JUNE IS PERENNIAL GARDENING MONTH, SO SEEMS ONLY FITTING TO HIGHLIGHT A PERENNIAL Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly Weed For me, this was an easy choice. The common name for Asclepias tuberosa is Butterfly Milkweed or Butterfly Weed. This very hardy, native perennial has become so popular with gardeners over the past decade. I have learned … Read more
HANGING BASKETS DO REQUIRE A BIT MORE OF OUR ATTENTION Over this past month, we have sold thousands of hanging baskets. Blooming hanging baskets are a staple for adding color to porches, decks, balconies, and patios. Although they are an instant way to add color to your outdoor space, they do require a bit more … Read more
JUNE 1 IS THE “UNOFFICIAL” START TO SUMMER May ended up by being a very good month for gardeners. We had good timely rainfall throughout the entire month. We had no late frosty nights and we did not have many extremely hot days. So, May was good to us. Our soil temperature is now 73 … Read more
EDIBLE FLOWERS: AN “EVER-GROWING” CUISINE TREND Here we are ready to go into June. This time of year our landscape is bursting with beautiful colors from all types of flowers. Have you ever heard of Flower Cookery? Believe it or not, more and more customers are looking for and inquiring about edible flowers. Flower cookery … Read more
I LOVE THIS PLANT My selected plant to highlight is the Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’. Or, more commonly referred to as Virginia Sweetspire. As you may figure out with Virginia being in its name, Virginia Sweetspire is a native shrub to our area. Right now it is in flower. It has fragrant, white flower spikes … Read more
‘TIS THE SEASON WE HAVE WATER PLANTS NOW! Water plants represent yet another form of landscaping. Yes, it is not for everyone. But more and more homeowners are accenting their existing landscape with a water feature. This feature doesn’t have to be large. You can start small and then “grow” and expand your water feature … Read more
MAY IS ANOTHER SPRING MONTH. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? Let’s recap the month of April. April can be considered a dryer-than-normal month. “April showers bring May flowers” does not apply this year. But overall, we are still ahead of rainfall for the year. Our soil temperature continues to warm up more each week. All … Read more
MANY OF OUR BENEFICIAL INSECTS NEED OUR HELP – INCLUDING THE BUTTERFLIES Our butterflies need our help—especially the Monarch butterfly. Here are some butterfly gardening tips to consider this spring and summer. When planning and planting our gardens this spring, remember some of the blooming annuals and perennials that are particularly attractive for our butterfly … Read more
THINK ABOUT ADAPTING TO SQUARE-FOOT GARDENING Last week, I wrote my blog on vegetable gardening. It is time to move forward and get our vegetables and herbs planted. Just keep in mind that vegetable gardening is just at the beginning stages. Early May is still a great time to get started. Now, back to this … Read more
ARE YOU READY? Here we are in mid-April. I carefully watch our weather and our extended forecast to correctly advise customers on vegetable gardening. With Virginia weather consistently breaking now (fingers crossed), many Virginians are turning their attention, once again, to vegetable gardening. I am writing this blog on April 11th. Every day, I tell … Read more
