When you are a plant nerd like me, there is no end to the list of plants that fall into the category of “most favorite”. There are many characteristics that can make a plant qualify for that most coveted classification, such as….
October In The Garden - Time to tuck and roll
I am not sure what happened to “Fall”. It seems like in September we went from summer to winter in a matter of just a few days. The current cool and rainy days feel more like November than September and I can only wonder what the month of October will be like. I am hoping for a few more balmy, sunny days with some spectacular fall color. Whatever we get, it is important to…
The Curious Case Of The Crooked Conifer
Here we are, the last week of August. The summer season is coming to an end, the kids (if you have any) are going back to school, our veggie beds and flower containers are winding down (although my overwintered geraniums seem to be just reaching their stride), and our lawns are parched (unless like me you are willing to spend your children’s inheritance to water it). That is all about to change…
As Summer Ends, Fall Begins
As we near the end of August it is becoming apparent in my garden that the fall season is fast approaching, despite the fact that as I write this (the week of August 14th) it is still very much summer with temps in the low 90’s. Yes, it is still hot with lots of sunshine, but there are sure signs that we are about to switch to another season. Here are some of the clues I have noticed…
It's Time For A Little Clean Up
Well, I think it is safe to say that our lovely, long-lasting summer is officially over. Between the nasty wind storm and few recent days of below freezing nights, it is time to get serious about putting the garden to bed. Here are a few tips to help your garden survive winter and come back in spring stronger than ever…
Here's How To Up Your Fall Gardening Game
If you don’t like looking at sticks over the winter and loath having to rake leaves, then you might as well stop reading this and find something else to do. Plants that lose their leaves in the fall are the backbone of an interesting late season garden, and if your entire landscape consists of nothing but Conifers and Broadleaf Evergreens (like Rhodies and Azaleas), chances are this time of year is going to be pretty ho-hum. Using deciduous plants in our landscapes is an easy way to up our gardening game and move us ever closer to that elusive goal of “year ‘round interest”…
Hardy Cyclamen - Cool Season Jewels
Most gardeners are familiar with florist Cyclamen. They are popular during the cooler times of the year and are usually sold as a table decoration to be enjoyed indoors for a few weeks and then discarded…. However, there is a hardy relative to the florist Cyclamen that is perfect for our climate and every gardener should make some space for a small drift of them…
Fall Is For Planting, Don't Let The Weather Spoil It
I would never have dreamt that I would be talking about such a “dry” subject (pun intended of course) as watering in the middle of October, but here we are, dealing with one of the longest stretches of no rain that I can remember in the 30 plus years that I have lived in the Pacific Northwest. Not only is it dry, but it is also…
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.