Dirt 2009 To-Do
Water less. A friend who gardens in the Arizona desert recently said to me, “How do you know a plant is drought-tolerant if you water it?” Whoa. What a concept. I am really trying to grow a garden that can survive on natural rainfall, with a few exceptions: the vegetables get watered with a soaker hose, and the annual flowers that need extra pampering are all clustered together near the house so I can water them easily. But even my apple tree didn’t get much water this year, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn from a few local apple farmers that they don’t water their established trees, either — or if they do, they give them one good soaking a month for just a few summer months.
More heathers. Okay, this is a resolution I’ve made before and not kept. I get more fond of heathers every year, and I’ve watched over the years as newly-planted heather gardens in my neighborhood have grown into lovely mature plantings. The Fortuna River Lodge garden and the heather garden at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens are also inspirations — go check them out if you haven’t already. Maria Krenek at Glenmar Heather Nursery knows how to help plan a heather garden that will bloom all year long; this year I swear I’m going to clear a space and make it happen.
Really. This is the year I’m going to finally do all this stuff. I swear.
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Today
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Open Gardens
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Organic Gardening Seminar
garden / 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Shafer's Ace Hardware and Garden Center, 2760 E St., Eureka. Free lecture by Duncan McNeill on how to create a healthy environment and healthy soils for your plant’s roots. E-mail shafers@sbcglobal.net. 442-5734.
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