Archive for January 2009
How to renovate a lawn
At Ecoyards, we get lots of calls from customers who need help renovating their lawns. Their grass may be thinned in some areas, diseased in others. Sometimes, it’s so overrun by dandelions and weeds (more than 50 percent) that it’s just better to start from scratch. A healthy new lawn drains properly, and discourages moss. It also requires less maintenance, water and fertilizers over time. Once we decide that your lawn needs renovation, here’s what…
Read MoreWhy Native Plants Are the Smart Choice for Northwest Landscapes
When it comes to picking plants for our landscape or for yours, we prefer to go native whenever possible. Trees, shrubs and other plants native to the Northwest — vine maples (right), sword fern, salal, beach strawberry, and Pacific dogwood — simply do better in our climate. In addition to requiring little maintenance, birds and other wildlife in our area have come to rely on these plants over decades and centuries to supply them with…
Read MoreRecycling nursery pots
When it comes to picking plants for our landscape or for yours, we prefer to go native whenever possible. Trees, shrubs and other plants native to the Northwest — vine maples (right), sword fern, salal, beach strawberry, and Pacific dogwood — simply do better in our climate. In addition to requiring little maintenance, birds and other wildlife in our area have come to rely on these plants over decades and centuries to supply them with…
Read MorePlants poisonous to dogs
Two of our Ecoyards members have a crazy knack for chewing stuff up — sticks, nursery pots, you name it. One day I came home to find these hellions (culprits pictured at right) had chewed up a lovely indoor fig tree. What if it had been toxic? It got me thinking about what’s in my garden that my dog, if he was good, should avoid. Here are some poisonous plants for your dogs to avoid,…
Read MoreComposting, mulching with coffee grounds
If you are coffee-addicted like me and the Ecoyards crew, you probably end up with a lot of coffee grounds left over. You could toss it in with yard waste, but why not add coffee grounds to your compost pile or mulch acid-loving plants? Mulching helps keep weeds down and retain moisture. Coffee grounds are very acidic, so use it judiciously and only on acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons and blueberries. Don’t lay it…
Read MoreGardening calendar: January
It may be too early to start planting, but there are plenty of things that can keep you busy in your garden in January. Here are a couple things to put on your to-do list:
Read MoreWinter gardens
Winter can be a grey and dreary one in the Northwest, but not if you have plants that provide year-round interest. Some of our favorite plants, such as daphne and sarcococca, put on their best show during this time. If you’re looking for suggestions or just want to see these winter plants in action, head to the Washington Park Arboretum to see what’s blooming this time of year. The J.A. Witt Winter Garden is filled with…
Read MoreGreat plant picks
If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by all the choices at a nursey, the folks over at Great Plant Picks have made the decision-making process easy. Every year, the staff gets together and comes up with a list of great plant picks. We at Ecoyards rely on their picks because they weed out fussy perennials, trees, and shrubs that require a lot of water and lots of maintenance. The Great Plant Picks staff chooses only plants that…
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