It must be January. Stacks of seed catalogs clutter the kitchen table along with new seed packets from the Nursery. All of them needing consideration for when to be planted. With so many choices, it can still be somewhat overwhelming.
Thankfully, there are two no-fail resources I consider for my garden planning year after year: 1.) “Seattle Tilth’s Maritime Northwest Garden Guide” and 2.) “Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades”.
Seattle Tilth’s Maritime Northwest Garden Guide is an excellent tool for year-round organic gardening. The Guide is organized in a month-by-month format and is rated the best gardening guide for the Pacific Northwest’s unique growing conditions.
The Guide contains:
• lists of what and when to sow, plant and harvest
• simple crop rotation plans
• soil fertility, composting and fertilizing naturally
• recipes, tips, and folklore
Visit http://www.seattletilth.org/ for vast garden resources.
The second book is Steve Solomon’s classic ‘Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades’. Steve Solomon, a founder of the Territorial Seed Company, was one of the early proponents of organic gardening. Solomon was the first to codify and refine the best practices of small-plot vegetable gardening in the Pacific Northwest.
This book gets specific on growing vegetable crops and offers insightful tips for growing herbs and ornamentals in Cascadia. Learn how to choose starts, when to sow seeds and the science of soil and garden planning. Refer to this experience-based advice to offer low-cost ideas for season extenders on either end of our main growing period.
In its 35th Anniversary Edition, Solomon’s advice will help you plan and grow your best garden ever!
Both guides are available in our Primrose Antiques & Gifts and our Garden Store.
Nancy Stewart
Christianson’s Annual Plants and Rose Buyer
