As I drive home each day and gaze upon landscape after landscape (including my own of course), I tend to wonder many things…
Overcome the “Dead of Winter” in your Garden
We're Over The Hump
Lessons From The Garden
I am feeling a bit philosophical today, so bear with me. Last week I finally bit the bullet and got into the garden for my spring cleanup. I had purposely left everything in the fall to die back naturally, as normally happens in nature. In retrospect, I think it was a good idea as it provided lots of visual interest throughout the entire winter. But alas, the time has come to remove the dead and rotting foliage from my perennials and evaluate just exactly what survived and what needed to be replaced. Here is what I learned…
March Madness (In The Garden!)
Recess Is Over, It’s Time For Action
After this last hard freeze, I am hoping that the worst is behind us and we can confidently get out into the garden and whip things back into shape. While I realize February is still technically winter, it is also the beginning of spring for north westerners, and there is much to do before the actual spring season arrives. Here are some timely tasks to consider…
Slow Down And Enjoy The “Quiet Time” In The Garden
How cold is too cold? It depends…
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…
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…
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.