What’s the first thing you notice about a person’s front door or porch? For me, it’s the wreath. If there isn’t a wreath, the porch looks like it’s missing something. A wreath is like the cherry on top of a sundae. It adds sparkle to the door and porch. While I have a stash of pre-made wreaths that I use throughout the year, I like to make seasonal wreaths asRead More →
Herbs are not just about flavoring your food. You can grow wonderful herbs to use as foliage and flowers in your seasonal bouquets. When the herbs are in bloom, they also attract pollinators to your garden. Consider adding these flowering herbs to grow an attractive and fragrant garden. Why Grow Herbs… There are many reasons to grow herbs in your garden. Consider these benefits. Enhance the Flavor of Foods WhatRead More →
Have you noticed how your likes and dislikes change over the years? Tea is a good example. As a young woman, I thoroughly enjoyed a cup of regular tea. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve discovered that the tannins in the tea irritate my mouth. I switched from regular tea to decaf. That helped a little, but even decaf tea contains some tannins. Then I tried herbal tea. I startedRead More →
It’s the season of wind in eastern Washington. While we get wind most seasons of the year, spring is often the worst. You can recognize the signs of a windy area by looking at the plants. Trees lean in one direction if not supported. Plants take on a beaten look and many plants will flop over. In order to have a beautiful floral show this garden season, something needs toRead More →
As gardeners, we often need valuable information about our plants, the weather and pests. Many of us have become reliant on the quick access we have to garden information on the Internet. You can look up any topic you want and get an array of ideas. But what if you didn’t have that information readily available? And can you always trust everything you read on the Internet? Despite the easeRead More →
Here’s a gardener’s nightmare… you purchase your beautiful flower seeds for the growing season. In the spring, you plant those seeds in the ground. And then you wait for the first little sprouts to pop up. You wait. And you wait. And you wait some more. Eventually, you realize nothing is going to grow. Why did your brand new seeds fail? Maybe the seeds needed a period of cold inRead More →
Are you growing fresh herbs in your garden? Then consider creating a lovely fresh herbal wreath to hang in your kitchen. It will not only add some beauty to your decor, but every time you walk by, the wonderful fragrance will amaze you. Over time, the herbal wreath will dry out. Keep it as a decorative wreath or snip the dried herbs to use in your cooking when needed. YouRead More →
Two years ago, a “freak” summer storm rumbled through our neighborhood. The winds were blowing hard, lightning was fast and furious and rain was pelting down. Then one of our incense cedars came crashing down. I was standing on our deck at the time and almost in slow motion I watched in horror as the tree toppled over. This massive 30 foot tree fell into our neighbor’s yard with anRead More →
I’ve talked about my love of gathering natural materials to use in my home decor. Another thing that I like to do is forage for edibles. I’m not talking about eating plant stalks and roots. I’m talking about real foods like blackberries, apples and elderberries. I use them to make delicious food, such as blackberry syrup and apple crisp. I gather the elderberries each year to make a batch orRead More →
Although we still have plenty of growing going on in the garden, it’s time to start preserving some of your herbs. Just like I process the beans, berries, tomatoes and zucchini as the summer progresses, I like to harvest my herbs and preserve them a little at a time as well. This way you won’t be overwhelmed at the end of the season with a massive job. Cooking with freshRead More →