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July in the Garden
Long, hot days and warm nights make July a great time for outdoor living, but remember to water! Hanging baskets, containers, vegetable gardens, flower beds, and new plantings are...
Summer Hanging Basket & Mixed Container Maintenance
Keeping flowerpots and hanging baskets looking fresh and floriferous all season is something many gardeners struggle with. "Hang" in there—we've got you covered all summer long!Watering...
Easy Water Gardens & Basic Fountain Care
As spring turns to summer, our minds often shift to thoughts of outdoor gatherings with friends and family. Blooming containers, flowering hanging baskets, and bountiful raised beds all...
Gardening With Nandina (Heavenly Bamboo)
Heavenly Bamboo, a.k.a. Nandina, is a commonly used evergreen shrub for northwest landscapes. It has earned its reputation as low maintenance by being adaptable to a range of soils and sun...
How to Grow Edible Plants in Containers
If you’re an urban gardener, container-grown edibles may be your best chance to raise food crops at home. Growing food in containers requires less weeding and digging and is a great...
June in the Garden
Although summer arrives late this month, this is still a great time to plant! For Fresh Color Many warm-season beauties are now available: dahlias, lilies, zinnias, begonias Keep summer...
A Hydrangea for Every Garden
Hydrangeas are among some of the longest-blooming, hardiest, low-maintenance shrubs for Pacific Northwest gardens. With a long list of species and cultivars, most of these deciduous shrubs...
All About Boxwood
Boxwoods have been used for centuries in European gardens and are now commonly planted in American landscapes coast to coast. Grown as traditional hedges or edging between garden areas,...
Gardening to Attract Hummingbirds
All birds have basic needs of food, water, shelter, and space. A well-planned hummingbird garden will fulfill these needs and in turn, provide you with hours of enjoyment, entertainment,...
Xeriscaping: Gardening with Less Water
Xeriscaping is a landscaping method designed for water conservation in hot, sunny areas. By decreasing the amount of lawn, using plants that require less water, mulching beds, and...
Growing Bouquet-Worthy Peonies
Peonies bloom at the peak of spring and provide stunning floral displays in the garden and fresh cut flowers when brought indoors. They are long-lived, low-maintenance, and fairly...
Homegrown Herbs for Cooking & Cocktails
Sip and savor the essence of your garden by harvesting fresh herbs for beverages and light snacks, perfect for your next date night or backyard BBQ. Get ideas for herbal teas, mocktails,...
Herb Garden Essentials
Fresh, homegrown herbs are easy to grow and an economical way to add a little gourmet to your every day. Learn about selection, care, and growing of herbs, and how to use them in your home...
May in the Garden
For Fresh Color Update your curb appeal! Refresh landscape plantings and patio pots with showy summer color. Use annuals to fill space between young shrubs/perennials, compete with weeds,...
5 Alternatives to Traditional Mother’s Day Gifts
Let’s be honest, moms deserve the world. Therefore, we know how difficult it can be to find that perfect gift each and every Mother's Day that shows how much we truly appreciate them. For...
Hanging Basket Success
Hanging baskets are just the right thing to add to your porch for instant pizazz! If properly cared for, they can offer months of color and enjoyment. Here are a few of our best tips for...
Growing the Best Tomatoes
If you love garden-fresh tomatoes, you may be willing to try almost anything for earlier ripening, more flavor, or longer lasting crops. Read on to discover everything you need to know...
Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
Over 50 years ago in 1970, the first-ever Earth Day was organized. The years leading up to 1970 saw America producing large amounts of fossil fuels, sludge, and pollutants with no real...
Spring & Summer Container Gardening
Spring is in full bloom and now is the perfect time to spruce up your entryway, porch, or patio with colorful container plantings. There are many ways to approach container gardening....
Elevate Your Landscape With Raised Garden Beds
With visual appeal, convenience, and controlled soil conditions, it’s no surprise that raised garden beds are popular among novice and seasoned gardeners alike. Whether you’re just...
Winter Storm Recovery Tips for the Garden
After winter storms and cold spells strike, we head out to look at the garden, wondering what has survived and how to go about recovering from potential damage. So far, a message from a...
Gardening With Native Plants
Oregon has over 3,600 species of native plants, while Washington State has over 2,300. From flowering blooms to creeping greenery, Pacific Northwest natives can be used in a variety of...
Beginning an Organic Veggie Garden
Ultimately, you are just going to have to dig in and get a little dirty, but reading books and taking classes is a great way to learn the basics of gardening! Learning to grow food is a...
Planting Four Seasons of Color
Effectively layer shrubs, perennials, annuals, and bulbs for year-round color in the garden. Read on for best plant choices so your garden stays vibrant no matter the season! January...
Ground Covers, Creepers & Cascading Perennials
Dress up your retaining wall, adorn a pathway, or plant living mulch with these low-growing or mounding perennials. We have featured some of our favorite plants from this category below to...
9 Big Landscaping Ideas for Small Backyards
For those of us who live in the city or on a smaller plot of land, we don’t have much room for an extensive landscape design. At Dennis’ 7 Dees, one of the main concerns we hear from some...
Plant Nutrition: Fertilizing Basics
Plants "eat" sunlight to create energy through a process called photosynthesis—the roots take up water from the soil, the leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and the chlorophyll...
How to Refresh a “Tired” Container Planting
After a few years, most container plantings begin to show signs of decline. The plants start to lose their vigor, while the soil appears hard and compacted, now sitting far below the edge...
Let’s Talk Shamrocks
Bring home a new houseplant or surprise a friend with a thoughtful gift of good luck and positivity. The shamrock is a traditional symbol of St. Patrick’s Day and Irish heritage—thought to...
Our Favorite Spring Flowering Shrubs in the Northwest
Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Pieris are considered classic Northwest landscape plants. Mostly evergreen and spring blooming, they thrive in our acidic soil and temperate climate and are...
New & Noteworthy Plants for 2022
Each year the National Garden Bureau selects an annual, perennial, bulb crop, edible, and shrub as "Year of " plants, plus a houseplant for this year. Plants are chosen because they are...
How to Repot Your Indoor Plants
Signs of spring are beginning to show here in the Pacific Northwest! Flowers emerging along with lengthening daylight hours finds us spending more time outdoors, but when seasonal showers...
March in the Garden
For Fresh Color Refresh container plantings with vibrant seasonal color like fragrant Wallflower and Hyacinths, beautiful Ranunculus, flouncy Anemones, and vivid spring flowering bulbs....
Follow Your Nose to Daphne
Adding fragrant plants to one's garden is a popular and worthy pursuit—when you find a plant with a scent that makes you inhale deeply and close your eyes, you MUST have it! While the...
Growing from Seed
Starting plants from seed can be an economical way to grow a garden and is a very rewarding experience. There are several advantages to growing plants from seed: Access to a wide selection...
Pet-Safe (Non-Toxic) Indoor Plants
As our lives become more urban, tech-based, and harried, we have come to embrace plants and nature as selfless companions to help us relax and beautify our surroundings. However, some...
Don’t Kill Them with Kindness: Watering Guidelines for Indoor Plants
The most common cause of houseplant demise is root rot brought on by overwatering—not from too much water, but from watering too frequently. Plants need a combination of moisture and...
All About Roses: Selection, Planting & Care
Looking for roses? Well, you've come to the right place! We have dozens of varieties for you to choose from at each of our Portland garden center locations, including grandiflora roses,...
Magnolias for Small Gardens
Magnolia trees come in a multitude of shapes, sizes, and flowering types, and many of them are perfect for growing in small, urban gardens. This is an ancient genus within the plant world,...
Become Enlightened With Indoor Grow Lights
Improve your houseplant success and grow more plants by using indoor supplemental lights. Recent advances in lighting have provided us with increased options for indoor growing and...
Hooray for Heucheras
While most of our landscape plants slumber through the winter, there are a few who thrive during the colder months. For steady, reliable color in the garden, look to Heuchera as a...
Growing Citrus in the Pacific Northwest
Packed with vitamin C, citrus trees have shiny evergreen leaves, fragrant flowers, and attractive fruits that hang for months. Although it’s not so practical to grow large citrus trees...
February in the Garden
The month of February can deliver unpredictable weather, but plenty of “sun breaks”! Be ready to jump in the garden when conditions are right. For Fresh Color Bring easy color to porch and...
Hello Hellebores: Flowers of Winter
The genus Helleborus consists of 15 different species of hardy, low-growing, mostly evergreen perennials that bloom in a range of colors in late winter or early spring with long-lasting...
Indoor Vertical Gardening & Living Walls
Limited on space? Go vertical! Innovative containers are providing us with more ways to incorporate plants into our indoor spaces these days, from wall-mounted planters to various hanging...
All About Air Plants
Air plants are perfect for anyone looking for a very forgiving houseplant that does not need as much attention as others. My ever-growing collection of air plants lives mostly in my...
January in the Garden
January in the garden is mostly a time for planning and preparation for spring! For Fresh Color Spruce up your front porch with fresh flower pots of primroses and maybe a new welcome mat!...
The Benefits of Biophilia
Feeling a little disheartened? Coming out of an especially rough year, it’s not a surprise if your mental health isn’t what it used to be, but don’t go blaming 2020 for your problems just...
DIY Winter Wreath Instructions
Are you looking for a fun seasonal DIY project to do with family or friends? Add this homemade wreath craft to your yearly holiday party, or pull out your favorite Christmas movie, hot...
December in the Garden
Our temperate climate and generally mild winter allows us to plant practically year-round (we’re so lucky)! December is still a good time to plant deciduous trees and shrubs. For Fresh...
November in the Garden
For Fresh Color Refresh summer container plantings with winter combinations for evergreen color and seasonal interest. Plant pansies and violas soon so they can develop enough roots to...
Sasanqua Camellias for Fall & Winter Color
Native to Japan and slightly lesser-known than Camellia japonica, Sasanqua Camellias are fall and winter-blooming (October through January, depending on the cultivar), broadleaf evergreen...
‘Tis the Season for Dwarf Conifers
Conifer plants tend to shine in the wintertime, whether they are in containers or in the landscape. Although most are stately and towering, dwarf conifers are smaller, often slower-growing...
Houseplant Troubleshooting: 7 Common Problems
Tiny gnats in your coffee, yellowing or dropping leaves, crispy or distorted growth… these may all be symptoms of common houseplant problems that are easily addressed if caught early. Read...
Landscape Lighting: See Your Yard in a Whole New Light
With Daylight Savings coming to an end, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer… cue Lydia Deetz: “My whole life is a dark room. One. Big. Dark. Room.” Perhaps...
Winter Houseplant Care
As fall gradually transitions to winter, we bundle up against the crisp air while soaking up every last minute of daylight. In a similar fashion, indoor plants make seasonal adjustments...
Holiday Indoor Plants & Bulbs
When it comes to decorating your home or grabbing a quick gift, flowering indoor plants provide long-lasting color and convenience with a wide selection to suit any style. Keep in mind...
The Difference Between Living Walls & Moss Walls
Living walls and moss walls are an interior design trend sweeping the nation in offices, schools, homes, and HOAs. But what is the difference between these trends and how do you know which...
“To Rake or Not to Rake” and Other Fall Gardening To-Dos
What should gardeners be doing (or not doing) this fall to help plants survive the winter and thrive next spring? How does one protect bird nesting and pollinator habitat or get a...
Fall & Winter Pollinator Gardening
A well-planned pollinator garden can help support native bee species by providing critical food and habitat during the winter. Many pollinators hibernate (in our gardens) through the...
Our Favorite Trees, Shrubs & Vines for Fall Color in the Landscape
What's the best part about fall? Some may say it's the pumpkin lattes and comfort food, the cozy scarves and boots, or the crisp air and refreshing rain showers... the list goes on and on....
How to Care for Ferns Indoors
As Pacific Northwesterners, we have a soft spot in our hearts for ferns. When we add them into our homes and dwell amongst their feathery fronds, we can’t help but feel like we’re in a...
Pruning 101: Tools, Techniques & Timing
When a plant needs pruning, some gardeners blindly whack while others timidly snip, but once you gain the knowledge and confidence, you'll be a proficient pruner in no time! Before...
Pumpkins Galore!
Colorful displays of fall pumpkins, straw bales, and gourds signal a festive change of seasons as we transition into autumn. One can't help but marvel at the range of colors, shapes, and...
DIY Succulent Pumpkins
Succulent pumpkins are all the rage this season—they take everything wonderful about fall and distill it into the perfect, long-lasting arrangement. The only problem is we can't seem to...
Improving Soil Health
The single most valuable investment in your home landscape is soil improvement—healthy soil means healthy, productive, beautiful plants! Soil that is healthy is loose, nutritious (and...
October in the Garden
This is the best month for planting woody shrubs, trees, herbaceous perennials, and bulbs. Our year-round garden centers are well stocked with great plant selections. Celebrate the...
The Science Behind Plant Propagation
With the growing season almost over (March through September), now is the perfect time to do some last-minute houseplant propagation! If you are a seasoned indoor plant parent, you have...
Fall Color & Container Combos
As summer annuals begin to wane and container plantings start to lose their luster, it's time for a change! Planting fall containers is best done by mid-October (at least 6 weeks before...
Basic Indoor Plant Care & Selection
Whether you're a long-time indoor plant grower or you recently got into the hobby, there is always something to learn. Read on to discover some of the best plants for beginners in various...
How to Care for Your Fiddle Leaf Fig
The indoor plant that has dominated style and design trends since houseplants became popular is the Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata). Found in either tree form or in its more juvenile...
Ornamental Grasses & Late-Season Bloomers
Tune up your garden with some late-season pizzazz! Grasses can provide color, texture, structure, and movement in your landscape with minimal maintenance. Discover the best ornamental...
The Power of Plants: Improving our Wellbeing
Recently house plants have skyrocketed in popularity, finding homes in kitchens, living rooms, offices, and our hearts. Although indoor plants may be Instagram-worthy, the biggest reason...
September in the Garden
For Fresh Color It’s almost time to plant spring flowering bulbs! A wide selection of daffodils, tulips, and crocus will reward you with early spring color. Be sure to use G&B Soil...
Summer Landscape Design Ideas
With warm weather beckoning you outside and cooler nights calling for family and friends to gather, summer may just be the absolute best time of year to enjoy your landscape. Make the most...
Common Houseplant Pests & Problems
Whether you have a large collection of houseplants or you are just starting to explore your green thumb, houseplant pests are something you will have to deal with, unfortunately. We...
Alocasia Care Guide
Plants in the alocasia genus are known for their stunningly large leaves that feature an arrowhead shape and gorgeous vein patterns. One of the reasons we love these plants is how many...
Late Summer Veggie Garden Care & Fall/Winter Edibles
As your summer crops begin to ripen, know when to harvest for ideal flavor and productivity: Pick fresh peas, snap beans, and squash every day or two in the morning; produce degrades...
There’s No Place Like Home
As an owner of Dennis' 7 Dees, Dave Snodgrass takes great pride in his company, and his passion for landscaping and plants is unmatched. A few years ago, he went through the process of...
August in the Garden
There is still a lot of summer left to enjoy! For Fresh Color If flower pots and hanging baskets from earlier in the season look haggard or have dried out, replace them with fresh,...
Our 7 Favorite Easy Care Houseplants
Even though we are onboard the collector plant train (and we’re never getting off), collector plants have more care and attention requirements than common plants, making us appreciate our...
Outdoor Living: Bringing the Indoors Outdoors
This beautiful summer weather beckons us to spend more time outdoors on the patio, enjoying al fresco dining, and laughing together around a fire pit. Your landscape should be an extension...
Why You Should Start Planning Your Holiday Décor Now
Decorating your space for the holidays has become something everyone looks forward to, especially after such a crazy last year, experiencing cheerful and beautiful holiday décor could make...
Houseplant Care Tips for Vacation
Travel plans have been made, time off from work has been approved, and now you’re looking forward to some time away from home! Preparing to go on vacation requires a little planning. We...
How to Care for a Cactus
Cacti may be one of the most underrated and unique plants in the houseplant world. Although often confused with succulents, cacti are completely different plants. You can tell them apart...
Front Yard Landscape Renovation
A crumbling brick wall, drainage challenges, and outdated plantings were just not going to do for this Dennis’ 7 Dees landscape designer's home. Since purchasing the 1970s rancher, Eric...
Watering 101 & Extreme Heat Protection
That summer heat really snuck up on us this year, and it's more intense than it has ever been before in the Pacific Northwest! So, chances are, you've spent a lot of time watching and...
20 Questions & Answers for Extreme Heat Recovery
We've received quite a few questions during the recent heatwave about how to revive stressed plants, and we are more than happy to help! Here are some popular inquiries and answers to...
Designing With Plants in the Workplace
Access to nature is increasingly critical for employee mental health and overall wellbeing. Within the last decade, workplace design has embraced bringing the outdoor environment indoors...
The Latest Houseplant Trend: Variegated Plants and the Science Behind Them
Like any houseplant trend, variegated plants have plant lovers and connoisseurs going crazy. However, unlike other trends in the past, the love of variegated plants does not seem to be...
Made in the Shade: Successful Shade Gardening
In an area with an abundance of trees, one of the biggest challenges for gardeners is shade. Generally, a partially shaded area is one that receives 3 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily....
Anthurium Care Guide
A beautiful and eccentric cousin to the philodendron, anthuriums are a favorite plant genus among houseplant collectors for their unique, veined leaves and neon-colored flowers. With an...
Warm Weather Planting Tips
Here we are in early June and temperatures have already reached over 90 degrees! The excitement of planting may be tempered by the need to keep plants hydrated and healthy through the...
Gardening by Moonlight: Ideas for Night Gardens
Summer evenings in the garden can be one of the best ways to end a busy day. There are many reasons to plant a night garden—to unwind after work, decompress once the kids are in bed,...
3 Ways to Use Plants for Social Distancing in the Workplace
As offices start to open and employees begin to re-enter the workplace, social distancing solutions in the office have come to the forefront of businesses' needs. The traditional solutions...
Edible Gardening for Beginners
Growing our own food has evolved over the years. What started as a necessity has now grown into a hobby for many people and a way to live more sustainably. Why should you grow your own...
How to Care for Hoyas
Hoyas, also known as wax plants, have grown in popularity due to their lust-worthy vines, star-like flowers, and ease of care. Hoyas are vining plants that can grow up any type of trellis,...
Summer Vegetable Gardening: Beyond Tomatoes
In the Pacific Northwest, we basically have three main growing seasons: two cool, wetter seasons (spring and fall) and the warmer months of summer in between. Early spring crops must be...
Backyard Bouquets
For many of us, our daily lives are fast-paced, hectic, and demanding. It can often be a challenge to feel like we have time to properly take care of ourselves and our families, let alone...
Tomato Variety Showcase
Over the years, we have offered classes on how to grow the best tomatoes at home. We followed each growing season with a tomato tasting event (except in 2020 😔) to sample and evaluate the...