In an old comic strip I read recently, the characters lamented the fact that even though the days of July and August are some of the longest of the year, the months seem the shortest. Indeed, summer’s balmy weather and long days are fading quickly, and as September ushers in the shortening of daylight hours and the beginning of a new season, it’s time to make the transition to early [...]
Hydrangeas are one of the quintessential flowers of summer, with their large, colorful blooms brightening the garden starting in late June or early July. Of the dozens of varieties we sell each year, we grow a fresh crop of some of our favorite varieties for mid-to-late summer, and this crop is blooming now and ready for transplant into your garden. Included in our 2024 summer crop are some of [...]
With the screams of kids enjoying carnival rides and the wafting smells of fried foods, the telltale signs of the Northwest Washington Fair can mean only one thing: early autumn is just around the corner. However, if this year’s weather proves anything like last year—and frankly, many years—we still have nearly two months of summerlike weather ahead of us, so now is no time to give up on the garden. [...]
This week’s forecast: nothing but sunshine. While the webbed-feet crowd can bemoan that spring’s rain has transitioned solidly to dry summer weather, we can all appreciate the fact that summer brings with it the abundance of a garden harvest, days spent at the lake or the bay, and relaxing in the cool of the day outside on the deck. As you work in the garden this month, here are a [...]
Please note that we will be closed Saturday, July 13 through Wednesday, July 17 to enjoy some vacation time with our families. We are so grateful for the support of our community and the opportunity we have had to serve you again this year, and we look forward to returning from our time off refreshed and ready to serve you going into late summer and autumn. If you're working on [...]
Early season produce is beginning to ripen in gardens, strawberry stands are sharing their sweet harvest, and long days mean evening fun watching kids shoot hoops or play in the yard. All this can mean only one thing: summer has arrived. With the arrival of a new season, our tasks in the garden shift slightly, giving gardeners a new set of goals to keep plants performing their best throughout the [...]
We gardeners are always on the lookout for plants that have that special characteristic: unique foliage, multi-colored flowers, unusual growth habit, or some other eye-catching trait. In today’s world of dozens of options on the shelf even for toothpaste, it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd, which is why so many of the new plant introductions are released specifically for their “wow” factor. As you plan and [...]
Gardeners are by nature learners. This hobby we call “gardening” is not one to be mastered—with new plants, new insect and disease issues, and weather conditions constantly in flux, the school of gardening has no graduates as we all learn more skills and gain fresh knowledge with each passing season. As spring unfolds, you may be discovering new issues around your yard you need to address, so let’s dive into [...]
For years, we have trusted Proven Winners as our primary source of top-quality annuals. With proven performance in our greenhouses--and more importantly, in your garden--Proven Winners sets the bar in quality and dependability. And that's why we're especially excited to introduce our 2024 Proven Winners Preview Day! On Tuesday, April 9, from 2:00-5:00 PM, experts from Proven Winners will be on-site in our greenhouse to meet you and answer all [...]
Charles Dickens once wrote of sunny March days as “summer in the light and winter in the shade.” With the promise of sunny, warmer weather arriving in the coming days, the chilly late winter we’ve been experiencing lately may begin to shift to real spring, when even the shade isn’t so wintry. As we gardeners excitedly get outside to feel the sun on our skin and work the soil in [...]
