Meadows Farms, Author at The Great Big Greenhouse Gardening Blog

BONNIE’S GARDEN – Outside for the Summer

June 26, 2018 by Meadows Farms

My houseplants are all outside for the summer. Does this mean I can forget about them? Well—no! Here are somethings you should be doing for your houseplants now—either inside or out. The days are longer and the sunlight stronger so our plants are actually growing—not just “maintaining” like they do all winter. A little fertilizer would … Read more

TALKING GARDENING with DOUG – NATIONAL POLLINATOR WEEK

June 20, 2018 by Meadows Farms

JUNE 18 – 24 HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS THE WEEK TO CELEBRATE OUR POLLINATORS. In my blog last week I mentioned that June is PERENNIAL PLANTING MONTH. Now, let’s take June to a higher level and think about what perennials are blooming right now, what perennials are considered native plants, and what perennials are considered … Read more

BONNIE’S GARDEN-Happy Summer

June 18, 2018 by Meadows Farms

This coming Thursday is the Summer Solstice—the first official day of astronomical Summer. South of the equator, it is the first official day of Winter. On the other hand, meteorologists consider summer as beginning the first day of June and ending the last day of August. Solstice comes from the Greek words “sol” meaning “sun” … Read more

TALKING GARDENING with DOUG – JUNE IS PERENNIAL GARDENING MONTH

June 14, 2018 by Meadows Farms

PPA (PERENNIAL PLANT ASSOCIATION) HAS DESIGNATED JUNE AS PERENNIAL GARDENING MONTH AND FOR GOOD REASONS.

June has been tagged as Perennial Gardening Month by PPA. The main reason behind selecting June is that June is a great month for seeing so many beautiful perennials in bloom. Secondly, June is a great month for planting perennials.

Planting perennials this year, in June, couldn’t be better. We have had plenty of rainfall this year that is helping to encourage vigorous growth on perennial plants. Also, there is more publicity about planting native plants and planting pollinator plants than ever before. Matter of fact, Virginia has designated the week of June 24 as POLLINATOR WEEK.

Mark your calendar for Sunday, June 24. The Great Big Greenhouse and VDACS (Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services) have come together to host a pollinator event here on the 24^th from noon to 4:00. Local beekeepers will have observation hives. There will be honey tasting. You can learn how to become a beekeeper, and how to plant a pollinator’s garden using specific blooming shrubs and perennials, and more.

We have made shopping for native perennials and pollinator plants easy for you this year. We have a designated table that we keep full with beautiful perennials. It has been very popular, which puts a smile on my face seeing how many customers are becoming more supportive of gardening with native plants and being so consciences of supporting our pollinators.

Here is just a quick, short list of assorted perennials that you can plant this month and help support our pollinators:

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)

Baptisia

Eupatorium

Coreopsis

Eutrochium (Joe-pye-weed)

Monarda (Beebalm)

Lobellia (Cardinal flower)

Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan)

Sisyrinchium (Blue-eyed Grass)

We bring in new stock of perennials weekly. You need to come see our selection. It is a beautiful sight seeing all the color this time of year.

Happy Gardening!!!!

BONNIE’S GARDEN–National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month

June 11, 2018 by Meadows Farms

June—fresh local strawberries are here—in your own backyard—or at a local Farmers Market. Fresh peas, spring onions, fresh beets, the first of the summer’s cucumbers and squash—they’re all in season! Perfect timing for National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, isn’t it? I’m a huge fan of eating fresh—whether it’s from my garden, a generous neighbor … Read more

TALKING GARDENING with DOUG – JUNE GARDENING TASKS

June 8, 2018 by Meadows Farms

HERE ARE SOME TIMELY GARDENING TASKS THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN JUNE. We are entering June on a wet note. We had record rainfall for the month of May. Our rivers, streams, and reservoirs are full and overflowing, which is a good thing as we enter the hot summer months. A cool April and … Read more

Have You Had Enough Petrichor This Past Week?

May 23, 2018 by Meadows Farms

By the way, PETRICHOR is defined as “THE SMELL OF EARTH AFTER RAIN”. To a gardener, rain is generally a welcome blessing. Rainfall and plants are usually a match made in heaven. We sure have had our share of rainfall, and petrichor, this past week in the Richmond area. Going into this latest rainfall, we were about … Read more

Mulching Your Vegetable Garden

May 21, 2018 by Meadows Farms

Should you mulch your vegetable garden? Well, it can help with such problems as weeds and conserve moisture. But what you use on a vegetable garden is almost as important as what you put in it. Here are some options: Black Plastic–Black plastic mulch can warm the soil. Earlier in the spring, around the end … Read more

Hanging Basket Care

May 16, 2018 by Meadows Farms

Over the past month, The Great Big Greenhouse and Meadows Farms Nursery have sold thousands of hanging baskets. Blooming hanging baskets are a staple for adding color to decks, patios, porches, and balconies. Although they are an instant way to add color to our outdoor space, they do require a bit of care to stay … Read more

7 Things You Need To Know About Tomatoes

May 14, 2018 by Meadows Farms

Seems like almost every day, I get asked: “What do I have to do to be successful with my tomatoes?” So here are a few things we need to know. Tomatoes need FULL sun! Anything less and their productivity goes down. If you only get five hours of good, strong, midday sun, you’ll still get … Read more

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