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 […]