Walden Gardens in the News

Kerry Sexton-Smith of Walden Garden Services was interviewed by Q13 Fox News in Seattle, WA. about the garden that she designed and built with Lucinda at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show.  Watch it below:

ON ORGANIC TURF MAINTENANCE

A note on organic lawn maintenance:

An organic lawn requires that the owner have a fair amount of tolerance for weeds. That's not to say that an organic lawn is "weedy", just that lawns that have no weeds are almost always chemically (pesticide & fertilizer) enhanced. A well and regularly maintained lawn is the key to weed management because healthy, thick turf with strong roots "out compete" weeds.

The real problems with turf are almost always related to soil issues. Either the soil is compacted, too wet, too dry, or just plain dead. Organic lawn maintenance should be renamed, "soil maintenance", because that is what is usually required.

Enjoy the slide show.

HOW NOT TO PRUNE A TREE

Late winter is a great time of year to prune most plants but, allow me to discuss a common tree pruning practice called "topping". I don't know why topping is so pervasive and the landscape industry but, any arborist worth her salt will tell you that it is just about the worst thing that you can do to a tree. Not only does it weaken the trees defenses and inhibit it's natural ability to seal of disease but it also looks awful. The main reason I hear in support of topping trees is "It helps control the size of the tree" but, in reality, a tree topped one year will return to its' original size my the next year. Unfortunately, it does this in an entirely unnatural way by exploding with fast growing, twiggy branches called "watersprouts" (see below). Once a tree is topped it may never regain it's original, natural form. Visit Plant Amnesty to learn about proper pruning techniques, or better yet contact us and we'll take good care of your plants.

LAWN AND GARDEN SEASON IS HERE. MULCH!

Don't believe the corporate pesticide and fertilizer companies. This is not the time to spread weed n' feed and hose down your garden with RoundUp. It is the time to start doing some preventive maintanence in your yard. Mulching your garden beds every year in the spring and/or fall will provide great weed suppression and will take care of most plants' fertilization needs. Save your money by not buying pesticides and fertilizers and invest it in a good garden mulch layer. In the long run your soil, drainage and plant health will improve to the point where mulching maybe all that's ever needed. Mulching your soil is the best thing you can do for any garden. Don't have time? Hire us ;-)


*DON'T USE BARK MULCH. IT"S HORRIBLE FOR YOUR SOIL'S HEALTH.


Your soil should look like this:


Not this: