In May of 2019 I began volunteering on the grounds of the Seattle Temple. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I’ve often visited the Seattle Temple and admired the beautiful and extensive gardens surrounding it. It wasn’t until I saw a job posting for a groundskeeper that the idea entered my mind to volunteer. My application was accepted … Continue reading Seattle Temple
Definition of a weed: any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted. Most people would think that Himalayan Blackberry would fit into this category. And usually they would be right. It grows all over Western Washington, forming dense, impenetrable thickets, with canes that reach 10-20 feet long. It was these long canes I was considering as I pondered my new raised vegetable beds. I needed a support for my peas, for my beans, … Continue reading Blackberry Trellis
Why buy garden stakes when you can make your own? I saw this idea on Pinterest and decided to give it a try for a kids class at the nursery. I collected sticks from a beautiful Dawn Redwood tree that I had recently pruned. I also received some great black bamboo from a friend. The bamboo sticks were ready to go, but the redwood sticks … Continue reading Painted Garden Sticks
This weekend I attended a hands-on pruning workshop sponsored by Plant Amnesty. It was great! We met at a community park/garden in Seattle and there was so much to do! Overgrown shrubs, trees where they didn’t belong, weeds and perennials and invasives, we had it all. At first it was completely overwhelming, but by the end of the day it was amazing what thirty people … Continue reading Pruning Class With Plant Amnesty
2012 brings a new and revised Plant Hardiness Zone Map which was recently published by the USDA. This map has 30 years of weather data in it’s making (1976-2005). The previous edition was published in 1990. The hardiness zones are created from the average annual extreme minimum temperatures from the past. Here are a few highlights about the map: This is the first PHZM specifically … Continue reading New USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
Rainyleaf 