Marianne Binetti On Gardening
Marianne Binetti is the author of "Easy Answers for Great Gardens" and eight other gardening books. She has a degree in horticulture from WSU and will answer questions from her Web site at www.binettigarden.com.
LIVING COLUMNS
Get some European inspiration
If you’ve been traveling this summer, be sure to take note of great garden ideas from around the world. We’ve just returned from visiting great gardens in Russia, Sweden, Denmark and other parts of the Baltic region.
Give your front yard a facelift
Front-yard fix-ups are all the rage for curb appeal and for collecting top dollar for new and old homes on the market.
Now comes the payoff for gardening
Get into your garden this week to harvest the cool-season crops that are just now maturing and fertilize the crops you intend to harvest later this summer.
Ah, the dichotomy of annuals
You win some, you lose some with annuals. They’re garden favorites because of their brilliant colors, but their lifespan is short. They’re also more fickle in our Northwest climate.
There’s still time to plant vegetables
If you missed your chance to plant an edible garden this spring, don’t fret. Even during the third week of June, it’s still not too late to plant a vegetable garden. It’s also not too late to renovate your lawn. In today’s column, I’ll give advice for both, as well as answer reader questions about bearded iris and Lady’s Mantle.
Plants get thirsty as they grow
Remember those potted and hanging plants that seemed to be more dirt than plants a month ago? Well, welcome to late spring and the ensuing growth spurt.
June’s the time to give your plants a picnic
Think of June as the month to fertilize. You may notice your vegetable seedlings and annual plants experiencing a growth spurt right about now. With the weather warming, your plants are developing a huge appetite. This is your reminder to fertilize annuals and vegetables now.
Answers for your springtime problems
The third week in May brings questions from gardeners about growing quandaries. Readers this week are puzzled by azaleas and peonies that just won’t bloom, problematic buttercup, where to apply mulch and how to get those tomatoes to ripen before fall. Here are easy answers to the most-asked questions this spring:
Marianne Binetti: Hearty plants can take the chill
With the start of May comes an all-hands-on-deck mentality – it’s time to plant those pretty flowers you love. This week, fill your container gardens or window boxes with weather-resistant annuals and flowers.
Ah, the joys of a lush, green lawn
The second week of March is a good time for lawn renovation, pruning and garden cleanup. If your soil is dry and your grass is high, you can start your motors and get mowing. Better yet, consider a new landscape design that shrinks your lawn so you can downsize to a lightweight, super quiet push mower.
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