Susan Calhoun
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Northwest Regional Reports
Firewise Landscaping in the Northwest
One thing that we Northwest gardeners need to start thinking about more and more is how to protect our homes from wildfires. Most gardeners in the Northwest have always expected…
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Northwest Regional Reports
Fragrant Foliage for the Northwest
Gardeners who live in the Northwest region will find the weather affects what they do from day to day. When the weather is gloomy, gray, wet, and cold, we run…
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Northwest Regional Reports
How to Overwinter Tender Perennials Outdoors in the Pacific Northwest
Brr! A sense of urgency surrounds the weather forecast in the Northwest. October is over, with its subtle reminders and soft colors of apricot and red. Winter is on its…
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Northwest Regional Reports
How to Design Dense Garden Beds in the Northwest
While walking along a forest path today, I stepped over Douglas fir cones (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Zones 4–7) all around the base of a tree—a sure sign in the Pacific Northwest…
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Northwest Regional Reports
Growing Nerine Lilies in the Northwest
I'm not sure how being curious about something turns into interest, or how an interest turns into a collection. I'm also not sure when a collection suddenly turns into an…
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Design
An Elegant Shrub to Add a Little Garden Drama
The end of fall is the time to plan for the future of our gardens. Thinking about spring gets us through the upcoming cold, dark days. One of my more…
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Northwest Regional Reports
Unique Dwarf Hydrangeas for the Northwest
I never thought I was much of a hydrangea fan. They seemed ho-hum to me. I usually thought of them as pretty blobs of color that make a good background…
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Design
Dry Shade Done Simply: Plant IDs
Is it possible to have a great garden in the least hospitable conditions imaginable? This garden designed by Susan Calhoun in Bainbridge Island, Washington makes us say, yes! This stunning…
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Design
Dry Shade Done Simply
Is it possible to have a great garden in the least hospitable conditions imaginable? Many would say no. That was the challenge a pair of homeowners on Bainbridge Island, Washington,…
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Design
Dry Shade Doesn’t Have to Ruin the Party
True, dry shade might be the hardest set of conditions to find plants for. A great many interesting options do exist—including some plants you might be familiar with but just…