Building the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

Today some students from our school (LWIT)  helped build the display gardens at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show.  It was fascinating to see the gardens created from the ground up as 15 foot bamboo and mature trees and massive stumps and boulders were brought in and carefully placed.  Today was a day of building.  Walls, patios and ponds were constructed. Yards and yards of … Continue reading Building the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

Aphidius matricariae–A Beneficial Bug

This is an amazing solution to a plant problem.  Big fat hungry aphids are gobbling away on the plants, sucking and deforming the leaves and getting out of control.  This little parasitic wasp is released and is attracted to the aphid colonies immediately.  It begins to lay its eggs inside of aphids and will attack 200-300 aphids in the next week.  Yes, parasitism is slightly … Continue reading Aphidius matricariae–A Beneficial Bug

Washington’s Best Kept Secret

This is what people think about Washington—It rains all the time, the skies are always gray, everything is gray, we all wear gray polar fleece and disappear into the fog, hibernating most of the winter.  Don’t let out our little secret, but this is what it’s really like in Washington in January.  There are flowers, bright and beautiful, teasing us out of winter. I just … Continue reading Washington’s Best Kept Secret

Baby Monkey

Now that I’m working at the Horticultural Program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology I have access to a greenhouse.  The students grow all types of crops, from vegetables to fuchsia baskets to perennials.  The season is in full swing and I’ve been learning a lot about greenhouse growing.  Everything is different inside.  Watering and controlling pests and diseases takes on a new perspective from … Continue reading Baby Monkey

Blogiversary 3 Years!

It all started as a small idea.  This blog was like a seed.  Small, yet full of potential.  Someone at work mentioned blogging and I thought….’could that be me?….could I become a blogger?…could I create a blog?’ I remember actually checking a book out of the library about blogging and discussing it over lunch with my friend Rachel.  Two things I remember from the book were … Continue reading Blogiversary 3 Years!