organic gardening

Figuring Out Fertilizer

Figuring Out Fertilizer

Perusing the fertilizer shelves at Swansons (or any garden store) can feel overwhelming at first. So many choices! So many specialties! Do I really need fertilizer? Will my plant survive if I don’t find the perfect fertilizer match? And what do all those numbers mean??? Don’t worry, you’ll find answers here.

A Food Forest Grows in Bothell

A Food Forest Grows in Bothell

An emerging idea as we blur the boundaries between ornamental and food gardening is the Food Forest. A project garnering recent attention is the Cascadia College (CC) Food Forest, on the campus shared by Cascadia and the University of Washington, Bothell (UWB). It is one of a few but growing number of college campuses in the U.S. which are maintained using sustainable practices and without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

Mulch: We Have So Mulch To Talk About

Mulch: We Have So Mulch To Talk About

If you hang around Swansons long enough, you’ll hear us extol the benefits of “compost” and “mulch,” often in the same sentence. You’ll hear them both as nouns and verbs. Are they the same thing? Not exactly, but their uses and benefits to your garden are closely related.