pollinator

Healthy Hardy Fuchsias

Healthy Hardy Fuchsias

The Fuchsia flower is somewhat unique in the world of gardening, sporting a pronounced corolla and often contrasting sepal color, all in a pendent-type flower.  Over the eons, these are plants that have evolved right alongside their pollinating partners, the hummingbirds.  They provide rich nectar for our winged friends, but also…

Captivating Coneflowers

Captivating Coneflowers

Now that we are in the heat of the summer, perennials like Coneflowers are blooming and providing important benefits to our pollinators.  Personally, I have a number of these cultivars planted in my own landscape and truly enjoy their…

Perennials for Pollinators – Episode I

Perennials for Pollinators – Episode I

As we continue the celebration of Pollinator Month all June long, I am hoping all of you will pause and admire all of our little insect, hummingbird, and butterfly friends buzzing about garden flowers.  Ah… the sweet nectars of summertime!  The sun is out…

'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…

Some Like It Hot

Some Like It Hot

Summer wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for the hot, passionate side of the color spectrum that contains red, orange, and yellow. It makes the long slog through the wet and grey days of spring all worth it…

Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Fruit Tree Pollination

Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Fruit Tree Pollination

Growing fruit trees in the northwest can be a very rewarding venture. There is nothing quite like going out to the backyard and plucking a handful of tree ripened cherries or a juicy Asian pear or Japanese plum. It just doesn’t get any fresher than “straight off the tree”…

Regenerative Gardening: Saving The Planet One Garden At A Time

Regenerative Gardening: Saving The Planet One Garden At A Time

Have you heard of “regenerative agriculture”? I hadn’t until recently, but after a bit of research, I realized that this “new” movement is at its base just an expansion of organic gardening and farming principles that can be adapted from commercial agriculture to our very own backyards. Here are some components of this style of gardening that we should all take to heart…

Gardening Is For The Birds

Gardening Is For The Birds

As much as I love plants and all of what the act of gardening encompasses, watching my feathered friends fliting about the yard is truly one of the joys and bonuses of laboring in the garden. Their brightly colored feathers, melodic songs, and sometimes gravity defying antics never get boring…