Get Ideas For Your Yard At Lecture Series

If your calendar is rapidly filling up, as mine is, then may I suggest flipping it to February and jotting down a couple of dates. This winter, the WSU Master Gardeners have an outstanding lineup of gardening lectures that you won’t want to miss. All of the lectures are at the Spokane County Agriculture Center, N222 Havana.

Feb. 2 (7-9 p.m.): “New Life for Old Landscapes.” Talented landscape designer Suzanne Snowdon will share her expertise on giving that old yard a face-lift.

I find some old gardens intriguing. Many are steeped in history and memories. A few even abound in antique plants. To preserve them, these gardens need to be handled with love and care. Old trees can be limbed and shaped with character. Shrubs can be feathered or groomed to stimulate new growth.

Removing low-hanging branches and limbing evergreens, can create windows to other areas of our garden. Limbing can also create shade beds perfect for rhododendrons, azaleas, hosta, ferns, groundcovers and literally hundreds of other shade-loving plants.

Screens that provide privacy, paths that invite us to explore, garden benches and old gates - all of these elements enhance and add to the beauty of our old gardens. Join Suzanne for an evening of creativity and problem-solving.

Feb. 18 (10-noon): “Growing Fruit Trees in Home Gardens.” Who is better-qualified to teach a class on fruit trees than an orchardist? Jerry McGlade, is the owner of McGlades Orchards on Greenbluff. He also teaches in the Spokane Community College Department of Environmental Sciences.

According to Jerry, “Success with fruit trees does not come automatically. It takes a commitment to a routine of care.”

Jerry will teach us how to plant, prune and deal with insects and diseases.

This year I ordered a couple of very interesting apple trees from the Stark Bro.’s Fruit Tree Nursery. I hope Jerry has something positive to say about them. They are called colonnade apple trees. The mature dimensions are only eight feet tall and two feet wide. Yes, two feet wide.

After their second year, they are supposed to produce an abundance of full-sized apples. They are ideal for small gardens, living screens, against walls and even for containers. The best thing about them is they require very little, if any, maintenance. Two trees are recommended for pollination. We can pick from five varieties: Emerald, Scarlet, Maypole Flowering Crab, Crimson and Ultra.

If you’re interested in a Stark’s catalog, you can write to Stark Bro.’s, PO Box 10, Louisiana, MO 63353-0010.

Feb. 18 (1-3 p.m.): “Growing Grapes and Berries in Home Gardens.” Lloyd Thorson, landscape architect and small-fruit expert will host this seminar. Lloyd specializes in grapes of many varieties.

It’s getting to be about that time of the year for pruning, planting, fertilizing and training delicious home-grown berries. With a little effort and knowledge, we can grow many varieties of strawberries, raspberries, grapes, kiwi, currants, blueberries and blackberries. Small fruits are the backbone of an edible garden. They can be utilized as screens, fences and groundcovers.

This year I am going to add a few blackberries to my garden. Darrow, which is very hardy, will probably be one variety, even though it’s not my favorite. I am going to try the thornless Logan blackberry, although it requires winter protection in our area. It’s a cross between the red raspberry and the California wild blackberry. Its fruit is very tasty.

Before we turn that calendar over to February, don’t forget to mark down Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m.

If you thought all problems with plants were insect- or disease-related, then WSU horticulture specialist Ray Maleike will have a surprise for you. Maleike will present an informative and humorous discussion on “The Problem With Plants Is People,” also at the Spokane County Agriculture Center.

Participants should pre-register for all classes by calling the WSU Extension Office at 533-2048. A $5 registration fee will be collected at the door. Seats will be reserved up to ten minutes before the lecture.<