tall clover farm

The Tyson pear is summer’s answer to winter’s Comice. I spent the first twenty-some years of my life eating but one pear: the Bartlett, first found canned, bobbing in a soup of syrupy sweetness, second as the only option in the grocery store produce aisle.  Years later, I discovered the many personalities and possibilities of the pear–the amazing [...]

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  The sun is out (May I hear an Amen!). My coffepot is yielding no more of its pricey brew. Boz and Gracie are resting on the sofa after an early morning of intense begging and need for post-Easter ham scraps. The day and to-do list are before me. While I strive to accomplish several (make that many, many) [...]

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The face of Easter may be wet, but she’s undettered (psst, look to the left). When the Easter bunny comes to the Pacific Northwest, he better bring along his gortex, galoshes and plastic eggs. There’s a joke that when a newcomer to Seattle asks a neighbor kid, “Hey Jimmy, does it ever stop raining here?” He replies, “Gosh Mister, how would I [...]

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One can, a bunch of bamboo and one home for your mason orchard bees How to Build a Mason Orchard Bee Nest, House I discovered the benefits of Mason Orchard Bees years ago when I stumbled upon Brian Griffin of Knox Cellars  at the Washington State Flower and Garden Show. He was selling bee starter [...]

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