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Magnificent May Gardening
Written by Mike Darcy, photos by Rich Baer When I wrote my April article for this newsletter, I thought when May arrived we would surely have warm weather. While we have had a few warm days, overall...
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Transitioning from Cool to Warm Weather
~Written by Mike Darcy, photos by Rich Baer. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have finally had some sunny days and the temperature actually reached the 80′s. How nice it was to see the sun and what a...
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Enjoying Summer Gardening
Here it is July and summer has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest. It took quite a long time for this to happen as our spring was one of the coolest and wettest on record. But now that summer...
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The Garden in September
~Written by Mike Darcy. Once September arrives and school starts, I consider summer over. I realize it is not “officially” over yet, but September is a time to relax and enjoy the garden and perhaps a...
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Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’
Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’ This year I was introduced to a salvia called ‘Wendy’s Wish’. I have it in a container and in a location with full sun. It began blooming in June and it is still in flower now...
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Prepare Your Garden for Fall Planting
~by Mike Darcy Here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is certainly here. Temperatures are cooler, rains have begun (hopefully not continuously), and plants are beginning to show signs that their season...
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Ginkgo Biloba ‘Majestic Butterflies’
~by Mike Darcy Often when we think of a Ginkgo tree, we think of a very large, street-type tree that is not appropriate for many of today’s smaller gardens. Recently some new types have been developed...
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Fall Color of Coral Bark Maple
~by Mike Darcy The fall leaf color this year is truly outstanding. A good example is Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’ (Coral Bark Maple) which is a four season plant. Coral colored branches in winter,...
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Weeping Larch
~by Mike Darcy In my own garden, I have very few conifers, but I recently added a weeping larch (Larix deciduas ‘Pendula’). A deciduous conifer with a beautiful weeping form, soft needles, and...
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Indoor Gardening With Black Gold®
There is no reason we need to stop gardening just because summer is ending and winter will soon be here. Many gardeners that I know ‘switch gears’ and set up a special place where they can continue to...
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Lion’s Tail and Itoh Peony
November is a great gardening month here in the Pacific Northwest. While we usually have some rain, we still get rain-less days making it ideal to work outside. This year has been no exception and...
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Keeping Christmas Trees Fresh
If you are planning on getting a cut Christmas tree, before bringing it indoors, make a fresh cut about one inch from the butt. Immediately submerge in fresh water. No need to add a preservative, just...
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Rose Pruning for Fall
Fall is the time for rose pruning. Trim your roses to about waist high (3 ft). I like to take off the old leaves if they are still on the plant. Prune out any dead or diseased canes. Wait until mid...
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A Gift Idea for the Gardener In Your Life
If you have a garden friend on your list that is needing a gift, think about Hydrangea ‘Limelight’. Here in the Pacific Northwest, this particular garden gift idea has proven to be an easy to grow...
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Saint Fiacre – Patron Saint of Gardening
The world of gardening is full of legends and one of my favorites is that of Saint Fiacre, the Irish Patron Saint of Gardening. Here he is in my garden among the fall color of a hydrangea. He has a...
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The Visitors: Garden Art
Garden art comes in many shapes, sizes and forms and often can reflect to something about the gardener. I love visiting gardens and seeing creative garden art that has been found, bought, or made....
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Hydrangea ‘Shooting Star’
I think a plant makes an especially nice winter gift for the gardener if it is blooming and so can be enjoyed indoors and then later planted in the garden. Hydrangeas from a garden center (not a...
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Air Plants
One of the easiest house plants to take care of is the Tillandsia or often referred to as ‘air plants’. These will grow with no soil and as long as they are given light (not direct sun) and a weekly...
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Christmas Trees, Wreaths, Paperwhites
Cut Christmas Trees When buying a cut tree at a lot, keep in mind that the tree has probably been cut for several weeks and it could even be several months. When the tree is cut, it is a natural...
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Lucky or Curly Bamboo
In my January Black Gold Featured Article, House Plant Ideas for Winter, I mentioned the houseplant Lucky Bamboo or Curly Bamboo (Dracaena sanderana), and that this is an excellent plant to use to...
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