General Gardening
Ben Smith
Compost and Fertilizer - A Boring But Necessary ...

It pains me to see customers spending hundreds of dollars on new plants and simultaneously refusing to spend a few more on a bag or two of compost and a box of starter fertilizer.  These two items are not unnecessary “add-ons” that the retailer is just trying to add to the sale, they are critical components of a successful transplanting process - or as I like to refer to them as “plant insurance”.  Unless you have phenomenal soil, you should always add compost and starter fertilizers when you are planting new plants.  Here is why…

Compost and Fertilizer - A Boring But Necessary Topic
Summer Gardening
Ben Smith
The Secrets Of Proper Summer Watering

Summer watering is inevitable in the northwest if we want to keep our landscapes green and healthy…

The Secrets Of Proper Summer Watering

Winterizing the garden

,

Reflect and Be Thankful

,
Reflect and Be Thankful

I have to confess that I seldom take time to reflect. I am a “doer” by nature and no sooner do I finish a project, that I am then on to the next challenge - maybe it’s just my creative juices wanting to express themselves, or my type A personality. Whatever is behind my constant need to “do” something, sometimes it is a good idea to slow down, take a breath, and reflect on what has taken place and be thankful for everything, whether a success or failure. As the gardening season winds down and we are collectively celebrating Thanksgiving, here are a few thoughts that crossed my mind…

Compost, It's What Makes Our Gardens Survive Extreme Weather

Compost, It's What Makes Our Gardens Survive Extreme Weather

Recently I had one of my readers reach out to me and inquire about how all the weather extremes of 2021 might impact our gardening experiences in 2022. It is a good question that is worth exploring, especially since I suspect this won’t be the last time we see such extremes in temperature, rainfall, and snow. Here are some of my thoughts…

The Dreaded November To-Do List

The Dreaded November To-Do List

The recent freeze we experienced over this last weekend should have been a wakeup call for gardeners to take care of some chores before winter finally sets in…

Winterizing The Garden - Part One

Winterizing The Garden - Part One

Just when you thought you were through with yard work for the season, some wise-acre nursery professional comes along and tells you to “Winterize your yard!” “Okay”, you say, “How do I winterize my yard?” Big mistake! Never use open-ended questions with nursery professionals, unless of course you have nothing but time and money…

Be Thankful For Snow

If you are like me, you went to bed last Sunday night with a light dusting of snow on the ground and woke up to 8 to 10 inches covering virtually everything in the garden.  Now, somewhere underneath that white stuff, are my blooming hellebores, snow drops, and budded daffodils.  You might ask: “Is all lost?”  Hardly!  Mother Nature is a lot more resilient than that and while my perennials may be bent, they are most likely not broken.  In fact, they are probably snug as a bug in a rug and once everything thaws out they will pop right back up again.  As it turns out, snow is much more beneficial for the garden than it is detrimental.  Here are some things to consider…

It may feel like the dead of winter, but the garden is wide awake

I have been rather neglectful lately.  What with all the rain and holiday activities, I haven’t taken much time to walk around my garden.  From a distance it looks like it is in a deep sleep and nothing of any significance is going on, but with closer inspection it is anything but snoozing.  I took a little tour this week and much to my surprise I found lots of activity.  You should do the same, for it will surely lift your spirits.  Here are some of my discoveries…

Latest post from Trevor Cameron,  “The Golfing Gardener”:

Featured
Explore the World of Itoh Peonies

During the months of May and June one of the all-time favorite plants of local gardeners, the peony, is bursting into bloom.  There are many excellent peonies available to utilize in our landscapes; including herbaceous cottage types in all sorts of colors (and varying fragrances) and larger growing tree peonies too.  I would never scold anyone for growing either of these types (since I do as well), but I want to bring attention to another fabulous peony option… what is known as the intersectional or Itoh Peony.

Read More →