Gift Guides
Aimée Damman
The Best Gifts for Gardeners

Shop local this year and find your friends and family something special at Swansons Nursery. Need some inspiration? Here are the gifts we’re excited about this year. The list includes some classics and new finds; gifts to delight the gardeners and plant-lovers in our lives.

The Best Gifts for Gardeners
Pruning
Dan Gilchrist
Pruning Calendar

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.

Pruning Calendar
Planting & Plant Care
Dan Gilchrist
Cold Protection for Your Garden Plants

Here are some quick tips for protecting your less-hardy plants from cold damage.

Cold Protection for Your Garden Plants
Indoor Plants
Barrie Moss
Your Checklist for Fall and Winter Houseplant ...

Your houseplants will be forever grateful (and you will be too, by default) if you follow these simple guidelines that will prepare them to happily snuggle in for fall and winter. Here is a checklist of things to do (or to stop doing) to ensure the health and happiness of your houseplants in fall and winter.

Your Checklist for Fall and Winter Houseplant Care
Planting & Plant Care
Denise Read
Fall Dahlia Care

Dahlias die back each year as autumn advances, but, with the proper care, the tuberous root system can live on to produce a stunning display year after year. The advice in this post is based on many years of growing dahlias in a low-lying area of Seattle with relatively moderate winter temperatures and excellent drainage.

Fall Dahlia Care

Mothering a Moth

Mothering a Moth

Greetings from the coop! Spring is here and so are the chicks! They were hatched on March 19th, so they are barely two and a half weeks old. They arrived at the very end of March and seem to be settling in just fine. They are beyond adorable.  ... I fed it Fuchsias from my garden. I did this for several days until I realized it had stopped feeding and had burrowed under the moss. It was pupating! A large brown chrysalis lay in the leaf debris. I kept it out on a sheltered porch during most of the winter, bringing it indoors during harder freezes, then back out for the remainder of the winter.

Why We Garden: Reason # 45 - Popcorn Birds

Why We Garden: Reason # 45 - Popcorn Birds

Each bird took his or her turn trying to land on the stalks supporting the seed heads, with predictably hilarious results. The stalks couldn't support the weight, and the little birds slid off. A few tried the hummingbird approach, wildly flapping their wings to stay in place while pecking at the seed heads. Others tried the popcorn technique - bounce up from the ground, wings flapping, and snap at the seeds on your way down.

An Interview with Amy Pennington

An Interview with Amy Pennington

After winding down NW Blue Ridge Drive for what seems like forever, I pull up in front of my assigned meeting place with Amy Pennington, cook, writer, blogger, TV personality and edible gardener extraordinaire. I follow the sounds of laughter-filled chatter up the stairs and into the back garden, where I am met with a spectacular view: beautiful ornamental landscaping blending harmoniously with an edible garden of raised beds at the height of the property, with sweeping views of Puget Sound and the Olympics. It is a tapestry of blues and greys on this overcast morning.

Why We Garden, Reason #12 (and a half)

Why We Garden, Reason #12 (and a half)

So I confess I was a bit surprised when I stumbled across a great article about the virtues of the dandelion, written by Saara Nafici of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Brooklyn? you say. I know, right? When I think of Brooklyn, I think concrete jungle, not meadows of wildflowers (It's okay, Seattle, our designer chickens are still designery-er than theirs).

 
 

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