Although it takes most clematis a few years to become established, they are fairly easy to care for once they mature, providing masses of blooms throughout much of the growing season. Clematis have one shared requirement: their need for support. They can be attached to fences, trellises, arbors, gazebos, garden objects or other companion plants such as climbing roses or tall shrubs with similar needs. 

Clematis prefer to have their feet in the shade and their heads in the sun for at least 5-6 hours per day. They prefer rich, fast-draining soil amended with Gardner & Bloome Planting Mix and their roots protected by a layer of mulch such as Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost. It’s important to water clematis regularly especially in hot weather. Most varieties will continue to produce blooms repeatedly provided they are fed every 4-6 weeks during the growing season with Dr Earth LIFE™ All Purpose Fertilizer and decorative seed heads are removed after each bloom cycle. 

We have a great selection of clematis just waiting to find a new home in your garden. We invite you to visit us and see how spectacular and versatile this wonderful plant really is. It truly is the queen of vines. 

A Fragrance Garden: Sweet Surroundings

Some gardens can be pretty, some can be manicured and some can look wild and wooly, but there’s nothing like a fragrance garden to tickle the nose and stimulate the senses. Fragrance gardens can be created using many different garden design themes, the only requirements are using plants with flowers or foliage that are pleasingly fragrant.

You can go Cottage, Mediterranean, Victorian, Woodland or something in between, since all can benefit from the use of fragrant plants and flowers. A fragrance garden doesn’t just have to be sweet and perfumed. It can also be soothingly aromatic, with both delicate and bold scents. You can even select when you want your garden to emit its fragrance, be it morning, mid-day or night time!

Plant your garden using a good quality soil amendment like Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost and feed again in the summer with Dr. Earth All-Purpose Plant Food to ensure healthy growth. Most plants get their fragrance from essential oils in various parts of the plant foliage or flowers. Foliage fragrance is often released by touch, while flowers don’t need an extra nudge to share their delights. Position foliage fragrant plants along pathways borders or overhead on an arbor or trellis where their aroma will be released when brush past them.

Some flowers can be enjoyed from far away, while others might require you to get close and inhale their sweet perfume. Stop by and give them the nose test in person. We guarantee you will want to find a space for some fragrant flowers in your garden.

This phrase could be the Summer Vegetable Theme Song. And it is time to plant your summer vegetables!

Most of our favorite vegetables are grown this time of year. What vegetables do we grow in summertime? Try planting beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, leeks, onions, peppers, squash, tomatoes and zucchini, just to name a few. Beets (red and golden), carrots and radishes are root vegetables, and they are simple to grow.

Perhaps you look at our list of vegetables and think to yourself "Right, I could grow all of that, if I lived on a farm!" Of course you can grow all of them, but the real issue might be a question of space. So pick your favorites and go from there. Root vegetables can grow underneath just about any of the other vegetables listed. That means the onions, beets, carrots, and radishes can be planted very near to the beans, tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant.

Cucumbers, squash and zucchini (also a squash) all grow as a vine and have large leaves. They will need much more growing space and need to spread out. Plant these on a small mound of your amended soil in clusters of three plants. You could even make that 3-5 plants, one of each that you love the most.

If you have not been a vegetable gardener in the past, here are a few tips for you to follow.

1. Pick a sunny location, free of grass (or "free it" from the grass!).
2. Soil preparation. Determine whether or not your soil is predominantly sand or clay. Supplement your native soil with a composting product. Roto-till or use a good old-fashioned shovel to mix in the amendment and level out the soil.
3. Fertilize. You have choices here. Remember when choosing fertilizers, you are ultimately planning to eat these vegetables.

We also have all the necessary products that you will need to become a great vegetable gardener: Tomato cages, trellises for the tomatoes or beans, bird netting, stakes for the peppers and eggplant. And don't forget our soil amendments, fertilizers, and of course, our excellent advice and encouragement.

We are here for you, the future vegetable grower. Maybe you'll even share your vegetable wealth with us at harvest time!

Harvest Supreme

Most garden experts will tell you that the key to growing great-tasting fruits and vegetables is having great soil. And the best way to do that is by adding an all-natural soil amendment such as Harvest Supreme. It's an excellent fortified natural soil amendment for all fruits, flowers, and vegetable gardens. The long-lasting, all-natural ingredients help break up clay soils and improve drainage.

Harvest Supreme is formulated to provide an abundance of plant nutrients, helping plants grow stronger and produce more. It even helps to balance the soil pH of your garden! You can use it as a mulch, top dressing or soil amendment, but no matter how you use it, your plants will be happier and you'll have a better tasting and healthier harvest.

SPECIAL!!! Buy three bags of Gardner & Bloome Harvest Supreme soil amendment or Gardner & Bloome Planting Mix and get one free! Offer extended through May 25th, 2008.

Spring has sprung, and with this warmer weather comes our first selection of water plants. If you have a water feature with plants, you have probably been waiting for our plants to arrive! Join us at our pond plant oasis.

For those who have been dreaming of installing a water feature, large or small, here are a few tips to follow. There are three main categories of water plants, and each category of plants fulfills a very particular role in your water garden.

A water garden can be as simple as one pot filled with water and a few water plants, or a small bubbling fountain with room for a few floating plants placed in a quiet corner of your garden next to your favorite chair. It can be as elaborate as a large pond with koi, frogs, and other of nature’s creatures. What do they all have in common? Peaceful serenity and quiet beauty.

Once you have decided upon the scale of your water feature and the area of your garden that it will inhabit, the next step is learning about all of the different water plants and their functions—including beauty, of course.

When you choose plants, apply the same rules that you might to any other area of your garden. Consider color, profile, and the eventual size of the plants. Remember to take into account that some water plants are deciduous, just like some trees and shrubs in your garden. You will want to have a good mixture of evergreen and deciduous (dormant in winter). Don't over-fill your water pond with plants, making it too full and crowding out your favorite plants.

Water plants are categorized or grouped into their "home" locations in and around the pond.

The main types are listed here:

Floating plants: These are divided into two types: those with their roots in the soil and leaves floating, and those that truly just float, leaves and roots both. Examples of the latter are water hyacinth and water lettuce.

Oxygenating plants: These plants are submerged beneath the water surface. Many bloom with small flowers above the water. They are much needed, as they take in the carbon dioxide and release oxygen, necessary for the other plants or for pond life such as fish. Pondweeds and eelgrass are two examples.

Marginal/bog plants: These live at the pond's margins, with their "feet" in the shallow water and their "heads" up out of the water. They prefer water that is 2-6 inches deep. Bog plants are marginal plants, too. They prefer to grow in wet, wet soil rather than in the standing water. Among many examples of marginal plants, here are just a few: canna, sedges, cyperus, Houttuynia cordata, irises, juncus and many more.

Product Spotlight: Weeding Glasses

Now you can work in your garden and be fashionable at the same time with new Weeding Glasses by Out of The Blue. These pretty, hand painted reading glasses are the perfect way to express your love of nature! And you can use them for the garden and outdoor reading.


Sun Tint Weeding Glasses have 100% UVA/B protection. And for the days away from the garden, pick a pair of Clear Weeding Glasses to tuck in your purse. The lovely oval shape flatters every face. Spring hinges insure a comfortable fit. Each pair of glasses is hand-painted.


All of our Weeding Glasses come with a beautiful, soft, vinyl reader-size case in patterns reminiscent of Mom's favorite picnic table cloths. You can easily wipe off garden soil and they are lightly padded to protect your glasses. Best of all, a portion of all Weeding Glass sales are donated to The Sierra Club Foundation.

You squish them and flick them, yet still they keep coming back. What is it with all these ants?

Knowing the type of ant pest you're dealing with will help you decide if you want to continue to allow these insects to thrive in your landscaping or not. As ants typically collect pieces of dead, or almost dead, insects, and loose or old vegetation, they might be more beneficial than you think.

On the other hand, fire ants and other species will bite when they feel threatened. The bite of biting ants is very painful, and can be a great danger to those who are allergic. Not as serious, but still a nuisance, some species will farm aphids on your plants, as the aphid secretes a sugary liquid called honeydew that ants crave.

Killing ants is not difficult if the proper method is used. As ants breathe oxygen through tiny passages in their exoskeleton, a product containing diatomaceous earth can be used to clog these holes and suffocate the ant. It may take a few days but this method is very effective and safe.

Do not squash ants unless you wish to attract them, as the scent released when they die will attract other ants to come and take them back to the colony as food.

By Tamara Galbraith

It's the middle of summer. The heat is on, and while you're sporting a nice tan, your plants have suddenly taken on a pale, pasty look. What gives? Say hello to the fungus disease known as powdery mildew.

A common condition found on plant life throughout North America, powdery mildew is characterized by spots or patches of white to grayish, talcum-powder-like growth. Fortunately, it is usually more of an effect than a problem itself. In other words, in addition to treating the plant, you'll probably want to take a look at the surrounding conditions and make some adjustments.

First and foremost is to make sure you give plants plenty of room. Good air circulation goes a long way. Trim plants that have gotten crowded or bushy. Avoid overhead watering, and don't make late summer applications of nitrogen fertilizer, as powdery mildew loves to attack the newest plant growth which, of course, nitrogen encourages.

To halt the fungus in its tracks, spray with a good fungicide, like Garden Sulphur or Schultz Fungicide. And next time around, try to choose the more mildew-resistant cultivars of plants that are least susceptible to powdery mildew, like zinnias, beebalm, crape myrtles, cucumbers and squash.

Drake’s Sprouts: Gardening Fun For Kids 10:00 am, Saturday, May 3rd
"A Bowl of Blooming Beauties!" It's time to take care of Mom! Plant up a beautiful bowl full of blooms for a great Mother’s Day present...she will love it! Free.

Encore: How to Grow a Terrific Tomato! 1:00 pm, Saturday, May 3rd
Our lack of long hot days in Oregon can lead to challenges in growing some vegetables. We are revisiting all of the basics this season and "talkin’ tomato"...learn about varieties, culture, pest and disease, and how to get the best results with your vegetables. Free.

MOTHER'S DAY is Sunday, May 11th

Natural Lawn Care: 10:00 am, Saturday, May 17th
This is becoming one of our most popular clinics, due to the fabulous information that Gretchen, from Dr. Earth and Gardner & Bloome gives us. Join us and learn the connection between soils, composts, fertilizers, and your healthy lawn. Free.

Converting your Lawn to Garden Beds: 1:00 pm, Saturday, May 17th
Are you just plain tired of dealing with that high maintenance lawn? Glen from METRO will give all the best pointers on how to make quick work of creating flower or vegetable beds and going from turf to terrific! Free.

Easy Elegance Roses: 10:00 am, Saturday, May 24th
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet an actual rose developer. Mr. Ping Lim, with Bailey Nurseries, hybridizer of the new Easy Elegance Rose is a huge draw around the country and we are lucky enough to have him here. Free.

Impatien Wreath: 10:00 am, Saturday, May 31st
Love this one!! Come learn how to make an adorable living wreath of Impatiens. All materials included. Fee $25.00.

Bonsai 101--Make and Take Bonsai: 10:00 am, Saturday, June 7th
Join Jonah and start a bonsai from scratch. Learn about root pruning, planting, training and care. All materials included. Fee $25.00

Drake’s Sprouts: Gardening Fun For Kids 10:00 am, Saturday, June 14th
"A Bonsai for Dad!" We had so much fun with this one last year, with such great response that we decided we had to do it again. Kids, be here today to join in the fun of making a bonsai to give to Dad for Father’s Day. Free.

Using Too Much Water?: Saturday, June 14th
Along with all of the bonsai fun today we are also hosting another visit from the Regional Water Providers Consortium who make learning about conserving water fun! They will be here most of the day with loads of information, activities and samples. Free.

Hardy Fuchsias: 10:00 am, Saturday, June 21st
This is another special treat. We have an absolutely fabulous fuchsia grower in Monnier’s Country Gardens. The nursery and gardens they have developed showcase more than 1300 varieties of fuchsias. Join owner Ron Monnier today for his talk about the plants he grows. Free.

UnderStory Planting: Gardening in the Shade 12:00 pm, Saturday, June 21st
It is a different world under the trees! The conditions are dappled or dark, dry or soggy. We will give you loads of ideas for planting and growing success in these sometimes difficult spaces. Free.

Tomato hornworms are the larvae of a large sphinx moth that is about the size of a hummingbird. In spring the moth lays eggs on the underside of tomato leaves, and the hornworm is quite small when it first emerges. However, they are big eaters (of tomato leaves) and grow up quickly. Usually, you won’t even discover this fellow until it is large–about 2 inches long and fat! They are quite distinctive, actually handsome with their diagonal white stripes and horns on the rear.

Don’t be afraid of the hornworms. They look more frightening than they are. They don’t bite or sting, just try to look big and ferocious. You can easily handpick to remove from your tomato plant and just throw them away. When they are younger, smaller, use Bt (bacillus thuringiensis) as an effective management technique.

Some gardeners have a different approach to the tomato hornworm. While handpicking a hornworm, look to see if you find little white cocoons attached to its back. If you do see this, that cocoon is a pupating braconid wasp, which is a garden friend predator. Capture the hornworm and keep it or all of them in a container, feeding them tomato leaves. You are creating a nursery for the braconid wasps that can be released into your garden! These wasps will also control the hornworm population.

Other natural predators are birds and the larvae of the green lacewing. Plant your gardens to create an inviting habitat for all of these natural predators, and you’ll control this voracious eater of your tomato leaves. Luckily, they don’t eat the tomato!

How often should I feed my lawn?

Answer:
We recommend feeding lawns every two months during the growing season. You can start of by applying a lawn food in late winter to early spring that contains a pre-emergent herbicide, such as Scotts Crabgrass Control, to help prevent crabgrass and other weeds from germinating.

After that, switch to a complete lawn food like Dr. Earth Lawn Food.

If summer weeds become a problem, apply a weed and feed fertilizer like Scotts Summer Care.

Make sure to give your lawn a final feeding in fall, before it goes dormant, to keep it green through winter. If a lawn goes into the winter looking yellow, you won't be able to green it up until temperatures warm up again.