Ellen Robinson, Author at Wallyhood

Setting Yourself up for Success (in the garden)

Ellen Robinson March 15, 2023 Comments are off

Spring is almost here – even though there still is a chill in the air! As you dream about what you might want to plant in your garden this year consider some of these tips to ensure you set yourself up for success!

Right spot – The keys to a successful vegetable plot are threefold – Sun (and more sun), water, and soil. Make sure that the location where you are planting your crops gets 6-8 hours of sunlight. While Seattle gardens don’t need much watering in April, May and June – they do need a lot …

To “choke” or not to “choke”? That is the question….

Ellen Robinson November 4, 2022 Comments are off

And the answer is ArtiCHOKEs or SunCHOKEs (also known as Jerusalem artichokes). I have been cleaning out the spent annual vegetable crops this week, which made me think about those vegetables that come back year after year (perennials) and are mixed into the garden landscape. Plant once – harvest for many years!

Globe Artichokes

Artichokes are hearty plants that grow up to 6 feet in height. They have silvery green leaves and produce a tall stalk which flowers into the heads you see at the grocery store. The heads have spiky points that surround the edible bud, known as the …

Laboring in the garden for Labor Day

Ellen Robinson September 2, 2022 Comments are off

We survived the recent scorching weeks in Seattle – anyone else feel like all they have been doing in the garden is watering? Hopefully that sunshine has ripened some tomatoes and produced a peck of peppers for picking!

The sunny days most likely meant the end of some lettuce and pea plants as they are not fans of that kind of weather. But guess what? This is a great time to succession plant a few crops for fall harvest!

Succession planting involves planting a new crop in the same space after harvesting the first crop. This is done to put …

Summer Solstice in the Garden

Ellen Robinson June 13, 2022 Comments are off

Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice 2022 in the Northern Hemisphere is Tuesday, June 21st. In Seattle, we will enjoy daylight from 5:11 A.M. to 09:10 PM. Notice I said “daylight” and not “sunshine” (deep sigh). The Farmer’s Almanac did not get it right for our June this year since they predicted warm and sunny weather with 1” of precipitation. Every home gardener I know has been lamenting the state of their tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, so I thought it might be good to think about other crops that can be successful regardless of the weather in the Pacific Northwest.

Onions and…

What to grow in your garden in Seattle right now? Anything!

Ellen Robinson May 23, 2022 Comments are off

Boy oh boy – May has been a chilly (and windy) month in Seattle! I never intended for this blog to become a “weather column” but it certainly seems to be a common theme in my posts! I never paid any attention to the highs, lows, and precipitation levels of the seasons until I became an edible gardener!

The answer to the above question really should be “what CAN’T you plant” in the garden in May. Spring plant sales inspire us to try new things and sometimes our purchases may even out number the spaces we have to plant them!…

April Showers Bring – May Showers?

Ellen Robinson April 30, 2022 Comments are off

…At least that is what I heard on the radio this week! But, say it isn’t so! Let’s be more optimistic, shall we? April showers bring MAY FLOWERS! Integrating flowers into your kitchen garden provides many benefits.

Edible flowers look beautiful and they attract beneficial pollinators to the garden. Plant them in with the vegetables, especially around fruiting plants that need cross-pollination of their male and female flowers like squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers. Then use them throughout the season to add flare to your cooking and cocktailing!

Here are a few flowers to try this season and ways to use …

In like a lion, out like a lamb?

Ellen Robinson March 22, 2022 Comments are off

It is too soon to tell! But not too soon to get gardening!

March is a changeable weather month and so far we have had a “false Spring”and a few nights with freezing temperatures but planting season is just around the corner! What can you plant in March in the kitchen garden?

Like another March holiday, think GREEN! The Farmer’s Almanac puts Seattle’s last frost date on March 17th, so while you are toasting with a green beer, consider some other greens for your garden!

Peas, kale, spinach and lettuces do not mind the cool weather! While many gardeners …

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