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by Bruce Bennett • One of my main enjoyments in the months of September – November is the sight of ripening grasses in various landscapes. Hence, the reason for this month’s column which begins more like the old elementary school ‘What I did On My Vacation’ assignment. You know the kind; we all wrote them […]
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by Bruce Bennett • I shouldn’t smile, but I always do at this time of year when spring-flowering bulbs magically appear at our local box stores. Inevitably, I’ll receive questions at a Master Gardener Clinic or after a public lecture about the appropriate time to plant these little bundles of future color and heralds of […]
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by Barbara Faurot • The most versatile garden plants have something in common: they are easy to grow, can tolerate deer and drought, and offer an array of habitat benefits in all seasons. Penstemons deliver on all counts — plus they offer a variety of colors, foliage types, blooming seasons, and sizes. Most Pacific Northwest […]
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by Bruce Bennett • You are probably seeing bare spots of soil that have already been harvested in your planting beds. But there are any number of veggies that can still be late-planted to fill those gaps and get you through the autumn and winter weather. In general, vegetables that grow best in cooler weather […]
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by Bruce Bennett • As the days lengthen and the weather warms, newspapers and magazines are filled with articles and pictures of the newest plants coming into the retail marketplace and designs for sun and shade. By contrast, whenever my group of professional gardening colleagues get together for an alfresco cup of morning coffee and […]
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by Katherine Darrow • April 2024 marks the 20th year that Washington State has continued a resolution recognizing the many values and benefits of native plants. What started as a week in 2004, has expanded to a month since 2021, when our Governor first signed a resolution declaring April as Native Plant Appreciation Month (NPAM). […]
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by Barbara Faurot • For generations, straw bales have been used to grow a steady supply of fresh vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Like other traditional gardening practices, they’re enjoying a resurgence as gardeners discover their benefits —even in limited spaces or less-than-ideal soil conditions. Placed directly on the ground, the bales form raised beds, making them […]
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The WSU Master Gardener Program addresses important sociologic and environmental issues by teaching research-based horticulture information. We want people to have important skills and abilities that help mitigate challenges and to understand that everyone has a role to play in creating and sustaining healthy and resilient communities. These priorities inform our efforts. We promote integrated […]
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By Barbara Faurot • To get a head start on spring and summer, now is the perfect time to begin starting seeds. It’s an economical way to grow a wide variety of fresh vegetables, herbs, perennials, and colorful annuals. An early start is especially helpful for plants that take longer to reach maturity and bloom, […]
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by Bruce Bennett • With the great diversity of Northwest plants, it should not be surprising how similar some can look! This situation can work in your favor as one of those lookalikes may be a better plant for the growing conditions of that bare spot in your landscape. If you wind up doing some plant […]
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by Bruce Bennett • Autumn is a great time to look to leaf foliage or berries for color without the need for flowers. Many foliage plants even develop better color when temperatures drop. For example, dwarf heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) ‘Fire Power’ never looked better when its fire engine red color develops during the cool […]
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