January 15The catalogs are filling our mailboxes and that means that spring can't be too far off. All those pretty pictures and the "you can grow anything" hype makes it sound like our gardens will be so easy to do come spring. In my continuing quest to both locate and profile plants that provide visual interest during our long winters, I took a recent stroll through Manito Park. I came across several small trees with striking bark in the Joel E. Ferris Perennial Garden and learned that they are Paperbark Maples. After doing some research, I believe one would make a marvelous addition to any garden. January 8It's been 10 years since Grant Keller tried to convince friends and family that urban living and green building were the wave of the future. It is pretty amazing where you can go in the gardening world with only a few clicks of a mouse. While magazines and books are still a mainstay for gardeners to collect information and ideas, the Internet has transformed how we use that information and exchange it with others. So, with all the Web sites out there, what makes a good one? January 1With the official arrival of winter, while it might be easier to stare out the window and long for spring, why not enjoy the season and the dramatic transformation that takes place on our landscape? The rush of the holidays is over. Today marks the beginning of a new year. If you aren't a football fan or shopping junkie, take a walk today and see what you can find in the winter garden. Recently I had a couple of hours to kill so I took my walk through the Finch Arboretum. December 11The bright colors of the growing season have been replaced by the more subtle colors of the sleeping garden. Winter colors are beautiful but it is a little harder to get out and enjoy them. While a good walk on a winter afternoon gets the blood going, the lack of green leaves can be hard on a die-hard gardener. It's time to turn to our houseplants for that companionship. November 20The long slow slide into fall this year gave me time to think as I finished my chores. I realized that there was much to be thankful this year. After reading your article last week, I was hoping you might be able to give my husband some advice on his planting of arborvitae bushes. He planted some bushes last year and they did not survive. This year he tried again. He dug holes larger than the root ball and added new soil before planting them, then gave them a good watering. Is there anything else you would recommend he should do? Thank you for your help and expertise. Today's featured plant, Northern Sea Oats, look great in the garden and very cool in dried flower arrangements. November 13Happy day! The garden finally got nailed with a killing frost. I can quit for the winter. There is one last chore to do before I can really lock the door on the tool shed, though. I need to clean and repair the tools that helped me work in the garden. Looking over MaryJane Butters' Web site, or even chatting with her for a few moments, you begin to wonder: We have two burning bushes we bought from a local nursery about 20 years ago that have never turned red. One is in south-facing full sun, and the other gets afternoon sun on the west side of the house. What is wrong? The taste of a fresh cherry changed Jackie Erovick's life.In July 2006, while touring the Inland Northwest after a family reunion in Montana, Erovick and her family happened upon Green Bluff. They stopped at an orchard, sampled the ripe cherries, struck up a conversation with the orchardist and spent two hours walking the 10-acre property. November 6If you are looking for a hardy shrub that has beautiful flowers in the spring, attractive berries that last for months and colorful foliage in the fall, you can't do better than this. I was lucky to get to spend the last two warm days this fall working outside near a Hillyard playfield. In between shoveling dirt into garden boxes, I stopped and just enjoyed the color around me. The trees and shrubs certainly put on a show for us this year. Now is a great time to make sure they will be as pretty next year. A couple years ago Coeur d'Alene's Gabby Gardener, Dick Rifkind, said there was a peach tree that was reliably hardy in the Bumblebee/Enaville, Idaho, area. My elderly parents love peaches and I would like to get them a couple trees. We tried Reliance; it died the third year. Elberta died the second year. It seems Rifkind said that the tree had to be ordered by mail and early, but he is no longer in the area and I don't know how to find out what the tree's name was or where to order it. Do you happen to know? October 30On one of the recent glorious fall days, I took some time for a walk through the Manito Park Rose Garden. Even though it was the middle of October, the roses were beautiful. Every color imaginable and the fragrances were quite pronounced in the still air. The coming winter months trigger our good intentions and our need to feed our wild friends, but does this kindness come at a cost? We always enjoy the information you give us in your columns.We live in Liberty Lake and when the house was built two years ago the landscaper planted a few of what I think are boxwoods. The leaves are yellow and green. The bush has strong upright stems and is getting out of hand, blocking our view of the vegetable garden. I know I could shear it, or at least thin out some of the branches. But what is the best time to do that? I find conflicting information on the Web. October 23Marty Eberle's zeal for dahlias came later in life. He always had vegetable gardens as one of 10 children they were a necessity. And with his own family he continued the practice. A few marigolds may have been scattered across the garden, but no other flowers co-existed with the zucchini or tomatoes. One of the best perks of retirement is having the time to spend with grandchildren. Jan Kroll is taking advantage of that opportunity. She especially loves gardening with 4-year-old Logan, who often comes to spend the night. Compost is black gold to a garden. It is a rich source of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. It makes even the driest sand or gummiest clay into beautifully crumbly, friable soil that is able to hold water. A two to three inch layer of it used as a mulch helps block weeds. October 16Is there anything to help reduce the clusters of small gnats that hover over the lawn? Joan Hall, Suncrest October 9When most homeowners build a deck, they likely envision using it for midsummer barbecues and afternoon sunbathing. When most homeowners build a deck, they likely envision using it for midsummer barbecues and afternoon sunbathing. In SOME urban areas, graffiti art is a respected medium for conveying social and political sentiment. But a recent increase in graffiti and so-called "tagging" in some Spokane neighborhoods is viewed by many as unsightly vandalism, or worse gang-related activity. In SOME urban areas, graffiti art is a respected medium for conveying social and political sentiment. But a recent increase in graffiti and so-called "tagging" in some Spokane neighborhoods is viewed by many as unsightly vandalism, or worse gang-related activity. Bright golden foliage glowing against a shady spot in the garden can make the landscape pop.With the onset of autumn, gardeners should consider the merits of using perennials and shrubs with leaves that change with the season. Bright golden foliage glowing against a shady spot in the garden can make the landscape pop.With the onset of autumn, gardeners should consider the merits of using perennials and shrubs with leaves that change with the season. Generations ago, before agriculture changed the look and feel of the Palouse, the area was a prairie filled with native grasses and wildflowers. Generations ago, before agriculture changed the look and feel of the Palouse, the area was a prairie filled with native grasses and wildflowers. My question relates to the use of our local newspaper (The Spokesman-Review) in the compost bin. Can you tell me what the ink base is? Many printers are now using a soy-based ink for publishing. Also, if soy-based ink is used for The Spokesman-Review, does that also apply to the pages that have colored pictures, ads or other items? I am an avid composter and would like to make use of our daily newspaper by including it in our compost pile. My question relates to the use of our local newspaper (The Spokesman-Review) in the compost bin. Can you tell me what the ink base is? Many printers are now using a soy-based ink for publishing. Also, if soy-based ink is used for The Spokesman-Review, does that also apply to the pages that have colored pictures, ads or other items? I am an avid composter and would like to make use of our daily newspaper by including it in our compost pile. October 2For Kay and Dan Loibl, the last few weeks have been the highlight of their gardening year. The dahlias are blooming. We aren't taking about a few plants tucked into the border. The couple has 100 different varieties in almost every color of the rainbow on their property. While they are enjoying the beauty of the moment, the Loibls know the first frost is not far off and overnight the dazzling plants will be killed. All that will be left are black piles of mush. DarleNe and Douglas Reilly began their garden story in 1969 when they moved to the 1908 vintage house his grandfather had built. Back then, the house was out in the country, a long way from downtown. Today it is a block off the busy thoroughfare of North Division near Francis. But even with the hustle right out their door, the garden is a bright spot in an urban setting. My thornless blackberry bush was slow to bloom, and then hot weather came and now it is loaded. But the problem is that most of the berries are not turning color. I watered them well with a drip hose. Is there anything I can do to get them to ripen? This is the first year I have had trouble. September 18Lyle Tostenrude beams as he shows off his expansive, eclectic garden.There are deer-shaped topiaries, pruned arborvitae and carved bonsais. There is heather and cotoneaster. There is a sunken porch, a hot tub and a pond, 11 Buddhas, seven concrete pagodas and five foo dogs. She's taught junior high and high school. She's been a consultant for private industry. And she's worked in the Washington state governor's office, coordinating work-force training programs. September 4Last year when the Hildahl family moved into a large home in Spokane Valley's Northwood community, they loved everything about it β except the backyard. With the heat of summer behind us, now's the time to enjoy birding in the Little Spokane River Natural Area. Whether by foot or canoe, it's one of the best and easy to reach places to go birding in Spokane County. Autumn is no exception. What a summer. When it got hot in July, I was not looking forward to it being hot all the way to Labor Day. Not when we were trying to plan a wedding reception in the yard in mid-August. I had dreams of watering in my pajamas. But Mother Nature fooled us β again β and sent us a very comfortable August with just a bit of rain. Last year, our zucchini did real well. Like many people, we couldn't harvest them fast enough. This year, our zucchini plant looks great and is putting out a lot of flowers and is setting zucchini as expected. However, when the zucchini are about 3 to 4 inches long, they suddenly stop growing and slowly begin to shrivel from the blossom end. August 28For Don and LaVerle McCandless, growing vegetables is an important part of life. Every year they coax tomatoes, zucchini, beans, cabbage, carrots and a dozen other vegetables out of their garden just off Highway 904 near Four Lakes to can for themselves and sell at the weekly Cheney Farmers' Market. And to give back to the community through the Cheney Food Bank and Plant a Row for the Hungry. This has been a tough year for tomatoes.A cool June reduced early blossoming. Then, highs in the mid to upper 90s zapped a lot of blossoms before they could set, and keeping the plants evenly moist has been a challenge. You don't have to have a large garden to donate produce to your nearest food bank. Every pound of produce is welcome. August 21In an aging neighborhood near Gonzaga University, Master Gardener Carolyn Starner created a secluded oasis of beauty and tranquility. We had barely begun a walk around Annie Pierce's garden when a rumble and a cloud of dust announced the arrival of the UPS truck. One thing that gets us gardeners upset is people who use broadcast seed and fertilizer spreaders either hand held or wheeled for putting on weed-and-feed fertilizers. It ends up killing the neighbors' flowers, as it can throw the weed killer out many feet on either side. I have had people on both sides of me do this more than once. Carolyn Starner, author of "Emerald Journey: A Walk Through Northwest Gardens," offers these tips for creating your own retreat: August 14Nearly 10 years ago, Corbin Art Center Director Lynn Mandyke was tromping around the rugged woodland behind the center in Pioneer Park on Spokane's lower South Hill. I used to admire the beautiful Mediterranean-style home that sat on the corner. It had been built in the 1920s for the daughter of a wealthy city founder. She'd married a sculptor and the rambling house was their love-nest. The house sat on two lots, one of which had been a beautiful formal garden. I planted several large pots this spring. To save weight I put crushed aluminum cans in the bottom of the containers. Now I'm hearing that's not a good thing to do. Also, what about the water holding crystals you mix in the soil? The Moore-Turner Heritage Gardens is open to the public this weekend. It took seven years of hard work to coax this little bit of Spokane's history out of a tangle of nearly 70 years of brush and neglect. What do movies like "The Incredibles," "Harry Potter," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Mosquito Coast," "The New World," and "Ratatouille" have in common? These movies all contain bird sounds. And when Hollywood needs authentic bird sounds, or wants to create make-believe creatures out of authentic sounds, they contact the Macaulay Library. August 7When a debilitating disease kept Karen Druffel from the ocean, she and her husband created a coastal oasis at home in Spokane. Viktoria Bruens has lived in a tiny house in Spokane for more than 30 years. She loves Spokane because the climate reminds her of where she grew up near the Alps in Germany. In early June the irises put on their annual show. Their bold flowers in nearly every color of the rainbow are the mainstays of the summer garden. July 31It's hot, hot, hot – time to cool down and take a splash. With temperatures in the 100s, you're not the only one who needs to stay cool. How about adding a birdbath to your back yard? Last time I checked, Spokane was about 280 miles from the nearest body of salt water. But The Jardin Voyager, "planted" in Cheney, waits for her next crew of grandkids to man the helm and sail off into the land of imagination. I have a good crop of raspberries but some of the clusters have white spots on them. What is this and is it bad for the berries and the plant? July 24Fruits of their labor
Deena Romoff and Stormie Oshun Pursuing his dreams took Sean Owens far away from Spokane. Living his dreams brought him back."The entire focus of my life was to become a pilot in the military," Sean says, noting childhood photos frequently show him dressed in oversized fatigues. "That's all I could think about." Spokane's urban business owners and residents can expect their environment to take on a more cohesive look next year when the Downtown Spokane Partnership implements a street enhancement strategy that will make trashcans, bike racks, bus stops and other infrastructure more pedestrian friendly, pleasing to the eye, and discouraging to vandals and other unsavory characters. Vivian Nielsen runs Garden Gate Lavender Farm with more than 2,500 plants. Not bad for a woman who could never keep her houseplants alive. We have so many bees trying to get all our raspberries. Do you know of any spray or such that would help them stay away? Thanks. July 17Glancing through Don and Patricia Schelling's picture window to the backyard beyond gives the impression that the couple lives in a nature preserve: Tall pines and large boulders dot the slope, giving way to ivy and lush maples at the rear of the oversized yard. It's like a ghost creeping into the garden. Your roses, lupines, phlox and a dozen other plants begin to take on a white, dusty haze ruining the look of otherwise beautiful plants. Welcome to a powdery mildew invasion. And this year it's particularly bad. It's not every day that you get to peer into the face of an owl. It is an enlivening experience to see those big beautiful eyes stare back at you. I've been meaning to e-mail you, and this morning in reading your article regarding grass maintenance, I decided to sit down immediately to ask you this question. To many people a rose is simply a single, long-stemmed red beauty. But Carol Newcomb knows better. Jordan's Joy is a pale blue, tall bearded iris with a hint of silver and a streak of deep-blue running through its ruffled petals. July 3A drive along Woodstone Avenue, in Hayden's Forrest Hills neighborhood, reveals a number of stately homes with impressive gardens. Chamaecyparis obtusa may sound like a mouthful, but this species of Japanese evergreens produces some of the daintiest and best kept forms in the modern landscape garden. The Pend Oreille Lavender Festival, with its rich mixture of culture, community and nature, attracts locals and visitors from all over the Inland Northwest and beyond. As hobbies go, interest in the ancient Japanese art of bonsai has been growing rapidly. The idea of having a miniaturized bit of nature seems to fascinate people. For Tuesday, July 03, 2007. June 26Summer's officially here, and it's time to get to know your hummers. Sorry guys, not the GM models, but stay tuned — if you like speed, this is for you. Mildred Beitzel has been growing irises since 1954. At one point, during her 50 years living in Palouse, Wash., Beitzel had more than 850 varieties. Now in Spangle, she still has hundreds of iris varieties. Her high regard for the plant was influenced by her father and continued with her daughter, Marilyn. Fire season is again upon us in the Inland Northwest. "It's not a matter of if a wild land fire will happen," says Garth Davis of the Spokane County Conservation District. "It's when." I see a lot of sprinkler systems running all the time already. Do we need to be watering lawns a lot right now? You're probably familiar with that famous Joni Mitchell song, the one about how they paved paradise and put up a parking lot. June 12The Purple Haze
(David and Kara Trail)The Purple Haze Garden is a plant collector's dream that features all kinds of unusual plants you're won't see anywhere else. This young family manages to combine a love of gardening and family life in a way that will make you smile and warm your heart. The Purple Haze garden is also the May 2007 Garden of the Month. My maple tree has suddenly developed white spots all over the leaves. Some of them are curling up and drying out at the edges. This is a big tree that shades our house in the summer so I don't want to lose it. Help. The Yak rhododendron craze that swept Britain 60 years ago never made it to the Inland Northwest. June 5The three women eyed the horsedrawn carriage like it was a four-carat diamond.They ran their hands across the leather seat and padded satin lining, peered through the round window at the back that resembles a ship portal. They looked under the black carpeting to find worn linoleum that resembles caning. They toyed with the loosened trim, lifting it to discover even older trim beneath. They examined a pillow-shaped, metal foot warmer complete with coal drawer. Few plantsmen have done as much to explore the limits of botanical discovery as gardening icon Dan Hinkley. Even rarer are those plantsmen who are willing to share those discoveries and their uses with gardeners around the world. Has early morning drumming on the side of your house been waking you up? Do you wonder what the ruckus is all about? I have a problem with spotted knapweed. I have several acres of the stuff and no way to cultivate the area. Hand pulling is out of the question. I have heard that there is a weevil that thrives on this particular plant. How fast, how effective and where can we get them. May 29"This is a hobby that once you get started, it's hard to give up," said Jim Miller, confessing his passion for beekeeping. Good watering is all-important to a good garden, and long, slow watering has many benefits. The dogwood trees around this area outdid themselves this year. There were huge pink and white clouds everywhere! The tomato and pepper plants have been in the stores for weeks. When is it really time to plant them? Also I always have trouble getting them ripe at the end of the summer. It rained last night. There is nothing more nourishing to the garden than a good spring rain. And there is nothing more satisfying to the gardener than to see life coming to be after a gentle soaking rain. A warm spring rain brings clarity to life all around. The air is filled with the happy chirping of song birds and the loud quarrels of turkeys on the hills. Pine trees change to a darker shade of green. The garden grows several inches overnight. All around, life bursts from everywhere, up from the ground, down from trees, from every pore of the earth itself. The rain cleanses the last remaining memory of a long winter and heralds the coming of a warm season. May 22Since Spokane is the "Lilac City," it only makes sense to grow one.But if you have limited space, a 12-foot lilac shrub might be too big. Everything about artist Kay O'Rourke revolves around the land."My creative process is totally intertwined with my garden, the soil and the earth," says O'Rourke, known for her colorful and fanciful art. It's been a pretty good year for our region. I'm hearing more upbeat comments about people doing well at work, a thriving real estate market and more opportunities all around. <Those garden hoses curled up in your side yard or snaking across pathways are among the most versatile tools you have. <May 15In May 1938 Faith Smith was strolling downtown when by chance she happened upon Spokane's first Lilac Parade at the corner of Lincoln and Main. Healing gardens should be a part of every health care facility. That's the word from Ann Hanenburg, ASLA, a landscape designer for Sherry Platt Van Voorhis Landscape Architects in Spokane. Pack your binoculars and favorite bird guide: We're going to Leavenworth! We all know Leavenworth for its Bavarian charm, particularly during Christmastime, but spring offers us another reason to visit this quaint Washington town. Springtime in Leavenworth is a beautiful backdrop for bird-watching. The fruit trees are showing off their full blooms into May, and this weekend the town hosts its Fifth Annual Spring Bird Fest. For beginning and expert birders, locals and visitors, friends and families — this event is sure to please. Recently I spent some very pleasant time in the classroom of my children's kindergarten. Mrs. Stone had asked me to come and show her kindergarteners how to plant seeds. What do you do to keep worms from apple trees and when do you do it? It's lilac season in the Lilac City and the air will soon be fragrant with their heady scent. Lilacs are perfect for our Inland Northwest gardens. They love our weather, don't need a lot of pruning and aren't usually bothered by many pests or diseases. Gerard and Willy Verkaik love open space.And while their children want the couple living close to family, the Verkaiks consider close a relative term. They recently bought a 40-acre property north of Loon Lake off Highway 395. The land is about 30 minutes from their daughter's Colbert home. Home
Pesticide Disposal program - Free disposal of pesticides only, up to 1,000 pounds, at the Coeur d'Alene Transfer Station. Program sponsored by the Idaho Department of Agriculture; Thursday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 3650 Ramsey Road. Free. (208) 769-9586. For Tuesday, May 15, 2007. May 8Still trying to find a special gift for a mother in your life? If she is a gardener, relax, you don't have to worry. Just take her to the annual Garden Expo on Saturday at Spokane Community College. She will find her own gift, and you will look like a hero. A group of us want to purchase a plant for friends living in Liberty Lake as a family memorial. We would like it to be pretty, maybe attract butterflies or hummingbirds and be deer resistant. Would lilac be appropriate? What else would you suggest? May 1I've never opened the door to find one, but I've read about May Day baskets. I always thought it was a wonderful tradition. Our two 5-year-old rhubarb plants are up about 4 to 5 inches just like usual this time of year, but in years past, this is all they do. I'm a tough sell for the garden industry folks who send me products or plants to try. I usually test things for as long as a year before I feel I can recommend them to you. Sometimes though a product comes out that works well enough to pass right along. Here are two products that seem to be worth trying. When flowering trees are in full bloom, my driving becomes hazardous. In fact, so hazardous that my husband won't take the same road if he knows I will be on it at a certain time. Warm weather will arrive any day now. Which means it's time to look at ways to get the young ones into the fresh air and sunshine. But having fun should go hand in hand with being safe, so here are a few things to remember when you shop for backyard play equipment: April 24With warmer weather, more and more birds will be making pit stops in your backyard. Put out a few tasty morsels and they'll be flocking to you. Years ago I bought a collection of dwarf conifers to add visual texture and year-around color to the landscape at my house. Few flowers provide as much joy — and instant karma — as the homegrown sunflower. April has been proclaimed Urban Forest Month in Spokane to celebrate the importance of trees to our communities. Like the roads, bridges, sidewalks, power and communication wires and other gray infrastructure we rely on to keep our communities going, our green infrastructure keeps our communities healthy, livable and ultimately lower taxes for everyone. I need some ideas on fences that would keep deer out of my vegetable garden this year. I lost several crops to them last year. It would need to be wide enough for a four-wheel tractor. What about height and length between posts? I went to Wal-mart today thinking I needed a bag of seed potatoes. I came out of there with nearly $100 of various plants, and seed potatoes only as an afterthought. Gene Lucia wanted to plant a garden and get out of the jungle.Lucia and his wife, Barbara, moved to Spokane last year after living more than 30 years in southern Florida. The East Coast natives decided against moving back home after several visits left them discouraged by the overcrowding and the incivility. April 17The words "Global Warming" were just coming into the mainstream around the time my first child was born in the mid-1980s. With a child on the way, thinking about the world I would deliver her into, I remember pondering the vague warnings and troubling possibilities. With our basic spring cleanup done, its time to celebrate spring by taking advantage of local gardening events, festivals and classes: A trip out to the garden sent me into despair. It does every year at this time. Even though April is upon us and there are signs of life everywhere in the garden, no one can convince me that the glory of last season will repeat itself. The garden is a ravaged mess from winter and the merciless deer. I panic at the work ahead of me. But fortunately, I also have the antidote. It lies in the roses. It is time to prune them. Once the pruning starts, the panic subsides. Nature we're all a part of it.Spring is a fitting time of year to celebrate Earth Day. Seemingly overnight, green folds burst from moist earth and bare branches. Sunlight streams through rain clouds. Winds whip cold and fierce, then change to a gentle caress. Birds sing love ballads and dive after mates. I'm still fairly new to this area and have a question about azalea plants that I received in February. They have bloomed beautifully and are just now fading, but new growth seems to be appearing. I have a shade bed with ferns and a rhododendron, can I safely plant these azalea plants there also? Can I do it now or is it too early? Pollen season – leaving its telltale yellow film on windowsills, tabletops and cars – is upon us with a sneezing, itchy-eyed vengeance. There is no way to avoid the stuff completely, but there are ways to fight back inside our homes. For Tuesday, April 17, 2007. April 10Just because you have a small yard doesn't mean you can't have the fun of picking a tree-ripened apple, pear or plum off your very own tree in your very own yard. You just need a dwarf fruit tree that can fit into any sunny spot in the yard. I have been using Lily-Miller dormant spray for peach leaf curl on my nectarines; three times during the winter and the spring. It really hasn't been too effective. I am going to put on the last dormant spray in a day or so. Should I use something that has oil in it? When the buds show a little pink, I then spray with another spray for insects. Can you suggest something that works for peach leaf curl? Any garden worth its dirt has tulips.The bright cups of color scream spring, no mistake about it. Is a lawn part of a garden? Definitely! And, if so, my garden is in some serious trouble, and it has been from day one. Most afternoons, when I pull into the driveway, I take a long look at my house as I drive past. Occasionally, after I park, I flip down the mirror and take a long look at myself. Rooftop and patio dining are staples of the American urban experience, but they're a bit of a rarity in Spokane, despite the city's ongoing love affair with urban renewal. Dwarf trees are becoming more widely available in nurseries, garden centers and from Web sources. April 3SANTA ANA, Calif. If there is one simple way to bring your house into the 21st century, it is with paint. No matter when your house was built, what the architectural style is, what the landscape looks like, color and all its combinations can give your house a current look. Easter lilies have been a part of Easter festivities since the late 1880s. The majestic trumpet-shaped blooms herald the message of the season. While the rest of us are impatiently waiting to plant our vegetable gardens, Vicki Cahill, a market gardener near Newport, Wash., is eagerly awaiting her first harvest. Cahill grows asparagus. By the middle of April she will be feasting on the tasty, pale green spears. Daffodils are up and ready to bloom! And when they do, what a sight it will be! Or at least, I am hoping so. Dallas, Texas, sizzles all year long."It's one long, endlessly hot summer," says Rebecca Ker. "It's crazy heat." March 27Helleborus orientalis may sound like a botanical mouthful, but this diminutive plant should be cultivated in every Inland Northwest garden. It's amazing what a little bit of sunshine can do for gardeners with cabin fever. A few warm, dry days and we are back out there playing in the detritus of winter. Piles of raked leaves, pine needles and garden trimmings are everywhere. Now what do we do with them? If everything had gone right in Ciscoe Morris' gardening life, we never would have gotten to know him. But, events didn't go right and gardeners from across the Northwest, Alaska, northern British Columbia and northern California, regularly enjoy his irrepressible humor and encyclopedic gardening knowledge on KING television in Seattle and the Northwest Cable News network. On Friday, Morris will bring his humor, and his television show to the 32nd annual Spokane Home and Garden Show at the new Convention Center. "Someone is outside photographing our house," my husband announced over breakfast on a crisp October morning last fall. Following his gaze out the window of our Cannon Hill home, I saw a woman standing in the street, her face obscured by a camera. I spent the better part of the day potting up bare root roses and a few other things. This is new to me, potting roses in early March. Clean green material can be delivered to one of the area's three solid-waste system transfer stations. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily through Saturday. The first 100 pounds are free. Amounts over that are charged at 35 cents per 20 pounds. March 20Want to get the jump on bugs and slugs this year? What about creating some free entertainment out in the garden any time you want it? Good environmental stewardship starts in our own backyards and includes the wildlife with which we share our gardens. In most areas of the country spring is welcome – except for the bugs whose activity goes into high gear right now. The two-story house sat on a hill across from Manito Park, and best of all, it was for sale. For me, gardening season really starts in January and February. And the reason for that? Bare root roses. March 13The big dilemma for gardeners this time of year is to determine what flowering trees and shrubs should be, or can be, pruned now and those that should be left to another time of the year. This is important because if the plants are pruned at the wrong time, you may be removing the unopened flower buds with your attempt to rein in the plant. I went out to check the garden today, and to my surprise and subsequent alarm, some tulips are already poking up out of the ground. Not only that, some of them have already been eaten by deer. March 6On this dreary late winter day, I have a pot of Azalea blooming gloriously in the house. I don't know how long it has been blooming, as we had been out of town for two weeks. But there it is, covered in pink cloud, in quiet exuberance, without anyone's admiring cheers, as if it knows what the best gift is for a wintry day and a welcome home. It's time to catch sleeping insects before they emerge and chew their way through the garden. Dormant or horticultural oils are a highly refined petroleum-based mineral oil or, in a few products, vegetable oil that is sprayed on woody plant materials to kill overwintering insects and their eggs. February 27My annual sojourn to the Northwest Flower and Garden show in Seattle is always an opportunity to see new ideas and get inspired for the coming garden season. Just being around green things does wonders for my attitude. February 20When Greg Cook retired from his career as an Air Force pilot, he and his wife, Tammy, were ready to buy a home and stay put. Nearly 20 years ago, Peggy Lamanna asked her husband to take her to the park she could never find on her own. I sense that gardeners around the area are coming out of hibernation. At a recent garden club meeting, there were more questions February 13Just in time for the next gardening season, Sunset Books will release the eighth edition of the Sunset Western Garden Book later this week at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. It has been the go-to reference for western gardeners for more than 70 years. February 6Have you moved to a smaller space in recent years? Just because you live in a small space doesn't mean you can't grow a few veggies along with your flowers. As more and more people reduce the size of their gardens, the plant industry has been very busy developing miniature forms of our garden favorites. Even zucchinis now come in a smaller size. Interested in eco-friendly building? Considering a "green" house of your own? Or maybe you're just wondering about that curious-looking straw bale bungalow under construction on the South Hill? January 30The yellow straw poking out from a small opening on the front porch says it all. Dubbed a "truth window" in the environmental-housing vernacular, the little diamond-shaped opening on the front of John Brinton and Frieda Morgenstern's new home gives passersby a glimpse into their nearly complete straw bale house. Warmer weather can't be too far away. People are asking about how to grow one plant or another, or how to deal with a particular problem or landscaping project. January 23My desk is buried under this year's onslaught of garden catalogs. Each day's mail brings a few more, and I can't resist reading them cover to cover. While I like reading catalogs from all over the country, I tend to favor Northwest catalogs that offer options that fit our climate with its short seasons and hot, dry summers. Here are a few of my favorites: January 16Bill and Barbara Parsons live out of their suitcase. "Whenever we get the itch to go," says Bill Parsons, "we hook up our truck to the suitcase and hit the road." Here we are, halfway through January. Our noses are pressed against the glass looking for a glint of sunshine and the slightest sign of warmer weather. By the middle of February we will all be suffering from a major case of cabin fever. We are going to need a serious diversion. Area gardeners may not be able to get their hands into their gardens this time of year, but they will be able to get their hands on a new quarterly gardening magazine. January 9My garden tools worked hard last summer and deserve a little bit of TLC for their efforts. I, like many of you, just stuck them in the garage every which way at the end of the garden season – still covered with dirt. Now it's time to give my tools their holiday treat: a good cleaning, sharpening and oiling so they will be ready for next year. January 2Gardeners who have house plants are lucky. In the dead of winter, while everyone else is going stir-crazy, we have our little green in-house therapists to listen to our rants over not seeing the sun, or anything green, without passing judgment. They don't even send us a bill. The only payment houseplants require is a little TLC for the winter December 26I live in the Wenatchee Valley and had a question hopefully you can help me with. I have an 8-year-old red laceleaf Japanese maple that was damaged in the recent windstorm. When cold weather settles in, there is something very comforting about walking into a kitchen fragrant with herbs that have seasoned a pot of soup or stew. December 19When Jane Takai wants to make a quick wreath for the holidays, she just steps out her door and gathers whatever is in her garden. Takai's "garden" encompasses nearly 200 acres of forest above Newman Lake, so she has a lot to choose from. When she and some of her neighbors gather every year to make wreaths and other holiday decorations, they bring stuff from their gardens. December 12There is a birthday celebration going on this year at Manito Park's Gaiser Conservatory Winter is the time gardeners plan and dream. If you have a gardener on your Christmas list, books are a great way to fuel those dreams and keep them happy until spring. December 5The morning we got our first dusting of snow, I was greeted with the raucous chattering of birds looking for breakfast in an empty feeder. The North Idaho Bed and Breakfast Association will host its 17th annual hyoliday tour Sunday. "It's kind of a huge open house," said this year's chairperson, Shar Scott. Hybrid teas, grandiflora and floribunda roses need protection to make it through the winter. One way is to mound up soil, from a bag or elsewhere in the garden, or fine mulch around the base of the rose plants. November 28This Saturday a row of stately historic houses just off South Lincoln Street will hold an open house. There is something about the pungent, spicy scent of fresh evergreen trees in the house this time of year that really brings in the holiday spirit. November 21The Cranberry, that tart, jewel-colored, little berry, isn't just a side dish at Thanksgiving. November 14Potted evergreens are a traditional way to add interest to the exterior of any house. Soon, we will be decorating inside our houses in preparation for the holidays. The first dusting of snow in the Spokane area had folks scrambling for missing mittens and digging winter coats from the back of the closet. You did it again folks. It was a glorious vegetable garden season this year and you did yourselves proud by funneling 50,000 pounds and counting of desperately needed fresh produce to local food banks as part of the Plant a Row for the Hungry project. November 7The growing season is winding down but some of the nurseries still have late-season bargains ready to plant. If you hustle a bit, you can find some nice additions to your garden. Dave and Sandy Graf love the outdoors. So, when they built their home in Hauser, Idaho, three years ago, they decided to keep things as close to nature as possible. October 31I have not gotten my yard for fall finished yet. Is it too late to move and/or divide perennial flowers in Spokane Valley? We have only lived here for two years and are still learning about what we can and cannot do here. When Kristen Lobdell and her sister, Darci Hastings, purchased a 1903 bungalow five years ago, the lawn was dying and the landscaping nonexistent. Now, thanks to Lobdell's passion for gardening, visitors to the home on the lower South Hill are greeted by a dazzling display of color. For those of you who have water features and ponds, it's time to prepare them for the cold weather. A little bit of time now could save your investment later. The annual gathering of the ladybugs has begun. If your home has been invaded by swarms before, expect a repeat appearance. The insects are seeking winter refuge and want to get into the attic, wall cavities and interiors, by the thousands. October 24After Margaret Bouland's two sons and their wives painted her home's interior walls for her, the North Side resident was ready for something different. Instead of hanging her decorations back up on the white walls, she asked her granddaughter, Jennifer Schofield, for help. Our dahlias, begonias, cannas and caladiums put on quite a show for us this year with all the warm weather. Now that the frosts have come, its time to dig and store these tender bulbs so we can enjoy them next year. What's the best way to get rid of bag worms? - Jim This is where common names can get us into trouble as we deal with insect problems. October 17I've grown dahlias for many years, and have always successfully saved the tubers to plant the next year. I've also traded tubers with friends, and have enjoyed a mix of large- and small-flowered dahlias, as well as tall and short dahlias in every color imaginable. When Roger Shawgo was a child he got a toy replica of a gas station. He enjoyed playing with it, and when he grew up, he and his brother bought a Texaco gas station of their own. It's that time of the year where leaves turn golden and scarlet, covering lawns and gardens with a colorful carpet. But, don't be in such a hurry to rake, bag and discard those leaves says Ann Murphy, Education Coordinator for Spokane Regional Solid Waste System. October 10Container gardening is the perfect way to take advantage of the fall gardening season here. The rest of the garden has finished and the first frosts can sneak in at almost any time, but the weather is still great for cold-tolerant plants in containers. What do you get when you combine 7,300 wine corks, 15 tubs of silicone and 15,000 nails? If you're Del Mallery, you get a privacy wall that's a work of art. A fence surrounding your property provides privacy and security. Or it simply delineates your backyard from your neighbor's. But most fences don't always do that in a way that is pleasing to the eye. In 1999, Darina Green was in a car accident and suffered a serious brain injury. "I couldn't think well. I had unusually bad headaches. Nothing helped the excruciating pain," the Spokane Valley woman said. October 3Just off busy Dishman-Mica Road, Paul and Kathie Scott have created a lush oasis. The Scotts share a passion for landscape design and gardening. Our roses are relishing the cooler weather. After August's heat, they are again blooming like mad. But that show will end with the coming of cold weather, and without a little preparation, the roses may not be here for next year. My hydrangeas are not turning pink. Instead they are just staying green. Is there something I can fertilize them with to help them get color? September 26Let's see, four walls and a roof. Front yard and backyard. Sounds like a house. Looks like a house. Well, that's what most of us would see. "We wanted things to look big, mature and established; like they have been here a long time." It was this simple wish from avid gardeners Lorae and Jeff Sims that led them to create a garden rich with bold plants in extraordinary combinations at their Hillyard home. Sister Karen Conlin has taught cello at Holy Names Music Center for 27 years. But, on the afternoon of Sept. 18 she thought she'd walked into the wrong studio. No weeds in the gardenI'm curious what your opinion is of using Preen as mentioned on the label for certain food crops. I used it last year after completely weeding the garden and had a few stray weeds to pull later on, but July, August, September and even the beginning of this year were much easier to keep weeds out of the garden. Creating order out of chaos has been my theme in and out of the garden this year. January brought almost shirt-sleeve weather and the news that our daughter and future son-in-law were moving up their wedding day from August to President's Day weekend. September 19Several weeks ago I asked if anyone experienced a frost in late July or early August. I heard from several people north of Spokane that at least the tops of some their sensitive plants had been hit. My son gave me a large ficus tree that has had a sticky saplike substance all over each leaf. I have hosed it off twice outside, watered it with tea, and planted garlic cloves in the pot. Swimming pool season is coming to an end. Go ahead, wipe away that tear. Then start planning to close and winterize your pool using these steps from pool-care company BioGuard: September 12My string beans are yielding next to nothing this year. It's the first year I have had them in this place in the garden. Plants with big, bold tropical leaves are all the rage in gardening now. Even in zones far below their comfort range, plants like hardy banana, cannas, elephant ear and taro can be found and planted as annuals out in the garden or in containers. September 5HGTV's hot new reality show "Design Star" pits decorators and designers against one another. The survivor, and winner, gets to star in their own show on the Home and Garden Network. Harvesting cabbage that started to split during the hot weather has yielded unpleasant "gunk" where I cut the head from the leaf base. It requires peeling off a lot of leaves to finally have a clean head of cabbage to take into the house. A friend of mine has a lawn that, well, to put it nicely is a little short on the "lawn." This friend works some wacky hours at a demanding job, so sometimes it's hard for her to get to the so-called lawn. August 29Behind a tall 1926 Tudor cottage, overlooking the city of Spokane, there is a special garden. Roo's garden. Almost three years ago, after a round of in vitro fertilization, Sara Weaver-Lundberg and her husband Russell Lundberg learned that Sara was pregnant with twins. Christi Bristow has a major challenge on her hands, because she has taken on a gardening project that would be daunting for the most experienced Inland Northwest gardener. Colville Farmers' Market - Wednesdays, noon-6 p. m. , through October. Third and Oak streets, Colville. (509) 732-6619. Farmers' Market at Sandpoint - Saturdays, 9 a. The last two years, many Inland Northwest gardeners have complained about the not-so-hot growing seasons we've had. Well folks, it looks like Mother Nature decided to make us put our gardening skills where our mouths were this summer I think we all can agree that it's been a hot summer so far. For Tuesday, August 29, 2006. We have a Virginia creeper that is full of little white bugs, which fly out when they are disturbed, every year. They look like the same small bugs that tend to be in the grass. August 22Juan Juan Moses had a deal with a local coffee shop: She'd trade bouquets of her fresh flowers for coffee grounds for her garden. She would bring the flowers in a simple, white stoneware pitcher. For Charlotte Wilkerson, Jake Krauss, Grant Franstead and Kay Chew, vegetable gardening isn't just something to do in retirement at the Riverview Retirement Community. It's a passion that gives these intrepid seniors exercise and camaraderie as they tend 19 large beds at the garden they share with the Avista Community Garden Green Thumbs on Upriver Drive. We got a few questions about spiders this week I'm trying to answer them in this column. Please tell me about spider spray. My neighbor had the 4-foot wide weedy area between our two garages sprayed this spring, and this year I have none of the hundreds of butterflies on my buddleia that we enjoyed so much last year. Mike and Barbara Kusterer took a different path to low-maintenance gardening. After moving into their large South Hill home nine years ago, the couple made some changes in the landscape. August 15In 1999, Spokane's 57th Avenue was widened and there was no allowance to replant the street trees that had to be removed. That bothered Moran Prairie Neighborhood Association member Carrie Anderson. My 40-by-100-foot garden is infested with bindweed. Is there any way of controlling it without destroying the whole garden? It's taken her nearly 30 years but Dodie Gerding can finally relax and enjoy her backyard for what it is: a haven of vegetables, herbs and perennials not to mention it's a meditative spot where she can watch the sunset over downtown Spokane, listen to the sound of running water, birds chirping and get her hands dirty with compost soil. August 8My most vivid memory of the 1991 firestorm was watching a piece of a burned book float out of the dust and smoke and land in a juniper next to my house. Allen and Alice Peterson face a major challenge in their garden on the west flank of the Dishman Hills in Spokane Valley. Their garden is carved out of the native rock with only a thin layer of soil over the rock. Overlooking the Spokane River, a beautiful rose garden pays homage to the history of a home and a man who lived there. Sara and Terry Voss purchased the large bungalow 10 years ago and almost immediately recognized the fact that they were also the proud owners of a ghost. In the gardening Q-and-A column two weeks ago, you said rock may not be a good choice for flowerbeds. I have been doing a lot of reading about xeric gardening. The news this time of year can be troubling. Dry vegetation and blustery winds feed wildfires. Property, homes and lives can be endangered. August 1Dirt and a mother's love of wildflowers were the tinder that set fire to Ken Druse's passionate journey through gardening. Druse is an internationally recognized garden writer and award-winning photographer who is the acknowledged founder of the natural gardening movement. I recently read the article you did on bishop's weed. I have a shaded yard and have lots of both shade and bishop's weed. Sometimes, fertile soil can wait a long time before beautiful things grow in it. When Dennis Hill purchased a new house on Five Mile Prairie, he was a busy man. July 25Most of us know Phyllis Stephens as the Inland Northwest's garden maven, but behind her incredible wealth of knowledge and advice is a wonderful garden and a very special garden partner: her husband, Jim. When Lee and Beverly Smick moved into a house with a view of the Grand Coulee Dam, they started with a landscape that was a blank canvas. I was going to wait until fall but as you requested questions here you go: Rather than bark, we decided to use small grey rocks as cover for our extensive flowerbeds. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. Ferns have found a steadfast friend in Jim Orband. He believes their soothing looks and easy personalities deserve all the respect and use they can get in any kind of garden big or small, country or city, formal or informal. July 18After living and gardening in this country, Canada and overseas, Pat Baillie's dream of a big, bountiful, garden couldn't thrive in Arizona's strong desert heat. The words "a beautiful home" mean different things to different people. But it's hard to quibble with the expression when you walk down the Street of Dreams. I read that Shasta daisies bloom all summer with deadheading, but mine puts on one full show then it's all over. They only have a few small buds on the lower stems, everything else is the same height and bloom the same week or so. In a centuries-old tradition, Japanese garden style is an expression of the spirit of the natural world. The careful arrangement of stone, plants and water were traditionally supposed to represent the mountains, forests, lakes, streams and the sea of the Japanese home islands. Dave Daniel's fascination with Japanese maples began when he was a boy watching the construction of the Nishinomiya Japanese Garden at Manito Park right across the street from his house. July 11After their marriage 10 years ago, Jeanine and Roger Shawgo, of Newport, Wash., knew they wanted to build a new life together. And that new life included a new home. When Fred Carter walks through his Spokane garden, he takes a stroll through a lifetime of memories. The gardens were created when the house, the original Wessel estate, was built in 1905. Water in the garden is magical. It adds motion, catches light, attracts birds and animals and even cools the air around it. I don't think any garden should be without it. I have a couple of questions: How can you control hawkweed and St. John's wort? I live in Colville at 3,000 feet elevation; we have 57 acres of trees. Both weeds are spreading. Is there any help? | 