by Doug Van Allen • As February rolls around, my thoughts turn to prepping our blueberry plants for a successful growing season. Before getting into the management tasks, a review of blueberry needs may be helpful. Blueberries grow best in fertile, well-drained soil with a ph of 4–5.5 (elemental sulfur can be used to lower […]
by Barbara Faurot • As our plants enter the dormant months of winter, our gardens and forests continue to teem with life. A host of sparrows inspects the ground to find seeds. A tangle of towhees pecks away, in search of crickets. Pacific chorus frogs, now solitary in their habits, shelter in the debris to […]
by Barbara Faurot It would be difficult to overstate the benefits of trees to our homes and communities. Aesthetic beauty, shade, wildlife habitat, wind protection, slope retention, and privacy screening are just the beginning. Trees filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particulates. Leaves absorb carbon dioxide and transform it into biomass […]
by Barbara Faurot What is a kitchen garden? From ancient traditions in Egypt, Babylon and Mesopotamia, to medieval monasteries and the “keyhole” gardens of Africa, kitchen gardens have served both the culinary and aesthetic needs of their communities. Today, family kitchen gardens are popping up in backyards, carrying on the tradition of growing food for […]
by Barbara Faurot Emily Dickinson saved seeds “in homes of paper until the sun calls them.” For the 19th-century poet, these seeds were collected from last year’s garden, received from friends, or bought in the shops or from catalogs. In Jefferson County, we have a strong community of seed farmers, sowers, and savers to carry […]
by Barbara Faurot Let’s start with one of my personal interests: helping pollinators! One of the small pleasures of the spring is the arrival of our native pollinators: hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, bees, flies, wasps, and beetles. Spending time planting, weeding, pruning, mulching, field sketching, or simply observing contributes to our own well-being. Plus, our gardens […]
If you have shrubs and trees that outgrow their selected spot, begging to dominate your entire yard, this is the video for you. It is the first in a series by Plant Amnesty, an organization created with the sole purpose of ridding the world of bad pruning forever.
submitted by Plantnut nerdus written by Lloyd Eighme, retired entomologist Washington State University You may have wondered what insect cuts such neat circles from the edges of leaves on your rose bush. It makes the leaves look a bit ragged, but I hope you will forgive the little leafcutter bees that do that because they are […]
https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/09/13/food-nutrients-carbon-dioxide-000511 The nutrition in fruits, grains, and vegetables is decreasing worldwide. This article, which appeared in Politico, October 2017, written by Helena Bottemiller Evich, helps to explain why: Irakli Loladze is a mathematician by training, but he was in a biology lab when he encountered the puzzle that would change his life. It was in […]
It is nearly tomato growing season again and Dick Schneider’s advice on growing tomatoes in the Pacific Northwest is as invaluable as ever. *Save the Date: The Jefferson County Master Gardeners are sponsoring a trip to RainCoast Farm on September 15th. Our trip starts at Far Reaches Farm, 11:00 am, then travels on to RainCoast […]
