Here is our second mini-video installment from our summer trip to the UK,
featuring Hidcote Manor Garden in the Cotswolds, England. Hidcote Manor
Garden is a world-famous Arts & Crafts inspired garden, designed by Major
Lawrence Johnson, set against the backdrop of the rolling hills of the
North Cotswolds countryside.
Hello Garden Friends!
I hope you’re all having a fabulous summer. I just returned from a garden /
graduation trip to the UK, and I’d like to share with you a bit of the
Scottish culture with short video of my nephew’s graduation from the
University of St. Andrews in Scotland. A very special day for my family and
our friends.
If you were wondering if you could grow palm trees in the Pacific
Northwest, yes you can! Windmill Palms are a classic palm in the Pacific
Northwest. They are cold-hardy to 10 degrees and short drops to zero
degrees. Windmill Palms thrive in zones 7 to 11.Their trunk is covered in
fur and acts like an insulation to protect the interior from the cold.
Hello Garden Friends! If any of you are wondering if you can plant in the
winter, yes you can! You can plant in the winter, as long as what you’re
planting is hardy for your planting zone. When the ground is frozen, what
we do at The White Pear is use a pickaxe to break up the soil, dig out the
appropriate size planting hole, fill with good blended soil, plant, and
mulch with 2-3 inches of compost. Last fall, we had the pleasure of
designing a landscape on a hilltop in the Dundee, Dayton wine producing
region of Oregon. The 360 degree views were stunning.
Installing a garden in the fall offers numerous advantages. Cooler
temperatures, less plant stress, and the soil is still warm enough to
encourage root growth. Additionally, fall planting allows plants to
establish themselves before the heat of summer, leading to healthier, more
resilient gardens. And, it’s also just a lovely time to be outdoors in the
mild weather. Fall is my husband’s favorite time of the year, but I’m
guessing it’s more for football, and not gardening…
After months of rain, snow, wind, and ice, early spring is the ideal time
to walk your landscape and assess tree health. Broken or damaged branches
should be removed for safety and plant vitality, and if you haven’t yet
pruned for shape, do it now before foliage fills in. Keep an eye on the
forecast, as a late frost can still catch new growth off guard, protect
tender buds with mulch, frost cloth, or by bringing potted plants indoors.
Happy Holidays Family & Friends! Well here we are again, one year older,
one more trip around the sun, and we’re back into the holiday hubbub, can
you believe it? In this last year, our little landscape company had its
busiest year ever. We are so grateful to all our many wonderful clients,
who we enjoy collaborating with, and who have become a part of The White
Pear family. For this winter post, we’ve put together some fun facts about
a well known holiday tradition, winter tips for the garden, and one of our
favorite holiday dessert recipes.
It’s the new Flora Grubb Gardens in L.A.! I was thrilled to spend time with
Flora, who I’ve been following online for a number of years. Flora showed
me around, while my husband Fred shot a video. Check it out. There are many
resources available for purchasing tulip bulbs. I like to purchase for
myself and for my clients online at Dutch Grown. Spending evenings with my
laptop, a glass of prosecco, and drooling over all the choices is my happy
place! Many local nurseries also carry bulbs this time of year. However you
buy your bulbs, be picky!
We’ve all heard of “auto detailing.” Well…instead of auto, think garden. We
are introducing a new concept in landscape maintenance, “The Garden
Detail.” For some of us, “mow & blow” just ain’t gonna cut it. 30 minutes
of loud mowers and blowers is pure misery for you, and your neighbors. But,
just to be clear, mowers and blowers are a necessity, but here at The White
Pear we take time for the finer details. Does a 30 minute visit from your
neighborhood mow & blow outfit get into all those tiny little nooks and
crannies?
