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A few tips to help you get the most out of your Japanese saws These tips are important because, unlike North American saws that cut on the push stroke, Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke. A different sawing motion is required and you should know that the blades can be snapped through incorrect use. Cut on the pull stroke, glide back on the push stroke. Cutting when pulling uses less energy, gives the user more control, and results in a straighter cut.  Use a smooth, gentle sawing action; its not about applying maximum force or how strong you are. Do...

We're currently experiencing unseasonably hot weather for May in the PNW. Temperatures jumped by 10C+ very rapidly and your plants may have difficulty acclimatizing to the change. The rapid increase may stress or damage plants, especially seedlings and newly-planted annuals or veggie starts. Anything that’s been transplanted recently will definitely be vulnerable and should be hand-watered every couple of days. Hydrangeas and rhodos that get a lot of sun can wilt or scald quickly. What to watch for: Drooping, wilting, crinkling or browning foliage. If you notice any of these, you should provide additional water (early morning or early evening is best) and possibly...

Cleaning & Sharpening Saturdays in Vancouver.Bring us your damaged, dirty & dull gardening tools every Saturday this spring and we will show you how to get them clean, sharp and ready for the season.

In spite of what textbooks may tell you about pruning, we do the bulk of our deciduous pruning in the winter months, when the plants are dormant, in order to take some of the workload off the hectic spring months of the year. It's also much easier to see the framework and plan the appropriate cuts when there is no foliage on the plants. We're able to get away with this on the West Coast due to our fairly temperate climate, and it really does help tremendously to have all our roses and hydrangeas sorted before the surge of spring growth makes...

And we'd like to encourage you to add a fork to your garden kit! During the month of December, purchase one of these combinations of 'Fork & Spade' or 'Fork & Trowel' and you'll get a little something extra from us! Click on any of the pictures for more details! Here are some of the many ways we use forks: 1. For weeding, especially perennial weeds that will regenerate from a small piece of root (think bindweed, japanese anemone, goutweed), because it doesn't chop them into little pieces the way a spade does. 2. For loosening compacted soils or mat-forming weeds...