Archive of Marion Owen’s Alaska Gardening Columns

Looking for gardening tips and inspirations?

Remember the story of the little boy shoveling through the pile of manure?

His father watched for a while and asked, “Son, what are you doing?”

“With all this manure, there must be a pony somewhere!”

For 26 years, I’ve written a weekly column for the Kodiak Daily Mirror, our hometown newspaper. I hope you discover answers in this resource of tried-n-true gardening tips.

These pages are not fancy or optimized to achieve high rankings in search engines. What you see is what you get: A taste of life in Kodiak, Alaska.

You might also enjoy videos I’ve created on my YouTube channel.

Feel free to share links. T return to my blog’s home page, click here.

Blessings,

Archive of Marion Owen’s Weekly Organic Gardening Columns

For the Year: 2022 (Please be patient… I’m catching up!)

June 20, 2022: How to grow – and love – Himalayan blue poppies: Your complete guide [#1359]
June 7, 2022: 7 shade plants that absolutely THRIVE in low light [#1356]
May 23, 2022: How to eat a primrose — “Hot Wheels” the paraplegic rabbit loves ’em [#1355]
May 16, 2022: True story: How raw potatoes healed 5 risky infections [#1354]
January 17, 2022: On cleaning house, chocolate avocado pudding recipe, seed viability list [#1337]
January 10, 2022: Seed Ordering Made Easy. Life is Good!  [#1336]
January 3, 2022:  [VIDEO] Christmas in Kodiak 2021: It’s a heat wave! [#1335]

For the Year: 2021

Dec 27, 2021: 13 New Year’s resolution for gardeners (#1334)
Dec 20, 2021: COMING SOON (#1333)
Dec 13, 2021: 8 gifts of experience: Simple gifts, not stuff! (#1332)
Dec 6, 2021: Mystery Solved! How red and green became the colors of Christmas (#1331)
Nov 29, 2021: COMING SOON (#1329)
Nov 22, 2021: COMING SOON (#1328)
Nov 15, 2021: COMING SOON (#1327)
Nov 8, 2021: COMING SOON (#1326)
Oct 25, 2021: COMING SOON (#1324)
Oct 18, 2021: COMING SOON (#1323)
Oct 11, 2021: COMING SOON (#1322)
Oct 4, 2021: The autumn garden and the sacred rhythm of rest (#1321)
Sept 20, 2021: Leaves, leaves, leaves COMING SOON (#1320)
Sept 13, 2021: Harvest tips COMING SOON (#1319)
Sept 6, 2021: How to grow spinach as a winter green (#1318)
Aug 30, 2021: A raspberry story, cilantro casserole, and a garden flop! (#1317)
Aug 23, 2021: The [coffee] joke’s on me, and how to predict the weather (#1316)
Aug 16, 2021: I have COVID: 12 essential things I added to my self-care kit (#1315)
Aug 9, 2021: How to identify, prevent, and treat gray mold on plants (#1314)
Aug 2, 2021: On baby slugs, and why you should love cress (#1313)
July 26, 2021: On marigolds, salmonberries, and pie (#1312)
July 19, 2021: Tips for garden photography on a sunny day (#1311)
July 12, 2021: Planting for kids: How to cultivate joy (#1310)
July 5, 2021: On biking cross country and slugs in the garden (#1309)
June 28, 2021: Aphids on plants suck! (#1308)
June 21, 2021: Chickweed: Friend, Foe, or Food? (#1307)
June 14, 2021: How to Garden and Compost by the Moon (#1306).
June 7, 2021: Rhu-Berry crisp and my favorite all-purpose topping (#1305).
May 31, 2021: Avoid “gardening burnout” with Pomodoro time management (#1304).
May 24, 2021: To a bumblebee, dandelions are manna from heaven (#1303)
May 17, 2021: Teabags contain plastic? What it means for you and your garden (#1302)
May 10, 2021: What baby eagles can teach us about seedlings, life (#1301).
May 3, 2021: 25 years of writing about gardening in Kodiak, Alaska  (#1300).
Apr 26, 2021: 8 benefits of raised beds and 14 easy veggies (#1299).
Apr. 19, 2021: Brrr! When spring is long in coming (#1298).
Apr. 12, 2021: Carnegie Hall and spring gardening tips (#1297).
Apr. 5, 2021: Eating primroses and beating tomatoes (#1296)
Mar. 29, 2021: Perennials, pruners, and mulch…Oh, my! (#1295).
Mar. 22, 2021: Driving Miss Crocus (#1294).
Mar. 15, 2021: “M” is for Moisture (If seedlings could talk) (#1293).
Mar. 8, 2021: Rising cost of shipping and 3 essentials for starting seeds (#1292)
Mar. 1, 2021: If you hate aphids, I have good news (#1291).
Feb. 22, 2021: Ode to oranges: Alaska’s favorite winter fruit (#1290).
Feb. 15, 2021: How to grow sweet peas Up North (#1289).
Feb. 8, 2021: The perils of Valentine’s day and how to keep cut flowers fresh (#1288).
Feb. 1, 2021: Column #1287 is missing. Sorry.
Jan. 25, 2021: 2 Recipes: Vegan breakfast hash and when to start seeds (#1286).
Jan. 18, 2021: Winter Composting Made Easy (#1285).
Jan. 11, 2021: Garden your way out of a bad mood (#1284).
Jan. 4, 2021: How snow delivers nitrogen to your garden (#1283).
BONUS: 5 Garden Trends You Need to Know for 2021 (#1282).

For the Year: 2020

Dec. 28, 2020: From hobby to mandate: The role of gardening in 2021 (#1281).
Dec. 21, 2020: All is Calm, All is Bright  (#1280).
Dec. 14, 2020: How to Beat the Holiday Blues (#1279).
Dec. 7, 2020: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas–for Gardeners (#1278).
Nov. 23, 2020: John Lennon, cranberry jelly, and oyster (yech) casserole (#1277).
Nov. 23, 2020: Geranium cuttings and a vegan recipe: “Pumpkin Pie for the Soul” (#1276).
Nov. 16, 2020: Potato scab, spider mites, and Clint Eastwood (#1275).
Nov. 9, 2020: Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? (#1274).
Nov. 2, 2020: How to compost shredded paper (& more Q&A’s) (#1273).
Oct.26, 2020: Be of gourd cheer with 7 pumpkin recipes (#1272)
Oct.19, 2020: If I can make COMPOST, so can YOU! (#1271).
Oct.12, 2020: Can compost save the world? (#1270).
Oct. 6, 2020: How to rake leaves and what to do with them (#1269).
Sept. 28, 2020: How to rest after a busy gardening season (#1268).
Sept. 21, 2020: Loving spinach as a winter green (#1267).
Sept. 15, 2020: Gardening in a crazy world & overwintering begonias (#1266).
Sept. 8, 2020: Sunflowers, Stalin, and a recipe for grilled zucchini pizza (#1265).
Aug. 31, 2020: Thinking like a plant (#1264).