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...
May 16, 2024 | Garden Care, Landscape Care, Lawn Care, Watering
Think about Goldilocks and the Three Bears when you water your lawn and garden. Too little water and too much water are both bad for your plants. Water like Goldilocks: just right. Too little water Drought stress has a number of harmful impacts on garden plants. Lawns...
Apr 30, 2024 | Garden Care, Recommended Plants
People love roses. But they are notoriously difficult to grow in our western Washington climate. The moist, cool weather in western Washington is ideal for rose diseases such as black spot, rust and powdery mildew. Some of our most popular blog posts over the years...
Apr 25, 2024 | Community, Garden Care, Recommended Plants
The spring weather may have you thinking about your yard and garden. Maybe you’d like to buy new plants. Are you looking for vegetable starts? Or a shrub to fill in a bare spot? Or perennials to add some color? Plant sales are a wonderful place to buy new garden...
Feb 28, 2024 | Disease Control, Garden Care, Video
The best time to prune roses in the Seattle area is late February through early March. You don’t want to do it too early in the season because pruning encourages new growth. “Pruning earlier than that risks the new growth getting killed off by bad weather,...
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....
Oct 11, 2023 | Garden Care, Landscape Care, Lawn Care
Would you like to have a healthier, thriving, more attractive garden next year? Fall is a great time to take stock of your landscape and make plans for the next growing season. Take a stroll around your yard and make an honest evaluation. What looks good? What looks...
Sep 14, 2023 | Garden Care, Landscape Care, Recommended Plants, Video
The season is changing. Fall is in the air, and nighttime temperatures are cooler. Here are some things you may want to do in your landscape in September. Keep watering until it rains We have not seen much rain yet this month, with little or no rain predicted in the...
Aug 24, 2023 | Garden Care, Landscape Care, Lawn Care, Tree Care, Watering
The climate is changing, with “normal” weather proving more elusive. This affects how we approach our landscapes. “Aberrant temperatures with searing heat and extended drought, or heavy wind and rain, crippling snowstorms and treacherous ice might...
Jul 14, 2023 | Garden Care, Landscape Care, Lawn Care, Watering
We are likely to have a hot, dry summer this year. According to the Washington State Climatologist, “The three-month outlook for July through September (JAS) is indicating higher chances of above normal temperatures across Washington State.” The state...
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...
Jun 8, 2023 | Garden Care, Landscape Care, Lawn Care, Tree Care, Watering
How long should you water the plants in your landscape: your trees, shrubs, perennials and lawn? There are many factors that go into watering correctly, and every landscape situation is unique and different. (We are not addressing annuals and vegetable gardens, both...
May 10, 2023 | Garden Care, Landscape Care, Lawn Care, Tree Care, Watering
Some people think they are helping the planet by not watering their landscape. But plants can’t survive without water. Your landscape provides values to you and to the planet. Green spaces cool your neighborhood, trees help keep the air and water clean, flowers...
