Meet Horticulturist Christina Pfeiffer, author of  “Pacific Northwest Month-By-Month Gardening”. She gardens in Seattle, Washington, Zone 8. In this profile, Christina shares her expertise in planting and maintaining gardens that are sustainable in our changing climate. You can learn more about Christina and her lectures at her website.  What is the most important thing people can do in their garden to mitigate the impacts of climate change? Take really good care of the soil. Minimize soil disturbance. Use coarse textured organic mulch that will promote both water infiltration and retention, and that will support soil building organisms. For gardens that… 

This essay, “How to Attract Insects into Your Garden,” was originally published in the HPSO 2020 Spring Quarterly, under the title “Insects in the Winter Garden.” The gardening practices outlined by author Susan Masta, however, apply year-round and are especially helpful guidance as our gardens are increasingly affected by climate change. A biology professor at Portland State University, Masta promotes biodiversity throughout the seasons in her intriguing Southwest Portland garden. It will be open to visitors on June 4 and 5, 10 am-5 pm, as part of HPSO’s 2022 Open Gardens program. The sunny yellow flowers of our Hamamelis x… 

Meet Jeanne DeBenedetti Keyes, HPSO board member and Open Garden Owner. She gardens in USDA Zone 8, SE Portland, Oregon and is sharing her garden with HPSO members on her Open Garden date, May 1st, 2022, and by appointment. Jeanne applies climate-wise gardening methods to create a beautiful, sustainable garden, and shares some of her tips in this Profile.  Some of the climate-wise elements I include in my garden are: Respecting my garden’s natural conditions – I designed the gardens to meet the site conditions. I would think what kind of soil do I have here, how much sunlight is…