Fall is a GREAT time to plant

So, why is fall the best time to plant trees and shrubs? Not as much watering is needed Young plants need plenty of water. It is best to give good, long soakings rather than frequent, light watering. A typical rule of thumb is to provide at least 1 inch of irrigation per week. Summertime planting requires close attention to moisture levels and much of it can evaporate with the heat of the day. Autumn’s cooler temperatures and shorter days may …

Hardy Hibiscus: Plate-size flowers will make you the envy of the neighborhood!

Hardy perennial hibiscus are showstoppers in your late-summer garden. Huge plate-size flowers in shades of pink, red or white burst forth from stout plants in late July/early August. Although the individual flowers only last a day, the succession of flowers can last for up to eight weeks.  These amazing blooms have prompted many strangers to knock on my door to inquire about the bush with flowers the size of dinner plates. These Hibiscus flowers are amazing conversation pieces and many …

Growing Asparagus in Michigan

Growing Asparagus in Michigan If you love asparagus and want to grow some yourself, waste no time in getting started. Even with the best of care, an asparagus bed won’t hit its stride for several years. But once that happens, the bed will produce an abundant crop of spears spring after spring for at least the next 15 to 20 years. Fresh from the garden, asparagus is the very essence of spring. The sweet, slender spears can be steamed, sautéed, …

Bloomerang Lilacs – They Rebloom!

Enjoy the fragrance of lilacs for months instead of weeks. While traditional lilac varieties bloom for a few short weeks in spring, Bloomerang’s fragrant flowers continue until frost. This vigorous grower will add beauty and fragrance to gardens from spring to fall. When planted in mass they make a great choice for hedges as well. Just like all lilacs, the Bloomerang® will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden, but the Deer won’t care for the taste! And while it …

Peonies make me happy!

Peonies are an old fashioned favorite perennial!  They are loved for their heavily-scented beautiful, extra large blooms and survive quite well in our Michigan gardens. Peonies come in four flower forms – Single, Semi-double, Double and Japanese (Anemone). The flowers will become fuller as the plant matures. Peonies make an excellent cut flower. After flowering, the plant can provide size and texture to the perennial garden and are a deer resistant.  Peonies perform best when planted in well draining, loamy soil with …

Every flower gardener should know the pleasure of growing clematis!

If you’ve ever seen a clematis in full bloom, you know this perennial can be a real showstopper! Clematis are sturdy flowering vines that produce gorgeous star-shaped flowers in a variety of colors with various size flowers. Many gardeners like to plant them around the mailbox or on an arbor or trellis. I have even seen them used as a ground cover. However you choose to use yours, clematis is one plant that every gardener should make room to grow. …

Wine and Roses Weigela

Add Season Long Color to Your Gardens Wine and Roses Weigela is one of those “boy I wish I would have planted this sooner” shrubs. Its striking dark burgundy leaves provide a fantastic enhancement or background to your garden or entry way. The leaf color continues to intensify as summer progresses. Its rosy-pink trumpet shaped flowers bloom in spring and then again throughout the summer. Hummingbirds love the flowers. A cut branch of Wine and Roses Weigela in a flower …

Strawberries

Strawberries – the Luscious Taste of Summer! Strawberries are delicious!  And when they come from your own garden, they taste even more delicious.  Now’s the time to get your strawberries started.  The information tells you to wait to harvest the second year but we won’t tell anyone if you harvest and eat them the first year instead!  The strawberry’s incomparable sweet fragrance, fresh red color and superb flavor are the essence of summer.  One of the few fruits that originated in …

Fabulous Ferns

Fabulous perennial ferns add texture and contrast to any shade garden. Their names are complicated and there are many different varieties – but don’t let that scare you!  I”m pretty comfortable with annuals and many perennials but when it comes to ferns, I still have a lot to learn.  The good news is that most of the ferns we offer are pretty easy to grow.  The hardest part seems to be deciding what type of ferns will work best for …

Echinacea – A Must-Have Perennial!

Echinacea – also known as coneflower – is a terrific perennial for Michigan flower beds. Beautiful, butterfly attracting, deer resistant flowers bloom most of the summer in sunny locations.  New colors and new varieties make this plant one of the best choices.  Echinacea sounds more like a disease than a plant you would want in your garden.  And if you read the Wikipedia description, it still seems like something to stay away from.  Maybe that’s why people commonly refer to it …