Make it stop

Portland is suffering through a week-long heat wave, triple digits since Monday, we're actually all excited today that it "only" reached 95.

I've been watering sometimes twice a day, but there's only so much water can do. Did what I could to create makeshift shade for those plants that looked particularly affected, but I may lose a couple a things.

It's snowpocalypse all over again, but with neverending sun. That's climate change for you.

Flower Sale

It's late in the planting season, the time when many gardeners will fill blank spots in their beds with colorful annuals.

Save some money and support Portland's Rose Festival by buying the flowers and plants that were used to create this year's Festival of Flowers design.

The plant list includes marigolds, red & blue salvia, sunflowers, tomatoes, and culinary sage.

Sale begins June 17 at 8am.

Hee hee, hee hee, hee hee

Plants & Puppies

Or, how to send Wooga into apoplexy. OMG, puppies! And plants.

Scanning garden calendars for this weekend, this particular event jumped out at me. Visit with puppies from Guide Dogs for the Blind while shopping among shrubs, perennials, grasses, etc.

Saturday, May 16 10am - 5pm
5432 SE Hawthorne

I'm a tomato!

Love this t-shirt! Don't love tomatoes, not so much, no. Don't really even like them. But I'm from The South, and growing tomatoes is just what you do.

Besides, my friends love them and I will cook with them or make salsa, so it all works out.

I won't share all my tomato lore in this post, only just to say that it's time to choose my starts. And my favorite local nursery is ready to help me out with a perfectly timed event.

Tomatomania
Thursday, April 30, 5:00-7:00pm
Garden Fever, 3433 NE 24th

Refreshments and prizes from 750 KXL Radio. Choose from organic tomato and vegetable starts (it's time for peppers too!). I'll be there!

Join us for an evening of gardening fun with refreshments & prizes from 750 KXL Radio

Choose from a full selection of organically & sustainably grown tomato & vegetable starts.

Join us for an evening

Sale at the Japanese Garden

Portland's Japanese Garden is hosting its annual plant sale this weekend. More than 25 local nurseries will be selling an outstanding selection of conifers, peonies, orchids, camellias, hydrangea, bamboo, bonsai, Japanese maples, azaleas, rhododendrons, and more.

Japanese Garden Plant Sale
Saturday, April 25, 10:00am-3:00pm
Free

Ly-lack, Ly-lock

I say ly-lack. I say Portland is the best place to live if you love lilacs because it's so close to the best place to find lilacs.

Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens
115 S. Pekin Road, Woodland, WA

The four-acre garden hosts a festival and plant sale every year when the lilacs are at their peek, which is April 18 - May 10 this year.

In 2004 I bought this Michel Buchner lilac at the festival. It's a lovely bluish lavender with a strong fragrance. Kept in a pot for years, it was planted in the backyard last year and is already showing lots of buds.

Perhaps it needs a friend? See the website for more information.

Tubers, oh my!

I am officially an old lady: I am going to a dahlia tuber sale and auction, in a church. Yes, "and auction". I imagine myself elbowing some other old lady, vying for the Dinnerplate Princess Di Dahlia or some such. Maybe I'll pull her flowered hat down over her face while frantically waving my numbered card in the air. Mine! Mine! Mine!

from madrabbit.org

The sale is Tuesday, April 14 6:30pm, sponsored by the Portland Dahlia Society, at the Rose City Park United Methodist Church, 5830 NE Alameda St.

Weekend events

Gardening season is in full swing, so you have a choice between a gazillion events this weekend. If you're ambitious you might be able to do more than one -- but, then, when will you garden?

Worms

Learn about worm composting (especially useful if you produce more kitchen scraps than yard debris) at this workshop hosted by Pistils Nursery. Even if you do have compost piles in your yard, more worms can come in handy to jumpstart a pile or provide extra fertilizer for a project.

The workshop is Saturday, April 11, 1:30-3:00. $10 Follow the registration instructions on their website.

Hardy Plant Sale

The Hardy Plant Society of Oregon is a volunteer, nonprofit group devoted to the promotion of hardy herbaceous perennials. Put that on a t-shirt.

They have a huge sale! They offer a lot of good advice! The sale runs Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12 at the Expo Center. See the website for more information.

Signs of Spring

The crocus are gone, and in their place the daffodils and tulips are popping up. Depending on the variety and placement, these two Spring bulbs may bloom together or weeks apart.

My lollilop tulips (on the sidewalk strip) are blooming well though the stems are stunted. They should be about 4 inches tall. I blame snowpocalypse.

Of course, if it's tulips you love and the Willamette Valley is closer than Holland, you can't pass up the Woodburn Tulip Festival. March 25 to April 26. The link provided points to one farm, but there are several. Pick one you like, or drive around for free.

Mondo mondo mondo

Every Spring, Portland's Chinese Garden hosts a plant sale. It's a great opportunity to support the garden and obtain some neat plants for your garden. Plus, knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice.

I buy a black mondo every year. It spreads easily (but not invasive) and can be divided, so it's a good value if you have a little patience.


After careful selection of the best mondo, I stroll around the garden, always surprised at how much life is stirring so early in the season. Then tea and almond cookies at the onsite Tao of Tea. Nice.

Never mow again!

Never mow again! That's my fantasy -- one which my neighbors might suggest is already fulfilled.

Okay, so, I've got this idea that a goat could eat the grass. Okay, so, typing that idea out loud makes it sound not as good as it did in my head.


But I'm not the only one with goaty ideas. Following quickly behind the city chicken movement is a nascent interest in goat keeping. If you'd like to know more, join me at Pistils Nursery's Urban Goat Keeping Workshop on Sunday, March 22 at 1:30pm. Email them soon to reserve a spot.

Busy bees

We're all busy as bees in our gardens now (rain or shine). It's still too cold for real bees, but they'll be here soon. There are some things we home gardeners can do to help them out. And lately, with global reports of widespread colony die-off, they could use the help.

Pistils Nursery is hosting a bee-keeping workshop Saturday, March 14 for $8. Sign-up now to reserve your spot. These workshops fill up fast!

From their website:

"Backyard Bee Keeping

Over the years, we have seen a rapidly growing interest in backyard bee keeping. We have established a relationship with a bee keeper who is an advocate of the "top-bar" hive philosophy, which is much easier and more accessible. Perfect for the urban backyard.

Come and glean fascinating how-to information about how to keep bees in your yard holistically and simply and receive an abundance of honey and increased pollination for the plants in your garden.

Send us an email at workshops@pistilsnursery.com to sign-up. Please provide your phone number in the email so we can reserve your spot."

Free cake!

Garden Fever -- my favorite small, neighborhood nursery -- is having a birthday party Saturday & Sunday. Celebrate with cake and great garden deals.

3433 NE 24th Ave