The Golfing Gardener: Invest in your garden – and community

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Well here we are already into June, the official kick-off time for summer in the glorious PNW. I absolutely love talking about plants every week, but I thought it might be fun to shift gears this week and talk about a couple of topics closely related to horticulture. One of which enhances any garden space while the other does wonders for our local environment.

First up is garden art, a somewhat nebulous topic that can be just about anything in all honesty. I can recall a house in my college town that was completely covered with bottle caps, old license plates, and numerous other “collections” that were obviously important to the home owner. On the siding, fence, door, awnings, gutters… there was “art” everywhere! Not my thing, but as many say, beauty is ultimately in the eye of the beholder – what one loves another may just like or even not care for at all. Glass, metal, stone, concrete or wood, an eye-catching art piece or garden accent can come in just about any shape, size or color. Some might like “rustic chic” while others might crave something more polished and formal. Just as in the interior, exterior art is all about personal choice. Investing in your outdoor spaces by adding unique and personalized art always livens up any garden and creates memories to share with those who visit. “Remember when we got that one?” “That was a special addition in honor of…” I think you get it.

I personally added another glass accent into my yard this spring that I love (although it was really for my wife for Mother’s Day ☺). Now I am in the mood for two more – Father’s Day is coming soon, right? Local glass artists create some truly fabulous items all over the PNW. We are lucky here at Sunnyside to partner with Father and Son Glass (a local family right in Shoreline) to offer some of their creations. I am hoping that other small-business nurseries like Sunnyside are doing the same thing in our region, supporting local artisans and helping to strengthen communities.

Metal garden art pieces can include copper, brushed nickel, stainless steel, rusty corten steel (my favorite) and others, that can all be crafted into anything, including decorative trellises, cages, statues and signs. Take signs as an example… Everyone has a post, wall or fence to hang a fun sign on, right? I am up to about thirty on my back fence, each of which has special meaning to me and makes me smile whenever I see them. From “Bigfoot Crossing” to an old cut-out hippie VW bus, they are all treasures that I adore. I even have an original old-school, reel-style lawn mower from my family that is mounted on there as well, basking in all of its rusted glory. Perhaps not for everyone, but again that is what this is all about, finding your own signs or whimsical treasures that speak to you!

If we delve into statuary, bird baths and fountains, again the selection is seemingly endless. From fun little nicknacks to larger water features, these can add those personal touches here and there that create both garden excitement and surprise. Explore your options as there are sturdy yet whimsical statues in a plethora of options year after year. Mushrooms, a classic Buddha, gargoyles, bird houses, animals of all kinds, lanterns… just about anything can be found if you look. Once again, the point is that you should do YOU and gravitate towards the colors and styles that YOU like, simple as that. Finding artistic treasures while visiting any landscape puts a delicious cherry on top of a scrumptious landscape sundae!

The second topic I wish to breach today is pollinators. Each June we celebrate pollinator month, and seemingly every June, at some point, I climb on my soapbox and do my best to preach to the masses about the importance of protecting our pollinating friends. As mankind seems to figure out time and time again, perhaps some things the previous generation has done were not so swell. Luckily we continue to grow and evolve, hopefully caring more and truly investing in our environment and natural habitats. My hope is that the use of harmful chemicals and synthetic junk will continue to decline as each of us does our part by going green and doing the right thing. I will not lie to you and say it is always easy, it’s not. But, getting that warm and fuzzy feeling knowing that you are doing the right thing greatly outweighs the extra time and effort to do things organically.

Using organic soils and fertilizers is super easy and you will see better results going green with these, every single time. Sometimes battling insects, diseases and weeds can be more troublesome, but I am here to tell you that it can be done for just about anything in the landscape. Ask for assistance at your local garden center and allow Certified Professional Horticulturists to show you natural/organic solutions that will help. Sometimes we can live with a few weeds or bugs, sometimes not so much. I would never ask you to walk away and do nothing, what I would ask is for you to think about both our pollinating friends and the health of your garden. Kids, pets, birds, wildlife (granted some of which we may not want!) and all other creatures large and small deserve to have a safe garden to inhabit, play in or simply enjoy aesthetically. Go for the Neem Oil, Spinosad, B.T., or many of the other garden solutions that are out there and safe to use. Skip the Round-Up and use a natural herbicide. Avoid weed-and-feed products and spot spray with a natural Iron-based lawn weed killer instead. Not trying to guilt you, but then again, I am a bit. We all need to protect our pollinators and preserve our environment for the future, without question.

As you gaze upon your garden oasis, try to find ways to incorporate these two ideas at home. Take note of the pollinator activity and the wondrous things they provide in your garden. You are truly helping them out by implementing safe, natural and organic products and practices at home. At the same time, keep an eye out for those special spots that some garden art can be added – attractive pieces that will catch the attention of both you and your garden visitors.

A visit to downtown Everett this coming weekend (June 5-7) will allow you to admire, shop and connect with numerous local artists (and find some fun plants!) at the annual Sorticulture Festival. Yours truly will be there, come by and say “Hi” while shopping some unbelievably cool local goodies produced by local artisans. There are some excellent seminars as well to attend, if that is of interest. I hope to see you down there helping to support local artists in our community at Sorticulture!

Trevor Cameron is a Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) and serves as General Manager for Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville, WA. He can be reached at sunnysidenursery@msn.com.