The hardscape and solid elements in the garden create an anchor for the plants and space. In the public garden I worked at, the original...

the trail into the winter garden Now is the time of year when gardeners in the Northwest start itching to be back out in the garden or...

Container A group of plants that I have developed a growing appreciation for over the years are ferns. I know many think of ferns as...

Coleus and Begonia Annuals are a group of plants that seems to fall in and out of favor. Some years I grow several and other times I...

Dwarf Conifers in the garden This is a good time of year to assess your garden. Does it look good now? If it looks good in January and...

Old Goat Farm The one constant at Old Goat Farm was Christmas. Gary had a passion for Christmas that was unsurpassed. He had always...

Inspiration and opportunity usually don’t occur at the same time but when they do it can be quite fun. Now comes the opportunity. About 7...

Amelanchier x grandiflora in spring This is a continuation of the blog from last week about that in-between layer in the garden canopy. I...

Layers One of the big lessons I have learned in the garden is how to create layers. It is important not only because it makes the garden...

wreath Here on the early days of fall you can definitely feel the change of seasons. Fall color is just starting to kick in and lots of...

Cherry Tomatoes ‘Tis the season to be picky, picking veggies that is. One of the real treats of living here at Old Goat Farm is having...

It’s that time of year to revisit ‘Great Plant Picks’. While I was working at the Miller Botanical Garden the ‘Great Plant Picks’ program...

Old Yellow House Color is always an important attribute to the garden. The one unifying color at Old Goat Farm is yellow. It helps that...

Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris Oh grow up! That’s what I tell people who say they have no more room in their gardens. What I mean is...

Larger grouping One of the secrets to a good garden are good plant combinations. Sometimes they are just trial and error but there are a...

Seattle Garden Tour 2018 I’ve had the opportunity to escort several garden tours over the last 15 years. Usually most people accompanying...

Table One of the joys of living here at Old Goat Farm is dining in the garden. To be surrounded by the beauty of the garden and enjoying...

Lecture hall Over the last several years I’ve had the opportunity to work on the education committee of the Northwest Horticultural...

dining space defined by barn, containers and borders Whether you have a large or small garden you can add interest by creating garden...

The Fair It’s that time of year when Agriculture, Horticulture and clowns meet. Well I can think of a few gardeners that make that happen...