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

flowering shrubs

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Explore the World of Itoh Peonies

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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.

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Rockin’ Out With Rhododendrons

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Rockin’ Out With Rhododendrons

For generations of gardeners, and certainly for me, Rhododendrons represent the arrival of spring in our local landscapes.  Everywhere you drive this time of year there is a stunning Rhododendron in full bloom to catch your eye.  These flowering beauties come in all sorts of…

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Amazing Azaleas

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Amazing Azaleas

One tried and true shrub for our local gardens are Azaleas - spring flowering beauties that can be utilized in many locations the landscape.  These plants are brothers and sisters to Rhododendrons, offering us spectacular flowers on smaller growing plants that thrive in similar conditions.  There are hundreds of options out there, including…

It's Time To Prune The Hydrangeas

It's Time To Prune The Hydrangeas

Of all the classes that we offer here at the nursery, pruning is always the most popular. And, of all the different types of plants that need to be pruned, hydrangeas are probably the most confusing. Hopefully, I can help clear the air on how to properly prune these extremely popular shrubs….

What The Heck Is The Difference Between Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora & Floribunda Roses?

I had an interesting conversation with a customer a few weeks ago.  She was of Asian decent and was raving about our Hybrid Tea Roses.  I understood her to say that she was amazed at the variety of roses that she could make tea from.  I presumed she was talking about using the rose hips to make tea, but she clarified for me what she meant…

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

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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.

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