O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, how lovely are your branches… Not only green in summer’s heat, but also in winter’s snow and sleet… Absolutely one of my favorite holiday songs, so simple. I am so grateful that you…
Pet-Friendly Indoor Plants
We dove into oxygenating our indoor spaces with houseplants a couple of weeks ago, and now let’s continue our indoor discussion by investigate some superior pet-friendly options. As the weather continues to cool and the wind and rain ramp up, it becomes easier and easier to garden indoors and work outside a bit less. Many of us have…
The Elegant Versatility of Evergreens
I often tell gardeners in our region to rediscover their “Evergreen State”, which (in a play on words) simply means to show some gardening style with the structure, texture and color of conifers. Around here nature has the many shades of green covered, but how about some bold blues and bright yellows? When all of the deciduous shrubs and trees have…
The Japanese Maple - A Tree For All Seasons
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…
At some point each spring I have to pay homage to our Washington state flower, the Rhododendron. We are in the midst of April and heading towards May soon, which means that the glorious time of year has arrived for Rhodies to shine in all of our landscapes…