Although it might not be apparent from his off-beat, congenial stories and stretched-to-the-limit puns, Ciscoe Morris is an expert gardener, whose inordinate enthusiasm and expertise has created a loyal following. He is well known in the northwest with his weekly radio program on KSQM 91.5, and according to his website gives over 50 garden presentations a year. He and his wife also love to travel and lead worldwide garden tours, as well as embark on their own adventurous junkets, such as a 360-mile hiking trek in France. Their 1,000-mile biking trip in France became the source of his well-known comment, “Oh, la, la!” For that anecdote, you must read his book. When not doing all of this, he can be found working in his own garden in Seattle. During the pandemic lockdown, in some serendipitous way, I discovered him, and found his passion, enthusiasm and knowledge to be refreshing, uplifting and informative.

There are studies that show gardening is beneficial both mentally and physically, but for those of us who are avid and obsessive about it, we really do not care. We just love doing it. I prefer pulling weeds over indoor housekeeping. By the way, according to a former botany professor, a weed is anything you do not want in your garden. Therefore you could have a garden full of crabgrass, which I do not recommend.

Ciscoe tackles the following topics: pruning, insects, wildlife, his work at Seattle University, home gardening, “plant potpourri,” tidbits, and travel adventures. I cannot think of a better way to start 2024 than to plant something, and there is no better person than Ciscoe Morris to get you started. For what it’s worth, unless you have tasted a homegrown tomato, you do not know what you’ve been missing. 

Check Gardens and Gardening for more recommended books.