In the In Between
(Seasons, That Is)
Officially, we are in the latter half of “the big dark”, the period of gray skies, rain, and dark days that starts in October in the northwest. We are headed towards the spring equinox, where the days and nights share equal time in our 24 hour day and the earth’s axis tilts neither away nor […]
Spring is Almost Here!
Spring is “official” on Monday, March 20th this year. We all know though, that the Pacific Northwest often shares some spring like weather and early flowering plants during traditional winter months so it’s not unusual for us to be antsy to get into the garden. I’m certain many of us already have been at work […]
Rainy Season in the Northwest
keeping an eye on wet things
We live in a lush environment. Now that smoke and fire season is behind us we can lean into our wet and cold season. According to the Farmer’s Almanac we are to expect snow, cold, and lots of rain over the last half of November which will wind down into mild temps and rainy […]
The Waning Days of Summer
What a summer we have had in the Pacific Northwest! From record heat to minimal rain to smoky skies that kept us indoors we have all been challenged to keep our gardens alive and thriving. Our rainfall measure since April ended (and that was a rainy month!) stands at 0.88 inches total. An average summer […]
We miss you, Cass!
From the Garden Hotline Staff
On January 25, 2017, the trees of our world lost a relentless ally. Cass Turnbull, a long-time horticulturalist and pruning advocate unexpectedly passed on from our world while on vacation in Hawaii. Cass was (and still is) one of our favorite humans. Her dedication to “ending plant mutilation” and engendering respect for plants led […]
Winter Tree Pruning
Sue Hartman, Garden Hotline Educator
Winter is a perfect time to prune many trees in the Pacific NW. In the Seattle area, dormancy begins in late November or December when plant growth becomes temporarily inactive. This enables a tree to survive freezing temperatures. Dormancy usually lasts until mid-February, depending on Mother Nature. During this time, the bare branches of a […]
Deciduous Tree I.D. in the Winter
Falaah Jones, Garden Hotline Educator Have you ever wondered what that beautiful deciduous tree is in your neighborhood? Even without leaves, flowers and fruit to help you, winter’s a great time to identify trees. The tree’s bark, buds and twigs and the sad remaining leaves provide great clues. Kick around the litter at the bottom […]