I n d e p e n d e n c e ..D a y.. H o u r s : .. 8 a m.. t o.. 5 p m

Sources of information include: Maple Leaf Ace Hardware crew, WSU King County Extension Master Gardener, Ed Hume Seeds, Hometime, Money Magazine, City of Seattle, King County, Plant Amnesty, “Gardening Month by Month in Washington & Oregon,” The National Gardener’s Association, Mountain Valley Growers, Cedar Grove, Whitney Farms, Scotts, The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Seattle Tilth, and other links on our website.

Inventory checklist:
___     Exterior paint & prep supplies (see our checklist in the "paint" tab on left)
___     Interior paint & prep supplies
___     Furnace filters
___     Box fans for ventilation
___     Moss control: roofs, walks, yards
___     Deck & fence stain
___     Hand weeding tools, knee pads, gloves
___     Soil test kit
___     Dolomite Lime for lawns, if necessary (raises pH to 6 or 7, which is good for grass)
___     Lawn fertilizer w/moss control, organic lawn fertilizer
___     Organic garden flower & vegetable fertilizer
___     Rose fertilizer (also good for lilacs)
___     Ladybugs for aphids control
___     Nematodes for crane fly larva control
___     Sluggo Slug Bait
___     Netting for berry vines
___     Plant stakes
___     Tomato cages
___     Canning supplies

Maintenance:
___     Exterior paint & prep
___     Furnace filter change every three months
___     September is National Preparedness month: review your disaster kit
___     Clean/repair gutters & downspouts
___     Repair screen windows & doors
___     Replace broken window glass panes
___     Inspect & repair roof damage
___     Seal attic and crawl space cracks and gaps
___     Porch and deck cleaning, repairing, painting, and staining
___     We’ll sharpen your garden tools or replace with new
___     We’ll sharpen your lawn mower blade — sharper blades = a cleaner cut = healthier grass
___     Weed control in lawn & garden beds
___     Add compost, lime, fertilizer, as necessary, to all growing garden beds
___     Add compost, manure, peat moss, coconut coir moss, etc. to gardens
___     Plant spring blooming flower bulbs (allium, amaryllis, crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, tulips), September thru November
___     Put out netting to protect ripening fruits and berries from birds and/or rodents
.......Are your pruners sharp?
___     Tip pinch vine berries when the new growth has reached about 2 to 3 feet, usually in June/July.
___     Prune down to the ground the berry canes that produced berries this year, from late June through November.
___     Prune pines, flowering trees (after blooming), lilac, and lavender in May.
___     Prune vines, deadwood, weak, and diseased branches in June and July
___     Prune wisteria, hedges, heathers, fuchsias, and lavender (immediately after bloom) in June.
___     Prune, pinch, shear, and shape evergreens like junipers, cypress, and conifers from June through August