This bear had an astonishingly low ROI for its efforts. As hundreds of salmon attempted their way up these falls, this precariously perched bear attempted a dozen swats. I took a hundred photos and swatted away thousands of tiny biting black flies. We all tried our best that day. Possibility through both effort and chance.

 

I'm returning from a creative break up through British Columbia's Inside Passage - where our native species show off in their untouched habitats. Huckleberry bushes 12 feet tall, hemlock and cedar, spruce and fir. The mushroom world of chanterelle, conch and reishi, medicinals of devils club, cleavers and dock. Nurse logs* as bridges over the salal, asarum, wood fern, and solomon seal. Sea asparagus and bull kelp for cooking and preserving.

 

The vastness of this earth leaves me breathless. The gorgeousness of this landscape and the peace it inspires reinforces how important it is to be surrounded by beautiful things, nature most of all. 

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I'm also so looking forward to the fall in Seattle, working with clients and creating beautiful gardens. If you're inspired to grow, now is the time to schedule a fall garden consultation or design! Contact me here for availability.

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Hop below for late summer garden tasks! 

- Deadhead flowering perennials to maintain the bloom throughout the summer.

If plants have taken a real beating with heat, pause until temps cool and the plant rebounds a bit before pruning off the weakened/brown/dead areas. It's quite stressed and giving it some time before cutting will help it rebound well. 

- Water deeply (ideally in the early morning) 1–2 times per week. Target the root zone with a soaker hose or drip system and mulch around plantings to retain moisture.

- Fertilize vegetables while continuing to harvest

- Fertilize, trim and clean out June bearing strawberries

- Regularly pick your fruit. Fallen fruit can increase fungal disease in plants, so aim to pick or pick up, all fruit. If you're growing summer-bearing varieties of raspberries such as ‘Meeker’ or ‘Willamette’, cut the fruiting canes to the ground when they're done producing, but leave the new green canes for next year. Thin out excess new canes—leaving 4–6 of the strongest per foot of row.

*A nurse log is a fallen, decaying tree that acts as a natural nursery and support system for new forest life. Fungi and bacteria break down the wood's structural tissues over years or centuries while the decaying wood holds water like a sponge and forms rich, dark organic matter (humus). Mosses, lichen, and ferns cover the log, creating a safe seedbed for new conifer seedlings and other plants. As young saplings grow above the crowded forest floor, their access to light is improved. As the nurse log fully decays over decades, the mature trees left behind often stand on dramatic, arched root systems that boggle the mind.

Royal Green Designs focuses on native, pollinator-attracting, edible and perennial plantings. Our gardening approach will set you on the path to growing a useful and gorgeous personal landscape. Serving Seattle and Washington, D.C.

 

hello@royalgreendesigns.com    *     www.royalgreendesigns.com

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We're a proud member of WSNLA, APLD and Plant Amnesty