Visiting gardens is a great way to see how other gardeners use plants in unique combinations, and also for socializing with other gardeners. But probably my favorite reason to go is to see and learn about plants that are new to me. Fortunately, the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO) offers members like me the […]
Specimen shrubs that steal the spotlight
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Most gardens have a diversity of plants, usually with a representation of at least one or two categories. This would include annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines and trees. In the urban gardens of many homeowners today, there may be fewer trees and more shrubs due to limited space. Sometimes the distinction between a shrub and a […]
Putting a new spinney on an old word
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Different industries have their own language. Often a word, or a combination of words, has a different meaning to those who know the jargon. For example, a television crew might say that they are going to “shoot” in a garden, but the word “shoot” in this connotation does not refer to a gun, but instead […]
Perpetuating the popularity of pollinator plants
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We are now into the second month of a new year, and a reflection into the past year reminds us just how unpredictable the weather is — and how much the garden business depends upon the weather. Looking back at 2022, there were many weather extremes. Parts of western Oregon had snow in March, then […]
The importance of being customer oriented
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With 2022 ending and a new year approaching, it seems like a good time to discuss independent garden centers and what customers want and expect from them. All businesses strive to be better, or if they don’t, they probably won’t survive. At one time, garden centers had almost a captive audience of customers wanting to […]
Blooming container plants that stand up to the heat
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This summer and fall, gardeners have been asking what will survive in the intense heat. Here’s a listing of plants that seem to adapt well to hot weather and full sun.
Selling the fall season
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The 2022 spring garden season in the Pacific Northwest is probably not going to go down in the annals of history as a record sales year for local garden centers. After two robust years, the sales did come on the scene, but it was as if the air was let out of the balloon. Garden […]
Goodbye to Buchholz Nursery
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When the owner of a nursery decides to retire, what happens to the business? If there is a family member involved who would like to take it over, then that might become a solution to keeping the business alive. But, if family involvement is not an option, then what? A nursery is unlike most other […]
Trees that stand above
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This issue of Digger is devoted to trees,and this made me reflect on some of the many benefits they provide for us. Perhaps Henry David Thoreau summed my reflections best in his famous words: “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” Trees certainly do contribute much to our […]
Emerging with confidence
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As we enter year three with COVID-19 and its variants raging around us, it appears that most garden centers have made the necessary adaptations to stay open. Initially there was much confusion, and rightly so because we have never been in a situation like this. Many garden centers were temporarily closed to make the necessary […]
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