Do you have a tree that seems to stick straight out of the ground like a telephone pole? If you can't see the root flare, you have a tree planted too deep! Why is this a problem? How does a tree get...
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7 Low-maintenance, Big Leaf Plants for Shade (that aren’t Hostas)
I love a good big leaf hosta. Hostas provide excellent texture and color contrast in the shade garden, which can quickly become a monotonous sea of middle-texture greens. But given the migration of...
8 Great Pacific Northwest Gardening Books
Have you ever brought home a fabulous new perennial or shrub, dutifully planted and cared for it, only to have it go toes up for some unknown reason? This has happened to me so many times. The...
Adjustable DIY Grow Light Fixtures
Back in December, I determined that 2020 would be my year for successfully growing starts in our new(ish)ly finished out sunroom.* The challenge is that our sunroom isn't really...sunny. It's graced...
Planting a Big Tree in 10 Steps
Back in August of 2019 I noticed a tree removal permit posted at the street in front of our house. I assumed it to be a permit for a neighbor's tree, but upon closer inspection my heart sank...
How to: Make a Coir Pole for Monstera
Ever go to the nursery and find everything you want but not what you need? After several trips to various nurseries or hardware stores, I failed to come away with a support pole for my...
5 Favorite Slug-resistant Hostas
Slugs are the worst. They are my #1 top garden pest to hate. I can deal with the Seattle September spider onslaught. I can deal with helicopter-sized crane flies…
A New Garden Planning Tool
How many times have you planted a perennial then moved it? Then moved it again. Then moved it a third time crossing your fingers that it won't hate you then keel over and die? Perhaps you are a more...
Creating A Cold-Tolerant Indoor Garden
Today's weather forecast is 100% chance of rain. Sad emoji. At this point in winter, I rarely interact with our garden except to peer at it wistfully from indoors. But now we have an intermediate...
How to: Propagate a String of Hearts
This project falls into the category of "let's just try it and see". Most of my propagation efforts involve a modicum of effort and some "why not", and in most cases, that's good enough. So I'm only...