Dirt-y Secrets: June is the gardener’s favorite month
By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist
“June is bustin’ out all over!”
— Carousel, by Rodgers and Hammerstein
This is the month gardeners wait for all year. Seeds are planted and …
Tagged: Ranel Hanson
Dirt-y Secrets: Welcome to the beautiful, busy garden season
By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist
“I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May.” — Smokey Robinson
If you are a gardener …
Dirt-y Secrets: Spring has (mostly) arrived
By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist
“It is one of those April days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold, when it is summer in the light and …
Dirt-y Secrets: A preseason garden checklist
By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist
“In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move.”
— Henry Rollins, punk rocker
The earth is waking up soon, and we will see …
Dirt-y Secrets: Winter approaches
By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist
“They who sing through summer, must dance through winter.” — Italian Proverb
There is no doubt about it, we are entering a new season and …
Dirt-y Secrets: Pre-fall routines for healthy plants and animals
By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist
The light has changed and the nights have cooled. It is a glorious time of transition. Summer is winding down but we still have lots …
Dirt-y Secrets: Tips and tricks for maintaining a healthy backyard ecosystem this August
By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist
“Make hay while the sun shines.” — Proverb
No truer words were ever spoken. Now is the time to celebrate all growing things and to …
Dirt-y Secrets: Summer is a busy season in the garden
By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist
“Hot fun in the summertime!”
— Sly Stone
If you are a gardener, you live for summer. I am speaking for myself and anyone who …
Dirt-y Secrets: Have patience in June and don’t give up on garden tasks
By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist
“Wherever you are planted in life, bloom with courage and grace.”
— adapted from Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
I can think of two people …
Dirt-y Secrets: Being mindful of harmful plants to pets,fertilizer and insecticides
By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist
Hello gardeners! As I write this in mid-February, we are just emerging from some serious cold — and wind. That combination, with little snow covering …
Coming up this week! Don’t miss Live Music, the Summer Sampler, the Art Party, Monarch Grind, the Sandpoint Renaissance Faire, and more! See the full list of events in the 