The post Episode 1: Dealing with Dirt, Garlic & Fall Color appeared first on Valley Nursery Inc..

I’m always struck by the use of colored walls in garden design. I think the fascination began when I purchased Container Gardening (DK, 2004) by Paul Williams many years ago. The planting combinations are outstanding, showcasing a variety of styles and color schemes with excellent use of foliage, but it is the staging and photography…

Dahlias die back each year as autumn advances, but, with the proper care, the tuberous root system can live on to produce a stunning display year after year. The advice in this post is based on many years of growing dahlias in a low-lying area of Seattle with relatively moderate winter temperatures and excellent drainage.

As you most likely already know, I am a Landscape Designer and owner of Gardens ALIVE Design. You might also know that we built our own home, mostly ourselves, acted as the General Contractors, designed, and stamped our own home plans. My husband is the real star in the home construction story! For better or […]

I decided it would be fun to add a few varieties of bulbs to my garden… But instead of the packaged varieties that sit on our retail shelves, I elected to look at the “landscape” list which consists of varieties sold in units of 100’s and even a few of 250 each. By the time […]

As much as I love plants and all of what the act of gardening encompasses, watching my feathered friends fliting about the yard is truly one of the joys and bonuses of laboring in the garden. Their brightly colored feathers, melodic songs, and sometimes gravity defying antics never get boring…

Getting Ready for the Holiday Season Once again we find ourselves with the holiday season right around the corner. As always, the barn nursery is planning for a festive season and want you to include us in your holiday shopping plans! We are finalizing our plans now so stay tuned for more holiday news and […]

Lack of space, budget, and materials wasn’t going to stop Axton Burton from building a greenhouse in which to overwinter his prized, tropical houseplants. With his rented studio apartment clearly not an ideal location for such a structure and the majority of residential greenhouses too short to accommodate his ice cream banana tree (Musa acuminata…

There’s a new trend in the world of houseplants: moss poles! While making your own moss pole may seem to be an intimidating project, it’s easy, and fun! We’lll show you the 4 steps to creating moss poles for a few different houseplants. Follow along to make your own and soon you’ll have a shelf […]

I just had the opportunity to sit through a class on plants for fall and winter interest… and it brought back home to me that there is no excuse for a drab garden in the fall, or even the winter, considering that there is a multitude of plants to choose from that will brighten our […]