Get Growing - Last comments

In response to: Kids mowing? Or not. How young is too young for kids to mow?

My ten year old son has begged me all summer to mow the lawn... Our family saying is if the child wants to do the job they must not really be ready for it. However after reading your article I thought... why not what's holdig me back. I asked him if he still interested... of course he is. I told him I would gladly show him the ropes this weekend and he can start mowing the yard. He is so excited! So now my issue is whats the going rate for lawn mowing... Surely not the $5 I was so happy to work for... and if it is man thats a deal. My neighborhood might just be the place for my son's eager wallet.

In response to: Kids mowing? Or not. How young is too young for kids to mow?

The tradition of passing on lawn mowing responsibilities to boys in order to earn money and develop confidence and pride, I believe is the reason they turn into men who are obsessed with the perfect lawn. Men who buy all sorts of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides to achieve the perfectly green smooth lawn. My husband is one of these men. Despite my pleas to "go green", save water, and reduce the size of our lawn, he stubbornly keeps true to the tradition of basing his pride on how deep green the lawn is. ARGH!

In response to: Gardening emergency: What is this?

A sliver of Dove soap in a spray bottle full of water. Shake and spray. Don't do during the heat of the day ( I do this at night)works on almost all plants. Drawback is no aphids... no lady bugs. The pure water trick works well also but takes so much time I would hire kids with squirt guns!!!
Or go buy some lady bugs. Mist the plants with 7 up so that they'll stay a while and also only release in the evening. A couple of lady bugs will clean those stems in a day!

In response to: Gardening emergency: What is this?

Those look like aphids. I used to get tons of those on my lupines every year until I armed my son and his friends with squirt guns (filled with water only). The aphids didn't have a chance against my squadron of 10 year olds. It didn't hurt the plants (hint: don't use super soakers) and the kids had a blast. We didn't have ANY bugs this year.

In response to: Gardening emergency: What is this?

Lupine are very susceptible to revolting,disgusting aphid infestations!
You can try soapy water in a spray bottle or puchase insecticidal soap at a nursery. Not sure how much good that will do this late in the season for your lupines but at least you can get rid of the aphids for now and remember to Watch Out for them next year!
Good Luck..................

In response to: Late summer garden salad

Love all your pics and comments! Since my garden did so poorly this summer, I'm living vicariously thru yours.................good work!

In response to: It's on fire

Sorry to be so late in replying but yes, they are the same species. They range throughout North America. I've never heard of fireweed jelly but fireweed honey is quite popular. I just saw some at the Pike Market in Seattle yesterday.

In response to: It's on fire

Is this the same fire weed that's found in Alaska? My sister in law used to make an awesome fire weed jelly but I'm not sure if its the same plant.

In response to: The grass is always greener, elsewhere

Some sort of lawn disease or lack of nutrients? My first guess was dog pee ... but one way or another is likely a need for some sort of nutrient, as the most common way I see grass turn color is lack of sun or addition of something, like dog pee.

In response to: Horse tails: Ugh, ugh. And ugh.

I thought that I had moved away from horsetail and slugs when we moved to eastern Washington, NOPE...there it is along the Okanogan river, smaller and a little prettier than in Tacoma and now I am seeing it again in a smaller form in my flower bed.
I was told that HorsesTail has been found in the bottom of the great Pyramids, that it's roots will travel down 20 miles and reappear again, so try to make the best of it, the wetter it is the more you will get, unless you use chemicals your stuck with it as far as I know.
Miss Pat

In response to: Horse tails: Ugh, ugh. And ugh.

Horsetail is even worse than morning glory. I fought horsetail in my family garden in Puyallup many years ago. I moved away from Puyallup long ago, but I would bet that the horsetail is still in that yard.
I kinda of enjoy pulling out morning glory, but derive no similar satisfaction from trying to rid a garden of horsetail, as it's a losing battle.

In response to: Attention Guerrilla gardeners: What would you clean up?

I loved the story, too, Sue.
The best part is that it's happening in Tacoma.
A dedicated woman on the East Side has been planting trees by the SR 7 gulch. Way prettier than the graffiti on the retaining walls.
Monday, when McKinley Avenue activists got a load of almost-free plants from the Puyallup Lowe's they went straight to the Sector 4 Tacoma Police substation for a spot of guerilla gardening by daylight. A city crew came to stop them, and ended up bringing them Tagro.
I wrote about the event in my column today (Wed., July 16.) if you'd like to know more.
Lowe's by the way, appreciated the opportunity to put the plants to good use, and the manager said there will likely be more extreme bargains for neighborhood activists - aka guerilla gardeners, or GGs - through the summer.
Though the adventure of night-time sneak-ins is appealing, there's no need for it here. Contact the city/county, tell what you'd like to improve, even ask for a load of fertilizer. Save up, score bargain plants and you're good to go.
In Tacoma, remember that City manager Eric Anderson set an 18-month goal of reducing crime by 50 percent and making the city prettier, all without extra pubic expense. GGs fit right in.

But why stop with public property?
On McKinley & 36th, neighbors asked if they could spruce up the grounds around the Camp Fire Girls & Boys HQ. Kathy Unruh was overjoyed. She was even open to converting the barren side-yards into pea patches.

For another great example, visit Neighbors Park and 8th and I Streets on the Hilltop. It began as a guerilla gardening site on a derelict lot. Now it has attracted public and private grant money and gorgeous play equipment.

Blueberry Park at 74th and D Streets started the same way. Fresh berries instead of blight, thanks to champion GG Charlotte Valbert.

In response to: Moles, those devilish little beasts, how to get rid of them?

sue
To try and save some cherries from next year- try this. I mix 2 packages of unsweetened grape kool aid per gallon of water and spray the level of cherries I claim as mine ( I always leave the taller ones for birds and beasts to be fair)
Spray about every week ( or after a good rain) as the cherries ripen. Something about the unsweetened grape kool aid makes the animals leave them alone but it washes off the cherries and doesn't wreak their taste. A pest control friend told me this is what airports use on their grasses to keep birds away. Done it ever since and I actually get to eat some of my cherries!

In response to: Momotaros and The Temple

I just wanted to update this post to say thanks to my fellow garden blogger Craig Sailor for giving me a bathroom momotaros start. I put it in the ground this morning. Now, I have a sungold, an early girl and the famous bathtub momotaros. I am dreaming of late August tomato salads already....

In response to: Momotaros and The Temple

Hey, I have to say, I totally thought you were going to kill those starts Sailor. Who grows tomatoes in their tub? Ok, observations:
Why didn't you give me one of the starts? Helloooooo? You know how much my garden is sucking right now.
Also, you are an amazing gardener. Really. Anyone who can rehab those little suckers from death's door.. completely knows what they're doing. We are all in awe of you and your gardenmazingness. We bow to you.

In response to: Blueberry dilemma

Yes, it is true that the first reclaimed bushes at Blueberry Park were cut all the way back. Neighbors were initially aghast, but it turned out to be exactly what they needed. Park founder Charlotte Valbert and the Friends of Blueberry Park did extensive research before deciding to take the drastic action -- If I remember correctly, highly successfully farmers from Oregon provided the advice that it was what the decades old bushes needed. Based on the harvests I photographed people gathering last summer, I'd say they were right on with the decision! :-)

In response to: Pruning dilemma: what to do with a draping Japanese maple?

This is how I prune the 4 that I have.
Wait until late Fall, until the leaves start dropping and you can better see the inside structure. Prune out any dead,dying, crossing or weak branches to open up the shape of the tree. Mine are probably 50 years old now, so it is easier to lay under the branches to see what I'm doing.
Your maple looks like it is doing very well for it's age but you will always have the drooping. spreading growth........that's just the nature of the beast..............Enjoy it!!

In response to: Blueberry dilemma

Thanks for the tip, Sunnybee. Our very own Kathleen Merryman has reported on Blueberry Park and she has promised me she'll comment on it and their techniques in this space.

As for the Chilean fire tree (pictured in an earlier post): I bought mine at Heronswood years ago. But, they no longer carry it. A Google search for Embothrium coccineum or Chilean fire tree will take you to a few nursery sites especially if you add "nursery" and ".com" in the search fields.

But I know of no one in the area who sells them. Readers: Has anyone seen any at local nurseries?

In response to: Blueberry dilemma

Hi.
If it were mine, I would cut it down to the ground and keep my fingers crossed. Does anyone know what method they used at the old Blueberry farm( Park on 65th??)
Love your pix..............where do I find a Fire tree?
Sunnybee

In response to: Help! A yard in need of .... something

PS I see a dogs tail in the corner and if this is a pet, I lined my patio with a two foot wide path of gravel/ river rock which really helps keep muddy pays from tracking into my house.