Blog
Not Dumbed-Down Tips for Your Pollinator Garden – #1 Lacy Phacelia
Everywhere you look, there’s talk of gardening for pollinators. The piece in Fine Gardening promotes plants from its sponsored nursery as being the best for bees, the city of Eugene’s public works rag gives some tips as it’s cover piece, and nurseries have new signage touting the pollinator friendly plants on display. … more
Not All (Plant) Diseases Require Quarantine
Weaving up the north side of Skinner’s Butte through the lush growth of April, the bird song grows louder and more layered. I walk this route often and it’s remarkable how consistent this pattern is, as if someone turns the volume up the higher you climb. There’s one spot in particular where … more
You Can Have Both: Native Habitat and a Gorgeous Garden
How often do you come to the big AHA! moment as you’re going about your regular routine? Not so often, right? It takes space to see beyond the habitual. It might be something you already knew, but you see it in a fresh way because of a vacation, a chance encounter or … more
The Stalwart Beauty Everyone’s Quiet About, Except This Guy
Oh, Oh, OH, that is GORgeous! A booming, Brooklyn-inflected voice approaches the far side of the camellia table at Gray’s Nursery. Oh, look at THAT one, GORgeous! I love this man instantly. Even more when I hear his companion cooing about bees in the blooms. I edge around the … more
Lazy Habits in the Habitat Garden
I’m not a neat and tidy gardener at home. Sometimes I’m downright lazy. After working on clients’ gardens during the week, I would rather read a great novel or walk with a friend than dig into hard work on the weekend. But, you know what I’ve learned over the years? A … more
Wake Up to Pink Dawn and Birdsong with this Five Star Shrub
Opening my kitchen curtains this January morning, I see pink florets bubbling from little branch tips. Then, a flash of ruby face and green wings as the resident Anna’s hummingbird zooms in to land on his customary perch. At the sound of a thousand tiny twitters, I look again to see sprightly … more
Three Natives to Add Sparkle to Your Winter Garden
Aren’t we the luckiest living in the mild, green Pacific Northwest? With four distinct seasons, but none so extreme that we have to hide indoors, our gardens can (and should) engage us year round. I hear you that winter looks the bleakest. Let’s keep the interest (no cabin fever, friends!) with the … more
Sheet Mulching is like a Band-Aid Over an Infection – Your Step by Step Guide to Fail-Proof Soil Prep
If you’ve dipped at all into permaculture, you’ve heard of sheet mulching. A technique for prepping weedy ground for planting, sheet mulching uses layers of cardboard, leaves and other organic debris. The promise is that weeds will be killed while enriching the soil with organic matter. There’s some truth to this promise, … more
Raise Your Garden as You Raise Your Children – Landscaping with Respect for the Nature of Your Site
Say you had a kid with an aptitude for math that loved making art and inventing contraptions. You tried tossing the football with him, but it wasn’t as fun you wanted it to be. You were pushing him to be into it, but the interest just wasn’t there. Perhaps you had dreams … more
On the Job with Aaron: Stepping Stone Paths
My favorite paths are built of flagstone, and they’re usually built by this guy: master of his craft. Assisting recently, I was reminded of our son Alder’s vision therapy exercises with parquetry blocks. He flexed the muscle in his brain that stone masons like his dad use every day. Aaron can flip … more
