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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
by Bruce Bennet • The last three years have given us some of the increasingly hottest weather on record and forecasts for the next decade really don’t provide us much hope for the cooler, “normal” weather cycles. The next logical step in landscape development includes the issue of global warming in our part of the […]
A native plant sale will take place on October 21 at H.J. Carroll Park on October 21. The sale, the primary fundraiser for the Kul Kah Han Native Plant Garden at the park, is an excellent way to obtain healthy native plants for the home garden. Kul Kah Han arranges plants in seven different ecosystems, […]
by Honey Niemann • Recently several Jefferson County Master Gardener Foundation (JCMGF) volunteers spruced up the recognition signage at the Demo Park on Sims Way across from The Cup Restaurant. After sanding and repainting the original lettering, WSU and a 50th Anniversary logo was added. In true spirit, JCMGF wanted to acknowledge and support our […]
by Bruce Bennett • In June, the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle reopened the Molbak’s Butterfly Garden after a two-year pandemic-related closure. Why would a zoo dedicate precious urban space to an exhibit which is open for only four months of the year? The 20 or so varieties butterflies that call western Washington home are […]
by Bruce Bennet • Trompe l’oeil is the French term for “fool the eye,” and is an artistic phrase used for the creation of optical illusions of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. While the term usually deals with paintings, gardeners can use several of the same techniques to make their three-dimensional green […]
