When problems arise in the garden, it can be difficult for a beginner to determine the cause.  Is it a pest?  Disease?  Winter damage?  Sun scald?  Chemical drift?  Does it need fertilizer – and if so, which nutrients are deficient?  Is it needing more or less water?  Or is it just not in the right place?   How do you know? 

This is a great class for beginning gardeners!  It will give you tools for assessing what is going on in your garden, so that you will have the confidence you need to deal with the occasional problems that can crop up.  Beth will discuss her methods for problem-solving in the garden, and preventive measures you can take to have a healthy, vibrant garden this season.

Please remember that we ask you to register for classes you are interested in attending!  Our classroom space is limited; of course drop-ins are welcome as space is available.  Call us at 503-649-4568, or email events@farmingtongardens.com, with your name, phone number, and the number attending.

Whenever we think about how to make our gardening more ‘green’ and ’sustainable’, we naturally think about how to welcome birds into our landscape.  Birds are a vital part of a balanced ecosystem, as well as being fascinating entertainment for the whole family.

Tom Combs is returning for another class (he spoke to a packed house earlier this month about dormant sprays) – this time to talk about the easy steps you can take to encourage birds to visit your backyard.  Their needs are so basic:  just food, water, and shelter and they are happy. With a little planning, you will be able to experience the delight we have at our house – we take our morning coffee (or our evening glass of wine!) outside and watch goldfinches, nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, and others as they stop by our feeders.  It adds another component to our garden that we treasure every day!

Ann Nickerson, a local landscape designer, will be here to talk about designing a great front yard.  Whether you are interested in improving your street appeal; making it friendlier and safer; or just reflecting more of your own unique personality – Ann will have lots of suggestions for making your front yard functional and beautiful.

This is a free class and space is limited.  We are having a tremendous response to our classes this year and ask that you register!  Drop-ins are welcome, but cannot be assured seating.  Either call us at 503-649-4568, or email events@farmingtongardens.com. 

For those of you unable to get into Saturday’s mason bee class (sorry for the too-small classroom while we are under construction!!  Good things  are coming, we promise!), we have a second session scheduled for Saturday, February 20th at 11 am.  Beth Rose, from Farmington Gardens, loves talking about these bees, and it shows - this was by far our most popular class last year. 

The interest in mason bees keeps growing, even as problems with honey bees persist nationwide.  This docile native bee is a great friend in the garden, pollinating like crazy.  Just a few simple steps will encourage mason bees to inhabit your garden.  If you have any fruiting plants in your garden, then having these helpers nearby is a very good thing. 

This is a free class, but since space is limited, we ask you to call to register:  503-649-4568; or email us at events@farmingtongardens.com.

Why does pruning seem so perplexing?  We coddle our favorite plants, and are afraid we will damage them with inappropriate care or incorrect pruning!  Well, if this is you, then we’ve got just the class for you.  Lyle Feilmeier from Collier Arbor Care will be here to  share the basics  -

• when to prune
• where and how to make the cuts
• the right equipment for different tasks
• as well as the underlying reasons why we sometimes need to prune 

You will leave with the confidence you need to maintain your garden throughout the year! 

Bring your tools in for sharpening – we’ll have a professional on site.  First 50 people will get one pruner sharpened free; additional tools at reasonable prices.

This class is free, but space is limited – and only a few seats remain; please register with your name, phone number, and number attending at events@farmingtongardens.com or call us at 503-649-4568.

Why is it that spraying trees or shrubs seems a little scary?  We frequently get inquiries from people seeking more information about ~ 

• what plants benefit from seasonal spraying
• how to do it
• what to use
• and the timing of the spraying 

We will demystify this whole topic on Saturday, February 6 at 11 am.  Tom Combs will cover many options for you to consider, whether you are interested in gardening organically, or whether you are okay with ‘conventional’ remedies.  There are excellent options for everyone.

A little preventive care now for roses, lilacs, cane berries, grapes, and fruit trees will result in a much easier and more productive season for you!  It is important to give these plants at least a February spraying – come and learn what to use and how.

This is a free class – please reserve your space by either calling us at 503-649-4568, or emailing us at events@farmingtongardens.com with your name and phone number.

Our 2010 series of classes  begins soon, and we are as excited as ever to bring you all the information you will need to enjoy being a savvy, knowledgeable, and creative gardener.  This will be another great year for our educational programming – we’ve got some great speakers scheduled for you to meet.  Keep checking this blog for updated information on scheduled classes, or pick up a class brochure when you are in the store.

Our first class is coming up on Saturday, January 30 at 11 am.  Ernie Carlson from Botanical Interests will share his best tips for seed starting.  Whether you are growing vegetables or flowers, this is the most economical way to have those favorites you love to grow.   It is also a great strategy for trying new varieties.   Make plans now to get a jump on the season!

This is a free class; however space is limited, so please register to save your space – call us at 503-649-4568, or email events@farmingtongardens.com, with your name and phone number.

This time of year we start making plans for gift-giving during the holidays, don’t we?  And for those of us who garden, it is only natural to look to our gardens for the raw materials to make unique, personal gifts for our loved ones.   And in our new era of frugality, making beautiful gifts with very little expense is an added bonus we can all appreciate.  In fact, I participate in an annual gift exchange where we have two hard and fast rules:  it must be handmade and we can only spend $5.  Let me tell you, that can be a real challenge to adhere to, so I will be paying close attention to Mary’s ideas!

In this upcoming class, Mary Ludlum will present tons of useful ideas you can take away for use this year.  She will have ideas for making gifts out of all kinds of natural materials found in your backyard or along the trail of your favorite  hike in the woods.  Some of the projects she will showcase:

• rustic picture frames made with twigs or birch bark
• centerpiece candelabras fashioned from a large branch
• new ideas for projects using grape vines
• easy ways to embellish a basic evergreen wreath or centerpiece
• and lots more!

This is a free class, but please register so we know you’re coming:  503-649-4568, or events@farmingtongardens.com.  We hope to see you there!

It’s October, and that means three things here at Farmington Gardens – It’s time to plant, the place is looking fantastic with all of the beautiful fall color, and it’s time for our Annual Canned Food Drive!

The Fall Canned Food Drive has been a tradition at Farmington Gardens for longer than any of us can remember, but it is certainly a tradition that keeps getting better every year.  From October 8th through November 15th, you will receive 20% off of your total purchase (with a few minor exceptions) when you bring in 5 cans or packages of food to donate.  This 20% comes of of your total sale, so it even applies to already discounted material!

Last year, we brought in over 2,000 pounds of food that went to the Oregon Food Bank to help those in need in our area, and we are hoping for an even bigger year this year.  The current economic climate has generated a lot of need in our state, and the food bank has been absolutely swamped, so any and all help is appreciated.  So if you want to drop off more than 5 cans of food, we will certainly welcome it.  This is a great opportunity to do something great for the community and save a bundle on plant material for your yard!

Finally, although we still call it the Annual “Canned” Food Drive (it’s one of those hard-wired traditions that are really hard to change), we realize that more and more food items are no longer sold in cans, so donations are not limited to canned items only.  According to the Oregon Food Bank, the most needed items are: Canned meats (i.e., tuna, chicken, salmon), canned and boxed meals (i.e., soup, chili, stew, macaroni and cheese), canned or dried beans and peas (i.e., black, pinto, lentils), pasta, rice, cereal, canned fruits, 100% fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed), and cooking oil.  Basically anything that is non-perishable is acceptable.

We’re planning a party to celebrate the wonderful generosity of all you donors for Plant a Row for the Hungry.  There are over forty of you who’ve given so graciously of your time and bounty this season.  (And 14 of you brought in over 100 pounds each!  That is amazing.)  To date, we’ve collectively harvested  5600 pounds of gorgeous, homegrown fruits and veggies, which we in turn have taken to the Sunshine Pantry in Beaverton.  The need has been greater than ever this year, and I am told the produce is much sought after, flying off their shelves.

For all of you who’ve schlepped in here so faithfully every Sunday with your boxes and bags of veggies and fruits, we invite you to a Harvest Celebration.  Come and meet Sharon Straus, the founder and director of Sunshine Pantry, who would like to thank you for your efforts.  She will share with you some of the work they are doing at the Pantry, and what the future holds for them.    Enjoy a glass of wine and hors d’oeuvres while meeting other gardeners.

What:             Harvest Celebration for all  Plant a Row for the Hungry  Donors

When:            Sunday, October 18, 2 pm

Where:           Farmington Gardens

RSVP:             by Oct. 14 – call Linda at 503-649-4568, or email events@farmingtongardens.com

Thank you, donors, for all your efforts this year!  We hope you can tear yourselves away from your gardens to attend this celebration, so we can thank you in person.

Halloween is such a fun time of year – begging for sweet treats is socially acceptable, and dressing up in goofy costumes is totally encouraged!  We delight in seeing children and pets prancing around in their costume of choice.  And so to celebrate this season here at Farmington Gardens, we are making plans for our first annual Family Halloween Festival.  We hope you will join in on the fun – Saturday, October 31st, 1-4 pm.

Bring your kids and pets decked out in their costumes for fun and safe trick-or-treating and activities.  We’ll have:

• a parade for one and all at 2 pm
• pumpkin decorating for the kids to enjoy and take home
• snacks for the kids and treats for the pets
• costume contest at 2:30 – children and pets judged separately

We hope to see you here!

As the season starts to wind down, and the leaves turn into a colorful autumn kaleidoscope, it is easy to think our gardening is finished for the season.  Not so fast there…  The smart gardeners will tell you that keeping up with things now will make for an overall healthier garden, and less work for you in the long term. 

At this upcoming class, Mary Ludlum will share tips for great things to be doing in the garden this time of year.  This is a free class, but we’d love you to call and register:  503-649-4568.  Or email us at events@farmingtongardens.com and tell us you’re coming.

Mary will give you a much more comprehensive list, but to keep you going for the next two weeks, I’ll give you my personal top 5 list of things to do in October:

1. Bait for slugs.  This one is Numero Uno for a reason – reducing the adult population now will result in fewer baby slugs in the spring.  Do the math, and scatter the Sluggo.
2. Lawn care.  This is a prime time to be feeding your lawn, at the very least.  If it needs more intensive attention, it is also a good time to dethatch and re-seed.  But be kind to your lawn and give it a little organic fertilizer or some compost.
3. Do a little pruning.  This is a good time to remove diseased, damaged, or crossing branches on woody shrubs or trees. 
4. Prune rose bushes moderately, so that winter winds won’t whip them around, causing rubbing and breaking.  Major pruning happens in early spring, but now we need to protect them through their dormant stage.
5. Rake the leaves off the lawn – throw them on the compost pile or mulch flowerbeds with them.  This will keep your healthy lawn from getting smothered by leaves.

Now get out there and enjoy these fall days!