Gardening in the PNW with lots of shade: we mostly love living among the trees. We recognize the importance of preserving and restoring our diminishing urban canopy. But trying to grow colorful flowers, fruits or vegetables under trees can be a challenge. And increasing urbanization brings taller buildings and more shade at ground level. This blog post will help illuminate the types of shade you may be dealing with, discuss other design considerations, and offer sample shade garden designs and plant lists.
For many of us, the choice of which tomatoes to grow can be daunting. We've boiled down the tomato decision process into a few helpful questions and our suggestions: a secret (tomato) sauce, if you will, of how to make the right choice for your individual tomato needs. At the end of this post are a handy infographic and a link to our tomato variety list.
Colorful spring containers celebrate the start of the gardening season and creating them is fun and easy if you know which plants to choose. Look for these great gems to create a new spring container or refresh an existing pot.
Spring gardening is in full swing and we’ve teamed up with our friends at Dunn Lumber to bring you a great DIY building and gardening project you can do at home - no backyard needed! Kirsten will teach you how to make two wooden planter boxes. I’ll help you decide what to plant in them and show you how, step by step!
One of the first activities I want to do outside in early spring is to plant my early spring vegetable garden. There’s nothing like the smooth, clean surface of prepped garden beds, the soil still pristine and just waiting to nurture rows of bright green spring vegetables, carefully planted in perfect rows. It’s like a fresh school notebook - full of promise. But what to plant? Here are a few of my favorite vegetables to plant in spring, with tips on when and how to plant them.
Last night's Autumn Project Preview Event was a huge success, and we owe it all to YOU! Over 300 of Seattle's savviest gardeners descended on Swansons Nursery to enjoy first access to the exciting new plants brought in especially for Autumn Project Month and featured in our fabulous botanical lookbook.
There are countless reasons to garden, but one of the most compelling is to leave our mark on the world. Anyone who has ever carved their name into the top of a school desk or wielded a Sharpie against the wall of a bathroom stall knows the thrill of leaving your stamp in reality. There is something deliciously hubristic about it, some fundamental affirmation of the immortality of the soul. It's like spitting in Death's eye - even if you were eventually busted by your teacher because you carved your last name, too.
One of the exciting changes happening at Swansons this year is the creation of an in-home Container Design and Installation Service here at the nursery. This new department designs, creates, and installs container gardens for Seattle-area residents and businesses, including one of Seattle's fastest-growing populations: urban dwellers who want beautiful landscaping but do not have traditional gardens.
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