Calculating the Real Dollar Value of Trees with a Simple Online Tool

A Japanese maple tree with deep red leaves partially covers a small stone lantern in a garden setting.

It goes without saying that trees provide a lot of benefits to the homeowner, but now there’s a way to actually calculate the actual savings in terms of real dollars. A two-inch thick vine maple (a ubiquitous feature in the Seattle area) provides about $50 in overall benefits, with the bulk of it coming in gains in property value, according to this cool National Tree Benefit Calculator developed by Casey Trees. OK, it’s not meant…

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Time to plant potatoes in the Northwest

A young potato plant with broad green leaves growing in dark, loose soil in a garden bed.

Potatoes are one of the easiest plants to grow in the Northwest. Home-grown potatoes also taste so much better than what you buy at the grocery store. You can plant potatoes as early as March (to harvest in the summer and early fall) and typically as late as June (for harvest in late fall). You should be able to find seed potatoes at most nurseries, or you can order them through Territorial Seed Co. I’ve…

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