Territorial Seed Company: Promotes Plant A Row for the Hungry February 8, 2010

With vegetable gardening’s ever increasing popularity, Territorial Seed Company’s spring 2010 catalog reminds people 

wonderful way to help those less fortunate is by sharing some of the garden’s bounty.  

Territorial is including a free “Plant A Row For The Hungry” package of carrot seeds in every order for 2010.

Each packet contains approximately 150 carrot seeds, enough to plant a 25-foot row. A 25-foot row of carrots should yield about 25

pounds of fresh nutritious carrots. If all of the packets Territorial  expects to give away are planted and harvested for this purpose, gardeners will have donated 2.5 million pounds of vitamin-rich carrots to food banks, soup kitchens, or neighbors by the end of the year!

Territorial is encouraging customers to share their Plant A Row stories and pictures with us so that we can post them on our website,

http://www.territorialseed.com.

Project Orange Thumb: Grant Applications Due February 3, 2010

Community garden groups are encouraged to apply for grants from Fiskars Project Orange Thumb Grants Program.
Complete part one of the 2010 grant application online at: http://www.projectorangethumb.com.
Part two requires preparation of a creative assignment.

Grant recipients receive $1,000 in Fiskars garden tools and $1,000 in garden-related materials.
Grant application deadline: February 19, 2010.

National Green Week: February 1 – 5 February 3, 2010

The Green Education Foundation is mobilizing students across the nation to participate in environmental educational programs during National Green Week February 1 – 5, 2010. GEF’s cirriculum provides preK – 12 schools with standard-based lessons couple with the following eco-challenges:

Green Thumb Challenge
The largest gardening initiative that calls on classrooms and schools to plant 10,000 indoor/outdoor gardens during spring 2010.
GEF’s website provides garden instructions, checklists for school approvals, plot location guidelines, container garden suggestions,
funding resources (including grant templates) garden plans, vegetable and flower suggestions and more. Lessons link gardening to
science, math,language arts, creative arts and technology. Online professional courses for teachers, student summer internships
and community service programs will be available.

Waste Free Snacks
Participate in the largest school based waste-reduction program by students pledging to carry their drinks and snacks in reusable containers  during the same week. Program goal: Eliminate 500,000 pounds of trash from schools and landfills.

Green Energy Challenge
Students will audit classrooms, schools and homes to locate energy leaks and correct them in an effort to reduce energy consumption by 5%.

For more details: http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org

February Gardening Events February 1, 2010

February gets heated up with garden shows up and down the west coast. Here are some of the events coming our way:

Edible Garden Resource Fair
Monday, February 1 6:00pm – 9:00pm
A free event designed to promote the love of vegetable gardening. Sponsored by the Southwest Neighbors Garden Forum at the Multnomah Center Auditorium.

Northwest Flower & Garden Show
February 3-7, 2010
I will be attending the show on Thursday, February 4th to take in the sites and sounds of the Seattle show to see what’s new and changed since Duane Kelly sold the show to McLoughlin Tradeshows.  I will also be attending the Garden Writers Regional meeting to listen to Fergus Garrett, the head gardener from Great Dixter in merry ‘ol England. I’ll keep you posted as to what’s new, hot and trendy this Spring!

Native Plant Sale
Pre-orders end Sunday, February 7th at 11:00pm.
EMSWCD Annual Native On-Line Plant Sale ends this month. Bare-root trees and shrubs are an inexpensive way to populate your yard with Pacific Northwest native plants. Pay for and pick up  plants on Saturday, February 20 between 10am-3pm at  5211 North Williams Avenue, Portland, Oregon.

Yard, Garden and Patio Show
February 12-14, 2010
I will be attending the show on Friday, February 12th to drink in the seminars, shop the plants and delight in the landscape design treats featured in the Oregon Association of Nurseries sponsored tradeshow.

Portland Home & Garden Show
February 24-28, 2010
I will be attending the show on Friday, February 24th to look at new innovations for the home and garden.

Oregon Tilth to Accrdit Organic Landscapers January 20, 2010

January 25 – 29, Clackamas Community College
Oregon Tilth is accrediting professional landscapers for organic land care who pass an accreditation test.
The training costs $530 and the accreditation test is $100. Only 40 slots are available for this upcoming training.
Members must agree to follow the group’s standards which includes:

• • • • • Using little to no synthetic pesticide or fertilizers
        • Keeping rain run-off onsite
        • Abandon the use of two-stroke, gas powered equipment including blowers and weed trimmers

As a homeowner, would this certification make a difference in your selection of a landscape professional you might hire?

Smith & Hawken Update January 15, 2010

In an interesting turn of events, Target has acquired the Smith & Hawken brand from its parent company Scotts Miracle-Gro. I thought it interesting that our local S&H store closed in November 2009, but Target was still carrying their branded merchandise post-holiday. Target has carried a small selection of S&H since 2006.

After PoppyBox Gardens closed, one of the buyers I worked with transferred to S&H’s corporate headquarters in California. Soon after, he was hired on as a green buyer for Target. Hmmmm…..coincidence? Probably. But at least it is nice to know that one of my favorite garden retailers has not been 100% composted by the lackluster economy.

To see the entire story, please visit: Garden Center Magazine

January Gardening Events January 1, 2010

Brrr! The ground is still frozen so it’s best to find indoor gardening events to keep the garden fever going.

Native Plant Sale
Pre-orders start  January 8
EMSWCD Annual Native On-Line Plant Sale is on now. Bare-root trees and shrubs are an inexpensive way to populate your yard with Pacific Northwest native plants. Pay for and pick up  plants on Saturday, February 20 between 10am-3pm at  5211 North Williams Avenue, Portland, Oregon.

Build Bat Houses at Cooper Mountain Nature Park
Saturday, January 9 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Construct bat houses that will be installed through the natural areas of Cooper Mountain Nature Park.
Dress for the weather, bring heavy-duty work gloves and a reusable water bottle. Refreshments provided.
Cooper Mountain Nature Park, 18892 SW Kemmer Road, Beaverton, OR 97007. www.thprd.org

Native Plants Workshop
Thursday, January 14  6:30pm – 8:30 pm
Wednesday, January 20  6:30pm – 8:30 pm
Presented by the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District
Come learn which native plants are most appropriate for your urban landscape. Many yards have a combination of micro-climates that allow for a variety of wonderful Pacific Northwest native plants.  Tips on proper planting technique and advice about how to keep your plants healthy will also be presented.

The Simplified Garden
Saturday, January 23 10:00am
Author and columnist Valerie Easton will cover the New Low Maintenance Garden. Admission is $15 for HPSO members, $20 for non-members. Register online at www.hardyplantsociety.org/jan.htm or call 503.224.5718.

Perennial Plant Symposium: First Look December 27, 2009

Here’s a link to show you what the PPA 2010 has to offer when it comes to visit Portland, Oregon from July 18 – 24, 2010.

2010 Speaking Engagements December 27, 2009

Here’s where you can find me talking about plants, pruning and much more:

January 21, 2010: 6:30pm
Pruning Established Landscape Shrubs
Talk to residents about how to prune existing landscape shrubs in their townhome common areas.
Mount Vernon Village. 6200 Erickson, Beaverton 97008

April 1, 2010: 7:00pm
Castles and Gardens of the East Coast
Traveling in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania regions, visit ladies and their barons private homes and lush gardens for ideas and inspiration.
Washington County Master Gardener Monthly Meeting.   18640 NW Walker Road Entrance D Extension office, Beaverton OR.

May 15, 2010: 10:00am
Topic: TBD
The Oregon Garden. 879 W Main St, Silverton, OR 97381.

Perennial Plant of the Year December 14, 2009

The new 2010 Plant of the Year is Baptisia australis. A wonderful, blue-flowering, sun-loving perennial native to the Central and Eastern United States it’s hardy in USDA zones 3-9.  Blue false indigo grows three to four feet tall by four feet wide. Low maintenance, drought tolerant once established, great in a mixed perennial and shrub border are some of the features as to why this plant was selected.  Be sure to look it up when you’re shopping for something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue in your garden this Spring.