May 19 column

Here is a link to my column in today's edition of The Spokesman-Review: Green thumbs unite to run Greenhouse. It is a profile of Green's Greenhouse, owned by Brian Green and Dan Dunn. They have really nice bedding and vegetable plants, and hard-to-find plants as well. The photo above is of a gorgeous geranium I bought there for my front porch planters. The cultivar is 'Horizon Petticoat.'

The greenhouse is located at 13910 S. Short Rd. in southwest Spokane. The address is technically in Cheney, according to the Postal Service, but it's really in between Spokane and Cheney.

Here are the directions: Take highway 195 south from I-90. Proceed 2.3 miles south of I-90 and turn right onto Cheney-Spokane Rd. Drive 3.3 miles and turn left onto Sherman Rd. Go 3.1 miles and turn right onto W. Washington Rd. Take the first left, which is Short Rd. The greenhouse will be 7/10 of a mile on the right.

They are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. They also have a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/greensgreenhouse.

Frost protection for tender plants

I'll give you two guesses of what you're looking at! Actually, you probably only need one. Yesterday, I decided to bite the bullet and plant a row of cherry tomatoes in our garden because they've been getting too leggy in the greenhouse. I had been watching the weather forecast quite closely and I swear there weren't any temperatures in the 30s listed while I happily planted these guys. Sigh...

I checked the forecast again last night and sure enough, there are some 30-degree temperatures listed for Wednesday night. Are you kiddin' me?! I do admit that technically I'm jumping the gun because smart veggie gardeners know to wait until closer to the 1st of June before planting their tomatoes. But don't you always fight the urge to plant them early? (come on, you can admit it because now you know I'm an offender as well)

OK, back to the photo at the top. Today, I decided to give the tomatoes and a few other tender veggie plants some protection. Since the cherry tomatoes are planted on either side of a 4' by 8' sheet of wire, that makes it a little tricky. Fortunately, I had a long piece of floating row cover that I encircled the plants and wire with and then used a lot of clothespins to hold it in place. So you are looking at a bunch of seedlings that are saying, "Let us outta here!" (and if you guessed that, you win the prize of the day... not that I know what that is just yet).

The second photo isn't pretty but it's how I protected my pole bean seedlings which, as you can see, are planted next to our bean arbor. Another tricky spot to protect! But no problem: I had two long pieces of "weedblock" fabric that I used in a similar manner to the tomato set-up.

These two arrangements should protect both the tomatoes and the beans. And for all I know, we won't get a frost but since we live in an outlying area, we usually get chillier temps than you city-dwellers do (you are soooo lucky). So keep your fingers crossed that all of our gardens come through this OK. And if you have an interesting way of protecting your plants, why not share it with the rest of us? Either comment on this post or drop me a note at inthegarden@live.com. Thanks.

Spring beauty

Don't you just love this time of year? I sure do. It seems like as I round every corner in our garden, I'm met with blooming trees, bulbs and spring-blooming perennials. Even though our weather has been rather odd for the past few weeks -- with plenty of temperature extremes -- we're certainly enjoying a beautiful spring.

The top photo is of the 'Paul's Scarlet' hawthorn tree that anchors one of the island beds in our back garden. I love all of the tiny blossoms that look like miniature roses blooming. The next photo is of the 'Bechtel Improved' crabapple tree that anchors the other island bed, and a close-up of the blossoms. They are a peachy-pink that is a heavenly shade. (remember that you can click on any image for a larger view)

Gardening segments on KHQ-TV

I thought you'd be interested to know that KHQ-TV has started up a series of gardening segments with meteorologist Amy Rose, called "Rose's Garden." There is a really nice raised bed on the grounds of KHQ's downtown station, in which she'll grow veggies and flowers.

Each week, there will be a WSU/Spokane County Master Gardener on hand to give Amy the information she needs to have a successful garden. This week has been my week to work with her.

On Monday morning, I met with Amy at Tall Grass Farms in the Medical Lake area to help her with vegetable plant selections. That segment ran on KHQ early Tuesday morning.

This Saturday, May 18, we'll be doing a live segment in which I'll help Amy with the planting of the veggies. It should air between 9:30 and 10 a.m. on channel 6.

To learn more about this project, go to Rose's Garden on KHQ's web site. They have a few videos on the page so far, which I'm sure will be added to as the season progresses.

May 12 column plus additional information

Here is a link to my column in today's edition of The Spokesman-Review: Vertical transformation. It is about beautiful succulent gardens you can grow in a frame and hang on your deck or patio, or set somewhere in your garden. They are easy to make and look so stunning!

I've included additional photos of Maralee Karwoski's vertical succulent gardens (see below within text) and also more information from her that I didn't have room to include in the article. If you need to see a larger view of any photo, just click on it and you'll be taken to a full-screen image.

On design concepts to keep in mind...

"You have to decide whether you just want a random placement of your plants or whether you want to go for some sort of artful design. It depends on what plant material you have available. You really just have to decide what it is you like. I like to find something different and unusual to put in the middle as a focal point. That's where I start, then I work out from that. I use some greening pins to hold in some of the material, especially for cutting that have weak stems. You could probably use pieces of wire or hairpins to do the same thing."

Cuttings are rooting

On what to do after you've put the succulents into the frame...

"After I make one, I don't water them at all. I start with the soil already damp, pat it down and poke the stems in it. I don't water them for a week. You can tell they're rooted if you lightly pull on (a cutting) and feel a little resistance. The largest succulents take the longest to root."

On watering...

"When the leaves start shriveling up, it's time to water. I never water them more than once a week. Lay the container flat and water them, let the water drain through and then set it upright again."

Showing depth of box

On what to do with vertical succulent gardens during the late fall and winter months...

"It depends on what their plant material is. Plants that are hardy to zone 5 can be left laying outside in a protected area, someplace where they won't get wet; otherwise they're going to rot. In my experience, they come through the winter just fine. If the plants aren't hardy to zone 5, they need to be brought indoors. They're under lights in my lower level (of my house), or they'll live in the window; they don't take much care and you don't have to water them too much, maybe every 2 weeks."

On where to find sources for succulents...

Drainage holes on back

""I look for plants wherever I go and occasionally discreetly "borrow" them although most people don't care. When you look around, there are more succulents available than you might think. You can ask a neighbor friend, they'll let you pinch off a few. It's fun to buy a special plant but otherwise, just find some here or there."

(From Susan... other sources for succulents)

I have seen them at most nurseries. The best bargain I found was at Secret Garden & Greenhouse (7717 E. 18th Ave., Spokane Valley) where they were marked at 95 cents each. But I've seen them at Northwest Seed & Pet, Tower Perennials, Haase'sGreenhouse, Judy's Enchanted Gardens (2628 W. Northwest Blvd., Spokane) and even the big box stores.

Events - Garden Expo today

Don't forget to head to the 14th annual Garden Expo today! It's being held at Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is free and is put on by the Inland Empire Gardeners.

With over 250 garden-related vendors, it's a great place to find a special Mother's Day gift or something cool for your garden. For more details, go to the calendar section of this blog by clicking on the orange "Calendar" tab at the top of the page.

Step-by-step: Planting broccoli and cabbage

Remember how I did a reader survey a few months ago? Well, one of the responses suggested I include more step-by-step gardening instructions in my posts. That's a great idea, so here we go...

Today's step-by-step is on planting broccoli and cabbage. Because they are members of the Brassica family (also known as cole crops), they can have problems with three annoying types of insects: aphids, cabbage loopers and slugs. In case you were unsure, cabbage loopers are the larvae of the cabbage butterfly and are those small green inchworms that make the plants' leaves look like Swiss cheese. Slugs will do that, too.

After I planted my seedlings, which need 12-18" of spacing, I watered them in really well to keep them from going into shock. Next, I decided to address the slug issue by sprinkling diatomaceous earth (that's what's in the bag to the left) around each plant. What in the world is diatomaceous earth, you ask? Well, it's a little hard to explain but it's the fossilized remains of ancient marine plants that is made into a powder. While it feels like handling flour to you and me, any creatures with soft skins like slugs find it to be an irritant, especially since it contains tiny, sharp edges.

I decided to use an empty soup can to place over a plant, sprinkle a circle of diatomaceous earth around the can, move the can to the next plant, and so on. I'm hoping it will help keep away those slimy slugs!

To address the aphid and cabbage looper issue, I put hoops over the planting bed (we made them out of leftover 1/2" flexible black sprinkler pipe) and then placed a floating row cover over the whole bed. These covers are lightweight and will let in air, light and moisture while acting as a physical barrier to keep insects off the plants.

I'm hoping to change to a different type of cover as soon as I have time to make one. A dear friend of mine experimented a couple years ago by making a cover out of the fabric called "tulle." While the name might sound unfamiliar, you've probably seen it hundreds of times because it's the netting that bridal veils are made out of!

Anyway, I like the ideal of using tulle for a cover because you would more easily be able to see what's going on under the row cover (like, "is the cabbage ready to harvest or is it ready to burst," which they'll do in the summer sun; OR, "are slugs eating the cabbage plants?" Important sorts of things like that.) and also provide a better air flow while keeping the creepy-crawlies out. So that's on my list of things-to-do. I have the fabric, just haven't made the cover yet, but wanted to let you know about this idea.

So now my little broccoli and cabbage seedlings are on their own and hopefully will grow beautifully and provide us with lots of tasty goodness. Stay tuned...

Impressive tomato plant

Hi, everyone. I received the following email from a reader yesterday and wanted to share it with you:


Last Fall I salvaged a little heirloom tomato plant and took it inside. It has been growing and blooming all winter and is now very tall. It gave me great pleasure all winter long to be able to touch it and smell "the tomatoes"  :o) Sincerely, Gilla

 Not bad, eh? Thanks for sharing this with everyone, Gilla!

Product review: BGT tool

I don't know about you but weeding is definitely not my favorite gardening activity. Unfortunately, I have a large perennial bed out front that gets grass in it every year. Trying to tame it in the spring is an annual battle that I just dread. Usually, I'm a hand-puller of weeds which always results in very sore hands and a good case of tendinitis in my elbows.

However, I tried out a new tool for getting those grasses and weeds out of the bed yesterday and am very impressed with how quickly that task went.

It's called the "BGT" which stands for Basic Garden Tool. It was designed and developed by local resident Dave Kindred, and is assembled in the U.S. by "challenged workers and honored wounded warriors." That's pretty darned cool.

It's difficult to explain exactly what a BGT is, so here is their web site so you can see for yourself: BasicGardenTool.com. It's essentially a type of open hoe with serrated edges that you can use to work around plants, slice tiny weeds off at ground level, dig up weeds or rocks, and so much more.

I really like how you can work in tight spaces with it, especially around established plants. If I were to use a regular shovel for this sort of job, it'd be really difficult to get in between the plants and I'd probably cause a lot of damage in the process.

The BGT is lightweight yet very sturdy. Mine has a pink blade which is a fun color and a nice way to honor those who are dealing with breast cancer.

The interesting thing is its warranty: "If a BGT fails to meet a clients satisfaction in any way, it can be returned for a replacement, or a refund if it's within 90 days of purchase." When speaking with Dave recently, he told me that no one has returned a tool yet which I think is a great indication of how pleased his customers have been.

Dave will be at the Garden Expo this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be held at the Spokane Community College Lair building, 1810 N. Greene St. so that will give you a chance to see the tool in action and ask questions.

The BGT's retail for $41.90 to $49.90. If you aren't able to make it to Garden Expo, you can contact Dave Kindred directly at dave@basicgardentool.com or (509) 868-7793.

May 5 column

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here is a link to my column in today's edition of The Spokesman-Review: Oriental lilies are beautiful, easy to grow. Even though I've grown them for years, they always take my breath away when they're in bloom.

Also in today's column, I have information about next Saturday's Garden Expo, which will be held at Spokane Community College's Lair building from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I'm planning to go because it's so much fun seeing all of the plants and gardening goodies available. It's a happy, annual event that shouldn't be missed. For more information about it, see my previous post.

Enjoy this beautiful day!