Lots of Gardening Events!

Photo: Rare Plant Research

There are too many garden events to list all of them but this is a good selection of what's out there; many of them are free. Check your local garden center Web site for event listings. Enjoy!

May 6-June 5, Iris Festival, Schreiner's Gardens, Salem—Make a tour of Schreiner's Iris Gardens one of your springtime traditions. During bloom season, the 10 acres of display gardens are open from dawn to dusk. The gardens contain 500 named Iris varieties that will be in bloom. Bring the family for a picnic lunch (tables are available) or steal a romantic moment at the end of the day surrounded by blooms and sunset. Parking and admission is free. Schreiner's Cut Flower Show is 9am- 6pm. Cut flowers are available on site for $6.00 per dozen.

May 12, 19, 26 & June 2, 10am-2pm, Legacy Gardens Annual Spring Plant Sales—Rain or shine. Top quality, locally grown plants from N & N Garden Farm; they grow with healthy, safe, organic practices (cash and checks only to N & N). Plant sales benefit the healing garden maintenance funds and are at Good Samaritan Stenzel Healing Garden (5/12), Meridian Park Healing Garden (5/19), Emanuel Lorenzen Courtyard (5/26) and Good Samaritan Stenzel Garden (6/2). For more information, please contact Teresia Hazen, Legacy Therapeutic Gardens at 503.413.6507 or thazen@lhs.org. See the gardens at www.legacyhealth.org/gardens. Maps at www.legacyhealth.org/maps.

May 13 through August, The Oregon Garden —Help select the best of seven new flower varieties. The Oregon Garden plays host to a 2011 American Garden Award flower competition where the public is encouraged to vote for their favorites. For more information, log on to www.americangardenaward.com/.

May 15, 11am, What to do in the Veggie Garden: May & June, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland – Discover what to do in the veggie garden for the months of May & June! Tim Lanfri, of Community Garden Creators, will talk about the ideal crops to plant and harvest, important garden tasks (cover cropping, watering, mulching, fertilizing, etc.), and the various undesirable pests that might patrol your garden. Click here to register for this class.

May 15, 1pm, Amplifying the Garden with Containers, Joy Creek Nursery, Scappoose—Lucy Hardiman will share how a well-chosen and well-planted container becomes much more than an art object with it is used purposefully in the garden as a focal point of a garden bed, as a complement to a plant vignette, screening an unsightly view or transitioning from one part of the garden to another.

May 18, 4-7pm, Garden's Night Out, Schreiner's Gardens, Salem—Enjoy music and merriment as part of the Keizer Iris Festival kick-off. There will be food, drinks, and wine for purchase and a drawing for a beautiful Iris collection or a rare private tour and tutoring by Schreiner brothers Steve and Ray. Special guest Sue Bielemeier of Green Thumb Florist will be providing free instruction on flower arranging with a focus on the use of Iris in arrangements. Parking and admission free; food, drinks, and wine for purchase.

May 21-22, 11am-4pm, Open Nurseries, Rare Plant Research, Oregon City—Gardeners have one weekend a year to join in the garden festivities on mile long Criteser Rd. near Oregon City, Oregon. Four specialty nurseries, including Amber Hill Nursery, open their doors for free garden design advice (bring photos), garden exploration, wine tasting, lunch and rare plant sales. For more information, directions and photos please visit http://www.rareplantresearch.com/.

May 21, 10:45am, Strawberry Care, Drake's 7 Dees Nursery (Stark Street location), Portland—There is nothing like fresh Oregon strawberries, and nothing better than getting them from your own garden. This mini clinic will give you insights you'll need to create your very own strawberry fields.

May 21, 1pm, Designing Your Garden: Pulling it all Together, Garden Fever!, Portland—Gary Marsh, Marsh & Fear Garden Solutions, will focus on the key elements that create good garden design, including assessing your garden site, determining your personal style, creating a site plan, dealing with hardscape issues and introducing plants for good scale and balance. He will also touch on how structures such as arbors, fences and decks can be integrated into your overall plan. A free event but reservations are required: call 503.287.3200.

May 21, 1-2:30pm, Building a Pondless Waterfall, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—George Bowman will be teaching you how to build a pondless waterfall. Topics covered will be design, installation, care, and troubleshooting. George has been ponding since 1976 and has been the past president of the local Koi and Goldfish Club. Click here to register for this class.

May 22, 11am, Native Plants in the Landscape, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—Discover the endless benefits of integrating native plants into the landscape. Jen Aron, of Peaceful Gardens, will talk about why native plants are so important to our urban landscape, and highlight how natives can attract beneficial wildlife to your garden. She will also discuss some great native plant selections for sun, shade and small urban lots. Click here to register for this class.

May 27-29, American Peony Society Convention—Peonies will be celebrated with the first ever west coast APS convention. There will be competition flower exhibitions for commercial growers and home gardeners, and if you're a member of the APS (there's a $25 fee to join), there will be tours and workshops. The public gets free admission to the flower displays and vendors on Saturday afternoon, May 28, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Sunday, May 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wilsonville (Ore.) Holiday Inn. Peonies will be shipped in from all across the country; it's a real treat to see what the different growers consider their best. For more information, click here.

May 28, 10am-4pm, Inviting Vines IV Garden Tour, Friends of the Rogerson Clematis Collection, Portland area—Tour five private gardens in SE Portland and the Rogerson Clematis Collection garden at Luscher Farm in Lake Oswego. See how local gardeners integrate these unique and beautiful vines in their versions of paradise. Tickets may be purchased on-line at http://www.rogersonclematiscollection.org/ or at Dennis' Seven Dees Nursery, Magnolia Manor, Garden Fever, Portland Nursery (SE Stark location), Joy Creek Nursery, Farmington Gardens, Gardener's Choice, Digs and 13th St Nursery in Salem. Ticket Price: $20.00; benefits the Friends of the Rogerson Clematis Collection.

May 29, 11am, Shade Gardening 101, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—Learn great tips and techniques for creating structure and beautiful contrasts in the shade garden with Jen Aron, of Peaceful Gardens. Jen will talk about the rewards and challenges of gardening in the shade, and the diversity it can bring to your landscape. She will go over the specifics of gardening in partial shade vs. deep shade, dry shade vs. moist shade. She will also share great plant picks and her favorite shade-loving flowers to brighten any shade garden. Click here to register for this class.

May 30, 11:30am-4pm, Memorial Day Chicken BBQ, Schreiner's Gardens, Salem—Features the culinary delights of the Gervais Knights of Columbus, and offers the lively music of the Capital City Jazz Band from 1-5pm. This annual event takes place every Memorial Day and is filled with fun for the whole family. Cost: $10.00.

June 4, 10am-4pm, Couples Workshop: Build Your Own Willow Furniture, Farmington Gardens, Beaverton—This has been a very popular workshop in the past, and this year they decided to make it for couples. Bring your sweetie and have fun creating a garden bench, chair, plant stand, end table, plant trough, or trellis. Have the satisfaction of taking home your unique piece of furniture at the end of the day! Class fee: $125; $10 registration fee.

June 5, 1pm, What to do in the Garden in June, Farmington Gardens, Beaverton—New to gardening? Need a little extra garden coaching? If you are new to gardening, it can be a puzzle to know what to do in the garden throughout the different seasons. Tony Van Houtin can help you learn when the right time is for different garden activities. Bring your questions!

June 11, 1pm, The Cutting Garden, Portland Nursery (SE Stark location), Portland—A fabulous cutting garden is not limited to full sun annual plants. Linda Beutler, author of From Garden to Vase will give suggestions of great plants for bouquets for all types of garden situations. She will bring some of her inspiring bouquets to showcase different styles of arranging flowers. Click here to register for this class.

June 12, 1pm, Terrarium Craft, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—Easy to make and a wonder to behold, terrariums are winning over a new generation of crafters and gardeners. Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant, authors of Terrarium Craft, offer up everything a beginning terrarium crafter needs to get started, from advice about tools and materials, information about plant choices and simple maintenance tips. Click here to register for this class.

June 17-19, Oregon Cactus & Succulents Show & Sale, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—Find rare and hard to find specimen cacti and other succulents.

June 18, 10am-4pm, Behind-the-Scenes Garden Tour, presented by the Association of Northwest Landscape Designers – Showcasing eight professionally designed private gardens in the Portland Metro and Lake Oswego areas. The landscape designer of each garden will be on hand to share their experience and inspire with fresh, new ideas for the landscape. Proceeds benefit ANLD's scholarship programs for aspiring landscape designers. $20 per person. Buy tickets online or at select garden centers.

June 18, 10am-4pm, Flower Show, Shorty's Home & Garden , Vancouver—The Lewis & Clark District Garden Clubs in Vancouver, Wash., are holding a flower show (horticulture and design).

June 25-26, Pink Days to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Farmington Gardens, Beaverton. Pink plants, guest speakers, live music, food, local wine tasting, children's activities, and more. Visit their Web site for details.

June 25, 11am-12:30pm, Year Round Vegetable Gardening, Portland Nursery (SE Division location), Portland—Join Tim Lanfri, of Community Garden Creators, to learn techniques for growing and harvesting fresh produce throughout the entire year, even in the "dead of winter"! Tim will discuss topics such as timing your plantings, fall and winter growing techniques, and how to maximize your harvest without a greenhouse. Click here to register for this class.

June 29, 3-7pm, Ladies Night Out, Drakes 7 Dees (Stark St. location), Portland—Annual ladies night out celebration event. Visit their Web site for event details and specials.