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 […]
What’s next in the world of plants
Every August, Portland plays host to the Farwest Show, which is one of the biggest nursery and greenhouse industry trade shows in the country. It is one of the events […]
Where gardeners turn for answers
Garden centers typically can offer their customers several advantages that big box stores can’t fully duplicate. One of these is the ability to provide customers with valid, localized information about […]
Attracting monarch butterflies with milkweed plants
Strange as it may seem, plants and clothes have some traits that make them parallel to one another. Clothes are fashionable. New styles appear every year, but there are always […]
Gardeners share goals and plans for 2019
With the new year upon us, I thought it would be interesting to hear what other gardeners are planning for 2019. I selected a diverse assortment of gardeners in and […]
Obsessive gardeners
The first time that I saw a rose garden with umbrellas over the plants to protect them from rain, I was in disbelief! “Umbrellas keeping the rain off of rose […]
Don’t overlook these late bloomers
During the busy spring months, when blooming flowers are everywhere on nursery tables, it’s easy to overlook plants that don’t show off their color until late summer. I have many […]
Specialty nurseries highlight what’s unique
Many gardeners are familiar with garden centers, where they can get annuals, supplies, fertilizers, gloves and other items. These are usually found in well-populated areas and carry a wide variety […]
Open gardens, open minds
Gardening is a constantly changing hobby for many of us. When we visit garden centers, we are often not only buying plants that are familiar to us, but we are […]
A night for plant nerds
Gardening is a communal activity: it is very common for gardeners to share their plants, tips on growing, new plant introductions and old favorites, and in general, the love of […]