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Elisabeth C. Miller Library

Archives: Garden Tips

Gardening tips and suggestions.

Garden Tip #134

August is a good time to lift and divide your Bearded Iris, but don’t touch your Pacific Coast Native Iris until the rains return in fall. To learn more about the joys of growing this “Flower of the Rainbow” go to the American Iris Society’s website.

The King County Iris Society holds lectures and events throughout the year and publishes a monthly newsletter. Their annual rhizome sale is September 13 and 14 at Crossroads Mall 15600 NE 8th St, Bellevue. To join the society send $10.00 to KCIS Membership Chair, PO Box 95538, Seattle, WA 98145-2538. Online at www.kcis.org.

Garden Tip #127

Make room for herbs in your garden. Many herbs like rosemary and sage look good during winter, most are edible or medicinal, drought tolerant, and aromatic – what more could you ask for in a plant? Herbs do not have to be planted in a separate garden bed, so go ahead and mix some chives or chervil in with your flowers. Herb enthusiasts may want to join the Herb Society of America. For $50.00 per year members receive two publications and discounts from specialty herb nurseries. Call (440) 256-0514 or visit www.herbsociety.org.

Garden Tip #126

Should you dig your dahlias or not? Enthusiasts dig them up every autumn when the clocks get turned back. They dust the tubers with fungicide, divide them up and finally store them in a cool place in slightly damp vermiculite. For those of us not so dedicated to our dahlias we can leave them in the ground provided that the soil is well drained and doesn’t freeze. A little patch of plastic can help keep the spot dry over winter. For more dahlia growing tips go to the Puget Sound Dahlia Association website

Garden Tip #124

If you’re only familiar with the florist’s cyclamen with large pink or white flowers you might want to give one of the diminutive yet hardy species a try. Some species are in flower now, while others flower in winter or early spring. Even after the flowers fade the marbled foliage provide months of interest. These summer dormant tubers do best in well-drained soil under deciduous trees that allow good light in winter. Check out the Cyclamen Society web site for more details, including how to keep your florist cyclamen alive.

Garden Tip #104

Daylily resources:

  • Daylilies for the Garden by Graeme Grosvenor (Timber, 1999) reveals all about care and culture, botany and describes hundreds of daylily cultivars with color photos.
  • The Puget Sound Daylily Club meets four times a year and maintains display gardens at the Ballard Locks and the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden. Members receive a newsletter. To join contact Gary Fanthorpe, 17933 Brittany Drive SW, Normandy Park, WA 98166
    thefuzzies@comcast.net
  • The American Hemerocallis Society reports the following daylilies are the most popular among members of the Northwest region: STRAWBERRY CANDY, CANADIAN BORDER PATROL and BETTY WARREN WOODS

Garden Tip #158

With foliage plants all the rage these days and drought tolerance a must, consider adding a few succulents to your garden. A new book by Yvonne Cave called Succulents for the Contemporary Garden (Timber Press, 2003) highlights many beautiful succulents that can grow outside in well draining soil. If you want to learn more about the wonderful world of cacti and succulents join a society: The Cascade Cactus and Succulent Society of Washington state meets once a month, usually at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Contact president Karen Summers, (206)365-0315 for details on joining, or go to their website. Also consider joining the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, which publishes an excellent bimonthly glossy magazine. Contact Mindy Fusaro, CSSA Treasurer, PO Box 2615, Pahrump, NV 89041-2615, (775)751-1320.

Garden Tip #105

Dahlia resources:

  • The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Dahlias by Gareth Rowlands (Timber, 1999) tells all about growing dahlias with lots of color photos.
  • The American Dahlia Society
  • The Puget Sound Dahlia Association holds monthly meetings, maintains a display garden at Volunteer Park in Seattle, and participates in the American Dahlia Society’s annual shows. Members receive a newsletter. To join mail $15.00 to Dale Hylton, Treasurer, Puget Sound Dahlia Association, 10820 Oakwood Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98178.

Garden Tip #114

Rose resources:

Online:

  • www.everyrose.com – the best online database with photos, sources and gardeners’ comments
  • www.justourpictures.com – great photos of roses
  • American Rose Society

    • Books:

  • The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book (Sagapress, 1994) -A revised edition from this late great British plantsman
  • Reliable Roses by Philip Harkness (Firefly Books, 2004) – Excellent photos and organized text describe 75 good roses
  • Roses for Washington and Oregon by Brad Jalbert & Laura Peters (Lone Pine, 2003) The best 144 roses for the Northwest
  • Lois Hole’s Rose Favorites (Lone Pine, 1997)- Has all the usual rose profiles and care information, plus lots of fun facts and lore.

    • In Seattle:

  • The Seattle Rose Society meets at the Center for Urban Horticulture (3501 NE 41 Street) on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm (except July and Dec.)
  • The Woodland Park Rose Garden, adjacent to the Zoo, is open to the public from 7 am to dusk, everyday. Admission is free.

Garden Tip #113

What is your favorite rose? Here are a few of the World Federation of Rose Societies “World’s Favorite Roses” chosen by a popular vote of the members:

rose name flower color ARS rating on a scale of 10
Double Delight Red/White Blend 8.6
Fragrant Cloud Coral 8.1
Pascali White 8.1
Peace Pink/Yellow Blend 8.3

Garden Tip #94

The Pacific Northwest is an excellent climate for growing evergreens because our winters are generally mild. We can grow far more species than just Douglas Firs and Red Cedars, and in city gardens dwarf conifers are much more suitable. Explore the wide world of conifers, plants that produce cones, by joining the American Conifer Society. Membership costs $25 per year which includes a nice quarterly journal with color photos. Their website has a database with descriptions and photos, as well as information on becoming a member. Call (410) 721-6611 to join.

Favorite four conifers as voted on by members of the American Conifer Society:

  1. Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’
  2. Abies koreana ‘Silberlocke’
  3. Tsuga canadensis
  4. Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Lutea’