To people who don’t live in the Pacific Northwest, it almost sounds unreal to say our summers are dry. So stereotyped is our corner of the world as an always-drizzling moss-covered region that many don’t realize how dry it can be from July through September. One look, however, at the heat-stressed pots on your patio reveals the truth: summer is dry! To keep your hanging baskets and pots going [...]
With the warm weather of the last couple of weeks and the dry conditions we've experienced this summer, your flowers may be starting to look a little worn and it might be time to start thinking about freshening your pots up for a new season. Autumn isn't far away, and now is the perfect time to begin planting winter pansies for color through fall and again next spring. At Vander [...]
With summer in full swing, now is the time of year we can really enjoy the beauty that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. The flowers you planted in May and June are in full bloom and your vegetable garden is beginning to offer its bounty. Maybe, however, all is not perfect in paradise—whether insects, fertilizer deficiency, or disease issues, any number of problems could put your garden’s beauty [...]
One of the most common questions I hear from customers at the nursery is, "Which fertilizer should I use?" Annuals, shrubs, perennials, trees--all plants need proper nutrients to keep growing and looking their best. So why the confusion? The fact is, you could probably go shopping for fertilizer and end up with a different product for each and every one of your plants. Discouraged by so many choices, many people [...]
I know I’m being repetitive when I say that I love this time of year. Look back at any column I’ve written in the past and you’d probably find some reference to how much I love the current season. The truth is, we live in a beautiful corner of the world and with our moderate climate we really can enjoy four seasons of garden interest. At the peak of summer, [...]
