Pruning Shrubs in the Dormant Season
Most people think of landscape maintenance as exclusively a warm-weather activity. It’s an understandable assumption as it’s easy to see what needs to be done when you are outdoors, enjoying the beauty of your landscape. However, when cooler temperatures bring you indoors, out of sight should not mean out of mind when it comes to your shrubs because the best time to prune many of them is actually in the dormant season, when plants are not growing. Why? …
Tips on Winter Bird Feeding
Winter is a crucial time for the birds that remain in our area. They spend their time facing the elements of bitter cold and snowstorms. There are no insects to eat and the natural seeds are covered with snow; the berries and crab apples are gone. Birds need enough food to maintain their body temperatures and must search for food from sun up to dusk. Fortunately, for the birds, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 41 million Americans …
Champagne Margaritas
Margaritas get a festive boost with the addition of your favorite bubbly. Doesn’t this sound heavenly? I will definitely be making this pitcher full of festive joy! Here’s How to Make It: What You Need: 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup silver tequila 1/2 cup orange liquer (I’m a Grand Marnier gal myself…) 1 bottle of champagne (about 3 cups… but don’t be stingy) lime wedges, for the rim salt, for the rim How You Do It: Combine all ingredients in …
Fall is the best time to plant garlic in Michigan!
Fall planting gives garlic a crucial head-start. Plants will be stronger and bulbs will be bigger at harvest. October is usually the best month to plant garlic in North America. Planting garlic in the fall for the following year gives your garlic time to grow sturdy, solid roots which keep it firmly anchored in the ground. In Michigan, the best time to plant garlic is right around Halloween. Garlic Planting Step by Step… Break up your garlic heads. Simply separate …
Plant Allium for an Amazing Impact!
Allium is an easy to grow, absolutely amazing plant. It’s best when you plant it from a bulb in the fall and then it blooms well into spring. Allium Globemaster is the variety that we planted in the flowerbeds in front of the store, along Sprinkle Road. I also planted this in my yard. When spring came, it developed into one of the most amazing and beautiful plants that I have ever seen. This had to have been the most …
All About Roses September 7, 2017
September 7, 2017 It is best to stop fertilizing your roses in September so they can start to go dormant. It is also important to stop deadheading. Deadheading encourages new blooms at a time when we want our roses to put more energy into healthy roots for the coming winter. Keep watering until the temperature starts to get down to 35 degrees during the day. If you don’t keep watering, you will get a lot more die back over the winter. Lack of …
All about Roses July 6, 2017
July 6, 2017 One of the best things that you can do to promote more flowers, is to deadhead your roses regularly. This allows your rose to put more energy into producing new flowers, instead of trying to keep the spent blossoms alive. When deadheading, find the first set of 5 leaves and cut just above them at an angle. You will see a small nub next to the stem, which is where the new flower will come from. …