Gardening

Read more about the article Hamilton Wants to be Pesticide Free

Hamilton Wants to be Pesticide Free

A few weeks back, when I posted about pesticide use at Wallingford Park, I heard from several families at Hamilton International Middle School. As noted before on this blog, Seattle Public Schools routinely utilizes pesticides at public schools, because it is more cost-effective than hand-weeding. There are so many concerns about the use of pesticides around children and pregnant women that I don't even know where to begin my rant about this short-sighted behavior, so I will point you to the fact…

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Read more about the article Save Seattle’s Apples – even on Mother’s Day

Save Seattle’s Apples – even on Mother’s Day

City Fruit is providing free Pest Prevention Packs to Seattle apple tree owners in Wallingford. What is a Pest Prevention Pack? 25 lightly waxed paper bags, 25 twist ties, and an instruction sheet. As part of their Save Seattle’s Apples campaign, City Fruit wants you to use these organic pest barriers to cover your dime-sized apples this spring so you'll have worm-free apples next fall. Covering apples is an easy and effective way to foil insect pests like codling moth and…

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Read more about the article Pesticides at the Parks

Pesticides at the Parks

Last week, after reading this piece about Wallingford's sewage ending up in Lake Union and the new incentive program for building rain gardens, I contacted the RainWise program through the City of Seattle. My children attend school in the Lincoln High building, which I learned is eligible for the rain garden program due to its proximity to Stone Way N. So, imagine my surprise when I walked past this a few days later: This sign was posted in the shrubbery that…

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Read more about the article Release your Inner Frankenstein – Graft a Fruit Tree

Release your Inner Frankenstein – Graft a Fruit Tree

Jonathan Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed, would have been right at home in Wallingford. He was a compassionate vegetarian, supremely focused in his 50-year quest to plant apple seeds from Pennsylvania as far west as possible. With Johnny, it was all about the seeds. The problem with planting apple seeds is that the resulting tree usually produces apples that are nothing like the original. This happens because apples grown from seeds are extreme heterozygotes. These seedling fruits display unpredictable characteristics often only…

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Pruning without Butchering

When I head outside with a pair of pruners, I am pretty sure my plants cower. My technique is haphazard at best. Pruning to promote a good crop of fruit - well that remains a mystery. Luckily, the world has Ingela Wanerstrand - friend of fruit trees and professional pruner. If your skills could use some sharpening, you are in luck! Ingela is teaching a pruning class Saturday at the Freeway Estates Community Orchard. Ruth writes: Ingela Wanerstrand is a professional pruner…

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Old Apple Tree, We’ll Wassail Thee!

Each year for countless generations in England, Morris dancers and other good-hearted folks who want to ensure a fine apple crop have wassailed the apple orchards. They bring song, dance and Important Rituals to the orchard, thereby scaring off evil spirits and creating the optimum growing environment for the blessed apple. Ten years ago, Seattle’s own Sound and Fury Morris Dancers introduced this tradition to Wallingford, starting an annual wassail tradition at Meridian Park’s old orchard. This year, the Morris dancers…

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Fallen Meridian Apple Trees Getting Vertical

Seattle Parks tree crew and heavy equipment will be at Meridian Playground today uprighting the two heritage apple trees that were blown over during one of our late fall windstorms. The process will take several hours, so come and take a look. The trees are in the north end of the park, close to N. 50th and Meridian.

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