By Lisa Albert, Sunset guest writer
Ask me my favorite time of year and I’ll enthusiastically answer, “Fall!”
Since I was a child, I’ve loved what autumn brings: harvest-colored leaves, crisp, cool air, wool sweaters and rosy cheeks, yellow #2 pencils and blank notebooks (my children don’t relish this as much as I did), and walks through leaves that crunch under my feet. Years later, my gardening soul has another reason to cherish fall.
It’s a fabulous time to plant!
The soil is warm, dry, and easily workable. Planting now won’t destroy soil structure like working in water-logged, spring soil does, and it gives my new treasures a chance to settle in over the winter, watered in by nature and ready to spring (pun intended) forth next year. It amazes me that more people aren’t aware of this window of perfect gardening weather.
That’s changing, thanks to the efforts of the Oregon Association of Nurseries and its cadre of 49 garden centers who are gearing up for their 3rd annual Le Tour des Plants gardeners’ excursion. During the nine-day event from September 13th to 21st, retail nurseries—and a few wholesale nurseries—from Woodland, Washington to Eugene, Oregon entice visitors with special activities, display gardens, seminars, plant deals, and more. Here’s a small sampling of the treats in store (visit the website for more information).
Terra Nova Nursery, a wholesaler in Canby, Oregon, is famous for an ever-increasing variety of fancy-leaved Heuchera, Heucherella, Begonia, Brunnera and, and, and—you get the picture. They breed great plants. Although rarely open to the public, they will open their display gardens Saturday, September 13, from 9 to 3.
A not-to-miss display garden never before opened to the public is the 10-acre J. Frank Schmidt Jr. Arboretum, 9500 SE 327th Ave, Boring, Oregon (near the intersection of Bluff & Altman Roads). The arboretum will be open Saturday, September 13, from 10 to 3.
During the ’07 event, avid gardeners listened as Maurice Horn, co-owner of Joy Creek Nursery in Scappoose, Oregon, generously shares his knowledge. Horn will speak on low-water gardening, Sunday, September 21, at 1. Be sure to save time to wander their display gardens and plant shop from their amazing selection.
Join in, you won’t regret it! But don’t take my word for it. Read what I wrote about last year’s event:
Talk about popular. In just its second year, people have turned Le Tour des Plants into a verb. “We’re out Le Tour des Planting,” a young woman was overheard saying on her cell phone as she shopped with her family at Larsen Farm Nursery in Hillsboro on Sept. 15, the opening day of the event.
Even Google took longer than that to become an action word.
Shameless plug: While you’re out Le Tour des Planting this Saturday, September 13, please come hear me speak about “My favorite conifers” at 11 at Al’s Garden Center in Sherwood.
