Ann's Organic Garden: Let Plant Amnesty prune you into shape

For many years, Plant Amnesty has provided a unique service for gardeners seeking easily applied pruning knowledge. The Plant Amnesty garden renovation workshops offer practical, hands-on experience that can change your entire approach to garden chores.


		Wendy Wahman / P-I

Next week, Plant Amnesty will offer one of its terrific Summer Garden Renovation workshops at a private residence in King County. Boasting a three-to-one student-teacher ratio, this popular workshop offers a full day of learning. Each student will work closely with professional gardeners and pruners, so expert guidance is constantly available.

As the day runs its course, a neglected and significantly overgrown garden gets completely renovated. Watching the progress is amazing; clogged vistas open up before your eyes, ratty plants gain definition, and the shapes of pruning-damaged trees change from deformed to graceful.

Students have the chance to move between various action points, learning and practicing new skills each time. Classes begin with a stirring slide show delivered by the inimitable Cass Turnbull, pruning diva extraordinaire.

Next come introductions to tools and techniques that are put into practice before your eyes. If you have a trigger-happy pruner on staff, send him to the class and save your relationship (not to mention the garden). Better yet, sign up with him and enjoy an enriching day together.

The cost for each full-day workshop is $75 ($65 for Plant Amnesty members) and includes a pruning DVD to keep you sharp back home. You'll meet like-minded people, spend a delightful day in an increasingly lovely garden, and go home with useful experiences and practical skills to apply in your own backyard.

The summer pruning and renovation workshop is June 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information, call Cass at 206-783-9093 or Lori at 206-715-4149.

Going native

King County recently unveiled a new Web-based landscaping guide that offers detailed information on more than 100 native species. Internet users can consult it when choosing appropriate plants for their yards and gardens.

The native plant guide was introduced by the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks as a way to help gardeners in the maritime Northwest "go native." Check out the site at goto.seattlepi.com/r198 and take a look at some of the options. You will notice that the site is still in development; that's because department staff want the public's help in developing this new tool.

To help, simply visit the sample Web site and take an online user survey. Web page visitors who complete the survey are eligible for a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to a local nursery. (King County employees and their families are not eligible to win.)

"Choosing native plants for a landscaping project makes sense for consumers and for the environment," said Greg Rabourn, host of "Yard Talk," the King County Television show on natural yard care.

Doug Rice, Rabourn's "Yard Talk" co-host, noted that native plants typically require less maintenance. "Native plants also require fewer pesticides than non-native plants, which saves money, and helps keep our local environment healthy for kids, pets and wildlife," Rice said.

In fact, most native plants need no pesticides at all, if well-placed and given a good start in life. One thing to remember with native plants is that the woodlanders are, by and large, adapted more to growing in compost than in garden soil. Go heavy on the compost and very, very light on the fertilizer to make most native shade plants happy.

Once established with a strong root system, many native plants thrive without supplemental summer water. Others do fine with as little as a third as much water as non-native plants, needing water only during the hottest, driest periods of each summer.

The new Web site boasts an impressive collection of pictures of recommended plants, making it easier for gardeners to envision pretty natives in their own landscapes. There's also a searchable database, some attractive sample landscaping plans, and several customized plant lists that you can save, print out or send to friends.

The native plant lists will be updated regularly. The department offers a lot more information on Northwest yard and garden care, so you may also want to visit goto.seattlepi.com/r199. You can also e-mail questions to yardtalk@metrokc.gov.

Ann Lovejoy, a Bainbridge gardener, is the author of several gardening books. She can be reached via mail at: 8959 Battlepoint Drive N.E., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110.

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