Share my passion for all things gardening!
I have to admit it: watching the solitary bees coming and going from our insect hotel is addicting! We built ours last spring, and even though some insects had found it, 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, and the females are […]
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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. This year, I’m growing […]
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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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Early last fall, I decided to take the plunge and learn how to overwinter Canna lily bulbs. I’d never done it before but am crazy about Cannas and hate tossing them in the compost pile once the frosts hit. It turns out, it’s not all that hard. Here’s a video I filmed on the initial process: I stored the Canna […]
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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 […]
Read moreThe other day, I noticed this leaf damage on one of my artichoke plants. I immediately suspected slugs, and quickly confirmed this when I saw a bit of a slime trail on the underside of the leaf. Grrr! In the past, I’ve used organic slug bait or handpicked them whenever I found any. And when I give talks about vegetable […]
Read moreOur new insect hotel. Here is a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Insect hotels keep good bugs cozy. I have to tell you, I’m glad today is finally here because I’ve been so excited about presenting this topic to you! It’s about adding an insect hotel to the garden, to attract more pollinators and beneficial […]
Read moreLast fall, I conducted an experiment: overwintering geraniums. You’d think that as a Master Gardener and plant enthusiast, I would already know how to do that. But, to be honest it’s not something I’d ever tried before. That is, until last October. I did some research and am delighted to report that it has gone even better than I could […]
Read moreI’m sure all of you are anxious to begin seed-starting and plant your veggie seeds so you can get the 2015 garden season under way! I completely understand, but correct timing is critical so you don’t end up with leggy, root-bound seedlings. I live in Spokane, Wash., which is in USDA zone 5 (or 6, depending on which microclimate you […]
Read moreMy husband, Bill, and I just finished building a hoop house in our vegetable garden so we can grow veggies through the fall and winter months. A hoop house is a greenhouse that is covered with plastic rather than glass or polycarbonate panels. The goal was to create a structure that would cover two of our 3’ x 8’ raised […]
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