Peas are always one of the first vegetables I plant in the spring. As soon as there's a sunny day in late February or March, I bundle up and head out to the garden to sow snap and shelling peas along trellises in my raised beds.
Attracting Pollinators, Plants for Each Season
It's late summer and what’s needed is a pop of color to spruce up the garden - even better if the plants continue to bloom well into fall! Luckily, there are plenty of flowers that are in their prime right now and that will keep on blooming into fall or even until frost. Here are a few of our favorite late-summer flowers.
Planting & Plant Care, Watering
It’s summertime and that means vacations. You’re a good plant parent and you want to make sure your plants are well taken care of but you don’t need to stay home all summer. I talked to the people who have years and years of knowledge gleaned from experience: the Swansons’ team! They offered their best tips for keeping your outdoor and indoor plants happy and healthy while you’re away.
Pruning
One of the more common questions that newer gardeners might ask is, “when is the best time of year to prune __________?” This pruning calendar can help guide you to the best times to prune your garden plants. You’ll also find links to other posts with more in-depth information on how to prune, pruning specific plants and categories of plants, and pruning in individual seasons.
Garden Design
The Pacific Northwest may be famous for its rainy climate, but those of us who live here know that we also experience dry summers. By choosing to plant drought-tolerant trees and shrubs, you can reduce water use and create lower-maintenance gardens. Here are 19 of our favorite drought-tolerant trees and shrubs for the Pacific Northwest.
Attracting Pollinators
Pollinators come in all shapes and sizes: bees, moths, butterflies, beetles, flies, and even bats, just to name a few. Knowing which plants serve our pollinators the best helps create a healthy and vibrant ecosystem where flora and fauna thrive. It also creates a diverse and beautiful garden for us to enjoy. Here are a few of our favorite flowers to attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your garden year after year.
