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…
My hope from last week is that I got everyone’s pruning juices flowing. This week I will attempt to build on that momentum and get into some more specifics. If you got outside in this wonderfully cold and sunny weather and started your personal pruning battle plan, pat yourself on the back! You have earned a gold star and embarked on a journey to pruning success. If you haven’t, don’t worry, there is still time…
I am feeling a bit philosophical today, so bear with me. Last week I finally bit the bullet and got into the garden for my spring cleanup. I had purposely left everything in the fall to die back naturally, as normally happens in nature. In retrospect, I think it was a good idea as it provided lots of visual interest throughout the entire winter. But alas, the time has come to remove the dead and rotting foliage from my perennials and evaluate just exactly what survived and what needed to be replaced. Here is what I learned…
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…
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…