Robbie D. of Philadelphia, PA asks,
“I want to move my daffodil bulbs. Can I dig them and replant without harming their cycle?? “
Robbie, I prefer to dig and move my daffodils after their top growth has withered for the season but before they go completely dormant, and I can’t see them anymore. This way they’ve […]
Late spring is such a beautiful time of year. Everything is freshly leafed out. Flowers brighten even the dullest of shrubs. Even on grey, rainy Seattle spring days the beauty of spring is refreshing and almost jarringly alive. Digging into the soil awakens scurrying beetles and various milli- and centipedes. Fat worms and young tiny […]
Just a quick note on properly planting a new tree. I’ve seen way too many poorly prepared tree root balls this spring to wait on putting out this post. So many installers (professionals and DIYers) believe that burlap sacks on rootballs should be left on the tree when it is planted. Just the opposite is […]
This is just a quick reminder that spring rains in western washington can deceive us into thinking our soils are holding enough water to sustain our plants. It may be gray and drippy for days on end, but the rainfall totals may not be significant enough to keep your soil moisture levels consistent for your […]
Eventhough I keep waking up to frosty rooftops and occassionally watch snow mixed with rain falling from the sky as storms roll through, now is the time of year to watch for great plant sales. Nurseries begin sending out coupons, various garden club plant sale signs begin popping up on street corners, and the “regular” […]
Earlier this year, I had the special opportunity to meet Nori Burnett and get a personal tour of her moss garden in Richmond, Virginia. Over 30 years ago she began the process of incorporating moss into her garden in place of lawn. She had tried to establish lawns, but in her woodland setting it was […]
One of my clients who lives in a woodland setting recently wrote in to ask:
”What are the names of the dogwoods you mentioned (when we last met). (The nursery) had a lot, but it was hard to tell if they were the ones you mentioned.”
Response:
Two nice twig dogwoods for you to consider are:
Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’: Yellow […]
Yesterday I spent most of the morning running to wholesale nurseries for clients. Yes, I hold a retail plant license. Many of my clients have limited time. Some are working moms. Others are world-travelling executives. Some just don’t drive. You get the picture. They might love trips to the retail nursery, but sometimes it just […]
I know it’s taken me a lot of words in part I of this piece on moving trees to get to actually sharing a tree moving experience, but I do think it’s important to discuss why we might move a tree and the variety of caveots associated with tree placement and relocation. Sure, every situation […]
Quite often my clients struggle with inherited gardens that include desirable plants that are just in the wrong location. What was once a small shrub near a foundation may have grown into a small tree that now encroaches on windows and building sidings becoming access paths for rats to rooftops. A random tree may be […]