Garden Tips
Fall 2012: Fall Clean-Up
Cleaning up around the garden is not just for looks. Cutting back perennials, removing annuals, and pulling weed can help protect against pests. Check out some detailed tips here!
Later Summer 2012: Late Summer Garden Tip
Check out these great articles online, headlines of interest include: Late Summer Gardening Tips, How To Cure Chlorosis with Earthworm Castings Tea, and much more...
Summer 2012: Garden Tip
If you haven't gotten your plants in the ground and in your containers, it's not too late! Once you get them in don't forget to water, prune back the dead flowers, and fertilize as needed.
Tip for BASIL - don't forget to watch for clusters of flowers and remove them as soon as they appear - this will encourage a nice full leafed plant with lots of basil for your culinary needs!
Spring 2012: Happy Spring (where was winter?)
This is also a good time to start thinking about your plans for your outdoor gardens. Take advantage of low to no snow coverage and stroll around your gardens and start thinking about what changes you want to make this spring.
Winter 2011: Get Ready For Winter
Prepare for the increased time indoors by clean your indoor plants and plants that need replacing. Our greenhouse is always warm and full of tropicals, stop in to escape the cold and enjoy the tropical plants.
As the holiday season arrives, begin decorating your home early so you can spend time enjoying the season.
Fall 2011: Fall Gardening
Enjoy the autumn scenery and take in the crisp fall air while you enjoy your fall gardening. Here are some things you can do this fall to make spring even easier:
- prepare your beds for next spring (clean them up),
- divide any perennials that are overgrown,
- plant your spring bulbs,
- apply fall fertilizers to your shrubs, and
- prune any overgrown plants.
If you had your houseplants outdoors this summer, you will want to start bringing them inside and let them acclimate to the indoors.
Summer 2011: Annual Maintenance
To encourage fullness and growth, pinch back foliage and remove dying flowers. Remember to feed them regularly for showy color through the rest of the season.
June 2011: If you haven't already, start planting! It's a great month to get outside and begin planting your gardens.
Planting Tips:
- mix your perennials, ornamental grasses and annuals,
- add variety by choosing plants with different leaf colors and shapes,
- plant taller plants in the back and shorter in the front,
- try something new every year,
- have fun!
May 2011: Trying to Eat Local? Start planning your Vegetable Garden!
If you planted vegetables last year, rotate the location in the beds this year to control pests, disease and to keep the soil in good condition.
For newbies to the vegetable garden here are some tips:
- Your garden doesn't have to be separate from the rest of your beds, you can use containers or fill in your existing beds with vegetables and herbs. Peppers can be attractive addition to a flower bed and carrots can provide a lacey groundcover.
- Start with plants you know you will use and already cook with often (and are easy to grow). Popular items are basil, cilantro, tomatoes, sweet peppers, zucchini, and cucumbers
- Spacing your plants is important, make sure you know how big they get and leave enough room to get into the garden to harvest easily.
- have fun and enjoy your harvest!
April 2011: Ornamental Grasses
Spring is the time to cut back your cool-season ornamental grasses. Cut back last season's foilage as soon as the snow is gone because the new growth will begin coming up in early spring.
To cut them back leave approximately 1/3 of last years groth in place. This will soon be lost among the new growth.
March 2011: Start planning for spring!
Think of which perennials were overgrown last season & get ready to divide them.
Divide your perennials when emerging shoots are between 2 to 4" tall. Once divided you can prepare a new planting bed for them or put them in a pot and swap perennials with a neighbor.
Cleaning up around the garden is not just for looks. Cutting back perennials, removing annuals, and pulling weed can help protect against pests. Check out some detailed tips here!
Later Summer 2012: Late Summer Garden Tip
Check out these great articles online, headlines of interest include: Late Summer Gardening Tips, How To Cure Chlorosis with Earthworm Castings Tea, and much more...
Summer 2012: Garden Tip
If you haven't gotten your plants in the ground and in your containers, it's not too late! Once you get them in don't forget to water, prune back the dead flowers, and fertilize as needed.
Tip for BASIL - don't forget to watch for clusters of flowers and remove them as soon as they appear - this will encourage a nice full leafed plant with lots of basil for your culinary needs!
Spring 2012: Happy Spring (where was winter?)
This is also a good time to start thinking about your plans for your outdoor gardens. Take advantage of low to no snow coverage and stroll around your gardens and start thinking about what changes you want to make this spring.
Winter 2011: Get Ready For Winter
Prepare for the increased time indoors by clean your indoor plants and plants that need replacing. Our greenhouse is always warm and full of tropicals, stop in to escape the cold and enjoy the tropical plants.
As the holiday season arrives, begin decorating your home early so you can spend time enjoying the season.
Fall 2011: Fall Gardening
Enjoy the autumn scenery and take in the crisp fall air while you enjoy your fall gardening. Here are some things you can do this fall to make spring even easier:
- prepare your beds for next spring (clean them up),
- divide any perennials that are overgrown,
- plant your spring bulbs,
- apply fall fertilizers to your shrubs, and
- prune any overgrown plants.
If you had your houseplants outdoors this summer, you will want to start bringing them inside and let them acclimate to the indoors.
Summer 2011: Annual Maintenance
To encourage fullness and growth, pinch back foliage and remove dying flowers. Remember to feed them regularly for showy color through the rest of the season.
June 2011: If you haven't already, start planting! It's a great month to get outside and begin planting your gardens.
Planting Tips:
- mix your perennials, ornamental grasses and annuals,
- add variety by choosing plants with different leaf colors and shapes,
- plant taller plants in the back and shorter in the front,
- try something new every year,
- have fun!
May 2011: Trying to Eat Local? Start planning your Vegetable Garden!
If you planted vegetables last year, rotate the location in the beds this year to control pests, disease and to keep the soil in good condition.
For newbies to the vegetable garden here are some tips:
- Your garden doesn't have to be separate from the rest of your beds, you can use containers or fill in your existing beds with vegetables and herbs. Peppers can be attractive addition to a flower bed and carrots can provide a lacey groundcover.
- Start with plants you know you will use and already cook with often (and are easy to grow). Popular items are basil, cilantro, tomatoes, sweet peppers, zucchini, and cucumbers
- Spacing your plants is important, make sure you know how big they get and leave enough room to get into the garden to harvest easily.
- have fun and enjoy your harvest!
April 2011: Ornamental Grasses
Spring is the time to cut back your cool-season ornamental grasses. Cut back last season's foilage as soon as the snow is gone because the new growth will begin coming up in early spring.
To cut them back leave approximately 1/3 of last years groth in place. This will soon be lost among the new growth.
March 2011: Start planning for spring!
Think of which perennials were overgrown last season & get ready to divide them.
Divide your perennials when emerging shoots are between 2 to 4" tall. Once divided you can prepare a new planting bed for them or put them in a pot and swap perennials with a neighbor.