Thanksgiving week was spent on the west coast visiting our daughter and son-in-law. I always enjoy seeing other parts of the country and while we were on the west coast we took a side trip to Eugene, Oregon to visit a friend of my husband’s. They’ve known each other since the age of four! He is an arborist and an avid gardener. It was fun to tour his garden and see how things grow in Oregon. I had no idea that this part of Oregon had such a mild climate. Eugene is the second largest city in Oregon and is home of the University of Oregon. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, about 50 miles east of the Oregon coast. Temperatures are pretty moderate; the average low in the winter is just above freezing. Summer temperatures average in the 80s.
After leaving Vermont where my garden is put to bed I was surprised at the number of vegetables still growing in this west coast garden! There were still tomatoes on the vine!
Lots of kale, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots not to mention raspberries still available for picking!
There was even a Myer Lemon with lots of fruit growing in their garden! I was quite impressed. The dirt in the garden was rich, dark soil with not very many rocks. Quite a bit different from my Vermont garden!
While we were touring the gardens our friend showed us how to create a simple row cover using hog panels! Each panel was cut to form about a six foot section with the side cut to form prongs which stuck into the garden. The panel was then formed into an arch and would be tied to stakes which were placed in the ground. It could then be covered with plastic to protect your plants. Very simple and quick! I’m going to have to give it a try next year. It was such fun to have a tour of a west coast garden! We even had time to take a hike on a nearby butte. Very educational to hike in the woods with an arborist, I look forward to visiting our friends again!
Nancy on the Home Front 