June 3 column

Here is a link to my column in today's edition of The Spokesman-Review: Make your list; Friends of Manito set for spring sale. As you can probably tell by the headline, it is about next Saturday's spring plant sale sponsored by The Friends of Manito. This non-profit group uses the plant sales as fundraisers for improvements that need to be made to Spokane's beloved Manito Park.

I've been a member of The Friends of Manito for decades now and it's been a no-brainer for me. The cost is nominal and I know that any money I spend at the plant sales will go directly back into the park. My membership gets me into the sales early (between 8 and 10 a.m., whereas the general public is let in at 10 a.m.) and I get to attend a lot of interesting and useful lectures for free.

But, as a passionate gardener, the best part of all is that I get to bring home a bunch of stunning plants for my garden! The quality of the plants is always topnotch and the plant sale manager, Janis Saiki, always does a good job of selecting new and interesting varieties that will do well in our challenging climate.

By the way, the plant in the photo above is Euphorbia polychroma, or Cushion Spurge. I just love it. The plants are super tough and the chartreuse bracts really brighten up a flower bed. Another related variety is 'Bonfire' which has red, purple and orange leaves and it's a real knockout as well.

I hope you can make it to the sale.

Great perennials - Dog's Tooth Violet

Have you ever seen one of these? It's a Dog's Tooth Violet or Erythronium americanum. I purchased them from Dutch Gardens a couple of years ago and they finally have started blooming profusely as of this spring.

I think they're really cool-looking. They also go by the names of Trout Lily, Fawn Lily and Yellow Adder's Tongue Lily. Hmmm, I think I like Dog's Tooth Violet best!

No matter what you call them, they have made a nice addition to my back perennial border. They are hardy down to USDA zone 4 (we're probably in zone 4B so it can get pretty chilly in our garden), they are deer-resistant and will grow in full sun, part sun or in shady conditions. They will grow 10 to 12 inches tall.

Winter squash are in the garden

I am frequently asked the specifics of how I plant warm-season crops so they will grow quickly and produce well. I occasionally mention the fact that I use red plastic and floating row covers in my columns so I thought you might appreciate seeing the step-by-step process.

Yesterday, I was finally ready to plant our winter squash and pumpkins. Here's how I did it:

1. I didn't think to show this in a photo but I start out with a soaker hose on each of my raised beds.
2. I cover the soil in each bed with a sheet of red plastic "mulch" which helps reflect back extra light onto the plants. The plastic is anchored down with metal "U-shaped" pins which my husband made out of a heavy gauge wire.
3. (Photo #1) Next, I cut little "x's" into the red plastic to plant my seedlings through. In the case of winter squash and pumpkins, I know they'll grow as vines rather than in bush form like summer squash does. So I can squeeze around a dozen seedlings into a single 3-foot by 8-foot bed.
4. (Photo #2) Once the seedlings are planted, I either cover the bed with hoops made from black plastic sprinkler pipe or an elevated wire grid. The wire grid is made from a 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of concrete-reinforcing wire. Since our raised beds are 3-feet wide, my husband bends over each lengthwise side of the wire so the grid sits about 8" above the plants.
5. (Photo #3) Then I cover the hoops or wire grid with a large sheet of floating row cover and weight it down to keep it from blowing off in the wind. This row cover with protect the plants from winds and also keep them a few degrees warmer which is just what warm-season crops like.

I hope this all makes sense! Remember that you can click on each photo for a larger view. Let me know if you have any questions by either commenting on this post or by e-mailing me at inthegarden@live.com.

May 27 column

Here is a link to my column in today's edition of The Spokesman-Review: Working in the field.

I had the pleasure of spending the day at the Spokane Country Club recently while they hosted about 50 high school and college students. They were there to learn about horticulture, soil and water testing, fertilizers, golf course management and, of course, to have a little fun with golfing activities.

My thanks go to reader Jack Worden who told me about this program a few months ago. It's always nice to write about positive programs and events going on in our community.

The above photo is of one of the local high school students who helped plant bedding plants in the flower beds near the clubhouse. They all did a great job.

Great annuals - Cosmos

If you look at the photo and not at the title of this post, you might think you're looking at a Dahlia or a Chrysanthemum of some sort.

Actually, it is Cosmos 'Dancing Petticoats' which is a mix of different types of Cosmos including 'Seashells' and 'Psyche.' Isn't this one a beauty? I really like their lacy foliage and the blossoms make good cut flowers.

The seeds came from Renee's Garden Seeds (www.reneesgarden.com) and I started them indoors several weeks ago. And talk about overachievers -- I moved them into my little unheated greenhouse a few weeks ago, so they could acclimate to the weather and bright sunlight. Well, by the time I felt it would be safe to plant them outdoors, they were already 16" tall and starting to bloom!

I now have a nice little "stand" of Cosmos of various shades of pink and purple in one of my back perennial beds and am looking forward to enjoying them all summer long.

Great perennials - Centaurea montana

Some of my earlier-blooming perennials have been brightening up my flower beds will all sorts of colorful blossoms. One of them is Centaurea montana or Perennial Bachelor Button.

This photo doesn't really do it justice but the blue is as intense as any gardener could hope for. They are super hardy and very easy to grow. Mine are growing in filtered shade but they like full sun, too. They grow to about 18" tall and the foliage is quite attractive.

May 20 column

Here is a link to my column in today's edition of The Spokesman-Review: A peony for your thoughts. As you can guess, it's about growing peonies, which I think are one of the most beautiful plants we can have in our landscapes.

Right now, our tree peonies are in bloom (see previous post) and they are just stunning. The photo above is one I took of a herbaceous peony at last year's Northwest Flower & Garden Show over in Seattle. There are so many fabulous cultivars to choose from.