Pat Munts, Garden Coach

Pat Munts, Garden Coach Pat Munts, the leading garden expert in Spokane County, writes and consults on landscapes and gardens.

I can help you sort out your gardening priorities to bring garden chaos into garden enjoyment.

05/15/2026

Heads up Spokane and Northeast Washinton gardeners. Mother Nature isn't done with us yet. Sunday and Monday mornings are going to be in the mid to high 30s. That means if you live in a cold pocket or at a higher elevation you may get some frost. Cover those tender plants with tarps, sheets, row cover, pots.

05/04/2026

Happy spring folks! Yes I think its warm enough to plant tomatoes, peppers and the like. Make sure to get your watering systems up and running now. The ground is very dry after our non-winter.

I'll be at Garden Expo again and am taking appointments for Garden Coaching. If your yard is driving you crazy, message me to set up an appointment.

02/28/2026

Wow! I have birds back, snowdrops and aconite blooming and the soil is dry enough to dig in. All a month early. I'm getting my mason bee colonies cleaned up and put back out. I'ne started Patterson, Walla walla and pickling onions under lights.

I'm not pulling any mulch off beds just yet but will be soing some dormant spray in the next couple of weeks
,

02/01/2026

Wow, this weather is nuts. With temperatures getting into the 50s next week, don't be tempted to get out and start spring clean-up. You can pull down standing dead perennial stalks but leave them on the ground covering roots. We aren't done with winter yet. I found an inch of frozen ground under mulch when I did some digging today so its still cold. I'd hold off doing shrub pruning for another few weeks.

On the bright side, I have been hearing robins for the last week, a month early.

01/20/2026

I finally got my lawn tractor back from the shop - broken drive belt after two months. That means if you have equipment that needs servicing, now is a good time to take it in to your favorite shop. We haven't had much snow this winter so they currently aren't overloaded with snow blowers.

With the tractor back I was able to finish picking up the needles and leaves. I piled all my shredded needles and leaves in an accessible place and will use them for mulch come spring.

More on seed starting next post

01/15/2026

This fog reminds me of growing up on Puget Sound when the school bus driver couldn't see half a block. Given the ground is not frozen, if you still have fall bulbs to plant, get them in the ground. They just might come up! If others of you have bulbs opping up, don't worry unlas we get a vewry cold streak. They come up and then wait for warmer weather. If we do get a -10-20 run, throw some mulch over them.

I'm running an experiment to see if I can overwinter an Arp rosemary. I covered the plants with row cover and then surrounded them with pine needles. I update my progress as I go.

01/09/2026

Happy winter everyone! Now is the time to plan your garden and order your seeds. With snow on the ground spend some time cleaning up your tools, sharpening blades and reorganizing the tool rack. A light coat of oil on tool handles and blades helps protect them from rust and drying out. Clean tools will make spring gardening chores easier.

Hello everyone! Here we are in the hottest part of our summer. Keep watering! Deep soak even drought tolerant plantings...
07/26/2025

Hello everyone! Here we are in the hottest part of our summer. Keep watering! Deep soak even drought tolerant plantings to keep the plants looking good. Hold off fertizing lawns until mid-September, the grass isn't using the nutrients right now in the heat.

Message me if you are interested in getting your garden evaluated to set your gardening priorities set for the fall gardening season. Photo is a mourning cloak butterfly on a zinna.

05/04/2025

The 10-day forecast looks pretty good BUT, keep the frost protection handy especially if you are north of Spokane. And for those of yuou wondering what the local test of when its time to plant, its when the snow is off Mica Peak southeast of Spokane not Mt Spokane

I'm taking appointments for coaching and will be at Garden Expo next Saturday for sign ups and selling my Norhtwest
Gardeners Handbook.

04/22/2025

Heads up Spokane gardeners! Potential frost tomorrow, Tuesday, morning. Cover the plants you bought early and bring in the hanging fuschia baskets

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