With Christmas just around the corner, it won’t be long until we’re turning the calendar to a new year and can begin to dream of a fresh season of gardening laid out like a blank canvas before us. In this season of gardening rest, there are still things you can do to keep your garden looking its best, even if just preparations for the year to come. If you’re looking [...]
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, [...]
In the last few weeks, our weather has rapidly shifted from endless summer to early winter, with little more than colorful foliage and pumpkins on the porch to remind us that indeed, it is still fall. As you enjoy the fall colors mingled with a chance of snowflakes, now is the time to put your garden to bed for winter, so here are a few tips to prepare your plants [...]
With some of the coldest temperatures we've seen in years forecast for the Pacific Northwest in the coming days--and with winter officially just beginning--now is the time to take action to protect any tender or at-risk plants you have outdoors from winter damage. While this is far from a comprehensive guide to protecting plants in winter, here are a few quick tips to keep your plants happy and healthy no [...]
As Thanksgiving approaches, outdoor gardening takes a backseat to indoor activities. And with good reason—short days and cold, wet weather test the mettle of even the hardiest of us webbed-foot Washingtonian gardeners. Although our winters are more mild than many areas of the country, windstorms from the northeast are particularly damaging not so much for the cold they bring as for the drying effect of the wind, which can leave [...]
Mild though it’s been so far, winter in the Pacific Northwest doesn’t typically arrive until about the time we start thinking about spring. After last February’s bitter cold winds and blowing snow, remember that there is plenty of potential for winter weather for at least the next six weeks, and maybe as soon as this weekend if forecasters are correct. As you prepare for whatever winter weather may soon arrive, [...]
If you’re someone who loves to try your hand at growing things, you know that a gardener’s work is never finished. Not that that’s a bad thing—anyone who has a hobby they enjoy is never really finished with it! In this “off season,” however, gardening takes a back seat to the busyness and joy of the holidays, and besides, the cold, dark days prevent very much outdoor activity. If you’re [...]
