The
INSIDE Pot Priorities
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Dollars vs. Eelgrass
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Beauty the United Way
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Container garden 101 By Cali Bagby Weekly editor
On a first date over the winter, he asked me, “So do you have any plants?” I said yes, and then he asked, “are they alive?” I wasn’t sure how to answer. Some of my plants appeared to be more brown than green while others had what some call a “wilted look.” I had two problems. I didn’t want to leave the heat on in my house, which was a hazard for the banana plant trying to survive in my living room. The other problem was that my deck, which housed my herbs and veggies, was not getting enough sun. So I told my date, “yes, my plants are alive.” But the conversation made me wonder, what do plants say about a person? Now that I live in an apartment located in a sunnier area, my once straggly looking plants in pots have truly blossomed, making me look like I may have a green thumb hidden somewhere way beneath the skin. So I thought I would reach out to Weekly readers and see what advice they would have on growing a potted garden. Lopez resident Becki Maxson lives in a condo in town with a small yard that has motivated her to “get creative.” She said going vertical can help to utilize a small space and railings on a deck can make a perfect opportunity
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for boxes to grow vegetables like lettuce that have short roots. She also has a row of white buckets with holes on the bottom that allow her plants to suck up water from a trough below. She fills the water below at least once a week. “Everything is an experiment,” she says as she gives me a tour of her garden. She also recommends Guerrilla gardening, meaning you find someone with property that has room and see if you can borrow some space. Other pointers for a container garden: A plus of having a potted garden, like mine, is that it keeps the soil nice and warm. Some of the plants that seem extra happy in containers are oregano, thyme, kale, spicy basil, swiss chard, chives, parsley, peas and tomatoes. You have to really watch your watering because soil in smaller containers dry out much more quickly. Make sure the container has drain holes on the bottom or is filled almost halfway with rocks to drain the excess water. You do have to start worrying about bringing pots indoors when winter comes around because they will freeze and crack. Throughout my gardening experiences I have also learned that you have to be creative, persistent and patient. So, if you’re looking for a long-lasting relationship, it turns out that asking about plants on a first date may make
VOLUME 36, NUMBER 36 • September 3, 2013
Cali Bagby/ Staff photo
Scenes from Becki Maxson’s garden. perfect sense. For more info about gardening, visit the Master Gardeners’ Program’s Information Table set up from 10 a.m-12 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Sunset Builders to answer your gardening questions. Bring samples in a sealed plastic bag of unknown plants, plant problems or pests for identification and recommendations.
Island Hospital spurns partnership By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
At almost the same time on Thursday, August 29, Island Hospital backed away from affiliating with PeaceHealth medical system and the San Juan Hospital Commission parried questions and com-
ments from islanders concerned that Peace Island Hospital services were being circumscribed by Catholic moral strictures expressed in the Bishops’ Ethical and Religious Directives for Health Care Services. Just hours earlier,
PeaceHealth announced a reduction in force of 500 jobs as the three-state health care system struggled with revenue shortfalls of $130 million in its Washington operations. At a meeting in Mount Vernon, the commissioners of the public hospital
To enroll www.medevacmembership.org or 800-966-6914 Look for a brochure in your mailbox.
district governing Island Hospital, which operates the Orcas Medical Center in Eastsound, voted not to join Skagit Regional Health Hospital and Cascade Valley Hospital in signing a “letter of intent” to affiliate with the PeaceHealth hospital system, which operates hospitals and clinics in Bellingham and Friday Harbor. Details of the letter of intent to negotiate a contract were not immediately available, nor was an explanation of the University of Washington health care system’s participation in the new alliance. UW Medicine and PeaceHealth are negotiating a proposed collaboration involving referrals between the two systems and provision of medical See PARTNERSHIP, page 4