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I am finally able to talk about that snow storm, it gave me PTSD! Over 2 feet on my greenhouse brought it to the ground and did over $10,00.00 in damages to it....And then there are the Japanese Maples I've worked on for years that are now in Maple Tree Heaven with the Angels.I am cabling all my Japaneses Maples that remain so next snow storm they will not break, there is special ropes we use to support the trunks and hold them… View More

The Pacific Northwest is a great place to live, on a world wide scale I can’t think of a better place, especially if you like big trees! I love big trees! When the winds get strong there is added stress to our trees because they can’t run inside and wait it out. Trees have to” weather” the storms, stand there and take it right in the face. The trees out in the forests depend on these winds to get a free hair cut, weak and… View More

As we look forward to summer around here it came  a little brutal. The last few summers have been real dry and this is a drought as far as the trees are concerned, how much water does a 90′ tall Cedar tree need? You’ll be amazed at what they can drink, but they also get confused in a drought. A mature Red Cedar can drink 400 gallons of water in one day, that’s why they live here. However a tree in drought stress can… View More

Seeing signs of stress and or decline early enough can save your trees. Douglas Fir tees have a few tell-tell indicators of just how they are feeling and are easy to read. Douglas Fir branches have a turned up tip, I always called it a smile and if they are not smiling then something is askew. Sometimes the heavy new growth will weight them down for awhile in the early summer but the rest of the year it should be a… View More

I almost get in a car wreck everyday looking at the flowering trees, not really, they are so welcoming after the cold wet winter. My favorites are real cherry trees the kind that gets cherries. After that big show of flowers comes tasty little cherries…if the birds let you get any! The trees that flower only and don’t set fruit have no pollen either, nothing for bees, humming birds and no cherries. So I think they should all be… View More

I get amazed at the advice some people get from tree services…Just because someone can run a chain saw does not mean you are a tree expert! Some people who pay for me to come over and really tell them what’s going on with their trees, usually have a story for me…like well the tree guy said that the trees were all bad and had root rot from those beetles..  Now there are beetles and there is root rot however these afflictions have clear… View More

These late winter days are rough…there is more sun but still to cold to plant seeds. I’ve seen some Camellias blooming already, some swollen Rhodie buds and a few bulbs poking up. Not sure if it’s comforting or agonizing..it’s still too cold to be out side playing in the garden. Planning is the only alternative, I’m goring to move those shrubs this year, plant some nut trees and maybe a couple more peach trees too..wait I… View More

Wow what a start to the stormy season, I was so spoiled I forgot where I lived! The summer was so awesome you could count on sun everyday…my back was dry! That has changed… A few trees have come down in the last few days and all the trees I looked at had root rot. It is important to learn the signs of decline so you don’t get that surprise. When a tree goes down people see one up close all the way to the top and that is… View More

It’s so nice having a dry back while working on trees! It’s looking like a dry hot summer, so we need to water our trees! Trees in the woods have compost and tree litter as mulch to help them conserve water, but the trees in the yard usually don’t. The woody plants, trees and shrub like plants should get watered at least once a week in the summer, Try to get at least an inch to soak in the ground. The place to… View More

She was a friend and a great defender of plants. Lynda Mapes of the Seattle Times published a lovely article about Cass… View More