Sign of the Times

It’s the sign of the times. More specifically, the sign of the Seattle Times closing their Saturday section DIGS, the only reason I subscribed to their daily paper. One of its icons, Mary Robson, wrote for the Times for 16 years. Her gardening column will be missed, but she assures us she will continue writing, speaking and growing. We will be on the lookout for when and where, and keep you informed. Keep an eye out for her favorite plant picks in Rainy Side Gardeners' Garden Writers' Top Ten Plants series, where professional garden writers give us a list of their favorites. Look for her top favs in the next couple of months.  Phil Wood, another writer for DIGS, continues with his garden designs; you can still read his monthly columns on Rainy Side Gardeners.

I know a few gardeners in the Puget Sound region who subscribe to the Oregonian’s Home and Garden magazine that comes out on Thursdays. Maybe I will too. Let’s hope the newspaper doesn’t let that gem go by the wayside. Yes, we can see some online at OregonLive.com  Homes and Garden, but its not the same as sitting reading the morning paper, sipping a cup of tea and pouring over the highly informative newspaper section.  Their daily tips for both home and garden is handy; furthermore, Kym Pokorney’s Dig in with Kym  should not be missed. 

Oregon gardeners are lucky to have a dedicated garden section like this in their local paper.  Those of us in Washington will remain green with envy or pay a higher subscription rate to be in on the action.  This is a reminder that we should support our favorite reading places by visiting their sponsors and letting the powers that be know we are reading, learning and enjoying the material.

I switched my subscription over to the Seattle P-I. I read the Thursday, January 17 front-page news, how conventioneers, who recently visited The Emerald City, rated the biggest metropolitan area in the Northwest.  Many agreed to hold their conventions here, enjoying Seattle’s walkable downtown and friendly people.  They did think we needed a better rapid transport system.  Our “lousy weather” appeared to be the biggest complaint.

But our rainy season is what makes the Pacific Northwest unique.  It’s the reason we can live at this latitude and remain mild year round in a USDA zone 7-8 climate instead of a zone 4 or 5. We recognize how exceptional it is to garden and live in this horticultural mecca. Just read the tales of woe from gardeners in other areas of the country and know how lucky we are to be in a garden paradise!

Speaking of conventions, I must mention one of the top flower and garden events in the nation is our very own Northwest Flower & Garden Show. It’s almost time to gather like children in a botanical playground and frolic around the Washington Convention Center in downtown  Seattle, February 20-24. In Portland, the Yard, Garden and Patio Show is slated for February 15-17. I am attending both shows, so maybe we will bump into each other at one of these fabulous events. You will recognize me as the disheveled one standing in the middle of the show, drooling uncontrollably, eyes glazed over, laden with packages, camera slung over my shoulder, and muttering Latin names. Or is that you?