Now that you’ve picked out some gorgeous plants to begin your escapade into the Mysterious World of Gardening, the first big question arises: “How do I properly plant these to give them a good, healthy start?” The steps described here focus on planting a tree or shrub but are essentially the same for anything being planted in the ground, including smaller perennials and annuals. 

Are you about to create a new garden (or “landscape”) for the very first time, or thinking of hiring a garden designer, landscape architect or other consultant?  It can feel daunting at times — all those questions!

How do we decide which weeds to live with, and which weeds to attack post-haste? It helps to understand why the weeds show up and what they want. And it makes a difference in your strategy whether you are doing individual spot-weeding vs. eliminating a large area at once (such as preparing to start a vegetable garden). No matter what the situation, there are three goals…

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.

Soil really is at the root of everything in the garden. Without healthy soil, plants will not thrive. Period. Whether you are planting in containers or directly into the garden, the use of specific soils, amendments, and mulches will have immediate and lasting benefits! Here are a few of our favorite soils, amendments, and mulches, plus how and when to use them.

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.

When the weather is hot and dry, it's important to protect your plants and keep them healthy. Even established plants, like street trees, suffer from a dry summer, so get out there and water! Here are 7 water-wise tips to keep your plants hydrated and make watering your garden easy and effective.

Do you know what the No. 1 cause of poor health or death of plants (especially new plantings) is? It's not disease. Not unexpected freezes. Not mistakes made during planting. Watering, you say??? Aww, you looked at the title of the post — yes, it's insufficient or incorrect watering. These living organisms you've just planted can be delicate and demanding, and neglecting their water needs, even briefly, can undo all your hard work getting them planted.

Drought tolerant* or low water use* are terms we use often in Northwest gardening. You see them on many of our plant signs and information sheets at Swansons. More so each year, as we recognize the importance of saving water in the face of our region's growing population and potential effects of climate change. Also, we see ever more examples of how beautiful a well-designed, drought-tolerant garden can be! However, this doesn’t mean these plants don’t need water. Read on to learn the truth about helping these plants thrive.

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.

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

Let’s be honest — navigating the plant selection at Swansons is, at times, bewildering, with the astounding array of plants that circulate here. We continually strive to get up-to-date plant information to you so you make the best choices for your garden. Over the last 25 years we have created informational; signs for as many plants as we can, customized for our area. Here is a quick primer on what to look for, and how to get the most out of our signs!

After months of rainy and grey days, we are thrilled to see the sunshine once more (even if it’s just or a day or two here and there) and anticipating even more beautiful weather to come. While the call of the flower garden is strong, don’t forget to give your lawn some much needed TLC this spring as well. Taking time to care for your lawn will set you up for success later in the year. We would like to share a few tips to get your lawn ready for the upcoming season.

Powdery mildew is a fungus disease that regularly plagues the PNW. Most gardeners in our region already have or will have to control it in their gardens at some point. Read more for management methods. 

Pruning is intimidating enough that many of us avoid it altogether. Knowing a few basics can help to avoid common pruning pitfalls and you’ll be well on your way to successfully improving the appearance and health of your plants.

Growing flowers that attract beneficial insects is therefore a good way to give Mother Nature a little leg up. Why not let the good bugs take care of the bad for you?