By Lloyd ThompsonWSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardener Five senses … we all have them to varying degrees and use them every day without even thinking about it. After researching the elements of a sensory garden, however, I think I need…
By Lloyd ThompsonWSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardener What if I told you that you could save 25% on heating and cooling your house while doing nothing to, or in, the house? This isn’t anything new, requires no gadgets and can…
By Lloyd ThompsonWSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardener Water is an essential element when considering landscaping. However, I think it should also be considered an essential design element. The sound and visual dimension of water can be very powerful; it allows…
By Lloyd ThompsonWSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardener The first time I heard the term square foot gardening (SFG) was around the late 1980s. I was teaching horticulture for the first time, and a book I had purchased described something called…
By Lloyd ThompsonWSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardener It’s almost time for the annual WSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardeners Plant Sale. The sale will take place at Pybus Public Market on April 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s a…
It’s nearly that time of the year when we start to see racks of beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees showing up at our favorite stores and garden centers.
What a wonderful, snowy winter. It sometimes looks like the plants are tucked in and protected from the cold. They are dormant. So are all the diseases and insects that prey on the fruit trees.
There are really two main types of plant propagation: sexual, which is by seed, and asexual, which can be broken down by what plant parts and methods are used.
I have used peat moss as my primary go-to potting soil base in most soil mixes for years, as well as a major soil amendment for improving the mineral soil matter in landscapes. It works amazingly well because it is lightweight, holds soil moisture extremely well and is readily available.
Ahhh, the smoke is gone, there’s a crispness to the air, and there’s more than a foot of snow at the summit of Mission Ridge! You know what that means: Fall is finally here. What better way to celebrate the changing of seasons than to tackle a fun and exciting outdoor project: creating an outdoor living space that’s perfect for entertaining!
One of my favorite times of the year is spring, when everything is coming out of its winter doldrums. Spring bulbs are always one of the early signs that I look forward to; these include snowdrops, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips. The sudden emergence after the snow melts and the vibrant bright colors always put a smile on my face.
Do you have a troublesome slope or need a level area to build something?
I remember the days when railroad ties were a hot commodity for building retaining walls. There weren’t a lot of alternatives then. The advantages for using ties included a fairly long life, uniform size and they were readily available. Of course, they were covered in creosote, which on hot days caused it to melt and transfer to anything that touched it (not a good feature during a “heat dome event”). In addition, the splinters, cracks and the occasional twist made them difficult to stack.
For years, I have been growing, harvesting and watching plants while trying to figure out which varieties perform the best.
The biggest discussion and change I have noticed in the last 10 years or so has been the interest in heirloom varieties and their availability. I see claims that heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers have better production, better flavor, more nutritional value, better fragrance and a host of other claims.
Three of my favorite things to do are hanging out with grandkids, plants and having an adventure. In the age of electronics and passive entertainment, I think anything that can connect kids to nature is a win. I love it when I get a chance to explore with kids as we discover things like plants and insects and how they grow and reproduce.
Which types and varieties do best is often heard when discussing seeds to buy. I wish I had an easy answer, but the truth is, it depends.
There may not be a right answer that fits everyone’s needs, it depends on lots of different things.
If you live in the Wenatchee Valley or nearby areas, chances are you have seen some stunning displays of native plants.
The surrounding hills are usually a brilliant yellow in the spring when the arrowleaf balsamroot blooms; it is one of my favorite times of the year. If you are in a riparian area near a stream, the smell of mock orange will greet your olfactory receptors during the late spring. During the winter, the crimson branches of red twig dogwood are visually set off nicely by a fresh snowfall. My personal favorite is the smell of sagebrush after a rainfall. Each of these plants are natives and do well in their own niches but not just anywhere.
I’m pretty sure that homegrown strawberries are at the top of many people’s list of favorite berries. They are an easy-to-grow perennial, so they don’t have to be planted every year, and can produce up to a quart of berries per plant. Raising your own homegrown berries allows you to choose if and what pesticides to use.
Gardening and plant space can be difficult to find in an apartment, condominium or townhouse. The choice of what type of plants to grow and where to grow them becomes a bigger issue than in the typical suburban yard.
I love the style of a Japanese garden because of the sense of wonder and peacefulness I get from walking through it. Much of our lives are spent in a blur of motion, but a walk through a Japanese garden helps slow down both the body and mind.
