Yikes, Flora, I just finished with those! Ah, but if you and your family love homegrown veggies, then it is an ideal time to start again. With some very special (minimal) care you can at this time start more cool weather crops and enjoy a fall harvest. It’s called extending your growing season here in [...]
Dear Flora: Where can I get some more information on setting up a sustainable garden? ~Love my Natural Life Dear Love: A new site called the Organic Gardener is featuring a video series by master gardener Susan Harris on this very topic. I found it extremely informative and know that you will too. ~Flora Dear [...]
It was my seven-year-old’s turn to do a garden project, and we couldn’t resist the dollar plants outside our local pharmacy. Why do they have to make it so darn easy to plant? Just kidding-it’s a good thing. He chose all the plants and stayed in the color scheme of pink, purple and white. I [...]
Chris Smith explains why some of your tomatoes may not ripen this year. Ann Lovejoy says that plastic wrap can help you have a more bountiful harvest for several crops, tomatoes included. Marty Wingate explains via personal experience why it is important to keep your city codes in mind when planning your landscape and gardens. [...]
For some it might be a dreaded word but the time has come…to get it done. Thin those apples! Thin that corn! Thin those cukes! Thin the squash! It breaks my heart and I know it breaks yours too. After all, you spend all that time and heart when preparing and planting and finally get [...]
Ideally, it is great to plant your veggies in larger pots so that transplanting is not necessary within their short season. In addition, many of them do not transplant well. But it worse comes to worse, and you would rather not thin and toss-you might want to throw a few in another pot instead and [...]
Another fun challenge with container, rooftop or patio gardens is storage. As packing supplies and potting soil up the stairs can be not only be a daunting process, but bad for your back, it is time to think outside the roof. Some patios or roofs, even with apartments, have a closet outside. If so, take advantage [...]
WATERING Because some of our containers are on a rooftop, we had to rig up a different watering system for obvious reasons. It wasn’t practical to lug buckets up and down the stairs or sling a hose over the roof wall. Drainage was also a potential big problem with a flat roof prone to leaking [...]
I am excited to show you the beginnings of my mom’s rooftop container garden this year, because I want you to see how easy it can be to grow in small places, and even how some package directions should be ignored. I’m not kidding. I know, I know. Normally I am more of a stickler [...]
A 16 mile garden tour in Nehlalem is scheduled from 10AM-4PM tomorrow to help support CASA of Tillamook County. CASA is the organization that trains and supports community volunteers to speak for the best interests of children who are victims of neglect and abuse. They make recommendations in court regarding safe and nurturing homes. The National CASA program has a “Forgotton [...]
