Gardening tips for summer and fall from Marianne Binetti

The curated articles provide seasonal gardening advice for the South Sound from expert Marianne Binetti.

One article advises planting in fall to take advantage of cool temperatures and soil moisture, suggesting evergreen shrubs like Leucothoe and Pieris Japonica for shade areas. Another article focuses on pruning lavender after it blooms, stressing the importance of strategic timing for maintenance tasks.

Binetti highlights begonias and dahlias, recommending adequate watering and appropriate fertilizer to encourage continuous flowering. Lastly, she offers advice on transplanting during summer, emphasizing the need for thorough soil soaking and cautious movement to increase plant survival rates.

Lavender is among the best perennial bloomers for summer color in a Western Washington garden.

NO. 1: GARDENING TIPS FOR BEATING WEEDS AND CHOOSING THE BEST SUMMER PERENNIALS FOR WESTERN WASHINGTON

The worst weeds of summer are often the perennial weeds that do not die in the winter and come back stronger each summer. | Published July 19, 2025 | Read Full Story by Marianne Binetti

A father and his son plant a tree together.

NO. 2: HOW TO TRANSPLANT A BELOVED PLANT DURING THE DRY, HOT SUMMER

The month of August is the start of dormancy for some plants as hot dry weather stops their growth. | Published August 2, 2025 | Read Full Story

Begonia ‘Portofino’ from the Dummen Orange brand is about 12 inches tall, and the intense yellow blooms are set off with deep green leaves and stems with a bit of red shading.

NO. 3: TIPS FOR TENDING DAHLIAS AND BEGONIAS FOR SHOW-STOPPING COLOR IN LATE SUMMER

Dahlias are the darling of the vase and garden this time of year, and with so many new varieties, there are now dahlias for even the smallest balcony or patio. | Published August 9, 2025 | Read Full Story

Dawn Redwood is a deciduous tree with feathery needles that is one of the oldest trees on earth. This unique tree turns russet brown in the fall before it drops its needles.

NO. 4: A DECIDUOUS TREE THAT LOOKS LIKE AN EVERGREEN? PLUS GARDENING TIPS FOR LATE SUMMER

The third week of August is a good time to order spring blooming bulbs from mail order companies, especially if you need a large quantity of daffodils, tulips or alliums. | Published August 16, 2025 | Read Full Story

Leucothoe is sometimes called rainbow bush due to its colorful foliage.

NO. 5: FALL IS FOR PLANTING, SO MAKE A PLAN TO FILL THOSE TROUBLESOME SPOTS IN YOUR YARD

Fall is for planting and the end of August is the start of the fall season in Western Washington as night temperatures cool and nurseries restock with a fresh supply of trees, shrubs and perennials. | Published August 23, 2025 | Read Full Story

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.