The West Seattle Lions Club is holding its 16th Annual Garden Sale on Friday, April 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

You’ll find more than 100 dahlia tubers, fuchsias, unique rhododendron, tomato plants and more. The event is at the West Seattle Senior Center, 4217 SW Oregon St, Seattle, WA 98116.

Planting camas attracts the native Western bumblebee

The tiny insects that do the bulk of the work to pollinate trees, shrubs and other plants have been in steady decline across the country. But one Seattle project is trying to change that by creating a continuous pathway for native pollinators, including Western bumblebees, orchard mason bees and butterflies.

The Pollinator Pathway project envisions a mile-long stretch along Columbia Street near downtown Seattle where plants friendly to these insects are planted in the strip between the street and sidewalk. On the bookends of the path are two existing green spaces, one at Seattle University and another at a small park called Nora’s Woods. The organization will provide homeowners along the pathway with simple designs and plant lists to create a garden that invites these native pollinators. The gardens would ultimately be maintained by the homeowners or groups that volunteer to take care of them.

We love the idea behind this project. Ecoyards uses native plants whenever possible to provide habitats for native bees, butterflies and birds. Native plants not only attract these pollinating workhorses, but they often require less maintenance, water, and fertilizer. Over time they’ve adapted to our climate and growing conditions, and native insects have come to rely on them for food, shelter and other needs.

The Polllinator Pathway Web site has a wonderful plant list with photographs of both native and non-native plants that attract bees, birds and butterflies. The native plant list includes trillium, deer fern, sword fern and Oregon grape for shade gardens, and nodding onion, lupine, yarrow and tiger lily for sunny gardens.

I was wandering through the gardens at the Ballard Locks the other week when I caught a whiff of one of the most distinctive fragrances of winter. It smelled exotic and sweet. It was the daphne odora (pictured left), an evergreen shrub that produces tiny pink-purple flowers from February to April. It has lovely green foliage and does well in the Northwest. Daphnes are one of many must-have plants if you’re interested in creating a fragrant garden.

We at Ecoyards try to design Seattle landscapes with fragrance in mind. We often place a few of these plants near the entrance of homes and walkways so that homeowners are sure to get a whiff of the fragrance. Sarcococca ruscifolia, an evergreen shrub (pictured right), is another one of our favorites. It’s sometimes called vanilla plant, or sweet box, because its tiny aromatic white flowers that blooms in winter. This drought-tolerant plant grows well in the shade and is a good addition to any fragrant garden. Other good choices for winter fragrance include witch hazel, and evergreen clematis.

If you’re interested in seeing and smelling more fragrant plants, head to the Ethel L. Dupar Fragrant Garden in South Seattle. A project of the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind, the garden features over 50 plants with fragrant foliage and flowers including hyacinths, gardenias, scented goldenrod, azara, rosemary, lavender and a variety of herbs. Walking through the garden, you’ll take in a wide variety of scents, including peanut butter, lemon, curry, floral, orange blooms. The garden in accessible to people of all disabilities, including those in wheelchairs. The Lighthouse offers about four tours a months, including one on Tuesday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 17, but you have to call or email to RSVP. 

For years, gardeners had to wait until late spring to get their hands on some of the most prized vegetables starts in Seattle. Now eager gardeners can get a jumpstart on an amazing selection of vegetable starts, perennials and herbs at Seattle Tilth’s Early Spring Edible Plant Sale on March 20. The sale features plants that are proven performers in the Northwest, including ‘green globe’ artichoke, pac choi, fennel, lettuce, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, and eight kinds of broccoli such as the very funky-looking Romanesco (pictured below). I’ve had great success with many of the vegetable plants I’ve bought from Tilth, and count on the wide selection of Tilth tomatoes, melons and other veggies to add variety to my garden.

‘Romanesco’

The event takes place Saturday, March 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Magnuson Park, Hangar 30, 6310 NE 74th Street (off Sandpoint Way NW).

Seattle Tilth is also looking for volunteers to help with the sale. I’ve helped out in the previous two years. If you’re interested in volunteering, sign up online. The organization will also hold its annual May sale on May 1-2 as well as an additional summer veggies sale on May 22. All proceeds go to support the group’s educational programs.

1. This is a good month to prune your roses to remove diseased canes, stimulate growth and encourage the best blooms. Make sure you have good clippers and gloves. A small pruning saw is helpful to cut out old canes.

2. March is also a great time to move trees and shrubs — when the plants are dormant and haven’t leafed. You want to minimize the amount of stress to the trees. Read more from WSU expert Mary Robson on how to transplant trees and shrubs successfully.

3. Consider getting your soil tested for heavy metals, pH, soil texture and organic matter. It’s a good way to help determine and prevent growing problems in your garden. By knowing what’s in your soil, you not only improve the nutritional balance but help reduce fertilizer use. You should get your soil tested every two or three years. Many local Master Gardeners like to send their soil samples to the University of Massachusetts to get them tested. A simple pH test cost about $5, while a general soil test runs about $9.

4. Plant cool-season crops, such as peas and lettuce.

5. Consider how you’ll improve your lawn through an organic care program that reduces the use of water, pesticides and fertilizers. Ecoyards can help you thatch, aerate, top dress or overseed your lawn. Give us a call at 206-770-7879 for a consultation.