Tag: weeds

Dandelion roots, leaves and flowers are edible and incredibly nutritious. Dandelion also makes a dandy jelly. (Photo courtesy Langdon Cook)

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Eat ‘Em

Many of those pesky plants you call 'weeds'...

So, you find dandelions to be less than dandy, knotweed has you in knots, and you’ve lost your patience with purslane. Some advice: If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em. These plants and many other so-called “weeds” are actually tasty and good for … read more

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Butterfly bush

What West Sound Landowners Need to Know About Noxious Weeds

As a gardener and homeowner, I consider myself a steward of the environment, and with that comes the responsibility of choosing plants for my home landscape that are not invasive or noxious. Noxious weeds are non-native plants that were introduced in the State … read more

My Garden Journey — From ‘Type A’ to Laissez-Faire Gardener

Gardening. My livelihood, exercise, psychological wellbeing, and yes, my obsession. From learning to garden alongside my parents in Los Angeles to teaching horticulture in Kitsap today, my gardening style and philosophy have taken many forms. My first job in the business was at … read more

Get The Dirt - Carpenter Bees

Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening

Carpenter Bees • Winter Veggies • Blackberry Control...

Carpenter Bees Recently at breakfast, I overheard someone talking about carpenter bees. Most people have heard about carpenter ants but carpenter bees were a new one to know. This person had inherited a deck that had been built with old, untreated and unpainted … read more

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Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii, an impressive plant with lovely structure and flowers, bears thousands of seeds that it disperses even while the flowers remain attractive and trick the gardener into leaving them on the plant too long. The plant's caustic sap can cause allergic reactions and harm eyes, so gardeners need to be careful when working around them. Many euphorbias seed freely, and may become a problem as they escape the confines of their gardens.

Thugs and Overachievers in the Garden

It is time to serve out some eviction notices. I’ve been cleaning out the garden, weeding, pruning and mulching as I go along, and making some tough decisions along the way: Who gets to stay, and who’s overstayed their welcome. There was a … read more

A summer bloomer, tansy ragwort can be anywhere from one to six feet tall. Ingesting this biennial weed can cause irreparable liver damage. (Photo courtesy Kitsap Noxious Weed Control)
Know Thy Enemy

Outsmarting Your Garden Nemesis

Weeds are not altogether undesirable plants. “Heresy!” you might say, but the term “weed” is an arbitrary designation made by a gardener who would prefer to grow another plant instead. To some people, a foxglove is a gift in an otherwise bare bed, … read more

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Peruvian lily: The Peruvian lily is a favorite in bouquets but in the garden, this plant becomes a pest.
Gardening With Peg

Garden Thugs: Four Pesky Plants to Avoid in Your Garden

Most gardeners have plants they wish they never had planted. I have three in my own garden. These nefarious plants are yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata), bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria) and Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria). All three plants are deciduous perennials. I regret the day … read more

Horsetail

In Defense of Weeds

Weeds (sigh!), the curse of all gardeners, from beginner to professional. No one has immunity from them. Some plants that are considered weeds are valuable to herbalists, like the lowly dandelion or stinging nettle, but let’s talk about the common ones that are … read more

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