In the In Between
(Seasons, That Is)
Officially, we are in the latter half of “the big dark”, the period of gray skies, rain, and dark days that starts in October in the northwest. We are headed towards the spring equinox, where the days and nights share equal time in our 24 hour day and the earth’s axis tilts neither away nor […]
Spring is Almost Here!
Spring is “official” on Monday, March 20th this year. We all know though, that the Pacific Northwest often shares some spring like weather and early flowering plants during traditional winter months so it’s not unusual for us to be antsy to get into the garden. I’m certain many of us already have been at work […]
Winter Reading and Learning
The Garden Hotline staff share their favorite gardening books; also where to find great seeds.
Winter is here and this is a great time to sit down with those gardening books you always mean to read but are usually too busy with your hands in the soil to get to. We want to share our favorite books, ones that we make use of for our personal gardening goals and to […]
Fall Gardening Tips and Resources
Don't stop gardening yet!
Fall is a great time to do some very important work in your garden. This is a prime season to improve your soil, get ahead of weeds and set up wildlife resources in the landscape. Give us a call to discuss personal priorities and let us help you get your garden set up for the […]
Edible Spring Weeds
Katie Vincent, Garden Hotline Educator Emeritus
Frustrated with your weeds? This year, consider a new plan for revenge: tossing them in a salad and eating them! As the garden starts to send out signs of life this spring, so do all of the herbaceous weeds that hid out of sight all winter long. Mulching in late winter or early spring […]
Straw Bale Gardens
Feed your soil, prep a garden area and grow food, all at the same time!
Many of us come to food gardening the hard way, by tearing out lawn, digging hard and unforgiving soil and tilling in compost to create good enough tilth to grow nutritious veggies and fruits. There is an easier way! Try a straw bale garden and while you are growing your dinner be satisfied in knowing […]
Fun With Food Scraps!
Sue Hartman - Garden Hotline educator emeritus
We throw away a lot of food! According to Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle residents throw out approximately 100,000 tons of food annually. Composting food waste is an important step in reducing this mountain of garbage that is now hauled 300 miles away for disposal in a landfill in Eastern Oregon. But you don’t have to […]
Planting Peas!
Cultivating the Pisum sativum
Melissa McGinn and Laura Matter – Garden Hotline Educators Peas are annual plants (grow, bloom, flower and set seed within one growing season) that grow like a vine and can be planted in the cooler part of spring. Peas can be planted from March through May in the northwest for a reliable crop. We sometimes […]
Celebrate the return of our cool season flowers!
Sue Hartman, Garden Hotline Educator ‘Tis the season for pansies, violas, calendula, and sweet alyssum. The weather is changing, the rains are returning and the nights are cooling off. This means those delightful spring bloomers that thrive in this kind of weather are also returning to our gardens. They will all easily self-sow and Calendula […]
Berry Bonanza!
Tips for Organic Berry Growing in the Pacific Northwest.
Sue Hartman, Garden Hotline Educator Our region is a prime area for growing and enjoying delicious and nutritious berries. They are available as U-Pick produce at many local farms and flood our farmers markets each summer with their colorful bounty. They are also very easy to grow and harvest if you pay attention to their […]