Through the Pepsi Refresh Challenge, Greg has demonstrated his passion for recycling and hydroponic growing. The Pepsi bottles serve as reservoirs for his hydroponic system, while the attached piping circulates water from the main pump, guiding nutrients to feed the plants.  As we speak, Remote Gardener’s customers are enjoying the zesty flavors of fresh tomatoes, peppers, and herbs from this season’s harvest.

When speaking with Greg about this project, he made a valuable point. Not only is recycling a main focus, but also being preventative in keeping bottles out of landfills, utilizing them for another purpose (ahem, for those of us who keep forgetting to recycle—a great reminder of what we can accomplish!) Pepsi Refresh then provided the challenge for an important cause, and Whallah—A new purpose and goal to change the world! In this case, one Pepsi bottle at a time.

Remote Gardener’s long term  goals for this project—To  educate individuals with creative ways to grow healthy food by offering gardening education to their community. Greg also plans to replicate this system and offer it to his customers. Pepsi drinkers—get ready!

Remote Gardener is gaining rank in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge, jumping from the top 25 spot to the top 20 spot last week! To show your support, you can click here http://www.refresheverything.com/remotegardener to vote up to  3 times per day, or vote through your Facebook account, Pepsi account, or by texting 106879 to Pepsi (73774) from your mobile phone.  Power Votes found on the specially marked Pepsi caps, and boxes serve as 100 votes each!

Good luck Remote Gardener—from all of us at Solexx!

Lake Grove School Greenhouse

Lake Grove Elementary in Lake Oswego, Oregon recently purchased Solexx Greenhouse Covering to use on their custom school greenhouse. During my visit to participate in their dedication assembly, I must say I was impressed by their outdoor learning environment. Lake Grove Elementary is advanced with their plans to retrieve rain water and utilize rain barrels, also using several compost bins on site. A special holder had been built to display the solar panel, as a demonstration of the activity of the fan (a solar powered exhaust fan)—direct light or the slow down from the students’ shadows. My favorite part was the outdoor classroom set up next to the greenhouse. Benches were made of logs from local trees—summer camp meets gardening, can’t get much better than that!

During the assembly the Kindergarteners and 1st Graders sang songs about growing. The entire assembly was dedicated to the new greenhouse. I could hear the excitement of 500 kids ooo-ing and aww-ing as the principal talked about plans to use the greenhouse. This experience was another testament to how Solexx will make a difference in the lives of these students—very exciting! Congratulations Lake Grove students and teachers!

Lake Grove Outdoor Classroon Seating

One of the great things about working in the gardening industry is the opportunity to connect with new gardeners. At a recent open house event, one of my favorite returning customers stopped by our Fresh-from-the-Garden Salsa demonstration booth.

She was all agog over a basket of fresh tomatoes, peppers and onions I was using to make the Salsa. I asked her how her garden was coming along. With a shy blush, she announced that she had recently made an emergency phone call to her mom, a veteran gardener.

She said, “mom, I don’t know what I am doing wrong. When I pull my radishes, I only get one at a time – not in bunches like I find them at the store.” Her mom politely explained that the farmers pick them one at a time and bundle them for the store. She said, “Oh – is it that what’s happening to my carrots, too?”

She’s learning a lot in her first year of gardening: like, it’s not necessary to plant every seed that comes in the packet of cucumber seeds. When a visiting neighbor looked in on her progress and saw her profuse plot of blooming cucumber plants, he exclaimed, “How many people are you planning on feeding?” This very petite young lady meekly replied, “Just me.” She indicated her coworkers and the food bank were very happy to receive the rewards of her innocence.

We had a good chuckle. Then looking again at my produce basket she asked, “How do you get your peppers to grow so big? Mine are very small” I replied, “What are you feeding them? With a stunned look, she said, “feed them?”

We’ve all been there!

PHIL: “I get more amazed each day at how much of a difference my greenhouse and the lights have made on my gardening experience. I won’t sell a greenhouse for food production without lights. I feel that light does more to ensure a healthy vegetable crop than heat. I love the quality of light provided by Solexx™.

I’ve had my greatest success using just two 400 HPS grow lights with ballasts on one 20 amp circuit. My electric use is minimal as evidenced by a barely increased power bill. Plant growth and fruiting are triggered by the proper amount of light and heat. In the Solexx™ greenhouse, there is plenty of light even on cloudy days, so I use less artificial light than the books recommend. The 400 watt lights are enough for the 16’ greenhouse since they are only assisting.”

How much has Solexx helped? One of Phil’s king tomatoes was 1lb 12 oz. Most of the tomatoes were in the 1lb range. “I had to stop the tomato plant when I ran out of room. Four plants yielded at least 50 lbs of tomatoes.”

What about flavor? “My family, even the kid that liked Spaghetti O’s, won’t go back to eating store bought. My wife is extremely sensitive to store-purchased vegetables. She has had allergic reactions from eating tomatoes, melon, peppers and cucumbers purchased from their local grocery store. At times, the reactions were so severe she was taken to the ER with anaphylactic shock. Yet, she is able to enjoy all of their home-grown vegetables without incident.”

Phil attributes the difference in home grown vs. store bought to the harvest and transportation process of commercially grown food. According to Phil, many of the purchased fruits and veggies are picked green, and then sealed in containers that are filled with ethylene gas to induce ripening. Phil believes the ethylene gas is what causes his wife’s reaction. “Now my wife can eat and enjoy foods that were off limits,” he happily exclaims.

 To overcome that problem, she keeps her pigs in the center of the greenhouse. She fastened boards on the inside of the inner posts and used an electric fence to keep them from tearing everything down. Venting is also really important for release the “waste” gasses. She also recommends straw bedding. Raising the pigs in the greenhouse works very well for her. The pigs and the compost keep the greenhouse warm enough to plant through the winter and they help with the air flow. She plants over their heads and around the outside of their pen. So pigs, compost and plants are a great combination! For more information, call Glenda at 1-877-476-8399 or Gwen at 715-539-9740.

When you plan your trip, be sure to allow time to see the wonderful sites around the Salem area.

The Oregon Garden

Garden Highlights
The Oregon Garden is an 80-acre botanical garden with a plethora of theme-inspired areas sure to capture the imagination of non-gardeners. The garden boasts over 40,000 annuals planted throughout the garden to add color at every turn.  Take a tram ride from the Oregon Garden Resort  to the garden for a free, informative guided tour. The tram will pass by all the major garden attractions in five stops where you can tour more of the fifteen garden areas by foot. The Conifer Garden is the crowning jewel. A friendly volunteer informed us that it will be expanded to three times its current size in the near future. Try to plan your trip to also take in a concert at the Teufel Amphitheater for evening entertainment nestled under 200 year old oak trees.
Greenhouses to Peruse
The Oregon Garden has two greenhouses on site. I like to visit other greenhouses as I’m working on prepping my own for the upcoming fall season. Before purchasing a greenhouse for your home, I recommend seeing how other types are constructed and being used. 

Warm and humid inside, the aluminum-framed greenhouse – located near the J. Frank Schmidt Jr. Pavilion – boasts a new tropical display.  It features bananas, coleus, orchids, bromeliads and more to show how tropical’s can be overwintered in a greenhouse structure. 
The market garden sports a redwood and twin wall polycarbonate paneled greenhouse housing vegetable seedlings.  The market garden has generated 2,000 pounds of produce in past seasons which is happily donated to the local food bank. Dedicated volunteers and this small greenhouse help support the local economy.
 
The Oregon Garden Resort
Relax, refresh and renew at the eleven-acre hilltop destination resort. The resort opened in 2008 welcoming guests who appreciate craftsman-style architecture complete with a lodge-like atmosphere, the Moonstone Day Spa and Garden View restaurant. The seventeen guest cottages house six individualized rooms that are large, well-appointed and appropriately garden-themed.  Overnight stays include a hot breakfast buffet, free entry into the Oregon Garden and discounts to the Day Spa. The restaurant sparkles with a spectacular view of the valley. Enjoy a romantic sunset dinner by dining outdoors or request seating on the right side of the restaurant. 
 

The Gordon House
Situated in the Oregon Gardens, you will find The Gordon House. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1957 for Conrad and Evelyn Gordon. Frank believed “a building should integrate form and function into an organic whole, blending with the site.” Built in 1964, the 2,133 square foot house was saved from destruction by the Frank Lloyd Building Conservancy. 

Frank’s revolutionary design was introduced to America on the pages of Life Magazine in 1938. During the nation’s hard economic times, the editors commissioned eight of the country’s leading architects to “design affordable houses for a family with an income in the middle range.” Wright’s Usonian design was based on a family earning $5,000 a year. Wright believed in sourcing natural materials available locally for his designs. Western cedar – too costly to use by today’s dollars – was utilized throughout the home to create unique window panels, furnishings and cabinetry.  Wright designed over 1,100 structures total throughout his illustrious career. Oregon is lucky to enjoy one right in its own backyard to still enjoy. Guided tours are $5.00 per person and must be scheduled ahead of time. An informative docent leads the tour and provides a wealth of details on the house, Frank Lloyd Wright and the original owners.

Silver Falls State Park
For the outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking and discovering waterfalls. Silver Creek boasts a nationally recognized trail system that leads hikers along the banks of Silver Creek. Canyon Trail weaves past ten majestic waterfalls, ranging from the grand South Falls to the delicate Drake Falls (27 feet). You can actually walk behind four of the falls and feel the misty, crisp spray. Pack a picnic or reserve a rustic cabin to stay overnight.

Downtown Silverton
Silverton incorporated in 1854 and is known as Oregon’s Garden City.  Stroll down the quaint, historic downtown shops and restaurants that combined can take an afternoon to explore.

The historic Palace movie theater downtown is a popular local entertainment spot on Friday nights. The town’s galleries, restaurants, and shops stay open late every first Friday with new exhibitions.

Don’t miss the Homer Davenport Days Festival in held each August held in Coolidge-McClaine Park. The festival celebrates Heart Newspaper’s political cartoonist and Silverton’s hometown boy, Homer.
Silverton Farmer’s Market
Local produce, flowers and handmade trinkets are available each Saturday from 9AM – 1PM May through October in Town Square Park on the corner of Main and Fiske Streets.
Brush Creek Playhouse
The sagging building doesn’t look like much from the outside. The Brush Creek School, located at the corner of Brush Creek and Silverton Road, was built in 1888. Take in a play featuring well-loved recognizable plays and original works during summer weekends.

Antique Powerland Museum
Up Brooklake Road from Solexx Greenhouses is the Antique Powerland Museum. Great family fun and educational opportunities abound from March through October. The museum features four major events to delight kids of all ages:
• The Great Oregon Steam-Up   July / August
• Pacific NW Truck Museum Show  August
• Smithsonian Museum Day   September
• Pumpkin Patch Trolleys    October

So Much to Do and See
A trip to the Silverton area to visit Solexx Greenhouses, The Oregon Garden and more will fill up an entire gardening-related weekend to soak in the garden city and all it has to offer. Have you traveled down to this area lately? Let us know what you would add to the weekend itinerary as a must stop.

Photos taken by Dawn and Robert Hummel.

DeepWood Estate, a well-appointed Queen Anne Victorian Mansion designed by William Knighton was built for Dr. Luke Port in 1894. Mr. Port sold the house to George and Willie Bingham in 1895.  The Bingham’s developed the grounds with roses, an orchard, grape arbor and vegetable gardens.   Alice Bingham Powell, daughter of George and Willie hired the first all female NW landscape architecture team Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver in 1930. Alice lovingly maintained the gardens personally until 1968. The city of Salem acquired the home in December 1971.  Since 2005, The Lord & Schryver Conservancy has been rehabilitating the Historic Deepwood gardens back to their period of significance. Don’t miss the Scroll garden – wrapped in intricately designed iron fencing -  it mimics the shrub and boxwood design.   The lovely, intricately designed home is situated on four manicured acres of trails and historic gardens. The museum is operated by the Friends of Deepwood, a non-profit organization. Make sure to stop and admire the densely packed Gertrude Jeckyll styled perennial border.

The lush color-themed planting is located on the East side of property backed by the signature blue-green lattice fencing designed by Lord and Schryver. The property boasts a large glass greenhouse with cactus, begonias, orchids and many tropical specimens to enjoy.

Bush House Museum
An 1878 Italianate residence that was home to pioneer businessman Asahel Bush II and his family. The house has been open to the public since 1953. It is lovingly owned and maintained by the City of Salem.  The grounds feature an old oak grove, Japanese maples and wisteria covering the porch and pergolas.

 The Bush House Conservatory
The oldest existing greenhouse in Oregon and the first one built west of the Mississippi River in 1882.  The south-facing exterior wall is lined with large cold frames used to start vegetables for the garden. A cordon apple tree planting creates a living wall on the left side of the greenhouse. The conservatory is filled with Victorian period plants.   Bush Pasture Park boasts over 90 acres filled with native oak trees, conifers and drifts of annuals. The rose garden is home to over 2,000 vintage rose collection donated by the Armstrong and Howard Rose Company, Peterson and Dering and Mrs. A.R. Tartar.
    

Salem Riverfront Carousel
A day trip to Salem is not complete without taking a ride on the hand carved carousel. The carousel features thirty two hand-carved ponies that took under four years to complete. Salem’s Riverfront Carousel project was inspired by a trip Hazel Patton took in 1996 to visit family in Missoula, Montana. While there, she visited the first old-world style carousel built in the U.S. since the Great Depression. When Hazel rode the carousel, she knew that the citizens of Salem could bring similar magic to the banks of the Willamette River. Take a quick ride ‘round and enjoy the views of the river at the same time.

Deepwood and Bush House photos taken by Dawn Hummel. 
The Lord & Schryver Conservancy provided photos of L&S, garden plan and Scroll garden.
Carousel photo provided by the Salem Carousel website.

The automated thermostat control saves on electricity by keeping the air flowing only when it’s needed most. We installed the thermostat controlled exhaust fan to the upper back greenhouse wall to work in tandem with the closeable base vents and solar powered louver opener.

Materials and Time Required
Total project materials cost averaged four hours to complete with two people and a licensed electrician.
Tools Used 
• Black sharpie marker
• Cordless power drill
• Ladder
• Needle nose pliers
• Philips screwdriver
• Ruler 
• Scrap cardboard                                                                                   
• Scrap wood
• Self-stick foam weather stripping
• Straight edge
• Tape measure
• Utility knife
• Wire strippers
• Workmate table 
Note: These steps are an overview only and should not be used specifically as step-by-step instructions. Each project will have its own unique site challenges.

Prep Work
Step 1. Before ordering your exhaust fan, visit the Greenhouse Catalog website to determine which fan size is needed for your greenhouse. Keep in mind that you need to allow extra room for the entire size of the flange, not just the opening.
Step 2. Clear inside of greenhouse to allow for maximum working space.
Step 3. Prior to beginning project, charge all cordless tools.
Step 4. Pick a clear, cool and dry day to work.

  
Marriage Counseling
Since we had initially installed the Easy-Flow Louver on the back wall, I thought it would be best to place the exhaust fan directly underneath it. Rob contested saying the air would be extracted right out the back and would not promote the ventilation I was seeking.
Instead of arguing, I consulted the greenhouse catalog and called the Solexx office. Everyone at The Greenhouse Catalog is so friendly and helpful. Brian listened attentively and suggested we place the solar powered louver opener in the front of the greenhouse. We overhead water the yard – so it made sense to keep the electrical fan at the back of the greenhouse – protected from water spray. He also advised us that since the greenhouse door is not airtight, that the fan would work best at the back of the greenhouse from a cross ventilation perspective.
TIP: When asking husband to assist with installation projects, it is best to consult the experts ‘first’ to make sure both partners are on the same page. This step will save time and aggravation.

 TIP: Lay the Solexx panel out at least one hour prior to cutting in the sun.  It will unfurl flat before measuring, marking and cutting making it easier to use.  

The aluminum greenhouse frame made it easy to move the louver opener from the back to the front. The front top panels had twin wall polycarbonate which we replaced with 3.5mm Solexx panel material. We used the front polycarbonate panels to create a template for the back to house the exhaust fan. The Solexx panel material is so easy to work with compared to the polycarbonate. The polycarbonate requires a saw with fine toothed blade (high TPI  tooth per inch) . The polycarbonate can be scored and cut with a utility knife, but is harder than the Solexx panel and more difficult to cut to size. A black sharpie marker, straight edge and utility knife are all that is required to cut the Solexx panel to size.

We had one Solexx panel left over from the initial greenhouse recovering installation this spring which came in handy for this project. When ordering Solexx panels to cover your greenhouse, I recommend ordering one additional panel to keep on hand. We keep our extra panel material rolled up in the garage.
  

  
Moving the solar-powered louver opener from the back to the front took ten minutes total. The Solexx ¾” self-drilling screws remove easily with help from a cordless power drill. With the louver opener located in the greenhouse front, I make sure to water the lawn early morning when the louvers are shut so water will not shower the interior of the greenhouse.
    

We replaced the back panel with Solexx paneling. We created a template with scrap cardboard. The template was traced with a black sharpie marker and cut out the hole for the fan with utility knife.

 
TIP: Safety first! Please make sure to hire a licensed electrician to ensure the wiring is to code. Follow the instructions provided in the K-Kontrol temperature control kit. 

In order to keep the fan quiet, we installed self-stick foam weather stripping on the inside of the aluminum frame. Positioned with the motor facing inside the greenhouse and the louvers face out, the exhaust fan fits snugly.

Putting It All Together
Once the exhaust fan was screwed into place, the thermostat installation began. The fan comes supplied with a thermostat, wires, plug and instructions required to install it. The thermostat should be mounted 5’ – 6’ off the ground. It should not be mounted where it can be affected by unusual heat, cold or direct sunlight.

    
Make sure the greenhouse electrical outlet power source is disconnected while working on the thermostat.

Strip the insulation 1” down on the yellow wire. The yellow wire is connected into the fan and thermostat. The electrical plug should feed into the same hole as the yellow electrical wire directly into the thermostat.

TIP: If the weather is extremely hot, the wire insulation may expand making it difficult to thread both wires together through the hole at the top of the thermostat. Make sure to work on a cool, dry day when wiring.

    
You will need an 110v outlet to plug the thermostat into. The thermostat should be mounted with the bulb pointed down to protect it from falling objects, dirt, etc. Installation should be checked by a qualified electrician. Once it’s been installed and tested properly, adjust the fan settings.

One more item can be checked off the list to having the greenhouse completed before fall. Once the water has been plumbed into the greenhouse we will have a fully functional space to grow and over-winter tropicals successfully for years to come.
Have you added an exhaust fan, base vents or louver opener to increase the ventilation into your greenhouse? Let us know how they are working for you.

Photos taken by Dawn Hummel.

Bringing Nature Indoors
Last year at the festival, I had the good fortune to meet Catherine Alexander, a talented botanical illustration artist. Catherine is indicative of the quality of artists that display and sell their work at the festival yearly. Catherine started at a young age in North Plains, Oregon escaping into the woods surrounding her home with a sketchbook in hand. “Nestled among the red sorrel and Oregon grape”, Catherine explained, “I drew the flowers, plants and critters that I knew and loved.”

I took a series of botanical illustration classes from Catherine this past spring.  Mixing my love of garden with a passion for art has been a deeply rewarding experience. Not only can I grow plants in the greenhouse and garden, I now look at them in a new light – as a potential subject for drawing on dreary winter days. Armed with a digital camera, Photoshop, colored pencils, acrylic paint and artists crayons I can capture the fleeting beauty of flowers and leaves forever.

Schedule a day trip down to Salem to enjoy the Salem Arts Festival next July.
Photos taken and mushroom artwork created by Dawn Hummel.