This weekend marks the 25th Annual Herb and Garden Faire at the Landis Valley Museum near Lancaster, PA. After a week filled with rain and clouds it looks like we will have perfect weather to enjoy the faire and spend time outside in the garden.

Here in the Zone 6 region of Pennsylvania, the middle of May and Mother’s Day are both recognized as a safe time to start planting out frost tender plants into the garden beds. That means that the Herb and Garden Faire couldn’t come along at a better time!

Charting Mother’s Day, Garden Fairs, and Frost Free Planting Dates

The fair is always scheduled on Mother’s Day weekend, that makes it easy to remember and also convenient for the gardener because plants purchased this weekend can go right into the garden over the following week without as much risk of a late frost coming along to create havoc.

I always look forward to this event, it’s not only one of the largest plant sales on the East Coast, but also one of the few plant sales with a focus on heirloom varieties and other rare plants that you won’t often find at local nurseries or nearby garden centers. The Herb and Garden Faire runs from Friday May 11th to Saturday May 12th. The hours are 9 am till 5 pm on both days.

What’s New at the Herb and Garden Faire this Year

There are a couple new features at the fair this year. First Mike McGrath, host of the “You Bet Your Garden” public radio show and author of several gardening books will be on hand Saturday afternoon to lecture and answer questions. There will also be a seminar in the Craft Barn exploring the history of natural dyes and their modern applications.

For more information about these special sessions and other things of interest that you’ll find at the fair, just download the event flyer from the Landis Valley Museum website. The flyer has expanded to include a welcome letter and a map of the grounds with a legend of the specific vendor locations to make it much easier to find what you’re looking for.

Plant Vendors from Across Pennsylvania and Beyond

My To-Do list includes: 1). stopping by the Happy Cat Farm booth to see what interesting heirloom pepper plants they are offering this year, 2). picking up a few heirloom tomato seedlings from the students at Manheim Central’s Ag-Ed Program, and 3). checking out the grafted antique fruit trees over in the Backyard Fruit Growers area.

I’ll also make the rounds to explore what all of the vendors have to offer in the way of plants, trees, crafts, and other items of interest to the gardener. This year’s list shows vendors coming in from all across the state of PA and others traveling in from VA, CT, MD, DE, WV, and NY. If you are nearby it will be a great opportunity to join in and pick up some great plants for this season in the garden!

I stumbled unto the Portland Homestead Supply Company earlier this spring during a visit to Portland, Oregon. What first caught my attention was a rack of vegetable and herb plants that were on display right out in front on the sidewalk.

From there I noticed crates containing small livestock like chickens and ducks, and knew that I would have to take a peek inside to find out just what was in store with this unusual business that was surrounded by more typical small town shops, restaurants, and even a small micro-brewery.

Exactly What is a Homestead Anyway

Once inside I had to rub my eyes to make sure I was seeing clearly, on the right was a guy with a strange bird tucked under his arm, above in a loft-like room were people checking out fermenting crocks and food preservation equipment, and out back was a manger with a pair of goats posing as if they were local celebrities.

That was when the words “Portland Homestead Supply Company” sunk in and I realized exactly what it was that I had stumbled onto… you just don’t find many places like this out on the East Coast, and that’s a shame!

Growing up I thought a homestead was something that had to do with taxes and legal exemptions on property, when I left D.C. and moved to an organic farm I discovered that a homestead referred to living off the land, growing your own food, and self-sufficiency. In this instance homestead supply refers to a place where urban homesteaders go to purchase stores, attend unique classes, and gather together to talk about everything from agriculture to canning, and from cheese-making to wine pressing.

Make It, Grow It, Preserve It, or Domesticate It!

The Portland Homestead Supply Company offers all that and more to a mix of city slickers and country folk that all share an interest in a slower pace of living and larger degree of self-sufficiency. If you want to make it, grow it, or domesticate it, instead of buying it, this is a place to get the knowledge and supplies to help you start out.

You’ll pick up on the friendly, laid back, and accommodating vibe as soon as you enter the place. As you wander around you’ll rub elbows with wide-eyed newcomers just learning the basics, and also experienced veterans to the homesteading scene who are happy to chat and share their knowledge with anyone who’ll listen.

On the livestock front urban homesteaders will find goats, chickens, and other animals that are more commonly found on country acres rather than city blocks. I still can’t forget the unusual sight of those odd goats that stood on the wall out back as if they were hanging out on a rocky ledge.

Day-to-Day Activities of the Urban Homesteading

Of course gardening is a big part of any homestead and the Portland Homestead Supply Company stocks a range of seeds, plants, tools, fertilizers, and information in the form of books and magazines to help start and manage a large vegetable plot.

Before harvest times you can pick up canning supplies or take a class to brush up on your canning technique. I also noticed one of the glazed fermentation crock that has been on my wish list for a very long time. If you’re not familiar with fermentation as a food preservation method just think pickles or sauerkraut, then substitute just about any other garden vegetable into this low-tech food storage method.

Fermentation is touted for the nutritional benefits that the natural occurring bacteria and microorganisms offer in the diet. I’m more intrigued by the possibility of preserving food over extended periods without the need for any electrical usage in the preservation process.

Homesteading is definitely an empowering and self-sufficient lifestyle that more people are trending towards for a variety of reasons. And there is a good deal of charm and satisfaction to be gained by utilizing old-fashioned skills and your own resources to do things like make herbal soaps, bake bread with grains you grind yourself, can homegrown produce, or make candles with wax from your beehives!

Last fall I wrote an article detailing my first attempts at growing baby ginger in the home garden. It was a big surprise to see how well the crop did in spite of the fact that I didn’t faithfully follow all of the cultural instructions as outlined by East Branch Ginger.

Well I was in for another surprise from a few potted ginger plants that were raised outdoors in containers during the summer and moved indoors for the winter. They seemed to do fine for a while and then suddenly went into a rapid decline. I’ll admit that I don’t do well with house plants and seldom offer them the amount of attention that they require.

Learned Something New about Potted Ginger’s Life Cycle

So I wasn’t shocked that the potted ginger plants didn’t make it out alive through the winter months indoors. What did surprise me was when I walked past the containers last week and noticed something strange… yep, there was new growth and spiky shoots coming up to proclaim that the plants hadn’t died after all… they merely went dormant.

That was the last thing that I would have expected, especially considering that the soil was all dry, cracked, and crusted over because the containers hadn’t received a drop of water for months, and ginger plants had to be unhappy with the humidity and light levels within the house.

I’ve witnessed similar miracles, like a Bay tree that recovered after all the leaves dried and went completely brown, but revived months later when it was moved outside to the patio. But the rebirth of the potted ginger was an even bigger surprise that I would have never expected to happen.

Adding to All the Great Reasons that I Love Ginger

I can chalk up another one to the list of things that I love about growing ginger: it’s easy to grow, extremely productive, tasty, nutritious, and it’s smart enough to shut down and then recover when conditions warrant! I’ll have to check with Susan over at East Branch Ginger to see if this is normal behavior or just a lucky occurrence in my case.

The first thing that I did to welcome the plants back was to give them a good soaking of water. Next up, I’m preparing a special plant cocktail of THRIVE and Poo Peas to give a boost and help them along. Later I’ll have to decide whether to keep these plants inside; where they’ll likely be subjected to more abuse, or to move them outdoors once the weather warms up.

I’m sure their odds will be better and they will be happier if they make the move outside, but either way I’ll keep you posted on how these miraculous ginger plants continue to perform!

The second stop during my trip to Portland, Oregon was to visit the Bee Thinking retail store located just a short drive outside of the city. I was familiar with their operation since that is the source that I used to purchase the top bars that went into my homemade beehives.

Matt Reed and his wife Jill, who own Bee Thinking had always been helpful with any questions that came up, and I have been impressed by their selection of products. So when Pennington Seed invited me to visit the area I also made plans to stop by and check out the Bee Thinking outlet and meet with Matt.

Bee Thinking, a Great Resource for Top Bar and Warre Beekeepers

There are plenty of beekeeping supply and hive woodenware businesses, but only a few that specialize in Top Bar, Warre, and other alternative hive designs. I use both the common Langstroth and the unusual Top Bar styles, and I can tell you that it’s definitely more of a challenge to locate equipment, accessories, and mentoring for top bar and Warre beehives.

When I was debating between building my own or purchasing a ready-made hive I shopped around for quite a while in search of a good supplier and Bee Thinking was one of the companies that I stumbled upon. Now I’m seeing many more options out there but I would still strongly consider Bee Thinking if I were to purchase a top bar hive.

During my visit Matt showed me around the shop and we spent about an hour talking about bees and beekeeping. While I expected the discussions to focus on alternative beehives, we actually spent a lot of time talking about a common wild alternative… the bumblebee and ways to raise and care for them.

Paying Attention to Bumblebees and other Native Pollinators

That conversation began when another gentleman wandered in and mentioned that he had extensive experiences catching native bumblebees and building boxes for them to nest in. It was very interesting to hear about his successes with bumblebees and to learn more about the habits and life cycles of these native pollinators.

I had an experience of my own last summer when the bottom of my compost pile didn’t get turned at all after I realized that there was a colony of bumblebees nesting there. But I had still never entertained the thought or possibilities of actually raising a box of somewhat domesticated bumblebees in the garden. No, they won’t produce honey but they would be another welcomed pollinator!

It’s funny how things like gardening and beekeeping can change your perspective and the way that you look out at the environment. Now that I’m keeping bees I pay attention to plants and flowers that weren’t as important to me before, but now I even tracking their blooming times because they serve as vital forage plants for the bees.

I also notice so many more bees in the landscape, from the solitary bees that nest in every crevice around the house that they can squeeze into, to the bumblebees in that compost pile, and all the tiny unidentified bees that I see flying throughout the garden. I don’t know if I’ll ever try my hand at catching and raising a bumblebee queen, but I will do all that I can to make my backyard inviting and hospitable to any bees that come visiting!

Alternative Beekeeping Workshops and Information

Back in Portland, I picked up a cool little book titled “Befriending Bumble Bees, A Practical Guide to Raising Local Bumble Bees“ while I was at Bee Thinking, and also checked out other titles that are stocked on the shelves there along with the DVD’s and other information to help beekeepers.

There are beekeeping books listed on the Bee Thinking webpage but you’ll find even more in stock if you stop by the store. Another title that I was interested in was the “Bee-Friendly Beekeeper” by David Heaf, which focuses on alternative beekeeping methods including Warre hives and foundationless systems.

The Bee Thinking website offers lots of good information and a forum area where you can ask questions or post comments to get feedback from Matt and other forum members. Matt also mentioned that he will be speaking at the Mother Earth News Fair in Puyallup, Washington that takes place in early June.

The only disappointment that came of my visit to Bee Thinking was realizing that I was in town on a weekend when there were no classes in progress. Matt teaches various workshops on top bar and Warre beekeeping that cover everything from getting started on through to daily management tasks that would have been great to attend.

Bee Thinking Retail Top Bar and Warre Hives and Products

The top bar hives on display at Bee Thinking looked beautiful and if I had it to do over I just might take that route rather than to build my own. I love my top bar hives and they work great but the tolerances and fit aren’t quite what you would get from a commercial hive that was constructed at a mill.

One neat feature of their hives is the hinged roof which allows you to access the interior without struggling to lift and remove the roof. They are constantly tweaking and refining the design and features of their hives as well. Matt shared a few interesting ideas and options that are in the works and may be offered in the near future.

One of their latest product introductions was the top bar nuc hive. I purchased one last December to use as a swarm trap, to try my luck at over wintering a small nucleus colony of bees, or as a way to keep a spare queen on hand for emergency situations.

Well that wraps up the Pennington Seeds, and Bee Thinking stops on my tour of Portland, Oregon, next up is coverage of an impromptu visit to a friendly spot that brought back memories of life on an organic farm during my early days of living on and off the land.

A few weeks ago I wrote about my trip northwest to visit Pennington Seed and to check out the green scene in the Portland Oregon area. I had a great time and this week I’ll share more details; beginning with the first stop at Pennington’s grass seed research, testing, and packaging facilities.

Pennington is primarily a grass seed company devoted to continuously improving on the quality of grasses that are available to all growers. Their research programs have extended into the development of grasses with finer blades, deeper root systems, and darker color. Those qualities may not seem very important until you consider that these traits each contribute to a better looking lawn that’s also easier to care for.

Pennington’s Focus on Offering Customized Regional Seed Mixes

Other qualities that Pennington has emphasized include disease and pest resistance, and creating grass seed varieties that can be grown and maintained with less water usage. They are involved in every aspect from development and production through to distribution, which enables Pennington to produce special mixes and custom seed blends for specific regions.

One such regional grass seed is a Pennsylvania State mix that is designed specifically for the region that I live in. Other regional blends include a Northeast and a Midwest mixture for those areas of the country.

If you’re shopping and don’t see a Pennington grass seed labeled specifically for your area, you are still assured of purchasing the proper variety mixture. That’s because Pennington grass seed is packaged and distributed based on supplying seed types that will grow well in localized areas.

The facility tour included a trip to the packaging plant where the different types of grass seeds are brought in and blended to precise proportions. The end result of all this effort and record keeping is a customized mixture of grass seeds that are designed specifically for the particular growing regions and lawns where Pennington seed is stocked on store shelves.

A Leader in Grass Seed Research and Development

Terms such as “Smart Seed,” “Penkoted,” and “MYCO Advantage” reflect the research and development that Pennington has devoted to innovative processes within the grass seed industry. A visit to the research branch enabled me to tour the trial grounds, greenhouses, and seed labs. I also had the opportunity to speak with operations personnel and plant researchers to address any questions that came up along the way.

As one researcher noted during a presentation on growing grass; “without good genetics you’re going to have problems.” That’s why Pennington puts so much effort into locating and identifying genetically strong species of grasses to use in producing their grass seed products.

This emphasis on good genetics yields grass that will be more naturally resistant against many of the problems that the average homeowner may encounter in their lawns.

On the trial grounds we walked across turf that would raise the envy of many professional groundskeepers, and in the laboratories we took a look at some of the research being conducted to help control various fungus and diseases that affect grasses. Over at the greenhouse I was intrigued by the root study tables containing long transparent tubes that allow researchers to evaluate and observe root growth deep down within soils.

Conversations that I found to be the most interesting dealt with Pennington’s emphasis on producing seed with high quality genetics that will form a solid foundation in the lawn, their awareness and work toward addressing water conservation concerns, and the discussions related to reduced chemical and fertilizer usage. They also talked about the importance given to meeting customer needs related to issues such as wear, cold, salt, and shade tolerance within lawns and landscapes.

Stepping toward a More Sustainable Lawn

I’ll admit that my lawn doesn’t benefit from a conventional feeding or weeding routine, that dandelions are welcomed, and that I purposely sow clover in along with the grass to increase nitrogen and provide forage for the honeybees!

But my yard does include large grassy spaces that would consist of bare ground or eroding paths if they weren’t protected and covered by a carpet of green grass. I’m also surrounded by borders of grass in adjoining lots… the majority of my neighbors aren’t gardeners but every one of them grows and maintains grass.

So I can definitely appreciate Pennington’s efforts to breed grass that is easier to care for, resistant to diseases, and that requires less water to maintain. Grass will continue to be used as a common and popular ground cover, so why not choose seed that is genetically strong, that displays natural resistance, and that can also thrive on less when it comes to water usage and fertilizers?

Another thing that I was impressed to see at Pennington Seed was their use of beneficial mychorrizal in the MYCO Advantage line, these types of organisms have been increasingly recognized for their importance and the role they play in plant and soil health.

Finally, one of the researchers also mentioned that they had discontinued all use of chemical pesticide controls in the greenhouse that we visited. The results experienced were an increased level of control at a reduced expense upon implementing the biological controls. And it was pretty cool to see the obvious presence of beneficials like praying matids patrolling around the greenhouse!

Next up on my tour of the Portland area is a stop at the Bee Thinking store, but I’m not done with grass seed just yet. Later I will have specific tips to share that I picked up at Pennington Seeds related to keeping your lawn green and healthy all summer long.

Pennington Seed, Inc. and their parent company Central Garden & Pet partnered with bloggers such as me to help educate us all about grass seed. As part of this program, I received compensation and was hosted by the company for a kickoff event. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the use of the products. Central Garden & Pet believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Central Garden & Pet’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Here’s a quick look at some of the plants that are growing in the garden this springtime. Most of these early risers are perennials, with a few biennials and even hardy annuals that over wintered and will soon run to seed.

Thanks to the shorter and warmer than usual winter things are flowering a bit ahead of schedule and growing faster than normally for this point in the spring season. There are also less hardy crops like Swiss Chard that are making surprise appearances after surviving an extremely mild winter.

A Look at What’s Growing in the Veggie Garden this Spring

Artichokes – This is the first time that I have actually experienced globe artichokes surviving the winter and returning with absolutely no cover or protection. The cardoon plant also made it through without damage.

Purple Asparagus – They are still growing rather slowly but the asparagus spears have yielded their first harvest of what will become the first season of full production from the new bed.

Oyster Plant – A medley of salsify, scorzonera, and leeks, with burdock root in the background. Salsify and scorzonera have become perennials in my garden and are always allowed to flower and attract beneficial insects.

Leafy Greens – Led by an assortment of kales, hardy greens can always be relied upon to over winter successfully and provide some of the earliest fresh produce from the spring garden.

Strawberry Blossoms – This photo from the perennial edible bed shows how well the strawberries are doing. The plants are covered with those tiny flowers that will soon turn into big, sweet, and luscious berries.

Sea Kale – An unusual and rare perennial edible here in the US but more popular in Europe. I’ve been treating this one more as an ornamental, and enjoy the unusual shapes, textures, and color.

Yarrow – A medicinal and perennial herb plant that is considered a great companion in the vegetable garden and attracts many beneficial insects. It is also often planted strictly as an attractive ornamental.

Blueberries – These are loaded with blossoms this year and have been drawing a lot of attention from local bumblebees. I’m anticipating a productive harvest and hoping that the birds haven’t noticed the bountiful crop.

Rhubarb – Another low maintenance edible perennial that also makes for a beautiful landscape plant. The red stalks will be ready and waiting to join the fresh strawberries to create some interesting desserts!

Mustard Flowers – Way ahead of the other greens, the mustard plants have been in full flower and keeping the bees busy for weeks already. I’ve started removing these plants but will leave a few just for seed.

We all appreciate the health benefits of eating fresh homegrown veggies, but have you considered implementing techniques to actually boost the nutritional value of the produce that is harvested from your garden? It always seems to revolve around paying less attention individually to plants, and focusing more attention on the soil as a whole and living element! The following post about growing more nutrient dense vegetables is a guest article written by Phil Nauta, who shares innovative vegetable garden tips and ideas over at the SmilingGardener.com website.

Kenny does a great job of writing about interesting veggie gardening tips. I know he and I are on the same page when it comes to wanting to grow food that is full of nutrients, in order to help us and our families and friends be as healthy as possible.

We call it “nutrient-dense” food. It’s relatively easy to grow food, but to grow exceptionally nutritious food takes a little more effort. As I sit contemplating the garden this year, here are 3 main factors I will focus on to achieve this goal:

1. The Soil Food Web.

Here I’m referring to the organisms that live in and on the soil. That includes plants and small animals, but especially beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. While they’re mostly too tiny for us to see without a microscope, they make everything happen in the soil.

They rearrange the soil particles to make it suitable for plants. They even directly feed plants and protect them from predators. That’s why my goal in the garden is increasing the health and diversity of these organisms (if you’re interested, here’s where I discuss why it’s necessary to actively get involved in improving our soil food web).

The main way to accomplish this is through well-made, aerobic compost. Most gardeners know that compost supplies nutrients and organic matter, but just as important is the beneficial microorganisms it brings into the soil.

In the last couple of decades, we’ve also been getting into microbial inoculants such as aerated compost tea and effective microorganisms. They don’t offer the wonderful organic matter of compost, but they do have the advantages of being very inexpensive to acquire and fast to apply. Plus, they can be sprayed onto leaves, where we also desperately need microorganisms.

2. Supplementing Nutrients.

If you’re interested in being as sustainable as possible, you probably like to get as much of your fertility from on-site as you can. Compost is the best for this, and cover crops are useful, too. But occasionally, especially during the first couple years of a new garden, it’s necessary to bring in some organic fertilizers to help out.

In a new garden, the soil is often poor and needs a little help. You can let nature fix this soil over the course of hundreds of years, or you can intervene and make it happen in a few years. That’s why we compost, too. A compost pile isn’t a natural thing, but it does quickly help create more natural conditions in the garden.

So supplementing nutrients includes mineral fertilizers such as calcitic lime and rock phosphate that you only use when a soil test tells you that you need them. It also includes some broad-spectrum fertilizers such as kelp and sea minerals to make sure your plants and soil food web have all of the micronutrients they need. All of these fertilizers help get the nutrients into your food.

3. The Boring Stuff.

It’s easy to get caught up in the fascinating world of compost tea and sea fertilizers and then forget the basics, which are often more important. For example, watering is kinda boring, but providing proper water is more important than any compost or fertilizer because every living organism needs water, nearly every day. That means you have to water the whole soil surface, not the just the plants, because all of the important beneficial organisms need water in order to do their jobs.

It also means mulching the soil with appropriate materials like leaves or straw. Keeping a moist, organic mulch layer is a big goal for me, as is keeping plant cover. As much as possible it’s nice to have a cover crop growing over winter in the vegetable garden, and ground covers in your ornamental gardens.

And then it’s all the other little things: Choosing healthy seed and plants. Planting them properly, in the right location, at the right time of year. Keeping an eye out for pests, which only come when your plants are unhealthy and in need of some care.

Keeping these 3 tips in mind, you can grow food that is much more nutritious than food from the grocery store. It takes a few years to build up the soil and soil food web to the point where it will promote this nutrient-density, but it’s definitely worth it.

Any questions about growing more nutrient dense vegetables? Feel free to ask below.

Phil Nauta is a SOUL Certified Organic Land Care Professional and author of ‘Building Soils Naturally’ to be released by Acres U.S.A. this spring. He has taught for Gaia College and been a director for The Society For Organic Urban Land Care. He holds a Certificate In Organic Landscape Management from Gaia College, a Certificate In Sustainable Building And Design From Yestermorrow, and a Permaculture Design Certificate. He ran an organic landscaping business and an organic fertilizer business before starting Smiling Gardener to teach innovative methods for organic gardeners.

Last week’s excursion to Portland was my first visit within the state of Oregon, but I’m already planning a return trip. This visit came about thanks to Pennington, who invited me to a Seed Summit which included a tour their plant, research labs, and trial grounds in Albany, OR where they research and test the grass seeds they produce.

Other travels have taken me to the west coast before, but never within Oregon, and I was surprised by what I found and how much I enjoyed the visit. It’s a very green state in many ways with a thriving network of organic farmers, an unusual mix of growing regions, and the ideal conditions that make Oregon the grass seed capital of the world.

Pennington: The Grass Seed People

I was familiar with the name Pennington and have purchased their grass seed blends from local suppliers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s, but now I better understand of what goes into producing a reliable grass seed, and what it takes to maintain a healthy lawn. I haven’t abandoned my goal of expanding the square footage of my gardens, but grass will continue to fill an important role in the landscape.

One of the things that I found to be surprising was Pennington’s focus on water conservation and their quest to develop grass varieties that will use far less water resources. Even to the point of addressing some popular myths and bad cultural habits, like the practice that many homeowners have of increased watering to try and prevent lawns from turning brown during periods of drought.

Pennington’s answer to that dilemma has included the production of a “Smart Seed” line that not only requires less water, but also stays greener longer during extended periods of drought. This helps by eliminating the natural reaction to reach for a garden hose and water lawns that are browning and going dormant during periods of drought. I learned a lot about grass seeds at the summit and will have many more tips and techniques to share that will benefit your lawn this season.

Other Points of Interest In and Around Portland

Portland is a bustling city that has its share of cars and motor traffic, but there is also a hip mix of light rail, street cars, buses, and bicycles being used to travel about town. The cabbies got me once for a forty dollar fare from the airport when I arrived in town, but that will never happen again now that I know five dollars will get you a full-day pass that’s good on all zones of the city’s public transportation system.

The taxis did come in handy for venturing further outside of the city such as when I headed out to Bee Thinking to visit with Matthew Reed and talk about Warre and Top Bar Beekeeping. I’ve corresponded with Matt via phone and email, and have purchased beekeeping supplies from his company in the past. Bee Thinking is located in a small community just off of a street lined with unique shops and businesses that included a micro-brewery and a homesteading supply store.

I spent an hour speaking with Matt and another gentleman who just happened by and shared his experience at catching bumblebee queens and introducing them into homemade bee boxes. Then there were a couple hours spent wandering around the neighborhood and checking out the other local businesses. I received tips on places to visit in the area that included a number of organic vegetable farms, and a popular plant nursery that operates a mobile store with stops in the area.

Tastes of the Town from Gourmet Food to Local Attractions

My last day in town was spent sightseeing and exploring the city. I hopped on the light rail and rode out to Washington Park where I spent time on the hiking trails at Hoyt Arboretum. It seems like you can always find green things growing in Oregon, but the arboretum was particularly lush and flowering in spite of it not yet being into spring.

The food in Portland was incredible with lots of fresh, organic, locally farmed produce featured in many of the city’s restaurants. Portland is also a haven for vegetarians and vegans as most eateries provide extensive menu selections that cater to the meatless crowd. There’s also the new food cart phenomena that’s been adopted in Portland and attracts diners to sample a wide variety of ethnic and gourmet cuisine.

I’ve already decided that I will return to Portland at some point, and any future visits to the area will include time to search out and visit some of the many organic farms and local homesteads. There’s also the Japanese Gardens, Trailblazers basketball, more great restaurants, and other local attractions that would be great to experience.

Greener Lawns Coming to a Landscape near You

I’m planning future posts that will delve deeper into aspects of trip, especially as it relates to what I learned about grass seeds and maintaining a healthy lawn. The Seed Summit was also covered by writers from the following DIY websites: Building Moxie, Charles & Hudson, Handy Guys Podcast, Hoosier Homemade, Man Made DIY, My Repurposed Life, Pretty Handy Girl, Sawdust and Paper Scraps, and The Shabby Creek Cottage.

So if your lawn is struggling, or you have questions related to growing better grass in the backyard landscape, stay tuned for more coverage on Pennington, the Seed Summit, and other exploits during my recent trip to Portland, Oregon.

Pennington Seed, Inc. and their parent company Central Garden & Pet partnered with bloggers such as me to help educate us all about grass seed. As part of this program, I received compensation and was hosted by the company for a kickoff event. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the use of the products. Central Garden & Pet believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Central Garden & Pet’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.