Blog
July 22, 2024 Jennifer secured an appointment for a ZooDoo pickup recently so off we went, Philippa and I, to the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo even though the temperature was 93 degrees! We actually didn’t notice the heat much, mostly because we had a fascinating conversation with Aarin Wilde, the new Dr. Doo. Phillipa started […]
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, […]
Practical Planting Precursers and Phenology
February 17, 2023 If you love nature and are looking for a field of study, consider Botanical phenology. Check out the programs at the University of Arizona, Brandeis, or Northwestern. Phenology involves noting the dates of seasonal events such as budburst, flowering, dormancy, migration and hibernation. Scientists who study phenology are interested in the timing […]
January in the Orchard – Is Anything Happening?
January 13, 2023 Today. Rain. Relative humidity 92%. Many of you would not be thrilled to get out and be active today. However, some of our nature friends are thriving this month. What? Who! A slow walk at the orchard reveals a lot of activity. Take this camas bulb (Camassia), already popping out of the […]
The Way of Non-Attachment
December 27, 2022 Our FECO project is quite unique. Our volunteers don’t have their own garden plots. They don’t come to grow food and take it home with them. Most growing areas are dedicated to a Food Bank. Food of lesser value goes to the volunteers. The reward for people who volunteer here is maintaining […]
Native American Heritage Month
November 6, 2022 Native American Heritage Month – honoring the ancestry and traditions of Native Americans Ethical participation, responsibility and reciprocity are words often used to describe the way a Native American experiences nature, or place. (There is no mention of Western concepts like ownership, resources, or maps in my readings by Native American authors.) […]