Share my passion for all things gardening!
Growing apples is a bit problematic because they are susceptible to some nasty insect and disease problems. Growing apples organically is even more challenging for the exact same reason. And yet, my husband Bill and I have taken on that very challenge in our home orchard. Why? We love the idea of eating apples that were grown without chemicals. To grow […]
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Don’t we all hate weeds? After all, they get in the way of the lovely plants we’ve placed in our gardens on purpose. I recently had a request to share some of my weed strategies, so have written a column on that very subject. Here’s a link to it in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Best weeding tools are your […]
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I am certain the most beloved of all garden flowers is the rose. And that’s not surprising, considering how beautiful and fragrant they are. Roses will be in the spotlight on Saturday (June 24) because the Spokane Rose Society will be putting on their 70th (!) rose show. It will be held at Northland Rosarium from noon to 4 p.m. […]
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Who loves going on garden tours? After all, they’re a great opportunity to stroll through some of the area’s finest gardens. The Spokane in Bloom Garden Tour is next Saturday, June 17th, and features 7 gardens on Spokane’s north side. That’s the subject of my garden column today and here is a link to it: Annual Spokane in Bloom tour features […]
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Let’s see now. In a nutshell, my garden is going to be featured on the popular PBS gardening show, “Growing a Greener World.” How’s that for news? In my column today, I explain how this all came about and what it took to get ready. Here’s a link to it in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Columnist’s garden showcased on […]
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I think I’m going to have to eat crow… or something along those lines! Last June, I wrote about pillbugs in a blog post. In it, I talked about their reputation for munching on the stems of young Cucurbits (melons, cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins). This occurs while they’re at their most tender stage. Pillbugs also have a benign role of helping […]
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Who loves a plant sale? All of us, right? In my humble opinion, the Friends of Manito have the most comprehensive collection of wonderful plants. And they all grow well in our Inland Northwest gardens. My column today is a preview of the Friends of Manito Plant Sale.It will take place on Saturday, June 3 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. […]
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On Monday, I shared some of my favorite yellow spring flowers with you. Today, let’s look at pink and purple. It seems like they are easier to find this time of year, but they sure add a lot of depth to the garden. Alliums _ Our ‘Purple Sensation’ alliums started blooming about 10 days ago and they are stunning. I […]
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In the early spring, we can’t wait to see some color, right? I’ve been noticing how much the yellow-flowering plants really brighten up my garden, especially on the dreary, rainy days we’ve been having. And that got me to thinking how nice it would be to chronicle the parade of spring flowers. So today, we’re going to focus on yellow. Note […]
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Landscape design is an important consideration when you want your garden to reflect your goals and desires. For my column today, I had the pleasure of interviewing landscape architect Barb Safranek (in photo at left). She is such a delightful lady with a very artistic eye, when it comes to gardens! Here is a link to my column: Reflect your […]
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