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

Perennials

June Is Perennial Planting Month

June Is Perennial Planting Month

There is no shortage of things to do in the garden in the month of June.  Hedges need to be pruned, warm season veggies should be planted, spring-blooming plants (like Forsythia, Heather, and Rhodies) should be deadheaded, weeds of course need to be controlled, it’s time to start thinking about watering, and all those annuals we planted in May need to be fed.  But, one of the most important tasks for every gardener is to KEEP PLANTING.  There are always holes to fill in and beds to rejuvenate, and in June the best choices usually come from the perennial department of the garden center…

, ,

Untangling Clematis Pruning

, ,

In my new garden I have managed to find homes for 11 different clematis vines, so far anyway… When I picked out the various varieties, I wasn’t thinking about how I would have to prune them.  Rather, I was mostly looking for summer bloomers with flower color, with the exception…

, , ,

Making ‘Sense’ Of ‘Scents’

, , ,
Making ‘Sense’ Of ‘Scents’

As a garden center owner for over three decades, I have seen all types of gardeners come in to shop for plants, and without exception, regardless of their level of skill, there is one common habit they all exhibit.  Show them a pretty flower and they will immediately plunge their schnozzola right into the heart of it to see if it has fragrance - we have all done it, myself included…

, ,

Hardy Cyclamen - Cool Season Jewels

, ,

Most gardeners are familiar with florist Cyclamen. They are popular during the cooler times of the year and are usually sold as a table decoration to be enjoyed indoors for a few weeks and then discarded…. However, there is a hardy relative to the florist Cyclamen that is perfect for our climate and every gardener should make some space for a small drift of them…

,

Fall - The Second Planting Season

,
Fall - The Second Planting Season

Let me get straight to the point. Fall is an excellent time of the year for planting trees and shrubs, as well as continuing to introduce annuals, perennials, and ornamental grasses to our gardens. It’s a fact…

, ,

'Bee-You' Bee Balm

, ,
'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…

,

Celebrate Summerific Week

,

Every year during the first full week of August… we celebrate the perennial Hibiscus moscheutos and its many cultivars… An incredibly durable North American native that can sport blooms the size of your face in late summer when lots of other plants have pooped out…

Evolution Coneflowers - They Just Keep Getting Better & Better

Evolution Coneflowers - They Just Keep Getting Better & Better

Over the last 10 years I have written several times about the attributes of our North American native, Echinacea purpurea, or what we commonly refer to as a coneflower. These tough perennials mix well with Ornamental Grasses, Sedums, Lavender, Black-eyed Susan Daisies and really, just about any summer blooming perennial that likes a hot, dry, location. And while they have been a staple on most gardens…

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…

All Hail To The Lowly "Pigsqueak"

All Hail To The Lowly "Pigsqueak"

Over my lifetime as a horticulturist, I have found myself enamored with different genera of plants to the point that I have gone out of my way to collect as many variations of the same genus, simply because I thought they were “really cool”. The genus “Bergenia” is a typical example and for me it all started when I was quite young…

Latest post from “The Golfing Gardener”:

The Golfing Gardener

Trevor Cameron

Featured
Part 2 of the Trilogy of Conifers - Beyond Blue
Part 2 of the Trilogy of Conifers - Beyond Blue

Honesty is always the best policy and since I promised a “Trilogy of Conifers” last week, on we go with even more conifer mojo.  We explored their variations in color, texture and growth habits for local landscapes.  In episode two this week, I want to focus on the many calming shades of blue, highlighting some selections with both superior color and shape…

Read More →