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…
Something I truly enjoy when strolling through any garden are surprises, simple unexpected treasures that catch my eye and bring a smile to my face. I come around a corner, or peer down a pathway, or even look behind an old tree and exclaim “Ooooo… and what do we have here?” These focal points can be…
As we near the end of August it is becoming apparent in my garden that the fall season is fast approaching, despite the fact that as I write this (the week of August 14th) it is still very much summer with temps in the low 90’s. Yes, it is still hot with lots of sunshine, but there are sure signs that we are about to switch to another season. Here are some of the clues I have noticed…
It’s funny how the meaning of some words can change over time. In a garden setting, having a “diverse” collection of plants is generally a good thing. One could say that the gardener embraces “diversity”. Likewise, if that same gardener “includes” many different genera in the landscape, you could state that the gardener embraces “inclusivity”. Now, before you get your hackles up, I have no intention of…
If your garden is anything like mine, then you are probably busy watering, staking, checking for bugs and diseases, harvesting veggies and fruits and bouquets of flowers, and planting - at least those are the things that we all should be doing in August if we want to call ourselves gardeners. I don’t think anyone ever manages to accomplish all the gardening chores they set out to do, but we should at least give it the old college try. Just for fun, here are some of the things I have been doing in my garden…
August can feel like a long time to wait for a some plants to finally put forth flowers, all while the rest of the garden might be blooming its head off. On the other hand, by the time we get to August, our gardens can conceivably start to look kind of tired and bedraggled, and having a few plants that are just coming into bloom can be a very good thing. I have often said that in the Pacific Northwest you can find a plant blooming every day of the year…
We are moving into the later part of summer when all of the spring and early summer perennials have finished up and it is time for those mid to late summer bloomers to take front stage. Keeping the show going in our gardens can be tricky, especially if we are prone to only do our shopping in the spring months and focus on what is in color at that time…
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
As we head into the glorious months of summer in the PNW, it is the perfect time to consider what needs a little summer pruning in the landscape. Not everything will, so please do not think that your whole yard needs to be done. It is of course your garden and not mine, so…