The tricky part of vegetable gardening is thinking ahead to the next season, especially when you are in the throes of harvest time.  (I know some folks start getting a little garden fatigue right about now.)  But I’m here to tell you that  just a little time now spent tucking in a few things for a fall garden will be SO rewarding when the weather turns cool and the warm-season veggies are finished.  So, as you are harvesting heads of lettuce, or when space frees up where the peas once were – think about saving that space for an autumn garden.  There are so many cool-season veggies that thrive in our long, mild autumns.  And with a few simple strategies, you can continue harvesting some great vegetables long after the tomatoes and peppers and melons are finished. 

This information is so key to those of you seriously intent on Growing Some Of Your Own, that we are repeating this class a second time in the hopes that more of you will be able to join us - there will be a Sunday session and a Wednesday session.  We invite you to join us for one of these free classes – reserve your spot by calling 503-649-4568 or emailing events@farmingtongardens.com.

Today I finally had time to devote a little attention to our veggie garden – as you may remember we have a demonstration garden here at FG to showcase how to grow an edible garden in your backyard.  My goal is to show that edibles can be not only beautiful but also productive for the home gardener.

At this point in time, we have pole beans that must be over 6 feet tall; tomato plants that have fully engulfed their cages and have tons of flowers and a few green fruit; too much fluffy kale; a tall stand of corn with beans climbing up the stalks and squash planted in the center of their circle (a Three Sisters Guild); and much more (cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, more lettuce…). 

Since it is now time to start thinking ahead to the fall garden, I needed to clear a space for new crops.  So today I harvested:

• Royal Chantenay carrots – 5 lb
• Matador French shallots – 4 lb
• Walla Walla onions – 5.5 lb
• Bull’s Blood beets (with their green tops intact) – 31 lb – that’s right, thirty-one pounds!
• 4 heads of Salad Bowl lettuce mix – 3 lb
• Swiss chard – 4.5 lb
• TOTAL HARVEST TODAY:  53 pounds!

Here’s hoping your garden is giving you great harvests of tasty treats!  Please join us for our “Preparing for a Fall Veggie Garden” class to learn more about planning ahead for autumn harvests – the class will be Sunday, August 8 at 10am, and will be repeated on Wednesday, August 11 at 10am.  Call to save your spot! – 503-649-4568.

p.s  I’m trying to figure out what should be planted next.  If you’ve got suggestions, comment to this post!  Is there something you’ve wanted to know how to grow?  Let’s test it here.

One of the joys of the garden is the access we have to fresh flowers for the home – nothing brightens up our interior spaces like fresh-cut flowers from our own yards.  With this thought in mind, we are featuring our second Girlfriend Getaway of the summer.  Invite your best friend or your mom to join you for a relaxing afternoon, noshing on tasty bites and sparkling wine, while learning a new trick or two about floral design.  We’ll have Kathy here again from Portland’s Floral Design Institute – she gave a great demo here last year, and everyone was dazzled by her performance artistry.  I guarantee you will leave with lots of terrific ideas for ways to use your own garden flowers or a bunch from the market.   And when Kathy’s finished, we’ll even give away her creations!

Space is limited and registration is required for this special class.  To reserve your space, call us at 503-649-4568.  $10 fee payable at registration.

Succulents possess the admirable trait of maintaining their cool even on the hot days of summer – no wilting or whining or high maintenance for them – which is why we love them so!  Being the home bodies that they are, they are more than happy to be planted in a container garden and left behind while you vacation.   Besides that, they are just cool looking plants.

If you love succulents like we do, then this is the workshop for you.  We will be helping you with your selections, and then you can pot them up (bring a container or buy one here) to take home a finished project!  We will provide the know-how and the soil.

This is a free workshop – except for the materials you select.  Space is limited and registration strongly suggested – call us at 503-649-4568, or email events@farmingtongardens.com.

Interested in less time maintaining your garden?  Want a smaller water bill in the summer?  Xeriscaping is a way of gardening with nature, to reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation.  Native plants are emphasized, and plants with similar needs are grouped together.  This is a strategy for gardening which many smart gardeners find fits their needs and priorities.  Marinda will share tips for converting your garden to a less thirsty version of itself. 

This is a free class; please call to register – 503-649-4568, or email us at events@farmingtongardens.com.

Just in time for outdoor summer living – Marinda is giving a class on her favorite summer perennials which will perform great all summer long.  Not all perennials are short bloomers – with some careful selection, you can have perennials blooming for months.  Marinda will also share her favorites to use as cut flowers.

After the gloomy spring we’ve just experienced, we are going to need a summer of color!

This is a free class – please call us to register, or email us at events@farmingtongardens.com!

Grow Smart, Grow Safe is a must-have for Pacific Northwest gardeners looking to green up their gardening practices.  Inside you will find tables ranking 600 pest controls and fertilizers from lowest to highest hazard for people, pets, and the planet.  This consumer guide is also packed with expert tips for the most effective, least toxic lawn and garden care techniques.  You can grow a beautiful, productive garden AND protect the ones you love from hazardous garden chemicals with the science-based advice in this groundbreaking publication.

This great resource comes to us from Metro, and is available free – pick up one at our soils and compost class on Sunday, June 13th at 1 pm.  Glen Andresen from Metro will be here for this free class.  Glen is with Metro’s Natural Gardening program, and is a very popular speaker – call us at 503.649.4568 to register for this class if you are interested!

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. 

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.

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.

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!

Tomato plant in our demo garden

Hopefully by now you know all about our upcoming Tomato Festival, on Saturday September 12th - one of our most fun days around here!  This is a great chance to sample literally dozens of varieties of tomatoes, side by side, to see which you like best.  You will be surprised to find how different they really are.

We invite you to sit down and take a break from all that sampling at 1 pm, when we will have our ‘Tomato Talk’.  Tony and Celina will be teaching this class, and will share lots of tips for growing the best tomatoes in your own backyard, as well as our staff and tomato festival favorites over the years.   It is always a very popular class.

This is another free class and registration is not needed – hope to see you there!