Ask the Master Gardener

"Ask the Master Gardener" columns are featured in the Skagit Valley Herald three Fridays per month in the newly added "Skagit Living" section of the Friday paper.

2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008

Click on any topic to view the associated article.

2008

01-04-08 Food at Our Feet(PDF)
01-11-08 Edible Landscaping(PDF)
01-25-08 Sprouting Made Simple(PDF)
02-01-08 Common Tansy(PDF)
02-08-08 Pruning Roses(PDF)
02-22-08 Growing and Drying Herbs(PDF)
02-29-08 Edible Weeds(PDF)
03-07-08 Madrona Blight(PDF)
03-14-08 Rain Gardens(PDF)
03-28-08 Plant Clinics(PDF)
04-04-08 Brush Piles and Wildlife(PDF)
04-11-08 Dahlia Planting Tips(PDF)
04-25-08 Edible Flowers(PDF)
05-02-08 Teas, Soups, and Other Foods(PDF)
05-09-08 Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder(PDF)

2007

01-07-07 Garden Climates, Sub-freezing Temperatures(PDF)
01-14-07 Euonymus(PDF)
01-28-07 January Gardening(PDF)
02-04-07 Pruning Fruit Trees(PDF)
02-11-07 Sprouts(PDF)
02-25-07 Container Gardening(PDF)
03-04-07 Integrated Pest Management(PDF)
03-11-07 Roses(PDF)
03-25-07 Making Cut Flowers Last Longer(PDF)
04-01-07 Soil pH(PDF)
04-08-07 Tomatoes(PDF)
04-15-07 Yard Privacy(PDF)
04-22-07 The Benefits of Rain Gardens(PDF)
04-29-07 Creating a Landscape Salmon Will Love(PDF)
05-13-07 Dealing with Horsetail(PDF)
05-27-07 Organic Pest Control(PDF)
06-03-07 Beneficial Insects(PDF)
06-10-07 Tomato Diseases and How to Avoid Them(PDF)
06-24-07 Vegetable Gardens(PDF)
07-01-07 Drought-tolerant Groundcovers(PDF)
07-06-07 Honey Bees(PDF)
07-13-07 Hydrangea Care and Propagation(PDF)
07-27-07 Got kids? Keep them...(PDF)
08-03-07 Cabbage Care...(PDF)
08-10-07 Noxious Critters...(PDF)
08-17-07 Grow great berries(PDF)
08-31-07 Bats...(PDF)
09-07-07 Beautyberry for fall color(PDF)
09-14-07 Bulbs to Brighten Your Spring Garden(PDF)
09-28-07 Green Beans(PDF)
10-05-07 Tree Topping(PDF)
10-12-07 Fall Tips for Healthy Fruit Trees(PDF)
10-26-07 Dahlia Storage Tips(PDF)
11-02-07 Lichens(PDF)
11-09-07 Orchard Mason Bees(PDF)
11-23-07 Christmas Tree Care(PDF)
11-30-07 Soil-borne pathogens(PDF)
12-07-07 Earthworms in the Garden(PDF)
12-14-07 Ivy Choices for Skagit County(PDF)
12-28-07 Top Ten Gardening Myths(PDF)

2006

01-01-06 Christmas Pepper and Jerusalem Cherry
01-08-06 January Gardening
01-22-06 Adelgids
01-29-06 Choosing Seed
02-05-06 Hydrangea Care and Pruning
02-12-06 Hellebores
02-26-06 Early Spring Garden Care
03-05-06 Leeks and Shallots
03-12-06 Landscaping with Habitat in Mind
03-26-06 European Cranefly
04-02-06 April
04-09-06 Slugs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails
04-23-06 Shade Gardening
04-30-06 These Landscapes are for the Birds!
05-07-06 Waterwise Lawn Care
05-14-06 Gardening With Orchard Mason Bees
05-28-06 Planting Tomatoes in Containers
06-04-06 Growing Citrus Indoors
06-11-06 Earthworms
06-25-06 Ninebark 'Diablo'(PDF)
07-02-06 Getting Started With Native Plants (PDF)
07-09-06 Midsummer Vegetable Opportunities (PDF)
07-23-06 Easy-Care Native Trees for Your Backyard(PDF)
07-30-06 Ponds and Water Features(PDF)
08-06-06 Romancing the Fig(PDF)
08-13-06 Lawn Care (PDF)
08-27-06 Hardy Cyclamen Tough it Out(PDF)
09-03-06 Invite Mosses Into Your Garden(PDF)
09-10-06 A Moveable Treat - Container Gardening(PDF)
09-24-06 Dividing Perennials(PDF)
10-01-06 Pruning Landscape Trees(PDF)
10-08-06 Mulching(PDF)
10-22-06 October Gardening (PDF)
10-29-06 Planting Spring Blooming Bulbs(PDF)
11-05-06 Dahlia Storage Tips (PDF)
11-12-06 Winter Container Gardening(PDF)
11-26-06 WSU Discovery Garden Theft(PDF)
12-03-06 Garden Gifts at the Holidays (PDF)
12-10-06 Gifts for Gardeners(PDF)
12-24-06 Planning a Basket Maker's Garden (PDF)
12-31-06 Caring for Holiday Gift Plants(PDF)

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2005

01-02-05 Springtails
01-09-05 African Violets
01-23-05 Pollination
01-30-05 Perennials in the Vegetable Garden
02-06-05 Mixed Borders
02-13-05 Grow Vegetables in Containers
02-27-05 Rejuvenating a Houseplant
03-06-05 Plant Now For Shortcake This Summer
03-13-05 Potatoes in a Garbage Can
04-03-05 Deep Shade Gardening
04-10-05 Beans
04-24-05 Something for Everyone!
05-01-05 Tent Caterpillars
05-08-05 You Want to Grow What?!
05-22-05 Creating and Caring for Hanging Baskets
05-29-05 Brunnera
06-05-05 Rethinking the Front Lawn
06-12-05 Gardening with Ornamental Grasses
06-26-05 Sow Seeds Soon for Fall and Winter Vegetables
07-03-05 Walnut Husk Fly
07-10-05 Lily Hybrids
07-24-05 Part 1: Making the Most of What Nature Gives Us
07-31-05 Part 2: Making the Most of Each Raindrop
08-07-05 Plan Now for Vines Next Summer
08-14-05 Displaying and Using Fresh Cut Flowers
08-28-05 Garden Mulch
09-04-05 Growing Zones
09-11-05 Preserving Herbs & Vegetables from the Garden
09-25-05 Part 1: The Birds (The Birds and the Bees of Gardening)
10-01-05 Worms in Apples
10-09-05 Blueberries
10-23-05 Gourds
10-30-05 Beware of Garden Gifts
11-06-05 Winter Landscape
11-13-05 Herb Robert
11-27-05 A Weed Is A Weed Is A Weed?
12-04-05 Managing Garden Pests
12-11-05 Garden Experiment Tips
12-25-05 Saffron Crocus

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2004

01-25-04 Evergreens
02-29-04 The Ground Beetle
03-14-04 English Ivy
03-28-04Transplanting from the Green House
04-04-04 Heirloom Tomatoes
04-11-04 Growing Herbs
04-16-04 Why Prune A Deciduous Shrub?
05-09-04 Avoid Cross Pollination
05-23-04 Common Problems of Flowering Cherry Trees
05-30-04 Tent Making Caterpillars
06-06-04 Butterfly Bushes
06-13-04 Progation from Cuttings
06-27-04 Common Tomato Plant Problems
07-04-04 Growing Raspberries
07-11-04 Bees
07-25-04 Mint
08-01-04 Watering Tips
08-08-04 Earwigs
08-15-04 Gardening Tip
08-29-04 Color For Your Fall Garden
09-05-04 Garlic
09-12-04 Methods of Extending the Growing Season
09-26-04 Fall Garden Checklist
10-03-04 Winterizing Roses
10-24-04 Trees of Autumn
10-31-04 Gardening for the Blind or Partially Sighted
11-03-04 Winter Gardens
11-14-04 Hazard Trees
11-28-04 Kiwis
12-05-04 Organic Mulch-The Perfect Winter Ground Cover
12-12-04 Gardening Gifts

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2003

04-27-03 Growing Grapes
05-04-03 Garter Snakes
05-25-03 Green Beans
06-01-03 Planting in Dry Shade
06-08-03 Low Care Gardening
07-06-03 Watering Plants
06-22-03 Why Weed
06-29-03 Battling Flea Beetles
07-13-03 Greenhouses
07-17-03 Cattails
08-03-03 The Hobo Spider
08-26-03 Tomatoes
08-31-03 Supporting Wildlife Habitats
09-07-03 When to Home Harvest
09-14-03 Growing Herbs
09-28-03 Wintering Fuchsias
10-12-03 Winterizing Potted Plants
10-26-03 The Codling Moth
11-02-03 Winter Feeding Birds
11-23-03 Support Your Soil
11-30-03 Black Knot Tree Fungus
12-14-03 How Safe are Our Christmas Plants

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2002

01-06-02 Pesticide Dusts
02-03-02 What to do in February
02-10-02 Hellebores
02-23-02 WWTFRF Open House and Field Day
03-03-02 Primroses
03-10-02 March Gardening Chores
03-17-02 Winter Blues
03-24-02 Witch hazels
04-07-02 April
04-14-02 Cut Flower Care
04-28-02 Plant Faire
05-05-02 Tomato Varieties
05-12-02 Summer Bulbs
05-26-02 Planting For Bouquets
06-02-02 Leafcutter Bees
06-09-02 Clematis
06-23-02 Lilacs
06-30-02 Pollination
07-07-02 Your Garden
07-14-02 Hummingbirds
07-28-02 Garden Pharmacy
08-04-02 Extending the Harvest
08-11-02 Globe Artichokes
08-25-02 Yellow Jackets
09-01-02 Crane Flies
09-08-02 Dragon Flies
09-22-02 Saving Seeds and Drying Herbs
09-29-02 Storing the Winter Harvest
10-06-02 Tree Fruit Field Day and Open House
10-13-02 Blueberries

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2001

02-18-01 Orchard Mason Bees
02-25-01 Growing Tuberous Begonias
03-11-01 Tree Topping
03-18-01 Lavender
04-01-01 Houseplants
04-08-01 Garden Planning
04-15-01 Carrot Rust Fly
04-22-01 Fertilizing Plants
04-28-01 Plant Faire 2001
05-06-01 Tomato Varieties for 2001
05-13-01 Turf Nurturing
05-20-01 May
06-03-01 Hanging Baskets
06-10-01 Growing Hydrangeas
06-17-01 Rhubarb
06-24-01 Hobo Spider
07-01-01 Worm Bins
07-08-01 Evergreen Groundcovers
07-15-01 Aphids
07-22-01 Container Gardening
07-29-01 Children in the Garden
08-05-01 Groundcovers
08-12-01 Edible Flowers
08-12-01 Small Herb Gardens
08-19-01 Eriophyid Mites
08-26-01 Conditioning Cut Flowers
09-09-01 The Perfect Relationship
09-16-01 Master Gardener Program
09-30-01 Festival of Family Farms
09-30-01 Flame Weeding
10-07-01 WWTFRF Field Day and Open House
10-14-01 Squash and Pumpkins
10-21-01 Colchicums
10-28-01 Growing Figs
11-11-01 Making Color Last
11-18-01 Pruning in the Winter Garden
11-25-01 Winterizing Roses
12-09-01 Bulb Forcing
12-16-01 Deer in the Garden
12-23-01 Attracting Beneficial Insects
12-30-01 Winter Weed Control

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Jason Miller
WSU Master Gardener Volunteer Editor

 

Bumblebee
Photo by Jason Miller

Gardening with Kids
Photo by Jason Miller

Groundcovers
Photo by Jason Miller

Hydrangea
Photo by Jason Miller

Tomato Boy
Photo by Jason Miller

Tomato Hothouses
Photo by Jason Miller