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Summertime, and the living is easy. Only in a Broadway show, my friend, only in a Broadway show.

I’m hearing that the productions going on right now in gardens and on terraces and patios all over Portland rival those of stage and screen. Not since Liz and Richard shot “Cleopatra” have so many scenes run overbudget.

Oy! It’s garden party time, and the social pressure is enormous. The garden looks like this but once a year, and people are spending whatever it takes to pull it off in grand style. The economy may be down, but people seem to be willing to spend money in ways they enjoy most: having friends and family over for food, drink and garden diversion.

How can you tell? Walk into any garden store on any given day, and you’ll find people rushing around trying to put a last-minute arrangement together. The guests are coming, the menu is planned, and you realize you’ve got a big honking hole in the patio.
Panic time. It may be a $500 ceramic pot or a $30 centerpiece, but it’s one more thing you’ve got to throw together — and in a hurry. So let me save you some antacid by sharing a few tips.

If you don’t have much to spend, hit the big retailers first. You know, the Wal-Marts, Bi-Marts, etc. Almost everything goes on sale this month. You can pack a huge terra-cotta pot full of all different varieties of coleus (sun and shade plants grown mostly for their outrageous velvety leaves), and your guests will think you’re a genius for less than $10!

If you want something more unusual and have more money to spend, then you have more options. Visit Portland Nursery on a weekday, preferably right when they open, before the rush. Or ask to see some arrangements already put together by Margie McDonald on the design team. I tell you, the woman has an eye.

When you’re in a hurry, imitation is more than flattery, it’s a timesaver! Better yet, find a garden center that’ll do all the work for you. Some will. One of the best-kept secrets around is a fabulous nursery out in Tualatin on Southwest 108th Avenue called the Garden Corner.

Here’s the deal, you buy a big pot and the plants. They’ll put it all together and deliver it free of charge anywhere in Portland. Voilà! That should set the stage nicely, don’t you think? And with that kind of help you can party till the petals drop.

Here are a couple of other trends for this summer’s get-togethers:

• Black planter pots
• Glass garden art
• Copper and stainless steel garden torches
• Anne Jaeger’s gardening program