Traditionally speaking, Valentine’s Day is the “Christmas” season for florists, whereas Mother’s Day belongs to the garden centers. However, not being one to follow tradition, I am going to take this space to help you stretch the envelope, so to speak…
Growing Berries In The Northwest
Spring Is Fast Approaching - Time To Get Some Dirt Under Those Fingernails
Let’s face it, compared to other regions of our country, we have it pretty darn good when it comes to winter. Occasional snow rarely sticks around for more than a week or two, night time lows are usually above freezing and the day temps can even get up into the 50’s. Nothing stays dormant for very long, in fact we can have quite of variety of plants that actually bloom in our mild maritime winters. Life is good if you are a gardener in the northwest….
It's Time To Think About Fruit Trees
Here Comes The Cold Weather
Gardening Trends For The Next Decade (Or At Least The Next Year)
I have just spent this last week, and countless hours, researching the topic of ‘trends for 2020’’ in hopes of bringing you something of deep profundity. Unfortunately, I have to confess; it has been a struggle to find the perfect morsels of wisdom for your reading pleasure and I have come to the conclusion that perhaps I am trying to set the bar too high. The trends for 2020 are really just a continuation of what I have observed over the last 5 years, so here are some of the points that caught my eye that hopefully you will find informative and useful…
Last Minute Gift Ideas
I know it is crunch time for gift buying and you might still have a few tough ones to figure out. Avoid the crazy mall madness and have an actual tactile experience of touching the gifts you’re searching for (to maybe even be hand-wrapped with care, rather than just clicking a mouse for an online purchase) by traveling down to your favorite garden center where there is always plenty of parking this time of year - you just might find that something perfect you’ve been hunting for. Here are a few ideas to try out…
Growing Citrus In The Pacific Northwest
I have mentioned many times over the years that I believe that we live in a horticultural paradise. There is very little we can’t grow successfully in our Pacific Northwest climate and lord knows I have tried it all at one time or another. Citrus are perfect examples of what we can pull off, if we just persevere…
Hellebores Are Back!
If you are the type that visits a garden center on a regular basis, then you have probably noticed that plants have their seasons. Most blooming plants will be featured front and center during the time of year when they are the showiest and the rest of the season either moved to the back or simply become “out of stock”. It’s no different than seasonal candy, like red and green M and M’s for Christmas or yellow and pink Peeps for Easter. Hellebores are a classic example of a seasonal perennial that is readily available throughout the winter and then missing during the summer months. I am excited to tell you that they are once again arriving on our benches and ready for planting…
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…