Share my passion for all things gardening!
Every year I grow a lot of green beans. I usually only grow pole beans (‘Italian Snap’) but am also growing bush beans (‘French filet’ style beans) which have been really productive. I have to admit that I’m a bit of a chicken when it comes to canning low-acid vegetables, which beans are. That’s because of the risk of botulism […]
Read moreThe veggies are ready to go into the oven for tomato sauce! Boy, are we in the middle of tomato-harvesting season and I’ll bet you are, too. We primarily grow paste tomatoes for making sauces and catsup. However, we don’t always have the time or inclination to break out all of the canning gear. Today, I picked our first big […]
Read moreAre you’re wondering how my vegetable garden is coming along? You’ll be pleased to know that my column in The Spokesman-Review today is an update on that very topic. Most everything is growing and producing well, but I’ve had a few frustrating setbacks. Take a look: Good summer for vegetables. Or you can read my column below. The photo above […]
Read moreCan you believe it’s the middle of August already? It’s time for another of my columns in The Spokesman-Review: Ornamental grasses add winter interest. (or you can read my column lower in this post.) Today’s topic was a request from one of my Master Gardener friends and colleagues. It’s about ornamental grasses that provide interest in the landscape during the […]
Read moreMary Lee Gaston Here is a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: ‘Lasagna gardening’ yields big harvest. (or you can read my column lower in this post.) Throughout the summer months, I enjoy meeting with local gardeners and writing profiles of them and their wonderful gardens. Today’s column is a profile of Mary Lee Gaston, who […]
Read moreHere is a link to the feature story I wrote in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Gardening goes undercover. (or you can read my column lower in this post.) It’s about garden season extension so you can grow salad greens and other veggie crops through the fall and winter. I have been so excited to write about this topic ever […]
Read moreI thought you might be interested to hear how things went in our quest to grow cherries organically this year:
Read moreHere is a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Knowing culprit keeps tomato problems in check. (or you can read my column lower in this post.) Since gardeners love to grow tomatoes, and since certain issues can crop up with them, I thought it would be helpful to talk about this today. Hopefully your tomatoes are growing […]
Read moreMy veggie garden is in an area that can occasionally get pretty windy. Most of the crops do just fine but corn is particularly susceptible to the wind. I have to say that there is nothing quite so depressing as having a really great-looking patch of corn one day, then have it all snapped off at ground level and lying […]
Read moreI wanted to do a follow-up to my July 13 post (“Keeping the birds out of the cherries“). That way, you’ll know how things are going. You’ll recall I recently purchased some 2″-wide holographic bird scare ribbon. They’re my attempt to keep birds away from the ripening cherries. Well, it has worked great! It hasn’t completely kept the robins out of […]
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