With some of the coldest temperatures we've seen in years forecast for the Pacific Northwest in the coming days--and with winter officially just beginning--now is the time to take action to protect any tender or at-risk plants you have outdoors from winter damage. While this is far from a comprehensive guide to protecting plants in winter, here are a few quick tips to keep your plants happy and healthy no [...]
In the last few weeks, the lives of many people around our county and region were upended, with homes, farms, and businesses damaged or destroyed by raging floodwaters. While fixing damage to structures and vehicles has been the primary focus in the intervening days, many yards and gardens have sustained significant damage as well. If your yard was overwhelmed by flooding, here are a few tips to help repair and [...]
As much as I love gardening, I also love the opportunity for rest that late fall and winter offer. November presents us a chance to wrap up the last of our garden cleanup and put our yards to bed for winter. As the gardening season draws to a close, here are a few things I’m going to be doing around my yard this month and would encourage you to do [...]
With regular soaking rains, cool temperatures, and crisp sunny days marked by the slanting rays of a sun sinking further into the southern sky, there’s little doubt that autumn is here to stay. As you work at cleaning up your yard and getting your garden ready for winter, here are a few items to keep your lawn and garden healthy and thriving throughout the months to come. First, while our [...]
Photographers call it the “golden hour,” that magical first hour after sunrise and last hour before sunset when the lighting is just perfect for photography. If I might, I think we gardeners could borrow the idea for our hobby, for certainly September is one of the “golden months.” With warm days, cool nights, abundant sunshine but occasional showers—this time of year is just about perfect in my book. As we [...]
To put a positive spin on the last couple of years, I think it’s fair to say we’ve all enjoyed our backyards more than ever before! From planting new shrubs and trees to enjoying fresh homegrown produce and colorful flowers, people are rediscovering the joy and stress relief gardening has to offer. As you’ve spent time in your yard this summer, you may have noticed your grass could use [...]
Late summer in the garden can be both a challenging and rewarding time, with increased insect and disease issues at a time when plants are their most productive or beautiful. You’ve cared for your garden this many months, watering, fertilizing, and carefully tending to your plants’ needs—so let’s finish the summer strong. Here are a few tips to keep your garden healthy and looking its best as fall looms just [...]
I’m not the athletic sort, so forgive me for mixing metaphors when I say that we gardeners have to learn to roll with the punches when life throws us curveballs. Whatever word picture you prefer, the heat and sun we experienced late last month was a curveball we’ll talk about for a long time. As you clean up damaged plants and try to help your garden recover, here are some [...]
In gardening, timing is everything. Whether getting your vegetable seeds or starts in the ground at the proper time, feeding your lawn and garden when needed, and spraying or treating for insects before an infestation ruins your fruit or flowers—the success of your endeavors hinges largely on doing things at the right time. As you wrap up planting your vegetable garden for summer and begin to focus on maintaining your [...]
With long days and warmer weather arriving in the Pacific Northwest, barbecues and evenings spent on the deck or patio will soon be the agenda for summer. As you plant up your flowerbeds and deck pots, here are four of my must-have plants I recommend you check out at Vander Giessen Nursery. First, Beacon Impatiens. One of the most used annuals in gardens worldwide has recently undergone some major upgrades [...]
