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 [...]
Many years, autumn weather comes as a gradual cool-down to ease us into the rainy season. This year, however, proved quite different. September felt much warmer than normal and even early October was beautifully sunny and mild. Then came the cold rain—and wind. In the span of just a few days, we transitioned from late summer to what feels like early winter, and with the change comes the task of [...]
It’s hard to believe, but in just a couple weeks, summer will be over—at least for those of you who have children going back to school. In reality, though, summer in our corner of the world typically runs from July through September, so summer is only halfway over. Now the big question: are your flowers looking up to the challenge of the second half of summer weather? If not, [...]
They say there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. For us in Western Washington, though, I’d like to add a third: June gloom. You can count on it like clockwork—summer likely won’t really arrive until our Fourth of July picnics are over. So what can you do in your yard this month to brighten your flowerbeds and your spirits? Annual flowers are great—nothing provides quite [...]
Welcome to summer! You’ve been planning for it, and now it’s here—time to sit back and enjoy the beauty of your garden. With gas prices inching higher and budgets tightened, you might be taking advantage of the new concept that came around this time last year—the “staycation,” a vacation spent at home. So, what are some plants you can enjoy planting this time of year? Let’s try perennials! First, many [...]
