During my childhood years in Northern California, I often encountered families of Quail scurrying through my outdoor playgrounds. We lived in what was then a remote western town with Hwy 101 running through it. Our house was on the semi-rural outskirts of town with a hillside in front of us and a forest behind us. [...]
Late spring is such a beautiful time of year. Everything is freshly leafed out. Flowers brighten even the dullest of shrubs. Even on grey, rainy Seattle spring days the beauty of spring is refreshing and almost jarringly alive. Digging into the soil awakens scurrying beetles and various milli- and centipedes. Fat worms and young tiny [...]
J. Fullerton of St. James, MO writes, “I would like to plant the seed of a Princess Tree. Where can I get information on ‘how deep, where, and other information to make this a success’?”
Well Jim, I’ll start by saying that I haven’t grown a Princess Tree myself. As well, keep in mind that seed-grown means [...]
Yesterday I returned to Seattle from Virginia. I’d spent two weeks visiting family after speaking at the Maymont Garden Show. During that time, I was amazed by the flip-flopping weather. We went from 75 one morning to frozen ground by evening. We went from clear blue skies one morning to wind and rain that made [...]
Weeds come in many forms. They are defined in many ways. Though they may be “a plant whose virtue has yet to be discovered” (Emerson; see earlier post), they may also be dangerous to humans, livestock or the overall ecology of the area. Because some weeds fall into this more “dangerous” classification, going beyond just a [...]
WSNLA invited me to write an article for the Kplu.org and WSNLA.org information websites on the subject of gardening in the winter. Read more here if you’re interested in tips for gardening and caring for gardening tools now in order to make your garden lower maintenance for spring and summer.
btw: I have no idea who [...]
Although the temperatures in the greater Seattle area are hovering somewhere above freezing but below 50 degrees, weeds are still quietly establishing themselves in gardens throughout the area. If you can get out there and remove them now, Spring garden care will be much easier as your weed population will be significantly reduced.
Grass weeds are [...]
One of my favorite descriptions of a weed is a “plant whose virtues have yet to be discovered” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Another favorite is ”a plant that can out-compete others in adverse situations” (not sure where I heard that one). Today, for me, a weed is something I ripped from the ground and deposited into my [...]
Today I woke up unmotivated for yoga, which is really unusual for me on a Saturday morning. Granted, I had several glasses of wine with friends last night, which I’m sure contributed to my general morning laziness. So…I skipped yoga & that was a-okay today!
Bob and I had time to enjoy a big, homemade [...]