Ellen Robinson, Author at Wallyhood

A UW Gem Just a Walk Away from Wallingford

Ellen Robinson March 1, 2024 Comments are off

Looking for a plant experience that is close to home?

I have been trying for a while to get to the UW Biology Greenhouse for a tour, but the hours are limited with the greenhouse only open Thursdays, 12:00-4:00 p.m. and the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month, from 10:00-2:00 pm. (through May 2024). But the planets aligned this past Saturday when I happened to be cruising by and saw that they were open!

Get a little Vitamin D for free!

During my visit they had four rooms open for viewing, ranging from desert plants to hot tropical flora. …

Bare roots, no leaves…..fruit trees!

Ellen Robinson February 5, 2024 1 Comment

It is hard to get too excited about the garden in the dark depths of January, but February is upon us bringing with it sunsets after 5 PM moving forward until November! While it is not yet PLANTING time (our last frost date in Seattle is not until mid-March) it is a great time to start PLANNING what you might want to grow this year.

Bare Root Trees are Available Now

Have you considered expanding your skills into growing fruit in your own yard? Now is a great time to think about adding a tree (apple), shrub (berries), or vine …

Green gifts for the holidays

Ellen Robinson December 13, 2023 Comments are off

I believe that plants add so much to our lives. Plants are a meaningful gift that will continue to grow and provide beauty in the future. Unlike other gifts that are made of plastic or shipped across the globe, live plants are a sustainable gift that should never go out of style! While I usually focus on outdoor edible plants, I have been learning more about how indoor plants can boost mood, reduce stress, and eliminate air pollutants. Indoor plants don’t just look good—they can make us feel good, too.

Lucky for us, Wallingford has a few small businesses that …

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…

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