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 [...]
Compared to the last couple of years, this winter has been pleasantly mild, and with seed catalogs arriving and bulbs beginning to sprout, you may—like me—have begun to dream of spring. As is typical for the Pacific Northwest, however, winter weather often arrives later in January or even February, and by the time you’re reading this, the bitter northeast wind may be whipping snowflakes past your windows. If you haven’t [...]
With Christmas just around the corner, it won’t be long until we’re turning the calendar to a new year and can begin to dream of a fresh season of gardening laid out like a blank canvas before us. In this season of gardening rest, there are still things you can do to keep your garden looking its best, even if just preparations for the year to come. If you’re looking [...]
One of the aspects of gardening that I love the most is the seasonality of it. As much as I love the earthy smell of the first mowing in spring, by this time of year I equally look forward to the feeling of satisfaction that accompanies that final pass over the lawn in autumn. And sad as it is to tear out summer’s flowers in anticipation of the first frost, [...]
Looking out my window, the maples and sumacs in my neighbors’ yards are proudly showing their fiery fall colors, the last of the cucumbers are ripening in my vegetable garden, and the zinnias and dahlias are beginning to wind down their summer blooms. As autumn tightens its grip on our corner of the world, October is the month to begin preparations for winter and take the first steps toward a [...]
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, [...]
After a cold start to winter, our weather has moderated to more normal conditions for our area, with milder temperatures and regular rains. While we’re not out of the woods just yet—winter often returns in late January or February around here—with a new year upon us it’s time to start getting ready for a new year in the garden. Here are a few gardening tips to start the year off [...]
Gardening is a hobby best shared with friends. Not to say that there’s no benefit to being alone in the garden—I think most gardeners would confess to loving the solitude that time in the garden can offer. But in the end, what would gardening be without a friend to visit with while you cut dahlia bouquets, an acquaintance on whose porch you anonymously leave a pile of zucchini (August 8 [...]
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 [...]
