With summer in full swing, now is the time of year we can really enjoy the beauty that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. The flowers you planted in May and June are in full bloom and your vegetable garden is beginning to offer its bounty. Maybe, however, all is not perfect in paradise—whether insects, fertilizer deficiency, or disease issues, any number of problems could put your garden’s beauty [...]
Last month I wrote about how spring was finally arriving here in the Pacific Northwest. Now, with June drawing to a close, summer is here, and with it, the joy of watching the plants in your garden thrive in the long days and warmer temperatures. If your garden needs some extra color or you want to ensure your yard and garden perform their best this summer, here are a [...]
Last month I wrote about how much I love winter—and don’t get me wrong, I do!—but this year, we've had seemingly more than our normal share of winter weather and frankly, I’m ready to scratch my spring itch. Thankfully, the weather is improving and spring is beginning to arrive, so it’s time to make your early spring gardening to-do list. Gardening in early spring is very weather-dependent, especially when [...]
Welcome to late summer, that magical time of year when your garden looks the best it has all year…or doesn’t. Early heat in spring pushed gardens in our area into overdrive, and while the rest of summer has been more seasonable, your plants may be looking worn. To keep your plants going strong into fall—or for some ideas of replacements for your containers—here are some suggestions. If you grow flowers [...]
Summer is in full swing, although it’s been a couple of years since I’ve had to dress so warm yet in July! In any case, now is the time of year when your yard begins to take on its “finished” look for the season, and as you enjoy the fruition of your gardening dreams, it’s time to take stock of what else your garden could use for a unique focal [...]
There’s something about this time of year that I find particularly invigorating. Maybe it’s the bright colors of spring-blooming shrubs and perennials, maybe it’s the longer, warmer days, or maybe it’s the smell of fresh-cut grass; whatever it is, you might feel it too. As you get inspired to plant something in your yard this spring, here are a few of my favorite plants for unique color, texture, and flavor. [...]
As a gardener, I’ve come to appreciate that gardening is never really finished. Sure, we mark the Last Mowing of the Year with pride and admire the look of a freshly-raked yard free of leaves for the (hopefully) final time, but if you’re anything like me, the satisfaction of a season finished is all too quickly replaced by the longing for spring upon the arrival of the first seed catalog [...]
I love the month of August for many reasons—the upcoming Northwest Washington Fair, late-summer perennials full of color in the garden, and the slight change in the air that signals a new season drawing near. This year, as we anticipate the arrival of autumn (perhaps more eagerly than usual after a long, hot season!), we have much to look forward to. As you seek to revive a summer-weary garden, here [...]
With the Christmas season comes tradition. Whether favorite family movies, the annual choosing-of-the-tree, grandma’s sugar cookies or playing a classic Christmas album, December is marked by tradition. While it’s not a month typically associated with gardening, plants certainly have their place in the holiday season, and as you go about your Christmas decorating and gift-giving, it might be time for a new Christmas tradition. If asked to picture a [...]
With Thanksgiving drawing close, we’re in the homestretch of another year—and as you finish up the last of your gardening tasks for the season, here are a few tips to ensure a good end to this year and start to the next. First, it’s time to label your plants. As perennials grow in popularity and variety, more of the plants in our gardens simply disappear over winter, leaving us [...]
