Most gardens have a diversity of plants, usually with a representation of at least one or two categories. This would include annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines and trees. In the urban […]
Author : Mike Darcy
Head "plant nerd" longtime speaker, host of gardening shows on radio and TV, and author of the In the Garden email newsletter. You can reach Mike, or subscribe to his newsletter, at itgmikedarcy@comcast.net
Show-stealing shrubs
Putting a new spinney on an old word
Different industries have their own language. Often a word, or a combination of words, has a different meaning to those who know the jargon. For example, a television crew might […]
Container bloomers that take the heat
The weather has been sporadic in many parts of the country, and here in Western Oregon has been no exception. We’ve had many hot days and nights, and in most […]
Trees that stand above
Trees provide numerous benefits for all of us. They give us shade, provide food and shelter for wildlife and us, help hold the soil together with their roots, provide lumber […]
Gardeners, stores and events emerge with confidence
As we enter year three with COVID-19 and its variants raging around us, garden centers have made the necessary adaptations to serve customers. When the pandemic first hit, there was […]
Let’s address a dry topic
Previously, I have discussed some of the effects of the very dry summer season, not only in the Pacific Northwest, but in much of the western United States. Many readers […]
Growing a crop of new gardeners
Just over a year ago, on March 6, 2020, Plant Nerd Night was held for the 19th consecutive year with more than 500 attendees. Little did we know that the […]
COVID-19 brings changes to garden centers
The year 2020 probably instigated more changes in the physical way in which a garden center operates than any other year in history. COVID-19 arrived in the spring, followed by […]
A gardener’s optimism has no limits
Resilient is a good word to describe Diana and Colby Lamb. Resilience is defined as spirit, hardiness, toughness, strength, buoyancy, and resistance. On September 8 at 12:15 a.m., there was […]
COVID-19 lessons from plant societies
In this unprecedented period of a COVID-19 pandemic, several forest fires with lingering air pollution, and a very dry summer that has stressed all our plants, garden centers have also […]