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Gardening with Ciscoe ( www.ciscoe.com )

Radio Show: July 4th

I will be in the studio taking your garden questions. I will be talking to two people involved in an exciting upcoming event. It is Feeding the Soul - a Mediterranean Garden Gala and takes place on July 18 (4 to 7) in the winning garden of the Pacific Magazine Garden Contest!

First I will interview Rhoda Ashley Morrow of the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP). All proceeds for the event go to help this great organization that provides nutritious, fresh meals for the homeless and hungry in Seattle. Next, I will talk to Bob Gradwohl, owner/gardener of the winning garden. The garden was specifically designed to be a wildlife sanctuary and they grow a lot of edibles in the garden.

It should be a grat event with gourmet cuisine, Washington wines, and live music. And ... I will be there too taking garden questions. For information, call 206-930-6583 (or visit the Feeding the Soul Event on the HIP website).


97.3 KIRO FM

Remember that I am on News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM. The call in number is 1-888-973-KIRO


July 4

July 4th

Be careful if you don't know how your pets will react to booms. Make sure they are wearing their ID tags. On the night of the 4th, cozy up on the couch with your pups and watch a good movie if they are scared.


Upcoming Talks: July 5, July 11

Sunday afternoon, July 5 (4:00 p.m.) I will be in Port Orchard speaking at the Garden Festival to benefit the South Kitsap Helpline Foodbank. Note that I speak at 4 p.m. but the Festival runs from 9 to 5 and includes lots of fun for all ages. It will take place at the Port Orchard Nursery: 1012 Mitchell Road, Port Orchard.

Saturday morning, July 11th, I will be doing my radio show live from Valley Nursery in Poulsbo.

Details (time, location, etc) for all my upcoming talks are on my Talks Page.


Plant Sales Continue and Garden Tours Begin; plus lots of Garden Fairs.

Many events combine tours, and plant sales. You will find the complete of list events at the Miller Library website.

Tours, Fairs, Sales and more

  • Sunday, July 5 (9 to 5 pm): Garden Festival to benefit the South Kitsap Helpline Foodbank. I will be there speaking at 4.
  • Friday, July 10, (6 to 8 pm): Meet the Artists Little and Lewis at their Art Exhibit, Transitions. They have over 50 pieces on display at The Gallery on Bainbridge Island. Note that the show runs from July 3 through August 5.
  • Sat,Sun, July 11, 12 (10 to 5 both days): The Bainbridge in Bloom Garden Tour on Bainbridge Island. Along with 5 great gardens, there is a plant sale, great local food and drink, and painters in the gardens. The Patron Day on July 10th is sold out.
  • Sunday, July 12, (10 to 5): The 14th Annual Georgetown Garden Walk. It is free and requires no registration. Free maps will be passed out on the day of the tour at the Georgetown Bank of America parking lot located at 1112 South Bailey Street, Seattle. Over 40 sites, including private gardens, artist studios, restaurants, nurseries, and the Georgetown Powerplant Museum and the Museum of Communication will be open.
  • Fri,Sat,Sun, July 17 to 19: The 13th Annual Lavender Festival in Sequim. There is a street fair with over 120 arts and crafts booth, food court, and beer and wine garden. That part is free. If you buy a ticket, you can tour the lavender farms. There are other fun things to see and do at this grat event. By the way, have you seen lavender this year? It likes this heat and is amazing! If you go on Friday, you'll catch my talk on Friday, July 17th at 11 am.
  • Sat,July 18 (5 to 8 pm) and Sunday,July 19 (3 to 6 pm): The Dunn Gardens Art Walk 2009 in North Seattle. Olmsted-designed Dunn Gardens provide a dramatic backdrop for a group show of invited artists whose work is inspired by the themes of the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition of 1909. Come for an exciting gala evening of outstanding art, music by Andre Feriante and refreshments. On Sunday, for a less expensive donation cost, you can stroll the gardens, enjoy the art and listen to a Marimba band.
  • Sunday,July 19: The West Seattle Garden Tour in West Seattle. This is always a great tour. I will be giving a talk at noon; then I will tour the gardens. Who could resist the "Garden of Surprises", "Hiker's Garden", or "Lover's Garden", just to name a few of the open gardens that day.

Rain Gardens: Sustainable Designs

There are many opportunities around the Puget Sound to learn about Rain Gardens. Rain gardens work like a native forest by capturing and infiltrating stormwater from rooftops, driveways, and other hard surfaces. Here are the benefits of Rain gardens

  • reduce flooding by absorbing water from impervious surfaces
  • filter oil, grease and toxic materials before they can pollute streams, lakes and bays
  • help to recharge the aquifer by increasing the quantity of water that soaks into the ground
  • provide beneficial wildlife habitat

The Stewardship partners is an organization that helps private landowners restore and preserve the natural landscapes of Washington State. On their website, you can get more information about creating a rain garden. They also have a schedule of upcoming workshops. The next one is Saturday, July 11 (9:30 to 4:30) in the Hilltop area of Tacoma.


recycle

It's not garbage anymore!

If you are a Seattle Public Utilities customer like me, don't forget that our recycle and clean greens pick-up recently changed. Your collection day probably changed; plus, there are new items allowed in your recycle bin and your yard waste cart.

Remember: Don't use regular plastic bags for your kitchen scraps. Use biobags or line your kitchen composter with newspaper. This is really important because regular plastic is the worst thing that can get into the compost. Also, be careful that you don't accidentally put any glass in the yard waste container.


PCC Recipes (and new blog)

Lynne Vea of PCC is the regular chef on Gardening with Ciscoe. Of course, Meeghan and I help her out! Check out all of our past Recipes.

Be sure to check out the PCC Natural Markets blog called Stir-Fry. Karen, the blogger, posted one recently about my shoot with Lynne Vea..


Mariners

Go Mariners / Go Green!

What a blast it was to throw out the first pitch along with chef Tom Douglas. Luckily, he is a great catcher because my pitch was a tad off. Anyway, thanks to the Mariners for going green and thanks to Cedar Grove Composting for the chance to stand on the pitchers mound.


Master Gardener Magazine

If you have not checked out the Master Gardener Magazine, look at it online. You will find great articles in there and lots of useful information.


Upcoming Garden Tour (France / Italy) is Announced

It's out there. We will fly to Nice, France on September 7, 2009 and come home from Milan, Italy on September 20, 2009. In between we will have beaucoup de fun! The details are in my Travel Section. Be warned: There is room on the waiting list only.


Pots

Recycle your Pots!

The list has changed over time so contact your local nurseries to see if they recycle pots. Many do.

The good news is that, starting March 30, 2009, Seattle Public Utilities allows Seattle residents to recycle plastic plant posts. Simply clean them out of dirt and debris and put them in your recycle bin.


Need help?

Many of you have heard the ads for the Millionair Club on the radio and have asked me for their website. Find more information at the Millionair Club.

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