Gardening

John Stanford Plant Sale Tomorrow

The kindergarteners at John Stanford International School are hosting their annual plant sale to raise money for their sister school Juan de la Barrera in Puerta Vallarta. The sale will be on the playground (on 4th Ave. NE, above 40th St. NE) near the basketball court on Saturday, May 11 from 10-1 pm.  We’re told there will be lots of tomatoes and basil, cucumbers, and other veggies, flowers and houseplants including lots of beautiful orchids. Perfect timing for Mother’s Day! All of the seeds this…

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Edible Plant Sale This Weekend

Grab your wheelbarrow and your garden gloves this weekend, and head over to Meridian Park  (4649 Sunnyside Avenue North). Seattle Tilth is holding its May Edible Plant Sale on Saturday and Sunday (May 4 and 5), from 9:00am to 3:00pm. (Psst: You might want to head over early for best selection.) From the good folks at Seattle Tilth: At our festive annual gardener gathering, you’ll find an amazing selection of tantalizing veggies to choose from -- over 50 varieties of organic tomatoes…

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Community Greenhouse Seeks Seedling Nurturers

If you’ve got the itch to get your hands in the dirt, the Wallingford greenhouse, aka “A Growing Community,” could use your help! You might remember that last summer, we featured Wallingford resident Cyrus Appell, who has donated the use of his backyard greenhouse to the greater good for the past five years. Thanks to the time donated by dozens of volunteers, thousands of seedlings have been distributed to giving gardens throughout Seattle. At harvest time, the fruits (and veggies) of…

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City Grown Land Search 2013

Mowing the lawn is so 2012. Weeding is a drag. Planting massive beds of peonies just to have flocks of feral chickens peck them to a purple pulp is beyond depressing. So what do you do? Think outside the garden box and ponder a partnership with City Grown, our urban farming wonder friends. City Grown is looking for new places to grow food, and their Land Partners pretty much have it made: a share of the fresh produce grown each season,…

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Clear Your Storm Drains – Get Rid of Leaves for Free

It's rainy season - do you know where your storm drains are? Thrill your neighbors and pedestrians by clearing leaves and debris from the storm drains on your block. Don't try to unclog the drain if the clog is below the grate: call SPU at 206-386-1800, then press 2 to report a clogged storm drain. Did you know? Food and yard waste subscribers can place leaves in their container. During the month of November, you are able to place additional bags…

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A Tough Nut to Crack

Fruit tree steward, neighborhood recycling guru, and overall swell neighbor, Barb Burrill, shared a recent adventure in the Wallingford urban orchard: A couple of weeks ago while walking home from my son's school, I noticed a bunch of lime-like fruits lying on the ground and sidewalk beneath a huge tree. Some had split open and looked like what might be black walnuts. I remember finding a funny-looking nut shell when I was a child and learning from my mom that it…

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Read more about the article Late Summer and Fall Blooms
Oxydendrum arboreum, sourwood tree; photo from Seattle Times

Late Summer and Fall Blooms

Landscapes are looking very “late summer” right now - parched, actually. Our summer-dry climate is known as “Mediterranean”, for the lack of rain (more or less) June – September.* For this reason, after the spring flush of bloom, it may be hard to keep the garden looking interesting. Native plants are programmed to take advantage of early moisture and set fruit early, so they can endure the dry season. Therefore, we often turn to non-natives to keep things interesting, and fortunately…

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