
| Classes and Celebrations---Gardening for the Way We Really Live | |
![]() Our Class Room--Photo by Joy Creek Nursery all rights reserved |
We at Joy Creek
believe that our educational classes in our gardens are an exceptionally
good way to help gardeners of all experience levels improve their
knowledge, skills and confidence for working in their gardens. Since
we started this educational program we have expanded our speaker list to
include many specialists from our local area, nationally and around the
world. Please join us by attending our classes.
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This year we focused on three
main areas of interest as we
selected speakers. First,
especially for new gardeners and for
those wanting a refresher course, we offer classes on the basics of gardening. Second,
to include all gardeners, including those who garden on patios, decks, and
even window ledges, we demonstrate the many ways to have portable
gardens. And third, we put
the spotlight on shrubs and
their valuable contribution to gardens. |
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| Sunday Classes
and Celebrations for 2011 All Sunday classes begin at 1:00 p.m. and are free to the public except as noted: Note: All our classes for 2011 are being submitted to the Oregon Landscape Contractors Board for approval for Technical Continuing Education Hours (CEH) credit toward recertification of Oregon Landscape Professional licensing. Pending approval by the O.L.C.B. we charge $10.00 per class for recording and processing attendance. A registration for credit will be available in the barn in the retail area. Please sign up and make payment prior to the start of the class. A certificate will be mailed to you during the week following completion of the class. |
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| March 6 |
BASICS --“Pruning” - Mike Smith The health and beauty of a
garden's living structure depends on thoughtful shaping
and pruning of its shrubs and tress. Mike
Smith will demonstrate how to evaluate and prune to reveal the hidden
beauty of your older trees and shrubs.
This year, special attention will be given to the pruning, shaping
and training of a large climbing rose,
different species of hydrangeas and other selected shrubs and small trees.
Be sure to bring your questions about pruning plants that suffered
damage during this past winter's November freeze.
Dress warmly, bring an umbrella and we will see you then. Mike
Smith
is co-owner of Joy Creek Nursery.
You can see his pruning handiwork throughout the nursery,
especially in the large rhododendrons around the house and behind our
lavender path and in the numerous shrubs shaped into small trees that are
grown throughout our gardens. Mike
is a passionate gardener who retired from a management job in corporate |
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April 3
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Why would you grow rows of basil in your backyard when you could plant a swath of this lush herb alongside cannas, hardy bananas and fuchsias to create a tropical-looking border by the front door? Adding edible plants into ornamental borders and mixed containers dramatically expands your plant palette and increases the productivity of your garden. Edibles can be grown alongside pathways, tucked into containers, grown up trellises, twined around tuteurs, and mixed into hedgerows and ornamental borders. They add color, texture, height, and architectural presence to your garden and you get to eat them! In this lecture Willi gives her recommendations for the best ornamental edible plants and varieties for the Pacific Northwest, share practical ideas for adding edibles into existing and new ornamental gardens, and discuss strategies for getting the most out of the vegetables, herbs, and fruit you choose to grow. Willi Galloway - As an award winning writer and radio commentator, Willi Galloway spends her days teaching people how to eat from their gardens. Willi is the creator of DigginFood, a popular gardening and cooking blog that serves up organic vegetable gardening advice, DIY projects, and seasonal recipes several times each week. Each Tuesday morning, Willi offers vegetable gardening advice (along with fellow gardeners Marty Wingate and Greg Rabourn) on Seattle’s popular NPR call-in show, "Greendays". Willi served for six years on the Board of
Directors of Seattle Tilth—a nationally recognized non-profit that
teaches people to cultivate a healthy urban environment and community by
growing organic food—and is a volunteer for the King County Master
Gardeners. She also regularly speaks at gardening events around the
country and frequently hosts workshops at major nurseries and for
gardening groups in the She is working on her first book—a food
lover’s guide to vegetable gardening that will be published by Sasquatch
Books in January 2012—and also teaches a joint gardening cooking class
with chef Matthew Dillon at the Corson Building in Georgetown. She and her
husband also host an online garden to table cooking show, "Grow.
Cook. Eat.", and she was the West Coast Editor of Organic
Gardening magazine from 2003 to 2009. After gardening for years in
containers and at community gardens, Willi now gardens at her home in Southeast Portland, |
| April 10 |
BASICS
-- “Assessing Your Garden – Sun, Soil, Water”
- Nadine Black
Consider the three basic
elements necessary for your plants to thrive.
Learn how your garden uses these elements and discover how to enhance
their effect on your plants. Nadine Black tried on many hats in
our industry - from private gardener to wholesale plant sales – before she
discovered that her real passion was helping retail customers create
gardens. At Joy Creek Nursery,
she has found a new set of hats, managing retail sales, conducting on-site
garden consultations, and teaching workshops.
Indeed, she likes to say, “I’ve been in horticulture for 20 years
and 10 of them have been with |
| April 17 |
BASICS
--“The Well-Maintained Garden: Dividing,
Downsizing & Transplanting”
- Leslie Gover
Spring is the time of renewal
It is also the time for rejuvenating the garden.
Come join Leslie
Gover - With a
plant production background from |
| April 24 |
BASICS --“Making
and Using Nature’s Bounty: Compost” -
Glen Andresen
The single most important thing a gardener can do to improve or sustain any soil is to make and use compost. It’s not hard to make and the results in your flower or vegetable garden are immense. This workshop will include tips on starting the process, what materials can be used, a realistic start-to-finish time line, and the best and easiest ways to use compost in your garden. Since 1985, Glen has
tended a 3/4-acre organic garden at a retreat center near Eagle Creek in Glen is an avid
hobbyist beekeeper, keeping approximately 50 colonies of bees – give or
take a swarm or bear attack. |
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May 1 |
BASICS --“ Ornamental horticulture is
full of words and phrases that serve as a form of short-hand.
Sometimes it’s challenging to understand a garden book, website or
catalog. For instance, have you ever wondered what “USDA climate
zone” means to you as a gardener? What’s the difference between
a hardy perennial and a tender one, and why should that matter? Does
the stated height and width mean that’s as big as it gets? What
does “cut a plant back hard” mean and why should you do it?
What is soil pH, and how does it affect what you do for your plants?
What can you expect if a plant is described as “self-sows or naturalizes
well.” And if it’s a vigorous grower, is it also invasive?
Let Jean Natter remove some of the mystery and help you become a
more confident gardener. Jean R.
Natter obtained a degree in Ornamental Horticulture during the
years she lived in Shortly after Jean moved to |
| May 8 |
BASICS
-- “Garden Fragrance Through the Year”
-- Nadine Black
Spark your
imagination and widen your experience in the garden by including a variety
of plants that offer you fragrance throughout the year. Nadine
Black tried on many
hats in our industry - from private gardener to wholesale plant sales –
before she discovered that her real passion was helping retail customers
create gardens. At Joy Creek
Nursery, she has found a new set of hats, managing retail sales,
conducting on-site garden consultations, and teaching workshops.
Indeed, she likes to say, “I’ve been in horticulture for 20
years and 10 of them have been with |
| May 15 |
Lucy Hardiman was to the garden born—and
is a fifth generation |
| May 22 |
SHRUBS -- “Rhododendrons
for Year-Round Interest” - Mike Stewart
Mike Stewart told us that
although he loves the flowers of rhododendrons, he thinks gardeners should
really buy rhododendrons for
their year-round interest. He
will point out what to look for when purchasing a rhododendron and make
recommendations for Northwest gardeners. Mike Stewart is a rhododendron expert.
Along with his wife Maria, he
owns Dover Nursery which is known for its outstanding selection of
rhododendrons, both species and hybrids.
He has been honored with the Gold Medal from the American
Rhododendron Society (ARS) -their highest award.
He is also a popular speaker who shares his professional knowledge
with the gardening public. Mike
is very active with the ARS, having been a recent International ARS
president. There are those who say that he never knows when to say
“no” in the service of rhododendrons and so he is now the Vice
President of the Rhododendron Species Foundation. Dover
Nursery, in |
| May 29 |
BASICS
--“Climbing Applications: How
to Choose an Appropriate Climber”
- Maurice Horn
There are so many climbing
perennials and woody plants to choose from that it is often hard to make a
selection. Understanding the
ways that these various plants make their vertical ascents, their cultural
needs, their ultimate heights, and their appearances throughout the
seasons should be the basis of that selection.
Maurice Horn is co-owner of Joy Creek Nursery.
He is a long-time member of the International Clematis Society and
serves on the Perennial Selection Committee and Clematis Advisory
Committee of the Great Plant Picks program of the
Elizabeth |
| June 5 |
BASICS --“Underplanting”
- Jolly Butler
The lowest levels of your mixed borders provide many
opportunities for underplanting beneath trees, shrubs and even under some
shrubby perennials. There are
many ways to do this in either shade or sun.
Some prefer a single groundcover while others prefer a more
painterly look, intermixing foliage and plant shapes to create effects.
Either way can add excitement to your garden. |
| June 12 |
Unlike traditional hypertufa troughs made with cement, which are really
HEAVY
and require several weeks to cure, polystyrene
troughs are light, fast and last for several years.
Join Christine Ebrahimi, plant enthusiast and rock garden lover, in
learning how to create these aesthetically pleasing and MOVABLE troughs
– perfect for the rock gardener or anyone interested in creating
miniature environments for special plants. |
| June 19 |
BASICS
-- “The Simple Science Behind Organics”
- Patrick Peterson & Leslie
Gover
Being
organic is all the rage these days. But
is it always the best way to go?
Understanding
the actual science behind gardening organically will help you make wise
choices. Come and join Leslie
Gover, propagator for Joy Creek Nursery, and Patrick Peterson from Marion
Ag. to explore this fascinating area of study. Leslie
Gover - With a
plant production background from Oregon |
| June 26 |
“Big
Bang Plants” Big bang plants are
extroverted plants that grab your attention and demand to be looked at –
just like that skimpy cocktail dress at a garden party.
As such, they offer a focal point in an area that needs a lift to
take it from “Ho-hum” to “Wow!”
Come and take a look at some big bang plants and learn how to use
them effectively to add drama to your garden either as container plants or
planted directly in the garden. Cocktail
glasses are not included! Burle
Mostul, Ph.D. founded
Rare Plant Research in 1987 while he was still a practicing clinical
psychologist. The nursery
started out as a hobby that eventually grew into a research nursery.
At that time, the nursery focused on the discovery, propagation and
publication of journal articles of rare and endangered plants from
tropical and temperate areas of the world.
In the last ten years, the focus has changed and Burl now seeks out
new plants from around the world and develops new hybrids for gardeners.
His latest project, with the help of his wife Cindy, has been to
construct Villa Catalana on their property near |
| July 3 |
SHRUBS
-- “Classic Hydrangeas”
- Maurice Horn
Hydrangeas go mysteriously in
and out of fashion on a regular basis. Yet they remain almost
unparalleled in the world of shrubs for the
length of their season of bloom. If
you garden on a small or large plot, in the sun, part shade or in a
woodland setting, there is a hydrangea that is perfect for your site. Explore
the different species of hydrangea, learn easy care techniques and examine
some ideal companion plants. You
will never be without a hydrangea again no matter what the fashion. Maurice Horn is co-owner of Joy Creek Nursery.
He serves on the Perennial Selection Committee and Clematis
Advisory Committee of the Great Plant Picks program of the |
| July 10 |
BASICS --“The Long-Blooming Garden:
Selecting and Caring for Plants that Will Give You Blooms Almost
All Year Long”
- Anne Marsh & Gary Fear
When
designing and buying plants for your garden, it’s important to think of
plants that bloom at different times of the year.
We will discuss a broad palette of plants for year round blooming
as well as pruning tips to prolong a plant’s bloom cycle. |
| July 17 |
BASICS
--“Small Water Features”
- Nadine Black
Having the
glint of sunlight off water in
your garden, as well as its liquid purl, is not difficult.
Nadine Black will present ideas for adding this dimension to your
garden that can be easily implemented. Nadine
Black tried on
many hats in our industry - from private gardener to wholesale plant sales
– before she discovered that her real passion was helping retail
customers create gardens. At
Joy Creek Nursery, she has found a new set of hats, managing retail sales,
conducting on-site garden consultations, and teaching workshops.
Indeed, she likes to say, “I’ve been in horticulture for 20
years and 10 of them have been with |
| July
24 |
BASICS
--“Not All Shade is Created Equal”
- Judith Jones
&
Diana
Reeck
Shade is a tricky subject
because it involves not only degrees of darkness, but, depending on the
source of the shade, it can involve degrees of dryness as well.
By understanding the type of shady environment you have, it is
possible to make an educated guess as to what plants will work in an area.
The fantastic team of Judith Jones, owner of Fancy Fronds Temperate
Fern Nursery, and Diana Reeck, owner of Collectors Nursery, show you the
possibilities of making lovely gardens no matter how dark and dry! Judith
Jones is the owner of Fancy Fronds Temperate Fern Nursery in Diana Reeck is the owner of Collectors Nursery where she has created many fine hybrids and made many exceptional plant selections. She is a keen observer of our native flora and has shared her passion with national audiences. |
| July 31 |
SHRUBS
-- “Shrubs for Later Season Interest”
- Roger Gossler
Gardeners in
the Roger Gossler
was born, raised and attended
school in |
| August 7 |
SHRUBS -- “Roses and Clematis as Ornamental Shrubs”
- Linda Beutler
Rose devotee and clematis worshipper Linda Beutler
has asked to share her knowledge about two plants she truly loves.
First, she will talk about roses - with their hips, bark and
foliage - as ornamental shrubs. From years of experience, she knows that
if you make the right selections (and there are tens of thousands to
choose from), you can have roses that provide interest for more than
just the flowering season, like any other good ornamental shrub. Linda
will share her criteria for picking the roses that work best in
organically grown mixed shrub and herbaceous perennial gardens.
And Linda says, believe it or not, there are also clematis which
can be grown as ornamental shrubs. Since
they tend to bloom during the dog days of late July and August (when most
other clematis are napping in anticipation of their autumn rebloom), this
is the perfect time to get acquainted with them. Linda
Beutler is a fearless gardener who grows a great number of
plants on a simple, flat 50’ x 100’ city lot in the Sellwood
neighborhood of |
| August
13
Saturday 6 pm-9 pm August 14 Sunday |
Twilight in the Garden -
Come and join us at our annual evening
open-house. As the sun goes
down, our gardens undergo an extraordinary transformation.
Enjoy the magic that takes place in the light of the setting sun.
Music and light refreshments. Dog Day in the Summer: An Event Just For Dogs We have always welcomed dogs at the nursery, but this
is the first time we've had a day just for them. We'll have a
round-table to discuss ideas for planting and design with dogs in mind.
Bring your problems and ideas to share. In addition, we're planning
some games and contests for dogs and their owners. Bring a donation
of pet food for the Columbia County Humane Society and come ready for fun. Conducted
by Andy Stockton and Nadine Black from the Retail Staff of |
| August 21 |
“Crocosmias
and Other Summer Bloomers”
- Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken
Meet some of
the newer and less familiar Crocosmia cultivars from Sue Milliken and
Kelly Dodson’s extensive collection as well as other perennials of
summer interest. Their focus
will be on plants that are uncommon. Some
will be downright rare but all (well, mostly anyway) are very growable in
Northwest gardens. The
workshop is rated PG for Plant Geek. Kelly
Dodson and Sue Milliken, owners
of Far Reaches Farm, have spent their lives learning about and working
with plants in nurseries and botanic gardens as well as designing and
creating fine private gardens. They
have combined their talents creating a nursery in Port Townsend which is
regarded as having the largest collection of uncommon ornamentals in the
State of |
| August 28 |
PORTABLE
GARDENS -- “Fern Tables and Tiny Shade Gardens”
- Richie Steffen
Join Richie
Steffen, curator of the Elizabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden, as he
demonstrates the principles and techniques for creating unique displays of
shade loving plants on table tops and in unusual containers.
Richie’s naturalistic style uses plants, moss and weathered wood
to form a miniature woodland garden perfect for the patio. |
| Sept. 4 |
SHRUBS -- “Neglected
Beauties: Manzanitas”
- Paul Bonine
Manzanitas
are often called “the ultimate shrub of the West.”
These evergreen beauties range in size from ground covers to large
garden shrubs. With their
lovely flush of ericaceous flowers in spring, their often attractive
fruit, their sinuous branching, and attractive bark, Paul Bonine wonders
why they are still uncommon in local gardens.
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| Sept. 11 |
BASICS -- Path Construction
- Mike Smith
Does your home site
challenge you with changes in elevation? Have you ever wondered how
professionals build paths that last for years and years? If so, then
this is the class to take to get the path you want or need. You will
see what construction methods and materials we use in building paths for
our landscape clients, from the most formal to something casual for a
woodland. This is a near
repeat of last year’s class but the construction demonstration in the
class will concentrate on building informal stone steps.
Mike
Smith is co-owner of Joy Creek
Nursery. One of the hats he wears at Joy Creek Nursery is that of head of our
Landscape Department. Mike
is a passionate gardener who retired from a management job in corporate |
| Sept. 18 |
SHRUBS
-- “Designing for Conifers”
- Susan LaTourette
Learn the
qualities and characters of dwarf conifers and come to appreciate how they
can function as shrubs in a home garden.
Susan LaTourette will share her experiences growing some of her
favorite dwarf conifers and show examples of plant combinations that can
provide year round interest. |
| Sept. 25 |
Basic container maintenance and a strong design
element are essential to having breathtaking containers throughout the
winter. Create a winter
container combination that will delight you through the cold weather
months and the year ahead. |
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