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

Time To Move Those Houseplants Back Inside

Time To Move Those Houseplants Back Inside

A lot of gardeners wisely move some of their houseplants outside during the summer to give them better light and fresher air. It is a tricky thing to do because light conditions inside our homes are always much more reduced than even the shadiest location in our gardens. Leaves that have been grown inside our homes have thinner cuticles and are consequently more susceptible to sunburn when moved outside. By taking special care to acclimate them, by first placing them in full shade and gradually moving them into sunnier places in the garden, we can usually be successful. That being said, now it is time to reverse this ordeal and bring those little friends back inside and try to keep them happy for the rest of the winter. Here are a few things to consider in this process:

Here Are A Few Gems To Brighten Up The Fall Garden

It always amazes me that no matter how many times I visit the garden center, I always seem to find something that looks interesting and is calling to me to take it home and add it to the landscape. You would think that I would run out of space eventually, but the reality is that any gardener worth his/her salt can always find a spot for a new introduction. Here are a few that caught my eye this week as I toured the nursery looking for treasures…

A Few Important Things To Do This Month

A Few Important Things To Do This Month

Fall is in the air! The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler and the sun is moving farther south, creating longer shadows on the north side of the garden. These climatological events are triggers for the garden, to let it know that winter is coming and seasoned gardeners will respond accordingly. Here are some things they will be doing this month, that you should do as well…

Perennial Herbs You Can Grown Year 'Round

Perennial Herbs You Can Grown Year 'Round

There is a surprising array of hardy herbs that we can grow in our northwest marine climate and not have to worry about replanting every spring. Many of them can actually be brought inside and placed on a bright window sill for the winter where sprigs can be plucked as needed. Left outside, many can even still be harvested throughout the winter. Here are several hardy options that I discovered while walking through our herb department this last week…

Every Garden Needs A Bluebeard In It

Every Garden Needs A Bluebeard In It

Last week I pontificated about the merits of the genus Hibiscus and the fact that it is among the very few shrubs that bloom late into the summer. There are a handful of other summer-blooming choices that don’t come in quite so many variations but are just as reliable and dare I say, essential to creating that all illusive “year ‘round interest” in our gardens. Bluebeard is one such plant that will add late season interest in the sunny border with not a lot of fuss…

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The Golfing Gardener

Trevor Cameron

Featured
Part 3 of the Conifer Trilogy – Stunning Yellows and Bright Whites
Part 3 of the Conifer Trilogy – Stunning Yellows and Bright Whites

Let the Trilogy of Conifers continue with the finale!  Two weeks ago I discussed some basics on conifers to ponder and then last week we went with some beyond blue selections.  For this week we move onto flavors, large and small, that boast bright yellow or white variegation.  As I have stated in this forum many times, I love me some…

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