Garden Editor Mike Irvine Sunset Magazine....
 

....
Slather pine-cones with peanut butter, roll them in birdseed, and hang them in shrubs and trees or from hooks on a patio/terrace to provide wildlife with a tasty winter treat!

Go wild and use your imagination!

It depends on all how well you follow the helpful hints mentioned above. A quality plant in the right location that is well-cared for can stay in bloom for up to six months. But that is unusual. Most poinsettias will last for 4 to 6 weeks before the flowers begin to fall off.

If you don't have a garden space for this, I think it would look nice hanging on from your balcony/porch.

Order your seeds early......
 

Colin McCrate Pacific Northwest Magazine....

It is a long standing tradition among serious gardeners to sit around the kitchen table during the dark days of winter dreaming of the season to arrive.

Order early; taking action now will ensure that your favorite varieties don't sell out. The procrastinating gardener will find that by February or March many companies have extinguished the stock of popular varieties.

Sunset Magazine, humans are the only ones who enjoy a shower...........
 

Show your houseplants some TLC by rinising dust off the foliage in a lukewarm shower. After leaves dry, check for insects and treat if necessay.

Things we're learning about gardening...
 

A garden full of dazzling color in spring takes planning or so we are learning.

In late fall we picked up an assortment of bulbs. These are for spring-flowering plants that we were told required the cool season to put down roots.These have now been planted.

So far so good..........:wateringgarden:

Some of the best advice we've received so far........"If you are new to gardening, don't be too ambitious".

We were informed about seed storage viability and how seeds differ greatly by species, but because this will be such a small garden patch we'll only be purchasing a limited amount to begin with.

If anyone else out there is attempting a garden, hopefully by sharing these tips they will benefit you as well!

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Pistils Nursery 3811 N. Mississippi Ave Portland, Oregon

I have not been here personally, but they came highly recommended by our next door neighbor who has the most beautiful garden imaginable!
She spoke highly of their knowledgeable staff and having spoken to several of them I concur.

We have two areas, one to the right and the other to the left, off our patio where we hope to plant flowers on one and a small vegetable patch on the other come spring.

I had originally posted this in another thread but hopefully it'll be useful here too!

Tips to start vegetable seeds indoors....
 

Some vegetables, like tomatoes , eggplants and peppers , require a long growing season so most gardeners start seeds indoors in spring or purchase seedlings (transplants). Starting your own seeds is not only less expensive, it's also a fun, rewarding and a great way to get a jump start.

You can use recycled pots — yogurt containers, for example, but be sure to poke holes in the bottom. Plastic six-packs and flats are good choices and can be reused year after year. Biodegradable pots are fine, too. After sowing, set the containers in a warm location. On top of the refrigerator or near a radiator are usually good spots. Check pots every day.

As soon as seedlings emerge, place pots in a bright location.
A sunny window will do but supplemental fluorescent lights will give you the best results.

No doubt most seasoned gardeners know these tips, my tips are for novice like myself just starting out!

I failed to mention they had a wonderful website!

Climate suitability and compatibility for vegetables....
 

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The Pacific Northwest has a unique climate. The long cool growing season here makes many seed varieties unsuitable for this region.

I'll have to do some research to see what crops are best in this region.

Pest & disease resistance..............
 

One of the Pacific Northwest pervasive issues here is powdery mildew I've learned. This fungus loves the conditions of summer weather here and wreaks havoc on squash, peas, cucumbers and a number of other crops so I'll have to keep that in mind when making the final selections for the garden patch.

Many seed companies however will list crops with powdery-mildew with the acronym PM.

Tips on buying seeds etc etc............
 

Ask gardeners you trust to find out what companies they like and have had success with. A good source is your county extension office. Ask to speak with a Master Garden.

When we decided to try our hand at gardening we chatted up our next door neighbor who has quite the green thumb! She's given us so much information that being novice we wouldn't have a clue about.

If you're just starting out, may we suggest you do the same.

We tried this and the results were amazing! We hung the pine-cones near our carport and garage.

You will want to hang these up high enough that they don't attract rodents!

Tips I just got regarding transplanting vegetable seedlings..
 

Dig Holes First -- Your plants will thank you if you have their new home set up and ready to go before you pull them out of their containers. This allows for minimal transplant shock because the roots aren't over exposed to elements like the sun or wind.

Get 'Em Ready -- A few days before the big event give a boost of energy with some organic liquid fertilizer to help with any shock during transplanting. Give them a drink of water several hours before planting them into their permanent home.

Perfect Weather -- Perfect transplanting weather may not look like that you think it should; drizzly or overcast weather is the idea situation. If you don't see any in the forecast, plant them in the early morning when there's the least amount of sun for them to contend with.

Again, most veteran gardeners no doubt know all this, but for a novice like me they will come in very handy!

I know it's been a while since you asked about this, but if I come across any information while doing research I'll be happy to share.......:hangloose:

Plant in the rain. Plants & seeds love it..:hangloose:

Living in the Pacific Northwest, that won't be a problem......:giggle:

Lucky h.....you really are:tea:

Prepare soil before transplanting tip............
 

Pre-warm soil for heat-loving plants. Transplants that relish warm weather, including peppers and eggplants, are best planted into warm soil. In areas with long growing seasons, waiting to transplant until the soil warms up works just fine. If you want to get an early start, or if your growing season is short, you can give the soil a heat boost to help ease the transition to the garden. Two weeks or more before transplant time, prepare the soil and rake the site smooth. Water if soil is very dry. Spread black plastic over the site, stretching it tight and burying all the edges. Let the sun’s rays warm the soil for 2 weeks before transplanting. Plant directly into the plastic by cutting holes through it with a trowel or gardening knife. The plastic holds heat during the nighttime hours, which also benefits heat-loving crops.

Houseplants......
 

Location Location Location...........
 

Some plants are shade plants, others need sun, and yet even more plants are partial shade or sun! Don't overlook that part of your plant's description!

Hometalk member The Micro Gardener has a universal solution: Place your container garden on wheels or a trolley, so you can move it around in the event your selected spot doesn't get as much sunlight as you originally thought.

After reading this tip, I'm considering picking up a used wheelbarrow at a yard sale come spring!

Thinking this may also help with location location location issues......:wateringgarden:

It would be lightweight, so easy enough to move from area to area, and has excellent drainage!

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/c6/a4/7d/c...en-two-men.jpg
This idea could also solve a limited space problem which we will have. I'm thinking herbs such as chives, parsley, etc might work well in this instance.

Small Space Gardening Tips for Apartment Dwellers + Urbanites........
 

Don't let limited outdoor space prevent you from trying out your green thumb. From tasty fruits and veggies to flowering plants, trees and shrubs, container gardening is the trick to growing it all in less space than you may think.



For many years, when we lived in Seattle, we had a balcony but always thought it was to small of a area for gardening. Wish I would of gotten this advice years earlier...:wateringgarden:

Tip from Reader's Digest...............
 

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Build a gardener’s portfolio.

Keep tabs on your garden. Create a scrapbook using an inexpensive photo album and add your plant tags and sticks to it each season. Then, make it as detailed as you’d like by adding information as to where the plants were purchased and where the plant was located in your garden. Add your own artistic flair with sketches of your garden or photographs.

There's a fun and informative series on Netflix called Big Dreams Small Spaces on that very topic … making the most of a small gardening area. It's set in the UK but most of what's in the show is applicable regardless of location.

thanks .....

If you can find a bigger one, say about 16 inches, try a nice mix of senecio, kalanchoe, lampranthus, portulace, aeonium, and crassula.

Jan/Feb issue of House Beautiful........
 

Give Your Space A Plant-Over...:wateringgarden:


Plants add instant life to any room but they are more than just a design secret-they can actually change the science of a space. Greenery can absorb toxins, purify the air, and even reduce noise levels.

Pothos, Succulent, Calathes Medallion Dracaena are some excellent choices for the bathroom. They not only thrive in humidity but they help rid the air of chemicals left behind by cleaning & beauty products.

Jan/Feb issue of House Beautiful........
 

:kissy:



Plants are a mood booster-and no room can benefit more than a bedroom!

More helpful tips for the gardening novice.....
 

House Beautiful mentioned this website https://www.thesill.com/



All this talk of an early spring has me pumped!

Jan Better Homes & Gardens.....
 

Seeds vs Seedlings


In the depth of winter looking through a seed catalog is the gardener's equivalent of planning a summer vacation-a chance to fantasize about warmer days ahead.

Growing from seed allows one to try a wide variety than you'll typically find as seedlings the the garden center. :wateringgarden:

so true homoe....i live for autumn, hibernate in winter and bloom in spring

Exactly.............:smelling-flower:

Lorene Edwards Forkner....
 

In today's Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Section Forkner offers tips on plotting for spring but what really grabbed my attention was his reference to a 2015 book by Ken Druse.The New Shade Garden: Creating A Lush Oasis In The Age of Climate Change.

Forkner agrees that the garden of the future will be shade ones. Last year was one of the hottest summers on records in the Pacific Northwest and agrees Climate Charge will play an important factor in future gardening endeavours.