Category Archives: Uncategorized

If you believe the calendar, spring begins on March 20, but if you garden in Seattle you know that spring begins in February. This year it has been unseasonably, freakishly warm. The lack of snow in the mountains is worrisome. … Continue reading →

This morning I heard cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) in Cascara Circle. But where were they? Shy birds that they are, the whole flock were clustered at the top of the western dogwood (Cornus nuttallii). Why? They were checking out the … Continue reading →

The colors are muted earth tones, not the bright, primary and secondary colors of summer. But the textures and the edges stand out in winter. The space between branches and stalks assumes a new gravity, framed by the dessicated, dormant, … Continue reading →

It’s December 20, winter solstice eve, and it is appropriately grey and misty, typical Seattle weather for the season. Winter is good for projects that take too much time for the busy growing season; I’m trying to use up all … Continue reading →

Many years ago, I struggled for a solution to the drainage issues in section C of the Medicinal Herb Garden. Section C is on a south facing slope and that is a good thing for growing many plants. Unfortunately, the … Continue reading →

Lately I’ve been sowing more cover crops, collecting and cleaning seeds and updating the garden’s plant inventory and the index for our international seed exchange program, spreading compost and wood chips, and reflecting on the changing seasons. It’s impossible to … Continue reading →

When I wandered into the Medicinal Herb Garden in 1992, I was looking for ideas. My housemates and I had carved out a large vegetable garden on a vacant lot and we wanted to add an herb garden. The day … Continue reading →

The nights are cooling off, there’s dew on my bike seat every morning (pretty soon it will be rain) and the sun has been breaking through the misty grey later in the day. It’s autumn. I’ve been busy collecting seeds … Continue reading →

There wouldn’t be much of a Medicinal Herb Garden without pollinators and the pollinators are resting easy because many of you and thousands of other citizens of Seattle signed a petition urging the Seattle City Council to enact a municipal … Continue reading →

This is the month to be in the mountains in Washington. The berries are ripe, the bears are out on the slopes and the frosts have killed off the bugs. I’ve been basking in the glory of our Cascades and … Continue reading →