Raised Bed Cleanup Time, Plus a Northwest Flower and Garden Show Preview

Next Tuesday afternoon I'll be judging gardens at the Flower and Garden Show (which runs February 23- 27) for Pacific Horticulture magazine, along with co-horts Ray Larson and Keith Geller. I'll share what's happening on floor of the show at zero hour, when the gardens are all freshly finished and polished for judging. Check here on Tuesday afternoon for a few sneaked photos and a review of what's not-to-be-missed when the show opens Wednesday morning.

And I hope to see you at 2:30 on Wednesday, when Lucy Hardiman, Cole Burrell, Dick Turner and I talk about the "The Future of Gardening" - I promise it'll be a thoughtful discussion, and full of surprises.

Out in the garden, it's that moment when, after months of dormancy, everything is coming alive. In a few weeks it'll be time to prune roses and hydrangeas and plant sweet pea seeds (if the soil isn't too soggy....), Right now my garden calls loudly for clean up and mulching so the snouts of bulbs can push their way up unobstructed and I can actuallly see the encouraging new growth on perennials and shrubs. I found some fat, red, soul-stirring buds on my Itoh peonies last week, when the overnight temperatures were still plunging below freezing, and the ground frozen in the shadier areas of my garden.

Last week's sunshine lured me out to cut back the old lilies, raspberry canes and grasses (finally!) I was feeling good about what I'd accomplished, until I walked past my neighbor's rasied beds on my way into town for a cappuchino.... his are already perfectly tidy and dressed up in a lovely, fluffy layer of rich, dark mulch. That's how I want my raised beds to look......

So here's the reality in my garden, halfway through spring clean up.

And here's where I'm headed in the next week.....love the ready-to-pop, pure spring potential of these freshly mulched beds...

You can see my dog Bridget peeking over the top of the bed, hoping my neighbor Dan will come out and give her a biscuit....

Comments

[Chris]

Ok, Dan...you're making us all look bad here!! :)

[Denise]

What a great panel that will be on Wed. I don't see quite how it will happen, but I'd love to get to that show this year. The raised beds look like they must be amazingly productive. That's funny about Bridget getting treats from neighbors. On my street, that would be me handing out the dog treats!

[Wendy]

just what I needed to get my ass in gear...my whole garden is messy and mangy and tattered. Thanks for the PUSH!

[Ruth]

Thanks for the inspiration! My garden shares the same messy, lumpy look! We just received notice that we've been selected to be a 'garden to visit' on a classic auto tour this June and I'm petrified about how to get things order. The 'selection committee' came to see us just the other day, and after things at their worst asked if we would be part of the tour. This is definitely not a 'garden tour' worthy; I'm thinking these folks are more interested in the 'classic car' part of the gig. Your post came at just the right moment to jolt me into action, knowing that I'm not alone out there. Now how to get yards of good mulch pushed up my hillside lot....

[Helga]

Valerie, I've read your columns for years. Finally -- a top gardener unmasks and shows the reality of winter's grip on a garden bed. I've been hard on myself wondering why my raised beds looked either messy, barren, lumpy, rough or just empty and dumpy. I've made lots of mistakes attempting to interweave for blooming times, but not with much success. By late June and July it will be almost glorious, but sometimes it seems like a lot of effort for such a short growing season. I have not given up. And for your chuckles, I'm the biscuit stop for two neighbor dogs.