When to prune grasses back and how to do it?

A common question we get is when to prune your grasses for winter. In reality it can be as soon as that plant dies back to the ground. I personally use the grass’ foliage as a winter interest, so I will wait until the winter winds beat then up into a mess. Then I tie a string around the top and cut back to within an inch or two of the ground. For evergreen grasses, I just clean out the dead foliage. With Pampass grass, I wait until spring, using it’s foliage as a mulch to help it survive winter since it’s more tender than other grasses like Switch grass, Japanese Silver grass or Fountain grasses in our area. Below is a video I did to demonstrate how to cut back the different types of grasses.

Featured Plants for the Week of December 7th

The Variegated Alaskan Cedar is an evergreen tree that gives a yard texture, height accents, or just a good block. The foliage is dark green with a smattering of yellow needles. This tree grows to about 20 to 30 feet tall and 12 to 15 feet wide, making it a small tree. They can handle fun sun, though strong winds when it’s over 90 can lightly burn the yellow.

Onyx Flamingo Hydrangea is a type of big leaf hydrangea that loves afternoon shade in our hot summers. The pale pink bloom clusters is striking when compared to both the black stems and the dark green foliage. It grows to 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. It also blooms on new and old wood, so now matter how bad winter is, you will still have blooms. If you would like a pale blue version of this, just treat the soil with sulfur, G&B Acid Planting Mix or Aluminum Sulfate to acidify the soil.

Plants of the Week for November 30th

Both of these two perennials featured this week are for afternoon shade to total shade spots of the yard. They both enjoy moist soils and have great foliage texture to provide the entire growing season with color.

Firework Rodersia reminds me of something you would see out of Jurassic Park. The large leaf and deep texture would be ideal for craft projects. It grows to about 3 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. In late spring early summer it flower fine pink clusters. The real reason to plant this is the green with bronze edged foliage that contrasts hydrangeas, hinoki cypress or japanese maples.

Praying Hands Hosta is a dwarf hosta that has twisted green foliage. It has this gorgeous golden yellow fall color seen above. It grows to about 14 inches tall and about 2 feet wide. It can be a border plant to a shade garden or a stand alone feature in a bed that is small in stature. Praying Hands is also resistant to slugs!

Plants of the Week for November 23rd

The Carnival Watermelon Coralbells are great border plants for Tri-City shade gardens. They can play well with Hostas and contrast well with Hydrangeas. Carnival Watermelon reaches 12 inches tall and 2 feet wide. The foliage ranges from a frosted peach to a copper purple. It’s does best with afternoon shade in the Mid Columbia because they don’t enjoy getting dry. In mild winters it is an evergreen as well.

The Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry is a large growing shrub or small tree. It has with spectacular fall color with reds and oranges. They grow to about 20 to 25 feet tall and wide. In the spring they flower white. In summer develop purple black berries that are great for bird habitat. You can also make jams and jellies with them. Autumn Brilliance works great to provide a screen when in shrub form. Or as a small shaped tree with irregular branching. Handles full sun to part shade conditions.

Plants for the Week of November 16th

The Blue Muffin Viburnum is a tall shrub (5 to 7 feet tall and wide) for partial shade to full sun. It has white flowers in the spring and blue berries that appear in summer to feed birds. The most striking surprise this shrub has is it's fall color. The fall colors range from fire engine red to burgundy. It is also deer resistant and very cold hardy (USDA zone 3).

October Daphne Sedum is a hardy succulent that enjoys sunny hot spots in the yard. It can also enjoy drier spots too. The blue gray foliage reaches about 6 to 12 inches tall and spreads to 24 inches wide. In late summer it flowers the pink flower pictured above that attract butterflies.

Plants of the Week for November 9th 2018

The Dwarf Fothergilla is a small sized shrub that has exquisite fall color! It is a slow growing plant that reaches 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Green in the summer time and in spring it has fragrant white flowers that remind me of a bottle brush. Forthergilla grows well in full sun to partial shade (4 or more hours a day).

The Kwanzan Cherry is a flowering cherry tree that grows to 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide. Most known for it’s double pink blooms in the spring, it has a surprising nice fall color. The yellow and oranges contrast with red fall color like maples, burning bushes or fothergilla really well. Prefers full sun but does best not being next to sidewalks and streets for they don’t like the reflected heat on their trunks.

Plants of the Week November 2nd

The Gold Flame Spiraea is stunning in the fall with a nice bright red fall color. It grows to about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Gold Flame handles full sun to part shade as well as being versatile in many landscape areas. In the summer it has a gold/green and has pink flowers in the late spring and summer.

Golden Colonnade Ginkgo is a ginkgo with a strong central leader. Unlike other ginkgos that enjoy being naturally free form. It matures to 45 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Ginkgos do well in the Tri-Cities and are very durable. The fall color is a brilliant golden yellow like the ginkgos on Haines St in Richland. Except Golden Colonnade are male, so no stinky fruit!

Plants of the Week for October 26th

The Burkwood Viburnum is stunning this time of year with it’s yellow and reds. It colors a little later than the burning bush. Burkwood Viburnum is a large growing shrub fo 6 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 6 wide. It can live full sun to partial shade and is not too picky when it comes to soil type. In early spring it has fragrant white snowball like blooms.

The Amethyst Oakleaf Hydrangea is a hydrangea that lives in full sun to part shade. It has gorgeous maroon red fall leaves that are shaped like oak leaves. In the growing season the leaves are green and in July, it flowers cone shaped white blooms that turn quickly to wine red. It grows to 5 to 6 feet tall and wide.

Plants for the Week of October 20th

Berry White Hydrangea is a sun loving Hydrangea with red fall color! It reaches 6 to 7 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide. In July it flowers white and ages to pink. Berry White also stays upright more so than Vanilla Strawberry. Like other paniculata Hydrangeas it enjoys full to partial sun (4 or more hours of sun).

Fireside Ninebark is a new dark leafed ninebark that has bigger leaves compared to other dwarf ninebark. It grows to about 5 to 7 feet all and 4 to 6 feet wide. A great option for where you need a dark foliage color without the thorns of barberry. In the May it flowers pink/white flower clusters. Can be used as a hedge or as a focal point. Best to be planted in full sun (at least six hours).

Plants for the week of October 12th

The Mini Twists Pine is dwarf eastern white pine with twisted needles for a cool effect year round. It reaches 6 ft x 4 ft wide. Like full sun to partial shade conditions. It is great for a garden that needs a durable year round effect without the size of other pines.

Redpointe Maple is a newer red maple that is yard friendly reaching 45 feet tall and 30 feet wide. It has a great red fall color. Redpointe is not fussy when it comes to soil pH like Brandywine or October Glory can be in sandy soils. Redpointe continues to retain a nice green summer color and fall color performance. It still needs to be fed regularly for optimal growth performance. It’s a quick grower and has some small helicopters. A very clean tree when it comes to maples.

What can be planted in fall?

Fall is upon us and it’s time for planting. Here is what you can plant now and into winter as well as a few tips to make sure things go well.

You can plant plants rated zone 6 or lower for they can withstand our winters. You can plant trees, shrubs, perennials, roses and evergreens.

Even though the irrigation systems are going offline. Plants aren’t using much water. Until deciduous plants drop their foliage check on them for moisture weekly. After they drop their foliage check monthly to see if they need a drink. Evergreens need water on a monthly basis. Water on days where the highs are above 35 degrees.

For roses you want to mulch their crowns as a precaution against sudden cold snaps.

You can plant in fall and into winter you want to avoid cold snaps where on daytime temps don’t rise above freezing. It’s hard on you and the plants when the ground is frozen.

6 Pumpkin Patch Picking Tips

Here are a few tips we wanted to share when it comes to picking pumpkins

1. Wear gloves, long pants and closed toed shoes. Pumpkin vines can be prickly, so this helps it from being a scratchy experience.

2. Secure your keys in a deep pockets, purse or backpack. Keys have a habit of disappearing in patches, so make sure they are safe and secure.

3. Bring cameras with plenty of memory and battery charge. You never know when a moment with the family needs to be captured for posterity.

4. If carts and pruners are available, use them. Pumpkins can get heavy carrying from the patch to checkout and the parking lot.

5. Choose pumpkins with no soft spots or cracks and intact stems. This way they keep until Halloween. Scars, dents, or flat spots are good for carving character.

6. Have fun and let your creative juices loose! Pumpkins are a great canvas of creativity for carving, painting and culinary pursuits.

Click here for info on our pumpkin patch.

Plants of the Week for October 5th

Gro-Low Sumac is a tough plant that likes sunny dry spots; that doesn’t colonize like it’s cousin the Staghorn Sumac. It grows to about 2 to 3 feet tall and spreads to about 6 to 8 feet wide. In the growing season it’s a nice medium glossy green but in the fall it’s a brilliant red/orange. It enjoys our alkaline soil and climate. It is also a great candidate for
Fire-wise landscaping.

Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grass also can handle tough spots in the yard that are sunny and hot. It reaches about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide with a dark green foliage that turns to a russet yellow color as fall sets in. The bottle brush like florescence appear in late summer and lasts into winter. Easy to care for with a trim to the ground in late winter. It looks great when mixed with other perennials or larger growing shrubs.

When does the irrigation water go off for 2018?

October 2018 is here and for irrigation water, it’s the end of the season. Here are the end dates for the different irrigation districts.

Badger Mountain Irrigation District Oct 19th
Benton Irrigation District Oct 12th
City of Pasco Irrigation Water Oct 15th
Columbia Irrigation District Oct 15th
East Columbia Irrigation District Oct 22nd
Kennewick Irrigation District Oct 10th
Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District Oct 24th
Roza Irrigation District Oct 18th
South Columbia Basin Irrigation District Oct 23

What we recommend doing before the water turns off is to make sure all you trees and shrubs get a good drink. Then after the irrigation water shuts off, especially for evergreens is that they get checked for moisture monthly and watered if dry. An easy way to remember is to put a reminder on your phone’s calendar.

Plants of the Week for September 29th

Double Scoop Orangeberry is a double coneflower with rich orange red blooms. It’s been bred to have study stems which has been a problem with previous hybrids. Like other coneflowers it enjoys full sun, flowers from mid summer until fall when the spent flowers are removed periodically. It grows to 24 inches tall. This is a great addition when craving something orange and to attract butterflies.

Dark Towers Beadtongue loves heat and dry conditions. It also has bronze foliage to contrast blue grey foliage that tends to be the major color for drought tolerant plant leaves. In mid to late summer it blooms pink tube shaped flowers that ideal for hummingbirds. It reaches three feet tall and is striking with it’s foliage when not in bloom. It caught my eye in the greenhouse with it’s bronze glory.

Plants of the Week September 21st

Pink Flame Phlox is a garden phlox that enjoys flowering from July to September with hot pink flowers. It is powdery mildew resistant and reaches about 24 inches tall. They enjoy full sun (at least six hours) and are great for pollinators in summer. It’s short stature helps it handle our frequent winds.

Lime Glow Barberry is a green version of Rose Glow Barberry where it has green white speckled new growth that matures to green and a wonderful red/orange fall color. This blooms early which is great to feed bees early in the season. Like other barberries they are pretty much bullet proof for the area.

Plants of the Week for September 14th

BougainFeelYa Rose is a rose that resembles the Bougainvilla vines but actually survives our winters! The rich red color goes from May to November. This rose reaches 4 to 5 feet tall and prefers at least 6 hours of sunlight.

Cranberry Cotoneaster is truly for the birds for they love the berries from fall into the winter. The cranberry red berries are striking for our eyes too! The reach 2 to 3 feet tall and spread out to 6 feet wide. The dark green leaves are nice and rich. Cotoneasters are great for English Gardens, hillsides, pollinator/bird gardens and where you need something sprawling with fall interest. Cranbery Cotoneaster enjoys full to part sun and handles our local soils very well.

Plants for the Week of September 7th

Blue Mist Bluebeard is a plant that likes to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds with it's late summer blooms.  It reaches 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. The blue green foliage contrasts well against mugo pines, dark green junipers and red barberry and is just as tough for hot dry spots. It can also goes well with other perennials for a pollinator garden.  They prefer 6 or more hours of direct sunlight and well drained soils.

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass is a versatile plant for areas that get at least 6 hours of sun.  It is a semi-evergreen so it stays greener than other grasses longer.    Karl also is sterile so it doesn't reseed itself or spreads via rhizomes.  Generally they spread 3 feet wide and are that tall. The tan florescence are striking in the summer and into fall. A true winner of a plant.

7 Ways to Make Next Spring Easier

Fall is a great time to start spring off right, be doing a few preventatives.

1. Prevent aphid problems with the Bonide Annual Tree and Shrub Insect Control.  By applying in August/September this gives the insecticide time to move up the tree and prevent attacks in Spring.

2. Prevent weeds in from growing in winter and early spring by applying a pre-emergent herbicides.  Pre-emergent herbicides prevent weed seeds from germinating.  Applying now, after clean weeding a flower bed will help prevent winter weeds from germinating and popping up in early spring. Products to look into are Greenlight Amaze, Preen, Round Up Extended Control. Make sure to follow their watering instructions on these product's labels for best results.

3. Prevent drought stress by applying Bonide Wilt Stop to your soft needle and broad leaf evergreens. It works like like lip balm for our lips to keep their leaves from drying out. Also mark when to water your evergreens in your calendar, it would be best to set it to once a month November through March.  Use a sprinkler on a hose to water since the irrigation is turned off at that time of year. Yews, photinia, boxwoods, arborvitae, rhodies and others benefit from a monthly drink.

4. Help gain an upper hand with root weevil,  by applying Bonide Eight Granules to kill the overwintering larva in the soil, thus reducing their population to help to keep them in check next year.

5. Green up your yellow trees and shrubs that normally should be green by applying the G&B Acid Planting Mix and G&B Harvest Supreme as a mulch or top dressing. By putting about 2 inches thick to slowly leach nutrients into the soil over winter and spring to catch these plants up on nutrients.

6. Clean up disease issues by spraying areas of the yard that had disease issues like rust, powdery mildew, leaf spot, peach leaf curl in November or February with a dormant application of Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide. This sanitizes the plants to give a fresh start next spring.  For best results make sure to clean up the diseased leaves as well as when you spray, spray the entire plant including the trunk.

7. Get your lawn off to a great start in spring by applying a fall feeding of a Fertilome Winterizer or Fertilome Greenmaker in September/October.  These fertilizers will slowly feed throughout winter to build up the lawns nutrient reserves for a lush push of green growth in spring.

Plants of the Week for August 31st

Rosie the Riveter Rose is a uniquely shaped rose that pays tribute to woman who worked in manufacturing and shipyards during World War II.  We have been very pleased with it's color, amount of blooming and disease resistance throughout the summer.  The gold blend contrasts well against the dark green foliage. It's a floribunda, so it blooms in clusters and is free flowering leaving it to be pretty easy to care for. Like other roses it prefers at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.

Little Miss Miscanthus Grass is a dwarf Miscanthus with very showy florescence and turns red in late summer early fall.  It grows to about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Little Miss prefers at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. A fun little show stopper for perennial beds or desert landscapes on drip.