Will be visiting Portland-any suggestions?

I'll be visiting son's family in Beaverton from 8/11-8/18. I'm coming from NJ. Any suggestions as to garden tours or nurseries in the area? I've been to the Rose Garden, would like something different this time. Any help would be much appreciated. I thought to myself, who better to ask than the DGers in that area. I'm ending my first month on DG and just thoroughly enjoy searching the site. There is still so much to learn. But, hey that's life. (cue the music)
Thanks all.
Jan

I don't know about gardening in the area, but if you like books I'd make a point to go to Powell's Book Store http://www.powells.com/ It's a Mecca for bibliophiles. I try to make it down there about twice a year, more often when I was going to school.

The Japanese Garden is a must....as well as the Chinese Garden in Chinatown...go there for tea in the afternoon. GREAT! I loved a restaurant called The Sauce Box - don't know if it is still there, but it isn't far from the Chinese Gardens.

Enjoy...Portland is a cool city!!!

Hi there!

There are some great nurseries in this area, and several other smaller botanical gardens as well. I'd agree the Chinese Garden is definitely worth a visit, and pretty unusual-not many cities have a Chinese garden yet. It was done in cooperation with one of Portland's sister cities in China-I think they even sent craftsmen from China during the construction. And the teahouse is very nice, too.
Here's a couple of other suggestions to get you started:
Nurseries- Cistus Nursery, Joy Creek Nursery-these are out of Portland up Hwy 30, might make a nice scenic little trip through the West Hills from Beaverton. Or, off the Barnes Road exit on Hwy 26 there's Cornell Farm nursery. It's smaller but generally has an interesting selection and nice displays.

Other Botanical gardens include the Leach Botanical Garden, Berry Botanical Garden, Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.

Hope you have a great visit!
(edit-clarity)

This message was edited Jul 29, 2008 8:40 AM

OH...there is Bovees' Nursery (I think that's the name)....famous for their Rhodies!!!!

You guys make me wanna go to Portland.

lol

zhinu, Alohahoya,susybell, and katie59,
Thank you sooooo much for the info. I knew I could count on fellow DGers. I've always wanted to go to the Japanese Garden. DS and DDIL have wanted to do some landscaping, so maybe I can help get them started. Anybody been to the salvage place in Portland? I've seen it listed in different places as being THE place to go.
I'll post after I get back to let you know where we went and what we did. However, I will be doing Grandkid stuff too. That's the main reason I'm going. My trip at Easter was cut short because of my mom's health. She is doing much better so my DH is going to take care of her that week. There is an aide that comes in the morning to get her washed and dressed so that is a HUGE help. Other people will step up as well, but I NEED this trip.
Thanks again, Jan

Besides Powell's main bookstore, they have another store that is all cookbooks and gardening books, so I'd suggest you visit that one too!

Gwen

Salvage place? Do you mean the ReStore?

Not sure, maybe. I forget where I read about a salvage place in Portland. ( the mind is going) Sorry to be vague.
What is the ReStore?
Jan

There is one in Seattle, too, I think.

http://www.pdxrestore.org/

There is a place called "Second Use" in Seattle that has used building materials. We have gotten windows from them for out outbuilding, and light fixtures, doorknobs, etc.

I think the place being referenced in regard to gardening is different. Maybe this is a place called "Recycled Gardens" which has really inexpensive plants. I never went there, but looked them up on the internet as a potential place to go when visiting my brother. He moved away from Portland before I made it out to that location.

That's a neat idea.

Is this it? Too bad, it says it's no longer "open to the public." Don't know exactly what that means . . .

http://www.poppainc.org/

Oh, Recycled Gardens-They had a big closeout sale and closed down for good I think the end of June (May?). They simply weren't making enough money for the time and volunteer effort needed to run it.

katie59 – There is a restore in Olympia too.

Good to know!!

Thanks for jumpin in mauryhillfarm along with the rest.
I really appreciate all the info. On the recycled gardens site, it said to email cuz they have some plants at an off-site location that may still be for sale. I'll check it out when I get out there.
the Restore seems to be a great idea. recycle for a great cause.
Again, thanks for your suggestions.
I'll keep everyone busy out there. Watch out here comes Gramma.
jan

Jan - I hope you enjoy your visit and get some time to play and relax. Bless your DH and other helpers for stepping in to let you get away.

Thank you katie. Yes, DH is definitely a KEEPER.
I am really looking forward to this break. My DDIL goes to a massage therapist out there and last time there, I went. WOW! Hopefully I can get another one. She worked most of the hour-long session on my shoulders. Amazing how tight they were.

Thank you all for your input. I arrived home this morning after a "red eye". Needless to say I went to bed for a few hours.
The DGKs kept me busy - Children's Museum and library.
We also looked up Recycled Gardens. If you go to the website, it tells you to email them if interested in plants. They do have some inventory left. It is at someone's house. You just have to arrange a time . There is a plant list that you can print out that show the remaining stock. We did the strip down at the curb between sidewalk and street with some groundcover - creeping phlox and something called "emerald carpet it was a rubus something ( the brain froze) sorry. mulched it and they collect rocks from Mt. Hood everytime they visit relatives so they look great. I have never dealt with clay soil before. YUCKO!!! We really had to amend it. The heat didn't help either. We worked a lot later in the evening. Oh they also went on Craig's List and located some used brick not far from their house, so I chinked off most of the old mortar, but the used look is great. They made pads for the garbage cans from the brick. It looked great when we were finished. I don't know how to do pics, but DDIL posted a pic on the NE forum under Harpers birthday #7 to show what it looked like if you are interested.
I was going to have DS dig up the whole thing, but they were told to make "clay" pots in the ground and just add amendment to the holes. We made them pretty large. I can't imagine that will work, but we will see. Like I said I'm not familiar with clay soil. Anyone else done that before?
WE also went to Cornell Farm nursery off of Barnes Rd. What a well-organized operation. The plants looked very healthy. I could have spent hours ther getting ideas. Wish I could have brought some home in my suitcase, but I only brought a small carry-on. I always bring too much and since the airline charged for even the first checked bag, I thought I would try to travel light. It worked. Besides, my DDIL had work clothes I could wear, so I was set. Mix and match and voila.
Again, thanks a bunch. DGers are THE BEST!!!
jan

Glad you're home safe and sound, Jan. Thanks for letting us know what a good time you had. You were here just in time for our unusual thunderstorms. And yes, clay is tough, a mattock is the best tool for it. Fortunately, it is generally nutritional soil - it just needs to be lightened up so little plant roots don't suffocate.

Thanks for the info about using a mattock. I'll make sure DS has one in his shed.

I've gone through a couple in the last few years. I like to sing, "I've been working on the railroad while clanking through the clay and rocks . . ."

Sounds like you had a good visit, but wow, what a hot weekend to be here and working! As far as clay, pickaxes are good, too- great if you've got rocks AND clay....and lots of pent-up stress, lol!
The clay pot idea isn't one I've ever heard-kind of seems backwards, but I'd be interested to hear how it works out. Glad to hear you liked Cornell Farm and that you were able to get some good plants from Recycled Gardens. I went to the last day of the closeout but didn't really come home with much. I'd heard that some of the botanical gardens were getting a lot of their stock and supplies so I'd assumed that everything leftover went to them.

I thought it sounded kinda backwards too, but hey, that's what her grandmother told her to do, so since GM lives with them you do what GM tells you. I will be interested to hear also.
Yes, it was HOTTT, but we managed. It actually wasn't as bad to me as a summer in NJ. Here the humidity is a killer even when it is only 80 degrees. Oh, then add the mosquitos on top of that and it is just deeelightful. I am their buffet line. I swear they wait until I come outside and then dive-bomb me. My DH can be outside aalll day working in the garage/shop/driveway and don't touch him, but within a minute of stepping outside I'm covered. It is frustrating to cover up and spray myself, but hey, I've GOT to garden. lol
Jan

Jan - some people they ignore unless there is no other food, others they seek out holes in order to get to.

Yes, Jan, our hot is nothing like your hot. I don't know how you do it.

Actually, if you make a hole bigger than what your plant will need and amend the soil in the hole, it's a quick way to get your plant into the ground. Double-digging is the best for long-term use of the bed, but sometimes there's no time. I'm still counting on amendments to encourage the worms and hoping they'll do the work for me over time.

Laura, I just need one of those people they "seek out" (warm and emitting lots of CO) to stand next to me when I'm outside. If I don't remember to deet I come in with bites all over me.

Yep, I would be one of "those people" ( sigh,). However, I'm sorry that I can't be at your beck and call katie. Now if you lived around the corner I'd be willing.
Maybe next time I'm out I could get some worms for DS. I think the next visit will be DH's. Probably at Christmas, he has 2 full weeks for Christmas break. Maybe me too, depending on my mom's health.
Again, thanks.

I think I may be one of them, as well. You don't want to volunteer for duty at my place, though, Jan. I live near a wetland and dusk at my place is a little difficult to tolerate without Deet.

I've seen one bat and wish I could re-locate a few more. I am hoping to put up at least one bat house this fall. I have the perfect location - just need to find a way to get up the tree.

Hope your mom's health improves, or at least stays steady, so that you can both visit at Christmas.

Thanks Katie.
I think we live in a similar situation. My county is pretty much marshy too. Both dusk and dawn are awful, but if you wait til it gets hot, it's too hot to work out in the sun. So we deet. rather I deet, DH doesn't have to. My DGKs around the corner also have to get slathered with stuff. It's worse for them at my house though than theirs.
C'est la vie. The bugs have to eat too. ( I just wish it wasn't me)

Yes, I think we should put that on a t-shirt. I keep thinking that same thing about the moles and coyotes.

katie....just a note on the bat house. DS put one up and ended up with a bee hive! Exterminator told them to put the house on a pulley system so they could bring it down for cleaning, etc. (and the occasional unwanted visitors).

Jan....glad you had a good get away. I look after my Mom also, DH and helpful neighbors are a blessing! I use the clay bowl method if I'm in a hurry, then work old mulch in whenever I can. Helps to break up the clay, takes a while but it works. Did you make it to the Chinese Gardens, I love that place.

I think I'm a mosquito magnet, especially if I'm sweating (which always happens in the garden). Still looking for the mosquito bracelets. Some people swear by them.

No, didn't get to the Chinese Garden, next trip. I did mention it to DDIL and she was interested.
I never heard of mosquito bracelets. I'll have to check it out.
Out here we have a shortage of bees. My DS's neighbor has a hive in his backyard.

The exterminator tried to save the hive, but couldn't get to it. That's why he suggested the pulley system. Bees are good things, but not in the bat house LOL.

I know a lot of people get bee hives in their bird houses - that makes sense about the bat house. Now if I can just figure out the pulley system . . .

My SIL gave me a citronella pin (she has the bracelets, too) and I have the ordering information. I meant to post it last night to the list. Will try to remember tonight. I like the pin idea because my hands and wrists are frequently wet and dirty. Then pin you could put on your back and keep the bugs away without having to breathe in the citronella. I think it's called a "Bug Button".

Cool idea. Have you or your SIL used it?

She's used it and says it works. I have more mosquitos, though.

Here's the information:

It's an insect repelling Bug Button.

Active ingredients: Indonesian Lemongrass Oil, Phillipine Geraniol Oil & Citronella Oils - 22%
Inert Ingredients: Polyethylene - 78%

Manufactured in China. Patent Pending.

Made by Evergreen Research in San Diego California 92192 Phone: 800-523-1256

http://www.bugbutton.com

thanks for the info