At exactly 31 days, we harvested a bumper crop of gorgeous white icicle radishes. I was worried about the soil having too many main nutrients and not enough of the others. We had amended the soil with a touch of borax, a cup of coffee, crushed eggshells blended with a spot of vinegar, and so…

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.

The NCW Fairgrounds has a new welcome sign and entry area, as well as a new name. It is now officially the Douglas County Fairgrounds—Home of the North Central Washington Fair.

About 12 participants of the Waterville Historic Preservation Commission’s Brick Repointing Workshop May 22 had the chance to learn the basics of repairing brick walls on historic buildings, while at the same time getting the chance to put their newly learned knowledge into practice.

I surely have opened a can of worms (literally and figuratively) while researching soil after I received the results from the soil test done on my bed at the community garden. Soil testing is good. Though, it does generate a mad scramble to amend, as soon as possible, the problems that have …

The title sounds like the name of a 50s band, but it's really all about gardening. Though, sometimes I could jump into song and dance when I see the wonders of gardening happening right before my eyes.

Waterville’s first annual Community Garage Sale held May 15 featured 40 garage sales spread throughout town and drew browsers from near and far.

“Olla” is actually pronounced oh-yah! What is an olla, you ask? Well, let me take you on an imaginative journey. Imagine that you are a gardener with nary a spigot nor garden hose and the closest water is a good distance away. The water that is accessible is from a limited source that depend…

I really love the idea of succession planting. It is the efficient use of your growing time and space. Some plants — carrots and radishes, for example — don't mind being planted together at the exact same time and in the exact same space! Wow, talk about an allusion to living a detailed and …

That’s according to David Larson, Master Gardener extraordinaire. He made a statement that he could tell us a lot about growing plants on the Waterville plateau and surrounding area, but not about growing, say, for example, pineapples. I was speechless. How did he know? I had just planted pi…

Members of the Waterville Tree Board celebrated this year’s Arbor Day on April 24 by planting new trees at the south end of Jackson Street where it intersects with Highway 2.

Waterville resident Carol Cowling has been the superintendent of the open horse barn for about 35 years. It is an intense job during the five days of the fair that involves her being at the barn each morning at 6 a.m. and again each evening at 9 p.m. She can take some breaks in between, but …

It sounds like the beginning of the makings of sweet-n-sour pork. Just add a little bell pepper, carrot, ginger, and onions, and we've got the veggies covered.

We have Badger Mountain and Badger Mountain Road, and Waterville has its own little Badger Patch with 10 gardening beds. It is located on the northeast corner of W. Ash and N. Columbia. I am not sure what's up with all the badger-themed names. I have lived here getting nigh on seven years an…

We built our expandable cedar potato bins back in 2016 and have used them every year since, though not always for potatoes. This year, we have moved the bins to a sunny spot that will catch first light, and have purchased some red and purple seed potatoes to grow. We love the purple varietie…

Waterville Library’s second in a series of six community art displays to be featured in 2021 is “Recycled Art” and the exhibit is up in the library window through the end of April.

The South Douglas Conservation District Tree and Shrub Sale was back on April 3 this year, and judging by the volume of sales, people were more than ready to take advantage of the chance to buy trees, shrubs and wildflowers specially selected for North Central Washington’s climate and habitat.

You may recall my stratification process of the various seeds I had collected last autumn, namely cherry, apricot, peach, and plum. I placed them in pots with a small amount of dry soil and abandoned them. Yes! I totally walked away and left them to go through our hard, cold winter and they …

There's just something about seeing a dump truck back up and unload a big pile of gravel. It's a show, albeit everyone acts like it's no big deal. It is! It takes you back to the sandbox, playing with trucks and shovels in the sand, and digging holes to the other side of the earth.

The NCW Fair office has moved from its old location just next to the fairgrounds entryway to a previous rental house at 609 W. Third St.

April Tedder of Orondo became friends with Bruce and Cathy Clark, owners of Blue Rooster Services in Waterville, through a Facebook group.

I finally was able to get a good look at my bed. It was gifted to me by our local Waterville Community Garden and is a surprisingly large area (12' x 4') to plant whatever fruits, vegetables, flowers, or herbs I would like this growing season. The snow has finally melted enough for me to be …

Columbia Valley Community Health’s (CVCH) mobile clinic, called Connect, will be at the United Lutheran Church parking lot in Waterville from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 31 and April 29, with a lunch break for staff from 1 to 2 p.m.

An online auction held March 13 through 21 brought in about $29,000 in proceeds, according to Fair Manager Carolyn Morley. In addition, crab sales brought in a profit of $2,560. Additional proceeds included donations totaling $700 and sponsorships totaling $1,800.

Talk about a serendipitous moment in action. We do a lot of projects using upcycled or recycled materials. I just can't seem to throw out those amazing containers. I see so much potential in them and this time, the two plastic containers I saved were perfect for my hydroponic starts. One con…

After almost six weeks of finding alternate routes west of town, Waterville motorists once again had access to the Pine Canyon Road beginning the evening of March 14.

This June will be seven years for me and my apple tree! I'm not sure how old my tree is, but its trunk has doubled in size and it has given us some delicious apples over those seven years.

I had a great idea to try growing radishes indoors, in small containers. I bought an inexpensive aluminum pan with a clear lid to hold the small plastic yogurt containers and to protect the plants. It is like a mini greenhouse sitting on my coffee table, positioned in exactly the right spot …

Gardening has a way of spreading, expanding not only on the land, but into the minds and hearts of a community. One just never gets over the fact that a small seed, as if by magic, can grow into a plant to feed a multitude. Gardening has value, in that it can feed the hungry masses, but it c…

II took the outer leaves from two red cabbages, chopped them up into some boiling water, and let them sit for about 10 minutes. I then strained the water from the cabbage into a mason jar, producing a lovely, dark purple solution. I was a little skeptical that anything could happen, but lo a…

Following a public hearing, the Waterville Town Council voted at its regular meeting on Jan. 19 to re-zone the area encompassed by Birch Street, Walnut Street, Chelan Avenue, and Rainier Avenue from Residential-1 to Residential-2. Residential-2 allows for multi-family housing.

Since 1993 the organization Together for Youth has been working in North Central Washington Communities to help local youth to thrive. Two of the important programs the organization currently is running include the Crime Victim Advocacy program and parenting classes.

The Badger Mountain Ski Hill opened for the season on Jan. 16. It was a foggy morning, but that didn’t stop skiers from Waterville and beyond from flocking to the hill to ski.

Members of the Waterville Lions Club met on Jan. 13 to discuss the possibility of opening the Badger Mountain Ski Hill on Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend.

With the new year, expectations run high, conjuring hope for a glorious growing season in 2021. White-covered gardens glistening with snow and ice will soon give way to warm, muddy ground, and peeps of green here and there. And there is much to be done still before the spring thaw. But befor…