Plant guides, pest timing, and seasonal intelligence for the Puget Sound region.

How Tree Roots Grow and Develop

Root cap, apical meristem, root hairs, rhizosphere: how absorbing roots work, how severed roots regenerate, and why most urban tree problems start underground.

Spring Bulb Foliage: Why the Ugly Phase Is the Most Important One

The six weeks after bloom are when next year's flowers are made. Here is why spring bulb foliage matters, what kills re-bloom, and how to design plantings so the ugly phase never bothers you.

Tree Trunk, Branch, and Twig Anatomy

Understand the macroscopic anatomy of trunks, branches, and twigs: trunk taper and live crown ratio, branch collar and included bark, and the buds, nodes, and internodes that map next season's growth.

Hydrangea Selection for the Puget Sound Lowlands

Native Groundcovers: What Your Soil Decides for You

Tomato Varieties That Actually Ripen Here

Crabapple Varieties That Earn Their Space

Apple Varieties That Actually Work Here

Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana)

Pacific Wax Myrtle (Morella californica)

Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)

Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)

Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)

Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)

Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)

Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata)

Western Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Catawba Rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense)

Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)

Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)

Gulf Stream Nandina (Nandina domestica 'Gulf Stream')

Vine Maple (Acer circinatum)

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)

Red-Flowering Currant 'King Edward VII' (Ribes sanguineum)

Karl Foerster F (Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster')

Red Alder (Alnus rubra)

Creeping Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens)

Red Obelisk Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Red Obelisk')

Sky Pencil Holly (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil')

Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

Cripps Golden Hinoki Cypre (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Crippsii')

Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)

Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin)

Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)

Bitter Cherry (Prunus emarginata)

Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum)

Judas Tree (Cercis siliquastrum)

Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Gray Mold: The Disease Your Climate Was Designed For

Apple Scab: The Disease You Can Plan Against

Anthracnose: Two Diseases, One Name

Armillaria Root Rot: Prevention in a Fungus-Loaded Landscape

Fire Blight vs. Pseudomonas: Diagnosing Spring Shoot Blight

Verticillium Wilt: The Soil Disease That Outlasts Everything

Black Spot on Kelsey's Dogwood: Diagnose, Treat, Prevent

Powdery Mildew: Why Your Climate Gives You an Advantage

Aphids: Why Spraying Is Usually the Wrong First Move

Eriophyid Mites: The Invisible Pest Behind Galls, Blisters,

Leafminers: The Pest You Can Almost Always Ignore

Root Weevil: The Night Shift Pest in Every Western

Spider Mites: The Pest That Thrives When Your Plants Are

Crane Flies: What They Do to Your Lawn