Blog
November 6, 2024 To say “deciduous plant” implies seasonal leaf senescence (leaf shedding), a process that helps the plant optimize photosynthesis and nutrient efficiency. Senescence is a good survival strategy for plants in that the abundant nutrients within the leaves are not lost, they are transferred to shoots and roots, readying the plant to spring […]
FECO Land Acknowledgment – A Work-In-Progress
November 16, 2023 Thanks to Lee who, in April of 2022, kicked off the conversation about FECO’s relationship to Native American people, whose homes were on this land before European settlers arrived. A six-member FECO Coast Salish Solidarity Group emerged and met monthly to wrestle with steps we could take to better understand the history […]
Getting to the Root of the Matter
October 28, 2023 Today was a perfect day for shoveling! Cool temperatures and a warm sun. Best of all, the soil was moist and loose. Volunteers were willing to follow up on a hunch and dug down to the concrete fence footing next to a poorly performing garden bed. Was the problem too much shade […]
To Net or Not
September 30, 2023 To Net or Not This year I got the hang of netting fruit trees. Not by choice. Our fruit trees were hit by apple maggot fly larvae damage two years ago. The larvae tunnel throughout the apple and ruin the taste (unlike other pest damage that can just be cut off.) City […]
Stop and Stare
August 29, 2023 To stop and stare at the plants and trees in the orchard is not only a connection with nature, it is a pathway for better plant care. In recent years, I walked briskly past the plants, like a race horse with blinders on, to focus on some maintenance task. Now retired, I […]
FECO’s Watershed and its History
July 23, 2023 Eight walkers joined Nancy Helm to learn about the watershed that FECO drains into and to hear about the people who historically used the Ravenna Creek area. Participants added to the history walk with information about native plants and stories of the old landfill in the Union Bay area. Nancy explained that […]
State of the Onion – 2023
June 28, 2023 The State of the Onion – 2023 To offer a quick snapshot of the State of the Onion at FECO, we will get the perspective of a few of our residents. from the voice of the newly hatched Southern Green stink bug ( Nezara viridula), having just crawled out of their egg […]
God Save the King
May 27, 2023 Fruiting spurs on apple trees push out six buds in the spring. The center bud blooms first and will become the largest fruit – the King Blossom! When we thin fruitlets, we usually save the King and discard the others. There are times when we don’t save the King. You may not […]
Wapato – Against All Odds
April 26, 2023 Hang on to old wash basins, especially if they have a small leak. You never know when you might need to make a water garden! I am intrigued by wild native plants* that served as food for the Coast Salish Peoples. The food plants we grow at the orchard are very different […]
The Lovely Lacewing
March 19, 2023 I approached a bush bean plant last year and spotted an insect on a leaf. I waved my hand to shew it away! Then I saw another, but this time I looked closer. A lacewing! “Come back!”, I yelled to the first one, in vain. How thrilling to be hosting a lacewing, […]