#quickstarttip

here’s to the boring plants in our gardens that help the „stars“ bloom even brighter. would that wonderfully blooming azalea be as admired if she were surrounded by nothing but equally spectacular plants? no, because she would be one of many. so let’s hear it for the backdrop plants that make a plant’s color pop, the wispy grasses that dance around a specimen shrub, flattering it, or the ground covers that reveal our long-awaited heroes every spring. boring plants are important. don’t shun them, and take good care of them. happy gardening! . #quickstarttip #landscapedesigner #gardendesigner #gardencoach #gardentalk #gardenadvice #gardentips #quickstartyouryard #sustainable #planting #seattle #pnw #seattlegardens #pnwgarden #urbangarden #citygarden #americangarden #lovegardens #lovegardening #happygardening #localbusiness #smallbusiness #womaninbusiness (at Seattle, Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAgiSShAqw6/?igshid=1k7izehs3iayd

#queenannemeadow getting extra water because even #summerdrygardens need irrigation in their first year. the young plant roots don’t reach deep enough yet. good job my fantastic garden assistant was available.😉 . #quickstarttip #parkingstripgarden #plantingstrip #wildflowermeadow #landscapedesigner #gardendesigner #gardencoach #gardentalk #gardenadvice #gardentips #quickstartyouryard #sustainable #planting #seattle #pnw #seattlegardens #pnwgarden #urbangarden #citygarden #americangarden #lovegardens #lovegardening #happygardening #localbusiness #smallbusiness #womaninbusiness (at Queen Anne, Seattle) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_CEfNFAtsL/?igshid=1kczc1at02dqc

this #quickstarttip is one that took me a while to accept myself. for years we had an inherited rhododendron in our garden that never looked happy. no matter how much we irrigated it, fed it, mulched and pruned it, there was no improvement. it was in the wrong place and would never thrive there. last week, after we had not seen a single bud, we finally chopped it down. do you have a plant in your garden that looks like it’s reached the end of its lifecycle? do not feel guilty about removing it. sometimes a plant’s time has come. it might have a disease, or the light conditions have changed for the worse and the plant is too big to move. or you may simply want to change the look of your garden. this is fine, too. some old plants can live on by allowing us to take cuttings (lavender). others may still be fit enough to find a new home through a local plant exchange. . please note that i am talking about perennials and shrubs only. do not remove trees in your yard without official permission! . in my garden, the space where the rhododendron used to be has now been filled with an amelanchier grandiflora, a serviceberry, which is about to flower beautifully. . if you want to talk about this or any other garden issue, please book a Quickstart Your Yard! session through the contact info in my bio or my website: www.heidiwalther.com . #landscapedesigner #gardendesigner #gardencoach #gardentalk #gardenadvice #gardentips #quickstartyouryard #mygarden #sustainable #planting #seattle #pnw #seattlegardens #pnwgarden #urbangarden #citygarden #americangarden #lovegardens #lovegardening #happygardening #localbusiness #smallbusiness #womaninbusiness (at Seattle, Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-fcQwsAJGn/?igshid=vmnfglgt0uu3

in this #quickstarttip i have to talk about my cat Jenna. our garden is her fiefdom, she rules but only to the extend i allow her to. sometimes she tries to use fresh soil as her litter box. a definite no-no! i use a cat repellent called “get off” that works for me. it’s a green glibber, pet and child safe. its lemony smell clearly puts off our cat. job done! though Jenna is looking a little displeased in this photo... . boundaries for dogs are important, too. i’m not just talking about physical boundaries like fences (they are a must), but also things like building a dedicated “doggy bed” where they are allowed to bury as many “treasures” as they like. the lawn, if you have any, should be for play and relaxation, and not for dog poo. . there are many ways to make your garden a pet AND human-friendly space. contact me for a remote consultation or online Q&A to help you Quickstart Your Yard! and talk about your garden needs. . #quickstartyouryard #landscapedesigner #gardendesigner #gardencoach #gardentalk #gardenadvice #gardentips #onlineconsultation #sustainable #planting #seattle #pnw #seattlegardens #pnwgarden #urbangarden #citygarden #americangarden #lovegardens #lovegardening #happygardening #localbusiness #smallbusiness #womaninbusiness #jennathecat (at Seattle, Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-VGUsIAazz/?igshid=1238qpyh49sdy

in this #quickstarttip i have to talk about my cat Jenna. our garden is her fiefdom, she rules but only to the extend i allow her to. sometimes she tries to use fresh soil as her litter box. a definite no-no! i use a cat repellent called “get off” that works for me. it’s a green glibber, pet and child safe. its lemony smell clearly puts off our cat. job done! . boundaries for dogs are important, too. i’m not just talking about physical boundaries like fences (they are a must), but also things like building a dedicated “doggy bed” where they are allowed to bury as many “treasures” as they like. the lawn, if you have any, should be for play and relaxation, and not for dog poo. . there are many ways to make your garden a pet AND human-friendly space. contact me for a consultation to help you Quickstart Your Yard! and talk about your garden needs. . #quickstartyouryard #landscapedesigner #gardendesigner #gardencoach #gardentalk #gardenadvice #gardentips #sustainable #planting #seattle #pnw #seattlegardens #pnwgarden #urbangarden #citygarden #americangarden #lovegardens #lovegardening #happygardening #localbusiness #smallbusiness #womaninbusiness #jennathecat (at Seattle, Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-VGUsIAazz/?igshid=1qcienl2vfp1n

here is my latest #quickstarttip: a plant should not have a root ball like the one in my photo above. but we don’t always check plants in the nursery, or we are just happy sometimes to have found the last one available. root bound (aka pot bound) plants can be rescued in a few easy steps BEFORE being put in the ground. if possible, tease the roots closest to the surface out of the ball, using your hands. this will prevent roots from growing around each other, effectively suffocating the plant. if the root ball is too dense, you may have to go a step further and use a knife. want to learn more? contact me for an online garden coaching Q&A. 20min chats are free. the contact info is in my bio and on www.heidiwalther.com #quickstartyouryard #gardencoach . #happygardening #landscapedesigner #gardendesigner #gardentalk #gardenadvice #gardentips #sustainable #planting #seattle #pnw #seattlegardens #pnwgarden #urbangarden #citygarden #americangarden #localbusiness #smallbusiness #womaninbusiness (at Seattle, Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-IH2-zgHfB/?igshid=1orndsvntunnp

this #quickstarttip for you is all about filtering and framing your view to get a new perspective and new ideas. there is something about looking at a photo rather than the real-life image that let’s you see things more clearly, “with new eyes”. . has this worked for you? let me know how you’re getting on! . #quickstartyouryard #sustainable #planting #seattle #pnw #seattlegardens #pnwgarden #urbangarden #citygarden #americangarden #landscapedesigner #gardendesigner #gardencoach #gardentalk #gardenadvice #gardentips #localbusiness #smallbusiness #womaninbusiness (at Seattle, Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9o71lrnxqX/?igshid=718f4r37uctm