As we enter a new year and a new season we encourage you to take time to reflect on how your garden fared this year, start thinking about the coming season and get out, yes even in the winter, to see some public gardens where you can learn about some new plants, see some good winter gardening techniques, and even smell the Witch-hazel.
Reflect on Your Garden
Grab a journal and make notes on things that stuck out for you this past growing season. Jot down observances about plants that did really well and why you think they did. Are there plants you wished you had tried? Insects that surprised you, good and bad?! Review the weather the past 12 months and see if anything correlates to something that happened in your garden. This is a good time to think holistically about how a garden grows and prospers.
Make Plans
Start planning for next year. Seed catalogs are in the mail, seed swaps are being planned. overwintering gardens will need some attention if only just to check in weekly to see how things look. You might need to replenish mulch for instance in an overwintering collard bed. Plant sales are also in the works so stay tuned for local news on those. Seed Savers Exchange is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and Saturday, January 25th will be a national seed swap day with activities all over the country and here in the northwest.
Seed Savers Exchange – National Seed Swap Day
Washington State Seed Library Network – link coming soon
Visit Local Gardens
We are blessed with beautiful public gardens in the northwest where we can see plants that thrive in our climate, put on fragrant winter blooms, or have gorgeous colorful or textured bark and really stand out right now. Winter sunlight will illuminate these. Catch a sunny day and try a walk in an arboretum or even your neighborhood. Or be adventurous and take a day trip a little further away, getting a ferry ride in and maybe a glimpse of our resident Orcas in the Salish Sea.
We wish for you a prosperous, fruitful, and healthy new year – from your friends at the Garden Hotline.
Local Gardens
Bellevue Botanical Garden – Bellevue
Bloedel Reserve – Bainbridge Island (fee)
Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden – Seattle
Center for Urban Horticulture – Seattle
Clallam County Master Gardeners Demo Gardens -Sequim
Dunn Gardens – Seattle (fee)
Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens – Everett
Heronswood Garden – Kingston (fee)
Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden – SeaTac
King County Master Gardeners Demo Gardens – Various
Kubota Gardens – Seattle
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden – Shoreline
Lake Wilderness Arboretum – Maple Valley
Lakewold Gardens – Lakewood (fee)
PowellsWood Garden – Federal Way (fee)
Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden – Federal Way (fee)
Seattle Chinese Garden – Seattle
Seattle Japanese Garden – Seattle (fee)
Seattle P-Patch Community Gardens – Seattle
Shark Garden – Seattle
South Seattle College Arboretum – Seattle
Washington Park Arboretum – Seattle