I think it is fair to say that for a lot of us, our vision of a shady garden area is one that is mostly green with a few varieties of plants such as rhodies, a couple of ferns, and a hosta or two.  The thought of a diverse mix of plants with colorful foliage, contrasting textures and even some flowers is a reach.  A monochromatic blend of plants is the most we can hope for.  Well, I am here to tell you that nothing could be farther from the truth and here are some prime examples to try out…

We are blessed in the northwest to be able to grow a wide variety of plant material from many other parts of the world (in addition of course to our own native flora).  Like most people, gardeners are always looking for something new and different that is not locally found.  But going what seems like a long way away to find new plants isn’t always necessary.  Take for example Clethera alnifolia, or Summersweet as it is commonly called…

It’s been a while since I have thrown a “to-do” list at you so I think it is about time to get back to the basics.  Chores this month can be summed up with the following words:  water, feed, mulch, prune, stake, and manage insects and diseases.  Here’s a little more detail on those items…

Everybody loves hydrangeas.  After the cacophony of spring has passed and all the rhodies and azaleas are out of bloom, hydrangeas pick up the baton and continue with the parade of color in our gardens.  They come in blues, purples, reds, pinks, and even white. Here’s all the information you need to know about these wonderful new introductions…

Ferns are an amazing group of plants.  They are among some of the oldest plants to still inhabit the earth.  Ever since I was a young child I have been drawn to their delicate and soothing foliage.  I remember my first trip to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco…

There is nothing about gardening that can be considered “one and done” - many tasks repeat themselves throughout the seasons.  Pruning happens multiple times as does weeding, but the best task of all that gets to happen almost year ‘round is planting.  There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t find some new treasure on the benches in the nursery that I have to take home and try out in my garden.  No matter how crowded things may seem to be, I can always find room for one more plant.  It just so happens that this week that plant is a perennial lobelia….

June is a fabulous month to be gardening in the northwest.  The soils have warmed up adequately and the air temp is very pleasant.  There’s lots of daylight, so we can get out after work and still get plenty done.  There is no shortage of plants to be found at your local garden center and with 3 to 4 months of good growing weather ahead of us, I think it is safe to say that June could easily be the most productive month of the year.  Here are some things to focus on…

It always seems odd to be talking about drought tolerance when we get literally feet of rain every year and we generally have an adequate supply of water for the summer months, but as we all know, our rainfall isn’t distributed evenly throughout the season and consequently our summers can be quite dry.  Gardeners have options when it comes to selecting plants that are low water users that also have some great visual interest…

When I hear the word “dogwood” I am immediately transported back to a time in my life when I was living on the east coast in Virginia serving my country as a trumpet player in the 392nd Army Band.  I shall always have this picture in my mind of driving down a country road, enshrouded with large trees under which are dogwoods, their horizontal branches clothed with layers of white flowers.  It is a sight to behold…