In the garden

Is your garden a place of solace or aggravation? My garden is both. Does that have more to say about me than about the garden? Social media is full of garden memes. All are positive: the … more

Rhiannon Allen | 8/25/23 12:11 AM

One of my childhood memories is of falling into a pond at Bodnant Garden in North Wales. Yes, I come from a family that made sure public botanical gardens were on the must-see list for free days. I … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 6/30/23 11:10 AM

In the Garden – May

Chances are that you are reading this on Arbor Day (Friday, April 28), the American national day for honoring and planting trees. As you read this, Point Roberts Garden Club members are gifting a … more

4/28/23 12:31 AM

In the Garden – March

Spring is just around the corner. Ah, the joys of growing things and the garden springing to life once again. And then the thought follows that not all living things are welcomed by gardeners, or … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 2/24/23 03:11 PM

In the Garden – January

At the last Garden Club meeting, we had a lively discussion of sustainability in gardening. Generally, gardeners like to think of themselves as ecologically conscientious and contributing to the … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 12/23/22 12:15 PM

In the Garden – November

Gardeners are intimately familiar with change. In particular, they share with many other enthusiasts a sensitivity to the rhythm of the year and the march of time and science. In November our … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 10/28/22 01:40 PM

In the Garden – September

Once again, it’s the time of year when my sister asks me if I have started my fall garden cleanup and how I put my garden to bed. And every year, she is not alone in believing that I still say, … more

By Rhianon Allen | 8/26/22 01:17 PM

In the Garden – July

I’ve encountered many questions lately about how to turn a septic mound into an attractive garden feature. Frankly, I’ve never dealt with this personally. However, I have cultivated … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 6/24/22 01:24 AM

In the Garden – May

Isn’t this just a beautiful time of year in the garden? The horrors of the past year’s extreme weather are behind us. Hopefully, plants that did not survive have been removed and … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 4/29/22 12:38 PM

In the Garden – March

A recent discussion of native plants (via the Washington Native Plant Society, I think) led me to check out Hitchcock and Cronquist’s Flora of the Pacific Northwest. When this hefty tome … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 2/25/22 12:27 PM

In the Garden – January

The start of a new gardening year already? While we have not yet put aside our holiday decorations and activities, it is almost time to think about 2022. Whether you are relatively new to … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 12/17/21 12:19 PM

In the Garden – November

Dear Santa, As I sit and think about the garden presents you have gifted me over the years, I want to say how grateful I am for my bountiful garden and well-stocked garden shed. Rather than focus … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 10/29/21 01:36 PM

In The Garden

Last night, the man in the house remarked that it is getting darker. You’ve noticed that, right? Well, so have our plants. At least plants don’t suffer seasonal affective disorder ... or … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 8/27/21 01:19 PM

In the Garden – July 2021

Damn deer! Blasted squirrels! Nefarious voles! Sometimes gardening is a battle. Who’s your most infuriating nemesis? In my previous garden, the main mammalian culprit was the two-legged … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 6/25/21 03:09 PM

In The Garden – May 2021

I want to welcome those new to gardening in Point Roberts. You aren’t necessarily new here, but might have taken up gardening during pandemic restrictions. No matter how you got to this point, … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 4/29/21 10:03 PM

In The Garden

Are you eager to start your outdoor seeds and plantings? Many like broad beans, calendula and cilantro can go in the ground right now, provided that the soil temperature is at least 50°F. (Did I … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 2/25/21 09:05 PM

In The Garden

The gardening year 2021 is going to be different from previous years by virtue of following 2020. When lockdowns started, many people wary of supply chain disruptions and brick-and-mortar shopping … more

Rhiannon Allen | 12/18/20 06:17 PM

In The Garden — January 2021

The gardening year 2021 is going to be different from previous years by virtue of following 2020. When lockdowns started, many people wary of supply chain disruptions and brick-and-mortar shopping … more

Rhiannon Allen | 12/18/20 02:22 PM

In the Garden – November

The garden column on the role of soil texture in growing healthy plants generated some interest, which leads me to a good holiday gift suggestion for gardeners. In fact, it’s a gift that can be … more

By Rhiannon Allen | 10/30/20 02:57 PM

In the Garden – September

Soil is something that crop farmers think about naturally, yet baffles some gardeners. The baffling aspect has to do with the complexity of soil, which is truly amazing. Healthy soil is richly … more

8/28/20 02:46 PM