A lot happens behind the scenes in a garden center in the month of January. Most of it isn’t very glamorous and frankly is just plain hard work.

The arrival and planting of bare root roses is one of those activities that is probably the most looked forward to for garden center employees.

As we wind down the final days of the 2018 gardening season I find myself struggling to find something to say that will seem profound and lasting. In light of all the political and worldly trauma, the suffering and hunger and homelessness, talking about the garden seems so trite.

Let’s take a break this week from the endless garden chores I am constantly throwing out at you and look at a few cool gift ideas. This is, after all, the season of giving, so whether you are looking for something for your favorite gardener or just for yourself, here are a few things to think about…

Customers that visit my garden will invariably ask me if I have a favorite plant and my standard (and somewhat flippant) reply is: “They are all my favorites or I wouldn’t have planted them in the first place.”

I know it isn’t really winter yet, but with all the rain and grey skies it sure feels like it. While most of the plants in our gardens are done for the season, there are a few surprises out there that can keep our gardens interesting during these dark and damp days. Here are several that are tried and true that I highly recommend.

It’s that time of year again when gardeners have to decide how they are going to manage their piles of leaves. Over the years I have observed two distinct groups. There is the fastidious camp that is constantly collecting and removing leaves as fast as they fall. Then there is the al natural camp that prefers the more passive approach of letting the leaves fall where they may.

For most gardeners, when we talk about spring-blooming bulbs our minds go to the fields of tulips and daffodils we can see just north of us in the Mt Vernon area in the months of March and April. Or maybe some of you have journeyed to Canada and the Butchart Gardens and seen their amazing displays of color.