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Rose Pruning Again

Late February to early March is the time for the major pruning of roses. Back in December, I did a preliminary pruning , now is the time for the last major pruning before the spring season begins.  First, a comment on hybrid tea roses. This is what most people have in their gardens. I only have a few hybrid tea roses. These are the roses that need the most drastic pruning. Basically, you cut all the canes down to about 1 foot, making the cuts right above an outward-facing bud. The result will be something like this -  Most of my roses fall into the shrub and climbing categories. These roses are pruned differently and not as severe as the hybrid teas. For shrub roses (and many of the David Austin English roses fall into this category), I first take out the older canes completely to the ground. The older canes are easy to spot - they will be thicker and darker in color. After thinning out the older canes, I remove any canes that are damaged, crossing one another and canes that ...
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The Lavender of Sequim - a book review



The Lavender of Sequim: America's Provence by Bonnie Louise Gillis, published by Books Out Of The Blue, 2019.

Since moving here, I have visited tulip farms, rose, lily, iris and peony gardens but I have yet to see a lavender farm although I have seen signs for them. I have also not ventured any further north than Woodland, Washington although I hope to remedy that soon. 

I have heard of Sequim, Washington because I have a co-worker who once lived there. It is located in the northwest corner of Washington (northeast of Seattle). The Olympic mountains shields the town from getting rainfall and their average is about 12 inches per year.  Early settlers to the area knew they had to do something so they embarked on an ambitious irrigation project to bring water to their town. It worked and they still have an Irrigation Festival every year to celebrate that achievement. Cattle farming became the main economic booster for the next century. In the 1990s, developers began buying property and cattle farms diminished. Thus a new crop and money maker was introduced - lavender.

Part history, part travelogue with a bit of gardening and recipes, this little book is fun to browse through.  It briefly covers the history of Sequim and the development of lavender farms (there are at least a dozen in the town). It also covers the various types of lavender and how to grow and harvest them. There is a resource list and a list of places to visit while in Sequim. The highlight of the book are the stunning photos by Roger Mosley. There are also some wonderful historic photos of Sequim taken during the irrigation development. 





Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. AlisonApril 5, 2019 at 10:24 PM

    There is a lavender festival in the Sequim area every year, but the traffic is horrendous. You could come up to the Olympic Peninsula for it and stay in the area, it's very picturesque, and Far Reaches Farm is nearby. Does the book tell you how to pronounce Sequim?

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    1. Phillip OliverApril 6, 2019 at 8:18 AM

      Alison, the book does not mention how to pronounce it. My co-worker says it is "SKWIM" so the "Q" sounds like "K".

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  2. Lisa at GreenbowApril 6, 2019 at 4:09 AM

    I have always seen pictures like this of lavender farms in France. It is nice to know that there is lavender being grown here in the states. I would love to see such a sight.

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  3. Hoover BooApril 6, 2019 at 8:43 AM

    12 inches a year of rain is slightly less than our average. An interesting place to garden. Must be very grey in the fall and winter--with none of the moisture--I wonder what that is like.

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