News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Tropical plants are filling our homes and workspaces, adding beauty, relieving stress, and boosting creativity, productivity, and focus. Keep these plants healthy and looking their best by providing for their basic needs. Select plants that will thrive in the growing conditions found in your home or office and with your level of care. Busy gardeners should look for low-maintenance plants like ZZ plants, Chinese evergreens, pothos and philodendrons while others may choose ferns, peace lilies, baby tears and gardenias that require a bit more...
Keep your garden looking its best with a bit of deadheading. Removing faded flowers can promote repeat bloom on some plants, encourage fuller, more compact growth, and tidy up the garden. Use a bypass pruner or deadheading snips to remove faded flowers. These tools have two sharp blades like scissors. This results in a clean cut that closes quickly, leaving your plant looking its best. The type of flower will influence how and where to make the cut. In general, remove the stem of faded blooms back to the first set of healthy leaves or nearby...
The brilliant fall color in our landscapes is a magical transformation that happens each year. And the science behind it is just as intriguing. Each fall as the days shorten our deciduous trees and shrubs begin this transformation. The plants produce less of the chlorophyll that gives leaves their normal green color. The existing chlorophyll starts breaking down, revealing the underlying pigments of yellow, red or orange. The carotenoid and xanthophyll pigments assist the chlorophyll in...
Cancer prevention starts on your dinner plate; actually, it starts in the garden. Growing your own nutrient-rich cancer fighting vegetables allows you to grow pesticide-free vegetables, harvest them at their peak, and use them right away, ensuring the highest nutrient value and best flavor. Be sure to include some broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and turnip greens. These cruciferous vegetables release cancer-fighting substances that help fend off lung, breast, liver,...
Whether planning your first, second or tenth vegetable garden it can be overwhelming. There are so many tasty vegetables and never enough space and time to grow them all. Start with a plan. Locate your garden in a sunny location with moist, well-drained soil. Save those partially sunny areas for greens like lettuce, chard and kale as well as root crops like radishes and beets. These prefer full sun but will tolerate more shade than tomatoes, peppers, squash, broccoli and other plants we eat the...
Dress up your holiday meals with a centerpiece crafted from greens, colorful stems and seed heads collected from your garden. Or purchase fresh materials you need from your favorite garden center or florist. Most gardeners spend some time gathering a few blossoms and creating a bouquet or arrangement for their summer gatherings. Don't let winter stop you from crafting a festive centerpiece from materials collected from your gardens this time of year. Start by gathering some greens. The fan-like...
So, you filled your shopping cart and gardens with lots of new shrubs, flowers, and vegetables. Now what? Keep your plants looking their best with minimal effort so you can enjoy them and your summer even more. Watering is one task where I find even experienced gardeners struggle. Proper watering is key. Too much or not enough water can result in yellow, wilting and even death of plants. Check container plantings daily. Stick your finger into the soil and water whenever the top few inches of soil is starting to dry. Water thoroughly so the exce...