Start Your Own “Salad” Garden…Easily

Start Your Own “Salad” Garden…Easily

By Jim McLain

Over the last several years, vegetable gardens have been popping up like dandelions in backyards across America. One reason for the renaissance of vegetable gardening has been the recession.

But there is also another reason: a desire for fresh produce that has been grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Not so long ago, organic farmers and gardeners were thought to be sort of, well, wacko. But organic gardening — gardening without chemicals  — has now gained mainstream acceptance.

If you are considering starting your first vegetable garden this year, whether you decide to jump on the organic gardening bandwagon or not, heed these two words of advice: start small.

Unfortunately, many first-time gardeners are overly enthusiastic and plant a garden that is far too large. By the time the heat of summer rolls around, many of these gardens have become jungles of abandoned weeds.

Ease into vegetable gardening by limiting your first to just one small 8-by-4-foot raised bed that will grow a surprising amount of produce.

Here’s how to start: purchase three 1-by-6 inch pieces of rot-resistant cedar lumber that are 8 feet in length. Cut one of them into two 4-footers. Nail them to the ends of the two remaining eight-foot boards. Voila! You now have the beginnings of a small 32-square-foot garden.

Select a site that receives at least six hours of sunlight a day. Dig out the turf if it is to be located where there is now lawn. Settle in your frame, then fill your raised bed with soil to within two inches of the top. You may be able to “borrow” soil from your flowerbeds, or you can buy garden or potting soil by the bag at garden centers. Add some garden compost or composted steer manure to enrich the soil.

For your first garden, consider limiting it to a “salad” garden — one that will provide ingredients for tossed salads throughout the gardening season. Begin your garden in the latter part of April or early May. Plant some of these cool season vegetables: radishes, lettuce, mesclun, chard, spinach and Walla Walla sweet onions. Two weeks later, plant carrots.

Run your rows across the width of the bed. Rows can be as close as four inches apart for your lettuce and other greens. They won’t need to be thinned because you will be harvesting them while they are still small.

Using the cut-and-come-again method, harvest just enough for one salad at a time. Use scissors to snip leaves about an inch above the ground. Your plants will then regrow and give you a second and possibly a third cutting before they begin to bolt and set seed.

When your cool season vegetables have passed their prime, replace them with warm season salad vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Buy tomato transplants of varieties that have “bush” in their name, such as “Bush Early Girl.” They will take up less space. Even so, you will need to use a tomato cage to support and confine them. Two plants will likely produce all the tomatoes you need. On the other hand, you should have room for at least three or four sweet pepper plants, which should also be bought as transplants.

For cucumbers, construct a simple, space-saving trellis at the end of your bed for them to climb. You will need to tie the vines to the trellis when they first begin to run, starting them on their upward journey. Seed your cucumbers in the garden or start transplants indoors.

Keep your garden producing by successive planting — replacing each crop that has finished producing with a new planting of the same or different kind of vegetable. This can be continued right into July or even later for some vegetables, including carrots.

Nothing succeeds like success. By keeping your first vegetable garden small, you will expend minimum time and effort, but you will reap the benefits of a successful first garden. In following years, you may decide to expand your gardening by adding an additional raised bed to include a variety of other vegetables you didn’t have room for this year.

 

WSU Extension Master Gardener Program is an organization of trained volunteers dedicated to horticulture and community service. Questions about gardening, landscaping, or this program can be directed toward the Master Gardener Clinic at 509-574-1600, or visit the WSU Extension office at 104 N. First St. in Yakima. New volunteers are welcome.

 

A Calming Color Palette

A Calming Color Palette

By Melissa S. Labberton

Color can set the mood, evoke emotion and bring back memories. (In fact, House Beautiful devoted its entire March 2010 issue to the color blue.) That’s why Sue Fenich and her design consultant and friend, Judy Ausink, felt that choosing the perfect color palette for Sue’s 1907 mock Tudor home on West Yakima Avenue was so important to the overall interior design.

Sue, a 52-year-old community volunteer, and her husband, Randy, a 51-year-old managing partner of Moss Adams, acquired the property in 1980. They loved that they were only the fourth owner and that the home’s 5,100 square feet allowed room for a growing family. Located in one of Yakima’s oldest and most gracious neighborhoods, the property encompasses just under 1 acre of land. As an added bonus, the 4-bedroom, 3-bath home came with a delightful guesthouse in the backyard.

The couple made updating their two-story home a priority from the beginning, hoping to have it placed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, they never could have predicted the 1991 fire that started in an electrical panel, gutting the basement and causing extensive damage throughout the main floor. They lived with family for nine months until their home was made livable again by Frank Fitterer Construction.

But over the past several years, Fenich has remodeled and redecorated parts of the home, working by herself and with Auskink to refresh some of the original remodeling done almost 20 years ago. “Judy was very reassuring and supportive and helped me achieve my vision,” said Fenich.

The first step was choosing the home’s silver sage color scheme.

“A soothing color palette was chosen by Sue for her living room. That became a jumping-off point for the re-do of the kitchen, family room, hall and bath,” Ausink explained. “We were both in agreement that the same color scheme needed to be used throughout the home.”

 

 

 

For years, Fenich compiled an “idea book” full of decorating ideas that would work in her house. But it was a wrong turn on a trip to Bellevue that landed Fenich at Calico Corners, where she discovered the fabric that inspired her silver sage color palette. That fabric became her custom living room curtains, and coordinating fabrics cover furniture that she’s used throughout her home.

“Sue’s strengths include her ability to design gorgeous window treatments that are embellished with all the bells and whistles,” Ausink explained. Fenich chose an elegant Empire-style valence, patterned with tiny fleur-de-lis, for the large front window in the living room, which complements the plush sofa and contrasting wingbacks and Oriental rug. A pencil drawing of Fenich’s great-grandfather over the fireplace mantel makes a perfect focal point for a formal, but comfortable, room.

 

With two teenage children, creating a family room on the main floor became a priority, so the couple decided to remodel the first-floor master bedroom for that purpose. By opening up the old bedroom’s large walk-in closet, they created an office alcove adjacent to the warm and welcoming family room. Matching Calico Corner sofas from the same silver sage palette were coupled with side tables and accessories purchased from many local merchants such as Fiddlesticks and The Village Shop, and make the room a perfect place for casual entertaining with family and friends.

Although the kitchen went through a total renovation in 1991, Fenich felt it needed refreshing after so many years of wear and tear. “We wanted to bring new life to the worn out kitchen we spend most of our time in,” said Fenich. “Randy loves to cook, and I love to have friends and family over, so our kitchen had seen a lot of use and was just very tired.”

In 2008, the couple hired Kline Construction to take on the project. “The first priority in the kitchen was to update the space while using (the) existing cabinets and floor plan, without losing the flavor of an older home,” Ausink explained.

A second priority was to rebuild the existing island with new countertops and paint, making sure to allow for Randy’s new wine cooler. Keeping the same color palate in mind, new appliances, flooring, sink and hardware also contributed to the kitchen’s updated look. Painting and reglazing the existing kitchen cabinets — instead of replacing them — became one of the most cost-effective aspects of the project. Kline’s painters worked their magic on the original natural wood cabinets, transforming them with Navajo White paint and glaze. The result gives them an elegant, old-world charm.

A mantleless fireplace on the northeast wall of the kitchen proved the most complex piece of their remodeling puzzle. Fenich drew a sketch of what she wanted, and the contractor created a fireplace that looks almost exactly like her drawing. Now framed by an exquisite mantel and two bookshelves for her cookbook collection, the fireplace has a comfortable tiled hearth, which serves as a cozy place to sit and enjoy the warmth of the flames. They also added French doors that open onto a back porch and a stairway that leads to the manicured backyard and swimming pool, allowing for seamless summer entertaining.

Sue and Randy Fenich are far from done when it comes to updating their beautiful old home; in fact, Sue is already scouring decorating magazines in search of the perfect dining room.

 

From Ballet Studio to Beautiful Family Home

The living room, with its matching Empire-style sofas, antique side tables and cozy fireplace was once a dance studio. Photo by Rod Woolcock

From Ballet Studio to Beautiful Family Home

By Melissa S. Labberton

Many Yakima residents remember the large Craftsman-style house at 2215 Summitview Ave. as St. Clair’s Dance Studio. From 1950 to 1992, Vera and Stanley St. Clair taught hundreds of local children and adults how to dance in their first-floor studio. However, all the plies and pirouettes became a whisper within the house’s old walls when Vera St. Clair passed away 17 years ago.

Today, Dennis Richardson and Julie Picatti-Richardson own the beautiful, 4,810-square-foot home.  Together, they’ve worked hard to bring the 1919 farmhouse that W.H. Strausz built in the middle of his cherry orchard back to its former glory.  Finding the original blueprints drawn by H. Weatherwax, one of Yakima’s earliest architects, provided the couple with many helpful clues.

Summer Hahn, archivist for the Yakima Valley Museum, explained that around the turn of the 20th century, the Craftsman house design became very popular in the United States — families could actually order one from the Sears and Roebuck catalog.

“I consider the Strausz home a High Craftsman style, because you couldn’t buy it in a catalog,” he (cq) said.  Hahn explained that Richardson’s home is a larger version that was custom built and became popular with the upper class in the 1910s and 1920s.

It was the home’s custom woodwork, 10-foot ceilings, large rooms and simple elegance that first attracted Richardson when he bought it as a bachelor in 2002.  He became fascinated with the home’s history and loved discovering the original, turn-of-the-century features that still exist.  For instance, the house was built with the kitchen in the basement, but sometime before 1950, the family moved it to the main floor.

Dennis said a servant’s buzzer still remains in the basement, designed to alert those upstairs that dinner was being delivered by the dumbwaiter, which is behind a door in the first floor stairwell.  For decades a second floor chute has sent dirty clothes to the basement laundry room, and a pre-refrigeration icebox awaited the arrival of an ice man in the hall by the back door.   A favorite spot for the couple is the original kitchen nook, featuring a flip-up table for easily sweeping out crumbs.  The couple converted a   hidden ironing board into a handy spice cabinet, and they converted the second floor maid’s quarters into a guest room with a bath.

Spreading out the 90-year-old blueprints on the dining room table, Dennis pointed out that several owners since 1992 have played a part in the remodeling of the old home.

“Bob Page restored the molding and took down a lot of wallpaper,” Dennis said. “He did a lot of renovation on the main floor.” Page and his wife, Carol, enlarged and modernized the kitchen, without losing its vintage feel. They pushed it out to make a seating area and installed a new stove and refrigerator that resemble 1920s appliances.

Dennis and Julie married three years ago, but even while dating she played an active role in the home’s restoration.  The couple also enlisted the help of Seattle interior designer Carrie Hayden, owner of the Great Jones Home Store in Belltown.  Hayden has helped them find furniture, wallpaper and custom shades that have enhanced the style of the house.  The couple love to entertain friends and family, and the large L-shaped dining and living area offers a perfect backdrop for cocktails in front of the fireplace and  dinner at their antique mahogany table with its cozy banquet sofas.  The simple sophistication they’ve achieved complements the understated elegance of the Craftsman design.

Modernizing without destroying the integrity of the house has been the couple’s prime concern. Besides restoring four upstairs bedrooms, they added a Southern-style sun porch and installed a delightful powder room on the main floor. The second story now boasts two new full baths and a remodeled original bathroom. The use of exquisite Italian limestone tiles and high-end fixtures has given all the bathrooms a luxurious old-world feel.

For Dennis and Julie, there are projects yet to be done, but their immediate focus is on preparing a nursery.   Even with twins on the way, their home is fit for the whole family.

Enjoy an Indoor Garden This Winter

Enjoy an Indoor Garden This Winter

By Marge Greenwood

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.  ~Chinese Proverb

Rich red roses in a flush of bloom; russet and yellow striped petals bursting amid lush green chrysanthemum leaves; pendulous succulents dripping with fat buds and blooms — winter hothouses bring us these out-of-season beauties to delight our eyes and brighten our homes during the holiday months of winter.

Lovely to give and receive, the charms of flowering plants can linger on after all the decorations are put away and the cut flowers are faded and gone.  Some can even be transitioned outside in spring.

Miniature roses and chrysanthemums are beautiful and easy to grow.  Both need bright light, but the flowers will last longer if they are not in direct sunlight while blooming.  Tolerant of some temperature variation, they prefer 60 to 70 degrees, a spot away from heat vents or cold air returns, evenly distributed moisture and good drainage.  Spray with water occasionally or set a saucer filled with gravel and water under the pot to provide humidity.  After blooms fade, don’t expect new growth right away – a resting period is normal after heavy bloom.  If your plant doesn’t appear to be maintaining health, it may need a larger pot.

When all danger of frost is past, roses and mums can be hardened off and planted outdoors in a sunny spot with well-drained, fertile soil.

Most poinsettias end up in the garbage or compost after the holidays.  Admittedly they are a little difficult to care for, and coaxing them to re-bloom takes dedication and vigilance.  But for those up to the challenge the results can be stunningly rewarding.

Ideally, poinsettias prefer 60 to 70 degrees with about six hours of indirect light a day.  Extremes and fluctuation in temperature will cause leaf drop, so when bringing your new poinsettia home, protect it from the cold and position it away from cold windows and warm or cold drafts.  Only water when the soil is dry and remove decorative foil for good drainage.  Never let it sit in standing water.

When leaves drop, usually by early spring, prune back to eight inches, repot and continue to water and fertilize.  After new growth appears and while nighttime temperatures are above 55 degrees, pots can be put outside.  Continue fertilizing and pruning to keep plants healthy and compact. Stop pruning in August.

Now comes the fun!  Beginning in October cover plants each night for fourteen hours of uninterrupted dark (black plastic works great) – then uncover and expose to bright light for six-to-eight hours a day, keeping temps between 60 and 70 degrees. Follow this regime for eight to ten weeks for brilliantly colored bracts by the holidays.  Tip: don’t fertilize your plant while in bloom.   With proper care, you will enjoy your poinsettia for years.

Christmas cactus is an interesting and different plant.   Its arching, dangling growth habit offers interesting visual lines punctuated by tropical-looking flowers.

Preferring cool but not freezing temps, these cacti dislike drafts such as those near a vent or an outside door.  Allow the top inch of soil to dry between thorough waterings.   Do not over water!  As with most tropical plants, however, they do like humidity and respond well to a gravel and water-filled saucer under the pot.  After blooming, place in a cool room and give limited water for a 30-day rest.  A few leaves may drop during this process.

To encourage blooms, cover plants for 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night starting in October.  Alternatively, cool temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees will also trigger budding.  This can sometimes be accomplished by setting the plant near a cold window pane.  As buds form on the side near the window, turn plant a quarter turn to expose another side.  The first buds will begin blooming and continue around the plant as you continue to turn it – thus extending bloom time.

Plants can be repotted in early spring – one tip though, they do seem to flower best when kept pot-bound.  This tropical specimen cannot be planted outside, although pots can be placed outside in sheltered areas during stable, warm weather.

The pleasures of flowering plants in winter are worthy of their maintenance, which itself is part of the sustaining gift for those of us with a gardener’s heart.

A Peek Inside John Gasperetti’s New House

Photos by Gordon King

John Gasperetti never imagined he’d find his dream house at 9:30 at night.

After living for 30 years in a gracious, 1911 three-story colonial on 16th Avenue, Gasperetti and Brad Patterson decided it was time to downsize to a one-level house that hopefully offered a view of the Yakima Valley. Read more

Master Gardeners

Holiday Ideas for the Gardener

The weather outside is chilly, the garden tools are all put away, the garden is sleeping, but the gardener is busy getting ready for the holidays.

The bustle of preparations for seasonal entertaining and gift giving can have special meaning for the gardener who has been preparing since spring (or even last fall) for favorite foods, decorations and gifts for the holidays. Read more