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White Sky, White Sky You’ve swallowed up all of the blue I know what you are doing But I’m almost ready for you. You’ve invited your North Friends to visit The calendar says it is time You might as well just get with it While I am still in my prime. You’ve turned down the outside temperature And sent all the leaves to the ground You’ve chased away most of the wildlife There is not a goose to be found. I’ll gather more wood for the fire Light candles to glow in the night Pour cider to warm up my innards Read stories tha...
Snow on the porch Wet boots on the floor Greetings and hugs by the screen Tables are set The places are claimed Choices of beverage abound Turkey’s been carved The prayers are all prayed Relatives each have been served Coins have been tossed Tall tales are retold Loved ones not present are missed Laughter and tears Some secrets revealed Bonds tighten that once were frayed Time whizzes by Devoid of the world Antics of children take stage Boots now are dry Coats are all cozy Cheeks rosey bright with good cheer Farewells and h...
November 2024 Yearning for fresh produce from your garden? Hydroponics, water gardening, offers an alternative to waiting for next summer’s yields. Tired of wilted lettuce on your BLT’s? Look for Butter Crunch lettuce in the produce section of your grocery store. You know, the rooted, cupped leaves in the ‘corsage like’ containers? Before cleaning the leaves, cut them about an inch or so above the crown of roots. Leave the soil on and plop the roots in a ramekin or other small dish. Cover the roots with water, about 1/4 cup....
November 1, 2024 Margaret A. Swenson October’s Glory has faded into November’s Fog. Like statues in Rome trees stand with little or no adornment. Shrubs, some with only berries remaining on their branches exhibit their framework. And perennials, fallen to the ground, seem to have died. Our plants are not dead. They are simply in another stage of life. They are waiting for winter when they will rest. What can we do to encourage their resurgence in the spring? We can make sure the ground where they have been growing is ade...
October 21, 2024 The plants in my daughter’s window looked rather sickly and tired. “What can I do for them?” She asked. “They are starving.” I told her. “They need nourishment.” Nutrients in house plants often leach out of their pots resulting in plants that are vulnerable to decline. A light dose of “plant food,” half the recommended dosage or less, will usually encourage the plant to take up nourishment and the yellowish-green foliage will begin to “green up.” Increase the fertilizer percentage to about three-quarters...
October 2024 Out in the garden pumpkins are ripe Their orange skin’s ready regardless of type. Round ones and flat ones and some that are white All hoping for faces that October Night. Some sport goose bumps and stripes of bright green Others so large Peter Pumpkin Eater’s wife can be seen. Like stars in the moonlight upon the cold land Tiny ones, too, fit the palm of my hand. Fairies and witches and creatures that roar Run through the town and knock on my door. I’ll try to appease them with candy and treats And wish them...
September 30, 2024 Margaret A. Swenson Winter Solace Frost is on the pumpkin And frost is on my nose Winter will be coming So the story goes. Time to put away my tools And stack wood for the fire The garden will be waiting When weather’s not so dire. What to do while waiting In my covers and my coats There’s books to read and quilts to make And dreams of pleasure boats. I’d love that you would join me On this journey through the cold The time we spend together Is more precious than pure gold....
Margaret Swenson Labor Day has passed and I am ready to put my white slacks away until next summer. Well, maybe I’ll wear them one more time. Trees and shrubs have already begun to change the color of their frocks. Linden and some Poplar varieties such as Cottonwood and Quaking Aspen are taking on a yellow glow. Varieties of spirea are teasing us with yellow, orange and red leaves amongst their green ones. And a walk in the woods will treat you to native plants with vibrant reds, carmine, bronzes and buff colored grasses. A...
Besides the Ponderosa pine, lilac and lavender, plants that have defied the wrath of summer’s sun and lack of water include: smoke bush cotinus, peonies, juniper, ornamental grass, Karl Forester, sedum, and of course, native plants that have proven their faithfulness for eons. Plants that have appeared to “bite the dust” such as varieties of spirea, barberry, burring bush euonymus, hydrangea and roses may be pruned to stimulate new growth. Perennials such as the penstemon, Husker Red and hostas have rejuvenated after the g...
Do you hear what I hear? What I thought was the distant roar of a plane, upon closer investigation a horde of mosquitoes was laughing outside my door. They were having a lottery as to which one of them would get the first bite. I went to another door and another army of furious insects was waiting for me there. So, I went to my arsenal of defense weapons, orange, green and blue cans of aerosol spray, Lotions and potions, chemically saturated bracelets and noisy buzzers. I donned my insulated jeans, boots and hooded jacket...
I don’t need more inspiration to write a gardening article than to see the efforts my plants are making to insure my happiness. Forsythia and lilacs have finished their show, bridal wreath spirea blossoms have dropped to make room for the fragrant mock orange bushes and honeysuckle vines, and vibrant magenta blooms on the peonies and gorgeous colors of iris have all but erased the memory of tulips and daffodils. The transition to summer finds the frenzy of spring chores much less demanding. Analysis is the order of things a...
Tough little sprouts of oats, peas, (not beans) but clover, and barley, thumbed their noses at the weather reports, poked their heads out of the soil and decided to take a chance for frostless nights. Still cold from the grip of this spring’s weather, they shivered a bit, kept their leaves close to their stems and braved the elements. They hoped to join their native friends, the beautiful bright yellow biscuitroot, a plant of the parsley family, Lomatium, that graces either dry rocky hillsides and prairies or in some cases mo...
What could have happened to this lovely bee friendly fragrant member of the mint family? The woody sub-shrub lavender plants in my garden have succumbed. There doesn’t seem to be any life in the rigid stems. They had always been so happy in they’re sunny open spaced, well drained drought tolerant garden. I had been a diligent gardener, harvesting the fragrant blossom stems of this woody perennial in July, pruning to just above the new shoots and then tidying it up again in late August. I was careful not to cut into the old...
Unlike the wax candles on my coffee table, the candles on the ponderosa pines touched by May’s morning light glow as they reach as with reverence toward the Heavens. Gleaming with life, the candles contain the spring growth of the tree. David Douglas, the naturalist, named the magnificent giant whose name Ponderosa means ‘heavy wood.’ Native Americans revered the long needled, single flush, (one growth of candles per year) pine tree for many uses including pitch for adhesive, needles for tea, logs for canoes, and dried bark...
Recently, in my article “Gardening by Osmosis,” my fingers fumbled on the keyboard. Arrowleaf balsamroot was referred to as arrowroot balsam. The yellow bouquets of the native Balsamorrhiza sagittata that grace hillsides, open meadows and forest edges have long been testimony to the longevity of plant. Before people came from the East to claim the land, indigenous people harvested arrowleaf balsamroot. Though all parts of the plant are edible, they are not necessarily palatable as the strong pine-scented sap is bitter. nat...
My father-in-law was a gardener. In those days, people like him were referred to as farmers. He grew his family’s food stuff and his wife ‘put up’ the fruits and vegetables of their labor for use all year. She wrangled their five little children, baked bread, tended the chickens and churned milk from their cow into butter to trade for Copenhagen, (chewing tobacco, snuff, chaw) for her husband. When their children were old enough to go to school they sold the farm and moved to town. They brought the cow and the chickens with...
November’s bareness, stark and revealing Nothing to hide. No bright colors or fragrances to capture the senses Yet dignity prevails. Honesty of the landscape, devoid of beauty and charm Provides truth. November’s integrity blankets the earth Its promises are safe. Fog may obscure our glimpse of the world Rain will fall all around Bitter cold days will question our faith Still, November moves on. Its easy to see through the unadorned view How everything actually is November, our tutor, continues to teach Of how it is we sho...
As to my experiment with permaculture: I had reported that the corn seed I planted in the midst of my weeds was more robust than the ones I planted in rows. Sadly, my theory has been dispelled. Now the corn in rows have overtaken the growth of their wilderness relative. The squash plant is faring well, however, the deer ate the beans that were planted. After a little more research, I learned corn needs to have neighbors, as those luscious ears are pollinated from the tassels of other corn plants by the wind. Those...
Waterwise, drought tolerant, xeriscaping, drip-irrigation, terms that suggest the value of water, are often in gardeners discussions these days. Resources for more information include online searches, Xerces publications and contacts with the Spokane County WSU Master Gardeners. Master Gardener, Kris Moberg-Hendron, leads the Waterwise Information Program and welcomes gardeners interested in Water Wise landscaping to visit the demonstration gardens at the WSU extension office at 222 N. Havana, in Spokane. Registration is not...
Many counties in the Inland Northwest prohibit or discourage the sale or use of fireworks. July gardens, however, still explode in color. Red California fuchsia cascades from hanging baskets and walls, the Pow Wow series, echinacea, invite pollinators to their launching pads. Speaking of California, bright orange California poppies open their throats to many species of bees as morning sun teases their petals. Cobalt blue Veronica dazzle the beholder as their blossoms reach for the sun. Green flower heads of Autumn Joy Sedum...
The epitome of a warm June afternoon is enjoying ice cold lemonade and fresh oatmeal cookies with my friend Hetty in her garden. We shared secrets and funny stories. We talked of flowers, family and friends. I listened to plans for a new garden by the side of her house. All too soon it was time to part. As I walked through the gate my sorrow in leaving her was comforted knowing hers was a spiritual garden. My advice this week is to enjoy your garden with a friend. Qualities of plants in my garden remind me of this dear soul....
Rain drops were still glistening on the lilacs when I tried to capture the moment after the rain when the sun dappled the landscape. My photos, however did not reveal the splendor I had witnessed and I was resigned to register the phenomenon in my brain. This spring’s frequent rainstorms have encouraged more lush growth than usual and I am amazed by the recovery of many plants. White cedar though, referred to as arborvitae, have not fared well. Years of drought conditions and last winter’s ruthless periods of abnormal tem...
I thought of my grandson’s wedding this weekend. The officiator was springtime. Warm soil and rain were the bride and groom. The audience in their garden was clothed in finery not typical to everyday wear. The promise of permanence was portrayed through strong support and the song of love rang sweet in the air. Nature was smiling and laughing with joy as the marriage commenced in the open air ceremony. When the couple was united the garden was elated with hope for the future. If only the daffodils could last just a little lon...
It seems spring is in a hurry to catch up after the long, long, cold winter. All of a sudden grass is green, buds are bursting and birds are looking for housing. We gardeners are caught up in the frenzy as well. There are remnant leaves to rake, winter damage to access and warm weather plans to put in place. It is still time to apply low release fertilizer to most plants except Rhododendrons, Azaleas and blueberries. They should be fertilized after blooming with an acidic based application. It is a little early to transplant...
Our place on the planet is often referred to as, The Inland northwest, east of the Cascades or High Desert. Ponderosaville seems more conclusive for me. The raw charm of the Ponderosa ignites a connection with all that is free, firm and almost haughty. The grandeur of a mature specimen is reverent to me. Ponderosa pines grow in hostile, seemingly improbable areas where rock and shallow soils occur. Yet its determined tendrils find fissures and fragments of life giving soil to establish their tenacious roots. Unlike the...
