Last month I wrote about how much I love winter—and don’t get me wrong, I do!—but this year, we've had seemingly more than our normal share of winter weather and frankly, I’m ready to scratch my spring itch. Thankfully, the weather is improving and spring is beginning to arrive, so it’s time to make your early spring gardening to-do list. Gardening in early spring is very weather-dependent, especially when [...]
For as enthusiastic about gardening as I am, I’ll admit I find winter a wonderful season of refreshment with few gardening tasks. And this year, for the first time in several, we’ve experienced a real winter, complete with cold temperatures and snow. That said, spring isn’t far away, and as you work on your New Year’s resolutions, now is a great time to set some goals for your gardening [...]
In the last couple of years, we’ve come to associate winter in the Pacific Northwest with mild temperatures and minimal precipitation. This year is so far proving altogether different, and though we’re still a week away from winter’s official arrival, one look out your window will tell a completely different story. With the new season upon us, here are a few tips to keep your plants healthy and happy through [...]
Even though it's still January, I have to admit I’m already feeling the itch to start doing some work around the yard, a sentiment I normally don’t feel until February at some point. If you’re also beginning to feel the “need to weed” or get gardening, here are some recommendations to keep you busy without getting ahead of yourself. First, let me offer a word of caution. Last year [...]
With the Christmas season comes tradition. Whether favorite family movies, the annual choosing-of-the-tree, grandma’s sugar cookies or playing a classic Christmas album, December is marked by tradition. While it’s not a month typically associated with gardening, plants certainly have their place in the holiday season, and as you go about your Christmas decorating and gift-giving, it might be time for a new Christmas tradition. If asked to picture a [...]
Autumn is quickly settling in here in the Pacific Northwest. As we begin to experience more regular rains, cooler nights and foggy mornings, here are some tips and a few of our favorite plants for a new season. First, I'm going to go out on a limb (pun intended!) and predict that trees in our area will show beautiful fall color this year. After a long, hot summer, deciduous [...]
Yesterday I had the task of raking the leaves that had begun to pile up in my yard. I have a feeling I'm not the only one doing that this time of year! After last week's wind storm, I imagine many people have piles of leaves on their lawn and in their flower beds. As we prepare for winter, now is the time to start working on your fall checklist. [...]
