As we get into autumn, leaves begin to fall, temperatures drop and all things green begin to go dormant.While you may be tired of lawn care—believe me, even the most enthusiastic gardeners do!—this season is an important time to take several key steps to ensure a beautiful lawn next spring. The first step is to prevent night crawler damage. While useful in aerating your soil and a part of the [...]
Autumn has arrived, and with the new season comes a different gardening experience. This year’s extended warm, sunny weather prolonged an already-beautiful summer, but as we get into the shorter, wetter days of fall, it’s time to shift gears in the yard. As you begin to think of winding down your time outside, here are some tasks you can do to finish the season well. First, October is a great [...]
Have you taken a look around your yard lately? After a couple years of unseasonably early spring weather (never mind the fact that last year then decided to go back to winter until June!), this year appears to be a little bit more normal—so far. As I write this, I can see crocuses in bloom in my neighbors’ yards and the tulips I planted last fall are beginning to [...]
Like it or not, I think it’s safe to say our summer is over. If you haven’t yet started fall cleanup in your yard, you probably will soon—and in another month or so, the last of the yard work will be complete and you can put your garden tools to rest until spring. Before you call it quits, though, there are a few items I would encourage you to add [...]
Here in the Pacific Northwest, moss is a common problem we all battle in our lawns and flower beds. On the north side of the house, in shady areas--and this year, just about all over--it's a challenge to keep up with. Especially after this year's mild, wet winter, you may find that the moss in your lawn is worse than ever. So what to do? There are a few steps [...]
An old saying says that March is “in like a lion, out like a lamb.” Well, the “lion” has certainly reared its head as the month has started! After the latest windstorms, you may have already spent some time outside cleaning up your yard. As you get started, here are some spring checklist items that are important to accomplish for a headache-free gardening season ahead. First things first: clean up [...]
Did I get your attention? I know, you probably read the title and thought, “Good grief—it’s already mid-autumn, the weather has been cold and rainy, I’m sick of mowing…and you expect me to keep gardening?!” It’s okay if you feel that way—you’re certainly not alone. And while a comfortable recliner and a good book sound great to just about anyone, I have a few reminders (the list is short, [...]
Think about it: Which season do you most anticipate? For many gardeners, spring can’t come soon enough after a dreary, cold winter. How about summer? You bet—who doesn’t gladly welcome longer days and warmer temperatures? Winter is great, too—and we don’t get too much say in the matter as retailers seem to start promoting Christmas earlier and earlier each year. Autumn, though, seems to be increasingly overlooked. It’s not [...]
I like to consider myself an optimist. To me, the glass is half full, and a typical gray day in Washington is partly sunny, not mostly cloudy. The warm weather this winter, however, leaves me cautious. While I’d like to believe that spring is here to stay, history has proven otherwise. So, as a gardener, what can you start working on outside that will satiate your desire to work in [...]
