I want to sincerely thank all the folks who have come by and announced that they are planting ornamental and blueberry gardens now and throughout this fall. Why? Because fall is the best time to plant, (in my gardening opinion) and they are volunteering to do it without me forcing my way on them. Late summer and autumn are great times to plant because it allows the plant to go in the ground just as the rains begin (today) and the roots have a chance to reach down and establish the plant during the winter. As the spring sun returns the fall planted plants are off and running rather that just starting out. If you are skeptical or have never done it that way give it a try and see how it goes for you. I planted a friends lavender garden in the fall and it looked like dots on a mulched landscape yet by March everything was pushing growth and she was so happy the job was done and the lavender well on its way. Another reason to plant now is that Pleasant Hill Nursery has a wide selection of very full, very healthy, high quality plants. Visit us and see.
It really all comes down to food, at least for me. And what does this have to do with the nursery industry you ask? All of us that work here are cooks and have our specialties (and idiosyncrasies) and share food and recipes. I just had a delicious handful of pumpkin seeds, in the shell from a coworker. Yum. So where was I? Oh yes food. Our neighbors at the nursery are farmers and we get strawberries, green beans and corn from them. We grow a vegetable garden in the back for all to share in the bounty.
I have always been a believer in the power of positive thinking. I find myself struggling a bit this year to maintain my somewhat pollyanna outlook on life. This economy is enough to test even the most optimistic thinker like me.
I had to laugh outloud when I saw this sign at displayed at our Farwest Show the other day. It was in
This has been an interesting tree week for me, as in trees going down. In the nursery business we are into planting trees but there are times when trees have to come down as well. The first tree to come down was a Grand Fir (Abies grandis) in front of our rural home near the road. This tree had suffered since the road was paved in 1994 and recovered a bit but never returned to its original vigor. It had been on our list of things to do for quite some time and the day came that we had the time and energy to do it. The fragrance of Grand Fir is quite intense and smells like the Christmas season, I love it. The trunk was cut up for fire wood and will heat our home for a winter. For me there is always some emotion of sadness when a tree goes. The Grand Fir went and ready to take the place was a Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziessi) I planted a few years ago.
I went to the Farwest Show this year somewhat begrudgingly. This has not been an easy year for most growers in the nursery industry. Stalled residential and commercial building and an equally stalled national economy has had a negative impact on the movement of plant material across the country. It's taken a toll on Oregon's nursery industry. In going to the show, I mentally prepared myself for a lackluster crowd and dampened mood.
I'm pleased to report that Thursday, the first day of the show, was better than expected. A steady stream of people seemed to be moving through the show. I could sense that it was a less than average attendance but I will say that
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