My garden will be open in July, as part of The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program. Right now I’m madly tucking last-minute plants into my beds and borders. But I don’t want just any old plant. No, I’m on the hunt for the new and/or unusual. My quest is a common one among gardeners. So […]
In a parallel to the culinary world’s slow/sustainable food movement, the idea of buying nearby flowers is taking off. Just in time to explain it all, here comes the book: The 50-Mile Bouquet—Seasonal, Local and Sustainable Flowers, by garden writer Debra Prinzing and photographer David Perry. Also billed as “The Organic Flower-growing, Gathering and Design Guide,” it’s […]
If like me, you dream of some day owning a greenhouse, you’ll be interested in what Lorna Basso has to say about living with hers. Built by Hartley Botanic in 2010, Lorna’s greenhouse in her two-acre Atherton, California garden serves as both a design focal point and an elegant sanctuary. This month she shares her […]
Tough economic times seem to be hitting the rose industry like an outbreak of black spot on a damp morning. After bankruptcy reorganization, Jackson & Perkins was acquired by J&P Park Acquisitions Inc. Weeks Wholesale Roses was bought and reorganized in 2011 by Gardens Alive. Other growers have consolidated or simply shut their greenhouse doors. […]
“Every garden starts with inspiration, and you can find lots of inspired ideas at garden shows,” says Kathleen Norris Brenzel, editor of the just-published ninth edition of The New Sunset Western Garden Book. She should know. As Sunset Magazine’s Garden Editor, Kathleen has judged countless show display gardens and presented many excellent talks on the […]
Have you ever wished your garden could feel more like a private hideaway? Perhaps your outdoor space has yet to be defined, or maybe the neighbors just added a second story that overlooks your back yard. Because winter is the best planning time for summer projects, this month I talk with Seattle garden writer Marty […]
There’s a gardening aphorism—“The best time to plant a tree? Twenty years ago. And the second-best time to plant a tree? Now.” This month I’m looking back twenty years to my local Northwest experts—Roger Gossler of Gossler Farms, and Harold Greer of Greer Gardens who recommended that I plant these four small trees. Thanks, gentlemen, […]
Why is it that most garden books debut in February? I have to wait until then for Willy Galloway’s terrific vegetable book, Grow, Cook, Eat—A Food Lover’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening. Is February the month when publishers assume gardeners’ hearts turn to spring? This gardener’s heart is warmed by new books in deep winter, when […]
Brent Heath of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs makes this claim with a certain pride: “It’s always safe to walk in our greenhouses.” Most owners of commercial establishments can’t say that. Routine chemical spraying or fumigation of indoor growing spaces means workers are forbidden to enter the area for specific times—from hours to days. But not […]
Home gardeners and farmers look to the past and see their future at the National Heirloom Exposition. Heirloom vegetables —those open-pollinated varieties older than 50 years—have long been treasured by gardeners and farmers alike for their wide-ranging flavors, extended harvest times, and often odd-lot looks. This September, the niche horticultural pursuits of organic practices, seed […]
I recently attended a three-day plant-o-rama—a garden study weekend sponsored by the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. Each morning, all 500-plus of us (some from as far away as England) gathered at the University of Portland to listen to horticultural stars like designer Nan Sinton, landscape architect Bernard Trainor, and edibles expert Jack Staub. Afternoons […]
What do Aga stoves, Sub-Zero fridges and Bosch dishwashers have in common with conifers? They’re all high end—and they all deliver. Right now, many summer borders are going over the top in a proverbial riot of blooms. They could use a bit of stability, form and balance. So, in the face of frolicking flowers, let’s […]
