SEATTLE — Each week master Gardener and Pacific Northwest icon Ciscoe Morris selects a few of your questions and answers them on the show!
Do you have a question for Ciscoe? Email them to newday@king5.com, join the conversation on our Facebook Page or comment on one of our posts in the Gardening with Ciscoe Fan Club Facebook Group (They are a great group!).
You can keep up to date on Ciscoe's busy schedule at ciscoe.com.
From Cheryl Odell Prihar: What's the best way to winter my potted, outdoor, perennials?
Okay, it's pretty easy to do this. And you need to protect them from the cold because plants sitting in pots are much more susceptible to freeze than a plant planted in the ground because the freezing air can freeze the roots. So all you gotta do is find some kind of structure. You could build one or find a big plastic box and put all those potted plants in there. Make sure all the pots are about the same size for each box. Then you can fill it with compost all the way up to the top of the pots. Maybe cover up just the tops a little bit. Or, you can use leaves too, so if you've got a bunch of leaves somewhere that you could put in there - all you're trying to do is insulate those roots from the cold.
You don't have to worry about the tops they're used to cold they can handle it, and they'll be in great shape! You'll pull 'em out this spring and plant 'em or put them back on your patio or balcony and they'll be great!
Question from Crystal Phillips: Are there any plants that deter dogs from coming into my yard to do their business?
That's quite a good question that people ask me that over the years. And in my own backyard because you know I have two pooches. I have noticed that they don't like the herbs very much so we have a problem with them running in some of our gardens and frolicking but the other thing I don't like it what they do it. And so, I noticed that we're we have lavender and rosemary and basil and other herb plants. They'll frolic a little in there but they don't hang around to do other things in here so that can help.
One time, my wife Mary planted hops. They grow up a trellis and the next year she took that trellis out but she forgot to take the hops out. They ended up as a ground cover throughout the garden and the dogs hated it! They didn't like walking on those hops and they never went in there! But to tell you the truth, I don't think there's any plant that's really going to deter them if they want to do that. I think you just got a figure dogs or dogs, you gotta let 'em do what they're gonna do!
Question from Rob MacPherson: Why do Gnomes like my garden so much?
Well, if you're accumulating Gnomes, it means you were bad in your last life. The only chance you have is to sell your house. Buy a condominium and make sure there's no balcony. 🤣😂
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day. KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.