THE MONTH OF AUGUST CAN BE VIEWED AS THE “GATEWAY TO FALL” AND TO THE FALL PLANTING SEASON. So, let’s recap July. The only complaint I am hearing from homeowners and landscapers is with all the rainy days. I can agree. All this rain is leading to an increase in plants dying from root rot … Read more
Today is National Avocado Day. Have you ever thought about growing your own avocado? It’s not hard. Yes, I’ve done it. The up-side—they’re easy, fun, and make a beautiful dramatic houseplant. The down-side—they get HUGE over time and the chances of them ever fruiting are slim to none. But for lush tropical foliage, they can’t … Read more
Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Issai’ is my chosen plant for July The common name for Callicarpa is beautyberry. Many of you may only know this plant by its common name. This common name is very fitting for this beautiful plant. I chose this plant because it is now in bloom and forming its berries. We have one planted … Read more
TIME FOR THE TOUGH SUMMER BLOOMING PERENNIALS TO BE STARS IN THE GARDEN. Whether you like the colors of orange, red, yellow, blue, white, purple or just a rainbow of colors you can get it with beautiful blooming perennials this time of year. We are smack dab in the middle of summer. We are challenged … Read more
July 16th is World Snake Day. I can already hear some people go “Oh, Gross!” I used to be one of them, but as a devout gardener, I’ve developed a healthy respect for them. Still, every summer, I get a lot of questions about how to kill or otherwise get rid of snakes. So maybe … Read more
AVOIDING HEAT STRESS INJURIES IN JULY The dog days of summer have arrived. As gardeners, we need to spend time outside tending to our landscape needs. But, this past week was brutally hot and humid. Thank goodness for this past weekend with us having much-needed rainfall and lower temperatures but more heat is on the … Read more
July is National Blueberry Month. Nice to have a whole month dedicated to one of my favorite things. So here are a few interesting tidbits about these delicious berries. Blueberries belong to the family Ericales. This makes them related to cranberries, Brazil nuts, persimmons, camellias, azaleas, and rhododendron! They are native to North American where … Read more
HERE ARE SOME GARDEN CHORES TO DO IN JULY Before I get into the list of garden chores for July, here we are in the first few days of July and I want to talk about being too wet. Go figure. In the past, I would be writing and talking to customers about being water-wise … Read more
I’m getting so many people these days looking for plants that repel mosquitoes, that I thought it was time to repeat this blog. Swirling cloaks, spooky music, and a voice with a Hungarian accent saying “Good E-e-e-vening.” Or incredibly annoying little insects buzzing around your face and feasting on every square inch of exposed flesh. … Read more
THE 2018 PERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR. Each year the PPA (Perennial Plant Association) selects a perennial to highlight for the year. This year the Association chose ALLIUM ‘MILLENIUM’ Allium ‘Millenium’ is referred to as the “butterfly magnet” perennial. Other pollinators will flock to this plant. Butterflies and bees will thank you for adding ‘Millenium’ … Read more
