If I had to pick a favorite season, my choice would have to be autumn. Cool, crisp mornings and warm sunny afternoons; occasional rains returning and bringing the earthy, welcome smell we call petrichor; and the opportunity to get out in the yard and reimagine gardens and containers for a new season—all these bring me almost as much excitement as the thrill of spring. With a new season upon us, [...]
Ben Franklin once said that “nothing is certain in life except death and taxes,” but he had obviously never visited the Pacific Northwest in autumn and experienced the rainy season that, though delayed this year, has finally arrived. As the traditional wet fall season begins to take hold in Western Washington, this month is a great time to get a head start on next year’s gardening success, so here [...]
Photographers call it the “golden hour,” that magical first hour after sunrise and last hour before sunset when the lighting is just perfect for photography. If I might, I think we gardeners could borrow the idea for our hobby, for certainly September is one of the “golden months.” With warm days, cool nights, abundant sunshine but occasional showers—this time of year is just about perfect in my book. As we [...]
Plants don’t lie: vegetable gardens are giving the last of their abundance and the maple trees are showing the first of fall reds in their uppermost branches. Regardless how firmly we try to grasp the fading rays of summer, the seasons march on and autumn is arriving. As you gear up for the new season, here are a few tips to make the most of early autumn around the [...]
