By Rachel Anderson, Certified Professional Horticulturalist It seems to me that the sunrise in winter is so much more beautiful than at other times of the year. Maybe it’s because the sun is so seldom seen here in December, that when the clouds part and I am able see the peach and rose hues of…
By Rachel Anderson, Certified Professional Horticulturalist We’ve entered into the blustery wet month of November. I don’t know about you, but I always feel energized and uplifted when the wind is blowing and the leaves are flying like spinning dervishes all around. The wildness of it makes me want to smile and get silly…
1 1/3 cup butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup molasses (dark) 4 cups flour 4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 tsps cinnamon 2 tsps ginger Beat butter until soft and add sugar; add one egg at a time, then molasses. Combine all dry ingredients together and sift. Add several tablespoons…
By Rachel Anderson, Certified Professional Horticulturalist October in the garden is so quintessentially autumnal for me. Mornings are cool and drippy with dew (if not down right soggy from the rain the night before) and spider webs are draped artfully from shrub to tree, each strand beaded with moisture. Colors stand out vividly despite being…
By Rachel Anderson, Certified Professional Horticulturalist We have been blessed this year with one of the very best summers that I can remember. At my house, you know it’s a good summer when: The house hasn’t been cleaned in months. Seriously, if we have guests, we just reroute them through the garden gate and onto…
By Rachel Anderson, Certified Professional Horticulturalist It’s a rare day that I don’t come home with a few plants from the Nursery. My sweet and understanding husband kindly points out that our yard is getting pretty full, but it sure is lovely! My stepsons have both observed that there may not be any more space…
By Rachel Anderson, Certified Professional Horticulturalist I was on my way out to the chicken coop one morning, when I noticed that the new growth on my apple tree was curled and distorted in the way that only an aphid infestation can do. Usually aphids are on the bottom of my ‘bad bugs’ list,…
By Rachel Anderson, Certified Professional Horticulturalist June to me really means one thing: roses! I love roses, and this past month I have been watching carefully as their flower buds have gotten fatter and more numerous. As June gets closer I go out daily (yes, every day) to see if any have popped open, and…
By Rachel Anderson, Certified Professional Horticulturalist May in the garden is a wonderful thing! I long for this time when the new leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs are the perfect shade of spring, and even the shadows that they cast seem fuller and greener. There is a fresh lushness all around that I…
The Komo Kulshan Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society hosted a fabulous show of rhododendron trusses in our Propagation House on Saturday, April 27th. The winners of the People’s Choice awards were as follows: First Place: R. Yunnanense from Lori Bayes (middle in photo below) Second Place: President Roosevelt from Lynn Torset (left in photo…
By Rachel Anderson, Certified Professional Horticulturalist Spring has sprung and boy is it glorious! I always have this internal sense of euphoria, as though this is the first spring I’ve ever experienced, and then it all bubbles out and I find myself saying things like “Oh my gosh! Look at how green the grass is!” or…
And the envelope please….here are just four of the many wonderful images we received in our Fifth Annual Winter Garden Photography Contest. All entries were professionally judged by Scott Terrell, Photo Editor for the Skagit Valley Herald, and all were displayed in our 1888 Schoolhouse during our Seventh Annual Winter Festival on March 2 &…