Easy, Budget-Conscious Containers

When it comes to gardening, I'm nothing if not tenacious (although my husband calls it "stubborn…."), and right now that quality is coming in especially handy. Usually at this time of year I'd be anticipating leisurely visits to my favorite nurseries to carefully select an exciting array of shrubs, perennials, annuals, tropicals, and edibles to…

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New Year – New Shrubs!

It's cold, wet, and windy here in Seattle today – but that doesn't stop me dreaming about warmer days in the garden and planning the inevitable revisions. Since I suspect you're doing a little armchair gardening too,  here are some new shrubs I've come across that you might like to consider. Shrubs are the mainstay…

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Sunflowers & Superstars

While the large island border is always a reliable kaleidoscope of color and texture at this time of year (see photo above), I have a smaller planting bed next to our main patio that is rather more fickle. It receives blazing sun all day, has terrible, sticky, clay soil, is a magnet for rabbits and…

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An Unexpected Star: Rose Marvel Sage

When I received samples of these Rose Marvel sage from Ball Floraplant last year I had mixed first impressions. I'm not usually a fan of pink – although this did at least have some depth to the color which intrigued me and really pushes towards more of a rosy-lavender shade. However, since I have found…

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