Blog

March is a good month for planting Rhubarb, Asparagus and strawberries. Even if you do not have or want a strawberry patch, planting a few at random in flower beds make weeding and watering in future months a little more pleasant if you have fresh berries to snack on....

Cut ornamental perennial grasses back to between two and four inches from the ground. DO NOT prune the evergreen varieties. Simply comb any brown or broken leaves out with your hand. Be sure to wear gloves as some varieties have seriated leaf edges.  Divide Rhubarb...

If it snows – especially heavy wet snow – prevent limb breakage by knocking snow off early. Evergreen magnolias, pyramidal cedars, arborvitaes and sweet gum trees are most vulnerable. Don’t forget to keep plants under eaves well-watered. Winter damage on trees and...

As soon as frost has killed the foliage on your Dahlias, you can dig them up. Trim the stems off at about six inches and wash the soil off. Once they have dried store the tubers in boxes of peat moss, sawdust, wood shavings or shredded newspaper. Store them in a place...

Cut back on watering Christmas cactus, Clivia and Epiphyllums to promote bud set. October is the time for planting spring-blooming bulbs and garlic. Try adding crushed oyster shell or chicken grit (available from farm feed stores) to the soil to help keep your bulbs...

Keep fallen fruit under trees picked up and disposed of to help reduce insect and disease problems next year. If infestations were severe, raking up fallen leaves as soon as they drop will also help prevent insects and disease. For garden areas not being used for...

- Watch for powdery mildew on Dahlias, Squash, Grapes, Hollyhock, Sunflowers, Roses and other ornamentals. It’s a common plant disease caused by a fungus. It appears as grayish white powdery spots and patches on leaves and stems. Leaves eventually turn yellow and...

Sam Says for July 2018   Remove the anthers from Asiatic lily flowers as soon as the flower opens. Doing so will keep the flowers In bloom longer. Be very careful not to get the brown pollen on you or your clothes, it will stain. Prune and add lime to lilac...

Time to fertilize your lawn again. Mid-June is one of the four times recommended by the WSU Agronomist for fertilizing lawns in Puget Sound. The other three times are mid-September, 25 November and the 1st of May. We recommend Dr. Earth Super Natural Lawn Food or...

Sam Says for May 2018 - Keep your suet feeders filled. Many parenting birds will bring their young near the feeder to feed them. - Prune azaleas, rhododendrons, lilac, forsythia and other early blooming shrubs after they bloom. - This month is a good time to over seed...