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!
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
Hi Ciscoe,
Thank you for another year of timely advice! I'm not always the most disciplined gardener, and sometimes I forget that it's time to do a specific task in the garden. Your weekly reminders have been very helpful in keeping me on track. This past week, I followed your recent suggestion and dug up my dahlia tubers. They were getting a little overgrown, and it's been too many years since I have divided them. I was so happy to see how prolific they've been. Hopefully there's a photo attached.
Many thanks for all that you do to educate and entertain (a.k.a. motivate) home gardeners. All the best to you, Sassy Susan and your families.
Judy in Kenmore
Sarah Winfield, manager of surgical services at Olympic Medical Center, was presented with the Patriot Award at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Nov. 2.
The Patriot Award is presented by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) – an office of the Department of Defense – and recognizes a supervisor who supports a Service member.
Winfield was nominated by former OMC employee Solomon Jeancharles, Petty Officer First Class in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
“I’m honored to be part of an organization that actively supports the commitment of our service members and military,” Winfield said. “The recognition that I received should really extend to the whole Surgical Services team. When Solomon was deployed to go out on the Mercy Ship, during the height of COVID, we all joined together to send him off, stay connected as we were able and to welcome him home. It truly was an honor.”
The award was especially meaningful for Winfield, as she has a son-in-law in the U.S. Air Force. Winfield has worked for OMC for nearly seven years.
In his nomination of Winfield, Jeancharles wrote, in part, “I cannot be any more grateful for her support, her understanding, and the respect shown by the whole staff for my service to this country.”
Phil Sanders, Washington State Chair of the ESGR, presented Winfield with the award.
According to the ESGR website, “The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.”
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