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…
Over eons, the kingdom of plants has stretched across the globe and filled almost all climates with stellar botanical treasures, even continuing to evolve to this day. The variations in attributes offered by plants is extraordinary when you think about it, and we are lucky as PNW gardeners to be able to…
It is February and one of my favorite holidays is upon us… Valentine’s Day, the time to pause and show both appreciation and love to all. I personally will admit to having minimal psychological prowess on this topic, but I certainly try my best each and every year, as I am sure all of you do as well. Chocolates, cuddly stuffed animals, a fancy dinner, a nice movie, a spa day and of course anything that…
One of the true pleasures in the world of gardening has always been and will continue to be cultivating edible food. Toiling in that soil for the purpose of growing and then harvesting your very own bounty of home grown berries, fruits and vegetables can be most gratifying. January is an ideal time to…
Winter may have just begun, but it has been a strange one for us thus far. We were blessed with a few frosts last week, but really have had minimal cold weather invade our corner of the PNW. No arctic blast came in November, just copious amounts of our signature liquid sunshine. I know I speak for everyone when I…
I thought it might be fun to kick off the new year in style with some gardening resolutions, a practice that may both motivate us and help to maximize our gardening potential. It goes without saying that there are many ways any of us can improve in our lives, community, relationships and even workplace. Setting goals is always useful (year around for that matter), but it seems like at the New Year holiday, resolutions large and small take center stage. I will skip the topics of…
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
With spring approaching and winter heading into our rear view mirror soon, it is time to start rejuvenating the lawn for spring. First off, what winter? We finally got a few frosts, but it has been unbelievably mild all winter long. For the garden (and lawn), that means…