A Hugelkultur not only soaks up excess ground water, but it provides a microclimate as a raised planting bed for trees and shrubs as well as perennial flowers, herbs and veggies! You can tame a wetland, absorb water, create dimension and grow healthy plants!

This is a recent workshop I did where participants created a planting bed with the hugelkultur layering method. Afterwards, they took the boxes home and "planted" them. The perennial flowers they planted will grow in the spring with the help of this specialized hugelkultur microclimate planting bed! 

Think of grass plants like hair
It grows from the roots, but people always cut it like it grows from the ends!!!  UGH

Many want to trim their wildly growing grasses during the "clean-up" time in the fall. You can - but not like this! 
If you can wait, prune in February, just before spring growth. But, if you must do it in the fall, follow these tips!

Use:  Sharp, Clean Tools!!!  Thick gloves and a bungee cord or string to tie the plant up for easier cutting.

1.  Use loppers first for larger cuts, then use pruners for shaping or smaller cuts.
2.  Prune as close to the ground as possible. The lower to the ground, the sooner the new growth will appear.
3.  To clean up smaller or evergreen grassy plants (fescue or oatgrass), Run your gloved hand through the plant, combing to remove dead leaves. Trim away dead undergrowth. Use this method for sedges as well.  You can prune these plants the same as grasses, but they only need it about every 3 years.

Many nurseries sell these multi-variety trees, which are grafted onto a "root stock" adapted to a specific location, such as Western Washington, where the climate is wet and more prone to disease and pests. It is important to pay attention to this adaptation because some less resilient trees and shrubs will attract disease and pests more easily, and spread them quickly to surrounding plants in your orchard and your neighbors. Orchard trees take a lot of care, and can produce abundantly for years! Please take care of them, and our local bee populations as well! ​

My vision was to cover the "weeds" with cardboard, then add wood chips.  This is what I tell people to do.
​I have done it a hundred times on large and small properties. 

Still fighting all the invasives, but we are also implementing more trees & shrubs.   Progress! 

 Year 4   Every year we start in the early spring with more cardboard - a truckload of it!! Otherwise, all the work from the previous seasons gets nullified, and all the plants & shrubs will get overtaken.  LOOK how it's thriving in year 4!! ​

SHADE
The lovely Maidenhair Fern

The best time to divide plants is in the early spring, just as they are emerging from roots or rhizomes, or when the snow is over and it's warm enough to work outside! 

As the winter storms lead to a few brighter days in January, I start seeing the sun again, if only briefly. But it's enough to make me start thinking of gardening. The temperature today is 25 degrees F outside. Winter flowers are blooming, bulbs are poking up, and my kale is still growing.  ​

I would definitely plant garlic!!  In fact, I have garlic going all year long!  The "customary" timing is to plant around the beginning of October and harvest on the 4th of July. . . . . or there about.  The goal is to get the garlic roots established before the freeze comes, which gives the bulbs a jump start for spring growth when the weather warms.  But, you can adjust. I say plant it when you remember.  Just know that garlic takes about 9 months to maturity.   Easy to remember, haha
It's very easy to plant.   Root side down about 2-3 inches apart in a 4 inch deep trench in well draining soil.  If it's the hard-neck variety, you'll have long twirly garlic scapes before harvest time that you can cut and use in a stir fry.  Bonus!!!

We are successful gardeners when we can adapt to
​the ever-changing climate of the Pacific Northwest! ​

Pampas Grass - The King of Grassy plants,! 
This showy display in the late fall gives color and animation to an otherwise dreary season.  The colorful plumes sway in the wind and later disappear to expose the large evergreen mound until spring arrives. 

The stately appearance of this fast-growing plant can get quickly out of hand in size, growing 10-15 feet tall and spreading 6 to 10 feet wide. This is perfect when used on a border or as a main landscape feature, but will become impossible to divide or move without a backhoe, so choose the location wisely.  

Microclimates come in many shapes and sizes.  A comfy chair hidden under a tall canopy of flowery shrubs, or a black plastic pot in which to grow strawberries!  You probably have many of them in your yard. So, why do you need them AND how do you find them?

For a home landscape, microclimates can range from small, planter-sized areas to large buildings or long rows of tall trees. They can be a specifically designed environment or a naturally occurring buffer.  Microclimates can create shade, heat, cooling, wildlife nesting areas, protection, moisture, beauty, and other benefits. Some common features to look for in your yard are:

• Topography. The shape of the land is a significant influence on microclimates. 
• Soil. The composition of the soil affects microclimates primarily through how much water it retains or releases.
• Water.
• Vegetation.
• Artificial Structures.
• Directional orientation.  Determines which plants will thrive in which location.  South-facing slopes receive more light and heat from the sun, & North-facing slopes have less sunshine and more lush vegetation.​

​When microclimates are used on a property, they are uniquely specific to the surroundings, and limited only by the imagination of the designer! If you are not familiar with the use of microclimates, and want to reap the plethora of benefits, you'll definitely want to get some guidance from a professional!
 Have Fun!

Seed Options 
Three main types of seeds are available to gardeners.

• Open-pollinated 
• Heirloom 
• Hybrid -  plant breeding in a lab to combine 2  varieties, & GMO, which is altering seed DNA

For this post, I will discuss open-pollinated and heirloom seeds, as I feel these two types promote biodiverse and adaptable seed stock ongoing. This also enables private gardeners to save money, and collect their own seed to use and share with others.
Open-pollinated means that the plant flowers are fertilized by bees, moths, birds , bats, and even by the wind and rain. The seed harvested from these plants produce the same plant the next year. Some variances can occur if the plant is cross-pollinated by a different variety nearby, but this also adds to genetic diversity.  More diverse plant populations can adapt to local growing conditions and changes in climate year-to-year.
Heirloom seeds have a documented history of being passed down from generation to generation in a family, community or tribe, that have not been cross-pollinated. The plants grown may need a little extra care, but are said to produce more flavorful and more nutritious food. Heirloom tomatoes are especially popular because of their deep rich flavor, and the seeds can also be saved to plant more of the same for the next season! 

Why Organic?? 
The simple answer is that synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, that are used on crops, including crops for seed, are unhealthy to consume. These chemicals cause illness, and are linked to many illnesses, cognitive degeneration, learning disabilities, memory loss and cancers.  When crops are treated with these toxins, the food we eat also contains them. 
So, I vote Organic.
The "Organic" designation requires more government oversight relating to certification and growing standards, transportation, and production facilities. The increase in the cost of this "cleaner" produce is a small price to pay for the commitment by smaller farms and farmers, who believe that food grown in it's natural form and habitat provide our bodies and our families the best possible nutrition. 
And I stand for these practices. 

Becoming a seasoned & intuitive gardener takes years of experience....True. 
​However, anyone can be a successful gardener, if you are committed to it. In the beginning, you can gain experience and success by keeping your vision small. TRUST ME ON THIS!! 
Start with a 3x3x3 method. Plant 3 hearty vegetables that you like, 3 perennial flowers, and 3 ground covers. This is everything you will need to start building a sustainable and resilient landscape.

• When you select 3 hearty Vegetables that you like, then you will want to care for them, and they will respond to your attention by producing abundantly!
• Flowers will bring in the pollinators that are necessary to grow everything - plus you'll get the bonus of continuing seasonal beauty!
• Ground Covers are frequently overlooked by new gardeners. This necessary element helps to keep weeds down. They also serve as a "blanket" that keeps moisture IN the ground instead of it evaporating away.  It is amazing how much watering is reduced when implementation of groundcovers is perfected! 

   Do I make my own compost? YES
But if you're just beginning, skip it. What you're looking for is well draining, rich in nutrients, and fluffy. I suggest a triple mix - and here's how I make it.
1/3 - Your regular ground soil, whatever it is. It's best to screen it to remove all weeds.
1/3 - Organic potting soil. This usually contains a small amount of slow-release fertilizer. 
1/3 - Organic compost. I find the bagged version is cleaner than in bulk, but I'll let you decide. 
I mix this altogether in a wheelbarrow (in batches) and use it as I plant.  
If you decide to get bulk "garden soil" for your beds, BEWARE.
As you look at the choices, make sure to scoop some up to make sure it has the feel you want, plus the right combination of the 3 elements from above!         ​Happy Gardening!  

Blackberries, Strawberries, & Raspberries........... Ahhhh, the taste of summer! 
These delicious berries are prolific in the Northwest, and the many varieties and cultivars make harvesting them a summer-long treat. It's almost hard to believe that these wild brambles and creeping vines can produce such luscious fruit. We look forward to this so much, and don't have to do much planning to get them. And why should we? They take little effort to grow and come back year after year!  The downside is their growing habit. They can quickly take over vast areas of bare ground, and can be somewhat difficult to tame.  
Here are a few ways I handle them, to increase harvest, and minimize effort.  ​

TIP  You can shape the area as they grow, or just let them form into a mound where the berries will be abundant and easy to get to when they ripen in the fall. 

I like to grow strawberries in pots with the Tier Method.  The black pots serve as a heat-sink, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it slowly overnight, keeping the soil warmer longer. The berries ripen faster, PLUS it's a great way to minimize slugs & keep other predators at bay.  When the runners start to spread, I put them into one of the adjoining pots, thereby creating an above-ground network of strawberry plants, that produce wonderfully and consistently for the summer. The "mother" plants are viable for 3 years, so to keep your patch going you'll want to separate some of the "runners"  which will become the "mother" plants. 
​TIP  Pots get warm & dry, so keeping them watered will ensure the red berries keep coming!!​

Ideally, water that falls from the sky would go into the ground and nourish the plant life. The perfect balance. However, this is increasingly rare, especially in cities. As populations grow, construction methods are such that ground clearing removes the porous layers that would absorb surface water. Piping and ditch systems are created that “collect and send” water to another location. In storms, these systems become over-taxed and cannot handle the volume and flow of water. Flooding can, and frequently does, occur. Rural areas are better, but compact ground, hilly terrain, clay layers and subsurface hardpan keep water from infiltrating into that ground too, the result being mucky muck in the winter and hard-as-a-rock clay in the summer. Neither allow water to infiltrate. To get the water into the ground is to make the ground more absorbable. A very popular, inexpensive and relatively easy way to do this is with recycled cardboard. Cardboard works because it prevents photosynthesis so weeds don’t grow, it helps absorb & retain moisture, and the cardboard decomposes and adds ‘fluff’ to the hard ground, making space for water to ‘go in.’  I have used this method for more than a decade, in muck and clay, with great success. Here’s a really good example of how to do it. 

But I was sick, and I had no idea it was dehydration, or what that even was.

I was 30 years old, and it was late July. I had been gardening and running around planning for a large family picnic. I had two very active little kids that liked to play outside in the dirt
(haha - go figure!!) 
It was hot outside, and I had been feeling a little dizzy for the last few days. Whenever I ate I felt sick, and I had stomach cramps that wouldn't go away. I felt nauseous and hungry, but all I could do was lay around and try to sleep. My husband looked at me and said he was going to take me to the hospital.  SHOCK!  What? Why? I was just tired, overworked and stressed out, I thought. 

As a last resort I grabbed a medical book and started looking up my symptoms. I found this formula and wanted to try it before going to the hospital. My husband said I had one hour.
I made this recipe and, since I was desperate, I drank 1/2 cup every half hour. I was in disbelief that after an hour I felt much better. In three hours I felt good, and after another recipe, I ended up eating later that evening and didn't have to go to the hospital. I though it was strange - but I found out it was dehydration. Don't let it get this far - it's dangerous. The stomach cramps is a clue for me every time. The drink doesn't taste very good, but if you drink it hot, it's better.
I have used this recipe for years and years because it works!! AND, it won't hurt you if you're not dehydrated!  

Are you washing your food? 

I used to eat leafy greens right out of the garden. Carrots too, after I washed them off with the hose. But in the last few years, since I have been working with, and in, a lot more gardens, I've started looking at the plants a lot more closely - as I teach others to do. After all, observation is the first thing to do when working with any landscape. 

When labels say "Organic" I believe there is an assumption that the produce is clean because, after all, it's grown without chemicals, right?  The arguments here can vary greatly, but the bottom line is that we all want the fruit and vegetables we eat to be free of bugs, dirt, chemicals and bacteria, period.  ​

Succulents DO NOT like to be separated, or planted as individuals. They like to be clumped together! This is how they propagate the best. Most prolific growing is in the early spring, where you will see explosions of new "chicks," while at the same time seeing a bit of the "mother" plant dying off. 

I really love to use ferns in the landscape! They're versatile, abundant, inexpensive, and quite beautiful with their spikes of bright green, grayish-purple and orange. They can grow BIG or small, as with all plants, depending on how much they like their environment!  These are a few of my favs! And here's a few pruning tips! ​

1.  Healthy patch of our native Sword Fern. It's clearly 'picture perfect' and all the dead fronds have been clipped away. 
2.  Here's how mine look in the spring! 
3. First, I look deep inside to the middle of the plant to see if the new fiddleheads are emerging, and I'm careful not to cut them off when I prune. 
4.  Then, I pull back all the OLD fronds even if they are still a little green AND I cut them off all the way to the center. Yes, all of them!
5. This allows light for all the emerging fiddleheads to unfurl! 
6.  It is such a lovely sight to see the tiny little pruned fern transform into a bright green lush plant in the early spring!
DO Experiment with different ferns in your landscape! Some are more sun-tolerant than others, but a good filler plant nonetheless!!
**As always, if you want guidance, Please contact me** ​

For several years I have worked with the Skagit Land Trust in Skagit County Washington, doing surveys for frog eggs in the early spring. We monitor the same wetlands every year to see the changes in the native and invasive species, both plant and animal. This has greatly increased my awareness of our Northwest environment, and has helped me in my work and passion of helping to create the places where we ALL love to live!  If you want to be part of the solution, Contact Me to see how you can create your own beautiful habitat where you LOVE TO LIVE! ​