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Archive for the ‘Growing’ Category

This year I had a fair amount of willow with thick stems. These are hard to twist into baskets so I decided to make some garden structures. The first step is to select 7 to 9 branches. Trim the ends to a point so they will go in the dirt more easily then peel off […]

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Twig Barriers and Supports

Now is the time to get out and prune so there are lots of available branches and twigs to work with.

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Right now is a good time to harvest garlic.  Braiding it then hanging it in a cool, dark place is a great way to store it for later. If the garlic isn’t well dried it will rot. First dry the garlic until the leaves are limp and the outside of the bulb is getting papery. It’s […]

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Along with having a beautiful name Love in the Mist or Nigella damascena has many other uses.  This native to southern Europe self seeds prolifically so be ready to weed or put it in a place where it can run wild. The blue, white or pink flowers look great in cut flower bouquets. With its deep […]

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With our mild climate you really can eat fresh veggies all year but you need to start planning for your fall and winter garden now. This can be hard with a garden full of warm season favorites but it can be done. All the onions just got pulled so it’s time to weed a bit, […]

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Flax!

Flax seeds add a nice nutritious nutty flavor to many dishes and the fibrous stalks can be spun into fiber.  Growing this plant in the Northwest is so easy that it’s almost seen as a weed. First grow the flax: Once it has matured and the seed pods are fully formed, harvest it and let […]

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Edible Flowers

Many of the flowers that grace our yards are edible.  They can be used as accents in a salad or as garnish on a main dish. Here are a few of my favorites: I like to use chive flowers in salads to lend a slightly onion flavor.  Here’s a recipe for omelets with chive flowers. Lavender cookies are […]

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Oregano!

My family loves Italian style food so we go through a ton of the herb oregano each year. Luckily it’s very easy to grow; you can start it from seed or buy a plant at most local nurseries.  It does best in full sun and doesn’t like to be water logged but do be aware […]

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Why grow onions when they are pretty cheap at the store?  Because they taste better! There are many different shapes, sizes and even colors of onions and most can be pulled young as green onions. I like to plant my onions when the crocuses are blooming; they are a cool season crop and do best when planted […]

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For seeds to grow there needs to be the right combination of light, soil temperature, nutrients and moisture.  Here in our cool Northwest climate one of the main things is waiting until the soil is really warm enough for germination to occur. Spring crops need soil temperatures in the 50’s to 60’s while summer crops need […]

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