Perennials

The Garden is Calling

I love the excitement of a good winter storm, but once February rolls around, my mind starts shifting to the anticipation of spring. With mild temperatures and sunny days teasing the new season just around the corner, it’s time to start preparing your garden for spring. As you get started with your initial spring garden tasks, here are a few suggestions of where to start. My first task around the [...]

Preparing the Garden for a Winter’s Rest

One of the aspects of gardening that I love the most is the seasonality of it. As much as I love the earthy smell of the first mowing in spring, by this time of year I equally look forward to the feeling of satisfaction that accompanies that final pass over the lawn in autumn. And sad as it is to tear out summer’s flowers in anticipation of the first frost, [...]

2023-11-09T15:10:22+00:00November 9th, 2023|Fall, Perennials, Plant Care, Shrubs, Winter|0 Comments

Give Your Garden a Head Start on Spring

Looking out my window, the maples and sumacs in my neighbors’ yards are proudly showing their fiery fall colors, the last of the cucumbers are ripening in my vegetable garden, and the zinnias and dahlias are beginning to wind down their summer blooms. As autumn tightens its grip on our corner of the world, October is the month to begin preparations for winter and take the first steps toward a [...]

Making the Most of Summer in the Garden

To borrow the words of a late, dear friend of mine, this time of year offers an “embarrassment of riches” in the garden. From hydrangeas to zinnias, roses to dahlias, and a huge array of summer-blooming annuals, there’s certainly no shortage of color to enjoy this time of year. Vegetable gardens are beginning to yield their abundance as well, and who can resist the mouth-watering taste of fresh-picked berries? We’re [...]

Landscaping for Summer Heat

We Pacific Northwesterners are a fickle people. If you need proof, just look at the last few months. March? Too cold. April? Too rainy. May? Too warm. If you have friends in the Midwest, you know they might experience all three of those extremes in the span of a week—or even a couple days. And while we gardeners might complain, it’s for good reason; after all, we want only the [...]

2023-06-20T16:10:42+00:00June 20th, 2023|Annuals, Hot Plants, Perennials, Shrubs, Summer Bloomers|0 Comments

Preparing Your Garden for the Burst of Spring

Looking outside my window, I can see the first signs of spring beginning to emerge: my daffodils are sprouting, the winter heather is in full bloom, and the buds on my rose bushes are beginning to swell. Although it’s too early to declare winter past and gone, it’s time to think spring and get underway with early season tasks around the garden. First, with the aforementioned roses beginning to bud, [...]

2023-02-08T15:12:55+00:00February 8th, 2023|Fertilizer, Perennials, Plant Care, Roses, Vegetables, Winter|0 Comments

Four Garden Tasks to Start the Year Right

After a cold start to winter, our weather has moderated to more normal conditions for our area, with milder temperatures and regular rains. While we’re not out of the woods just yet—winter often returns in late January or February around here—with a new year upon us it’s time to start getting ready for a new year in the garden. Here are a few gardening tips to start the year off [...]

Late Summer Color for the Garden

Sitting outside the other night, I was struck by how early it was getting dark. It should come as no surprise—after all, last I checked, this happens every year—but I’m always disappointed the first time I notice the days getting markedly shorter. Especially this year, when decent weather didn’t arrive until later in June, it’s hard to accept the fact that we’re firmly into late summer. As you tend to [...]

Planning for Spring in Autumn

With regular soaking rains, cool temperatures, and crisp sunny days marked by the slanting rays of a sun sinking further into the southern sky, there’s little doubt that autumn is here to stay. As you work at cleaning up your yard and getting your garden ready for winter, here are a few items to keep your lawn and garden healthy and thriving throughout the months to come. First, while our [...]

Dealing with Curveballs in Gardening

I’m not the athletic sort, so forgive me for mixing metaphors when I say that we gardeners have to learn to roll with the punches when life throws us curveballs. Whatever word picture you prefer, the heat and sun we experienced late last month was a curveball we’ll talk about for a long time. As you clean up damaged plants and try to help your garden recover, here are some [...]

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