Dec 13, 2024 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Nature, Recommended Plants, Wildlife
At this point in the holiday season, many of us are busy buying gifts. This year, consider giving gifts that support nature. The birds and bees will thank you, along with the beneficial critters in your soil, plants in your yard and gardeners in your life. Here are...
Sep 4, 2024 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care
You can learn how to make your gardening easier, help pollinators, grow organic food, house mason bees and change your landscape with gardening workshops offered this fall. Here is a selection of upcoming classes. You can always find listings of upcoming classes in...
Jul 18, 2024 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Nature, Pest Control, Wildlife
Some people are afraid of bats, but we think bats are getting a bum rap. They play valuable roles in controlling pests, pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds. And you don’t need to fear them. Bat myths First, let’s dispel some bat myths. “Contrary...
Jun 17, 2024 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Landscape Care, Nature, Recommended Plants
Celebrate Pollinator Week, June 17-23. Pollinator Week is an annual celebration in support of pollinator health. Pollinators “are the unsung heroes behind the food we enjoy and the beauty that surrounds us,” said the Pollinator Partnership. Pollinators...
May 31, 2024 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Pest Control
We often talk about attracting bees and other pollinators to the garden. But pollinators are only one kind of beneficial insect. There are also predators, parasites and decomposers. All are important in a healthy yard and garden. In the Pacific Northwest there are...
Apr 10, 2024 | Community, Eco-friendly Gardening, Nature
April is Earth Month, and April 22 is Earth Day 2024. We hope you will take time this month to connect with nature, expand your knowledge, join with others and take action to help the planet. Connect with nature Spring blossoms are emerging on trees and in yards...
Feb 13, 2024 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Recommended Plants
Why mason bees? We love mason bees. These small, solitary bees are amazing pollinators. Each mason bee visits around 1,800 to 2,000 flowers a day, and they pollinate 95-99% of them. In comparison, a honeybee may visit 700 flowers a day and pollinate about 5% of them....
Dec 5, 2023 | Community, Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Landscape Care, Landscape Design, Recommended Plants
Are you looking for a gift for a gardener in your life? Or perhaps it’s time to buy something for yourself. Gardening books can provide inspiration during the wet and dark days of winter. Here are ideas for a few books from local authors. Get the benefit of...
Oct 30, 2023 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Landscape Care, Lawn Care
This time of year, leaves are falling off the trees and piling up around your yard. What should you do with your leaves? Leave them in your garden beds A great strategy for garden beds is just to leave the leaves where they fall. They provide numerous benefits....
Jun 14, 2023 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Recommended Plants
Next week is National Pollinator Week, and June is National Pollinator Month. Both are annual celebrations of pollinator health. It is a time to raise awareness for pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them. You can help pollinators in your...
Apr 25, 2023 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Lawn Care
Earth Day was April 22, and April is Earth Month. Last week we suggested several ways to celebrate Earth Day, such as spending time outside and changing some of your daily choices. Here’s another great way to celebrate Earth Day and Earth Month: grow a Bee...
Mar 27, 2023 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Landscape Care, Video
Spring is a great time of year to add mulch to your landscape beds. Here are some tips on how to use mulch properly. Benefits of mulch Winter: Mulch insulates soil. This aids soil microorganisms and helps your plants survive cold temperatures. It also helps reduce...
Feb 9, 2023 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Video
Would you like more flowers and fruits in your yard? Think about adding mason bees. This is a great time of year to start. Mason bees are small, gentle, solitary bees. They are non-aggressive and low maintenance. Solitary bees don’t live in a hive. All the...
Jan 13, 2023 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Landscape Care, Lawn Care, Recommended Plants, Wildlife
Would you like to improve your yard’s contribution to helping birds, wildlife, pollinators and the planet in 2023? Here are a few steps you could take to help nature in your yard in 2023. Plant native plants and flowers “Native plants improve water...
Oct 13, 2022 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Landscape Care, Lawn Care
It’s autumn, and leaves are falling. You will have less work in your yard and garden next year if you take time this fall to do some cleanup. But you don’t want to clean up everything. A sanitized garden won’t provide food and shelter for birds and...
