In response to a radio listener’s question, here are a few plants that do quite well in rather wet-areas, where drainage tends to be rather poor. Remember, the roots of plants must have oxygen, so these plants cannot sit in water continually.
If you have a home or summer place along the shores of Puget Sound or the ocean beaches, you should be a little more selective about the trees and shrubs you use in the landscape. However, there are many colorful plants that do well in these areas.
Late July through August is a fantastic but underused time to start a variety of seeds. If you’re looking to get a start on fall crops, look for cold hardy varieties with short growing times. Consult your specific growing zone to be sure, but these varieties usually make a good fall crop in most of the Pacific Northwest.
Summer or winter are the best times to take cuttings of rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas and most other broad-leaf evergreens. Cuttings properly taken will usually produce flowering sized plants in about three or four years.
Raspberries grow wonderfully in the Pacific Northwest and are a joy to have in your garden. Proper pruning at the correct time of the year will result in better production of raspberries and vine berries the next year.
If the weather suddenly turns cold, early-flowering and tender plants may need special protection to avoid damage by freezing temperatures.
Whenever I ask a group of Pacific Northwest gardeners what accomplishment they use to evaluate their success as gardeners, they inevitably say “the ability to grow one ripe, red tomato.” So, here are a few growing hints that I would like to share with you, so you can have success in growing more than one …
There are some wonderful types of annual, biennial and perennial flowers that have a tendency to reseed themselves. To some, particularly those that want to keep a tidy garden, this is a negative. However, if you are looking for a spontaneous meadow or cottage garden feel, or want to leave a space to its own devices but still have flowers, these varieties can be wonderful, coming back year after year with just a little bit of care.
