Originally published in 2018. Some details below may be out of date. By Linda Shepherd “WOW!” wrote Maryfrances Lignana, “Who knew we had such lovely and thoughtfully created gardens in our neighborhood? What a nice day! Kudos to the planners and preparers.” Indeed, it was a delightful afternoon of Beauty and community building, organized by two Mirrormont Master Gardeners—Martha Pinsky and me. For many years, I’ve wanted to revive the garden tours. Carol Walker originally s

Originally published in 2017. Some details below may be out of date. Thanks to Seattle Tilth’s Master Composters Ruth Ihlenfeldt and Michelle Brennan, we learned how to make our Pea Patch composting system more efficient, so that it yields compost in three months rather than two years. Below is a summary of what it takes to create and maintain a compost pile, with photos by Janet Horton, who is a professional photographer as well as a PeaPatcher. 1. Plan for a balanced diet o

By Master Gardeners: Jessica Klein DiStefano & Linda Jean Shepherd Nature has its own timing: Gardening puts us in touch with the...

All digging should be done when the soil is moist but not dripping wet. Pick up a handful of soil in one hand and squeeze it into a ball. It should feel damp, but no water should drip as you squeeze. Ideally, you should be able to form a ball of soil that stays together when you open your hand, but crumbles easily when you tap it with a finger. Planting dates vary according to microclimate. Those gardening very near Puget Sound or one of the area’s large lakes will probably b