It’s hard to believe I’ve just made it into nine years as a Washington County Master Gardener!
If you are interested in the program, registration for 2010 classes ends November 20, 2009. Eleven-week courses are offered January thru March in Portland, Beaverton, Oregon City and on-line. The educational program concentrates on sustainable gardening via pest and disease identification. To learn more, visit: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/metro/training
Rob and I worked on posting a metal finial I found in Raleigh, North Carolina in September. We had to build a wooden base for the finial to rest on the peak of the roof. Once again, another garden hubby-do project that seemed simple and took much longer than we anticipated. But with this addition, the greenhouse is ready for planting out seeds and bulbs for next year.
I’m taking the OSU Master Gardener recertification training today.
We’re covering the following subject matter:
1. Propagating herbs from stem cuttings
2. Introduction to permaculture and whole system design
3. Media, fertilizer and beyond for containers
4. New pests coming to the Pacific Northwest:
a. Azalea lace bug (Stephanitis pyrioides)
b. Spotted wing fruit fly (Drosophila suzukii)
If you are interested in becoming a master gardener, the 2010 classes are forming now. To learn more about the Washington County Master Gardeners training program, click here.
The board arrived late last night and is busy working on finalizing details on the national symposium being held in Portland, OR in July 2010.
Much to my chagrin,I am sad to report that Smith & Hawken’s final days as a garden retailer is set to end November 15th, 2009. I visited the store this week and still they have furniture, ornaments, containers and more at 70% off. Please support them in their final days.
Evening of Lights
Thursday, Nov 5 4:00 – 9:00pm, Al’s Garden Center – Free
Shop over 20 designer designer decorated Christmas trees while music and hot cider entice your senses. Shop for unique poinsettias, amaryllis bulbs, and much more throughout the nursery.
Creating Killer Containers
Saturday, Nov 7 10am-Noon, Farmington Gardens - $20.00
Learn step-by-step how to create stunning container plantings with designer and author JJ De Sousa. Choose a vessel, the right soil mix, and blending color, texture and season for your masterpiece. Bring your own container if you like, or choose one from the nursery. Bring your gloves and a trowel and prepare to dig in!
Fall and Winter Inspired Wreaths
Saturday, Nov 7 10am-Noon, Red Ridge Farms – $35.00
Learn how to create a wreath specifically for Fall, Winter or design one that can transition through both seasons. Choose from winter greenery, colorful twigs, rosehips, Chinese lanterns, fall leaves,pine cones, ribbons and more. Cozy up to the fireplace and enjoy hot apple cider & goodies while you work. Bring a friend!
Winter Holiday Floral Arrangements
Saturday, Nov 22 1:00 – 3:00pm, Garden Fever Nursery – $35.00
Author of Garden to Vase, Linda Beutler will share tips from her book and show steps to create a winter container arrangement with trimmings from the garden. Linda’s techniques are easy, inspirational and your arrangement will last all season long.
We took down the shade cloth this weekend. I recommend trying to do this before the rain comes. It was sopping wet and covered with bits of leaves, twigs, etc. We folded it up and placed it in the greenhouse on top of the water trugs for the time being. I’m hoping the new heater will assist in drying the cloth and outdoor chair cushions quickly so I can put everything away for the season to retard any mold or moss growth.
I potted up my winter and spring blooming bulbs this weekend. I adore planting bulbs up in the greenhouse while the rain softly falls on the rooftop. Both I and the bulbs are warm and dry. The blooms provide so much pleasure for such a small investment of time and money.
Eavesdropping
Snuggled under the house eaves prevents the bulbs from rotting through our wet and cold winter and spring. Blushing pink ‘Apple Blossom’ tulips mixed with white or yellow ‘Cheerfulness’ double daffodils (daffs) are nestled besides one another in brightly colored pots of all shapes and sizes.
Sleeping Beauties
The following mixtures will be blooming indoors for an explosion of fragrance and color during dark, cold and blustery rainy days to follow. Amaryllis ‘Evergreen’ is already peaking out of the soil. Narcisscus ‘Ziva’ paperwhites are bunched together in fancy metal urns covered with Spanish moss skirts. The amaryllis, paperwhites and poinsettia from last year are all tucked away in our kitchen pantry inside (not exactly my husband’s favorite place to see more plants) to fake out their resting period before the brilliant blooms appear close to Thanksgiving.
I will post pictures of them when they are all in their glory. Til then, happy planting!
I purchased an electric heater to overwinter my tropicals, bulbs, and geraniums from The Greenhouse Catalog. To date, we have had a minor frost as of Thursday, October 29, 2009 dusting on my neighbors rooftops – one day before the heater arrived. The great feature it has is it will only come on automatically when the temperature drops below freezing.
In Beaverton, OR the first real frost typically has been as early as the first week of November….
People have the power to move the earth and create a garden.
This UTube video from Kitchen Gardeners International proves it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R8PyWihOAg
