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

pollinators

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Choices in the Home Orchard - Part One

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Choices in the Home Orchard - Part One

A huge trend in gardening over the last decade or so has been cultivating your very own homegrown fruit.  The pandemic intensified this practice, and it seemingly continues to become more and more popular for our patrons at Sunnyside, season after season.  While most all endeavors in the garden are gratifying to me, there is something extra special about growing your own edibles, including fruit.  Whether you are adding to an existing garden or starting anew, some planning and a few points to ponder will help you to grow fruit successfully…

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'Bee-You' Bee Balm

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'Bee-You' Bee Balm

Monarda, commonly known as Bee Balm, has been a popular garden perennial for many years. Most of the modern hybrids come from two species native to the eastern United States. Today’s cultivars come in a range of colors, including…

Westcountry Lupines Are To Die For

Westcountry Lupines Are To Die For

I think it is safe to say that most northwest gardeners (or even non-gardeners) a familiar with lupines - those plants we see along the freeway in late May and early June with their spikes of blue flowers. They are native all-over North America and are one of the first plants to…

Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Fruit Tree Pollination

Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Fruit Tree Pollination

Growing fruit trees in the northwest can be a very rewarding venture. There is nothing quite like going out to the backyard and plucking a handful of tree ripened cherries or a juicy Asian pear or Japanese plum. It just doesn’t get any fresher than “straight off the tree”…

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.

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