It always seems odd to be talking about drought tolerance when we get literally feet of rain every year and we generally have an adequate supply of water for the summer months, but as we all know, our rainfall isn’t distributed evenly throughout the season and consequently our summers can be quite dry.  Gardeners have options when it comes to selecting plants that are low water users that also have some great visual interest…

When I hear the word “dogwood” I am immediately transported back to a time in my life when I was living on the east coast in Virginia serving my country as a trumpet player in the 392nd Army Band.  I shall always have this picture in my mind of driving down a country road, enshrouded with large trees under which are dogwoods, their horizontal branches clothed with layers of white flowers.  It is a sight to behold…

Never in my 30 years of operating my garden center have I seen such an influx of customers come in all at the same time.  There is something about our long and excessively wet winters that drives us to this state of manic nursery shopping.  I am thrilled to see everyone return for another season, but I always feel compelled to remind everyone that we can plant almost year around in the northwest.  Don’t feel like you have to do it all in the next couple of weeks.  There is plenty of time….

One of the things that always gets me all twitterpated this time of year is “new growth” - it is so clean, unblemished by the elements or the insects and incredibly vibrant.  Even if you are a casual gardener, you should really spend some time looking closely at your plants as the new foliage unfolds for the season.  It is a sight to behold.  A quick stroll through my garden revealed several eye-popping standouts…

It’s a good thing I am easily pleased, it doesn’t take much to make me happy - especially when I am working in the garden.  Take this last week for example.  Like most of us, I just tried to cram four months’ worth of gardening into one sunny week and while it was exhausting, it was also exhilarating.  The joy of seeing the fruits of my labor are well worth every ache and pain I am currently experiencing…  

As houses continue to get larger and yards smaller, it is becoming more and more challenging to find the space to plant everything that we would love to have in our gardens.  In many cases, a tree - no matter how dwarf - may not fit into the space and even shrubs - if they are not compact - will gobble up far too much real estate.  It can become a real design challenge to maximize the space we have to work with...

I have been employed on and off in the horticultural industry since I was 14 (which is an incredible 56 years ago) and during that time I think I have heard just about every conceivable crazy idea about what to do and what not to do in the garden.  Here are a few on the top of my list.  Some are true, some are false and some are just impossible to prove one way or the other, but all make for interesting conversation...

April is a tortuous month for me.  While it is clear that spring has arrived in the garden, the weather still feels like winter with only an occasional sunny day here and there to try and cram in all the chores that need to be done.  I want, in the worst way, to clean up the beds, plant some cool season veggies, and mow the lawn.  But no, instead every day it’s the same old s#*t.  Hell, we had snow last Sunday and they are predicting only two dry days over the next two weeks.  I swear, I am going to lose it the next time someone tells me: “April showers bring May flowers”.  If you too are feeling cranky this month, trust me, I feel your pain...

Let’s flashback to the late 60’s and early 70’s…  I was so heavy into the organic gardening movement that I tried to convince my wife to name our first born either Mulch for a boy or Compostina for a girl (I’m sure you can imagine how that went over).  Over the last 50 years, the organic gardening movement has slowly taken root, and along with eating healthy, has become much more popular - especially with the younger generation.  Here is a quick overview of the essence of what organic gardening is all about…  

The world has changed from when I was a child.  Today, it seems like we are obsessed with cleanliness.  Nobody wants to get their hands dirty.  Nitrile gloves and hand sanitizers are standard fare everywhere you go.  God forbid that we might come into contact with “germs”.  The problem with this strategy is that all of this over-sanitizing is actually making us more sensitive to pathogens and one of the simplest solutions is to get some dirt on our hands or even in our mouths.  Dirt is actually good for us...