Bee Hives

You may have heard me mention several weeks ago that I was going to try raising honeybees and getting my own honey.  This will be quite an experiment and experience for me as I have never done anything like this before.  My neighbor has had several hives for the past 3-4 years and he has been encouraging me to try.  So, this spring I am.

 

This is a picture of the bee hive as it will be in our garden.  My neighbor gave me the hive boxes and they were painted white, which seems to be the typical color.  After taking a class at Ruhl Bee Supply, I learned that they do not necessarily have to be white and my wife thought the color you see would blend into the garden better than white.  I call this my designer color hive!

 

I have all (I think) my supplies; bees suit, gloves, smoker, tools, etc and today (Friday, April 6) is ‘bee day’.  The bees arrive at Ruhl Bee Supply and I pick them up in the afternoon.  I was quite surprised at the quantity; approximately 10,000 bees plus one queen.

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INSTALLING SPRING/SUMMER...

My friend Mike Snyder, who lives and gardens in Beaverton, recently sent me this.  It made me smile and I hope it will do the same for you.


 

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Tomato Indigo Blue

While the weather might not make you think of spring, it is time to begin thinking of getting seeds started indoors for a summer garden.  Tomatoes are the most popular home garden vegetable (although technically a fruit), and they need to be started indoors.  By the time our soil warms up, it is too late to sow tomato seeds.  I figure that you should start tomato seeds indoors about 6 weeks before you would plant them outdoors.

One to try this year is a new introduction from Oregon State University called ‘Indigo Rose’.  This tomato has high anthocyanin which is a naturally occurring pigment that has been shown to fight disease in humans.  The skin is almost blue and is about 2 inches round.  It looks like clusters of purple plums.  

Developed by OSU so it is adapted to our Willamette Valley conditions; seeds are available now from Territorial Seed Company, www.territorialseed.com.

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11th Annual Plant Nerd Night

Plant Nerd Night is meant to be a fun and learning event.  It gives us all an opportunity to meet and talk with other gardeners, learn about new plants and have an enjoyable evening.  There will be refreshments and door prizes.  If you have never been, I invite you to join us.  

                Plant Nerd Night
                Friday, March 9
                Lake Bible Church
                4565 Carman Drive
                (corner of Kruse Way & Carman Drive)
                Lake Oswego
                Doors open 6:00pm
                Presentations begin 7:00pm
                Free event
                Click here for more information

There will be six different specialty nurseries/growers that will be offering plants for sale.  Each of these nurseries/growers will be giving a presentation for 12 minutes about their new plants as well as old favorites.  Some of these presenters are primarily wholesale growers and so this gives you an opportunity to buy directly from the grower.

Each year, I always find a plant that I offer as a special and I ask each presenter to offer one plant at a special price and in limited quantity. 

The following are the offerings for this year:

Mike’s Special
Ginkgo biloba ‘Mariken’

During the past several years, I have become interested in Ginkgo’s.  Not the large trees that we are probably most familiar with but some of the smaller and dwarf types.  ‘Mariken’ is a good example.  It is dwarf, light green leaves in summer and brilliant gold in the fall.  I have mine in a container on our deck.  I will have 25 available at $20 each.

Xera Plants
Ceanothus  ‘Topaz’

Xera Plants is a wholesale nursery striving to bring new and interesting plants to our area.  Their plants are available at selected independent garden centers.
Some of the plants they will be talking about at Plant Nerd Night include;
Jasminum humile, Epimedium 'Yokihi’, Leptosperumum humifusum 'Squiggly',
Muhlenbeckia astonii, Lagerstroemia 'Osage', Grevillea 'Orange Zest' and selections of Pacific Coast Iris.  

Their plant special will be Ceanothus  ‘Topaz’ which has cobalt blue flowers.  There will be 20 plants available at $10 each.

Gossler Farms Nursery
Daphne ‘Mae Jima’

Well known for their mail order catalog, Gossler Farms Nursery (Springfield, OR) is known for shrubs and trees, many of which are not readily available elsewhere.  They have one of the largest selections of Magnolias in the nation and a wonderful display garden..  

The plant special for Gossler Farms Nursery will be Daphne ‘Mae Jima’ which has broader variegation than the common “Odora’ and larger flowers.  There will be 40 plants available at $12 each.


Joy Creek Nursery
Clematis ‘Dark Dancer’

Located in Scappoose, Oregon, Joy Creek Nursery is a well-known retail garden center.  They have beautiful display gardens so visitors can actually see how plants will perform in our area.   They have an extensive selection of Clematis.  Some of the plants they will be presenting include; Clematis:  ‘Chirifu’, ‘Dark Dancer’, ‘Frau Suzanne’ and ‘Brewster’, Helenium ‘Tijuana Brass’, Miscanthus ‘Gold Breeze’, and assorted Penstemon  such as ‘Raspberry Flair’,  ‘Red Hot Kissed’, and ‘Rose Kissed’.  

The plant special will be Clematis ‘Rooguchi’ for $14 each and Clematis ‘Dark Dancer’ for $16.  There will be ten plants of each.

Skagit Gardens
‘Irish Drumcliff’

Located in Mount Vernon, WA, Skagit specializes in perennials and annuals.  They are a wholesale grower and their plants are available at many local garden centers.  In recent years they have offered some outstanding Hellebores, Primroses, and Delphiniums.  As part of their presentation, they will be showing; Campanula ‘Ringsabell Mulberry Rose’, Coreopsis ‘Mercury Rising’,  Delphinium  ‘Royal Aspirations’, Helleborus ‘Merlin’ and ‘Rosemary’, Primula Kennedy Series ‘Irish Drumcliff’ and ‘Irish Innisfree’, and Scabiosa ‘Mariposa Violet’.  

The plant special for Skagit Gardens will be Primula Kennedy ‘Irish Drumcliff’, 40 plants at $4  

Wild Ginger Farm
'Dorothea's Ruby'

Located in Beavercreek, OR, Wild Ginger is well known for their wide assortment of rock garden plants.  They feature some wonderful display gardens which are excellent as learning tools for teaching how to grow rock garden plants.   Some of the plants they will feature include; Asarum maximum ‘Ling Ling’, Gentiana sino-ornata ‘Stardust’, Dodecatheon ‘Spring Dawn’, Erythronium ‘Pagoda’, Tulipa greigii ‘Red Riding Hood’ and assorted Pacific Coast Iris hybrids.  

The plant special from Wild Ginger Farm will be 20 Pacific Coast Iris hybrid 'Dorothea's Ruby' for $8 each.

Petal Heads
Cistus ‘Mickie’

Located in West Linn and specializing in annuals and perennials, Petal Heads will be showcasing an assortment of Heuchera, Geum, Hosta, Campanula.  Expect to see some plants that are new on the market.  

Their plant special will be Cistus ‘Mickie’ that is a selection with wonderful leaf variegation.  There will be 30 plants available at $5.

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