Garden Tips with John Fischer

B to B Berries

Strawberry season is waning- other berries are taking over. Go get a taste.

G-Tips Green

We all have a favorite color in our garden, red, yellow, or blue top many peoples list. But the last color you think about is the one you see the most of.You get foliage color year round. Two weeks of flowers, and 50 more weeks of looking at the foliage.

Sure the garden season starts out with a burst of color.

As summer progresses, it gets greener.

But just what is green

All colors. Chartreuse, medium green, red- that's not green really.

Here's a good example

There are two kinds of rosemary. The one is yellow, the other is blue gray.

So when you're selecting a plant for your garden, don't be totally focused on the blossoms. Otherwise that colorful favorite will be a wallflower once the petals fade.

A foliage plant of interest gives your garden year round interest.

Green vegetables give you a lot of variety too. Enjoy their look before you enjoy their flavor.

G-Tips Flowers

June is flower season in oregon.
The rose festival is happening up in portland, and local gardens are at their prime.
And if this years gardens seem more prolific than usual, there's a reason.
Whether you're admiring the floral displays near hayward field, or sitting in traffic next to a stunning bed of blooms, it's hard not to notice how beautiful the flowers around town are this year.
It's tempting to blame the usual suspects

More rain this year?

And while the rain may have helped, there are other reasons that this spring has been especially special.

Oh yes, they all decided to bloom for eugene08

Well, that's closer, but the flowers had a lot of help. City and university crews have been spending extra times making the street side gardens attractive, and now it's paying off- for our visitors, and you. So was it worth the extra effort?.

I would have to say so

So take some time to smell the roses, and daisies, and snapdragons, and all the other plants that are making the area even more beautiful than usual this year.

B to B Drip

Drip irrigation slows down weeds, saves water, and comes in lots of configurations. Try it.

G-Tips Mums

Let's take a trip back in time. Or bettter yet, a trip into the future. I'm going to show you some pictures taken last october, but a mum-- chyrsanthemum to you full word folks-- put in now, will put on a great show in the fall.
This is just getting started-- yellow middle, and a purple flower. Cool eh??
Beerget's garden has been in for awhile.
About 5 years. The rest off a mother plant.
Too much of a good thing. Problem, or opportunity.
These are too large, now I have 4 new plants.
It's hard not to have favorites.
I like this color better than the brown.
The gaden is certainly a neighborhood favorite.
Barb loves the color.
The show is great, and it's not a lot of work.
I use coffee grounds, and mint compost.
If you put in Mums, or any potted plant now, just make sure you keep it well watered. A layer of mulch will really help.

B to B Favas

In the fall I put in a cover crop. The point is to add nitrogen and organic matter to the soil. But the best cover crops also put something on the table.These are fava beans. A small space can produce a lot. They grow all winter, and if you choose the right variety- the Windsor Broad- you can add the bean portion to the table.
Pop open the pods, and cook the beans about 15 minutes.
The space under these beans will get corn put into it later this season, but if you want to expand your ornamental garden, a cover crop the year before is a good way to get the soil ready for next spring-- no matter what you want to plant.
I mention the Fava beans particularly because you can get them at the farmers markets right now.