I had the good fortune to visit London in Fall 2018 and there were three highlights of my trip. #1 was watching my team, the Seattle Seahawks handily beat he Oakland Raiders at Wembley Stadium. That was a fun game, Go Hawks! #2 was attending a live performance of Les Miserables at the Queens Theater. The music, the acting, the atmosphere…it was amazing. I loved … Continue reading Kew Gardens
There’s an event every August in Portland, Oregon called Farwest. People come from all over the Western States and beyond to see what’s growing at the nurseries, what new plants are about to hit the market and to share information about greenhouse growing. The last piece is what really interested me. I soaked up information from the experts like Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, the Buglady, and Paul … Continue reading Farwest
Growing this blue poppy is joy. True blue happiness. I was delighted when my first Meconopsis bloomed last May. The color is a shimmering radiant blue that reflects the heavenly color of the sky and sea. It’s such a contrast to all the others flowers around that one can’t help but fall in love with this flower. As soon as mine bloomed I was already … Continue reading Germinating Meconopsis
When I see the word hibiscus I think of big, beautiful blooms. When I hear the words New Zealand I remember scenic flax covered coasts. But when I think of New Zealand hibiscus I feel troubled. I should have known when this hibiscus germinated so readily and grew so easily that there would be trouble. Trouble when it grew so fast and sparsely and discouraging … Continue reading Growing New Zealand Hibiscus
Normally growing aphids is a bad thing, but in respect to our beneficial insect program, it’s a good thing. At the Environmental Horticulture Program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology we grow and propagate thousands of plants in our greenhouses. Each year the students put on a huge plant sale that generates money that helps fund the program. This year we had a serious threat … Continue reading Banker Plants and Aphid Mummies
Rainyleaf 