PLANT SEEDS NOW
FOR FALL VEGGIES

Summer is starting and we're lounging at the pool, and you are telling us to plant vegetable seeds?

Yup, people forget that in the PNW you can grow and harvest veggies nearly all year. The trick is timing and managing the heat and the cold.

The idea is timing your seed planting so you get a crop of veggies before it gets too cold. Depending on the what you are growing, you can start seeds in June-August and get a crop in September-November.

In addition to starting seeds, you can also buy starts, which will be coming in soon.

Click here for tips on growing fall vegetables.

BEFORE YOU TAKE
THAT VACATION

Don't forget your plant friends. Unless you are growing plants that like a little neglect (and there really are very few plants like this), chances are you will need to care for your plants if you are gone for more than a day or so. But how to do this?

Click here for our pre-vacation reminders

KEEP YOUR PLANTS BLOOMING
AND HERBS HERBING

You might notice that some of the blooms in your patio boxes are done. Instead of leaving them, clean them up. Removing spent blooms encourages more blooms, as your plants devote their energy back into creating more blooms.

Similarly, preventing your herbs from blooming puts more energy back into growing leaves (the parts you eat)

Click here to learn more about extending the bloom time of your plants

THE MARSHALL
IS IN TOWN

Bainbridge Island has a strong connection to strawberries. In the past, hundreds of acres of strawberries covered the island. For decades strawberries were a major revenue source for farmers on the island.

And what was the variety of strawberry that powered this success? The Marshall Strawberry.

The Marshall was so coveted that hundreds of crates of Marshalls were sent to Vancouver BC when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited in 1939.

Old timers and foodies remember this berry. It was sweet and rich, with a strong "strawberry" note. Sorry, not the best description, but consider what most packs of berries in the grocery store taste like...well, they kind of taste like nothing. But they sure look good!

And that is one of the reasons that the Marshall just about fully disappeared from the Island. They did not store well. In fact, they practically became jam as soon as you transported them any reasonable distance. But fruit afficionados know that when you prioritize looks and storage over flavor, you are losing something very important in the process.

Another reason that Marshalls disapppeared was they had a very short season, maybe a just a few weeks.

So it sounds like we're talking you out of getting Marshall strawberries, but in fact, we're telling you to pick up a start or two and try them. If the weather is good, you'll be in for treat.

And get a few other strawberry varieties as well. Some of the newer ones have good production and flavor, and while not quite as good as a Marshall, they'll kick the pants off of anything in the store for sure. Try an Albion or Shuksan. You'll thank us later.

POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY
GARDENING

Did you know that one out of every three foods we eat rely on pollinators? Pollinators fertilize flowers, which then produce seeds, which you can find buried in that apple you eat or on the outside of the strawberry that you pick. In the non-edible world, pollinators help maintain a thriving ecosystem by continuing plant species and adding biodiversity.

As you garden, think about what you are doing in your garden to encourage bees, birds, and butterflies. And also to ensure that we aren't doing to anything detrimental to our flying and buzzing friends.

• Create a pollinator-friendly environment in your backyard. Plant flowers that encourage bees and birds, like asters, coneflowers, lavender, sunflowers, yarrow, etc. Have water dishes in a safe place for pollinators to get a drink.
• Check the labels of any insecticide, herbicide, or fungicide that you use. Be aware of spraying where the bees are and minimizing spray drift.
• Take care of the environment. Climate change not only affects humans.
• Come on in to pick up our list of pollinator friendly plants.

LET GOOD BUGS BEAT
THE BAD BUGS

When you see aphids on your roses, it's easy to forget that many of the bugs in our gardens are good and fight the bad ones on your behalf!

Here is a list of the beneficial bugs we stock at this time of the year. (Please call us for availability as these are live creatures and we don't keep a large stock on hand.)

• Ladybugs -- Most of us are familiar with the ladybug, and while they look docile, they are pretty fierce when it comes to attacking aphids, mites, thrips, mealybugs, and other pests.
• Praying Mantis -- Mantises are territorial and quite efficient at attacking grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, beetles, and pretty much anything they encounter, including beneficial insects, so keep that in mind.
• Green lacewings -- Green lacewings attack aphids, scale, white fly, mealy bugs, caterpillars, and more. Note that they are predators only in their larval stages only. Adult lacewings are large green insects with lacey wings.
• Nematodes -- There are a variety of nematodes, but ones we sell target beetle and fly larvae in lawns and gardens. They are also great for eliminating root weevil (larvae) for rhododendrons.
• Predatory mites -- Predatory mites attack the bad mites, like spider mites, rust mites, cyclamen mites, etc. If you have a spider mite infestation on your houseplants, these mites are the ticket.