LEAVENWORTH — Lindsay Camp has been at the helm of Kodiak Cubs, the Cascade School District’s preschool, for six years. The preschool has evolved immensely during her tenure.

On your property you’ve no doubt noticed south-facing areas protected by a fence, home or hedge where plants leap up earlier in spring than an area just around the corner. Bet these areas are protected from wind and have a southern exposure!

In what seems like a long ago distant life, I was the director of stewardship and donor development for the Church of the Brethren national office based in Elgin, Illinois. That was my calling for almost 20 years.

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a well-loved garden herb in the mint family. It has been known as the herb of remembrance since ancient times when Greek and Roman scholars would wear rosemary garlands in their hair to strengthen memory, and families would throw sprigs of rosemary into graves…

In North Central Washington, more than 300 species of birds have been seen in various habits: riparian, sage/steppe, mountain, agriculture, urban backyards. I can’t promise that you will attract all these birds to your backyard, but you can create an environment that lures dozens of types of birds.

By my count, this is the 100th writing of Senior Moments, the continuing story of life and the lives of the residents at Garden Terrace senior apartments. So to commemorate the occasion I looked back at the very first writing, the introduction to Senior Moments, back in 2017. Here is some of…

The year By Lloyd Thompson

As we emerge from this lockdown mode, is your landscape this season going to celebrate with a brilliant display of colors or show appreciation of freedom with quiet peacefulness? Either pathway will be more appealing by following a few general guidelines.

Springtime in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains brings balsamroot in glorious golden bloom, and salmon migrating in the rivers. It’s a time of excitement and anticipation. But it’s also an incredibly busy time at our hatcheries.

Ten years ago, new insect pest of tomatoes and potatoes was found in the Pacific Northwest. The insect is the potato/tomato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli). Psyllids are small insects, about one-tenth of an inch long when fully grown.

What are you doing with your lawn clippings? Are they going in the Green Can or making a moldering pile? What happens to your leftover vegetable scraps from fixing dinner?

WENATCHEE — The Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) elected and recognized officers and board members during its annual meeting last week.

North Central Washington public schools are getting free access for four years to a powerful peer-to-peer anti-suicide program called Hope Squad, thanks to a proposal written by Dr. Julie Rickard, founder of the North Central Suicide Prevention Coalition.

In our current trend of warming temperatures, we are seeing plants in local gardens that would not have been planted in the past. Planting varieties in areas that are borderline cold hardy can add something “new,” but it does require some thought on placement.

“This will be your first house then?” asked Mr. Harvey.

Chances are, unless you live out of town, look out your window and you can spot a hedge of arborvitae. This widespread shrub screens the neighbors — sometimes way beyond reason. We see a neighbor’s arborvitae some 25-30 feet high, expanding through the fence.

First, let me say as a gardener, there is a certain joy of growing and harvesting any crop from your garden, whether it’s that perfect tomato, cucumber, melon or a juicy apple.

We’ve all heard that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” And though it may be true that senior citizens do get set in their ways sometimes, I’m not convinced that they can’t keep learning and growing, often faster than some of the middle-agers.

The Master Gardener Foundation’s annual plant sale was one of many casualties we experienced during the pandemic last year. While still following COVID protocols in 2021, Master Gardeners are growing plants for an online sale this year. While we will miss escorting our customers through the …

We have all been held hostage by the coronavirus pandemic in one way or another. Some contracted the virus, some had their business closed, some essential workers were overworked, some had to safely isolate themselves for over a year, some couldn’t visit with family and friends. It’s been to…

LEAVENWORTH — The Icicle Fund has awarded $2 million through a series of grant programs in the arts, environment, and cultural and natural history.

Wood-framed raised beds are the natural go-to, but there are alternatives you might want to consider. Two Wenatchee families have used concrete blocks or bricks for encircling their vegetable and herb beds. Both families are pleased with the results.

WENATCHEE — Nick’s Bricks, the annual Lego event at Pybus Public Market, returns this spring and will look a little different than past years.

This has been an interesting year for teachers and students, and for the partners who work with them. Students have been unable to get outside for field trips. Marjie Lodwick, my co-worker at Leavenworth Fisheries Complex, exercises creativity and flexibility to find ways of bringing the out…

Many vegetable seeds do well sown directly into the garden, but results are often improved by starting seeds indoors.

My staff and I have been joking for quite some time that the day-to-day comings and goings of Garden Terrace seniors would make a fun TV show or movie. I can see it now: “Garden Terrace — The Movie!”

You have probably heard the adage: Right Tree, Right Place. Sometimes trees are not growing in the right place.