Dear Ciscoe, Could you please identify this beautiful visitor to my garden?I have lived in the greater Seattle are my entire 71 year life and enjoyed your gardening shows & tips! Thank you in advance for your help.

Very gratefully yours,  Melaine  

If I pluck my solitary ripe red tomato, would the remaining green tomatoes be more likely to thrive and flourish?

Ooh La La!   Bill in Gig Harbor, Washington

Cigar Smoker & Owner of Security Services NW,  JOE D’AMICO is accused of working much too hard, thereby making others look lazy!

Following an exhaustive investigation, The K-SQUAD preferred charges against Mr. D'amico, and was ordered to appear in the K-COURT before our local magistrate, The Honorable Lucious Beauregarde Roubidoux.

Judge Roubidoux (pronounced "Ruby-Doo") threw the book at him.

Joe threw the book back.

His bail was set at $2,500, which he quickly met with one phone call.  Nonetheless, Joe managed to effortlessly escape the K-SQUAD "KLINK" simply to prove the lack of security.  Film at eleven.

I have had success with my peonies in supporting them as they bloom by using tomato cages. Attached are photos showing them upside down. I curl back the legs into pinwheels so they aren't hazardous, then guide the young plant into the lower part of the cage. You can secure the bottom rim with metal staples used for holding down drip irrigation of 1/2" diameter. Only the cheap thin tomato cages should be used so they blend into the greenery and are easy to bend. The legs of the thicker ones are harder to bend by hand and the cage is too visible.

Eileen

Hi Ciscoe, I’m bothering you because I have a dilemma I can’t find any answers online to so I’m going to try to explain.  Attached are two photos.  Two of the same plants, planted in different areas, but have the same issue.  There seems to be an ‘interloper’ plant that is growing with them.  Since I don’t know the variety, I’m not finding anything online.

 
When the long tendrils grew around both plants, I assumed I was supposed to cut them off.  Then I decided maybe I should leave them.  They were growing very long and had seed pods attached along the stems.  Now the one that’s in the garden bed vice the box has produced little seedlings everywhere that appear to be from this other interloper plant. It has similar heart shaped leaves but doesn’t look like it’s part of the main plant.  I have removed hundreds of these tiny seedlings.   I dug up the bigger one, but was not able to see what roots are cyclamen and what belong to the interloper.  I put the root ball into a pot and waters it well & placed the pot back in the hole in the shade for now. Do I need to give up? 

I have other hardy cyclamens in other beds and they behave themselves.  
Can you advise?   Thank you, Anna in Allyn 

We had to cut down a dangerous spruce tree, close to the house,  about 5 years ago. I was devastated…. That tree gave shade to my extensive hosta/shade garden….  and the house, but what can you do, it had to go. 

For some unknown reason, an idea popped in my head. Why not use umbrellas to shade the plants?? I found a few umbrellas kicking around the house and , viola!!, happy hostas...happy shade garden! What a relief!

A few weeks later, a friend found some lovely old and  antique parasols/umbrellas for my garden. I quickly found more spots for them and put them up. I think they add a nice touch. (The bonus is, also, when it is going to rain, I can, of course snap the umbrella down.) In the Fall,  I take them (the umbrellas)  all down to store. I leave the poles in the ground to use for the next year.

Happy gardening. Jody Kallis

With only eight days all year to hit warmer temperatures in the 60s, the first 80-degree day arrived at the end of April, breaking the icy grip of La Niña.
After celebrating a normal winter snowpack, last weekend’s sudden record-breaking heat wave brought summertime early for western Washington.

With only four days of record-shattering heat of around 90 degrees, the waters of Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Lake Tapps and many other local rivers are calling for residents to cool down. But wait! The average water temperature in Puget Sound this time of year is around 49 degrees Fahrenheit. All our local water temperatures are currently only 49 to 54 degrees. The cold current of the Pacific Ocean and the snow melting from the mountains, streaming into rivers and lakes, maintain water that is still very cold.

When your body hits frigid water, “cold water shock” can cause dangerous changes in heart rate and blood pressure. A sudden gasp and rapid
breathing create a greater risk of drowning, even for confident swimmers.
Your body tries to hold your core heat by decreasing blood flow to your
arms and legs, resulting in a loss of movement.

Unless a life jacket is being worn, the ability to stay afloat is next to impossible. That can make you dead in the water because you are experiencing cold water shock. We've got to watch out for each other around these cold waters of the West Coast this spring. Wear a life jacket and be patient until our waters warm up. Then there should be at least three months ahead of us to enjoy some sunny, warm weather!

Offering a variety of plants, trees, annuals, perennials and indoor plants, SUNNY FARMS FARM STORE also features  tools, organic fertilizer, pest control,  potting soil and a selection of organic livestock feed and pet food.

Located next to The COUNTRY STORE on the north side of Highway 101, just west of Sequim, SUNNY FARMS FARM STORE and NURSERY is open seven days a week, from 8AM to 8PM.

The website is SUNNY FARMS (dot) com.

SUNNY FARMS FARM STORE:  “The Biggest Little Nursery in Town.”

Sunny Farms Farm Store and Nursery offers a wide selection of animal feeds and nursery supplies. Visit the store and take a look at all Sunny Farms has to offer.

The knowledgeable staff is always happy to answer your questions and assist you, offering feed and supplies for:

Horses, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Pigs, Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Mini Pigs, Llama/Alpaca and Wild Birds

Sunny Farms Farm Store and Nursery believes in offering the freshest feed with the best ingredients possible for the health of your animal. There is a large selection of organic feeds for your livestock as well as a great grain free pet food selection.

Examples of Some of the feed suppliers:

    Nutrena
    Scratch and Peck
    LMF
    Manna Pro
    Safechoice by Nutrena
    Nature's Café
    Merrick
    Taste of the Wild
    Chicken Soup Lovers
    Lotus Pet Foods
    Evangers Dog Food
    Diamond Naturals
    Canidae/Felidae
    Equine Shine
    Morglo by ADM Alliance
    Standlee
    Golden Harvest
    Spring Naturals

Extensive Organic fertilizer, pest control, potting soil, and soil amendment selection by top suppliers such as:

    Hendrikus Organics
    Down to Earth
    Safer
    Bonide
    Black Gold
    EB Stone
    Pacific Gro
    Alaska Fertilizers
    Sequim Prairie Star
    Sluggo
    Deer Scram
    Liquid Fence

And much, much more!

See Video Below

Hello. Ciscoe, Can you help me with my Wisteria?

I have had it since 1955. It appears the trunk of the Wisteria is slowing dying. It is drying out. And today is the first time I noticed dark brown mushrooms growing on the trunk. What does this mean. Do the mushrooms mean there is rot? Can any of this be saved?  It still blooms great in the summer, but the trunk is slowly cracking and drying out. Appreciate your help.

Angela