Category Archives: Uncategorized

With forest fires burning north, south, east and west of Seattle (yes, west, on the southeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula, the Maple Fire is still going) and a staggering heat wave that stayed around for the month of July … Continue reading →

Though we are not officially offering Medicinal Herb Garden tours until the Life Sciences Building and Biology Greenhouse are completed, I couldn’t resist the request to lead a Harry Potter tour for a class from the UW Department of English. … Continue reading →

Not much to report this winter. After a long stretch of mild weather, we’re near the end of a cold spell, with clear skies and nighttime temperatures in the mid 20s F. I’ve chosen not to cover any garden plants … Continue reading →

In the Medicinal Herb Garden, this was the Year of the Rabbit.  There is no rabbit fence on the perimeter to keep them out, so visitors can expect to see  hardware cloth covering or  surrounding certain plants. It’s not a … Continue reading →

The fall colors have been the best I’ve seen in over thirty years living in Seattle. The sugar maple (Acer saccharum), whose shadow is the bane of the nearby olive trees’ (Olea europaea) existence, has nearly redeemed itself this year. … Continue reading →

After numerous reports of coyote sightings near the Medicinal Herb Garden, the time finally came to set up a camera in adjacent woods and hope the scent of several brands of dog food and dog treats made of lamb, beef, … Continue reading →

We finally got some rain and cooler temperatures after setting a new Seattle record of 56 days without rain. And many of those days were really hot. This summer there are a lot of stressed plants in Seattle. The barred … Continue reading →

Where does the time go? The heat wave has passed, and thanks to the lady beetles, the aphid infestation of the plum trees is over. The heron chicks have fledged and the deer seems to have moved on for now. … Continue reading →

The growing population of rabbits in the Medicinal Herb Garden have provided a good educational experience. It’s helpful to know what they do and don’t like to eat. Luckily, most of what they eat is close to the ground, though … Continue reading →

This cool, rainy spring has been good for the slugs. Every year, the earliest spring plantings are a gamble. I know I could wait a bit longer to transplant seedlings into the garden but I never do. The show must go … Continue reading →