April 2025
Introducing Sylvia Briggs-Bauer! Sylvia is a member of the Whatcom Horticultural Society and contributor to our newsletter. She is a 10th-grade student at Bellingham High School who caught our eye through her informative creation of the Columbia Neighborhood Nature News. We are excited to work with her! To find out more about Sylvia Briggs-Brauer, click here to check out the Whatcom Talks article.
Plants & Climate
Written by Sylvia Briggs-Bauer Once I planted the seed of an apple I thought tasted delicious. My thinking was that it would grow to produce more delicious apples. Even when my parents informed me that store-bought apples seeds didn’t usually produce fruits, stubbornly I continued my mission, thinking I would at least create a cool…
Plant Hardiness Zones
Written by Sylvia Briggs-Bauer As you are most likely familiar, the USDA organizes different climates for growing plants in the United States as zones. Areas are color coded on a map from 1A – coldest temperatures- to 13B – warmest temperatures. You can easily search up a map of these zones online if you are…
Options for Potted Plants
Written by Sylvia Briggs-Bauer A rule of thumb for potted plants is if a plant is rated two zones lower than the zone you live in, it is most likely to survive the winter outside in a pot – for example trees and shrubs. However, it is better to be safe than sorry, especially if…
About Protecting Garden Beds and Moving Bulbs
Written by Sylvia Briggs-Bauer When in doubt, just cover your garden with dry leaves or mulch! Bulbs (for example tulips) can be dug up from pots and moved to garden soil, or stored inside to dry and be planted in the spring. You will discover that in some years you will dig up many more…
September 2024
Consider the Ground Cover
Written by Sylvia Briggs-Bauer A lawn has many purposes. It’s soft and comfortable to lie on, it stays healthy when it’s stepped on, and it is perfect for picnics and cartwheels and year-round fun. When considered from an environmental perspective…well…its better than dirt! I am here to tell you, however, that there is an even…
Natural Yard Care
The city selected the topic “Natural Yard Care” to educate residents about the value of natural yard care techniques that protect our water quality as part of their 2019-2024 NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit process. They then narrowed their scope to managing weeds naturally. They began by developing and promoting the “Manage Weeds…
