Growing: Edible Flowers
08.17.11 |
As I mentioned in a previous article, next year I want to make sure I have more color in my plot by adding flowers. I thought about growing some purely ornamental flowers, but it seems like it would be a waste of space in my vegetable plot. But both function and beauty are possible. Why not kill two birds in one stone and grow edible flowers? Read On...
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Growing: Time to Prune
08.03.11 |
Each week Catherine Dupre contributes Growing, a column about learning to garden.
Now that Burien has finally gotten some sun, my plants have really started to take off. I'm really happy to see some life in my garden, but that abundance of life can quickly become unmanageable. My plants look great but in order to keep them healthy, orderly, and productive, some of the branches are going to have to come off. Surprisingly, severing excess stems makes the plants healthier - it doesn’t hurt them! Read On...
Now that Burien has finally gotten some sun, my plants have really started to take off. I'm really happy to see some life in my garden, but that abundance of life can quickly become unmanageable. My plants look great but in order to keep them healthy, orderly, and productive, some of the branches are going to have to come off. Surprisingly, severing excess stems makes the plants healthier - it doesn’t hurt them! Read On...
Growing: An Update on My Plot
07.20.11 |
Each week Catherine Dupre contributes Growing, a column about learning to garden in Burien.
As we enter mid July, gardening season is (supposedly) at its peak. Previously, I showed you my plot when it was first planted in May, and since then there have been quite a few changes and I have already learned so much. The lessons I learned mostly consist of no-brainers that could have easily been solved by reading the seed label, but others were not so simple. Read On...
As we enter mid July, gardening season is (supposedly) at its peak. Previously, I showed you my plot when it was first planted in May, and since then there have been quite a few changes and I have already learned so much. The lessons I learned mostly consist of no-brainers that could have easily been solved by reading the seed label, but others were not so simple. Read On...
Growing: Self-Watering Container Gardening
07.06.11 |
This gardening season, I’ve learned quite a bit about things that don’t work. One of the things that I’ve struggled with this gardening season is making sure my plants get enough water. A lot of the time, I’ve been too busy or forgetful to gauge how much water my plants need (luckily this season has been rainy enough that I haven’t had to worry TOO much). But the drier months in Burien are coming up and we’ve already experienced a really nice, warm, rain-free couple of days this week. If the weather and my forgetfulness keep up, my plants are doomed.
This is where this week’s project comes in handy.... Read On...
Growing: DIY Hanging Baskets
06.22.11 |
You have probably seen Topsy Turvy ads on TV and in stores, or maybe you have one hanging on your front porch. These devices have grown in popularity over the past few years and are work well for many reasons: 1. Because the plants are hanging instead of growing up a trellis, the gravity pulls them down faster than they would be able to climb up a pole. 2. No weeding involved! 3. You don't have to bend down to pick your fruit. 4. They are less susceptible to disease and pests. 5. You can successfully grow a lot of different kinds of plants in it, including tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and cucumbers.
The only problem is, I think they look a little tacky... Read On...
Growing: My Plot at the Community Garden
06.04.11 |
Burien is really starting to heat up and that means it’s prime planting season!
I’ve had my community garden plot for a couple months now, and I think I was a little over-ambitious back in April... Read On...
Growing: How To Make Newspaper Seed Pots
05.11.11 |
During my Spring Break gardening kick, I was so excited to start planting, I just couldn't wait. I began researching every gardening blog and book I could to get started. My first frustration: so many gardening books are written to be universal for all climates in the United States. Well, Burien's climate is nothing like prime gardening weather in California or even Eastern Washington.
Read On...
Growing: Why I Want to Garden
04.22.11 |
It's been building up all year - I want to grow a vegetable garden! I got seriously interested in doing this when I heard about a new branch of AmeriCorps called FoodCorps. This organization sends workers to low-income, highly-obese cities in America to plant a garden at an elementary school. The FoodCorps member tends to... Read On...