This morning Ashley and I joined Jane for a walking tour of the U of O campus. Jane is the campus landscape designer for the U of O. She has been coming out to the nursery for years to buy plants and we thought it was time for a field trip to her ‘garden’. The three of us appeared to be the only ones walking on campus fully decked out in rain gear head to foot. The weather would have no impact on our tour. We started with the new buildings, the coliseum, the alumni center and the very impressive student/athlete study center. Modern buildings are sometimes a challenge for me, but this one pulls everything together and is so thoughtfully done and you feel very much in nature; with water and a well appointed planting surrounding the building, lots of wood and stone and natural light inside the building and even a cozy fire surrounded by bright yellow couches just inside the door. It was cool, just edgy enough to be avant-garde, and comfortable enough to make you want to sit down and have a warm beverage. I felt like I was somewhere besides Eugene, it feels big town, new, nice and exciting.
Here is a photo of Ted and his beautiful pumpkins. Ted heads up the Youth Farm in Springfield, a part of Food for Lane County. On a precious piece of open land in the middle of apartments and houses, not far from the new hospital or Gateway Mall is a farm, an oasis for birds, kids learning to garden and work, volunteers who want to get their hands on some great soil and Ted who runs the whole show. How are we connected to Ted and the Youth Farm? Ted has a fundraising (seed money) plant sale in the spring which we donate some of our healthy, beautiful plants to and Ted is on my husband's softball team, that is how we know Ted. Tuesday I went to the farm to pick up our fall food order. The farm is offering potatoes, onions, tomatoes, squash and more for folks that want to stock up for the winter, lovely produce and a very reasonable cost. I got boxes for Josh, Ashley and me. Ted sent along the most beautiful bright orange Cinderella pumpkin, lovely to look at, tasty to eat, for Amy. That is the best connection ever, sharing our best with each other. For more information on the Youth Farm and their produce check out the Food for Lane County web site www.foodforlanecounty.org or call 343-2822.
Today, the 6th of October, was the first frost of the year. It’s an event that gets written on our calendar every year. There is the first frost and then there is the first killing frost. Killing frost takes out the tomatoes and shrivels up the pumpkin leaves, turns the annuals to mush and makes one sigh knowing that the summer garden is truly over and there is nothing you can do about it.
Do the fun stuff first. Eat the frosting before the cake. Eat desserts or your favorite things first as you never know what will happen. In my garden I cut sunflowers and dahlias for cheery bouquets before I even put my gloves on. Fill your home or work space with colorful joy in the form of bright late summer /early autumn floral beauties. That done, you may adorn yourself with gloves, kneepads, pruners in hand and head out to spend some pleasant time with your plants.
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.
PHN Growers Blog
