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

begonias

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Don't Be Annoyed, Fill That Void!

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Don't Be Annoyed, Fill That Void!

I am going to go out on a limb here and make a brash statement: “perfection in the garden is fleeting”.  Yes, it is sadly true… Earlier this spring I was congratulating myself on how nicely all of my many perennials (probably too many if I am honest with myself) were knitting themselves together and gradually obliterating any bare, visible soil.  That is still happening, to be sure, but along the way some of my early bloomers have “gone over” and it is time to take another look at what I can plop in and around them to keep things looking colorful and interesting…

Saving Begonias & Geraniums

Saving Begonias & Geraniums

With the mercury dipping down into the low thirties, and maybe even some frost for some of you, I am reminded of the often asked question: “How do I save some of my seasonal color for the next season”.  It’s only a matter of time before a really good hard frost is going to make that question moot.  So, if you are serious about trying to preserve some of your investments that you made this year, time is of the essence…

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The Golfing Gardener

Trevor Cameron

Featured
Planting In Dry Shade
Planting In Dry Shade

Over the course of each and every season, a myriad of gardening questions are thrown my way.  I am always happy to answer them all because that it is what I truly enjoy – helping in any way I can, attempting to steer each unique gardener towards unbridled success.  There are no black thumbs after all, just duller green ones that require some polishing to bring out the hidden shine.  One consistently common issue that many gardeners inquire about is…

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