WALP Annual Planning Retreat

Jeff and Linda have spent the last two days with their peers at the Kiana Lodge.  The future of the Green Industry is about new technologies  Water conservation and Alternative fuel for a cleaner and heathier environment.  Jefferson Landscaping will convert all gas running mowers to propane by Janurary 2013.

What’s Growing On? New & Noteworthy

What’s Growing On? New & Noteworthy

• On 09/19 we will attend our first workshop at the Washington State Convention Center in preparation for the upcoming NW Flower and Garden Show. It is really exciting, and we will keep you posted!

• On 10/16 Jeff will be presenting at the Green Gardening IPM Workshop at South Seattle Community College. His topic is alternative-fuel equipment. We are one of the first companies in the Pacific Northwest to offer a carbon neutral maintenance solution which includes natural gas mowers and battery operated hand-held equipment.

Fall Garden Tips

Fall Garden Tips

• It’s not too late to visit your local farmers’ markets before they close for the season. Support your local growers and stock up on supplies to spruce up your beds.

• Mums are a colorful perennial that can continue to give color to your garden even after your annuals are spent.

• Many of your outside herbs can be transplanted and brought inside as houseplants: oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme… just to name a few.

Preparing for Autumn: Tips for getting your plants, soil, and tools ready for cooler weather

Preparing for Autumn:

Tips for getting your plants, soil, and tools ready for cooler weather

Fall is just around the corner… Trees give us a spectacular show of colors, just before the leaves fall, carpeting the sidewalks and streets. The air grows crisper, our breath coming out like plumes of smoke. The air smells faintly of nutmeg and spice as we add mittens and scarves to our attire. We are ready for autumn! But are our gardens as prepared as we are?

As the temperatures drop, it’s time to consider putting most of our gardens to bed for the winter. Now is the time to remove any debris and seeds that have the potential to last through winter and encourage pests, disease, and weeds. Get rid of the old compost and start fresh. Additionally, spreading compost over veggie beds will help protect them over the winter. It’s also a good idea to remove spent plants and vegetables as well as any dead or diseased plants and fruits. Don’t give in to the urge to prune, because the fragile plant that is left behind may not be able to harden before the winter arrives. And don’t abandon your garden just because it’s stopped yielding crop.

Be sure to take care of your tools and hardware. Clean metal and wooden tools properly so they will be ready to use again in the spring.  Remove, clean, and store stakes and trellises until the weather warms and dries a bit. Winterize your water features and lawn furniture. Don’t forget to clean out your garden shed, properly disposing of any chemicals that are past their shelf life.

Just because summer is over doesn’t mean that you can’t continue to both plant and harvest plants that will thrive in the colder seasons. There are many veggies that can flourish up to the first freeze, such as cabbage, garlic, peas, spinach, and many others. Flowers can thrive during fall as well: pansies, marigolds, snapdragons, goldenrods… just to name a few.  Nurseries stock covers and frames to protect cool weather gardens. Autumn is also the best time to seed new grass; conditions are ripe for growing: more rain, warm days, and cool nights.

Tending to your garden in fall will not only keep it healthy for spring, but can continue to return bountiful harvests throughout the season!

What’s Growing On? New & Noteworthy

Through Aug, 7th, Jefferson Landscaping is collecting non-perishable food and monetary donations for the Northwest Harvest’s 2nd annual food drive. If you would like to help us fight hunger, just leave your donation on your doorstep in a bag marked NW Harvest, and our crews will pick it up on their service days.

We do outdoor lighting! If you’re hosting a summer party, give us a call for a free demonstration. We will leave the lights with you for up to a week.

Rainwater Collection Tips

Don’t drink the rainwater! Water collected and stored is non-potable and should never be used as drinking water unless treated.

Keep tight, locking lids on rain barrels to keep out kids, pets, and algae.

If you’re purchasing used barrels, make sure to find out what they were previously used for. Do not use barrels that were used to store toxic or poisonous substances.

Conserving Water: Recycling Rain for Your Garden

In last month’s newsletter, we talked briefly about the thirsty lawns and plants of summertime. This is the time of year with the least amount of rainfall, and yet our gardens need the most water. For many of us, water conservation is an issue both ecologically and financially.

As mentioned last month, one way to conserve water is to cut the amount of water used in half. This may quicken summer dormancy, though. Invest in a timer and measurement system to keep track of water usage. Another way to conserve is to water in the early morning, when the temperatures are cooler. This will give your plants and soil a chance to absorb more of the moisture before the heat of the day causes it to evaporate.

Another method of conserving and recycling water is to use a rain-catching system. During the rainy times of year, we can channel the water that normally flows from the roof, through the gutters and back into our lawns and driveways, diverting it into storage tanks called cisterns or rain barrels. During the dry summer months, we can recycle the water back into our gardens. To get an idea of just how much water can be collected, one inch of rain falling on 1000 square feet of roof accumulates 623 gallons of rainwater.

There are methods of building your own rainwater collection system, or you can purchase rain barrels from local sources. The King County website (www.kingcounty.gov) lists tips and resources for installing a rainwater collection system.

Other simple methods of conserving water can really make a difference if practiced daily. Turn off faucets while brushing teeth, make sure you have a full load of laundry before washing, fix leaky taps and pipes, and install low flow fixtures.

Let’s all do our part!