TULALIP, Wash. Attendees at the Tulalip Hibulb garden work party gathered together on Friday, March 22 to do some needed garden preparations. Gardeners and gardening volunteers worked together to prepare the garden for the growing season.
Pruning encourages fruit production, so Master Gardeners Frank Sargent and Rob and Richelle Taylor pruned fruit trees located in the orchard on the north side of the Hibulb Museum.
Master Gardeners Frank Sargent and Rob Taylor prune the fruit trees. Photo by Richelle Taylor
Community gardeners worked in the greenhouse, transplanting over 100 seedlings of cabbage and sowing new seeds. Seedlings are being started and kept warm in the heated greenhouse and soon the plant beds around the museum will be made ready for transplanting.
The community is invited to attend the garden work parties and the Gardening Together as Families events. Gardeners will help tend the beds throughout the season and enjoy the rewards at the end of season harvest. Gardeners will learn about the many aspects of gardening through hands-on experience, working side-by-side with master gardeners.
To learn more about the Hibulb Gardening events please contact Veronica Leahy at 360-716-5642 or vleahy@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
Tribal member Malaki Hernandez transplanting a cabbage sprout.
Mytyl Hernandez and son Malaki with transplanted pansies. Photo by Richelle Taylor
Seedlings
Corn seedlings
Tribal member Marvin Jones and Master Gardener Veronica Leahy transplanting cabbage sprouts.
Gardening expert Melinda Myers provides a plan to transform your landscape
Be Waterwise
Save money on the water bill, time spent watering and this precious resource, water. Start by growing drought tolerant plants suited to your growing environment. Once established they will only need watering during extended dry spells. Mulch with shredded leaves, evergreen needles, woodchips, or other organic matter to conserve moisture, reduce weeds, and improve the soil as they decompose.
Fertilize with a low nitrogen fertilizer, like Milorganite, that promotes slow steady growth instead of excessive greenery that requires more water. Plus, it won’t burn even during drought.
Put rainwater to work all season long by using rain barrels to capture rainwater off your roof or directly from the sky.
Recycle Yard Waste in the Landscape
Minimize the amount of yard waste produced, reuse what can be in other areas of the landscape and recycle the rest as compost. These are just a few strategies that will save time bagging, hauling, and disposing of yard debris. And better yet, implementing this strategy will save money and time spent buying and transporting soil amendments, since it will be created right in the backyard.
Start by leaving grass clippings on the lawn. The short clippings break down quickly, adding organic matter, nutrients and moisture to the soil. Grow trees suited to the growing conditions and available space. That means less pruning and fewer trimmings that will need to be managed.
Make Compost at Home
Recycle yard waste into compost. Put plant waste into a heap and let it rot. Yes, it really is that simple. The more effort put into the process, the quicker the results.
Do not add insect-infested or diseased plant material or perennial weeds like quack grass, annual weeds gone to seed, or invasive plants. Most compost piles are not hot enough to kill these pests. And do not add meat, dairy, or bones that can attract rodents.
Manage Pests in Harmony with Nature
A healthy plant is the best defense against insects and disease. Select the most pest-resistant plants suited to the growing conditions and provide proper care.
Check plants regularly throughout the growing season. It is easier to control a few insects than the hundreds that can develop in a week or two. And when problems arise, look for the most eco-friendly control. Start by removing small infestations by hand. Consider traps, barriers, and natural products if further control is needed. And as always be sure to read and follow label directions carefully.
Energy Wise Landscape Design
Use landscape plantings to keep homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Homes will have a more comfortable temperature throughout the seasons and energy costs will be reduced.
Plant trees on the east and west side of a house to shade windows in the summer and let the sun shine in and warm it up through the south-facing windows in winter.
Shade air conditioners, so they run more efficiently and be sure to collect and use any water they produce for container gardens.
Incorporate these changes into gardening routines and habits over time. Soon these and many more strategies that help save time and money while being kind to the environment will seem to occur automatically. Nationally known gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening. She hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment segments which air on over 115 TV and radio stations throughout the U.S. She is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and writes the twice monthly “Gardeners’ Questions” newspaper column. Melinda also has a column in Gardening How-to magazine. Melinda hosted “The Plant Doctor” radio program for over 20 years as well as seven seasons of Great Lakes Gardener on PBS. She has written articles for Better Homes and Gardens and Fine Gardening and was a columnist and contributing editor for Backyard Living magazine. Melinda has a master’s degree in horticulture, is a certified arborist and was a horticulture instructor with tenure. Her web site is www.melindamyers.com
As a result of the failure of Congress to agree on legislation to avoid the automatic budget cuts, the U.S. is now facing the impact of the sequester in a variety of areas. Public services are now being maintained by the Commitment Authority until Congress can find a solution to the budget crisis that has loomed over the American economy.
However, one program has already reached its spending limit and must now be suspended indefinitely.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a written statement to the Mortgage Broker’s Association (MBA) to cease all originations for the Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program (Section 184) that provides mortgage loans for Native American citizens. For mortgages not already approved by the HUD, sources state that the chance of these loans closing is zero.
Section 184 refers to an 11-year old mortgage product created specifically for the financing of loans for American Indian and Alaska Native families, Alaska Village tribes, or tribally designated housing entities. Essentially, this loan program was established to offer an opportunity to realize the American Dream of homeownership for populations with few other mortgage options.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan warned for weeks that such housing programs would be adversely affected by the reduction of the budget caused by sequestration.
Donovan criticized the severity of these budget cuts which could potentially push a subclass of Americans into unnecessary homelessness.
Providing an explanation of these ideas to the Senate Appropriations Committee last month, Donovan expressed that a significant portion of the sequester’s impact will be seen as a result of budget cuts to the HUD’s Continuum of Care programs, through which families and individuals that had previously suffered homelessness were promptly re-housed and provided with additional assistance in the hopes of regaining self-sufficiency.
Donovan added that the sequestration’s automatic budget cuts would abolish some of the critical funding for the U.S. homeless shelter system maintained by the Emergency Solutions Grants.
Furthermore, Donovan stated that the sequestration would remove approximately 100,000 formerly homeless Americans, veterans included, from their present residences or their residences as obtained through program which offer emergency housing.
It’s time to slow down and enter “The Secret World of Slugs and Snails: Life in the Very Slow Lane.”
That’s the title of the Adopt A Stream Foundation’s Thursday presentation and also the title of author David George Gordon’s book.
Gordon will present this wildlife event to gardeners and nature lovers and anyone who wants to know more about these critters, who are more than pests.
You’ll learn that these mollusks have been part of history since 50 B.C. in Rome where snails were farmed and you’ll discover they were part of Napoleon’s army whose men carried tins of snail meat for emergency food rations.
Gordon, who is known for his insect-cooking skills and is also the author of “Eat-A-Bug Cookbook” among other books, will also talk about how to grow your own escargot.
Other topics include the love life of the slugs and snails and the manufacture of synthetic slug slime. Gordon will also share gardening tips.
This program is rated PG-13, so not recommended for little kids.
Gordon will sign books after the show. The book lists at $14.95.
“The Secret World of Slugs and Snails: Life in the Very Slow Lane” is 7 p.m. Thursday at the Northwest Stream Center at McCollum Park, 600 128th St. SE, Everett. Reservations are required by calling 425-316-8592. Cost is $5 for Adopt A Stream Foundation members; $7 for nonmembers.
The 11th annual Everett Home and Garden Show returns to Comcast Arena at Everett this weekend.
2013 Everett Home and Garden Show – 11th Year
Multiple Shows – Friday-Sunday, March 8, 9, 10
Hours: Friday: Noon to 8pm. Saturday: 10am to 7pm.
Sunday: 10am to 5pm (On Sunday a Day Light Savings Time Special) – Everyone to arrive between 10am and 11am will get in FREE.
Tickets available At Comcast Arena doors day of show.
Adults: $6.75. Seniors $6.25 $2 off Admission Coupons on our Website EverettHomeGardenShow.com
Free Parking in the Snohomish County Garage on Saturday and Sunday sponsored by BECU
Free parking in the Everpark Garage, 2815 Hoyt Ave on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Now in its 11th year the Everett Home & Garden Show has grown into the largest and only Home & Garden show in Snohomish County. It is “Your Home Improvement Source”, this year featuring the perfect opportunity to shop and compare the finest companies in the Snohomish and enjoy the numerous special features presented, plus everything you would need to make those lawn, garden and home transformations you’ve always wanted.
Guest Speakers •Bob Barca
• Northwest Master Gardener on growing berries in the Northwest, The Butterfly-Hummingbird Garden, water features and March garden activities.
•Steve Smith – The Whistling Gardener of Sunnyside Nursery
•Robert King – The “Deck King” with new deck products and demonstrations
•and more!
WSU Extension Service will have their Master Gardeners on hand to answer your questions.
Special interactive exhibits featuring: •Whispering Pines Landscape
•NW Quality Deck & Remodeling
•American Patio Covers
•WALP – Snohomish County Chapter of the Washington Association of Landscape Professional.
Wine Tasting sponsored by Dunn Lumber on Friday evening 5:30p to 6:30pm
March is a very busy month in a gardener’s world. There is much to do, so let’s get with it.
Lawns: I continue to be amazed at how well organic lawn foods work. Yes, they seem expensive if you just look at the price on the bag, but they last three to four times as long as the commercial ones and improve the soil. Maybe it is time for you to kick the Scotts Turf Builder habit and start using these all natural and organic feeds. Most independent garden centers will have a turf expert on staff that can help guide you through this transition.
Pruning: Yes, March is the month to trim fruit trees, tidy up hedges, cut back ornamental grasses, massacre the roses and shape up the wisteria and clematis. While we have had some dry days already, I have to admit that I don’t get these chores done until this month, so don’t feel bad if you too still need to do a bit of chopping.
Perennials: Be careful this month when you are tromping through the flower beds. The tender new shoots of perennials are starting to pop through and the last thing you want to do is squash them.
Veggie gardens: It’s time to get the veggie garden in shape. Remove any weeds and spread lime, organic fertilizer and compost and till it all together. You will be ready to plant all the cool season crops like potatoes, carrots, peas, radishes, onions, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower — to name just a few. Buy a sheet of “row cover” to protect your babies on the really chilly nights. This is also the time to plant perennial veggies like rhubarb and asparagus.
Small fruits and berries: Blue berries, raspberries, black berries and strawberries are all itching to be planted this month. They are still dormant and will slip into your garden now and never skip a beat. Grapes and Kiwis, currants and gooseberries can also be planted now. Always use some compost and organic starter fertilizer when you are planting new plants.
Fruit trees: Like I mentioned above, this is the consummate month to prune and spray your fruit trees with copper and oil. It is also a perfect time to plant a few new ones as well. Most trees these days are on dwarf or mini-dwarf root stocks that keep them 10-12 feet tall.
Bulbs: Summer blooming bulbs are now in stock, such as dahlias, gladiolas and lilies. Purchase them this month for the best selection, though I would recommend holding off until April to plant them.
Weeds: Don’t let those weeds get ahead of you and go to seed. My favorite weeding tool is the Hula-Hoe. It is quick and efficient. Remove the weeds and get the ground covered immediately with a layer of compost and some Preen and you will be miles ahead of the weeding game.
Educational opportunity: Two options on this front. Come see me at the Everett Home and Garden Show on Friday to Sunday. On Saturday come to the nursery at 10 a.m. to learn about growing roses in the Northwest. Hope to see you at one or both of these events.
Microsoft today unveiled its reimagined Envisioning Center, which offers a hands-on experience with the future of business and leisure — and also serves as a laboratory for the company’s engineering teams.
REDMOND, Wash. – March 1, 2013 – The future of work and play is on display at Microsoft’s reimagined Envisioning Center, the result of collaboration between the company’s Strategic Prototyping team and Office Labs. Visitors can work on interactive desks, talk with colleagues through digital walls, and cook in a Kinect-enabled kitchen. Microsoft expects thousands of customers to explore the new space each year.
“We want to excite customers about the direction we’re heading in and show that we are constantly thinking about new scenarios based on trends and real work in Microsoft Research and the business groups,” says Jonathan Cluts, director of Microsoft’s Strategic Prototyping team. “These scenarios are based on reality, not science fiction.”
“We don’t imagine that we’re predicting the future,” says Anton Andrews, director of Envisioning in Office Labs. “But it’s case of staying on the cutting edge of the conversation, and promoting that conversation.”
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Envisioning Center
March 01, 2013
The new Envisioning Center explores how technology will transform the way we live, work and play in the future.
Microsoft believes that working from anywhere will reach new levels of ease and sophistication. Create and move work freely across devices and displays using natural language, ink, touch and gesture.
Interactive workspaces will let you bring your ideas to life naturally, easily connecting to the insights, information and expertise you need as you work.
Workspaces that emphasize social activity help teams collaborate. Here, interactive whiteboards add smart assistance and remote participation to a brainstorming session.
In the workplace of the future, team meetings move from presentation and action items to real-time problem solving and execution. Technology in this action room amplifies the team’s ability to visualize projects, simulate real-time outcomes and make rapid decisions.
In the future, you will be able to explore new cuisines with recipes that adapt to dietary needs, and even get help cooking and learn a few new tricks from your personal, digital chef.
With a 4k display and smart lighting, your living room can naturally transform from a movie theater to an art gallery to a personal chat with loved ones who live many miles away.
Retail in the future blends the best of online and brick-and-mortar to personalize your shopping experience on the fly. Experience augmented shopping and safely share information across public and private displays.
Northwest Indian College Cooperative Extension Traditional Foods and Medicines Program’s 4th Annual Tribal Community Garden Coordinators Forum: Connecting Plants, People & Place
Thursday March 21, 2013 10:00-4:00
Hosted by: Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project
This gathering is an opportunity to share successes, challenges and resources with others who are doing tribal community garden work. Through sharing stories, resources, and models for building community resilience, we can help each other grow!
Featured speakers:
Brett Ramey (Ioway) has been reconnecting people to land-based knowledge in both urban and rural Native communities through on-the-ground food sovereignty and public art projects for over a decade. He works as a Tribal Health Liaison with the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He is also a co-instructor of a course at Haskell Indian Nations University titled “Growing Change: Next Generation Responsibilities, Food Sovereignty and Climate Change.” Visit www.horagewi.com for more about Brett.
Miguel Hernandez and Valerie Segrest will lead us in a tour of the Muckleshoot gardens and give an update on program developments, teaching tools and more.
Meet at the Muckleshoot Tribal College
39811 Auburn-Enumclaw Road SE, Auburn, Washington 98092
Join the Arbor Day Foundation in March 2013 and receive 10 free white flowering dogwood trees.
The Arbor Day Foundation is making it easier for everyone to celebrate the arrival of spring through planting trees.
Join the Arbor Day Foundation in March 2013 and receive 10 free white flowering dogwood trees.
“White flowering dogwoods will add beauty to your home throughout the year,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Dogwoods are known for their showy spring flowers, scarlet autumn foliage and red berries that attract songbirds during winter.”
The free trees are part of the nonprofit Foundation’s Trees for America campaign. The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting between March 1 and May 31, with enclosed planting instructions. The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed
to grow or they will be replaced free of charge.
Arbor Day Foundation members also receive a subscription to Arbor Day, the Foundation’s bimonthly publication, and The Tree Book, which contains information about tree planting and care.
To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE DOGWOOD TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by March 30, 2013. Or join online at arborday.org/march.
Purple carrots, heirloom tomatoes, fancy European greens: A whole world of succulent, flavorful produce can be grown in your yard or even on a sunny balcony.
Now is the time to get out the seed catalogs and start planning for that bounty.
Representatives from two Pacific Northwest seed companies shared some tips for choosing what to grow, and some of the hot new items in their catalogs. Both companies offer catalogs packed with growing information.
Irish Eyes Garden Seeds, as the name hints, specializes in potatoes. The Ellensburg-based company also offers a variety of heirloom, organic and nongenetically modified vegetable and flower seeds.
Owner Greg Lutovsky suggested trying a potato called Yukon Gem. It’s a private variety bred by a group of growers his nursery belongs to. The potato is late blight resistant — the fungal disease that led to the Irish potato famine — which means it’s incredibly hard to kill.
The potato is also quite tasty, just like one of its parents, Yukon Gold, Lutovsky said.
“You’d find some right now if you went into my kitchen,” he said.
He also recommended a russet-type potato for baking called Defender, and a purple fingerling called Purple Peruvian.
Lutovsky also offered a general piece advice for gardeners in Western Washington. Pay close attention to the “days to maturity” information listed with seeds. Eighty days to maturity is about the maximum gardeners can get away with in this area, and that’s pushing it without starting plants inside a greenhouse or using other season-lengthening techniques.
Plants bred to grow compactly in containers continue to be a popular trend, said Tim Russell, the marketing manager for Territorial Seed Co., based in Cottage Grove, Ore.
“A lot of people want to get into gardening, but they don’t have a big yard,” he said.
This year, Territorial offers a new cucumber called Patio Snacker. The cuke was bred for containers, as it stays in a tight, semi-bush shape and can be trained to grow up a trellis.
Another new plant for containers and small spaces is a cherry tomato called Lizzano. The plant gets about 20 inches tall and wide, Russell said. He suggested it tucking into a basket in a sunny spot. At 65 days to maturity, it produces relatively quickly for a tomato, a necessity in the cool Northwest.
Territorial began offering a zucchini last year called Patio Star and it proved popular, Russell said. The squash plant stays compact and produces shapely, deep green fruit. Gardeners can maximize space by packing them tightly together or planting among other crops.
The company also is offering plants that have been grafted to different rootstocks to maximize production and improve resistance to disease. Two years ago, the company started offering tomatoes. Last year it was eggplants. This year, gardeners also can try grafted peppers.
Territorial also is now offering seed tape and disks: Seeds, such as radishes and carrots, are embedded into biodegradable paper. The advantage here is gardeners don’t need to thin plants as they grow, and the seeds are perfectly spaced.
The seeds come embedded on long strips of paper intended for row planting. There are also a variety of herbs planted onto paper disks, aimed at gardeners who want to quickly and easily plant a container.
