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 […]
Up, down and all around
Sometimes popular phrases never really disappear. They go dormant, but eventually come back again. We might call them “recycled,” but I prefer “dormant” — this is a gardening column. The […]
Gleams of an extended garden season
Former Portland Rose Society President Rich Baer sent me photo of a bouquet of roses that he took this past Thanksgiving. The freshly cut blooms were from his yard. I […]