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…
As we march on through the month of January, it is time to recall the annual gardening tradition of dormant spraying. The ideal products may have changed a bit over the years, and certainly their effectiveness has improved as well, but the spray techniques and principles remain the same. A plan for success always begins with…
I thought it might be fun to kick off 2025 in style with some talk about climate, gardens, and the adjustments we continue to make to both our gardening choices and practices. Gardeners have certainly always been flexible, or rolled with the punches as they say. As Mother Nature surprises us with this or that, she always…
After this last hard freeze, I am hoping that the worst is behind us and we can confidently get out into the garden and whip things back into shape. While I realize February is still technically winter, it is also the beginning of spring for north westerners, and there is much to do before the actual spring season arrives. Here are some timely tasks to consider…
I know a few of you might find it incredibly hard to believe, but I actually spend a considerable amount of time researching my columns rather than just making s#%t up. In truth, it is probably a combination of both. We live in the information age where knowledge is all around us, literally at our finger tips. The challenge of course is…
Okay my gardening friends, 2020 is behind us and it is time to start drooling over the seed catalogues and visiting garden centers to see what looks interesting this time of year. During the next several weeks of rain storms (remember, this is a La Nina year so there’s likely to be lots of rain and mild temps) find a moment to take stock in the garden to see where you want to make additions and deletions, take some notes, and then get ready for spring. It will be here before you know it!
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
As we inch out of the cold and head towards the warmer days of spring, I am feeling the need to talk raspberries this week. As I close my eyes (and start to drool a bit), I can imagine snacking on these fresh tasty treats from the garden. Whether you have…