I have had success with my peonies in supporting them as they bloom by using tomato cages. Attached are photos showing them upside down. I curl back the legs into pinwheels so they aren't hazardous, then guide the young plant into the lower part of the cage. You can secure the bottom rim with metal staples used for holding down drip irrigation of 1/2" diameter. Only the cheap thin tomato cages should be used so they blend into the greenery and are easy to bend. The legs of the thicker ones are harder to bend by hand and the cage is too visible.

Eileen

Hi Ciscoe, I’m bothering you because I have a dilemma I can’t find any answers online to so I’m going to try to explain.  Attached are two photos.  Two of the same plants, planted in different areas, but have the same issue.  There seems to be an ‘interloper’ plant that is growing with them.  Since I don’t know the variety, I’m not finding anything online.

 
When the long tendrils grew around both plants, I assumed I was supposed to cut them off.  Then I decided maybe I should leave them.  They were growing very long and had seed pods attached along the stems.  Now the one that’s in the garden bed vice the box has produced little seedlings everywhere that appear to be from this other interloper plant. It has similar heart shaped leaves but doesn’t look like it’s part of the main plant.  I have removed hundreds of these tiny seedlings.   I dug up the bigger one, but was not able to see what roots are cyclamen and what belong to the interloper.  I put the root ball into a pot and waters it well & placed the pot back in the hole in the shade for now. Do I need to give up? 

I have other hardy cyclamens in other beds and they behave themselves.  
Can you advise?   Thank you, Anna in Allyn 

We had to cut down a dangerous spruce tree, close to the house,  about 5 years ago. I was devastated…. That tree gave shade to my extensive hosta/shade garden….  and the house, but what can you do, it had to go. 

For some unknown reason, an idea popped in my head. Why not use umbrellas to shade the plants?? I found a few umbrellas kicking around the house and , viola!!, happy hostas...happy shade garden! What a relief!

A few weeks later, a friend found some lovely old and  antique parasols/umbrellas for my garden. I quickly found more spots for them and put them up. I think they add a nice touch. (The bonus is, also, when it is going to rain, I can, of course snap the umbrella down.) In the Fall,  I take them (the umbrellas)  all down to store. I leave the poles in the ground to use for the next year.

Happy gardening. Jody Kallis

With only eight days all year to hit warmer temperatures in the 60s, the first 80-degree day arrived at the end of April, breaking the icy grip of La Niña.
After celebrating a normal winter snowpack, last weekend’s sudden record-breaking heat wave brought summertime early for western Washington.

With only four days of record-shattering heat of around 90 degrees, the waters of Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Lake Tapps and many other local rivers are calling for residents to cool down. But wait! The average water temperature in Puget Sound this time of year is around 49 degrees Fahrenheit. All our local water temperatures are currently only 49 to 54 degrees. The cold current of the Pacific Ocean and the snow melting from the mountains, streaming into rivers and lakes, maintain water that is still very cold.

When your body hits frigid water, “cold water shock” can cause dangerous changes in heart rate and blood pressure. A sudden gasp and rapid
breathing create a greater risk of drowning, even for confident swimmers.
Your body tries to hold your core heat by decreasing blood flow to your
arms and legs, resulting in a loss of movement.

Unless a life jacket is being worn, the ability to stay afloat is next to impossible. That can make you dead in the water because you are experiencing cold water shock. We've got to watch out for each other around these cold waters of the West Coast this spring. Wear a life jacket and be patient until our waters warm up. Then there should be at least three months ahead of us to enjoy some sunny, warm weather!