How Does Your Garden Grow, Edmonds?
According to the calendar we have a few more weeks of winter but ready or not, it’s the perfect time to start prepping your garden and looking toward the warmer months ahead.
A few of the tasks that should be on your late winter gardening to-do list include:
- Purchase and start seeds indoors for cool season crops like lettuces, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli.
- Plan what trees, roses, and shrubs you want to add this year. Once the threat of frost is gone (roughly mid-March), you can plant these beauties.
- Plan which hardy annuals you want to plant. Things like calendula, pansies, and poppies can be directly planted once the threat of frost is gone.
- Add some color with potted primroses or potted early-spring blooming bulbs on your porch. Note that blooming bulbs can be transplanted into your garden once they’ve flowered.
- Do a late winter pruning of your fruit trees and roses. Prune your shrubs, too, just avoid pruning spring blooming varieties until they are done flowering.
As far as lawn care goes, right now you can hold off on getting out the mower until later in March. Birds are actually doing most of the work for you while digging up worms and getting rid of pesky crane fly grubs. One thing you can do now is remove pine needles that have blown off trees during the fall/winter which can cause too much acidity.
Gardening Resources in Edmonds
If you are new to growing a garden, you are in the right place. Edmonds has long been a city that celebrates gardening with organizations who work hard each year to beautify our town.
Started in 1922, the Edmonds Floretum Garden Club are the folks who create the magnificent hanging baskets and corner displays throughout town, as well as the beautiful garden at Hazel Miller Plaza. Each May they hold a plant sale (hint: go early for incredible deals!) and they also work with local school gardens at Chase Lake Elementary and College Place Elementary providing funding and volunteers.
Edmonds in Bloom is another local organization focused on the joy of gardening. Each year they offer a planting day for kids to create Mother’s Day gifts, recognize 150 front gardens and business displays around town with “Edmonds in Bloom” flags, and put on the summer garden tour. This year they are celebrating their 25th anniversary and have a special party in the works planned for August.
There are also two great retailers downtown that provide tools, seeds, plants, and décor to assist you with your own green thumb.
Located in a charming house-turned-storefront, Bountiful Home and Nursery carries a bounty of unique home and garden décor as well as plants. There you can find an eclectic selection of products to beautify your entire home – inside and out. The backyard of the store turns into a seasonal nursery in warmer months with all types of plants and flowers displayed on upcycled stands.
Bountiful Home is currently observing Winter Hours and is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11am to 4pm. Expect those hours to expand as we get into spring.
Garden Gear and Gallery is a one-stop shop for your gardening needs. You will find tools for your tasks, books, plants, pots, seeds, and more. They also carry beautiful statuary, metal sculptures, blown-glass yard ornaments, and cute critters and stepping stones by local artisans.
Right now at Garden Gear it’s a great time to shop for herb and vegetable seeds that are newly in stock. You can also pick up tickets to the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival taking place February 26 – March 1st at the Washington State Convention Center.
So whether you are someone who spends hours digging in the soil or you are a recovering black thumb ready to give it another try this year, Edmonds has you covered!
For more information about all the local businesses in downtown Edmonds, please visit http://edmondsdowntown.org/.
By Kelsey Foster, photos by Matt Hulbert