Gardeners are by nature learners. This hobby we call “gardening” is not one to be mastered—with new plants, new insect and disease issues, and weather conditions constantly in flux, the school of gardening has no graduates as we all learn more skills and gain fresh knowledge with each passing season. As spring unfolds, you may be discovering new issues around your yard you need to address, so let’s dive into [...]
I love the excitement of a good winter storm, but once February rolls around, my mind starts shifting to the anticipation of spring. With mild temperatures and sunny days teasing the new season just around the corner, it’s time to start preparing your garden for spring. As you get started with your initial spring garden tasks, here are a few suggestions of where to start. My first task around the [...]
Looking outside my window, I can see the first signs of spring beginning to emerge: my daffodils are sprouting, the winter heather is in full bloom, and the buds on my rose bushes are beginning to swell. Although it’s too early to declare winter past and gone, it’s time to think spring and get underway with early season tasks around the garden. First, with the aforementioned roses beginning to bud, [...]
In the last few weeks, our weather has rapidly shifted from endless summer to early winter, with little more than colorful foliage and pumpkins on the porch to remind us that indeed, it is still fall. As you enjoy the fall colors mingled with a chance of snowflakes, now is the time to put your garden to bed for winter, so here are a few tips to prepare your plants [...]
Ask any native Washingtonian and they’ll tell you that “June Gloom” is a very real thing in our corner of the world. Unfortunately, this year’s June Gloom comes on the heels of Abundant April Showers and a Mostly Moist May, leaving weather forecasters with few friends. With summer just around the corner (one can hope!), June is a great time to work outside, ensuring a colorful, productive, and healthy garden [...]
After a challenging start to winter here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s beginning to look like we may escape the cold, snowy weather that February has offered in recent years. Although we still may get some winter weather in March, the chance of anything severe or long-lasting decreases with each passing week, so I feel somewhat safe in embracing the spring weather we’re enjoying! As you begin to get out [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Like most Washingtonians, I love a good rain—at least the first few of the season. But frankly, I think even the most enthusiastic pluviophiles among us (extra points if you don’t have to look it up!) are ready for a good stretch of sunny, dry weather. As you gear up for early spring in the garden, here are a few can’t-miss tasks to make time for this month. First, before [...]
Mild though it’s been so far, winter in the Pacific Northwest doesn’t typically arrive until about the time we start thinking about spring. After last February’s bitter cold winds and blowing snow, remember that there is plenty of potential for winter weather for at least the next six weeks, and maybe as soon as this weekend if forecasters are correct. As you prepare for whatever winter weather may soon arrive, [...]
