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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
With sunshine and blue skies here, we’re in for a stunner of a weekend, and after a cool, wet spring, I think we can all appreciate the arrival of more warm, dry weather. Along with the sun comes the perfect weather for getting your pots, containers, and flowerbeds planted up with color for summer beauty. As you plan for what you’ll plant this spring, here are five no-fuss plants you [...]
We gardeners are drawn to shiny new things—the lure of something new causes us to browse seed catalogs, stroll the aisles at garden centers, and try to convince our spouse to carve out just a little more flowerbed space. Admittedly, new introductions are exciting, but what I find most attractive are improvements on tried-and-true plants—something old, made new. As you get started with planting shrubs and perennials around your yard [...]
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 [...]
The Pacific Northwest in July is a real gem: lush trees, plants, and fields; flowers burgeoning with color; juicy, sweet berries ripening; and a gentle breeze in the evening to cool off the warmth of the day. At long last summer has arrived, and with it our focus in the garden shifts from spring planting to mid-season growing and maintaining. Here are a few things to keep on your gardening [...]
Talking with a local farmer the other day about just how far behind schedule he and other farmers in our area are in fieldwork and planting this spring, his parting comment struck me. “In my forty years of farming, we’ve always gotten the planting done; we just have to wait a little longer some years.” After a couple of years of early starts in our gardens—both for flower and vegetable [...]
Late summer in the garden can be both a challenging and rewarding time, with increased insect and disease issues at a time when plants are their most productive or beautiful. You’ve cared for your garden this many months, watering, fertilizing, and carefully tending to your plants’ needs—so let’s finish the summer strong. Here are a few tips to keep your garden healthy and looking its best as fall looms just [...]
With long days and warmer weather arriving in the Pacific Northwest, barbecues and evenings spent on the deck or patio will soon be the agenda for summer. As you plant up your flowerbeds and deck pots, here are four of my must-have plants I recommend you check out at Vander Giessen Nursery. First, Beacon Impatiens. One of the most used annuals in gardens worldwide has recently undergone some major upgrades [...]
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