Volume 2, Issue 6

Epic Tomatoes: How to Select & Grow the Best Varieties of All Time
reviewed by Brian Thompson

Can you grow “Epic Tomatoes” in the Pacific Northwest?  A challenge, perhaps, but this new book by Craig LeHoullier will inspire you to try. Yes, he’s from Raleigh, North Carolina, but he lived in Seattle early in his gardening career. He’s most interested in heirlooms, suggests a rainbow of color options to try (a brown tomato anyone?), encourages you to grow from seed, and enlists the help of regional gardeners in finding the best varieties for our cool summers.

Ask the Plant Answer Line:
What's eating my currant leaves?

Q: My new house has a large currant or gooseberry bush. Now that it has leafed out there are numerous caterpillars eating the leaves. I know they are not tent caterpillars, but I cannot identify them. They are whitish-green with yellow bands across the top and bottom, with many black dots or bumps. The head and first six legs are black. It would be nice to learn more about them.

A: While we can't make a conclusive pest identification remotely, there is a possibility these caterpillars are currant sawfly, also called imported currantworm. Here is some information about this pest from Colorado State University Extension.  If this pest is the culprit, the book, The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control edited by Barbara Ellis (Rodale Press, 1996) recommends using Pyrethrin spray, spraying into the center of the bush.  For a definitive pest identification, bring a sample of the pest and its damage to a Master Gardener Clinic. Using the following link, you can locate a Master Gardener Clinic in your part of Washington State.

The Garden Classroom by Cathy James
reviewed by Laura Blumhagen

"Anything you can teach in an indoor classroom can be taught outdoors, often in ways that are more enjoyable for children." This bold assertion opens Cathy James' new book, and she proves her point with simple steps anyone who teaches children can take to enhance the curriculum outdoors. The projects are flexible, affordable and practical for small or large groups, aged 4 to 8. An invaluable resource for early education!

New to the Library May 2015