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.
Once the fall garden chores have been completed, some attention can be given to properly preparing your tools for storage until spring.
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.
Summer is the perfect time to get kids started gardening. If you’ve got kids or grandkids out of school right now, here are some projects that are great for getting them enthusiastic about spending time in the garden. Planting an Easy Crop When kids come to our Educational Garden, we love to let them start …
Seed bombs are a great project to do with kids, and a wonderful way to spread flower seeds in a large area. This is a project that can be done any time of the year, but the messiness means it’s a good craft for a nice day outside. The best part is, you can mix any seeds you want to create your ideal meadow garden mix.
Summer is the time to dry some of the flowers from your garden so you can enjoy their beauty in your home this fall and winter. By following a few simple procedures, you can preserve the beauty of your outdoor flowers to use for indoor arrangements this winter.