A 50’ totem pole carved from a recently deceased cedar tree in Judy Dauble’s one acre garden filled with beautifully maintained mature trees and shrubs and vintage structures.

The Rogerson Clematis Collection garden is open year round and makes an ideal gardener excursion – it is located at Luscher Farm, 125 Rosemont Road in West Linn.  Check their website to see what is in bloom before you head out.