Tips for watering Hanging Baskets

With the weather warming up, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about watering, especially about hanging baskets, so I thought I would share a couple of tips … When watering containers, hanging baskets especially, water until the basket feels heavy with water weight and water runs freely from the drainage hole. If water comes out right away, then the basket is more than likely so dry that the soil has pulled away from the sides of pot and has created …

Late Summer Rose Care

Hello Rose Fan! I have seen a few Japanese beetles, which is why I always recommend walking your garden every day. If you see holes in your rose petals then you might have them too. I have found the best remedy to be Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew – labeled safe for organics, a biological control for foliage feeding worms. Simply put, it messes up their digestion and they die. Spray it on after dusk, on dry leaves, and avoid spraying open flowers. …

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

Hardy perennial hibiscus (also called rose mallow) are showstoppers in my 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 …

Perennials for Fall Interest

Fall can be just as exciting as any other time in the growing season. As the days get cooler and the nights get longer, many plants are energized and triggered into their glory. The contrast of autumn perennials among falling leaves can be magnificent. When a fall perennial looks its best will depend on the variety, its location and the type of weather we are experiencing. Some will begin in mid to late August. Others will wait almost until frost. A …

Fall Rose Care

Fall rose case is easy. If you want great roses next year, here are four simple steps to make that happen.  #1 – It is very important to keep watering until the first hard freeze. During the winter, the cold winds will pull moisture from the canes, so it is important to have as much water as possible to prevent a lot of die back. It will also make the plant stronger so it has a better chance to survive …

Succulents: Beautiful and Indestructible

Succulents are booming in popularity for two simple reasons: they are beautiful and nearly indestructible.  A succulent, by definition, is any plant with thick, fleshy water storage organs. Succulents store water in their leaves and stems and sometimes even their roots. Succulents are available in an incredible variety of interesting leaf forms and plant shapes, including paddle leaves, tight rosettes, and bushy or trailing columns of teardrop leaves. Succulents look amazing when planted in dish gardens and we’ve got a …

Cold Tolerant Annuals for Fall Color

Old-man winter comes knocking before you know it, so if you live in a climate with frost and cold like we do, these plants will keep your beds and containers lovely as long as possible. To extend the beauty of your garden into autumn and put some color back into your landscape, consider planting some cold-tolerant annuals.  Many of these can take temperatures to 20° F.  As our seasons change, so can your garden by highlighting these beautiful tough plants …

Green thumb or all thumbs, planting bulbs is a no brainer!

The first crocus or tulip poking through the ground, sometimes before the snow has fully melted, symbolizes spring for most of us. Before most other flowers have revived, spring bulbs can provide you with vibrant, cheery color just when you need it most and best of all bulbs can bloom year after year. A little effort now will reward you with a colorful display just when you need it most. Daffodils are a wonderful plant because they are resistant to deer. …

Winterizing Your Garden, Part Two

Caring for Your Grasses and Shrubs as the winter season approaches. How to protect your grasses and shrubs from the damaging wind and cold temperatures of winter: Grasses: Many gardeners do nothing in the fall to their grasses. Leaving grasses standing for the winter provides visual interest and some color to the winter landscape. Whether good or bad, grasses left standing also provide some shelter and protection for birds and other animals from the winter weather. Grasses are more tender …

Winterizing your Garden Part One

Caring for Your Flower Gardens as the winter season approaches.  Fall is a winding down time in the garden, but it’s also a window where you can get a head start on next year’s gardening season. Get ahead of the curve now, so when spring fever hits, your to-do list will be a little shorter and your garden will be a little more orderly, healthy, and productive. Before the first hard frost, remove all annuals from your gardens. They can …