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

environment

Yes, We Do Need To Reduce Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Yes, We Do Need To Reduce Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

In a recent letter to the editor in the Everett Herald, the author claims that because plants need carbon to function it is insane to be attempting to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.  They detail the delicate balance between plants that take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen and animals that take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide.  So far, so good.  But then they say that reducing carbon will reduce the plant population since photosynthesis will be restricted - this is where I have to disagree…

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The Golfing Gardener

Trevor Cameron

Featured
Growing Rhododendrons
Growing Rhododendrons

Rhododendrons are not only the state flower for our Washingtonian homeland, but they are perhaps the most widely planted shrub in our region.  Now that we are in the heart of springtime in the PNW, Rhododendrons (and their cousins the Azaleas) are…

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