by Michele Koomen • Fall is a perfect time to spend some time in your garden thinking about the past growing season and what plants thrive and what did not. Fall is a time to clean up from summer growth and begin to plan for spring. Here are a few tips to help you begin. […]
by Bruce Bennett • One of my main enjoyments in the months of September – November is the sight of ripening grasses in various landscapes. Hence, the reason for this month’s column which begins more like the old elementary school ‘What I did On My Vacation’ assignment. You know the kind; we all wrote them […]
by Bruce Bennett • I shouldn’t smile, but I always do at this time of year when spring-flowering bulbs magically appear at our local box stores. Inevitably, I’ll receive questions at a Master Gardener Clinic or after a public lecture about the appropriate time to plant these little bundles of future color and heralds of […]
by Barbara Faurot • The most versatile garden plants have something in common: they are easy to grow, can tolerate deer and drought, and offer an array of habitat benefits in all seasons. Penstemons deliver on all counts — plus they offer a variety of colors, foliage types, blooming seasons, and sizes. Most Pacific Northwest […]
by Bruce Bennett • As the days lengthen and the weather warms, newspapers and magazines are filled with articles and pictures of the newest plants coming into the retail marketplace and designs for sun and shade. By contrast, whenever my group of professional gardening colleagues get together for an alfresco cup of morning coffee and […]
by Katherine Darrow • April 2024 marks the 20th year that Washington State has continued a resolution recognizing the many values and benefits of native plants. What started as a week in 2004, has expanded to a month since 2021, when our Governor first signed a resolution declaring April as Native Plant Appreciation Month (NPAM). […]
by Barbara Faurot • For generations, straw bales have been used to grow a steady supply of fresh vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Like other traditional gardening practices, they’re enjoying a resurgence as gardeners discover their benefits —even in limited spaces or less-than-ideal soil conditions. Placed directly on the ground, the bales form raised beds, making them […]
By Barbara Faurot • To get a head start on spring and summer, now is the perfect time to begin starting seeds. It’s an economical way to grow a wide variety of fresh vegetables, herbs, perennials, and colorful annuals. An early start is especially helpful for plants that take longer to reach maturity and bloom, […]
by Bruce Bennett • With the great diversity of Northwest plants, it should not be surprising how similar some can look! This situation can work in your favor as one of those lookalikes may be a better plant for the growing conditions of that bare spot in your landscape. If you wind up doing some plant […]
