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You may think the dog days of summer and
entrance o f fall mean gardening season is over.
You’d be wrong. For savvy gardeners, we know
autumn holds the key to success for planting
new and dividing existing perennials and even
planting vegetables for cool weather crops.
It also means the return of the self-guided
tour and celebration Le Tour des Plants. Orga­
nized by the Oregon Association of Nurseries,
the event unites 30 garden centers from the
Corvallis, Salem, greater Portland and Van­
couver, Washington areas as they open their
doors September 12-20 for special activities
and plant previews. The lineup includes three
fabulous gay-owned nurseries: Bauman Farms,
Sebright Gardens and Dancing Oaks.
I spoke with Thomas Johnson of Sebright
Gardens in Brooks. Billed as Oregon’s premier
collection of hostas, Sebright Gardens is seri­
ous when it comes to these beautiful, shade-
loving plants. They sell 500 types of hostas at
Sebright, along with 50 types of ferns, Japanese
irises and epimediums.
* “Epimediums are old-fashioned plants tak­
ing off again with all of the new hybridizing,”
says Johnson. “They start blooming so early in
the spring when there’s hardly anything else,
and when established, they’re drought tolerant.
Plus, their little heart-shaped leaves look great
with hostas.”
And hostas are what Sebright Gardens is
all about. W hile they sell 500 types, they grow
C h ic k en s
E d ib l e G a r d e n in g
D og & C at S u pply
Extend /o u r gardening season with a tour and foil crops
TO UR DE PLANTS
Gay-owned nurseries
participating September 12-20:
Bauman Farms
12989 Howell Prairie Road.
Gervais. 503-792-3524.
baumanfarms.com
Highlight: Saturday. September
19. 1-3 p.m.: Chef Dana shows you
how to make a delicious meal
with seasonal produce right from
the farm. Call to register. Class
fee: $30.
Yes. you c o n plant
edibles now!
Extend /our vegetable growing
season b/ getting starts into the
ground now for harvesting through
fall and winter. Sure, you can't grow
warm season plants like tomatoes
and eggplant, but plent/ of veggies
like beets, carrots, lettuce and
chard do well beginning in the
warm, waning da/s of summer and
carr/ on throughout our cooler fall
temperatures. I've recentl/ seeded
parsnips and carrots in a bed
cleared of spring/summer greens,
and soon we II be planting starts of
lettuce. In September, you can sew
peas, spinach and greens directl/
into the ground, and if you do it
earl/ in the month, transplants of
cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and
kale will keep you in fresh produce
this fall and earl/ winter.
over 1,000 hosta types on the grounds. John­
son is excited about their own variety, Gentle
Dancing Oaks
Giant. He says the tall hosta is “very upright.
It grows up like a vase and out, and you can
plant right up to the base.” Sounds perfect for
smaller gardens, or just a garden where you
want to maximize space.
This is the first year Sebright Gardens has
participated in Tour des Plants, and September
12-20 they’ll open for a World Garden Tour,
with plants featured from all over the globe. At
10:30 a.m. Friday, September 18, they’ll give a
hands-on demonstration about how to divide
the hostas in your garden. W hile you’re there,
pick up a new hosta to plant this autumn.
“Fall is a great time to plant hostas,” ex­
plains Johnson. “Ground temperature is still
warm enough for them to grow and thrive, and
when they come up in the spring, they’ll have
an established root, ready to take o ff” J K
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Sebright Gardens
7185 Lakeside Dr. NE. Salem. 503-
463-9615, sebrightgardens.com
Highlight: Friday. September 18.
10:30 a m.: “Dividing and Caring
for Hostas“ with owners Kirk and
Thomas. Free.
Learn more about Les Tour des
Plants and m ap out your trip to
the participating 30 nurseries:
letourdesplants. com
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O U T U A N C iN G
Cha Cha
17900 Priem Road. Monmouth.
503-838-6058. dancingoaks.com
Highlight: Thursday. September
17. 2 p.m.: “Drought Tolerant
Plants" - Owner Fred Weisensee
teaches about adding texture
and color in the garden while
conserving water with drought-
tolerant plants. Free.
everyo n e
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