Green thumbs, gardening fans, landscape lovers, it’s the new year.
Whether this is your first as a dedicated gardener or your 50th, it’s time to prepare for the glorious potential of 2006.
There it is, stretching out in front of you, a dazzling gem of promise, like a hummingbird flitting at light speed, calling you to explore the world of flora and fauna with wild abandon in – sigh – January.
OK, so it’s a little tough to get motivated when your backyard features mostly twigs, soggy leaves and pathetic grass.
That’s why you need garden resolutions. Try one or more of these five ideas and before you know it, it will be spring and you’ll be ready.
1: Plan changes now
Though it’s cold and most-often dark outside, try using your imagination.
Where will you put your new bed of strawberries? What types of herbs or tomatoes would you like to grow? Isn’t it time you looked into buying a trellis for your favorite vine?
How will you create a new garden bed to cut back on your mowing time? Will this be the year for a water feature?
“If you’re going to make a major landscape change, think it through now,” said Snohomish County master gardener Jeff Thompson. “Branch out and learn more. Don’t do the same things you do every year. Try growing more things from seed.”
Keep in mind that changes for 2006 might be more about organization than acquisition.
“I have – for the last three years – had my dahlias fall over,” Thompson said. “Staking my dahlias is my garden resolution for this year.”
2: Get inspired
Don’t’ wait until spring to get moving. This is the Northwest not the Midwest.
If you’re having trouble getting jazzed about gardening now, you can glean endless direction for the future months from seed catalogs, garden books and magazines.
If your mailbox hasn’t been jammed with catalogs yet, check out Oregon-based Territorial Seed for veggie seeds and starts appropriate for maritime climates (www.territorial-seed.com or 800-626-0866) as well as Morton-based Raintree Nursery for fruits, berries and more for the Northwest (www.raintreenursery.com or 360-496-6400). Browse a fascinating array of garden gadgetry with the Gardener’s Supply Co. catalog (www.gardeners.com or 888-833-1412).
While you’re at it, visit local nurseries now for garden books and good deals on last year’s plants. And in February, look for bare-root roses and fruits (at much cheaper prices than you’ll find in spring) as well as other prespring steals.
Finally, don’t miss the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, a festival of gardening fever – just five weeks away – Feb. 8 to 12 in Seattle. See www.gardenshow.com or call 206-789-5333 for tickets and details.
3: Care for your tools
OK, now that you’ve had a little fun, it’s time to get serious. Your tools need your help. If they’re still in the garage or under some eave covered in dirt, now is the time to give them some love.
Start by washing off all dirt and debris, using a wire brush to get rid of stubborn clumps of dirt or sap. Let them dry and, if needed, use a handheld metal file to sharpen tools if they are dull.
Then remove bits of rust with sandpaper and follow up with a light coating of WD-40 spray to prevent rust. Motor oil or vegetable oil will work as well. Rub the oil in with an old rag or paper towel.
If you’re caring for pruners and shears, spray the joints and rub oil on the cutters, but sharpen the cutters with a whetstone first, if needed.
If you want to clean your tools more routinely – after each use is ideal – make it easy by filling a large bucket with an 8-to-1 ratio of sand and motor oil. Store spades and trowels in the bucket to keep them clean and conditioned. Be sure to wipe off tools before each use.
Get tool perfection by sanding splintery wooden handles, followed by a light massage with linseed oil or a coat of polyurethane.
4: Use fewer pesticides.
While there are many ways to incorporate ecologically friendly practices into your gardening routine, choosing a slow-release lawn fertilizer – instead of a fast-acting weed-and-feed product – is one of the best, according to the King County Hazardous Waste Management Program.
Many weed-and-feed products, which can be tracked into your house or rubbed off onto toys and skin, contain 2, 4-D, a “broad spectrum pesticide” that can be harmful to salmon and other living things.
According to one U.S. Geological Survey study of Puget Sound area streams, there are more types and greater quantities of pesticides applied in urban areas than in agricultural areas, making home-use pesticides a key issue for water-quality advocates.
Often described as natural or organic fertilizers, slow-release products provide many of the same nutrients as weed and feed products – nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) – but they do so in small amounts over an extended period of time so they last longer and enhance soil life.
While your lawn may not green up as quickly, it will likely stay green longer and leach much less into streams.
Learn more about natural lawn care, native plants, smart watering, rain barrels, invasive weeds, pest control and composting at dnr.metrokc.gov/topics/yard-and-garden or call 206-684-7560. Contact Snohomish County Public Works, Solid Waste Management at 425-388-3425 or see www1.co.snohomish. wa.us for information on composting and gardening. Contact the Snohomish County master gardeners between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at 425-357-6010 or visit snohomish.wsu.edu/garden.htm with gardening quandaries and questions.
5: Attract more wildlife
Whether you’re a fan of squawking Steller’s jays or mosquito-eating bats, it’s easy to attract wildlife to your Northwest garden.
Feeders, shelters, native plants and many other small changes to your garden can provide a safe haven for a wide variety of animals while making your garden a more enchanting place.
Adding nectar-producing plants such as columbine and bee balm will have your yard brimming with butterflies, while choosing plants with bird-friendly berries will make your yard a hot spot, even in winter.
“Robins love these,” said Debra Jordan-Smith of Emery’s Garden, referring to a evergreen shrub of pyracantha featuring red berries now.
It may motivate you further to know that, in Washington, there is a need for more backyard retreats for animals.
Every year in Washington, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, more than 35,000 acres of wildlife habitat are converted to housing and other development.
In response, department workers have created the Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Program.
Now home gardeners can easily get information on how to develop a “landscaping for wildlife” plan, lists of plants that attract animals and an application to enroll residential gardens as official backyard sanctuaries. There is a $5 fee. See wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/backyard or call 425-775-1311. If you’re more apt to read a book, try David Mizejewski’s “Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife,” featuring tips on habitat, food, water and other critter basics.
If you’re having problems getting along with wildlife, consult “Living with Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest” a new book by urban wildlife biologist Russell Link, offering tips and resources to help you coexist with moles, deer, raccoons and other problematic creatures.
Reporter Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037 or sjackson@ heraldnet.com.
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