Share my passion for all things gardening!
If you live in a northern climate, I hope you haven’t planted your tomatoes from seed yet! Yes, it’s easy to get excited but it’s still too early. I used to start my tomato seeds indoors in early February. I figured the plants need to be large and robust before planting them out into the garden in mid-May. I quickly […]
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Well, today’s an exciting day: my first column of the 2016 garden season runs in The Spokesman-Review! Here is a link to it online: Getting grounded. You can also read my column below. I know you like to be on top of the latest garden news, right? The topic is cool and exciting new vegetable varieties. I only had room to […]
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Dear gardening friends, I am so grateful to you for your support and enthusiasm. I thought you might like to take a peek into my garden so you can see where all of my post material comes from! I live on five acres in Spokane County. My husband and I have lived here for nearly 26 years ago, which I […]
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As gardeners, we aim to thwart insects and plant diseases, right? Well, one of the best tools we have is vegetable crop rotation. I know, crop rotation sounds like something farmers do, not small-time gardeners. And yet it makes a huge difference no matter what size your garden is. Why is it so important? Certain insects and diseases are common […]
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In 2014, my friend Pat Munts and I wrote the book, “Northwest Gardener’s Handbook,” for Cool Springs Press (more details on the “Books” page of this website). My task was to write the nearly 300 plant descriptions. Of all the annuals, the plant that just knocked me off my feet was Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus). What? You’ve never heard of […]
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I think (hope?) you’ll agree this is a pretty amazing bird photograph. It was a case of being in the right place at the right time. I was walking through a park one summer’s day. As I passed a large flower bed filled with daylilies, I heard a couple of rustling sounds. I suspected it was a bird but had […]
Read moreAs you have no doubt heard me say, I love growing veggies through the winter months in our cold climate! I live in Spokane, Wash., in USDA zone 4b/5. It gets very cold here each winter. I found I was really missing having fresh salad greens so I began researching and experimenting with doing this. And, of course, as a gardener, […]
Read more2015 was a great year for growing peppers! Well, I hope this won’t make you sad, but my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review is my last one for the 2015 garden season. But not to worry! I’ll be blogging away and posting to my Facebook page all fall and winter long! And you’ll start seeing my columns again […]
Read moreHere’s a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: For homegrown greens in winter, think micro. I’ve been very excited to share this with you because it’s all about growing microgreens. What, you’ve never heard of them before? Well, neither had I until last summer while interviewing Peaceful Valley gardener Greg King about a different topic. I […]
Read moreThe summer hoop house Here is a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Hoop house gets year-round use. Or you can read my column below. You’ll recall that my husband, Bill, and I built a small hoop house in our garden last fall. It’s for growing some salad greens through the fall and winter months. Well, […]
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