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, and this is one of the tools in our arsenal to keep the dreaded apple […]
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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 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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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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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 […]
Read moreHere is a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Traps, sprays help keep fruit free of pests. It’s about a topic that is near and dear to my heart: organic orchard practices. Since the most challenging tree fruits to grow are cherries, apples and pears, those are the ones I focused on. I also pointed out […]
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 moreHere is a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Welcoming good bugs will help oust pests. Today’s topic is about attracting beneficial insects to your garden. For years, I’ve prided myself on growing everything organically and when I occasionally have insect problems, one of the things I’ve used is an organic spray. Well, after reading “Attracting Beneficial […]
Read moreI thought you might be interested to hear how things went in our quest to grow cherries organically this year: We have four producing cherry trees at this time. Two sweet cherries (‘Bing’ and ‘Rainier’) and two pie cherries (‘English Morello’ and ‘Montmorency’). We also have a young ‘Montmorency’ that isn’t producing yet. In the spring, my husband Bill hung […]
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