Spring Planting Tips

Start simple!  One of the worst things that could happen is to plant an amazing garden and then not be able to maintain it.  Start with a small garden and containers and when you’re comfortable, grow.  Add more flowers when you know you have the time and interest to take care of them.  You’ll get new and more exciting ideas as time goes on.  

Pick the right plants.  Do some research and study what your area is like.  Jot down what areas around your yard get what kind of sunlight.  This will help you determine which type of plants will thrive around your home.  Take note of where your water access is.  Place plants in an area that is easily accessible to water; whether that is from a sprinkler system or by hand watering with a hose.  Daylilies typically are a great choice.  They’re mostly pest resistant and are a fairly no fuss perennial.

Off with their heads!  By which I mean deadheading, of course!  Deadheading can be a boring task but it certainly pays off.  Deadhead your plants to maintain their beauty in your garden and containers.  This will also help promote extra bud bloom on some plants.  Deadheading also prevents the spread of plants as many heads are full of seeds which drop after they have dried out. 

Spread 1-2 inches of mulch over your garden bed.  This may seem silly, but it will help stop the growth of weeds and help your soil retain its moisture on hot days; requiring you to water less.  An organic mulch such as shredded bark will also help add nutrients to the soil as it decomposes (a natural compost.)

Start a garden journal.  Take notes on weather conditions each month.  You can keep notes on what plants you put in garden beds and containers each year; what you liked and didn’t like.  This is a great spot to make notes about new ideas for next year.  Take lots of pictures throughout the gardening season so you have record of how your beds looked at different times. 

Edged beds look sharp.  Whether you use a paver stone or a plastic edging, it makes a garden look complete.  You’ll want to put the edging a few inches into the ground to prevent grass roots from creeping under the edging and into your garden.  You put all of that hard work into the garden to have it be taken over by grass!  A new trend in edging is to have edging that lays flat with the grass, so a lawn mower can go right over the top.  No need to go along with a weed whacker to get a clean edge!

Raised beds have become very popular over the last couple years.  If you’re planning on putting one in, make sure that it is small enough so that you can reach all areas from both sides.  Raised beds help to save your back and knees as well.  Fill your raised beds with a mixture of compost and top soil for the perfect growing conditions.  A raised bed also drains better than a traditional ground bed and they warm faster in the spring so you can get an earlier start!

Get rid of weeds before they get out of control!  Baby weeds are easier to completely remove from the ground.  Another plus of pulling those weeds early, you’ll prevent the reproduction of the weed.  A quick walk around your gardens every few days will work wonders. 

Have you tried using a soaker hose before?  If you have the hose availability for a soaker hose, they’re certainly worth the effort!  They help you save time, energy and money spent on watering.  Water seeps out of the length of the hose which is set within your gardens.  You’ll want to cover the hose with mulch to cover an unattractive hose and to prevent water from evaporating before reaching the ground.  Drip irrigation systems are also a great option for container gardens which tend to dry out faster.

Compost! As we blogged about a couple of weeks ago, compost is an integral part of your garden.  Soil with compost in it has improved drainage and breathes better than soil without.  Save on trash costs and start composting!  Learn how from our Compost in a Weekend post. 

How Do We Plant?

Ever wonder where all of our plants come from?  They come from the depths of our greenhouses, nearly all, planted by us!  Take a look at this video, which takes you on a quick journey of how our product gets planted.

Composting in a Weekend

Whether you want to begin composting to save money on trash expenses, to make a “green” effort or to have a better garden; you can get started this weekend!  Composting is one of the easiest and smartest things you can do as a gardener.  It is a well-known fact that compost helps make a garden more efficient and successful.  By composting, you’ll turn yard waste and kitchen waste into a rich amendment for your soil!  

To begin, you’ll want to find a spot on your property where you want to have your compost pile.  Once you’ve found that spot, you can either compost in a pile right on the ground or use a composting bin.  Either option will work fine.  You’ll want to start by layering leaves, grass clippings and weeds.  Then head to the kitchen!  You can add kitchen scraps – but no meat, bones or fatty materials.  Toss those items on the composting pile.  Finally, you’ll want to add topsoil on top of the kitchen materials.  If the materials in your compost pile are dry, you’ll want to give them a little water otherwise they won’t decompose.  If your bin ends up being too wet from watering or from precipitation, add more leaves.  You can turn the materials a few times during the summer to speed decomposition.

Once you’ve got compost you can use it in your garden beds.  Compost acts as a rich food source to your garden’s soil.  It will help to improve drainage and support healthy growth of your plants.  If you have access to a lot of compost, add wheelbarrows full to your garden each spring and work it into the existing soil with a rake.

Did you know that the materials that you (our local readers) take to the Maple Grove Yardwaste Site are turned into compost and then used in the soil that we grow for the Garden Center?  You can also purchase bags of compost to add to your garden.  Talk about recycling coming full circle. 

A New Water Feature

A new custom water feature for in our Garden Center!  This uses all natural material, stacked stones and cedar columns with a graceful water element. What do you think of the new water feature?