Early spring 2015

THREE'S A CHARM!

Fun seeing three magazines on the newsstands this past month that contained either articles I had written, photographs I had taken or were in fact about my own garden!

COUNTRY GARDENS; Contain Your Excitement. An article I wrote and produced about growing shrubs in containers March 2015

GARDENING IN THE SHADE; Stunning Small Trees. An article I wrote originally for Fine Gardening in 2013 and reprinted. Spring 2015

PERENNIAL GARDEN IDEAS; Perfect Combinations. An article about my garden and how I designed it beautifully written by Karen Weir-Jimerson using my photographs. 2015

TIPS FOR PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS

With spring rains and milder temperatures, this is the perfect time to plant or transplant trees and shrubs.

We need to replace a few things that died over the winter, transplant an over-enthusiastic shrub to a spot where it will have more room and of course there are always new plants that need to come home with me!

Here are a few tips to ensure success;

1. Weather; choose an overcast, non-windy, cool day

2. Digging the new hole; as deep as the root ball and twice as wide is the rule of thumb.

3. Fertilizer; sprinkle bone meal or bulb food into the planting hole. This stimulates root production

4. Amending the soil; there is some debate today as to whether it is a good idea or not to add compost to the native soil when backfilling the planting hole. Some authorities feel that we are creating a falsely 'cozy' environment, discouraging roots from pushing out into the non-amended soil. Personally I do still add some compost, hoping that I am reducing the possibility of transplant shock.

5. Water; newly planted trees and shrubs need regular water for the first 1-2 years. Soak the ground slowly and thoroughly over the entire root zone and several inches beyond (roots will not move into dry soil, preferring to stay in the more favorable moist environment). Do this at least twice a week when first planted or more in hot or windy weather

6. Consider adding a watering tube; insert a length of 3" irrigation pipe alongside the rootball when planting, with the holes facing the roots. Pour water directly into the pipe to get water to the bottom of the root ball (see photo at top). After a year this can be removed and filled in with soil.

7. Mulch; add 1-2" of compost or mulch to improve moisture retention

APRIL EVENTS; LE JARDINET ON THE ROAD!

Woodinville Garden Club, Woodinville, WA

Wednesday April 1st(6.30-7.30pm)

Foliage First - 3 steps to transform your gardens and containers from frumpy to fabulous

PowerPoint and book signing

Cottage Gardeners Garden Club, Woodinville, WA

Wednesday April 15th (7.30-8.30pm)

Succulent Chic

PowerPoint/planting demonstration/book signing

South Surrey Garden Club, British Columbia CANADA

Wednesday April 22nd (7.30-8.30pm)

Spotlight on Foliage - showstopping ideas

PowerPoint/book signing

Coming soon; BUILDING A RAISED BED GARDEN

A brand new online video class taught by my husband Andy and I for Craftsy.

Watch for details on how to win this class for FREE!

Coming soon; SPRING CONTAINER WORKSHOPS

Mark your calendars;

Saturday May 23th and Wednesday May 27th for our popular spring container workshops held in our garden in Duvall, WA. Classes will be held in the morning.

Details will go out early May but spaces go FAST so be ready to register as soon as you get the invitation.

TO FEED YOUR FOLIAGE FANCIES

Just for all you leaf lovers - welcome to FINE FOLIAGE - THE BLOG!

Your favorite post recently was

Garden Designers Top Secret Plant Picks

Click on the title to enjoy it again and see what got everyone so excited.

Keep up with the fun;

www.fine-foliage.com

GOLD AWARD WINNING FINE FOLIAGE

Fine Foliage received the 2014 GOLD award by the Garden Writer's Association for overall best product, winning over all other books, magazines, flyers, brochures, catalogs and calendars printed last year!

Remember you can buy signed copies from my website. Great gift!

KEEP UP WITH THE FUN AT LE JARDINET!

BLOG

Garden Adventures - for thumbs of all colors,

is a lighthearted, information packed blog for all

gardeners and garden lovers. Laugh while you learn, pick up new ideas and be inspired by others is the theme as I cover everything from container design to slug patrol.

Your favorite recent post was

Succulent Safari

Click on the title to enjoy it again

Also find me here;

LET'S TALK LEAVES...

Interested in booking a seminar or presentation for your area, event or garden club? Just send me an email and feel free to read reviews of my talks on the Great Garden Speakers website.

Want to know more about the talks I offer? For those within driving distance of Seattle here are some suggestions. For those further afield I still offer a great selection(but can't manhandle heavy pots and plants onto planes!) Of course I am always happy to tailor it to your audience. Contact me for fee details

I'm also happy to design custom workshops for your group

SHARE THE NEWS

Love these newsletters? Want to tell your friends about some of the fun events or share some of my design ideas? Either click or use the social media links at the top of the page to send via Facebook, Twitter and the like. Encourage friends and family to sign up so they don't miss out on special offers, plant news and local garden events!

Want more? My newsletters are now archived on my website so you can look up seasonal tips and photographs from previous editions.

Spend a little time in your garden each day and you'll smile more

Karen Chapman CPH

Le Jardinet

425 765 3574

IN THIS ISSUE

Design

April Events

New Video Class

Spring Workshops

Fine Foliage Blog

My Book

My Blog

Book a talk

Share with Friends

Gifts for Mother's Day

Check out the handcrafted vases, gifts and garden tools made by Stumpdust.

Everything is made from recycled and salvaged materials.

Don't see quite what you're looking for in the store? Andy also has a small selection of unique hand turned bowls and platters that we can send you photos of.

Plan ahead - some items are made to order

TAKE MY 5 STAR

CRAFTSY CLASS