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.
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
Go to your local farmer’s market for no other reason than because it is just fun. For me it is pure pleasure with tasty treats added on top. My local market is in Creswell behind the library off the main street, Oregon Street. It is on my way home and conveniently open from 4 – 7 p.m. I can’t wait to get there and see who is selling what and have a chat with my ‘market friends’. This is a very small market, maybe twenty vendors. This is the second year it’s been going on and some of the same folks have come every time to sell their goods and come they do, whether they make much money or not. The showing up every time is what eventually will make them ‘successful’. Success at the farmer’s market comes in many forms. One is not there to ‘get rich’ so there has to be some other benefits. One of the most successful vendors is the cute old guy, Jim, who makes bird houses, ‘guaranteed to house birds’. He also started making boxes and shelves, items that the other vendors buy to display their wares. I noticed he is now making cash boxes. I don’t think he had a grand plan for this is just worked out like that and he has enough money to go fishing with his buddy. Michelle, my co-worker, meets me at the market and sometimes some other friends stop by. One has to look carefully and ask questions and enjoy the process, find out about the sellers, what they like to grow or make, what is the best thing they have today. I found some Meyer lemons, brought up from California, no not locally grown, which is difficult at best, and I bought all three of them for 75 cents each. What Michelle and I like to do is buy a little from each booth or at least say hello and admire their wares.
We started doing something new at our weekly company meetings at Pleasant Hill Nursery. At each meeting, someone has to bring in a plant from the nursery and educate everyone about that plant. The goal is to help those with less knowledge to become more educated about plants. Truth is, we all learn something.
It was my turn this week and I chose Rosa rugosa. It was one of my mom's many favored plants. Dave remembers her collecting seed and starting her own Rosa rugosas. (I'm grateful he has these memories from her days being around her in the nursery.) I researched this plant and had great fun sharing my new findings with the group. Here's what I learned about
There comes a time in late May - early June when the vegetative growth in the Willamette valley is so lush, so full, dripping with flowers and dew drops from the still cool mornings. The air is oxygenated to a point that it is almost hard to breath or is that because of the great beauty surrounding us. This part of Oregon is a paradise of plant varieties and green growth. In these past few days of sultry, damp yet warm days I've felt like I was in Hawaii or some other tropical jungle paradise.
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