Gardening Events & Classes

EVENTS

Through September 10 – 2012 Red Carpet Plant Premier , Bauman Farms (Gervais): Rate over 150 hanging baskets as your favorites. Also view new 2012 plant introductions from growers and plant breeders such as Terra Nova Nurseries, Skagit Garden, Ball Horticulture, Proven Winners, Suntory and more. At 1:00 pm, Sat. September 10, Kym Pokorny, Laura Rowles, and Brian Bauman will do a round table of their favorite basket combinations, annuals, and perennials.

September 10

• 10am-3pm – Hardy Plant Society of Oregon Fall Plant & Art Sale (Portland Expo Center)—One of the largest fall plant sales in the region. Many specialty nurseries, some of which are not open to the public, will be offering plants that often are difficult to find. Garden art for sale by regional artists. Free event, all welcome (fee for parking).
• 11am-4pm – 9th Annual Tomato Festival, Farmington Gardens (Beaverton)—Sample dozens of varieties of tomatoes to find your favorites, enter our tomato contest, join in the fun in the Kid's Corner. Scheduled activities include: (9am) What to do in the Garden in September; (11am) Tomato Talk – learn which are the best varieties and how to grow them; (2-4pm) Cooking with Chef Dan, from the Oregon Culinary Institute, returns with his favorite seasonal tomato recipes. Samples and recipes included.
• 6pm – Walk in the Garden of the September Full Moon, Dancing Oaks Nursery (Monmouth)—Smell the night blooming flowers, enjoy finger food, Airlie wines for tasting & sale, guitarists Maria Olaya and Phil Kaufmann, walking through the display gardens of Dancing Oaks Nursery. Fee: $25. Reservations required by calling 503.838.6058.

September 17

• 9am-3pm – 14th Annual Fall Salem Hardy Plant Society Plant Sale (Polk County Fairgrounds, Rickreall)—Over 20 specialty nurseries from around the valley, artisans of garden art, and tool sharpening. Plus bring your plastic nursery pots for recycling. Free event, all welcome.
• 10am-3pm – 7th Annual Tomato Tasting Festival, Dennis' 7 Dees (Lake Oswego location)—Taste the flavors of harvest time and make plans for next year's tomato planting! Sample new, heirloom and unusual tomato varieties and vote for your favorite.

September 24, 4pm – Wicked Bugs...and Some Good Ones, Too, sponsored by the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (PCC Rock Creek Campus)—Nationally acclaimed author Amy Stewart who wrote about poisonous flora in "Wicked Plants" and comes to Portland to share stores about her new book "Wicked Bugs". She will be joined by OSU Master Gardener Jean Natter who will discuss the bugs we encounter living here. Fee: $10 HPSO members, $20 non-members. Registration required by calling 503.224.5718.

September 24 (Sherwood & Gresham locations) & 25 (Woodburn location) – Fall Festival, Al's Garden Center (all three locations)—Kick off fall with fun activities, including Slick's Big Time Bar-B-Que available for sale, Colorful Crape Myrtle seminars, sauerkraut making demonstrations, "Iron Planter" competitions, and enter to win a $100 gift card from Al's. Check their website for details.

Fall Harvest Festivals

Bauman Farms – Pumpkin Patch Kick-off Weekend, September 24 & 25 and into October


French Prairie Gardens – 2011 Harvest Festival, September 24-October 30.


Wooden Shoe Pumpkin Fest – October 1-31


Smith Berry Barn – Heirloom Apple Festival, October 15-16

October 15 & 16, 10am-4pm – Home Orchard Society All About Fruit Show (Clackamas County Fairgrounds, Canby)—One of the areas' largest exhibits of fall fruit varieties. See and taste many, including apple, pear, grapes, and quince. Get advice on selecting the right variety, tips on growing, pruning, and harvesting. Fee: $4 members, $6 non-members (free admission with new membership).

October 16, 3pm – Fall Color Preview Tour, Hoyt Arboretum (Portland)—Join a celebration of fall color with Curator, Martin Nicholson, on a special route designed for optimum color viewing. He'll answer all of your questions along the way. Meet at the Visitors Center, 4000 SW Fairview Blvd.

CLASSES
(unless noted, classes are free)

September 10

• 10am – Water Gardening in Containers with Fall & Winter Interest Plants, Hughes Water Gardens (Wilsonville)—Learn to create beautiful small water features with fall and winter interest for your patio or balcony.
• 11am – Fall Containers, The Garden Corner (Tualatin)—Get tips on how to build a fall container that will provide color through the fall season.

September 11

• 1pm – Basics: Path Construction, Joy Creek Nursery (Scappoose)—Does your home site challenge you with changes in elevation? Have you ever wondered how professionals build paths that last for years? Co-owner Mike Smith will show you construction methods and materials used in building paths for Joy Creek Nursery's landscape clients, from the most formal to something casual for a woodland. Construction demonstration will concentrate on building informal stone steps.
• 2pm – Mums: Our Favorite Fall Flower, Egan Gardens (Salem)—Tips on selecting and growing these traditional autumn plants.
• 2-4pm – Preserving the Harvest, Farmington Gardens (Beaverton)—Chef Dan Brophy from the Oregon Culinary Institute will give this class on putting up your own food. Learn the basics of canning, drying, and pickling. Samples and recipes included.

September 17

• 10am – Fall Containers, Al's Garden Centers (Woodburn and Sherwood locations)—Keep your containers looking fantastic in the fall. Let Al's Experts show you how to design and plant a beautiful container.
• 10am-noon – Cornish Stone Wall Building, Terra Gardens Nursery & Bark (Salem)—On a recent trip to England, our hardscape professional was inspired by the beautiful, old world stone walls he saw in Cornwall and Devon counties. Join in the experience as he recreates a wall from the past. In the stone yard.
• 10am-noon – Intro to Rain Gardens, Portland Nursery (Division Street location, Portland)—Explore the critical role rain gardens can play in restoring our urban streams, all while adding beautiful landscaping to your yard. Join expert Candace Stoughton of East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, for a great introduction to the various steps involved in planning a rain garden project at your home or work place. She will also lead a fun site assessment exercise together as a group for hands-on planning experience. You will get to take home a comprehensive manual that shows all the steps to constructing a rain garden. Click here to register for this class.
• 1pm – Edible Landscaping, Tsugawa Nursery (Woodland, Wash.)—Have you seen how blueberry foliage creates a bright and colorful fall shrub or how an espaliered fruit tree can provide an intriguing and beautiful living fence? Experts will be sharing how to incorporate some edible beauties into your landscaping. Feel free to bring in photos or a rough drawing of your yard. Register on-line.
• 1-2:30pm – Garlic, Onions & Early Spring Planting, Portland Nursery (Division Street location, Portland)— Vegetable gardening season is winding down, yet there are still some essentials to get ready for next year! Tim Lanfri of Community Garden Creators will discuss what veggies you can still plant, and how to prep your garden space for early spring plantings. Fall is the perfect time to plant overwintering garlic, onion and shallot sets, and Tim will share his years of growing experience to help you maximize your success! He will also walk you through the essential steps of preparing your beds in the fall so you can plant earlier in the spring and avoid digging and destroying your soggy spring soil. Topics will include amending, composting, prepping and protecting your beds. Click here to register for this class.

September 18, 1pm – Designing for Conifers, Joy Creek Nursery (Scappoose)—Learn the qualities and characters of dwarf conifers and come to appreciate how they can function as shrubs in a home garden. Susan LaTourette, landscape designer, will share her experiences growing some of her favorite dwarf conifers and show examples of plant combinations that can provide year round interest.

September 24

• 10am – Building Ponds and Waterfalls, Hughes Water Gardens (Wilsonville)—Tips and ideas on building your own pond and waterfall.
• 10am – Bonsai Basics, Dennis' 7 Dees (Seaside location)—For the beginning to intermediate bonsai enthusiast, this hands on workshop will outline in straightforward fashion the essentials of the care, creation and display of these lovely pieces of art. You, too, can become a Bosai Master! Starter kits will be available starting around $25.00 each.
• 11am – Bonsai Collections of the Pacific Coast, Tsugawa Nursery (Woodland, Wash.)—Join Gregor Buel for an interesting and informative presentation on some of the beautiful bonsai collections he has had the privilege to visit throughout Washington, Oregon and California. Register on-line.
• 1pm – Fall Containers, Tsugawa Nursery (Woodland, Wash.)—Are your containers overgrown? Out of hand? It's time to rip out the old, and plant something new! Their container professionals will share some great plants that will get your container gardens flourishing through fall and into the winter months. Register on-line.
• 1pm – Creating Fall & Winter Interest Containers, Portland Nursery (Division Street location)—Take home a stunning container that will wow your holiday guests and brighten up the darkest of winter days! Learn how to put together a container with lasting color and seasonal interest plants in this hands-on workshop led by Jolie Grindstaff. Class will cover the basics of container design, offer planting and maintenance tips, and guides you in your own creation of a 10" planter. Please bring gloves and a trowel. All other supplies provided. Fee: $30. Please pay cashier before class. Click here to register for this class.
• 1pm – Holiday Edible Container, Portland Nursery (Stark Street location)--Maggie Stuckey, author of The Bountiful Container, will show you how to put together a container garden with plants that you can integrate into your festive fall and winter dinners. Make your holidays extra special by serving something you've grown yourself, even if your only growing space is a container. And one lucky person will take home the demonstration container! Maggie will be signing copies of her book after class. Click here to register for this class.

September 25

• 1pm – Pruning 101, Garland Nursery (Corvallis)—To keep healthy trees, fruits and shrubs, you need to keep them pruned. Our knowledgeable staff will cover pruning of fruit trees, Japanese maples, roses, and hydrangeas. We will share the best techniques to keep your plants growing healthy and strong. Registration is required and space is limited. Call 541.753.6601 to register.
• 1pm – Winter Containers for Year-Round Interest, Joy Creek Nursery (Scappoose)—Basic container maintenance and a strong design element are essential to having breathtaking containers throughout the winter. Create a winter container combination that will delight you through the cold weather months and the year ahead.
• 1pm – Planting Bulbs Now for Spring Blooms, Portland Nursery (Division Street location)—Brighten your garden using stunning spring-blooming bulbs with the help of Mark Hopkins of Van Bloem Gardens. Mark will discuss the basics of amending, planting, and fertilizing as well as tips for tricky areas (shade, wet soils). He will go over planting for extended bloom & fragrance, the best varieties for containers and cut flowers, and layering techniques for a big impact. He will do a planting demo layering bulbs in class, and one lucky person will get to take the pot home! Click here to register for this class.

October 1, 10am – Aromatherapy in the Garden, Dennis' 7 Dees (Seaside location)—Gardeners
have been practicing aromatherapy for hundreds of years. Whether just by planting fragrant creeping thyme along a wall, a planter box of scented geraniums or a gourmet kitchen herb garden, one is treated to an exceptional aromatic experience. This class will also touch on the medicinal value of essential oils derived from your garden favorites!


October 8

• 10am-noon – Beginning Bonsai, Terra Gardens Nursery & Bark (Salem)—Class includes Instruction, Bonsai starter tree, a pot, a book, and the tools and supplies needed to get the tree started. Come join us for a fun and interesting journey into the world of Bonsai. Fee: $40 pre-registered or $45 at the door. All tools and materials supplied.
• 11am – Introduction to Bulb Displays, Dennis' 7 Dees (Cedar Hills location)—Learn how to pair a variety of bulbs for a glorious floral spectacle that will last all spring. The focus will be planting long-lasting bulb displays in pots with ideas for fall/winter planters so you don't have to look at barren pots all winter. Plus tips on what plants will keep planters looking fresh till your bulbs burst to life. Bring your bulb questions for the Q&A session. Register at the Cedar Hills store. Fee: $25 (after attending the class you'll receive a $25 coupon to spend on pottery, soil and bulbs).
• 11am – The "Magic" Terrarium, Dennis' 7 Dees (Seaside location)—Terrariums are wonderful & magical environments. Decorative, attractive and easy to care for, just plant and forget. A closed terrarium can often go a month between watering. Now even those of you who tend to neglect plants can develop a green thumb. This hands-on workshop will walk you through the easy steps of creating your own terrarium. Bring your own glass container or purchase one at the nursery. A variety of miniature plants starting at $2.99 will be available for purchase and the potting soil is complimentary!

October 15, 10am – Fall Bulbs for Spring Color, Dennis' 7 Dees (Seaside location)—Okay, let's get this straight...Spring flowering bulbs are called "fall bulbs"? That's exactly right! One of Karen's favorite gardening chores is to plant her spring color on a sunny crisp fall day! Learn how to lay out your flower garden, so that it blooms from late February to early May, and what fertilizers to use to give them that extra boost!