We are approaching the end of August, and it is time to organize our fall garden tasks. We think about planting trees and shrubs in the fall and harvesting our garden’s bounty. Most importantly we make a list called ”I’ll never do that again” because that part of our landscaping was disappoi…
What does Hillbilly have in common with Sun Gold? Probably nothing except both tied as top tomatoes at Saturday’s free Tomato Gala at WSU Chelan/Douglas Master Gardener’s ninth annual celebration at the Community Education Garden.
With due respect to Mrs. Gump, my mama always said life was like a box of jalapeños: You never know how spicy it is going to be until you bite into one.
It is the middle of summer. What are you doing with your lawn clippings? What happens to your left-over vegetable scraps from fixing dinner?
If you set and forget your lawn sprinkler timing, you will have the correct irrigation timing twice a year: one time in the spring and again in the fall.
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The United States has had all types of migrants since the first European settlements. Dandelions and angle worms were introduced, as well as many invasive and noxious weeds and insect pests.
If you grow vegetables in the cucurbit family, such as squash, pumpkin and cucumber, your garden has likely been visited by squash bugs.
Keeping a lawn, trees and garden green and growing in a rain-shadow desert isn’t always easy. If you live in central Washington, and I assume most of you do, maintaining your lawn, ornamental flowers, shrubs and trees is a delicate balance and difficult, and a bit of an art.
Calling kids who are ready to buzz through family-friendly, science-based fun projects and learn about bees. Bee a Junior Pollinator Biologist is the title of WSU Chelan/Douglas Master Gardener’s free Third Saturday in the Garden event at the Community Education Garden.
The grilling season is upon us, like a lion upon a gazelle. That means some 80 million of us will be out there, happily grilling hot dogs, steak and hamburgers.
It’s weed season again. Weeds not only are unsightly in your garden, driveway or pastureland, but when they proliferate, they destroy hundreds of thousands of acres of rangeland and native plant habitat.
Are you a night owl? If so, you have something in common with a few of our garden pests — those who feed mostly at night. Let’s look at three that love to munch on some of our favorite plants: root weevil, earwig, and tobacco budworm.
Most of us are interested in doing our part to reduce our negative impact on the environment. No one likes pollution, litter, wasting resources or wasting money on inefficiency. Which might be why lists that exclaim, “20 EASY ways to go green!” might be popular. While those lists may include…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s escalation of a trade war with China left plans in limbo on Monday for high-level negotiations later this week to end the dispute.
Anyone frustrated by irrigation’s complexities of fittings, drippers and sprinklers might find relief by attending the free Simple Irrigation Repairs workshop presented Saturday, May 18. It takes place from 10 a.m. to noon at the Community Education Garden, 1100 N. Western Ave. in Wenatchee.
SPOKANE — During childhood, Wendi Eva loved organizing her closet and books just so. As a busy Spokane Valley mom, she struggled to keep household order until she found inspiration in Marie Kondo, a renowned tidying expert and author.
Judges gave these wines high marks in the 2018 Wenatchee Wine & Food Festival Wine Competition.
It's heartening to see mushrooms sprouting in our lawn; not because they should be growing there, but to me it's a very positive sign that the defunct aspen tree roots beneath the lawn are decomposing, promoting that mushroom growth. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi.
Do you remember the fragrance with the odd name “Christmas in July”? My mother wore this perfume in the 1950s; I think of my mother at this time of year because I plant my fall and winter garden in July and enjoy its produce for Christmas meals.
We probably shouldn’t complain about central Washington’s weather, because it tends to be better than many places. In fact, the local weather makes it possible to grow almost any deciduous tree fruit without many disease problems common in other tree fruit production areas. The low occurrenc…
Tired of coping with finicky, difficult plants in your landscape? Perhaps it's time to go native.
Yay for summer! School is out, the days are long and it is time to think about taking a much-needed vacation. Grab a camera and your passport and get ready to head over the border — we are northward bound!
What is a Master Gardener? The title is usually applied to someone with years of gardening experience, and the passion to overcome the complex aspects of home horticulture. Someone who communes with nature sensibly, selecting carefree plant varieties to keep the lawn and garden safe from pro…
It is the end of April, and people in the greater Wenatchee area often plan to plant a garden as a way to celebrate Apple Blossom, which gets underway this week.
It has such an appealing appearance — radiant yellow flowers on a long stalk and a long bloom period. It looks like a three-foot-tall snapdragon on steroids, BUT, do not be sucked in. For under the ground are the most pernicious, aggressive tap and horizontal, perennial creeping roots you ha…
Spring is here again! Daffodils are poking out of the ground, snow in the Upper Valley is nearly gone, and spring winds are starting to blow. The soil is drying down and warming up. It’s a perfect time to get into the garden and make a plan for the upcoming summer.
Your garden is beautiful, and you are ready to harvest the tomatoes. You greet the sunny day humming to yourself ... until you look outside. Your garden has been devastated; the tomato plants are flattened, the fruit is either missing or stomped and half eaten. Who could do this to you? The …
Time away from the usual routine has given me a chance to reflect upon this beautiful world we call home. Again this year, I was able to visit another one of the Hawaiian Islands. There’s nothing like an extended vacation on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific to spawn a myriad of t…
Unique, high-quality garden tools, practical kitchen gift items, interesting books including some great children's books — all are part of WSU Chelan Master Gardener Foundation sales just in time for Christmas giving.
Here in the Wenatchee Valley, we live in such a dynamic environment. We are blessed with the Cascade Mountains, lush forests and multiple riverine systems. As we move into the winter months, precipitation will start to turn from rain into snow.
Most gardeners have put their gardens to bed, composted the debris and mulched with leaves. And believe it or not, many gardeners are already thinking about next year’s garden, wondering how to improve production, how to deal with insect pests and how to have a more carefree garden experience.
It used to take a lot of money to make your home a smart home. A doctorate in software and/or electrical engineering didn't hurt, either.
Another gardening season has come and gone. Snow is starting to fall at our Upper Valley home, covering my flower beds in a beautiful blanket of soft white. For me, that means it’s time to head out and travel for a bit.
Enjoying a couple of fruit trees in your backyard seems sensible — just walk out and pick your own fresh fruit. In addition to watering, thinning branches and picking, many folks don't realize it's a big responsibility to keep pests from invading your tree fruit.
I hate to say it, but winter is coming. Or is it already here? Either way, with colder, wet weather, we’re bound to get some slippery icy conditions on our walkways and driveways. And we’re always tempted to find the quickest solution: either shovel off as much as you can or find ways to mel…
We have entered our low-light phase of the year — that means lots more time to curl up in front of the fire to read a good book. We will enjoy that, but our houseplants will not be as contented.
Although October can still be flip-flops-and-shorts weather in some places, there are a number of fall maintenance tasks to undertake, no matter what the temperature gauge says.
Dang, the air is getting chilly and I’m not ready. My body is still acclimatized to summer and although I know that I will eventually adjust, at the moment I feel the need to wear lots of layers and sit next to a warm fire.
Most gardeners plant something they later regret, as it strides out attempting to take over our world. Garden thugs, they’re called. They look beautiful in compact little pots when purchased, have desirable characteristics like covering an area quickly and low maintenance. “Easy care!” procl…
The average person sheds 100 hairs a day. Cat and dogs’ shedding is stimulated by the light changes occurring around the equinoxes.
Home design is constantly evolving as our society changes. In today’s plugged-in world, homeowners are looking for a place to unwind and spend time with family and friends. Many are also looking for a sense of community. And an increasingly aging population is also influencing how homes are …
The light is golden, the evenings are cool, the colors are radiant. It must be autumn, so the garden is winding down.
Fall is a season of wrapping up loose ends in the garden. Hopefully you achieved what you wanted from the summer, but if not, there is always next year.
The air temperatures have moderated and the soil is still fairly warm, so it is time to plant the new tree or shrub you have been visualizing in your landscape. This is the best time to plant trees because the winds and hot temperatures of spring and summer can quickly desiccate a tree with …
There’s a whiff of harvest time in the air, much preferable to our smoky diet of late.
Fall is around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about how you are watering your yard and garden. Overwatering your lawn or garden can have negative impacts to your plants, soil and the groundwater below.
Cultivating Community, a Master Gardener Family and Community Apple Harvest Celebration” says it all. Come to this free event from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 16 at the WSU Master Gardeners’ Community Education Garden in Wenatchee.
Thanks, Summertime; I am so glad you could come and visit once again. Because of you and your partner, sunshine, there is an abundance of all things good and growing. I know that I personally have an ever-increasing stockpile of produce that needs to get dealt with NOW.
WENATCHEE — If you’re a gardener, August means one thing: fresh, garden tomatoes.
This Saturday is tomato tasting, big-time. Visit the Community Education Garden on Western Avenue in Wenatchee between 10 a.m. and noon to try dozens of tomato varieties and discover your favorites.
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