Stay tuned for more gardening goodness running up to the Yard, Garden & Patio Show, Feb. 12-14, 2009.
I visited 21 Le Tour des Plant destinations (tough job, isn't it!) and came home with garden art, a ceramic pot, a green "wall" and at least 50 new plants (you can imagine what I'm doing this weekend!). On Friday, a co-worker—alias Gardennia Nuttei—and I and eight other ladies built a green "wall" at Farmington Gardens. I think this was my favorite Le Tour activity this year and I can't wait to see how mine matures. It's going to hang outside on my house in a part sun location so I can see it from my deck..
I visited Daryll's Nursery yesterday and was blown away at the selection of grasses and Cistus at this friendly nursery located in Dallas, OR. Owner Daryll Combs helped me select some new additions for my sunny – low water areas; among them Cistus x obtusifolius and Cistus x 'Sunset'. And at 20% off during Le Tour des Plants...why not throw in some grasses...which is exactly what I did. This weekend they have some great classes for anyone to take advantage of: Saturday at 2pm is a class on selecting ornamental grasses, and all day on Sunday the staff will help you with plant identification. While there make sure to ask Daryll about his Cistus and let him help you pick the best variety for your sunny location!
Drimys lanceolata, commonly known as pepper bush, caught my eye at several Le Tour des Plants nurseries but because it was rated a zone 8-9, I hesitated to make a purchase. But this morning at Madrona Hills Ace Hardware, I attended a seminar on “Plants for winter color and interest” given by Laurie from Youngblood Nursery, a wholesale nursery known for its unusual and high quality plants. Laurie said she planted the Drimys last year in her yard and it came through our cold winter with flying colors so I decided to give it a try. It just might be the perfect plant: evergreen with striking deep red stems, grows slowly to 6’x6’, takes pruning, is lovely in flower arrangements, and grows in sun to shade. Laurie has hers planted in dappled shade. You can see the array of plants she discussed in the photo. 
Here are a few treasures she pulled from Madrona Hills’ inventory that will provide texture and color in containers or your garden in the gray months of the year (the conifers in particular need good to excellent drainage):
The one in the picture is named after a grandson: DebRon’s Beau Dean Richard. It’s a semi-double upright growing 18”-36”. The aubergine tube and sepals are tipped green and the corolla is black-purple. New foliage comes on a chartreuse green (my favorite color!) and then turns dark green so there’s always a lovely contrast between the new and old growth. Of course, one of these had to go home with me. Another selection that caught my eye was President Walter Mario, a single upright with long pink tube and sepals and an orange corolla. Yum! Ron and Debbie can give you expert tips on how to grow these lovely plants successfully, which in a nutshell, is planting them deep (like tomatoes), with good drainage, some fertilizer because they are such heavy bloomers and more sun than you thought possible. The nursery is closing at the end of this month so if you want a keepsake from some wonderful people, hurry in.
We had such a great day on Tuesday discovering new garden centers, plants, and making new friends. We started out at the Oregon Garden with a tour of the trial gardens for Proven Winners and Ball Horticultural which display and “test” primarily annuals that are new this year or will be introduced in 2010 in a garden-like setting. All America Selections (AAS) annuals and vegetables are also on display. 
Plant breeders go through rigorous trials of new plants, and we discovered that the Oregon Garden is one of the places used for these trials. We also discovered that the potato vine used commonly as an annual in containers produces an edible sweet potato and looks great as a ground cover rather than being relegated just to containers! (The Oregon Garden donates their tubers to the Oregon Food Bank and said they are very tasty, but please, before you dig in check to see if your variety produces edibles first.)
Our next stop was Raintree Tropical where we discovered hardy palms and bananas and many other ornamentals. Steve was instrumental in showing us wonderful new additions to our yard…and showing us all the frogs that live in his greenhouse along with their beautiful orchids!
The last stop on Tuesday was Out in the Garden Nursery. Carol Westergreen has a robust selection of shade plants and we filled several flats with ferns, bergenia and grasses for our shady areas. Polystichum neolobatum and Asplenium scolopendrium 'Cristata' were two ferns we couldn't resist: both are evergreen and the foliage is just stunning.
If you've never been to Bauman Farms you're really missing out. They've got something for everyone: plants, amazing fruit, veggies and baked goods, and activities for your kids. I went there yesterday for a visit and was completely blown away with their hanging baskets and beautiful displays. Brian Bauman helped me select some great plants to help dress up my front porch, and since I spent over $25, gave me a free bag of their homemade donuts. In case you're wondering, the donuts I brought home are gone...but there are many more available for you if you visit this week for Le Tour des Plants.
When Bob and I moved into our house several years ago we were a bit leery about the steep slope of our property. Over the years we’ve found a lot of great ways to stabilize and landscape that slope, but there was still one area that eluded us. Yesterday I found the answer we needed from a class at Green Gate Nursery: build a rock garden. Owner Anthony Bernert walked several visitors through the principles behind building a rock garden and unifying elements to make it look natural and part of the overall setting. 
He provided an overview of construction, design, materials, and plants, and shared several tips he's learned over many years of building rock gardens in Oregon. If you missed this class don't worry, he's holding another one Saturday the 19th at 3 pm. And even if you're not planning to build a rock garden, I'd encourage you to visit this unique nursery which has fantastic plants, a huge selection of alpines and other unusual treasures.
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Tiger Eyes™ is easy to grow and hardy to zone 4, but is not as large or invasive as other sumac types, but be on the lookout for suckers (it also makes a good container plant, in case you are worried). Deer have been known to dine on sumac at times, but usually prefer other plants.
Trees
They like a regular feeding every six weeks with an all-purpose fertilizer. Bloom time depends on cultivar of course, but typically they will put out flowers from June until first frost. Cut them back at that time (leave a couple inches of stalk so you don’t accidentally plant over them) and they will reappear next February or so. 
You might add a snapshot on the front of the young gardener with the mature plant or harvest bounty. These make wonderful gifts, an appealing fundraising option, or seeds for the cold frame come March. Plants that work well for seed harvest include pumpkin, sunflower, zinnia, cosmos, marigold, and cornflower.
♦ When choosing containers keep a few things in mind. First, use containers that are in scale for their setting and that match your overall home design. Second, use containers large enough for your plants to grow. Roots generally will reach a depth equal to two-thirds of the plant’s above-ground height. Pick a container that is as wide as the eventual canopy. Of course you can bend the rules and create stunning seasonal shows, but for long-lasting container gardens you should keep eventual plant sizes in mind. Finally, if heavy lifting is an issue, look into the new lightweight containers made of fiberglass and plastic. There are many designs that go beyond the “round plastic bin” and emulate terra-cotta and stoneware textures. Never lift a pot when you can roll it and never roll a pot when you can offer someone with a strong, young back a cup of coffee to move it for you.
Visit 3 nurseries or more and be eligible to win
