Now that we’re finally getting some much-needed rain, it’s time to take stock of what to do in order to either have a fall garden, or prep your garden for the spring. You can do either or both (or nothing, if you’re just over all that). It’s not too late to plant your garlic, onions […]
Down and Dirty
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Cleaning Up the Garden
Even though we live in a temperate climate, I’ve been noticing some subtle changes in the weather and critters here on the coast. I’ve been seeing wooly banded bears — a caterpillar that has some bizarre obsession with crossing roads, at least down in my neck of the woods. Their fuzzy black and orange presence […]
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Pests in the Garden
Given the title of this article, you might think I’m going to talk about tomato hornworms, spittle bugs or aphids. OK, I will mention aphids but I want to talk to some of the less talked about pests. Let’s start with my worst pest for the past couple years: deer. Bambi. Rats with antlers, as […]
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Get to Know Your Weeds
This week, I’m turning my focus to a problem that most gardeners are dealing with this month, thanks to the intermittent rain/sun/rain/warmth/rain/wind we’ve had over the past two months. You may have noticed that you have to mow the grass more often right now, but it’s not just the grass that’s growing like, well, a […]
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Plant This, Not That
I follow more than a few plant and picture pages on social media, and it’s always interesting to see folks wax poetic about some of our more aggressive invasive plants. Often, they (the people) are transplants to the area and these plants aren’t an issue where they come from, but there are also people who […]
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Winter Garden Checklist
The Pennsylvania rodent has decreed that we’ll have another five weeks of winter and in the Midwest, South and Northeast, I’m sure they believe this to be true. Meanwhile, out here on the North Coast, our promised rain seems to have disappeared. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to abandon the garden because there’s a […]
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A Gardener’s Resolutions
Now that it’s a new year, I’m sure some of you have made resolutions. It’s a thing that we humans like to do. It’s the start of a new time increment, so we get a do-over, I guess. Perhaps you’re resolving to lose those 20 COVID pounds or start exercising more. Call your mother every […]
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A Bevy of Blueberries
Now that we’re finally receiving some beneficial rain, it’s a good time of year to think about some new plants for your garden. Fall is an excellent time to plant shrubs, trees and other plants because the rain will usually provide enough moisture and the temperatures are cooler, both of which allow for strong root […]
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Gardening as a Moral Conundrum
Who’s the dimwit who promulgated the idea of gardening as some kind of idyllic activity that will connect us to our loving, nurturing, higher selves? Surely, this person never put spade to earth, nor hand to weed. The truth is, gardening is fraught with moral ambiguity. With no more training in ethics than their own […]
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Bulb Planting Time
Now that we’ve harvested the fruits of our labor and cleaned up the garden — you have cleaned up the garden from spent plant debris and fallen apples, right? — it’s time to think ahead to what to plant. I know, I know, we’re just barely into autumn and here I am talking spring. But […]
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Seed Saving for a Pretty Spring and Summer Next Year
Just when we thought it was safe to go into other gardens … well, they are outdoors and as long as you keep your distance, going into gardens is still a great activity to keep the mind from wandering toward more unpleasant thoughts. Perhaps you’ve been on your daily walk or drive, and you’ve admired […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Drought Gardening
It’s no secret by now that Humboldt County (along with all of California and many other western states) is in trouble when it comes to general lack of rainfall. While the entire county is in a moderate drought, portions are in severe drought and some are even experiencing extreme drought. To find out drought conditions […]