Ask the Master Gardener Articles
"Ask the Master Gardener" columns are featured in the Skagit Valley Herald three Fridays per month in the Home & Garden section of the Friday paper.
2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010
Click on any topic to view the associated article.
2013
04-05-13 Growing Tomatoes (PDF)
03-22-13 Discovery in Gardening is Terrific (PDF)
03-15-13 Choosing and Planting Roses (PDF)
03-08-13 Weed Management in the Ornamental Garden
03-01-13 Succulents: An Indoor Garden (PDF)
02-08-13 A Re-blooming Iris for March & November Gardeners
02-01-13 The Art of Terrariums (PDF)
01-11-13 Rain Gardens
01-04-13 Phenology in Nature
2012
12-14-12 Caring for Your Holiday Plants (PDF)
12-07-12 Overwintering Tender Annuals and Houseplants (PDF)
11-23-12 The Hazards of English Ivy (PDF)
11-09-12 To Till or Not to Till (PDF)
11-02-12 Maintaining a Garden Journal (PDF)
10-12-12 Holiday Cacti (PDF)
10-05-12 Preparing for Winter (PDF)
09-14-12 Amaranthus: A Plant of Many Faces (PDF)
09-07-12 Becoming a Master Gardener (PDF)
08-24-12 Meet the Beetles (PDF)
08-10-12 Garden Sorrel (PDF)
08-03-12 Kale (PDF)
07-20-12 Fall & Winter Gardening (PDF)
07-13-12 Part 2: Bee Aware (PDF)
07-06-12 Part 1: Bee Aware (PDF)
06-22-12 Concrete's Community Garden (PDF)
06-08-12 Irises: A Rainbow of Color (PDF)
06-01-12 All about Begonias (PDF)
05-11-12 Your Vegetable Garden (PDF)
05-04-12 Master Gardener Plant Fair 2012 (PDF)
04-27-12 Day Length for Vegetable Gardens (PDF)
04-13-12 Rain Gardens (PDF)
04-06-12 Plants for Shaded Gardens (PDF)
03-30-12 Garden Myths (PDF)
03-09-12 Herbs (PDF)
03-02-12 Reduce Your Lawn (PDF)
02-24-12 Lichens (PDF)
02-10-12 Rats & Other Vertebrate Pests (PDF)
02-03-12 Houseplants, Pt 2 - Care (PDF)
01-27-12 Houseplants, Pt. 1 - Repotting (PDF)
01-13-12 Tree Topping (PDF)
2011
12-30-11 Next Year Will Be Different - Gardening Resolutions (PDF)
12-23-11 Recycle Holiday Greens (PDF)
12-09-11 Poinsettias (PDF)
12-02-11 Asian Ladybeetles (PDF)
11-25-11 Gift for Gardeners, Gifts for Plants (PDF)
11-11-11 Gardens of the World (PDF)
11-04-11 Hyacinths & Paperwhites (PDF)
10-28-11 Outdoor Bulbs: Tulips, Daffodils, & Crocus (PDF)
10-14-11 Conifers for Fall Color (PDF)
10-07-11 Asian Garden Design (PDF)
09-30-11 Garden Moss: Friend or Foe? (PDF)
09-09-11 Low Impact Development (PDF)
09-02-11 'Myth'-information about Spiders (PDF)
08-12-11 Identifying Plant Diseases (PDF)
08-05-11 Planning and Planting Your Fall & Winter Garden (PDF)
07-22-11 Growing Community Gardens (PDF)
07-08-11 Growing Herbal Tea, Pt. 2 (PDF)
07-01-11 Growing Herbal Tea, Pt. 1 (PDF)
06-10-11 Know Your Bugs (PDF)
06-03-11 Groundcovers vs. Lawns (PDF)
05-13-11 Spotted Wing Drosophila (PDF)
05-06-11 Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinics (PDF)
04-29-11 MG Plant Fair (PDF)
04-22-11 Rhododendrons for Spring (PDF)
04-08-11 Growing Veggies! (PDF)
04-01-11 Growing Marshmallows (PDF)
03-25-11 Tomato Grafting (PDF)
03-18-11 Late Winter Pruning (PDF)
03-04-11 Gardening with Native Plants (PDF)
02-25-11 Two-Spotted Spider Mite (PDF)
02-11-11 Landscaping: Patios, Paths & Walkways (PDF)
02-04-11 Rain Garden (PDF)
01-28-11 Phenology 101 (PDF)
01-14-11 The Granary Weevil (PDF)
01-07-11 Houseplants, Animals, & Children (PDF)
2010
12-31-10 Gardeners' New Year's Resolutions (PDF)
12-24-10 Recycle Your Holiday Trees & Wreaths (PDF)
12-10-10 Caring for Your Holiday Plants (PDF)
11-26-10 Gifts for Gardeners (PDF)
11-12-10 Greenhouses (PDF)
11-05-10 Winter Flowering Shrubs (PDF)
10-29-10 Invasion of the Invasives (PDF)
10-09-10 Trees for Fall Foliage (PDF)
10-01-10 Protecting Overwintering Beneficial Insects (PDF)
09-03-10 Seed Saving (PDF)
08-13-10 Preserving the Bounty of Your Garden (PDF)
08-06-10 Getting Rid of Invasive Blackberries (PDF)
07-23-10 Planning & Planting Your Fall & Winter Garden (PDF)
07-09-10 Gardens for All Abilities (PDF)
07-02-10 Container Gardening (PDF)
06-11-10 Rain Barrels (PDF)
06-04-10 Growing Healthy Blueberries (PDF)
05-21-10 Dyeing with Plants (PDF)
05-14-10 Backyard Chickens (PDF)
05-07-10 MG Plant Fair (PDF)
04-30-10 Victory Gardens (PDF)
04-23-10 WSU Skagit County Extension Plant Clinics (PDF)
04-09-10 Landscaping with Native Plants (PDF)
04-02-10 Soil Types & Tests (PDF)
03-26-10 Tulip Tours (PDF)
03-12-10 Growing Flowers for Cutting (PDF)
02-26-10 Hellebores (PDF)
02-12-10 Weed Control (PDF)
01-29-10 Planting Bare-Root Trees (PDF)
01-22-10 Winter Landscape Analysis (PDF)
01-01-10 New Year's Resolutions for Gardeners (PDF)
2009
12-25-09 Holiday Greenery Disposal (PDF)
11-27-09 Gifts for the Gardener (PDF)
11-13-09 Winter Pruning: Fruit Trees (PDF)
11-06-09 Guarding Against Winter Damage (PDF)
10-23-09 Time to Plant Garlic! (PDF)
10-09-09 Bug Man (PDF)
10-02-09 Cover Crops (PDF)
09-11-09 Buried Treasures: Lesser-Known Bulbs (PDF)
09-04-09 Greenhouses (PDF)
08-14-09 Extending the Growing Season (PDF)
08-07-09 Waterwise Garden and Lawn Care (PDF)
07-24-09 Diagnosing Plant Diseases (PDF)
07-10-09 Rugosa Roses (PDF)
07-03-09 Growing Wine Grapes (PDF)
06-12-09 Second Harvest (PDF)
06-05-09 Chrysanthemums (PDF)
05-29-09 Garden Art (PDF)
05-22-09 Know & Grow Workshops (PDF)
05-15-09 Growing Great Apples (PDF)
05-08-09 Plant Fair (PDF)
05-01-09 How to Choose Healthy Plants (PDF)
04-19-09 Tomato Growing Tips (PDF)
04-10-09 Vegetable Gardening (PDF)
04-03-09 Tulip Festival Step-on Tours (PDF)
03-27-09 Plant Clinics (PDF)
03-13-09 Dealing with Winter Damage (PDF)
03-06-09 Seed-starting Techniques and Best Practices (PDF)
02-27-09 Natural Solutions for Pests and Weeds (PDF)
02-13-09 Amphibians & Reptiles in the Garden (PDF)
02-06-09 February To-Do List (PDF)
01-30-09 Choosing Seed (PDF)
01-23-09 Low-care Gardening (PDF)
01-09-09 Ground Beetle (PDF)
01-02-09 Evergreen Care (PDF)
2008
12-26-08 The Garden as a Lab (PDF)
12-12-08 Holiday Plants that Last (PDF)
12-05-08 Horsetails (PDF)
11-28-08 Chrysanthemums (PDF)
11-14-08 Bats in the Northwest (PDF)
11-07-08 Fall Lawn Care (PDF)
10-31-08 Beekeeping 101 (PDF)
10-24-08 Perennial Vegetables (PDF)
10-10-08 Native Gardening (PDF)
10-03-08 Ergonomic Tools and Methods (PDF)
09-26-08 Lazy Gardener (PDF)
09-12-08 Growing & Eating Specialty Potatoes (PDF)
09-05-08 Fences & Gates (PDF)
08-29-08 Combining Geophytes and Perennials (PDF)
08-22-08 Slugs and Snails (PDF)
08-08-08 Watermelon & Asian Veg. in the Anacortes Kids' Garden
08-01-08 Shade Garden Bloomers (PDF)
07-25-08 Water Features (PDF)
07-11-08 Attracting Hummingbirds & Butterflies (PDF)
07-04-08 Strawberries for the Pacific Northwest Garden (PDF)
06-27-08 Diagnosing Plant Diseases (PDF)
06-13-08 Beneficial Insects (PDF)
06-06-08 Growing and Maintaining Clematis (PDF)
05-30-08 Victory Gardens (PDF)
05-23-08 Basketry Willow (PDF)
05-09-08 Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (PDF)
05-02-08 Teas, Soups, and Other Foods (PDF)
04-25-08 Edible Flowers (PDF)
04-11-08 Dahlia Planting Tips (PDF)
04-04-08 Brush Piles and Wildlife (PDF)
03-28-08 Plant Clinics (PDF)
03-14-08 Rain Gardens (PDF)
03-07-08 Madrona Blight (PDF)
02-29-08 Edible Weeds (PDF)
02-22-08 Growing and Drying Herbs (PDF)
02-08-08 Pruning Roses (PDF)
02-01-08 Common Tansy (PDF)
01-25-08 Sprouting Made Simple (PDF)
01-11-08 Edible Landscaping (PDF)
01-04-08 Food at Our Feet (PDF)
2007
12-28-07 Top Ten Gardening Myths (PDF)
12-14-07 Ivy Choices for Skagit County (PDF)
12-07-07 Earthworms in the Garden (PDF)
11-30-07 Soil-borne pathogens (PDF)
11-23-07 Christmas Tree Care (PDF)
11-09-07 Orchard Mason Bees (PDF)
11-02-07 Lichens (PDF)
10-26-07 Dahlia Storage Tips (PDF)
10-12-07 Fall Tips for Healthy Fruit Trees (PDF)
10-05-07 Tree Topping (PDF)
09-28-07 Green Beans (PDF)
09-14-07 Bulbs to Brighten Your Spring Garden (PDF)
09-07-07 Beautyberry for fall color (PDF)
08-31-07 Bats... (PDF)
08-17-07 Grow great berries (PDF)
08-10-07 Noxious Critters... (PDF)
08-03-07 Cabbage Care... (PDF)
07-27-07 Got kids? Keep them... (PDF)
07-13-07 Hydrangea Care and Propagation (PDF)
07-06-07 Honey Bees (PDF)
07-01-07 Drought-tolerant Ground covers (PDF)
06-24-07 Vegetable Gardens (PDF)
06-10-07 Tomato Diseases and How to Avoid Them (PDF)
06-03-07 Beneficial Insects (PDF)
05-27-07 Organic Pest Control (PDF)
05-13-07 Dealing with Horsetail (PDF)
04-29-07 Creating a Landscape Salmon Will Love (PDF)
04-22-07 The Benefits of Rain Gardens (PDF)
04-15-07 Yard Privacy (PDF)
04-08-07 Tomatoes (PDF)
04-01-07 Soil pH (PDF)
03-25-07 Making Cut Flowers Last Longer (PDF)
03-11-07 Roses (PDF)
03-04-07 Integrated Pest Management (PDF)
02-25-07 Container Gardening (PDF)
02-11-07 Sprouts (PDF)
02-04-07 Pruning Fruit Trees (PDF)
01-28-07 January Gardening (PDF)
01-14-07 Euonymus (PDF)
01-07-07 Garden Climates, Sub-freezing Temperatures (PDF)
2006
12-31-06 Caring for Holiday Gift Plants (PDF)
12-24-06 Planning a Basket Maker's Garden (PDF)
12-10-06 Gifts for Gardeners (PDF)
12-03-06 Garden Gifts at the Holidays (PDF)
11-26-06 WSU Discovery Garden Theft (PDF)
11-12-06 Winter Container Gardening (PDF)
11-05-06 Dahlia Storage Tips (PDF)
10-29-06 Planting Spring Blooming Bulbs (PDF)
10-22-06 October Gardening (PDF)
10-08-06 Mulching (PDF)
10-01-06 Pruning Landscape Trees (PDF)
09-24-06 Dividing Perennials (PDF)
09-10-06 A Moveable Treat - Container Gardening (PDF)
09-03-06 Invite Mosses Into Your Garden (PDF)
08-27-06 Hardy Cyclamen Tough it Out (PDF)
08-13-06 Lawn Care (PDF)
08-06-06 Romancing the Fig (PDF)
07-30-06 Ponds and Water Features (PDF)
07-23-06 Easy-Care Native Trees for Your Backyard (PDF)
07-09-06 Midsummer Vegetable Opportunities (PDF)
07-02-06 Getting Started With Native Plants (PDF)
06-25-06 Ninebark 'Diablo' (PDF)
06-11-06 Earthworms (RTF)
06-04-06 Growing Citrus Indoors (RTF)
05-28-06 Planting Tomatoes in Containers (RTF)
05-14-06 Gardening With Orchard Mason Bees (RTF)
05-07-06 Waterwise Lawn Care (RTF)
04-30-06 These Landscapes are for the Birds! (RTF)
04-23-06 Shade Gardening (RTF)
04-09-06 Slugs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails (RTF)
04-02-06 April (RTF)
03-26-06 European Cranefly (RTF)
03-12-06 Landscaping with Habitat in Mind (RTF)
03-05-06 Leeks and Shallots (RTF)
02-26-06 Early Spring Garden Care (RTF)
02-12-06 Hellebores (RTF)
02-05-06 Hydrangea Care and Pruning (RTF)
01-29-06 Choosing Seed (RTF)
01-22-06 Adelgids (RTF)
01-08-06 January Gardening (RTF)
01-01-06 Christmas Pepper and Jerusalem Cherry (RTF)
2005
12-25-05 Saffron Crocus (RTF)
12-11-05 Garden Experiment Tips (RTF)
12-04-05 Managing Garden Pests (RTF)
11-27-05 A Weed Is A Weed Is A Weed? (RTF)
11-13-05 Herb Robert (RTF)
11-06-05 Winter Landscape (RTF)
10-30-05 Beware of Garden Gifts (RTF)
10-23-05 Gourds (RTF)
10-09-05 Blueberries (RTF)
10-01-05 Worms in Apples (RTF)
09-25-05 Part 1: The Birds (The Birds and the Bees of Gardening)
09-11-05 Preserving Herbs & Vegetables from the Garden (RTF)
09-04-05 Growing Zones (RTF)
08-28-05 Garden Mulch (RTF)
08-14-05 Displaying and Using Fresh Cut Flowers (RTF)
08-07-05 Plan Now for Vines Next Summer (RTF)
07-31-05 Part 2: Making the Most of Each Raindrop (RTF)
07-24-05 Part 1: Making the Most of What Nature Gives Us (RTF)
07-10-05 Lily Hybrids (RTF)
07-03-05 Walnut Husk Fly (RTF)
06-26-05 Sow Seeds Soon for Fall and Winter Vegetables (RTF)
06-12-05 Gardening with Ornamental Grasses (RTF)
06-05-05 Rethinking the Front Lawn (RTF)
05-29-05 Brunnera (RTF)
05-22-05 Creating and Caring for Hanging Baskets (RTF)
05-08-05 You Want to Grow What?! (RTF)
05-01-05 Tent Caterpillars (RTF)
04-24-05 Something for Everyone! (RTF)
04-10-05 Beans (RTF)
04-03-05 Deep Shade Gardening (RTF)
03-13-05 Potatoes in a Garbage Can (RTF)
03-06-05 Plant Now For Shortcake This Summer (RTF)
02-27-05 Rejuvenating a Houseplant (RTF)
02-13-05 Grow Vegetables in Containers (RTF)
02-06-05 Mixed Borders (RTF)
01-30-05 Perennials in the Vegetable Garden (RTF)
01-23-05 Pollination (RTF)
01-09-05 African Violets (RTF)
01-02-05 Springtails (RTF)
2004
12-12-04 Gardening Gifts (RTF)
12-05-04 Organic Mulch-The Perfect Winter Ground Cover (RTF)
11-28-04 Kiwis (RTF)
11-14-04 Hazard Trees (RTF)
11-03-04 Winter Gardens (RTF)
10-31-04 Gardening for the Blind or Partially Sighted (RTF)
10-24-04 Trees of Autumn (RTF)
10-03-04 Winterizing Roses (RTF)
09-26-04 Fall Garden Checklist (RTF)
09-12-04 Methods of Extending the Growing Season (RTF)
09-05-04 Garlic (RTF)
08-29-04 Color For Your Fall Garden (RTF)
08-15-04 Gardening Tip (RTF)
08-08-04 Earwigs (RTF)
08-01-04 Watering Tips (RTF)
07-25-04 Mint (Word)
07-11-04 Bees (Word)
07-04-04 Growing Raspberries (RTF)
06-27-04 Common Tomato Plant Problems (RTF)
06-13-04 Propagation from Cuttings (RTF)
06-06-04 Butterfly Bushes (RTF)
05-30-04 Tent Making Caterpillars (RTF)
05-23-04 Common Problems of Flowering Cherry Trees (Word)
05-09-04 Avoid Cross Pollination (RTF)
04-16-04 Why Prune A Deciduous Shrub? (RTF)
04-11-04 Growing Herbs (RTF)
04-04-04 Heirloom Tomatoes (RTF)
03-28-04 Transplanting from the Green House (RTF)
03-14-04 English Ivy (RTF)
02-29-04 The Ground Beetle (RTF)
01-25-04 Evergreens (RTF)
2003
12-14-03 How Safe are Our Christmas Plants (Word)
11-30-03 Black Knot Tree Fungus (Word)
11-23-03 Support Your Soil (Word)
11-02-03 Winter Feeding Birds (Word)
10-26-03 The Codling Moth (Word)
10-12-03 Winterizing Potted Plants (Word)
09-28-03 Wintering Fuchsias (Word)
09-14-03 Growing Herbs (Word)
09-07-03 When to Home Harvest (Word)
08-31-03 Supporting Wildlife Habitats (Word)
08-26-03 Tomatoes (PDF)
08-03-03 The Hobo Spider (Word)
07-17-03 Cattails (Word)
07-13-03 Greenhouses (RTF)
06-29-03 Battling Flea Beetles (Word)
06-22-03 Why Weed (PDF)
07-06-03 Watering Plants (Word)
06-08-03 Low Care Gardening (Word)
06-01-03 Planting in Dry Shade (Word)
05-25-03 Green Beans (RTF)
05-04-03 Garter Snakes (Word)
04-27-03 Growing Grapes (RTF)
2002
10-13-02 Blueberries (Word)
10-06-02 Tree Fruit Field Day and Open House (Word)
09-29-02 Storing the Winter Harvest (Word)
09-22-02 Saving Seeds and Drying Herbs (Word)
09-08-02 Dragon Flies (Word)
09-01-02 Crane Flies (Word)
08-25-02 Yellow Jackets (Word)
08-11-02 Globe Artichokes (Word)
08-04-02 Extending the Harvest (Word)
07-28-02 Garden Pharmacy (Word)
07-14-02 Hummingbirds (Word)
07-07-02 Your Garden (Word)
06-30-02 Pollination (Word)
06-23-02 Lilacs (Word)
06-09-02 Clematis (Word)
06-02-02 Leafcutter Bees (Word)
05-26-02 Planting For Bouquets (Word)
05-12-02 Summer Bulbs (Word)
05-05-02 Tomato Varieties (Word)
04-28-02 Plant Faire (Word)
04-14-02 Cut Flower Care (Word)
04-07-02 April (Word)
03-24-02 Witch hazels (Word)
03-17-02 Winter Blues (Word)
03-10-02 March Gardening Chores (Word)
03-03-02 Primroses (Word)
02-23-02 WWTFRF Open House and Field Day (Word)
02-10-02 Hellebores (Word)
02-03-02 What to do in February (Word)
01-06-02 Pesticide Dusts (Word)
2001
12-30-01 Winter
Weed Control (Word)
12-23-01 Attracting
Beneficial Insects (Word)
12-16-01 Deer
in the Garden (Word)
12-09-01 Bulb
Forcing (Word)
11-25-01 Winterizing
Roses (Word)
11-18-01 Pruning
in the Winter Garden (Word)
11-11-01 Making
Color Last (Word)
10-28-01 Growing Figs (Word)
10-21-01 Colchicums (Word)
10-14-01 Squash
and Pumpkins (Word)
10-07-01 WWTFRF
Field Day and Open House (Word)
09-30-01 Flame
Weeding (Word)
09-30-01 Festival
of Family Farms (Word)
09-16-01 Master
Gardener Program (Word)
09-09-01 The
Perfect Relationship (Word)
08-26-01 Conditioning
Cut Flowers (Word)
08-19-01 Eriophyid
Mites (Word)
08-12-01 Small
Herb Gardens (Word)
08-12-01 Edible Flowers (Word)
08-05-01 Groundcovers (Word)
07-29-01 Children
in the Garden (Word)
07-22-01 Container
Gardening (Word)
07-15-01 Aphids (Word)
07-08-01 Evergreen Groundcovers (Word)
07-01-01 Worm
Bins (Word)
06-24-01 Hobo
Spider (Word)
06-17-01 Rhubarb (Word)
06-10-01 Growing
Hydrangeas (Word)
06-03-01 Hanging
Baskets (Word)
05-20-01 May (Word)
05-13-01 Turf
Nurturing (Word)
05-06-01 Tomato
Varieties for 2001 (Word)
04-28-01 Plant
Faire 2001 (Word)
04-22-01 Fertilizing
Plants (Word)
04-15-01 Carrot
Rust Fly (Word)
04-08-01 Garden
Planning (Word)
04-01-01 Houseplants (Word)
03-18-01 Lavender (Word)
03-11-01 Tree Topping (Word)
02-25-01 Growing Tuberous Begonias (Word)
02-18-01Orchard
Mason Bees (Word)
Back to top
Dahlia 'Johnson'
Photo by Jason Miller
Bumblebee
Photo by Jason Miller
Gardening with Kids
Photo by Jason Miller
Hydrangea
Photo by Jason Miller
.JPG)
Tomato Boy
Photo by Jason Miller
.JPG)
Tomato Hothouses
Photo by Jason Miller
Clematis 'Henryii'
Photo by Jason Miller
Green beans 'Blue Lake'
Photo by Jason Miller
Garlic Seed Heads
Photo by Jason Miller
Edible Weeds
Photo by Jason Miller
Rhubarb
Photo by Jason Miller
Groundcovers
Photo by Jason Miller
Swallowtail Butterfly
Photo by Jason Miller
Dahlia 'Sundown'
Photo by Jason Miller
Beneficial Ladybug Larvae
Photo by Jason Miller
Daylily 'Lord Jeff'
Photo by Jason Miller
Madrona Tree
Photo by Pascale Michel
Strawberry 'Matrix'
Photo by Jason Miller
Trillium ovatum
Photo by Jason Miller
Scarlet Runner bean blossoms
Photo by Jason Miller
Plant Clinics
Photo by Britt Shellenberger
Rain Garden
Photo by Seattle Public Utilities
Heading using the h3tag
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.