Dirt Therapy

Before showing you some drab photos of dead-looking dahlias, take a look at these gorgeous 'Princess Irene' tulips. This is my favorite tulip. I brought these home from the nursery and potted them up this morning. The tulips in the ground are not blooming yet. It is sad that the beautiful pots of bulbs at our nursery are sitting unseen by customers (we have curb-side service at the moment). One of our weekend rituals is to watch Monty Don's show Gardener's World. The new episodes air on Friday night but we save it for our Saturday night treat. We lead very exciting lives! On the latest episode, Monty took his dahlias out of winter hibernation. Of course, his looked great, right down to the moist layer of soil covering their roots. This prompted me to take the only two dahlias I have out of their paper bags in the basement and take a look. Unlike Monty's, mine are stuffed into paper bags and they looked bone dry. This is my usual method, however, and it has a...

Camellia 'Donation'    Such an exciting time of year! Peony Euphorbia myrsinites Ribes (Flowering Currant) Rhododendron 'Blue Baron' Rhododendron 'Taurus' Tulip Leycesteria formosa (Himalayan honeysuckle) Comfrey Euonymous albomarginata Lupine Peony 'Paula Fay' Hydrangea 'Snowflake' Stewartia  And, my first attempt at bringing mason bees into the garden. It wasn't near as complicated as I thought. I put the cocoons out three days ago and was thrilled to see bees today. My shelter is a bit primitive and the whole tower is crooked but I am happy with it at the moment. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

There are few garden chores that I dislike but I would put transplanting near the top of my list. There is always the sense of "am I harming this plant" and I especially hate the awful sound of the roots coming loose in the soil when you dig it out of the ground. Unfortunately, unless you are a really good planner, plants are often put in less than ideal spots. I have already transplanted about a dozen plants this year and many of them are roses. In this case, the rose in the above photo, is in a good spot but it seems to want to be a climber and the blooms have a tendency to nod down. The rose is 'Golden Celebration' and I've decided to relocate it next to a gate and arbor so that it can become the climbing rose it wants to be. In my early years of gardening, I killed more than one rose when transplanting it. Since then, I've learned a few tips and thought I'd share. First of all, the best time to transplant is around the time you would prune ros...

Anenome nemerosa 'Royal Blue' Spring is us upon us but Mother Nature is still throwing curve balls as evidenced by my post yesterday . Most plants are ahead of schedule despite this weekend cold snap. Next week's forecast shows temperatures in the 60s and lots of sun. I am psyched. Earlier in the week, I returned from Alabama, where it was cold and very, very wet.  Mud was everywhere and walking across the lawn there was like stepping on a saturated sponge. Our winter here in Vancouver, Washington has been mild and drier than normal. Upon my return, I had only one day before returning to work at Yard n' Garden Land (I would like to request that you consider adding us to your Facebook and Instagram likes).  Most of my bloom day photos were taken on my day off last week. Anenome nemerosa 'Royal Blue' (above) is right outside the front door along the sidewalk and it continues to stun me with its vivid blue color. A cheerful plant if there ever...

    Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy