Kel's Garden Journal

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What's blooming today

on July 02, 2019

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My Path to Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

As with many things in our lives, our passions arise from experience. I pulled my kids out of school for a week over pesticide use on the school grounds once. My main arguments were: 1) improper application per manufacturer's instructions (federal law) 2) not meeting the state notification guidelines (state law) Every school district has a notification system, in accordance with state law, for notifying parents of pesticide application. This falls under both a right to know and health concern for those who react to ingredients in the pesticides, including the inert ingredients like silica. I was on the list. Not only was I not notified of the application, I saw the sign when I dropped my kids off at school, but the notification did not meet the state guidelines. The school property was to have signage at entry points listing the product to be used, date of application, and who to contact with questions or concerns. There was one sign by the main office...

each garden I designed defined a season of my life

The house in Vancouver closed this week. We got the call last night that it had recorded, and the old neighbor texted that the buyer was moving in. She had mentioned earlier in the week that the Clematis 'Apple Blossom' was blooming. It is my favorite evergreen Clematis, an early bloomer. I had trained it down the side fence between our yards. We later added another Clematis, a June bloomer, to the back fence. The plan was for the vines to cover the fence and then we would remove the line of arbor vitae and regain the space. In this photo you can see the campanula subulata, a late spring carpet of purple beneath the Daphnae odorata. I miss certain plants, like the Helebore the neighbor gave me for my 40th birthday. There was also a pale pink rose that my aunt gave my mother when I was born. I moved it from house to house in a pot and finally planted it in the ground at this house. I miss the perennials that I planted, and the way they greeted each sp...

a year for projects and moving forward

This has been a year for projects. After several years of being "too busy" to clean up borders, mulch and transplant I feel like I have "caught up." I have also been able to sit and enjoy the yard more and plan. We completed the deck extension that we began last year, and added the railing. PLUS we stained the deck and several of the arbors. A few will need to wait for the fall when the plants are cut back to be stained. The lawn is beginning to make a comeback. We are embracing the clover for the bees, but have regained control over many of the other weeds, like the black medic, spotted spurge and wood sorrel. I cut back the edges to a 10ft x 20 ft area in the back, just large enough for a tent if we suddenly get social. The vegetable garden has been downsized to two raised beds, now that there are only the two of us. We plan to add cold frames and try to extend the growing season with greens. I am excited to begin working with edibles again. We still have the 2...

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