As much as I hate to admit it, it is time to jettison the summer color and start thinking about what will look good in the garden all winter. As the perennials melt down, the annuals die, and the deciduous trees and shrubs shed their foliage, the primary group of plants that can give us […]

A lot of gardeners wisely move some of their houseplants outside during the summer to give them better light and fresher air. It is a tricky thing to do because light conditions inside our homes are always much more reduced than even the shadiest location in our gardens. Leaves that have been grown inside our […]

As we move into the fall season and shift our containers from summer to an autumn and winter theme, one of the major staples to consider is the genus Heuchera…

Now that we have had a few good soaking rains, some of you might think that the gardening season is over. But as you might expect, I am here to inform you that there are at least 2 more good gardening months to look forward to…

I’m not one to rush into the fall season – our summers are far too short as it is and the longer I can convince myself that September is really late summer, the longer I can enjoy backyard picnics (socially distanced of course) and shorts. And, despite the cool June, this has been a great […]

It always amazes me that no matter how many times I visit the garden center, I always seem to find something that looks interesting and is calling to me to take it home and add it to the landscape. You would think that I would run out of space eventually, but the reality is that […]

Fall is in the air! The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler and the sun is moving farther south, creating longer shadows on the north side of the garden. These climatological events are triggers for the garden, to let it know that winter is coming and seasoned gardeners will respond accordingly. Here […]

There is a surprising array of hardy herbs that we can grow in our northwest marine climate and not have to worry about replanting every spring. Many of them can actually be brought inside and placed on a bright window sill for the winter where sprigs can be plucked as needed. Left outside, many can […]

Ever since I was a young kid I have been drawn to ferns. Growing up in Southern California I collected many varieties and had a patio dedicated to them…

Whenever I think about what to write about this time of year, my mind always seems to migrate to ornamental grasses. Here are a few varieties that recently caught my attention on my weekly visit to the nursery…