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…
As we march on through the month of January, it is time to recall the annual gardening tradition of dormant spraying. The ideal products may have changed a bit over the years, and certainly their effectiveness has improved as well, but the spray techniques and principles remain the same. A plan for success always begins with…
I thought it might be fun to kick off 2025 in style with some talk about climate, gardens, and the adjustments we continue to make to both our gardening choices and practices. Gardeners have certainly always been flexible, or rolled with the punches as they say. As Mother Nature surprises us with this or that, she always…
The winter solstice is upon us, and I am sure everyone is looking forward to a bit more light each day, eventually steering us towards the great annual awakening of spring. To most gardeners, the idea of year ‘round interest is top of mind, as patrons I speak to year after year look to add specimens into their landscapes that provide that “WOW” factor all year long, including…
In the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year’s Day, several traditional houseplants are available for the holiday season. Most places I visit seem to have Poinsettias, Amaryllis and holiday cactus, and I think most enthusiasts are familiar with these common (but worthy) options. If you look a little closer, you will find…
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
When considering shrubs for the yard, keep the many flavors of Spiraea in mind. In the Pacific Northwest, these deciduous gems are easy to grow, super hardy and low maintenance in almost any landscape. Now that spring has officially sprung, these shrubs are…