He’s a televangelist of the pea-patch, and he’s coming to Orcas to spread his knowledge of all things green.
Ciscoe Morris is the featured speaker at the Orcas Garden Club meeting on Wednesday, April 20. It’s not the garden guru’s first time on Orcas, but it’s been a while since he’s spoken to a crowd of island gardeners.
“I am going to do some garden ideas and talk about incredible plants that can do well on Orcas – lots of them that deer aren’t as likely to eat,” Morris said. “There aren’t any that deer won’t eat for sure … deer will eat plastic plants! A big part of (the talk) will be about attracting hummingbirds too.”
Both club members and the public are invited to attend. The presentation is at 10 a.m. on the Orcas Center main stage. The lecture is free for garden club members and $10 for non-members. For more information call Marlyn Myers at 376-6110 or go to www.orcasislandgardenclub.org. Darvill’s Book Store will bring a large supply of Morris’ latest book, and he will stay after his lecture to sign copies.
Morris, a resident of Seattle, says he “loves Orcas.”
“I like to go over there with my pooches and hike up Mt. Constitution,” he said. “I used to scuba dive, so sometimes I would come out and dive too.”
Morris is well-known to Northwest gardeners. KING5 airs his segments as well as his weekly show “Gardening with Ciscoe.” His Friday night Q & A show, “Gardening with Ciscoe Live” broadcasts on Northwest Cable News. He also makes regular appearances on “Gardening by the Yard” on the HGTV cable network. You can catch his gardening advice mixed with a hearty dose of humor every Saturday morning on News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM. He earned an AA from South Seattle Community College’s Landscape Horticulture program and then a master’s degree from Seattle University. At that campus, Morris dug in, quite literally, becoming the university’s landscape and grounds manager for 24 years.
“All my life, I have loved being outdoors,” Morris said. “I started gardening with my mom and grandma when I was just a wee one. I love to watch things grow. I love all of nature … finding a salamander and watching the insects and spiders.”
His book “Ask Ciscoe” was among the top-selling garden books nationwide. He co-authored books on roses and perennials, and he also writes a weekly garden column in the Thursday edition of the Seattle Times.
“I am so crazy about plants,” Morris said. “Every time I find a new plant it’s like a millionare finding a big bill in one of their pockets. My goal is to have one of every plant on earth … I think I am three away now!”
At home, Morris shares a garden with his wife Mary.
“I have the misfortune of being married to a great gardener,” he said. “We argued so much every time we tried to garden together that we divided it into ‘his’ and ‘hers’ gardens. We have styles that blend together but we each do our own.”
