Share my passion for all things gardening!
This apple tree probably looks like it has a horrible case of powdery mildew. I’m happy to report it doesn’t! What you’re seeing are leaves that have been sprayed with kaolin clay. My husband, Bill, and I have been growing apples organically for several years now. This is one of the tools in our arsenal. Our goal is to keep the […]
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I’ve been excited to share with you what I’ve learned about alternative lawns. This includes other types of lawns you can grow and alternatives to having lawns altogether. For this feature story, I interviewed Spokane County Master Gardener Kris Moberg-Hendron for her expertise. Several years ago, Kris ripped out her lawn and replaced it with drought-tolerant plants. Don’t worry if […]
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I’m feeling pretty down in the dumps. We discovered last week that our favorite tree has died. It was a ‘Bechtel Improved’ crabapple and was the focal point of our backyard. As you can see by the photo below, it was stunning when it bloomed each spring and had a beautiful branching structure that rarely required pruning. Birds loved sitting […]
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It won’t be long before we plant our warm-season crops so I wanted to make sure you saw this video to help you get excellent germination rates. It’s all about proper seed orientation. What’s that, you say? Well, there are certain irregularly-shaped seeds that will germinate more successfully if they are planted in the correct direction. The types of seeds I’m […]
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If it’s Sunday, that means it’s time for my next garden column. This one is all about growing melons. What? You think it’s impossible to grow them in this region? Well, I’m here to tell you that I’ve been doing it for years and it’s easy-peasy. I have to admit I’ve given up on growing watermelons. The large ones do […]
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I have to admit it. Watching the solitary bees coming and going from our insect hotel is addicting! We built ours last spring and some insects had found it. But it wasn’t the hub of activity that it is this year. That’s because the eggs that the Mason bees laid last year are now hatching. The females are busily laying […]
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Nothing is too good for my sweet bird friends! Here is the latest addition to the bird feeders in our garden: an Edwardian Bird Feeder from Gardener’s Supply. Isn’t it a beauty? As you can see, the birds think it’s quite wonderful. While the design is attractive, it has an extra benefit that I’m sure many of you will appreciate: this […]
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I’ve been busier than ever in the vegetable garden lately. That’s because there are plenty of cool-season crops to get into the ground. So far, I’ve got potatoes, onions and lettuce planted. In case you missed my latest video on planting lettuce, here it is. In it, I share several tips that I’ve learned over the years. Lettuce is such an […]
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This year, I’m all about attracting pollinators to my garden. And I’m hoping that’s on your to-do list as well. In my column today, I discuss why this is more important than ever. I also talk about the different types of pollinators that you want to attract and it’s not just bees! Other critters that serve as pollinators include butterflies, […]
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I just finished planting potatoes and thought you’d be interested in seeing my latest video on how to do it. This year, we’re growing ‘Viking Purple’ and ‘Yukon Gold’. I’ve grown and enjoyed ‘Yukon Gold’ for many years and have only grown ‘Viking Purple’ for 2 seasons so far but we’re very impressed with it. Despite the name, the flesh […]
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