The Garden Zealot - 2012 May by The Garden Zealot

FREE May 2012

Spokane • Post Falls • Coeur d’Alene • Hayden Lake • Sandpoint

Vol. 1, Issue 2

L a n d s c a p i n g t h e In l a n d N o r t h w e s t

Investment Pottery - Page 8

Just Mulch It - Page 20

Nature scape - Page 22

Ruined - Page 29

MAY 2012

Issue Guide MAY 2012

2 Letter from The Zealot 3 Your Play 3 Events Calendar 4 Recipe of the Month 5 Dreamscapes A reader’s dream interpreted 6 Woodland Wonders By Patti Jester 8 Investment Pottery By Barb Safranek 10 My Pet Story 10 Book Review Container Gardening 11 Small Business Spotlight Ponderay Garden Center 12 Yard Art By Robin Cunningham 14 Starting the Perfect Lawn By Jack W. Zimmer, PhD 14 The Zealot’s Shovel 16 Greenacres Spy Game By Nate Lynch 18 Managing Deer in the Landscape By Marita Ward 20 The Real Dirt By Kristy Wittkopf 22 Turning Lemons into Lemonade By CJ James 24 Water Therapy By CJ James 26 Making Plans By Patricia Haye 27 Book Review Continuous Blooms 28 Get to Know Your Master Gardeners By Susan Mulvihill & Tim Kohlhauff 29 Ruined By Nate Lynch 32 Build Your Own Zealot Illustrated by Casey Lynch

Letter from The Zealot Welcome back! We’re thrilled to bring you another issue of The Garden Zealot--our new monthly publication about landscaping and gardening in the Inland Northwest. As you know, our mission is to illuminate the exceptional landscaping and gardening stories that take place in our community everyday. You’ll notice a change in “authorship” since last month. We received numerous contributions from our readers for this month’s issue, and we couldn’t be happier with your feedback! This month’s issue covers the entire gamut: dealing with deer, lawn care tips, garden art, remodeling your planting scheme, and creative mulching. We’re also pleased to bring you a story about an “International Man of Streamery,” and another article by C.J. James which focuses on letting nature take its course. We’d love to hear more from you! Send us your ideas, send us your stories, send us your photographs. The Garden Zealot seeks submissions from the seasoned professional to the dedicated amateur. We want stories about your most fascinating and demanding landscape battles. Have a question for Ask The Zealot? An Upcoming Event? How about entering our “Garden Art” contest to win a free meal? Now that’s a scoop! Send your submissions and ideas to thegardenzealot@gmail.com. We’re ready for you! Nate Lynch, The Garden Zealot

THEGARDENZEALOT.COM

MAY 2012

Events May 9: North Idaho Masonry’s builders luncheon - 12:00pm. 1717 W. Hayden Ave. Hayden Lake, ID. May 10: WaterWise Landscaping. WSU Spokane County Extension Office. Spokane Valley. 6-8pm, $12. May 12: Spokane Garden Expo. Spokane Community College Lair. 9am-5pm, Free. May 19: “Toward a Sustainable

Future” presented by WSU Professor John Reganold. NW Museum of Arts and Culture, Spokane, WA. 4-6pm, $7 Adults/$5 Seniors. June 9: Spring Plant Sale, 10am4pm. East of Gaiser Conservatory in Manito Park June 16: Spokane in Bloom, 10am-5pm. Tickets available at www.tieg.org.

AF DESIGN — From on-site consultations to full designs — CREATIVE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE SOLUTIONS

ANGIE FESER • (509) 481-8983

Have an upcoming event? Submit it to The Garden Zealot @ thegardenzealot.com

Your Play

Happ y Mo ther s Da y

Cool Plants for Your Yard Clematis This year we brought in some very cool clematis from Raymond Evision. Our plants were selected from the signature series that is the culmination of over 50 years of breeding to make truly marvelous clematis. Featuring unique colors and blooms, these clematis are hardy for our area and have blooms that will stop you in your tracks. Raymond Evision Clematis have won gold medals for 9 straight years making these plants a must have in your garden. Come in soon for the best selection of these very cool plants.

Akebia

Directions: Send your landscape and garden-related words to thegardenzealot@gmail.com. The person with the most words will be published in next month’s issue of The Garden Zealot.

Last Month’s Winner: Congratulations to Sarah Simpson who won with the word “tickseed”.

Akebia is a very nice, fast growing vine that is great anywhere you need some climbing color. They have dainty and striking flowers in a variety of colors that hang in clusters. If you plant two different varieties they will produce a tropical tasting fruit that is useful in jams and jellies. Very cold hardy, these vines will be a subtle beauty in your garden. Give them something tall to climb on and let them do their thing. We have several e s ha c varieties in stock just waiting to be r Pu ery l adopted and taken home. ia t

ec Pot off % Sp 50

Explore our 6 Buildings!

477703 Hwy 95 Ponderay, ID 83852 (208) 255-4200

WWW.PONDERAYGARDEN.COM By: Stacey Lukac

MAY 2012

Meet The

crew Nate Lynch

The Garden Zealot

Kelly Erikson Editor

C.J. James Staff Writer

Casey Lynch

Artwork & Illustration

Letter X Design Graphics & Layout

Contributors Patti Jester Barb Safranek Kristy Wittkopf TheGardenZealot.com thegardenzealot@gmail.com

Rhubarb Dessert Sauce

Another rhubarb recipe as we ease into spring… Hillary Hixon submitted this recipe—goes great over vanilla ice cream! Hillary’s Rhubarb Dessert Sauce takes 25 minutes to prepare, and will serve 6. STEP 1:

Ingredients: • 3/4 cup ground sugar • 1/2 cup water • 1 lb rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups) • (Add ground cinnamon, if desired)

In 2-quart saucepan, heat sugar and water till boiling, stirring occasionally. Stir in rhubarb; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is tender and slightly transparent. STEP 2: Stir in cinnamon. Serve sauce warm or chilled. How easy was that?

*Hillary noted that she originally found this recipe in her Betty Crocker cook book.

ZEALOT’S NOTE: I gave this one a try. It was phenomenal! I tried it over chocolate ice cream… Amazing. I put it with my vanilla ice cream and banana chunks… Incredible. I put it on grilled chicken… Outrageous! Give it a try—you won’t regret it!

Recipe of the Month

MAY 2012

ZZZ Z

Dreamscapes The Zealot peels back another layer of the onion…

Dear Dreamscaper I’m confused. Last night I dreamt I was playing a basketball game of 2-on-2 with Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise, a Romulan Sentry, Ben Finney from the “Court Martial” episode of Season 1, and what I believe was a Klingon warrior from an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” The Captain and I were tied with Finney and the Romulan Sentry in crunch time. The Klingon warrior was reffing, but pretty much swallowed his whistle the whole game. Time was counting down: five, four, three, two… Jim passes me the ball…

Jim Kirk Beams Up the Rock!

Right then, my alarm clock went off. What does it all mean? — Wishtoremainanonymous

Dear Friend You’ve come to the right place. There’s no mystery here. Your dream was symbolic of the eternal battle between good and evil. Captain Kirk represents all that is pure and excellent in your life. He’s also on your team— meaning your “quan” will always lean toward the good. Your Romulan opponent represents treachery and angst— not surprisingly he’s teamed with Ben Finney. As you already know, Ben Finney attempted to sabotage the Enterprise on episode 20 of season 1 (I believe it was stardate 2947.3, but don’t quote me). He was jealous of Jim Kirk, and had also tried to frame Jim for his own murder (certainly one of the more complex plot-lines of season 1). Both Finney and the Romulan Sentry should be considered devious. You’ve been hurt. Betrayed. Possibly a long time ago, and you’ve buried it inside. The fact that time is running out in a tie game represents your need for closure with a friend from the past. It’s time to take the shot. I know this will sound cliché in a gardening magazine, but dig deep. Give him a call. Like every last-minute bucket, you’ll find the solution exhilarating. By the way… The Klingon referee represents your own belief that the cards are always stacked against you. Get over it. I don’t like the fact that you’ve mixed the original Star Trek with Star Trek: The Next Generation, either. You have real issues, dude. Your use of grammar indicates you were born in 1977, and you’re probably a Sagittarius. The rest is unclear. Live long and prosper, The Dreamscaper

Would you like to have a dream interpreted by The Dreamscaper? Send your question to thegardenzealot@gmail.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive the original depiction of your dream by our talented in-house artist, Casey Lynch. *Only PG-rated queries please.

MAY 2012

Epimediums Woodland Wonders By Patti Jester

Monthly Contributor

If you don’t know these little charmers of spring then I’d like to introduce these fanciful woodland plants to you. Also known by the common names of Fairy Wings, Bishop’s Cap, Barrenwort, or Rowdy Lamb Herb, this plant group is currently developing a cult status. I became aware of this recently at the Hardy Plant Society Sale in Portland, Oregon, as gardeners were packing them around with their flower heads bobbing, while eager fellow collectors asked, “who’s selling that one?” These plants are not members of our boisterous garden contributors, but are diminutive plants with flowers that dance on the ends of fairy wand stems which cause us to take a closer look at their unique beauty. They are fun to collect because you have to hunt around a bit for them at nurseries, plant sales, or online as they are rarely offered at the box store garden centers. Thanks to our present day plant hunters and hybridizers, more and more varieties are being introduced into the plant market. So, if they are not big and bold and not so easy to find, what then makes

them worthy of the effort? First of all, they are easy to grow and many will tolerate dry shade as long as you select ones hardy for your planting zone. Under a large blue spruce with limbed-up branches, I grow several varieties where dry spells are frequent throughout the year. Also, they don’t require fertilizing like some other perennial prima donnas do, just good garden soil. As for growth habit, some epimediums are known as clumpers, and others are ground-cover types. When placing them into the landscape it’s important to know which type you have - just like when using ornamental grasses. After many years of growing epimediums I have not encountered any that I would consider invasive here in our region. The Epimedium pubescens shown here have grown into a clump slowly for the last 10 years. They remain green throughout the winter. Epimedium x versicolor - known in the trade as Epimedium ‘Sulphureum’ - is a ground cover that has spread slowly to 4’ over a 20-year span. This particular variety also maintains it’s green foliage throughout the winter and early spring. Some Epimediums are deciduous with colorful fall foliage

Epimedium pubescens with winter foliage E. pubescent in bloom with new spring foliage

Epimedium pubescens in late winter

and others - like the two previously mentioned - are evergreen. With our long winters, I am always looking for plants that provide some seasonal interest, and the evergreen varieties are good company to carex grasses and European ginger during the cold months. While doing spring clean up, I cut the old leaves of the evergreen varieties to better reveal their spring flower show. Another quality of these plants is their durability. Their leaves are quite tough and their stems are slender - but exceedingly strong. The only time I am careful around these plants is when they are getting ready to bloom and while flowering. It’s important to get the spring raking done early, before they begin to unfurl their flowering

stems so as not to break them off. Generally, the flower spikes emerge first and then the foliage follows. The flowers dance above the leaves providing the perfect stage for viewing the delicate blooms. While in bloom the average height is 12”-15” high, however there are shorter types. With the new introductions out there now, it’s a toss up as to whether people are growing them primarily for their foliage or flowers. Now you can find leaves which are mottled with maroon-red or bronze, speckled, serrated, spiny, sharply pointed and even those green/white variegation. The shape of the leaves varies greatly as well. You can find heartshaped ones, rounded leaves and elongated angel-wing types. When

Winter foliage of red on ground cover type of Epimedium planted next to Heuchera ‘Marmalade’. This planting is under the canopy of a large blue spruce.

MAY 2012 not in bloom it is offering a great deal to the garden with form, texture and color just from the leaves alone (and in some cases this contribution is offered year round). While not considered a garden specimen plant, they are used as accents, connecting and holding the garden composition together. As for the flowers, I find them to be very unique. Typically, the flower is composed of a cup attached with four spurs and then the sepals. With multiple flowers hanging down from one stem, some look like lanterns or resemble the common name of Bishop’s Cap. In some varieties the spurs are quite narrow, and look like some kind of four legged spider. E. ‘Sulpherum” flowers are yellow with rounded petals and sepals instead of the typical spurs. The species Epimedium fargesii has shooting star-like flowers in shades of light lavender. One of my most favorite new finds, E. ‘Pink Champagne’ is a mass of soft pink petals with a deeper pink cup. The flowers continue to bloom for over a month and the foliage is green with red spots. It looks great planted next to some maroon leafed heucheras. A number of varieties have flowers composed of two or three colors, like white and purple, pink and maroon, white and orange/ bronze, rose and creamy yellow. In spring I like to go around the garden collecting a flower off each plant and

then placing them in a dish of water to admire all the different color combinations and styles. So here you have a plant group which offers multiple attributes to the garden. Spring blooms beginning in mid-April, charming exotic flowers, durable colorful foliage, an option for use in dry shade, low maintenance, and reports that it is deer resistant. They work well into a woodland setting or a cottage style garden. Epimediums definitely fit all my criteria for worthy garden plants in our region. A reliable, yearround interest genera which is out of the main stream of common garden offerings. Unlike the plethora of heuchera introductions in the market today, where one can barely tell one apart from the other, I find plenty of unique diversity between members of this group. Currently, I’ve counted 25 different varieties of epimediums growing in my small urban landscape with more out there still to discover. Happy hunting! Patti Jester, The Gardener, is a landscape designer from Coeur d’ Alene who specializes in complex, plant-driven projects. Most of her work features expansive, mixedapplication shrub and evergreen gardens that incorporate elaborate stonework and various, custom garden artistries.

Epimedium leptorhizum with new growth in red/bronze, a short 8-10 inch evergreen plant with large pink flowers.

Epimedium rubrum

MAY 2012

Investment Pottery

By Barb Safranek

MONTHLY CONTRIBUTOR Photos by Jerry Pavia

Spring has arrived and if you’re like me you are feverishly anticipating pots of billowing summer color. I would like to suggest that this spring you consider garden containers, and think about adding enduring, freeze-resistant pottery that will grace the garden all year long. My goal as a garden designer is to create landscapes that are compelling in each of our four seasons, and of sustainable and lasting beauty. Garden containers should meet the same objectives. Finding the perfect pots requires careful selection and an investment in quality containers. Those pictured are year-round residents that add to the flow, function, and visual excitement of the garden while complementing their sites in scale and character. Here’s my approach: Getting Started: Analyze your landscape’s attributes: What is the style of your house, office or garden - what personality do you want to project? Where will containers be most appreciated as accessories or focal points? The entry? The patio? Adding structure to a perennial border? How will the shape and color of your container provide contrast and punctuation? Keep your list of these requirements general and be open to the unexpected. Think Big: If you can move it easily, it’s not big enough! Home and building exteriors demand accessories that are large scale against trees and sky. Small pots can be clustered for a bigger effect, but may appear cluttered. I recommend the smallest garden pots you consider are 18” or so in one or more dimensions. You will see a focal point emerging with larger containers, and your plantings will be

happier with the extra soil volume. Budget for Durability: Your new, scale-appropriate containers must be made of freeze-resistant, high-fired clay or flexible materials such as metal, plastic, or rubber. With proper drainage and location, freeze-resistant pots can beautify the garden—whether planted or empty—all year long. Aim for Art: Handmade pots with organic glazes, bold steel

planters with custom texture and patina, or vessels carved from stone… Choose your year-round containers to double as garden sculpture and furnish your garden in grand style! Make a lasting investment this spring. Think about a design consultation for an underutilized garden space or for help to accessorize your home and garden. Here are my methods: Container Prep 101—Keys to stunning pots: locating, filling, and watering your year-round pots.

MAY 2012 1) Take time in placing and evaluating the location of your pots. Is the effect what you imagined? Are the color and sheen of the pot shown to its best advantage? Is there visual balance with other features of your house and landscape? Is there adequate circulation space around your pots at entries, driveways, and paths? 2) Before you forget, make sure your container has been drilled for drainage. Larger containers and those with high centers may need more than one drainage hole. Freeze-resistant pots can withstand the expansion of freezing soil, but not the expansion of freezing water! Good drainage is also fundamental to healthy plants. 3) Provide a solid, level base that allows for unimpeded drainage. Use pavers, bricks, or ceramic pot feet to create a platform to elevate your pots off decks and patios. Take care to ensure that your pot is solid on its base and supported equally at all points. Also, make sure your pot is level! Nothing detracts from the feeling of permanence and quality like a cockeyed container. 4) Plumb your pot for invisible automatic irrigation by threading a length of 1/4” “spaghetti tubing” two or three times the height of the pot up through the drainage hole. You are now plumbed to connect to emitters

and a supply line at any time. 5) For pots with narrow, tapered mouths, line with several lengths of foam pipe insulation for added freeze insurance. The spongy pipe insulation will help reduce pressure on pot walls from lateral soil expansion. 6) Place a few shards or stones over drainage holes and you are ready to fill your pot will growing medium. Pots are unique growing environments and soil-less potting mixes are best for maintaining proper air and moisture levels. I like Miracle Grow with added moisture control and a 3-month supply of time-release fertilizer. 7) Pour or scoop potting soil into the pot and water thoroughly to moisten and settle to within an inch or two of the rim. Don’t pack or compress the soil—let it breathe! Now for the fun part - you’re ready to plant! Barb Safranek is a licensed Washington and Idaho Landscape Architect with 25 years of design experience. She lives with her husband and a couple of garden buddies on the South Hill where she explores connection with nature through gardens. Learn more about Barb’s work: www.barbarasafranekdesign.com. Barb can be contacted by email: bsafranek@comcast.net or phone: 509.939.8338

MAY 2012 TheGardenZealot.com

509.714.4640

Book Review:

My Pet Story

Container Gardening by Stephanie Donaldson By Kelly Erikson Editor

Searching for Bella Bella came to me on July 12, 2011 as a 10-12 week old kitten. She was born outdoors at a local business in Post Falls, where she was humanely trapped and spayed along with her four litter mates. Bella’s father remains at the business and is well cared for, but her mother disappeared. Bella’s siblings were placed in good homes and Bella came to live with me. She’s considered a semi-feral cat, as she hunts but will also take food left outside for her. She became a sweet and loving kitty during the 5+ months in my care, which required a fair amount of patience, effort, and love on my part. I transitioned her to a new home at the Prairie Falls Golf Course just before Christmas, however Bella disappeared and has not returned. She wasn’t there long enough to be sure of where she lived, and we assume that she wasn’t able to make her way back. Her photo was posted at the golf course, nearby farms, and homes from Highway 41 to Pleasant View Road—as well as veterinary clinics from Post Falls to Rathdrum. Unfortunately, Bella has not been found. I haven’t given up my search for Bella, and am hoping to learn she is safe and happy. If you have seen her in your field or have her in your care, please call — Submitted by Kathy C. Kathy at 208-773-3373.

My mom and I go flower shopping every spring, and used to select combinations for containers based on nothing more than the “cuteness” factor of each plant. “Oh, that would be pretty/fun/different in a pot!” we’d exclaim. The combinations were not terrible, but we didn’t know how to make our containers elicit the “wow” factor. Our process has evolved over the years, and we now plant fabulous pots of all sizes that bloom profusely all summer with the help of container gardening books. These books, like Stephanie Donaldson’s “Container Gardening” (Anness Publishing Limited, 2002), provide “recipes” that include plants and step-by-step instructions to put together the perfect pot. With the guidance of a container gardening book, you can plant the full, gorgeous flower pots, hanging baskets, and unique yard art-style pieces for a fraction of the cost of pre-planted containers. Simply evaluate the areas you plan to place containers for sun exposure, peruse a book like “Container Gardening”, and start your list. My mom and I initially just took our lists into local garden centers, then discovered it was worth bringing the book as a reference for plant identification. In our experience, the employees at

most of the local garden centers are quite knowledgeable regarding their inventory, and suggest appropriate substitutions for plants they do not carry or those that do not do well in our area. Once you bring your flowers home, follow the step-by-step photo instructions to plant your containers, then enjoy the “wow” factor all summer. Ms. Donaldson also includes suggestions for using fruits, herbs, and small or ornamental trees for container gardens, as well as designs for indoor plantings. She highlights how to prepare the containers, water and fertilize plants appropriately, and choose the best plants for container gardening. Both new and experienced gardeners will appreciate the clear instructions, helpful photographs, and variety of ideas for beautiful and novel potted masterpieces!

MAY 2012

Local Garden Center Receives National Recognition By Nate Lynch The Garden Zealot

Ponderay Garden Center, located just a few miles North of Sandpoint in Ponderay Idaho, was recently selected as one of the Top 100 Revolutionary Garden Centers in the United States. The award, presented by Today’s Garden Center Magazine, was based on criteria such as community involvement, customer service levels, overall shopping experience, and creative ways of engaging customers and developing relationships. “We were certainly thrilled to be awarded a spot on this very exclusive list,” said Kevin Mansoor, General Manager of Ponderay Garden Center. “We do things very differently at Ponderay Garden Center and our customers and industry have now confirmed we’re on the right track.” So, what makes Ponderay Garden Center revolutionary? Arriving at the center, customers are greeted with a sign that says “Welcome, we are so glad you’re here!” and the reverse of that sign tells customers “Hurry Back! We miss you already.” To the staff at PGC, those aren’t just words or slogans. “Those signs reflect our company culture. They define the relationship we wish to have with each and every customer who visits,” says Kevin. “This award isn’t just recognition of our garden center and staff, but a reflection of the great community that we call home as well.” A further exploration of Ponderay Garden Center reveals a myriad of trails leading to unique surprises around every corner. With 6 themed buildings to explore, waterfalls and streams, demonstration gardens, and gentle music playing in the background, customers seem to be taking a stroll in a park as much as shopping for their yards and gardens. PGC has also created its own outdoor events center that boasts a capacity of 500 for concerts and events.

Beware of the gnome!

“We just keep pressing forward with our business plan,” says Kevin. This year they’ll add a new walk-through water garden that features over 40 flowing fountains. They’ve recently opened an additional 1,200 square foot indoor retail space that is dedicated to ‘locally produced goods and artwork.’ The center offers a lunch café and coffee shop, and is home to a free benefit concert series. Their new satellite location in downtown Sandpoint will be hosting its first full scale “Invitational Art Show” later this year. Congratulations to Sandpoint’s own Ponderay Garden Center! Ponderay Garden Center is located just 1/2 mile North of Kootenai Cutoff Road on Hwy 95. They are open Monday – Friday from 7am - 5pm, Saturdays from 9am to 6pm, and Sundays from 10 to 5. They can be reached at 208-255-4200. Visit www. ponderaygarden.com for their schedule of events and to join their email newsletter.

Colorful pottery around every corner

Small Business Spotlight

MAY 2012

Yard Art

From Rusty Heirlooms to Hula Hoops By Robin Cunningham Guest Contributor

Everything I have read in landscaping and gardening magazines states that you should AVOID ALL YARD ART! These magazines emphasize that yard art distracts from the ambience of the landscape, detracts from the blooms of the flowers, and disturbs the serenity of a beautifully manicured lawn. Fortunately, I didn’t read these articles until recently. Otherwise my massive yard art collection would still be sitting at a garage, yard, or estate sale, and would not be a part of my rusty masterpiece. I’m not sure exactly how it all started. Maybe it was the old plow my husband’s father gave us, or the 1936 walk-behind tractor from a neighbor. (This tractor was owned by long-time Otis Orchards resident Jimmy “Otis” McLachlan’s grandfather John, who used to plow all of the land that is now Argonne Village. He planted and sold some of the best corn in the Pacific Northwest.) Perhaps it was the 1930’s buzz saw I found that was formerly used to cut cordwood. My yard art is funky and fantastic, relics I simply liked, and many that have a sentimental value. My grand-

I spy...

mother’s old washtub was sunk into our rock garden, and is now a showy centerpiece for flowers every year. A B-52 weathervane was a contribution from Uncle Bob, a renowned WWII pilot. My grandpa’s old coal bucket features pansies. The old still from my husband Phil’s grandfather loves fuchsias, begonias, and impatients, and is affectionately known as my “Booze to Blooms” planter. It’s hard to believe his grandfather had such a thing, since alcohol was illegal during the 30’s, and he was a God-fearing man. During the depression a man had to do what he could to feed his family and quench the thirst of his neighbors, I suppose. Phil’s old bunk bed ladder provides a perfect climbing frame for my clematis and hollyhocks. I even have an outhouse to store my garden tools! My husband built it with wood from his grandparent’s homestead at Thompson Creek, just above Newman Lake. A few of the boards actually came from their outhouse. It’s nice to reminisce about all of these folks as I walk around my yard. While sitting at a desk job for 30 years, I didn’t plant anything. I didn’t even know the difference between a marigold and a dandelion, and frankly I didn’t care. We were

Is this cuter than a bug’s ear or what?

too busy working and raising our kids. After I retired, I discovered sunshine and fresh air and the real outdoors. One day I went to our local fruit stand, Fresh Start Produce in Otis Orchards, to purchase some

of their corn for dinner. The owner didn’t look well, so I asked her what was wrong. Her only employee had literally fallen off the cabbage truck and broken her leg. It was August, their busiest time. The words just came out of my mouth—“Do you need some volunteer help?” Then and there, the “Dirt Girl” was born. When I told my husband what I was going to do, his eyes rolled and he thought I’d lost my mind. The following spring, I was in charge of filling containers with dirt. I had thought a “pony” was something a little kid rode. I soon learned there were pony packs, 18’s, tall 4’s, baskets, and gallons. I loved to get my hands in the dirt. When all of these flowers started to bloom, I had to have them all. I’d never had a flower bed at my house, but soon I was digging up lawn to plant my beautiful treasures.

MAY 2012 I have now dug up every corner of our yard, and planted so many perennials that it’s always a new adventure each summer when they bloom. Some are so close together that they look like Siamese twins bound together to make their own species. To complement my flower beds and a memorial garden, I’ve amassed a substantial collection of yard art, including a frog, bear, dog, chicken, wagon wheels, old milk cans, and windmills. An old hula-hoop allows a Vinca vine to wind around it quite happily. My son’s red Radio Flyer with a rusted-out bottom inspired my “Wagon Garden”. The wagon itself was planted in the ground, then planted with flowers and now is one of many wagons of several sizes in my yard. I love my old cowboy in a bathtub with his giant hat and cigar, which reminds me of my Dad, who was a real cowboy. And yes, I do have the standard pink flamingos and assortment of gazing balls with unique holders, windsocks, whirligigs, a wishing well, bird baths (that I also plant), and a variety of solar ornaments. Anything rusty I consider to have a special patina, just like on Antiques Roadshow. My one and only no-no for yard decor is to never plant a real toilet. When we replaced ours a few years ago, that potty was calling me to be planted. I did plant it, but over the winter our beloved potty cracked and broke. Porcelain is heavy and very sharp, and I almost severed all of my fingers cleaning up the mess. It’s always hard to say goodbye to a perfectly useful toilet. My yard art makes me happy, so I’m really glad I quit reading snobby landscape magazines. Do you know the biggest fear of a yard art collector? It’s when one of the best landscapers around moves in next to you. I was fearful that he would come in the middle of the night and remove everything I had worked so hard to collect. I’m sure he felt I was ruining the neighborhood. My fears were unfounded, thankfully. Nate and Kelly are wonderful, and they LIKE our yard art. I was absolutely thrilled when Nate fell in love with my rusty squirrel faucet, so I gave it to him. He of course cleaned it up

and put it to work. I have a compulsion to plant anything that might hold a flower, bush, or vine. Look out, Nate, you have that basketball court at your house, and I hate basketball. But the basket would be perfect for a beau-

Ribbit!

tiful pot with eye-popping pink and purple wave petunias flowing down the pole. We could call it “Bloomfest”. Robin Cunningham collects yard art and gets her hands in the dirt in Otis Orchards, WA. She “volunteers”

each season at Fresh Start Produce located on Wellesley off Harvard Road in Otis Orchards. Fresh Start Produce sells local and regional produce and is open from late April to October 31 each year. Fresh Start Produce can be reached at (509) 927-8133.

A little strange, but interesting all the same...

Yard Art

Contest Announcing The Garden Zealot Yard Art Contest! Submit photos of your Yard Art to thegardenzealot@ gmail.com. The finalists will be published in our July issue and the submission that receives the most votes will receive a gift certificate to Red Robin.

MAY 2012

Do It Yourself

Starting The Perfect Lawn

The basics of new lawn establishment are relatively simple, though labor intensive. Prior to establishment, several questions need to be asked, such as the following: 1. What are the soil conditions and drainage? (Loam, clay, sand, gravel, rocks?) 2.

What is the soil fertility?

3. What is the orientation of the lawn? (Does it face north, south, east, or west?) 4. How much shade does the lawn receive? 5. Have sprinklers been installed? 6. How much maintenance do you want to do? The type of soil is critical to a perfect lawn, and the ideal base for

The

a lawn is a loam mix of sand, silt, and clay. If you have poor soil conditions, rake rocks clear of the lawn then mix at least 4 inches of good, weed free, top soil into the existing turf area. This is the best time to install sprinklers. Make sure the grade of the soil drains away from the house. The soil surface can be leveled by dragging the area with a spike tooth harrow or a section of chain link fence. The soil surface should be firm prior to planting. This will require the use of a roller on the soil surface in two directions. After rolling you will be able to find the low spots in the surface. Even those areas out with additional topsoil. The surface should be firm, not hard, so that your heel only puts a small dent in the surface. Selection of the seed is imperative

’s

Shovel

to the final “look” of the lawn. If the lawn is for aesthetics only and you have no concerns about high maintenance, a mix of 60-80% Kentucky bluegrass and 20-40% Perennial ryegrass is recommended. If the lawn is in the shade, a mix that is primarily creeping red fescue, chewings fescue, perennial ryegrass and no more that 10% Kentucky bluegrass is recommended. If you are looking for an all purpose lawn for sun and shade with lots of use, a mix of 40% Kentucky bluegrass, 40% Perennial ryegrass and 20% chewings fescue is recommended.

weeds. The components are the varieties and species of grasses in the mix. “Crop” indicates product that is not the same as the components. On this tag the other crop is annual ryegrass, and anything over 1% in this category is unacceptable. “Inert products” include straw, chaff, dust particles, and any other inert items. Weed content is an issue, and anything higher than 0.25% is unacceptable. There should be no noxious weeds. A minimum of 80% germ is required on all varieties. Do not purchase seed that is over a year and a half old from the test date.

All seed is not alike, so always check the seed tag prior to purchase. Take a look at the example seed tag:

You will need 6 lbs. per thousand square feet for most mixes if you are going to broadcast seed and 8-10 lbs. if you are going to have the lawn hydro-seeded.

The seed tag shows the actual percentage of each component in the mix, including other crop, inert products, weeds, and noxious

To seed the lawn yourself, broadcast the seed in two different

••Mel’s Nursery and Greenhouse (509.467.5132) is wellknown for their beautiful geraniums, although the volume of geraniums grown at Mel’s each year may surprise you — between 20,000 and 22,000! You’ll find seed, zonal, pillar, regal and fancy-leaf geraniums in a wide palette of colors. According to Mario Solares, greenhouse/nursery manager, producing healthy, vigorous geraniums means no short-cuts. Each geranium container is hand spaced for optimum, disease-free growth.

MAY 2012

Article By

Jack W. Zimmer, PhD

Pineview Horticultural Services, Inc.

Illustrated By

Casey Lynch

directions to ensure you get the 6 lbs. per thousand square feet of seed equally dispersed over the lawn surface. Following broadcasting, rake the seed lightly into the soil, as it requires soil contact in order to germinate. Apply fertilizer after broadcasting and raking. Use a general mix of 16-16-16 or 18-10-10 at a 5 lb. per thousand square feet rate. The fertilizer is on the surface and is not raked into the soil. Another application of slow-release fertilizer should be applied in 8 weeks. Start irrigation immediately after seeding and fertilizing (if weather requires it). Set sprinklers to operate 3 times per day for 10-15 minutes depending on the water-holding capacity of the soil. If water is running off the site, reduce the time for each set. Continue this water

schedule until the grass is 3 inches in height at which time it is ready to be mowed. Set the mower at a minimum of 2.5 inches. After the first mowing you can modify watering to a morning and night schedule of 1015 minutes. Later in the year, move to an every other day sequence. Your final goal is to be able to water every third day. Control weeds initially with mowing. After the lawn has been in place for six months you can apply a herbicide, usually a three way blend of 2,4 D, such as Vessel. You have now established a perfect lawn. Further work will have to be done with slow release fertilizer and weed control. But for now, sit back and enjoy.

••Ray’s Turf Farms (509.464.1664) cuts a lot of grass. Sod, actually. Last year they delivered 180 acres of sod throughout the Inland Northwest. Think that’s a lot? In 2008 they delivered over 360 acres! Shouldn’t Spokane look greener by now? ••Arrow Construction Supply (888.922.7847) sells a lot of road fabric - a lot! In 2011, they moved 98 football fields worth of material. Touchdown! ••I have 3 varieties of rose in my garden. How many does Northland Rosarium (northlandrosarium.com) have in their nursery? How about 400! “We have just about everything a garden lover could want,” says owner Carol Newcomb. Does that include band-aids for those pesky thorns?

LAKESHORE BRAND 80/20 Premium Turf Mix LOT # 4142 PHS

PURE SEED

VARIETY/SPECIES

MIN GERM ORIGIN

TEST DATE

29.66%

Parkland Kentucky Bluegrass

86%

02/12

24.75%

SuperBlue Kentucky Bluegrass

93%

01/12

24.89%

Baron Kentucky Bluegrass

85%

03/12

19.78%

Chip ShotPerennial Ryegrass

95%

01/12

OTHER INGREDIENTS 0.07%

Crop

Net Wt.

25 lb.

0.85%

Inert

AMS #

6891

0.00%

Weed

Noxious Weed Seeds: None Found PINEVIEW HORTICULTURAL SERVICES, INC. Hayden, ID 83835

The

’s

Shovel Where we at the Zealot unearth interesting information from around the Inland Northwest – Because The Flash can’t chase it all down by himself!

MAY 2012

Greenacres Spy Game The Garden Zealot goes rogue to break the code to the finest lawn on the block By Nate Lynch

The Garden Zealot

My Dad has always been a Garden Zealot in his own right, but might be more accurately described as a Lawn Zealot. When I was young, I’d wake up on Saturday mornings to the whirrr of his hello-green Lawn-Boy lawnmower at 7am sharp. Some mornings I was able to transition from pj’s to Oshkosh by 8, and I’d work alongside him as his ineffectual maintenance shadow. Not an uncommon occupation, I would think, for a father and son teamed at the ages of 33 and 4. But as hard as he worked, Pop never reached the neighborhood’s lawn summit. A block down the street was the real gem of our district: a yard on its own plateau, the pinnacle of all lawns. The Augusta National of Greenacres, Washington. My father was green with envy… And periwinkle with curiosity. At some point this curiosity overcame his pride. He needed answers, and employed an amicable scout to retrieve the information. In an unprecedented move my father contrived the most elaborate of all schemes—he sent my mother. Her code name: “Loquacious One.” She had a way of uncovering dirt. Her mission: unearth the secret lawn recipe at the corner of Long and Alki. But the ploy was foiled. The neighbor wasn’t selling secrets. The codes to launching the finest of all lawns were his to keep, and he’d take them to the grave. If only Benedict Arnold had been so tight-lipped. Fast-forward 30 years, and my father’s quest for the top is once again thwarted. It must seem as though he’s climbing a mountain of loose sand. The location has changed, but a new king of the hill has arrived

across the street. At least this time he’s been beaten by a pro. Josh Demers has owned and operated Pacific Lawn Maintenance longer than he’s owned and operated his driver’s license. Growing up in Liberty Lake, Josh started mowing lawns for neighbors and family friends for the first time during the summer following 7th grade. By the time he graduated from Central Valley High School 5 years later, he was maintaining 35 lawns per week— quite a juggling act for a student whose evenings and weekends were spoken for from April to October each year. To that point Josh offers a simple rationalization: “There was nothing to miss when you didn’t know what you were missing.” And now we set our trap… My cover is a naïve, semi-literate journalist who writes for a new gardening publication of the Inland Northwest. I’ve approached our target as cautiously as possible—stating only the simple goal of enlightening our readers with his best lawn-care tips. Our mark? The mastermind behind Pacific Lawn Maintenance: Josh Demers himself. As we start the interview, it appears he’s taken the bait… The Garden Zealot: Josh, what do you feel is the most important step for getting a lawn off to a good start every year? Josh: There are two most important steps: First, you should always aerate in early spring. Aerating ‘opens the pores’ of the lawn, so to speak. Second, you need to put on an application of fertilizer high in nitrogen content. This gives the lawn a ‘quick kick’ that adds instant color

Our mark: Josh Demers of Pacific Lawn Maintenance

to the lawn and gets it growing aggressively. GZ: Why aerating? Why not thatching? Why not both? Josh: Both methods are a means to an end—and by that I mean that thatching and aeration are both designed to accomplish the same goal: eliminating excess organic matter. GZ: Huh? Josh: Let me put it this way. In the spring, your lawn is filled with all sorts of debris— leaves, twigs, pine needles, dead grass, etc. Aerating is a way of open-

ing up the earth to help quicken the decomposition process. Thatching does the same, but immediately. GZ: But you like aerating better? Josh: Absolutely. Punching holes in the ground is doubly beneficial. You’re putting oxygen into the soil, and you’re giving the fertilizer a quick path to the roots. We only thatch in extreme circumstances when it’s obvious that the lawn is ‘bound-up’ with debris. Ever walk across a lawn that’s dry, but feels ‘spongy?’ That’s when we recommend thatching. GZ: So how often should I aerate? How often should I fertilize? Josh: I recommend aerating at

MAY 2012 least once a year. As far a fertilizing, I suggest that homeowners stay on a 6-week schedule from April 1st to the end of October. We get great results for our clients by using that routine. GZ: October? What? Where are you from? Palm Beach? Josh: I’m from the Spokane Valley. Late in the year we put down what is referred to as a ‘winterizer.’ The main benefits are seen the following spring. This isn’t as complicated as you’re making it. Why do they call you The Garden Zealot? GZ: Because of my vast gardening knowledge.

A dull mower ‘pulls’ the top of the grass off instead of making a clean cut. If this is the case, you’ll see the tips of each blade of grass turn white shortly after mowing. Not only that, it will slow the growth of the lawn because of the additional stress to the plant. It must feel like torture to the grass—much like this interview feels to me. GZ: I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. What’s the deal with your mowers? They look funny. Josh: These are ‘commercial’ mowers. They’re built like a Sher-

man Tank. My crew does 160 lawns per week these days, and a typical homeowner’s mower—like one of those old green Lawn-Boy mowers, for instance—would last about two weeks with that routine. We need equipment we can rely on. When our machines are reliable, so are we. Mission accomplished! I’ve shaken-down an old pro for all of the ins and outs of lawn care. Pop will be proud. It’s been him, of course, who’s been pulling the strings all along. As his dutiful scout, I’ve stolen the answers for the Greenacres Lawn District’s Final Exam of 2012! Be-

ware Josh—there will soon be a new lawn-bully in town. His name? D.A.D. And as for myself ? I’ve finally earned my self-proclaimed code name: The Garden Zealot! Josh Demers owns and operates Pacific Lawn Maintenance of Spokane. His company offers weekly maintenance including lawn care, weeding, fertilizing, pruning, and certified spray services. Pacific Lawn’s territory ranges from Liberty Lake, to the South Hill, to the Wandermere Valley. Josh can be reached by phone at (509) 218-1775, or by email at pacificlawnmaintenance@yahoo.com

Josh: “?” GZ: Any more tips for my Da… For our readers? Josh: First: cut the water. Overwatering is the best way to create a weak lawn. The roots stay shallow because they don’t need to work. They’re spoiled. Second: take care of your tools. Pacific Lawn is extremely proactive concerning equipment maintenance. I like to think we run the sharpest blades in the business.

The mastermind and his minion

Josh’s attempt at ‘going green’

AFTER

REVIVE YOUR HABITAT! Renovations New construction Natural stone retaining walls and walkways Irrigation, water features, and outdoor structures

We are the hardscape specialists! LICENSED, BONDED, AND INSURED.

BEFORE

(509) 995-5668 • specialadditionslandscaping.com nate@specialadditionslandscaping.com

MAY 2012

Managing Deer in the Landscape By Marita Ward

Guest Contributor

It’s beautiful, majestic, and peaceful. It has provided man with food, shelter, and enjoyment. For many gardeners, novice and seasoned alike, it’s one of the most destructive pests they’ll ever deal with in their lawn and garden endeavors: Odocoileus virginianus. Yep. You guessed it: Deer. When you get up in the morning and look out the kitchen window while enjoying a cup of coffee and gaze upon the beautiful doe tiptoeing daintily across your lawn, you come to the realization that there is a fine line between ‘This is so neat!’ and ‘This is not good.’ At closer inspection you find that your doe-eyed visitor trampled your cold season vegetables and your freshly seeded lawn, feasted on your hostas and rhododendrons, and bit the tips off all your tulips. This is exasperating at the very least, but there are many steps you can take to minimize the problem. We’ll explore different types of plant material, deterrents, and tricks that can help keep the deer from tearing up your landscape, and you from tearing your hair out in the process. Let’s get the most important rule out of the way first: Do NOT intentionally feed or bait the deer! When you feed deer, you make them more vulnerable to disease, starvation, predation, and vehicle collisions. Keep in mind that while you may think it’s neat to coax them in to enjoy their beauty, your neighbors may not. Remember, no one sends the deer a memo saying whose yard is whose, or what they can and cannot eat. Deer are opportunistic browsers. In years when winters are harsh and/or snow is high, more trees and plants are vulnerable. During the

winter, deer will browse on tree and shrub branches as well as tree bark. In early to mid spring, they’ll eat the succulent new growth of many plants they otherwise wouldn’t touch. As the growing season progresses and more food is available, they can afford to be a little more picky. That said, let’s discuss plant material. There are numerous resources on the internet today offering lists of ‘deer proof ’ plants. One that is great for our area is the county extension office at http://www.spokane-county. wsu.edu/spokane/eastside/Fact%20 Sheets/C063%20Deer%20Resistant%20Plants.pdf. Another that is handy is http://www.deerresistantplants.com/. These lists are to serve as guidelines only, as deer’s tastes and preferences vary. There are a few tried and true hardy plants that most deer simply won’t eat. These include Barberry (Berberis spp.), Periwinkle (Vinca minor), Lavender (lavendula spp.), and Spirea (Spiraea spp.). Plants that are fairly safe and not really subject to deer except in extreme conditions include Spruce (Picea spp.), Juniper ( Juniperus spp.), and Boxwood (Buxus spp.). Native plants such as Oregon Grape and Serviceberry are good choices too. There are also a few plants that should be well protected if not avoided entirely as deer find them irresistible. These include Hosta (Hosta spp.), and Arborvitae (Thuja spp.). When choosing your plant material, think about your light, soil, temperature, and moisture conditions, as well as your deer’s palate. We are lucky in the Inland Northwest to have many local nurseries with knowledgeable staff that can help you make your choices. For those of you who have your hearts set on specific plant materials that are not ‘deer proof ’, or for those of you with particularly voracious deer, there are other options. There are many kinds of repellents

What not to do

and deterrents on the market. Some are peppermint or capsicum based, some are garlic and egg based, and others are blood or bone meal based. There are also recipes online for making your own mix. These have varying degrees of efficacy based on the time of year, the rate and method of application - and they usually have to be reapplied after rain. You can experiment with different products to see what works well for you. A product that seems to work well for our area is Deer Out (http:// www.deerout.com/). Trunks of trees and large shrubs can be kept damage free from rubbing relatively easy.

Wrap trunks with drain tile, dryer hose, or something similar. These products are available at any garden center and made especially for trunk protection. Plastic netting to keep deer (and birds) out of ripening fruit crops is readily available, inexpensive, and easy to use. There are various other home remedies, scare tactics, and blocking devices to try, such as spreading cougar scat (usually given away freely at CatTales) or human hair around your plants, or hanging bars of soap in the garden. Laying a wire mesh such as chicken wire

MAY 2012 on the ground around plants may help deter the deer as they don’t like getting their hooves caught in the wire. Wire cages or fencing placed around individual trees and shrubs or around whole beds at a height and distance that will keep the deer from stretching over it work fairly well. Unfortunately, when it comes right down to it nothing works as well as a tall, strong fence. Some scare tactics include motion sensors

that activate bright light, sound, or sprinklers - or even just a noisy dog. Deer are savvier than we give them credit for, so whichever method(s) you choose, you’ll find it’s best to use a combination of tactics. Switch it up now and then, as the deer will eventually be on to you. Get out for a walk or bike ride with your family and check out the landscapes you see. Note what is working and not working for your

A leisurely stroll through what’s left of my yard

neighbors. You’ll enjoy the time out and get some great ideas for your landscape in the process! Living increasingly close to nature forces compromise from the animals we share space with, so a little compromise on our part is only fair. Landscapes are ever-changing, and a big part of the satisfaction we get when we look at our space is due to the hard work we put into it and the knowledge we get out of it, so get

out there and enjoy nature! Marita Ward has a degree in horticulture and manages Greenacres Nursery located in Greenacres, WA. Her favorite thing about gardening and landscaping is the adaptability of plants and how easily they can change in form and habit depending on environment, culture, and human manipulation. Marita can be reached at Greenacres Nursery at (509) 928-1922.

The work of the butcher

April in Review

MAY 2012

The Real Dirt Discover the Magic of Mulch By Kristy Wittkopf

Monthly Contributor

If I had to choose just one task that would benefit our landscapes and gardens the most, I would have to recommend that you mulch. Gardeners everywhere know this cardinal rule of landscaping, yet every year I seem to have bare ground somewhere in my yard. My spring resolution each year is to mulch “all” my beds, instead of just some of them, and some years I actually get it all done. It’s a bit of work. It takes a couple of weekends to complete a yard the size of mine. But it is the one lawn and garden project that gives back rewards for months and months. Mulch isn’t necessarily a specific type of product. In reality, mulch is anything you put on top of your soil. It can be an organic product that will break down over time, such as bark, grass clippings, compost, or paper. It can be an aggregate product such as decorative rock or gravel. It can even be a synthetic product such as plastic or rubber. Though there are benefits and drawbacks to each of these types of mulch, any type will provide some or most of the following rewards to your landscape: Insulation You might think of mulch as a blanket for your soil. In the winter a 2-4 inch layer of bark or shredded leaves will give your plants extra protection from cold weather and winter winds. Organic mulch insulates plant roots by decreasing the harm done by our winter freeze and thaw cycles. Winter winds and runoff can damage shrubs and perennials as it erodes the soil around the root zones. By keeping your beds well mulched, the winds are defused, water is absorbed and the roots are protected. Moisture Retention During the heat of summer, mulch helps keep valuable moisture

Decomposed bark fines serve as the foundation for a dramatic planting scheme

where it is needed most, at your root zone. Bark does this by allowing rain or irrigation water to seep into the soil slowly, where it is retained instead of being lost to evaporation. A similar benefit can be achieved by using grass clippings or shredded leaves. If using grass clippings, just be sure there has been no herbicide used on the lawn. Weed Combatant Most people think of mulch as a weed control and with good reason. Mulch blocks sunlight, reducing the incidence of weed seed germination. The finer the mulch texture, the more light that is blocked. Also, airborne weed seeds that land on the mulch are less likely to germinate than if they were to make contact with soil. Decorative rock used in conjunction with a high quality

weed fabric can reduce weed growth by as much as 80%. Aids in Building Soil Structure My favorite mulch to use in my shrub beds is dark fine bark. I spread it about three inches deep directly on top the soil in late spring just about the time everything has leafed out. The two things I like the most about this product are its color (from a distance, it looks like rich soil) and its texture (it makes a great soil amendment). The dark bark fines are already on their way to decomposing. This is a benefit because after a year or two, I dig the bark into my soil, which provides organic matter and creates air pockets, which are important for oxygen circulation. The decomposing bark fines also absorb moisture keeping it available longer at the

plant root zone. Adds Fertility My other favorite mulch is EKO compost. Every spring I spread this amazing compost about an inch or two deep across my perennial beds - being careful not to let the compost touch the emerging plant stems. In addition to providing all the benefits of improved soil structure and moisture retention, EKO compost also acts as a slow release fertilizer which feeds my plants all season. Earthworms are attracted to beds that are rich with organic matter and love to work their magic beneath the compost. EKO compost is a fertile mulch so I’m not using it as weed control here, and I do have to pull a few weeds. However the reward I reap from beautiful, strong perennials is well worth a bit of

MAY 2012 weeding. Low Maintenance Many people are looking for a low-maintenance landscape. While I sometimes think that low-maintenance and gardening is a true oxymoron (after all, gardening and landscaping are work), there are steps you can take to reduce some of your long-term workload. If your goals are to make your landscape beds attractive and not have to do much except fire up your leaf blower a couple of times each year, then maybe a rock mulch is what you are looking for. Rock is considered a permanent mulch solution. It does require more labor up front, but it can be left in place for several years. Rock mulch will not decompose and any future replacement of the product will likely be because you just want a change. Decorative rock mulch should always be used in conjunction with a high quality weed fabric. Look for a weed fabric weight of at least 3oz, as a lesser weight doesn’t

provide the light blockage that is needed to prevent weed seed germination. Rock mulch should be spread at a depth twice the diameter of the rock you choose. For example, a 1½” rock should be placed at a depth of at least 3” for optimum weed control. Lawn Seed Protection Straw mulch mat is a new product available this year that is designed for use with newly seeded lawn areas. The mat holds moisture, protects grass seed from drying winds and marauding birds, and is especially handy for successful planting on slopes. All you need to do is roll the mat out across your seeded lawn area, secure it with landscape staples and you are ready to watch your lawn grow. The straw mat mulch is entirely biodegradable so there is no need to remove it. As your lawn grows, the mat and straw both become organic matter that is beneficial to your soil.

Curb Appeal Even with all these benefits, one of the most popular reasons for mulching your landscape and garden beds is that it dresses up your home’s outdoor appearance. Neatly installed mulch accents your plants and draws the eye to your landscape. A well cared for landscape and lawn sends the message to your friends and neighbors that you care about your home and community. It can also encourage your neighbors to keep their yards neat and tidy. Several studies on home improvement have suggested that a well manicured landscape can increase the

value of your home by as much as 15%, and that’s good news we could all use. Why not plan a little mulching time into your up-coming weekends? A bit of work now will reward you all summer with beautiful plants and eye-catching landscape beds. Kristy Wittkopf owns and operates Wittkopf Landscape Supply with her husband, Larry. Contact Wittkopf Landscape Supply at (509) 467-0685. In Sandpoint, call (208) 255-4200. Sign up for Kristy’s monthly enewsletter by texting “GOODDIRT” to 22828.

Different Types of Mulch Type

Pros

Cons

Bark

Organic Easy to Install Inexpensive

Color fades in sunlight Needs replacing biannually

Decorative Rock

Very long life, Optimum Weed control when installed with landscape fabric

Labor intensive to install Can be expensive

Compost

Slow release fertilizer

Not to be used for weed control

Grass Clippings

Organic Easy to Install Free

Tends to mat down Not decorative

Paper

Can be organic Can be Free

Not decorative

Plastic

Good weed inhibitor

Not decorative Hard to remove when it deteriorates

Rubber

Recycled product

Expensive Can have an odor

Choose wisely

Kristy’s perennial garden topped with EKO compost

MAY 2012

Turning Lemons Into Lemonade By CJ James Staff Writer

This is a story about problem solving. It’s a story about how less is sometimes more. And it’s a story about how something that starts out as a real headache can turn into something unexpectedly beautiful if approached with the right frame of mind. Mike Silvey has been building custom homes and commercial structures for more than 30 years. In that time he has forged a reputation as one of the most sought-after and well-respected contractors in the Inland Northwest. Some jobs have been easy, some have been hard (ask him about excavating 1,000 tons of solid rock for a South Hill medical office), but one reason Mike has been so successful over the years is his innate ability to get in front of potential construction problems before they have a chance to develop into something bigger. That in itself is hard enough, but what do you do with a problem that’s been developing on its own for the last couple of decades? “Our cabin on Hayden Lake sits below an area that generates a lot of snow melt runoff in the spring,” Mike explains. His acreage is pie shaped and set on a slope, bordered on the top by a public road and on the bottom by the lake. “All that water is contained in a ditch that follows the uphill side of the pavement above our place, which is then relieved by a culvert that directs the overflow under the road and onto our land.” The culvert has been moving water from one side of the road to the other for at least 30 years - much longer than Mike has owned the property. In the spring, the culvert carries a lot of water, and through the years it had cut a trench caused by erosion that started at the road and ran all the way down to the beach. At its worst, the trench measured 3 or 4 feet deep, up to 8 feet wide, and over 400 feet long. The damage to the land was an issue in itself, but even worse was what that

runoff was doing to the lake. “By the time the water made it to the beach, it was full of sediment and created a giant brown plume in the lake. It just turned the lake brown. It was silty and muddy all the time.” Time to do some problem solving. What is the best way to approach a problem being caused by a county road culvert that you have no control over? It might be fair to demand that the highway department rectify the issue, though that process might take years (if they even agree that it’s their responsibility). You could live with the trench and the brown lake water and the muddy beach, assuming that any solution would be too expensive or difficult to implement. Or, like Mike, you could refuse to be so easily discouraged and instead think creatively about how to tackle the problem. Mike’s first step was to talk to Ken Van Voorhis. Ken, a Spokanebased landscape architect (SPVV. com), knew he couldn’t get rid of the water, but he could control it. A catch basin under the culvert at the top of the property was designed, with the water to be directed underground into 6” drain pipe. This pipe would run 350 feet into what Ken called ‘settling ponds’, a series of three pools that would be set down toward the lower part of the property. The design of these ponds would slow the movement of the water and filter out sediment as the flow moved from pond to pond. The last pool would disperse the water over a wide area to negate erosion and gently let the runoff into the lake. Mike took Ken’s design to Kootenai County for a permit. Again, Mike approached this often difficult process with a problem solver’s mindset. Instead of demanding that the County address the issue, Mike pointed out the dramatic erosion into the lake, and made it clear that he was happy to take care of the work and costs himself if they would work with him on the per-

Pond-side picnic

mit process. “They were helpful,” remembers Mike. “It can be really difficult to get a permit to work near a lake, especially where erosion is concerned, but because they saw that I was benefitting Hayden’s water quality, they were very accommodating.” Once the permit was approved, Mike got to work. Because the trench had cut so deep into the ground, there was no need to excavate for the drain pipe. He simply laid the pipe on the bottom of the trench, then backfilled the eroded channel with his Bobcat. Where the pipe ended its underground run and came out of the ground, Mike built the first of the 3 settling ponds, pushing dirt with his

machine to create a shallow pool 4 or 5 feet wide. He placed a few boulders at the lower end to direct the flow to the next pool. The second pond was formed the same way, and then the third. At the bottom of the third pool, he designed the water to escape into a natural valley where it would then make its way into the lake. Only one day later, the trench was covered, the ponds had been shaped, the boulders had been placed, and the construction was done. Next on the list was landscaping over the 10’ x 350’ area where the trench had been, as well as around the newly-formed pools. Since the beginning of the site’s development, Mike had been conferring with

MAY 2012 Alan Zeutschel (509.315.3949), a long-time Spokane landscaper with whom he’d worked on many jobs over the years. Alan’s advice throughout the entire project was consistent: in such a naturally beautiful area, keep the landscaping to a minimum, and let the native plants do the work. “He had told me from the time we put in the cabin to do very little landscaping,” remembers Mike, “Alan said, ‘Leave the property be. It would cost you a fortune trying to do what Mother Nature is going to do on her own. In a year it will be beautiful.’” How did this less-is-more approach work? Amazingly well. What started out as an eyesore and a brown-water-creating headache has become a stunning part of the property. In the spring, the boulders between ponds create small waterfalls, and yellow crocuses by the hundreds bloom in the runoff below the pools, fed by fresh water. In the summer, ferns take over the area, creating a blanket of greenery that

attracts moose and other wildlife. Wildflowers bloom around the ponds, and grasses and moss have completely covered any evidence of the erosion that once cut through one whole side of the property. The pools Ken designed work perfectly, filtering out sediment pool by pool until the water runs clean and clear from the lowest pond into the lake with nary a brown plume to be seen. The cost of the project? What could have been thousands upon thousands of dollars to solve by other, more conventional means, was done with a few hundred feet of drain pipe, a skid steer that was on hand anyway, a few boulders already on the property, a consultation with a landscape architect willing to think outside the box, and a conversation with a landscaper who knows the power of Mother Nature. Sometimes approaching a problem with the right frame of mind – and a little creativity - can result in something unexpected and beautiful.

Mike’s creative use of runoff

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NORTH SIDE 8721 N Fairview Rd 467-0685 VALLEY 19215 E Broadway 893-3521 NORTH IDAHO Ponderay Garden Center 208-255-4200

MAY 2012

Water Therapy By C.J. James Staff Writer

The only giveaway that this cascading stream hasn’t always been here is that it surges like mad into a pond surrounded by a beautifully manicured lawn and an expansive flagstone patio. Starting almost 350 feet above the enormous bottom pool, the water glides in and out of trees and over and around boulders as it makes its way down the hillside. Toward the bottom, the water rushes through the driveway (the best part about arriving at this house is splashing across the stream) and then roars into the pond at 1200 gallons a minute. As a landscaper, I’ve seen lots of custom-built waterfalls before, but nothing that made me do a double-take like this one. As I maneuvered around it I thought, ‘This is man-made? It looks real!’ “That’s the best compliment I can get,” says Pete Smith, owner of Mainstream Watergarden Construction LLC, who designed and built the Hayden Lake water feature. “If someone says, ‘Has this always been here?’, I know I did my job.” And this Hayden Lake was feature was a job! The client didn’t have a design. He just said, in effect, ‘Go for it’. “We started with a rough idea of how big it was going to be,” says Pete. “But he would fly into town every few months and say, ‘That looks super. Let’s add another 100 feet.’ It was great.” There was no budget, and as the project expanded, so did the need for large amounts of materials and some pretty elaborate hardware to make the project work. The materials included 200 tons of boulders — which is probably a conservative estimate. The streambed is contoured with 80 yards of reinforced concrete. The widest part of the creek uses a rubber liner 30 feet in width. As for hardware, there are three industrial pumps which are housed in a custom-built concrete bunker. These pumps are used to send water back up the hill. The water is pushed through 1000’ feet of 6” and 8” pipe, and twists through enough fittings and joints to fill the back of a pickup. All that hardware is necessary to make something like this function. Getting the components to operate correctly and in sequence is another issue. But to make a project like this work — to make the water feature feel like a part of the natural environment — that’s what makes Pete unique. A large part of his unique ability comes from the core aspect of his design philosophy: restraint.

“A really good water feature,” explains Pete, “is not about ‘big’. It’s about the surrounding area. When you look at the site, it will simply make sense. The setting dictates the design. Sometimes people want more in their backyard than they should have. The feature shouldn’t overtake the area. I tend to build smaller, quieter streams than most other builders since they usually fit the site better. You want to be able to sit next to it and have a conversation without having to yell.” Though he prefers to simplify, this approach certainly doesn’t mean ‘dull’ or ‘boring’. “I like to keep people on their toes,” Pete continues. “I blend ‘natural’ and ‘Japanese’ styles—spontaneous but ordered—so I can mix it up a bit. A natural look is what I shoot for. Real waterfalls are my inspiration.”

Backyard oasis

Pete’s unique talent and ability has landed him work in his own neighborhood, and as far away as Japan. Yes, that Japan. “I’d been working as an employee for a top-tier landscape company and had the opportunity to travel with them to Japan to do a water feature. In 2002, a few years after I’d gone out on my own, the developer called and asked me to come back to Japan to do another project.” To say the least, Pete’s knack for water features has taken him places. Pete has also been flown to and from San Francisco on a weekly basis to design and build a water feature for a private estate. “I was picked up in a limo at the airport,” he laughs. “That was weird.”

Don’t trip

You’d think all this globe-trotting and a collection of high-end jobs would make Pete eager to show off and aggressively market his work. In actuality, the opposite is true. He has a website that doesn’t quite work. Photos of his projects aren’t on an iPad or a laptop — they’re stored in a cardboard box. Pete doesn’t do this as a means to an end. He does the work because he loves it. “I love water. I’m an artist... I just want to create something new. The goal isn’t making money or doing a ‘big’ job - it’s about making every feature the best one yet, whether it’s large or small. One thing I get asked a lot is: ‘What’s your favorite water feature?’ It’s mine! It’s not because it’s bigger or better than other ones I’ve done. It’s because I get to go home and enjoy it — but I still can’t wait to get up in the morning and go to work!” Pete Smith has owned and operated Mainstream Watergarden, LLC for over 10 years. You can contact Pete at (509) 991-9398 or email him at mainstreamponds@msn.com.

Chilling by the pool

MAY 2012

Thanks for your submission Kathy! I’m going to hand this one off to Dianna Decker of Northland Nursery. She’s a genius. At least, that’s the rumor…

Ask The

— The Garden Zealot Hi Kathy,

Dear Zealot, This is a photo of our beautiful clematis—the best part of our summer for 12 years. We moved into our house 12 years ago and the clematis was already here. At the time the house was 6 years old, so I’m guessing the plant might have been around 16-18 years old. All the landscaping was in place and the clematis was growing on a rail about 3 feet high on the side of the driveway. We moved in during the winter, and it looked like the plant was dead. I remember my husband said at the time, “There’s one you can rip out Kath.” To which I replied, “Not if that’s what I think it is!” I knew how they like to climb, so we had the arbor built in ‘02. The dear thing thrived—and oh how it climbed! Everything changed in the spring of 2011. By May, when I wasn’t seeing any greenery, I went to the nursery. A young lady there said it should be getting green by now and asked if it had water. It did of course, and she said I might try a general fertilizer—which I did—but to no avail. I can honestly say I mourned that plant. We had our trees trimmed last fall, and finally took it out. The mother root was surely 12-14” in diameter. I’d just love to know what happened to my old friend. Thanks for your help, Kathy C.

The clematis pictured looks like “Clematis Montana Rubens ‘Pink Anemone Clematis,’ which is a USDA Zone 6 hardiness, (-10 - 0 degrees F). I’m sure the plant received ‘plenty of water.’ Not having enough water is rarely the reason why a mature plant fails. When plants are mature they require LESS water, not more. As it was placed at the edge of the driveway, is it possible a sealer was recently applied to the concrete or that work was done adjacent to the plant? Were the roots recently disturbed? There’s also a chance that if you’re a homeowner who rinses off the driveway faithfully and regularly, the plant could be over-watered in that way. Where do you push your snow? There’s no way that a bug could totally take out a mature plant in one season. Bugs always give their host plant a slow & painful death, not an instant/overnight one. But here’s my best guess Kathy… Chances are EXTREMELY HIGH that our “borderline hardy Clematis” was in the early stages of spring wake-up (energy/sap starting to rise) when it incurred an INTENSE WEATHER CHANGE. Most likely extreme wind with severely cold temperatures. Do you remember early spring 2011? I do! There was record-breaking rain with record-breaking cold temperatures, with record-breaking duration of both. We had mature Cherry trees, Japanese Maples, Crab Apples, Hawthorns, all types of vines, evergreens… You name it. Plants from all over the Inland Northwest FAILED because they were stressed by Mother Nature’s continually wet/cold winter & spring conditions. In addition, the homeowner/gardener then steps in & activates the sprinkler system in the spring & applies more water on an already stressed plant. That’s what killed your beautiful clematis! If you had used a root hormone on the stressed plant early on, it possibly would have lived. Chances are high you may have realized there was a problem & “assumed” the stressed plant needed more water. Remember: over-watering is the number one killer of all plants! We need to educate sprinkler installers, landscape contractors, and homeowners to pay attention to the moisture in the soil. Most plants need to dry out between watering cycles. They need to breath. Think about purchasing an irrigation controller with a rain sensor—they’re worth the additional expense! I hope this helps—so sorry for your loss! Dianna Decker Owner of Northland Nursery Dianna Decker runs Northland Nursery of Post Falls, Idaho with her husband Jay. They are located at 8093 W. Prairie Avenue. Take I-90 to Highway 41 and head north 2.5 miles. Northland Nursery specializes in perennials, ornamental trees and shrubs, fruit trees, shade gardening, and incredible evergreens. They also deliver a wide variety of soils and mulches. Give Dianna a call @ (208) 773-3247. Northland Nursery is also on Facebook.

Do you have a question for Ask the Zealot? Email it to thegardenzealot@gmail.com

MAY 2012

Making Plans Another Year in the Garden By Patricia Haye Guest Columnist

Wow! I can’t believe it’s May! Time goes by soooo fast. Spring is here and it is time to get out there and do some planning for the 2012 season. Here are a few of my favorite tips to get you started: A Refreshing Foundation: If your foundation plants are getting old and overgrown, consider putting a new twist on your outdated landscape. There are so many new introductions to our region every year. Junipers and arborvitaes have always been considered the old “stand by” in our harsh climate, but I like to try something different. Boxwoods, Winter Creeper, Rhododendrons, Redtwig Dogwoods—anything that holds its berries over the winter—Otto Luyken laurels, and hardy Hollies are always a good starting point. These take some pruning, but the novelty is worth it. I consider all of these selections evergreens. The stems of the Redtwig Dogwood are beautiful in the snow. Remember, to have a happy and harmonious landscape, keep each plant’s fertilizer and water needs in mind. Try

Perennial values

to group the plants with the same water and light needs together. Perennial Values: Perennial flowers give continuous color and texture to gardens and yards. Plan for bloom time, color, height, spread, and sun exposure. Try picking perennials that have an extended bloom time. It is a good idea to place early blooming flowers close to the house. They’re shorter and will likely be viewed through a window early in the season. Some early bloomers include: Primroses, Iberis, Armeria, Basket of Gold, Creeping Phlox, and Aubrieta. Tulips, Daffodils, and Crocus are always a safe bet. Columbine, Iris, Doronicum, Peonies, Bleeding Heart, and Poppies are plants that will follow the earliest blooms in what I consider the “second wave” of spring. Later blooming perennials can be placed farther out into the landscape where they’ll invite visitors for a daily stroll through the yard. My favorite mid-summer bloomers are Daylilies, Astilbes, Delphinium, Campanulas, Daisies, Roses, Lavender, Coreopsis, Veronicas, and many more that provide color throughout

the summer months. Asters, Anemones, Rudbeckias, Echinaceas, Chrysanthemums, Heliopsis, Heleniums and Sedums are my favorite fall selections. And don’t forget all of the great ornamental grasses that thrive in our region! Their seed pods can create the most dazzling contrast to their striking foliage. A soft breeze through the taller varieties makes a soothing “rustle” as you relax on the back patio. Veggie Vigor: Now is a good time to plan your vegetable and annual gardens—put some new style into the vegetable garden. Raised-bed gardening is a guarantee of success! You control the environment—would you have ever thought it possible? Beds measuring 4’ x 25’ make for easy figuring in 100 square foot amounts of fertilizer and additives. Vegetables and annual flowers need to be planted on a schedule. Frost hardy and cool-season plants can be seeded outdoors and started much earlier than warm season plants. Consult seed catalogs, gardening books and local Cooperative Extension publications for seeding and trans-

A refreshing foundation

planting schedules. Join The Club! Check with your County Extension Office or Parks Department to find out about programs, gardening clubs, plant societies or other organizations for avid gardeners. Meeting other gardeners and exchanging ideas is always fun, particularly in the non-gardening months. It’s springtime! Get out there and GARDEN!!! Patricia Haye owns and operates Design a Scape. She’s been in business as a landscape and garden designer for over 20 years, and teaches Landscape Design classes for the Institute for Extended Learning. Design a Scape does a wide variety of design work and homeowner consultations. Her specialties are low maintenance, easy care, and deer proof gardens. Contact Patricia at designascape@ yahoo.com, or give her a call at (509) 879-3512. Patricia is also a member of the Agriculture and Horticulture Committee that determines curriculum for Spokane Community College.

MAY 2012

Book Review:

Continuous Blooms by Pam Duthie By Kelly Erikson Editor

Pam Duthie, author of “Continuous Blooms” (Ball Publishing, 2000), has mastered the art of selecting the right variety of plants to grace her yard with beautiful perennial flowers March through November. And she lives in northern Illinois! “Continuous Blooms: A month-by-month guide to nonstop color in the perennial garden” is well-organized, accessible, and contains over 250 gorgeous photographs with just the right amount of text. Each page features a specific plant spe-

cies and includes the botanical name, common name, USDA zone, and description of flower, foliage, height, spacing, light, soil, level of care required, and best areas to plant, as well as problems/ issues with the plant, author’s comments, and suggestions for neighboring plants. The bloom length is indicated, anywhere from one week to many months. Plant propagation instructions, or when to divide plants, are also provided. And, as with any gardening book worth it’s salt, Ms. Duthie offers her tips for preparing a garden bed, planting strategies, how and

when to deadhead flowers, water and fertilizer suggestions, and ideas for pest control. Of particular interest to the Zealot-reading gardener, Ms. Duthie includes a lengthy list of perennials that are the least likely to interest deer and rabbits. Her list comes with a caveat that a hungry animal will eat most anything, which we often experience in this area. She mentions deer particularly love yews, euonymus groundcovers and shrubs, daylilies, phlox, and hostas. Local gardeners tell me tulips are also a special treat for deer. The list of

rabbit favorites includes asters, dianthus, phlox, lilies, and roses. Fortunately, Ms. Duthie provides about 150 suggestions for deer and rabbit resistant plants to try in your garden. Just a flip through this comprehensive book will inspire one to consider flowering perennials with enthusiasm and a plan!

The Humane Society’s Adoptable

Pet of the Month

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Deedra Labrador Retriever Hey you - yeah you staring at my picture there... I love you! Too much, too soon? Sorry, but it’s true... You two-legged creatures are awesome! Just the sight of you makes my tail wag! What can I say, I’m a people person... er, dog I mean :). And I know what people like... beauty, brains and a big heart! I know, I know... We shouldn’t focus so much on looks, but it sure can’t hurt that I have a striking black coat and a fancy feather-duster tail (not to mention my hair-do... Yep, I lucked out on the Newfoundland genes. I definitely got the cool fluffy head!). But more importantly, I’m a mature girl, so I know how to behave... I have wonderful manners, am very gentle, and am so ready to share my love. Won’t you come meet me and see for yourself ?

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MAY 2012

Have a gardening question? Your local Master Gardeners can help you succeed began training Master Gardener volunteers to serve as community educators. Today, there about 100 certified Master Gardener volunteers in Spokane and a new class of 24 interns is undergoing extensive training at this time. Across the state of Washington, there are currently 3,744 Master Gardener volunteers who help an average of 500,000 residents each year. What’s more, for every dollar spent on the program, these Master Gardeners return $10 worth of service to their communities. By Susan Mulvihill & Tim Kohlhauff Guest Contributors

Quick: name a resource in your community where you can ask gardening questions -- in person, by phone or via e-mail -- and get carefully researched answers at no charge.

What does it take to become a Master Gardener? Each volunteer goes through a 16-week training course on gardening topics like environmental stewardship, botany, plant propagation, pruning, composting, lawn care, herbaceous and woody plants, diagnosing plant problems and basic entomology.

Give up? Why, it’s none other than your WSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers.

In order to remain certified, each Master Gardener must log 40 volunteer hours and attend 10 hours of continuing education annually.

The types of things homeowners frequently ask about include:

Programs that volunteers participate in include adaptive gardening for those with physical limitations, teaching youth about gardening, presenting classes on gardening topics, training folks how to grow veggies and flowers in community gardens, tending demonstration gardens around the Extension office, and manning information booths at events like the Spokane County Fair, plant sales and at home and garden shows.

• plant, insect or disease identification and control recommendations • how to grow vegetable crops • when to fertilize the lawn • how to start plants from seeds • recommendations of tree fruit or berry varieties for this region • what to add to the soil to get better yields The history of how the Master Gardener program came about is quite interesting. Back in 1914, Congress passed the Smith-Lever Act to establish the Cooperative Extension Service as a partnership between the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, County government and the land grant university in each state. The law provides federal funds for Cooperative Extension activities involving small farms, natural resources and programs like 4-H. In our state, WSU is the land grant university and, as such, oversees the Master Gardener programs in each county. In 1974, Spokane County Extension faculty

Master Gardeners do not endorse businesses or products, make on-site landscape or gardening recommendations at clients’ homes, or give out any pest management advice outside of the recommendations that have been approved through WSU research. Gov. Chris Gregoire has declared the week of May 13 to 19 to be “Washington State University Master Gardener Volunteer Week” so be sure to take advantage of the many services this program offers.

How to contact the WSU Spokane County Master Gardeners: • The Plant Clinic is located at 222 N. Havana St., just south of the Indians Ballpark and the Spokane Fairgrounds. It is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition to the diagnostic services provided by

the volunteers, the clinic houses a library of gardening-related references and has many publications on all aspects of gardening in the Inland Northwest available for purchase. • To contact the plant clinic directly, call (509) 477-2181. Even if you call after hours, you can leave a voice-mail message and a Master Gardener will contact you during the next plant clinic shift. • The Master Gardener web site is located at http://spokane-county.wsu.edu/spokane/ eastside/index.htm. You will find links to free fact sheets on a variety of gardeningrelated topics as well as information on upcoming classes and events. • The e-mail address for Spokane County Master Gardeners is mastergardener@ spokanecounty.org. If you are dealing with a plant or insect problem, you can attach photos to your message to help with the diagnosis. Susan Mulvihill has been a Master Gardener volunteer for 10 years. She writes the garden columns that appear in the Sunday edition of The Spokesman-Review during the growing season. Tim Kohlhauff is the Urban Horticulture Coordinator for WSU/Spokane County Cooperative Extension.

TheGardenZealot.com 509.714.4640

MAY 2012

Ruined Arthur’s Story By Nate Lynch

The Garden Zealot

Arthur is a funny name for a dog. Nearly ten years ago I closed the book on a best friend. His name was Wade, and he’d been my dog for almost a decade when he died suddenly during a cold, rainy night in October. He was the definition of a black lab. Dumber than a box of rocks—but in the best of ways. Happy, shameless, loyal... Could there be a better companion for a teenaged introvert? Wade had followed Jake—my family’s first black lab of nearly ten years—and shared the bulk of Jake’s personality traits. Or did Jake share Wade’s character? I don’t think it mattered. They were wonderful friends, and there was no risk when we’d brought them home. Puppy Labrador Retrievers. A box of chocolates with the same goofy, energetic, lovable filling in every furball. No mystery there. I was 25 when Wade died. And for the last 20 of those 25 years, I’d had a dog to lean on. I wasn’t in the market for a new friend at this time, but my brother must have thought I seemed a little cockeyed without one. In November of the same year he called to tell me he’d been perusing the local shelters. There was a

What’s behind the eyes?

small lab-mix at the Coeur d’ Alene Animal Shelter, and “he might have potential.” Like I said, I wasn’t in a hurry. After work two days later I decided to check this guy out. Risky business, I knew. It takes a strong man to wander through an animal shelter and not walk back out with a dog at his side. It was raining heavily, after dark, and the shelter was about to close. I walked in and asked the

young lady at the counter if they still had a small lab-mix. I mentioned my brother had been in a day or two earlier and seen him. “Oh, you mean Arthur!” she’d said. “Arthur is our favorite!” They’d stay open a few more minutes just for me. The Coeur d’ Alene Animal Shelter was a rough place—at least it appeared so on a drizzling, dark night. I remember thinking it seemed more like a vacant ware-

house than any type of shelter. It was ice-cold and the roof leaked. I was escorted through a door to the side of the counter and emerged into a huge, dreary cavern. The lighting was dim and the floor seemed to have puddles everywhere. Looking toward the back of the building I gazed down an endless row of chain link cages that were lined side-byside for a hundred feet. The concrete walkway separated a reflection of cages on the other side. And loud? 35 barking dogs shouting back and forth at one another in an empty warehouse with concrete floors. Get the picture? The cages were 6’ by 6’. If this was your home, your cage was flanked on both sides by your neighbor—probably a loud, smelly individual who was really upset to be here. “Arthur” was right in the middle of it all— and had been for 4 months. He’d come in as an injured stray, and had spent much of the summer and now fall on that loud, wet, chilling floor. This was a “no kill” shelter, meaning you would stay until the day you RUINED cont. on page 30

MAY 2012

RUINED cont. from page 29 were adopted. Or, I assume, until you died. As we walked up to the cage, I noticed that Arthur didn’t bark. He stayed near the back of the cage, sitting with his head down. Quiet. “So this is the guy, huh?” I asked. Not exactly a looker. Pretty homely actually. Much too skinny with a small head and strangely long tail. “How long has he been in here?” I asked. “A little over four months,” was the reply. Wow. Four months in that cage in that warehouse with that noise. “Ok,” I said. “I’ll take him home.” It took him about 8 seconds to capture me. I drove a 1995 Ford F250 Diesel at that time with a long bench seat. We’d just walked out of the shelter, and I’m convinced Arthur knew I’d adopted him. I picked him up and put him in the passenger’s seat (we weren’t driving back to Spokane with my new best friend getting drenched in back. No way!). I walked around the front of the truck and climbed in—not yet having started the truck when Artie fixed himself on my lap and clung

to me like a life preserver. This was to be the routine from then on, I’d find out (which was fine by me, but it sure made it hard to shift gears). Arthur didn’t seem right. Beyond the name “Arthur” (“Arthur?” What kind of name is that for a dog?), it seemed that his very soul he was torn in half. Something was off—but what it was I couldn’t say. Although he seemed very attached to me, there was a distance deep in his eyes that I didn’t recognize. Damage buried in his heart, but with pain that remained near the surface—if you can understand that. The morning following his adoption I did what any 25-year old former baseball player would do with a new dog: we went out to play fetch. We walked out to the pasture and I started the motion to throw his ball. Instead of the hyperactivity I’d expected from a lab, Arthur fell to the ground, belly-up, and shook. I’d find out later what Arthur’s behavior was saying: “Don’t hit me.” Like I said, I thought I knew what to expect from a black Lab.

Arthur was giving me many hints about his past, but at that time I didn’t understand the characteristic signs of animal abuse. He was extremely aggressive toward other dogs. They weren’t welcome anywhere near his property. He trained me to be aware of traffic at all times. I learned to religiously keep an eye down the street when we were out in the yard—trying to be one step ahead if someone was walking or biking their dog toward the house. I’d try to distract him by scratching his head and keeping his attention, or just take him in the house until they’d passed. Based on his behavior toward other animals, my Dad had recommended that I take him back to the shelter “before he gets you in trouble.” It was sound advice. I told him I’d think about it, but in my head I’d clearly replied “Yeah right.” Maybe Arthur just had too many hormones? I’d been told that having a dog neutered can “calm them down.” He was to be fixed anyway, but now there was some urgency to see if it would influence his behavior. We went in for his first examina-

tion and the Veterinarian cleared up the confusion almost immediately: “This is a bait dog.” Arthur wasn’t mad at other dogs. He was afraid of them. The term bait dog defined much of Arthur’s life. Don’t let me give you the wrong idea about him though. Although he’d always have predictable tendencies that were the result a very horrible beginning, Arthur was more devoted than any animal I’d ever known. We were connected. I think the people closest to me would confirm that Arthur and I were inseparable. As long as he knew me, I was a professional landscape contractor and he was my right-hand man. I’ve put a lot of thought into the time we spent together lately, and I would guess that—conservatively—Arthur and I were together nearly 10 hours a day, everyday, for 9 years. That doesn’t include just being at home, either. We were co-workers, and he was my co-pilot. Together we put 160,000 miles on my new truck. He was an amazing traveler. Never a sound from Arthur, just the bumps

Adopt a Spotted Dog

I’ve got my eyes on you

caseylynch.net

MAY 2012 and rickets of the road. He was the reason I bought the truck with the extra-cab. How many times were we on the road with an employee or client, and 20 minutes into the drive they’d turn around and say, “Hey! There’s a dog back here!” On the jobsite I was never out of his view. I may not see him for hours as I landscaped, but if I walked around the corner of the house he would immediately appear—his eyes saying, “I told you not to leave my sight!” When I had a crew on the job he’d occasionally walk in front of a machine and look into the cab to see who was driving. “Is that Nate in there? Yep. Ok, I’ll go lie down in the bushes again.” If you damage an animal as a youngster, they’ll never fully recover. What would cause a Labrador retriever to be absolutely terrified of water? To be afraid to walk through a mud puddle? What made him so anxious that he would chew on his tail until it bled? You’re probably wondering what a “bait dog” is? The veterinarian had taken the clues I’d provided about Arthur’s behavior, his smallish size, weak legs, and the existence of the numerous scars found all over his neck and body into consideration before concluding: “bait dog.” He noted that Arthur had wanted out of somewhere… Badly. Grooves were worn into his teeth where he’d attempted to chew his way through a metal cage. A bait dog is beyond abused; it’s terrorized, beaten, torn, imprisoned, and cheapened. There are “people” who exist that operate dog-fighting rings all over our country. What their attraction is to this cruelty I don’t understand, but I do now know that they intentionally breed weaker dogs as “bait” for their fighting animals. And the life of a bait dog? You’re to be handicapped—tied down or intentionally injured—and then “fed” to the aggressive fighters as an appetizer to the main course. Once the main attractions are warmed up on the weaker animal, that animal is taken out of the ring and the fight between the two alpha-dogs begins. This routine can be repeated endlessly until there’s nothing left.

Arthur was a bait dog. So I never held Arthur’s shortcomings against him. He was my perfect match in nearly every way. When we remodeled our house during the first two years we were together, much of the time it wasn’t heated during the winter. I isolated a room that could be heated with a space heater. After work, I’d turn on the television and put a blanket over my feet as I sat on the recliner. Artie loved the heat, and we’d put the heater inside his “tent” to keep us both warm. Anything over 110 degrees was great, in his opinion. The house had a basketball court too—but we couldn’t play on it. I could shoot jumpers alone, but wasn’t allowed to play with friends. Artie wouldn’t have it. Try guarding me, and Arthur would jump in-between my opponent and I and keep us separated. “Hands off.” We went on camping trips (actually, we camped on jobsites from time to time) where he served as my space heater and doggy alarm. Anything out of the ordinary and he’d give me a nudge to say “Be on your toes, Nate. Something’s amiss.” Beyond that, he was an excellent walker. I

Nearing the end of our story

was always so amazed that he could keep pace right next to me—whether we were moving slow or fast—as though we were on the same treadmill. He didn’t pull or tug on the leash (Wade and Jake, my first two dogs, had always suggested that I either keep up or get out of the way!). He never did learn how to fetch, but he did teach me to roll the ball underhanded. What to do when he got to it would forever remain a mystery (bait dogs don’t know how to play). I found tricks we could use when he was near other dogs—like a nudge on the shoulder, or tossing a rock in the distance to break his focus. And to his credit, he learned to leave other dogs alone as best he could. Arthur and I were a team—just ask my wife (who will certainly find it fitting that she’s mentioned in a few short sentences near the end of this story). He never divvied his affection. It was reserved for me and me only. He only tolerated whomever I asked him to. After years of training, my wife finally learned that it was best to leave a direct path between Arthur and I. Get in his way and he’d walk right through you. Such was the way the night before he died, as he rose from the gentle

strokes of my wife’s hand to amble once more to my side. It took a lot of effort, but we agreed it was worth it, and I thanked him for thinking of me. I’ve tried to put myself in his place. How would I have turned out if I was caged, tortured, and beaten the first few years of my life? I’ve come to the only conclusion possible: Arthur did pretty well for himself. Arthur the dog. The name that ended up fitting so well on a faithful friend who was afraid of the world, but possessed enough courage to overcome unthinkable cruelty. Who could ever follow this guy? I fear he’s ruined me. When we took our last ride to the veterinarian, I left him in the truck because it hurt him to be carried. I could barely muster a sound when the secretary asked whom I’d brought to see them that morning. “Arthur,” I whispered. Someone waiting behind me quipped, “Arthur? What a funny name for a dog.” No, it was just right. Our thanks to Ponti Veterinary Hospital of Otis Orchards, Washington for their care of Arthur throughout much of his life.

MAY 2012

Build Your Own