About your grape questions:

Cass Turnbull, founder of Plant Amnesty, pruning expert and author, says vines, including grape, can tolerate "radical pruning". In her book, Cass Turnbull's Guide to Pruning (2004), she writes:

 "Gardeners commonly renovate old, abandoned vines of all kinds by cutting them down to the ground, or more accurately, to a foot above.   Or you may cut a vine way back to a manageable framework and then retrain the rampant new growth in coming years.  Vines rarely, if ever die.  Instead they grow back amazlngly fast and look better. . . Okay, occassionally making a big cut on a really old stem/trunk will kill it. So if it has three big, old stems (3/4- to 1-inch diameter), only cut one or two this year.  Save one for backup.  If you have only one really big, old stem, just grite your teeth and do it"

Your grape vines would fit this scenario since the vines are 1.5" diameter at the base and old.  That said, I'd follow Turnbull's advice and cut it back as much as needed if you want to replace the arbor.  Turnbull cautions that grape vines bleed (run sap) if pruned to late in the winter.  Since it's almost the end of May, you will likely see sap, but it doesn't hurt the plant.  

Grape vines do take a lot of space and should be pruned annually.

Grape vines have a life expectancy of 80 years or more.  Depending on the age of your house, your vine may very well be in its final years.  The good news is that if you decide to try pruning it back, it may thrive, or if it dies, there are lots of great grape vines available.  Raintree Nursery stocks lots of vines that work well in the PNW. 

Now, about your Rhubarb:

Rhubarb's flavor is better earlier in the summer and, usually, harvesting stops by early July when the stalks start to become bitter, dry, and pithy.  Begin harvesting when the first stalks are at least 18 inches tall and the leaves are mature (12" across or more).  Since your rhubard is mature, each time you harvest, leave at least 8 stalks.   When harvesting, pull and twist the stalks away from the base.  Never use a knife or pruner.  The stalk left behind could become diseased.  When harvesting, remove all the foliage/leaves from the stalk. The leaves contain oxalic acid in toxic quantites.  Since your plant is old and has been neglected, I'd remove the oldest stems and keep the newest. New shoots should come up.  

 Rhubarb can live a long time in one spot, but should be divided every 8-10 years.  Rhubard also grows best in full sun.  Work in compost every year.  

I hope this helps. 

Rhubarb is bitter unless it is cooked, are you cooking the stalks or trying to eat it raw? Steer clear of the leaves, they contain poisons ( you'd have to eat alot of them but toxic is toxic). According to wikipedia there are two harvesting April/may and June/July

One great resource we have in town is the Herbalist over in Roosevelt. They can provide all sorts of info on all sorts of different herbs and the best ways to extract the goodness in infusions, decoctions, tisanes, etc. They can also tell you if there's anything you need to watch out for regarding dosage. I don't know if feverfew is a red-flag plant, but others (Digitalis, pennyroyal) are not to be messed with lightly.

https://www.theherbalist.com/

P.S. In my own experience, you can eat feverfew raw but it's hella bitter. Maybe drying it and getting it in a capsule would work? Again, check with the Herbalist.

The first five websites here list particulars of harvesting, and how to dry and/or otherwise prepare it for ingestion.

I hate to give you just a link but the answers you seek seem to be readily available:

http://bit.ly/IJdnNT

Depending on where you garden, it's definitely possible to sow fava beans in the fall and harvest a crop midspring.  The variety of bean you planted is important to identify:  large-seed or small-seed.  Why is this important to know?  Garden writer Willi Galloway has an excellent section in her new book Grow Cook Eat (2012) about fava beans. Willi recommends choosing "large-seed fava varieties. Small-seed types, which are known as faba, field, or bell beans, produce very starchy beans and are best used as a cover crop.” (Incidentally, I recently purchased Willi's book and recommend it to anyone considering vegetable gardening in the NW!)

If you planted the large-seed variety, then by all means wait to harvest the beans.  According to Territorial Seeds: "Fava beans are ready to harvest and cook as a green shelling bean when the pods drop from their erect habit on the stem and droop down.” Fava beans are more labor intensive than other crops and must be shucked, blanched, and peeled before used in most recipes. 

If you planted the small-seed variety, likely packaged as a cover crop, I would not wait to harvest the beans.  Instead turn over the plants into the soil and take advantage of the nitrogen fixing properties of the crop. Ideally, cover crops are turned under about 3 weeks before planting. This gives enough time for some decomposition to occur and for the soil to warm. By waiting until the plants flower or are at the seed stage, the crop can become woody and decompose more slowly. Whenever you can't turn the crop under in time, first chop or mow it, and turn it under as soon as possible. You can also remove and compost the clippings, returning them to the garden as compost.  

If you decide to grow fava beans, Will Galloway recommends two varieties:  'Aquadulce', her favorite and 'Broad Windsor', a popular British variety and an excellent choice for fall plantings .

Please let me know if you have more questions or if I didn't address your concerns.

I got mine this year at Home Depot. I did a 50/50 mix of manure and topsoil. Manure is great because it adds nutrients to the soil, and it's *ahem* cheaper than dirt. $1.29/cubic foot. The topsoil from Home Depot was something like $2.99/cubic foot. We bought a half dozen of each to fill the two new garden beds my boyfriend built.

Last year I got a full cubic yard of soil for $20 at a local nursery, scooped into the back of my pickup truck. This Spring, I caught the pickup truck on fire and promptly got rid of it. Moral of the story, soil is cheaper if you have a pickup truck and can haul your own in bulk but
not being in fire > cheap soil.

Home Depot has reasonable prices if you want to buy it by the sack and haul it in the car trunk.

PS - I use steer manure because I am a cheapskate and I don't really care about "organic." I think technically if you want an "organic" garden you need to pay extra for "organic" manure. I don't believe in buying expensive shit (haha, literally), but organic products may be available if that's your bag.

Bagged soil for gardening usually comes in 1 cubic foot bags.

You can use this website to calculate your volume in both cubic feet and cubic yards: http://www.cedar-grove.com/
Perhaps a good strategy would be not to fill the beds to the brim leaving you room to add fresh compost every season.

Potting soil was, ahem, dirt cheap at Sky Nursery. Though they did have some pricey stuff on hand, but the guy told me their cheap stuff gets the job done just fine. They have a selection of bagged stuff to buy: top soil, potting soil, compost, wood chips, sand.

Their tools and other gardening items might not have the lowest prices though, I saw a topsy-turvy tomato bag that was way more expensive at Sky Nursery then the same thing at Home Depot.

One of the people on the gardening show I listen to likes to add compost to purchased soil, because the purchased soil always seems a bit on the sandy side.

By far, my favorite book on the subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Medicinal-Plants-Gregory-Tilford/dp/0878423591/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1331964695&sr=8-3

As a starting place, I'd recommend getting a good plant guidebook for the Pacific Northwest. I have this one that I love: http://www.amazon.com/Plants-Pacific-Northwest-Coast-Washington/dp/1551050404

It's great, especially if you spend a lot of time in the woods. There are a ton of edible native plants and berries, and the book lists out the historic uses for many. That said, I would also recommend getting a book specifically on edible plants for the NW also, and checking one versus the other.

Some of the things that I know grow here that are edible:
-nettles (once steamed or boiled)
-salal berries (can be made into a jam)
-oregon grape berries (belive these used to be used in a kind of pemmican)
-varieties of mountain sorrel
-certain lilies, like tiger lily or avalanche lily

Ooh, I just found this website -- not an exhaustive list, but a good starting place: http://sharedsurvivalknowledge.com/2011/07/01/wild-edible-plants-of-the-pacific-northwest/

I'm not sure what you mean by herbs that "grow naturally" here in Seattle. This is herb heaven climate wise for many herbs, though, and I think UW still has a an interesting medicinal herb garden- but that is tended.

For herbs that grow well in wild(ish) untended areas the ones that come to mind are fennel (everwhere), rosemary (very common ornamental that is found in wild settings) and foxglove (everywhere).

the list can get quite exhaustive. I'm sure the Master Gardeners can provide some great resources.

The research indicates that foliar spraying is best used when supplementing plants with trace minerals not present in their soil. Cannabis growers do like to go hydroponic so it would make sense that much of the information out there is geared towards them.

It's not something I would recommend as a first-line method of fertilization for plants in good topsoil, because it's time consuming, and plants are pretty good at getting their nutrients from their substrate. If you're worried about your plants doing poorly, get a soil analysis done so that you can supplement with appropriate fertilizers.You could use it for pest control, though. These guys have some recipes that seem pretty solid.

Personally, my foliar sprayer is used strictly for herbicides--I'm waging war against a neighbor's invasive cane-like thing because it's grown under the fence and up my garage and is trying to take over my yard and stump killer is the only thing that's shown any effect against it (boiling water and Roundup only made it angry, I think). But, I don't want to kill the rest of my yard, so I spray selectively, which foliar sprayers are good at.

There is a downloadable program called Match Maker (http://cascademyco.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1272) that I learned about in a mushroom identification class through the Puget Sound Mycological Society. You input as much information about the mushrooms as you can, and it will give you a list of possible matches with an incredible amount of detail and specifics about edibility, etc.

Do NOT eat anything without being absolutely 100% positive of what it is. You can actually bring mushrooms to a PSMS meeting for identification. You may want to consider joining the society as well- they lead about 8-10 field trips a year and have some amazing resources. http://www.psms.org/

I think you almost have to do an internship with someone who knows his/her shit (mycologist possibly) and will take you out into the forest many times until he/she knows you know your shit, too. Really no other safe alternative, IMHO.

It's an admirable talent finding edible mushrooms. I'd like to say it's on my bucket list (like beekeeping), but I know I may not have the time I need to devote and do well. Still, I'd love to go out on a crisp autumn morning and find some chanterelles and oysters because I LOVES me some wild mushroom lasagna - and what a wonderful Saturday night dinner it makes.

Good luck, OMC!

You'd be absolutely fucking insane to eat those.

The rule on gil slits is not true for mushrooms like chanterelles et al.

This is THE time to go mushroom hunting. Chanterelles are coming in like gangbusters. White chantrels as well in higher elevations.

Listen to Russ and get involved with the Mycos. They know their shrooms.

Good luck

I spent a late summer in upstate Maine working to rehab the grounds on a friend's family's commercial camp land on a lake. We collected fungi in the day and spent long nights with a three foot high stack of books keying out the various mushrooms. It is very complicated, there are so many non-edible species as well as completely deadly ones.

You should not eat anything you are not overwhelming convinced is an edible species.

Join the Puget Sound Mycological Society

Take a class in developing identification skills.

Be Safe!

I live in south Seattle near Renton and there are a few places that sell them. McClendon's on Rainier (around $60) and Minter's Earlington Greenhouse & Nursery (around $50) www.mintersnursery.com. I got my tree, which I named Liz Lemon, for $35 at Holly Park Greenhouse & Nursery. It looked healthy and already had a few lemon buds growing. I was told by the seller that there's no such thing as dwarf lemon trees (which was what I was looking for), they can be pruned to become dwarf or left alone to grow into regular size. I'm not sure if mine is an Improved Meyer Lemon or not, if that's what you're looking for. The seller was very helpful in offering instructions on how to take care of the tree such as how often to water and fertilize. Hope this helps and good luck!

Holly Park Greenhouse:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/holly-park-greenhouse-and-nursery-seattle

Minter's Earlington Greenhouse:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/minters-greenhouse-and-nursery-seattle#atb_alias:AboutThisBizHistory/query:minter%27s%20earlington

McClendon's:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mclendon-hardware-renton#query:mcclendon%27s

Sarah gave you excellent information.  Here’s some additional info to consider:

 From WSU Cooperative Extension “Community Horticulture Fact Sheet #26 “Harvesting Fruits and Vegetables:” Harvest late varieties of potatoes when the tops have dried down but before any heavy freezes. Dig carefully to avoid injury and do not expose them to light for too long a period. They should be stored in a dark well-ventilated area where the temperature is around 45° F.  Early potatoes may be dug any time they have reached a usable size. These must be used soon after harvest to avoid shriveling and deterioration. 

To help you start planning for next year’s garden, read The Seattle Times (2005) article “It’s not Idaho, but you can still grow potatoes.” This article gives great advice if you want more than one crop or have limited space but still see yourself as an “urban farmer!”  Also, don’t forget Ciscoe Morris’ tips about growing potatoes in containers.  Not only will you save space, but it’s a fun way to teach gardening to kids!

Happy harvest!

P.S.  It's always a great idea to keep a log of your plantings, espeically when it comes to edibles.  Most seed catalogues include the timing for germinatation, maturation, approximate time from planting to harvest, etc.  Also pay attention to the variety you plant.  If you like it, plant it again.  If you don't, try something else!   

Oh yeah! git em NOW! --in fact, when your potato plant flowers, way back in June or July, it was telling you that it has little new potatoes that are ready for the taking! You can "rob" your potatoes of their little tubers all throughout their growth after flowering, and then let them cure, and harvest. Are the vines dead, or dying back? That means they are busy curing underground. If they are not yet dead, kill them! At Oxbow, we flame or mow the potato leaves to speed up the curing process, and then their skins are tougher than that new potato flakieness, and can store longer for YOU.

Enjoy your apples of the earth.

Seattle Tilth's The Maritimer Northwest Garden Guide (one of my all time favorite books) offers some helpful suggestions.  Here's a sample:

"The end of August often brings slightly cooler weather . . . This provides the perfect conditions for the germination of fall greens and overwintering salad crops that need an early start:

Mustard Family - Brassicaceae:  Arugula; Cabagage (for spring harvest: First Early Market, Springtime;  Mustards: Giant Red, Green in Snow, Miike Giant, Mizu-na; Oriental Greens: Tah Tsai, Mibu-na 

Beet Family - Chenopodiacae: Spinach: Ginat Winter, Skookum, Tyee, Winter Bloomsdale

Purlane Family - Portulacaceae: Miner's Lettuce: Montia perfoliata, Montia sibirica"

For September:

In early September "Sow greens that need to be protected under a cloche to allow for harvest throughout winter. . ."

Carrot Family - Apiaceae: Cilantro, chervil

Mustard Family: Arugula, Cabbage (for spring harvest), Cress, Mustard, Radish

Beet Family: Spinach

Sunflower Family - Compositae:  Endive: Frisee, Green Curled, Perfect, Tres Fine (These are sometimes damaged by cold winters underr a clohe, but sometimes not; go ahead and try); Lettuce: Bronze Rodin, Brune D'Hiver, Little Gen, Perella Red and Green, Rougette du Midi, Ruben's Red, Winter Density."   

Container gardening is also a year 'round option if you have limited space.  Try planting lettuces and experiment.

Finally, WSU Cooperative Extension Master Gardener offers excellent resources in the form of Community Horticultural Fact Sheets.  Fact sheet #27 guides you through planting a Cover Crop (aka Green Manure) to provide nutrients and organic matter for next year's garden.  Fact sheet #41 gives great ideas about Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening.  And, if you want to try row covers or cloches in your garden, check out Fact sheet #19 Row Covers for Vegetable Gardens.  

Happy gardening!

Hmmm, not much, alas, timing should be around mid-August for gettng starts in the ground for over-winter growing. HOWEVER, take heart, if you go to the Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair in mid-Sept some time, you may very well find lots of beefy starts like hardy strains of broccoli, romanesco, and kales that you could transplant into your garden for some extending of the harvest! Also, try some peas now, what the hey, they may over-winter alright, acting as a cover crop, and give you early spring peas! Fava beans are also good over-wintering options. And of course, get your garlic crop in in October or November, and you can start harvesting green garlic in spring!

Bon Chance!
Sarah
Oxbow Farm

Always ask a neighbor near where you're going to pick. Neighbors will usually know whether the county or city has sprayed, and also whether other (killjoy) neighbors have sprayed.

I would think blackberries in watersheds and natural parks should be safe to eat. There are often tons in the Longfellow Creek area, as well as in Discovery Park.

This is an excellent question as August is often prime blackberry picking time.  

 Here is the official position of the King County Noxious Weeds Board: “Legal status in King County: Himalayan blackberry and evergreen blackberry are Class C noxious weeds (non‐native species that can be designated for control based on lo:cal priorities) according to Washington State Noxious Weed Law, RCW 17.10. The State Weed Board has not designated these species for control in King County. The King County Weed Control Board recommends control of these species where feasible, but does not require it.”

King Co goes on to clarify what they mean by control:  ". . . digging, mowing, herbicide, plowing, and/or livestock grazing (especially goats).  Removeal of top growth by mowng, cutting or grazing goats will eventually kill blackberry if done regularly and over several years. . . . Blackberry can be controlled with herbicides, but product labels should be followed carefully--different products need to be used at different times and may pose risks to the use and the environment." 

It is impossible to know whether the roadside bushes have not been sprayed whether to erradicate blackberry bushes or some other undesirable plant by a property owner.  It's always wise to be cautious and to carefully wash any picked berries.

I recommend contacting the King Co Noxious Weed Control Program for an update on their current position, tele. (206) 296-0290.  

On a brighter note:  Luckily for us, there are blackberry bushes available to plant in the Pacific Northwest that are not considered Noxious Weeds. If you have the space to plant, an excellent resource is Raintree Nursery located in Morton, Washington.  

I just chopped mine off. I think it still tastes okay.

Keep cutting your basil plant and it'll just deal with trying to grow back, and then you get to cut again and eat it some more. Stupid, stupid basil plant, doesn't know its efforts are futile.

check out this basil harvesting info:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/harvesting-basil-101/

If you have a plethora of blossoms, try frying some of them up. Delish. google some recipes. I use a cornmeal batter.