Category Archives: Uncategorized

Most of Seattle got the better part of a foot of snow or more in the course of a  week  and a half, starting on Super Bowl Sunday. The newspapers declared this was the biggest snow event since 1949. Seattle … Continue reading →

Pretty soon the days will begin growing longer again. In this Pacific Northwest winter land of soaking gray days and long nights (we’re further north than Quebec City…. though south of Paris and substantially south of London), where heavy clouds … Continue reading →

A couple of days ago  the morning light from the hunter’s moon, diffused and softened by the predawn fog, felt like the last call for our record-breaking dry spell. The sunny day that followed was another gift for those who … Continue reading →

With forest fires burning north, south, east and west of Seattle (yes, west, on the southeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula, the Maple Fire is still going) and a staggering heat wave that stayed around for the month of July … Continue reading →

Though we are not officially offering Medicinal Herb Garden tours until the Life Sciences Building and Biology Greenhouse are completed, I couldn’t resist the request to lead a Harry Potter tour for a class from the UW Department of English. … Continue reading →

Not much to report this winter. After a long stretch of mild weather, we’re near the end of a cold spell, with clear skies and nighttime temperatures in the mid 20s F. I’ve chosen not to cover any garden plants … Continue reading →

In the Medicinal Herb Garden, this was the Year of the Rabbit.  There is no rabbit fence on the perimeter to keep them out, so visitors can expect to see  hardware cloth covering or  surrounding certain plants. It’s not a … Continue reading →

The fall colors have been the best I’ve seen in over thirty years living in Seattle. The sugar maple (Acer saccharum), whose shadow is the bane of the nearby olive trees’ (Olea europaea) existence, has nearly redeemed itself this year. … Continue reading →

After numerous reports of coyote sightings near the Medicinal Herb Garden, the time finally came to set up a camera in adjacent woods and hope the scent of several brands of dog food and dog treats made of lamb, beef, … Continue reading →

We finally got some rain and cooler temperatures after setting a new Seattle record of 56 days without rain. And many of those days were really hot. This summer there are a lot of stressed plants in Seattle. The barred … Continue reading →