Spring is a magical time of year for gardeners. The cold, dark days of winter fade and warmer weather gradually returns. With the warmth comes a profusion of color, and the breathtaking transformation to spring begins in the Pacific Northwest. As I write, the calendar shows that we officially began spring nearly two weeks ago; this year, however, spring is coming much later than in recent years. Though we [...]
In the Midwest, where I went to college, they say you can actually hear the corn growing in the summer. I believe it--the growing season they have there is shorter and more intense than here in the Pacific Northwest, so the corn has to grow at breakneck speed in order to be mature by harvest.In our greenhouses right now, the hanging baskets, bedding plants and basket stuffers are growing just [...]
Even though March is technically when spring arrives, here in the Pacific Northwest it can be an unsettled month with plenty of wintry weather--and we've had our fair share of crazy winter weather, with a couple dustings of snow and several nights of sub-freezing temperatures. With that kind of weather, you'd think Santa was on his way again! But, fortunately, it looks like we're beyond the cold temperatures and [...]
The Christmas season will soon be drawing to a close--Christmas Day is just a night's sleep away. Soon we will be packing up the ornaments and decorations, throwing away the crumbled shreds of wrapping paper, finishing off the last of the cookies and fudge and gearing up for a new year. The holiday festivities will be over and we'll resume our daily routines once again.But what do we have to [...]
We're still eight days away from the Winter Solstice, but step outside today and you'll know that winter is here. As I write this, the temperature is hovering right at freezing; add in the windchill and it feels more like the upper teens or low 20s!The good news is that we're supposed to have sun for the next few days; the bad news is that it's supposed to stay cold--well [...]
In the retail industry, Christmas is in full swing. This is no less true in garden retailing. Christmas Trees and Poinsettias are already in demand, and Thanksgiving isn't even here yet. And while I understand that Thanksgiving is late this year and we're in a depressed economy where a splash of Christmas color might brighten a person's day, I wish that we could celebrate one holiday at a time.This year, [...]