Why not just set the sacks out in a shelter place outside, slit the bags open, and let the area cats eat their fill? They're in a better position to decide whether or not it's still edible, and you might be blessed with some affection cats incase you ever find yourself in a lion's den with a vicious cat! (ANDROCLEAS AND THE LION!)

bedspread from the woodland park zoo's zoodoo program has the price for an 8x4 pickup bed for $50. you'll need to a) have a truck and b) win the zoodoo lottery.

African Grey Parrots can use a little extra calcium in their diet so I use the eggshells. I tend to rinse out the eggshells after cracking them with some finger wiping to remove all of the egg white (right over the sink drain) as I periodically save them for use in my bird bread recipe. It means I do have to disinfect the sink also afterwards as part of normal clean up. After I have saved quite a few I boil them for about 10 minutes and then separate the membrane from the shell, dry them, and then turn them into powder in my grinder mill. I add 5-6 grams to the batter each time I make a batch of bird mini-muffins.

It is possible, but probably unlikely that your eggshells will infect your soil with salmonella bacteria. Putting them through a couple of minutes in the microwave or boiling them as above should eliminate any possibility.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5869466_salmonella-soil_.html

If you want the best way for getting the value out of your home food scraps (including your crushed egg shells) you should be putting all of it in a worm bin.
It's called vermiculture and you will produce a rich hearty additive to put in your garden soil and also be able to drain off the "worm tea" that is a great liquid fertilizer for your houseplants and your garden.

There are lots of information sources with instructions for building one or you can use one of the commercially available models.

There are others, but Mary Appelhof's book is a very good resource for getting started with your own worm bin.

Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Applehof
http://www.amazon.com/Worms-Eat-Garbage-Mary-Appelhof/dp/0942256107

Washington State Extension Stewardship Gardening gives some excellent advice:

Food scraps contain valuable nutrients that can be used to improve garden soils. Waste fruit and vegetables, peelings, coffee grounds, egg shells, bakery products, and many other leftovers can be safely composted using proper methods. These food scraps contain valuable nutrients that can be composted to produce a rich soil additive.

Unfortunately, it's not as simple as placing the egg shells directly in the garden.  Washington State Extension recommends burying the food scraps:  

Food waste can be buried in empty spots in vegetable and flower gardens. Use a shovel to make a hole at least twelve inches deep. Add three to four inches of food scraps to the bottom of the hole. Use a shovel to chop and mix the wastes into the soil to speed composting. Cover food scraps with at least eight inches of soil to prevent rodents and pets from digging them up.

How long do you need to wait?  More info from Washington State Extension:  

Buried food scraps may take from two to six months to decompose, depending on soil moisture, temperature, worm population, and food source. In good garden soil, leafy greens will break down in weeks while whole citrus peels may take several months in a loose and fertile garden soil. Wait a month or more if the soil must be tilled before planting. Annual plants may be planted immediately. Check areas with buried food scraps before tilling to make sure that undecomposed food does not come to the surface.

To be honest, I think it's a lot of trouble and prefer to compost my veggie/food scraps directly into my green recyling can, following Waste Management's guidelines, to be picked up weekly.  I've seen too many animals dig up deeply planted bulbs, let alone food scraps.  Also, I'd be concerned about attracting rodents, raccoons, bears (yes, I said bears), or other curious animals.  I hope this helps! 

Calcium! You should pulverize them so they break down quicker. You don't have to pulverize them to dust or anything. But breaking them will help.

And rinse them, yeah.

I prefer Scott Conner's 'Gardening in the NW' on AM 1090, Saturdays from 10am til noon. Go Scott : )

WHYY's own You Bet Your Garden, out of Philly. Good station, good show.

The end of February is when my garden seems to start to come back to life. Daffodils are poking out of the ground and my daylilies are sprouting.  So what to add? 

 Well, for inspiration I plan to  review the Elisabeth C. Miller Library's, Great Plant Picks list. Great Plant Picks "is an educational program of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden which debuted in 2001 with the first recommendations for a a comprehensive palatte of outstanding plants for the maritime Pacific Northwest. To date over 800 exceptional plants have been selected for gardeners living west of the Cascade Mountains from Eugene, OR to Vancouver, BC."  

I also plan to replace my Wisteria tree I lost during the past snow storm.   As much as I love Wisteria vines, I have never wanted to risk growing them in the ground since the roots can be very aggressive. My Wisteria tree, purchased as a vine, was in a container for 15 years.  It's relatively easy. Place the vine in a container with a very sturdy stake.  Prune off any foliage on the "trunk" of the vine.  Keep the foliage near the top.  As the vine grows, prune off the growth you do not want to become "branches."  By the way, a few years ago I saw a Wisteria tree at a local nursery with a price tag over $100.  

I'm also thinking about growing pole beans and peas!  I'm tired of mediocre vegetables!   I'd love to know what everyone else is planning to grow,  Thanks for getting me to think about putting together my plan for this year!

Rich and Brandy are spot on, but it does depend on what you really need. If all you need is bark then that is not too expensive to have delivered as it can be blown from a truck and placed right where you need it. there are many different kinds and some are more attractive then others and cost more. Compost and other soil ammendments can start to get a bit pricier as well.

If you just need some cheap mulch to keep down weeds call one of the local tree service folks. They need a place to dump wood chip from grinding up trees. I use Ballard Tree service. I don't recall ever getting charged from them but their quality is entirely dependent on what they just ground up. So if they have jsut taken down a cedar or doug fir (more likely) you may wind up with a hell of a lot of chopped needles.

Craigslist can also have some good deals or even free wood chip.

Pacific Topsoils is great. BUT...the delivery is what gets ya! If you have a buddy with a truck, you can save a ton - they just load it into the bed for you and its much more cost effective. Plus, they have have many locations...
www.pacifictopsoils.com

You can put it in your yard waste bin for pickup but don't put it in your compost bin for back yard composting.

Where are you located? I would take it.

The rules continue to change and become more liberal. In south King County I would not hesitate to include it in my curbside recycling. However in the interest of getting it right and for anyone who may read this question/answer in the future, the mantra is "Call your Hauler" and ask.

I have been through the full training as a Master Recycler/Composter (MRC Program) and still find myself calling and making sure I am looking at the most recent handouts as the rules continue to be updated.

No, this isn't the best time to transplant, but since the house is about to be demolished, it's either now or never.  Here’s some very good general rose transplant advice from two sources:

From the Elizabeth C. Miller Library:

“Roses: 1001 Gardening Questions Answered by the editors of Garden Way Publishing (1989), says that the best time to transplant it to its new location is early spring or late fall. Before moving it, prune it, “leaving three to four canes. Prepare the new hole in the ground (and) give it some extra attention after it is planted.” This resource says that spring transplanting is preferred, because with warm weather on the way, the rose will have a better chance of starting new growth. When digging up your rose, dig a circular trench one foot away from the crown of the plant, removing the soil around the plant with your shovel. Loosen the root ball, and then take hold of the crown and push it back and forth to loosen it. Then lift it out of the hole. Dig a deep hole in the new location. Add two inches of compost, build a mound of soil, and spread the roots over it. Fill in with topsoil, make a ridge of soil around the base of the plant, and water well. Afterwards, water carefully, neither too much nor too little.”

From Brad Jalbert and Laura Peters "Roses for Washington and Oregon" (2003):  

The authors advise caution and comment on how "transplanting roses can be complicated."  They say "Roses are said to dislike being moved once established. . . The younger the rose, the more likely it will be able to re-establish successfully when moved. . . .  If you are moving a rose to a spot where another rose previously grew, add fresh soil or lots of compost, as the previous rose may have depleted the soil of nutrients. It is equally important to use fresh soil or lots of compost when planting a new rose in a spot where a diseased rose was removed.  There may be populations of organisms in the old soil that could. . . attack the feeder roots of new roses, limiting the rose's ability to absorb water and nutrients."

Hopefully, this information will increase the probability for a successful transition into your garden.  Happy digging!

I used to see them all the time back home in Texas, but I have definitely never seen one in Seattle. I do, however, live in a very concrete-jungly area in between DT and Cap Hill. Probably the more trees around, the more likely they are to show up.

I hear there's a house in Idaho you might be interested in:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/snake-house-family-home-idaho-turns-satans-lair/story?id=13851600

I am not in Seattle but frequently see them in our yard down in Auburn. Any neighborhood with close by green space, vacant lots, or lush yards (that are pesticide free) would be likely to have some resident garter snakes.

Here is one that I spied warming in a sunny patch in the dappled light coming through the trees just off the trail at Green River Community College last September.

Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

Yes, I've had these great beneficial garter snakes in my garden. For more information about snakes in Washington State see:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/snakes.html.

Over the years, whenever I’ve seen these skinny snakes sunning themselves on the concrete or running away from me as I’m weeding, I’m reminded of how much work they do for me. (At the same time, instinctively these slivery snakes always make me jump out of the garden bed onto safer ground!) The smallest garter snakes love to feast on slugs – and boy, do I have lots of slugs this year. These workhorses of the garden hide in groundcover and heavy foliage and often only come out to feed or seek the sun.

Snakes and frogs/toads often seek out the warmth of concrete (or grass) and can, sadly, be killed by cars, lawnmowers, weed-whackers, etc. If you’ve seen snakes or frogs in your garden, be cautious when you pull into your driveway (or trim grass or lawns, etc.).

Meanwhile, anytime you see garter snakes you can be certain your garden is being well cared for and you’ve created a healthy habitat to attract such a great beneficial predator to do your garden dirty work!  Happy gardening and keep those snakes safe!

Just don't hack your goddamn hand off.

Hardwick's

I'd suggest napalm

Bear in mind that when you find one it will be dull as a hoe, and you will have to sharpen it with a file. If it's not razor-sharp it won't cut anything, just bash it.

You might be better off with a scythe. Try a hardware store. For the heavy stuff nothing beats a great pair of clippers. Wear leather gloves.

If you truly want to go oldschool on that overgrowth, go to an Army surplus.

Keep in mind, your arm is going to get tired fast.
Push past it, feel the burn, whatever.
At the end of 4 hours, you'll hurt like hell, have sweat mixed with dead plant all over you, and you'll feel uniquely alive.

Home Depot and Lowes have had them as has Fred Meyer. I haven't noticed them there in a while but I wasn't looking. Should be near where they keep shears and loppers.

Pacific Topsoils usually will take it. They have several locations around the seattle area. Good luck!
www.pacifictopsoils.com/

If you have a place to pile it up for a week or so, you can put an ad on craigslist, freecycle, or the King County building materials exchange lists. Someone with the opposite problem may come and pick up your soil to use as fill.

Or, you can pay to have it recycled by Pacific Topsoil. You can rent a dumptruck and haul it to one of their locations, or you they will bring a container to you, for an extra fee.

Heap it up in a place visible from the street with a sign that says "FREE FILL." It's worked well for us.

Wow, I am glad Master Gardener Andrea knows her stuff, Nanc...you plum STUMPED me on this one.

I will let you in on all brassicas that grow well in our state.

Your Endless Friend,
Sarah