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closeIf you're new to horticulture in the Pacific Northwest ... or putting in your first yard, here are some plants and tools to bring out the best in a Whatcom County garden.
NATIVE KNOW-HOW
Salal, price varies.
Available at local nurseries.
Plants indigenous to the area are ideal for a low-maintenance and aesthetically pleasing landscape. The attractive salal shrub requires minimal pruning, while kinnikinnick creates a dense ground cover that makes use of a mower moot. These fine foliages also provide all-important food and appealing habitat for local wildlife.
A CUT ABOVE
Felco hand pruners, $59.95-$63.95.
Cloud Mountain Farm 6906 Goodwin Road,
Everson, 966-5859, www.cloudmountainfarm.com
The moist, mild climate of the Pacific Northwest means your garden will grow ... and grow and grow. Keeping such profusion pretty takes hard work, so a good pruner is an absolute must. Felco hand pruners offer right-, left-, large- and small-handed models, and all can be taken apart for cleaning and sharpening.
BERRY GOOD
Blueberry. Price varies.
Available at local nurseries.
Blueberries are in demand at grocery stores for their bountiful flavor and health benefits; gardeners in the know also dig their excel-lent growing record and ornamental appeal. "(Blueberries are) one fruit that is leaping from the vegetable garden rows into landscape designs," says Marcy Plattner, owner of The Garden Spot in Bellingham.
WATER WORKS
Ferti-lome Lawn Food Plus Iron (20-0-4), $15.99 for a 20-lb bag.
Bakerview Nursery & Garden Center
945 East Bakerview Road, 676-0400, www.bakerviewnursery.com
Care for your lawn while protecting Whatcom County's water resources with lake-friendly phosphorus-free fertilizer. Most soil already contains enough phosphorus. In excess, the chemical prompts an overabundance of algae in lakes, which can lower oxygen levels in the water, suffocating aquatic creatures.
FENCE ME IN
Fence, prices vary by material.
Northwest Fence Inc.
4214 Pacific Highway, 733-0356, www.nwfence.com
Living in the natural habitat of certain wildlife means you'll likely have uninvited guests sampling the goods of your garden. Invest in a fence made of a sturdy material that reaches at least 6 feet high to save your prize petunias from turning into a deer and elk smorgasbord.
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