USDA Zone Changes – How Does this Affect NW Gardeners?

On November 15, 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an update to its Hardiness Zone Map, moving the Shoreline/North Seattle area from Zone 8b to 9a. The map has long been a useful tool for gardeners to determine which perennial plants are likely to survive their region’s coldest temperatures. Zones are assigned…

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Gardening for Dinosaurs: Paleozoic Plants for Today

When you think of a classic garden, you might picture an impressionist painting. But let’s try turning the clock just a little further back… or, you know, like 300,000,000 years back. While the trilobites of the Paleozoic era and the overgrown chickens of the Jurassic may be long gone, some of the plants that dominated…

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Bee Or Not a Bee? A Guide to Flying Garden Friends

  Gardeners know how important bees are to our gardens and our planet, and most of us welcome the ones we recognize. But for all their popularity, bees remain misunderstood. Many people don’t realize just how diverse bees really are. Even many avowed bee-enthusiasts may only picture the classic black and yellow honey bees when…

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What’s a Rootstock? Grafted Fruit Tree Basics

Most of the fruit trees we sell at Sky are grafted, meaning that they are actually a combination of at least two trees! This goes not only for our “combination” trees that grow more than one kind of fruit, but even for those that only produce a single variety. Grafting is what keeps dwarf trees…

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Words from the Garden: Our Favorite Horticultural Lingo

As you may already know, there is a lot to learn when it comes to gardening: plants, bugs, microclimates, soil conditions, animals, tools, minerals, moisture levels, and so much more! Once one part of the puzzle becomes clear, you may realize you’ve opened up an entirely new can of worms to be explored. When it…

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Why Botanical Names Matter

Have you tangled with botanical names yet in your gardening adventures? Chances are that you have, even if you weren’t aware of it at the time! Whether you’ve planted a Hydrangea, Petunia, or Hosta, you’ve at least brushed shoulders with the world of botanical names.  Some gardeners are passionate about botanical names. Others see them…

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Fertilizer Basics: Gardening 101

sky nursery organic fertilizer products

Most gardeners have heard that plants need fertilizer. But what kind of fertilizer, how the heck do you use it, and where do you start? Even for experienced gardeners, the options can feel overwhelming. And searching online often yields confusing or conflicting advice. The good news is, choosing a fertilizer and supplying your plants with the…

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