Garden Tasks in the Fall
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…
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The Grasses of Autumn
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…
Brown Balls for Spring Blooms
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…
Penstemons: Heroic Multi-Taskers in the Garden
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…
Looking For Alien Garden Visitors
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…
Prairie Plants for Home Gardens on the Quimper Peninsula
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,…
From Straw to Table: Gardening with Straw Bales
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…
A Head Start: Seed Starting Basics
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…
Hollies — or Impostors — in the Winter Garden
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…
How To Prune by Plant Amnesty, Seattle
If you have shrubs and trees that outgrow their selected spot, begging to dominate your entire yard, this is the video for you. It is the first in a series by Plant Amnesty, an organization created with the sole purpose…
Leaf Cutter Bees
submitted by Plantnut nerdus written by Lloyd Eighme, retired entomologist Washington State University You may have wondered what insect cuts such neat circles from the edges of leaves on your rose bush. It makes the leaves look a bit ragged, but…