gardening

  • Gardens in the Anthropocene: Seed Saving as Activism, Planting as Rebellion, Mutualism as Resistance

    Gardens in the Anthropocene: Seed Saving as Activism, Planting as Rebellion, Mutualism as Resistance

    After another weird winter that gave us snow in March, Spring has officially begun: the Cherry Blossom cam at UW is live and the trees are in glorious bloom. In an era of compounding global climate crises, expanding food deserts, and catastrophic land and resource extraction in the race to build ever larger, more powerful… Continue reading

  • Let’s Garden!

    Spring is here! With flowers, rain, bees, and a sense of hope. Whether you’re planting a vegetable garden or flowers, working in a large yard or making the most of a small paved space, gardening inspiration awaits with these titles and more. Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer by Kristin Currin and Andrew Merritt Discover the… Continue reading

  • Gardening with Toddlers

    We made a small garden space for my kiddo to play in to get him involved in the growing of things. It’s still mostly dirt play and mud making, which is a delight, but by planting that seed I hope his love for gardening grows as he gets older. Here are a few books in our… Continue reading

  • Lavender: Love It or Eat It

    Lavender is one of those things that people love or hate. It took me awhile to appreciate it since I always associated the scent to the women’s restroom at the Elk’s Lodge my grandparents went to. But lavender is more than lotions and sachets. Below are a few books in our collection that contain some… Continue reading

  • Gardening in the New Normal

        While the unprecedented heat wave that brought triple-digit temperatures to the Pacific Northwest has passed, it has left its mark on the region’s trees and plants. Fir trees with brown patches, rhododendrons with scorched leaves and grass the color of straw dot the landscape. Since we should expect wetter winters and drier summers… Continue reading

  • Pandemic Garden Reset!

    Did you pick up a new hobby last year? At the start of the pandemic, many of us dived into bread-baking, knitting, music-making, or any number of social-distance friendly hobbies. Mine was panic-gardening. I say panic-gardening because I started by haphazardly pulling out a small patch of lawn and throwing down whatever random seeds and… Continue reading

  • Pollinator Project

    Finding solace in natural surroundings, and caring about wildlife even the urban creatures around grew stronger than ever while socially distancing. But, I haven’t read as much. On the days I have off, I have volunteered at a local park to plant off trail for pollinators and birds, to water the plants, and to try… Continue reading

  • Plant Bulbs and Dream of Summer

    Last week I was in the garden, drenched with rain, digging in the mud with rapidly freezing fingers, and feeling suddenly hopeful. I was planting allium bulbs, and thinking about when, months from now, they would bloom. The Summer days would be long, the weather would be warm, and perhaps we’d have friends over to… Continue reading

  • Slowing Down

    For me March was always the kick off to camping season. Finding a cabin early in the season then in April heading to our family campsite on the Olympic Peninsula for opening day of fishing; May and June to Eastern Washington before it gets too hot and that itch to go and explore is still… Continue reading

  • Gardening with Veg in Mind

    It is well known that gardening tends to improve one’s quality of life. Gardening gets you out in the fresh air (while respecting social distancing), adds positive energy into your life, gives you something fun to do, and provides a new activity that the whole family can participate in. It would be best to plant… Continue reading

  • The Joys of Winter Gardening

    There’s nothing like a sunny Seattle day during the long dreary winter, especially for those who like to garden. The minute the sun breaks through that cloud cover, even just for a few minutes, you’ll see gardeners all over the city trying to get things in order. For those willing to brave the colder months,… Continue reading

  • Celebrate pollinators in June!

    Learn more about pollinators, how to attract them into your garden, and reflect on what can be done to protect them and the work they do in our ecosystems. Of course it’s a subject always of interest, but June 17-23, 2019 is National Pollinator Week, designated by the U.S. Senate as a celebration of pollinators… Continue reading

  • Birds, Bees, and Butterflies

    The first Spring in our new house was spent figuring out where we wanted things and tackling the things we didn’t – I battled sticker bushes and morning glory, we moved garden beds, and got a patio poured. This year all that hard work started coming together. I planted vegetables, we got patio furniture, and… Continue reading

  • Edible Garden Series: Coming soon to a library near you!

    The days are getting longer, choosing shoes in the morning is a low-stakes version of Russian roulette/exercise in futility (rain boots or strappy sandals?), the scent of cherry blossoms is in the air, and the first Pacific Northwest Halibut has shown up at Pike Place Market– all signs point to spring!  And what is spring… Continue reading

  • Get Your Garden On!

     Now that the nice weather has started revving up, everyone I know is looking for excuses to be outside. When it comes to gardens, I’m of the plant-it-and-hope school, but if you’re ready for some hands-on advice to get started, or to further your skills, here are some inspiring books and local resources to check out!  Continue reading

  • Why Rain Gardening might be right for you!

    Most people have heard the term ‘rain garden,’ but how many really know what that means?  Rain gardens are simply shallow depressions (6-12 inches deep) that gather and filter runoff from roofs and driveways when it rains.  Continue reading

  • Mushrooms and Permaculture

    In this year’s Urban Self Reliance program series, running through October at various neighborhood branches, The Library will present two different workshops on wild mushrooms. Edible Mushrooms will focus on resources to introduce you to the world of mushroom gathering.  On the Mushroom Trail, presented by author Langdon Cook will discuss the underground economy that has… Continue reading

  • Growing Neighborhood Gardens

    Gardening is in my blood – my mom is a Master Gardener, and I’ve enjoyed digging around in the dirt since I was little. However, as a Seattle renter, I haven’t had much space to garden until this year when I finally got my own plot in a P-Patch Community Garden. Run by the City’s… Continue reading