In my front yard is a mature White Pine that currently looks like it is about to die. The entire tree has a yellow cast to it caused by bundles of 2-year-old needles that have finished up their life cycle, have turned yellow, and are now dropping and blanketing my lawn. If this were a different plant I might be concerned, but…
A Few New Conifers For Plant Enthusiasts
Over the years I have written multiple columns on the merits of conifers, or what we like to call in the vernacular, “needle-leafed evergreens”. It always boggles my mind to think of the variety of evergreens available to the northwest gardener. In our little nursery alone, we offer 25 different genera and close to 300 individual varieties…
The Fascinating World of Conifers
As promised a few weeks ago, I want to introduce you to a few more conifers that I find to be real gems to add to our landscapes. But before launching into some specific varieties of interest, my botanical nerdiness requires me to share what I consider to be truly fascinating facts about this group we refer to as conifers or “cone bearing” plants…
Three Pines To Brighten Up Your Winter Garden
As much as I hate to admit it, it is time to jettison the summer color and start thinking about what will look good in the garden all winter. As the perennials melt down, the annuals die, and the deciduous trees and shrubs shed their foliage, the primary group of plants that can give us dependable winter color are the needle-leafed evergreens - which botanically speaking we call conifers…
Christmas Trees - Real or Fake?
As gardeners, the concept of “going natural” is nothing new. Whatever our reasons, whenever practical we tend to shy away from synthetics and instead choose products that are natural. In the case of Christmas trees, we have the same choices - one is buying an artificial tree, and the other is buying a real tree. Here are some things to consider before making up your mind…
I often refer to myself as a “plant enabler”, a sort of legal dealer that tries his best to hook his customers up with the best plants for their landscapes. Plants are easy to get addicted to, believe me, and running a garden center means you are surrounded on a daily basis by treasures that beckon you to take them home, plant them, and watch them flourish - even if you are out of room, just ask my poor wife. If I jump in a time machine to some 30 years ago, I can see…