Hot weather rarely brings to mind planting seeds, but by the end of August the weather will begin to cool and it will be a great time to get fall seeds into the ground. It’s easy and fun to grow tasty veggies and hardy annuals and many do wonderfully in the cooler days of autumn.

Fresh cut flowers from the garden are a joy in any room. Too often, though, the lovely flowers we pick fade all too quickly. Conditioning them can extend the cut life of our blossoms considerably.

The scent of roses is universally popular and the bright colors and large flowers make them a welcome addition to any garden. That is, until the care and upkeep of most roses consumes too much time and out they come. To counter this wanton destruction of the world’s most popular flower, breeders are now hybridizing for easy care.

Spring has sprung and that means wine tasting events in the Yakima Valley can’t be far behind.

April 18-20 is the annual Pre-Barrel Tasting weekend on the Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail, in which wineries roll out the barrels in a quieter, more intimate event featuring new wine releases, conversations with the winemakers about their crafts and great specials.

Avoid the crowds that will be at all the wineries the following weekend during the official Spring Barrel Tasting event. No fees are required during Pre-Barrel Tasting April 18-20, and the event is more one-on-one with the winemakers. Some wineries will offer futures for sale on their soon-to-be released wines.

April 25 to April 27 is Spring Barrel Tasting weekend featuring three days of wine sampling and festivities. Several wineries will have activities to drown out winter doldrums, including live bands, food at reasonable prices and artists displaying their art.

The weather is warming and it’s beginning to feel like spring! The bulbs are up and will soon be in bloom and the trees and shrubs are in bud and will soon leaf out. Outside beckons after cold winter, and it will soon be time to get the garden ready for summer.

Gardens are never static. After looking great for several years, plants can easily become overgrown or invaded by weeds. Look carefully. Some plants, usually the trees and larger shrubs will remain. It is hard for any gardener to take out a tree or shrub but if they were originally planted too closely, or in the wrong place cutting out the weakest will give the rest a chance to attain their full potential. If this is what’s needed, take heart and just do it. Large trees and shrubs can be moved, but that is a chore that is best left to professionals. Careful pruning of the rest will give them light and air. Be sure to leave pruning until dormancy on any shrubs or trees that have leafed out.

For years, New Mexico State University managed a ranch on the Jornada, running Santa Gertrudis’ cattle.  One of the vivid lessons I learned was the intense protectiveness of the Braymer-blood mama cows.  If you stepped into the high-fenced corrals with the mothers and their youngin’s, you were asking for trouble.  They were big, dark red, rangey and high-horned.  When one turned her head and locked you in her gaze, you knew how it felt to look down the barrel of a cannon and see Darth Vader peekin’ back!

In genteel terms, in the cow business that behavior is called ‘good mothering instinct.’  That’s like describing my teenage son’s socks as “making a bold statement.”  The instinct is characteristic in the females of most species, with notable exceptions in the seahorse, the penguin and certain celebrities.

Selah orchardists who have been needing frost control, will have another tool in their arsenal as of April 4, when Naches-Selah Irrigation District will have water flowing in the canals.

All water users are supposed to give 24 notice before water goes on or off.

The release of water was delayed slightly because of improvements to the lines in the 11,000 acre district.

District Manager, Justin Harter, said the district has been working on modernizing the 11,000 acre district that irrigates farms from Naches to Gleed to Selah to the west side of the Wenas.

Unused agricultural and commercial-grade pesticides can be disposed of in Yakima on May 19-20, under an annual program run by the state Department of Agriculture.

Sign up by March 31, by calling 360-902-2056, 877-301-4555 (toll-free) or sending an e-mail to: wastepesticide@agr.wa.gov.

The no-cost collection is an opportunity for residents to get rid of potentially hazardous materials without worrying about liability.

Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides and most chemicals that kill, repel or prevent unwanted pests will be accepted. Empty pesticide containers, fertilizers, motor oil and household hazardous waste will not be accepted for disposal.

Participants will receive supplies to protect broken or leaky containers to ensure safe transportation to the collection site, as well as directions to the site, hours of operation and transportation documents.