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Questions From Near You

Mountlake Terrace, WA
Leaves turning brown on geum in Mountlake Terrace WA
Assuming a geum is North American . . . mine are turning brown unlike any time before. They get watered occasionally and then dry out. Is there something special I should be doing for geums? They get ...
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lynnwood, WA
Kinnikinnick for a green roof
Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I live just north of Seattle and want to build a green roof (outdoor kitchen) I'm concerned about the weight of the soil (saturated), drainage etc. am building from scratch and...
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Kenmore, WA
Low maintenance, shade tolerant groundcover for Pacific Northwest
What's a good low maintenance, shade tolerant ground cover for the Pacific Northwest? It needs to have good erosion control, too.
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Woodinville, WA
Distressed non-native weeping willows in Washington State
What could be causing my weeping willows to be distressed year after year?
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Woodinville, WA
Eliminating yuccas from yard in Woodinville, WA
My plant areas are being overrun by Yucca plants. They are also growing and destroying my asphalt driveway. How can I get rid of some of them permanently?
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Kingston, WA
Native grasses for erosion control in the state of Washington
Which native grasses do you suggest for maximum erosion control in my area?
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Indianola, WA
Problems with peonies in Indianola, WA
My 5 year old peony plant didn't come up. I thought it was dead so I dug it up. I found a clump of thick roots. I separated them, and then realized these were probably the bulbs. It is the middle...
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Redmond, WA
Leaves shriveling on non-native Japanese maple in Redmond WA
My husband and I bought a Japanese Maple 3 years ago which we planted in an old wine barrel for our patio, along with some ivy and grass to keep the surface covered. Until recently, it has been doing ...
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Redmond, WA
My Mock Orange fails to flower in Redmond, WA.
I planted a Mock Orange shrub about 5 years ago. The first few years, it only produced leaves but no blossoms. Then, last year, it finally produced 4-5 blossoms on 2 of the branches. This year, it a...
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Seattle, WA
Root rot in trees near Lake Wenatchee State Park, WA
Lake Wenatchee State Park, WA has been closed due to root rot for a year. I own a cabin 1 mile from the State Park. I cannot find a single piece of information about whether private property near th...
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Seattle, WA
Why is Rhus aromatica more deer resistant from Seattle
I have a large area that I would like to cover with Rhus aromatica. My landscaper says that in his experience, Rhus typhina and glabra in this area are heavily browsed by deer. I noticed in your dat...
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Seattle, WA
Identification of gooseberry plant
Grew up in Colorado, our yard and several near us had medium to large size deciduous shrubs that produced small (.25"-.375") red berries that were very tomato-like. Delicate with a thin skin, sligh...
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Seattle, WA
Large evergreens for screen in Seattle
Our building would like large evergreens to help with freeway noise (it's right across the street with a large green belt around it.) Which Northwest Evergreens would work best? We need tall and wide...
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Seattle, WA
Propagation of poinsettias
How do I grow poinsettias from seed pods?
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Seattle, WA
Arborvitae and flower garden fighting for space in Seattle WA
Hi, I put in dozens of Arbovitae, mature evergreen trees, 4 yrs ago for privacy. They are doing well, but I was surrounding a flower garden which now appears to be suffering due to the root system of ...
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Seattle, WA
Local native plant for grave marker in Washington
Dear wildflower expert, Our friend’s dog died, and is buried in western Washington, near the town of Monroe. My wife is from central Texas, and thought a Texas perennial would be a nice marker. ...
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Seattle, WA
Evergreen oak in Washington
Mr. Smarty Plants, I live in the Pacific Northwest and noticed an oak tree growing near the road that was evergreen (unusual for here). I was so curious that that last time that I passed the tree,...
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Seattle, WA
Grass for Seattle Arboretum
I am writing to you on behalf of the Arboretum at South Seattle Community College Arboretum. I am interested in Panicum virgatum Switch Grass as a plant for a very heavy clay garden in our Arboretum a...
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Seattle, WA
Smarty Plants on Blue Cohosh
I acquired a potted plant of Blue Cohosh at a sale. My question is where can I plant it? I live in Seattle but also garden in Zone 5 at Lake Wenatchee Washington. Shade or sun? How hardy is it? ...
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Seattle, WA
Is Devilsclub related to Gunnera?
Is Devil's Club related to Gunnera?
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Seattle, WA
Wildlife benefit of western coneflower (Rudbeckia occidentalis)
A neighbor and I are planting a nearby waste area. I'd like to plant things that will help any wildlife that's managed to survive, probably birds. I may be able to get Western Coneflower (Rudbeckia ...
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