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Dill, Delicious Dill
Have you enjoyed dill? An often overlooked herb, dill deserves much more attention in both the garden and the kitchen than it normally receives. Growing Dill This cool season plant is best when planted in very early spring or in late fall. Dill does best when planted from seed, because it doesn’t transplant well. Simply […]Read More...
Size Up Your Site: A First Step in Planning Your Landscape
Whether you plan your garden from start to finish or use a professional designer, a few simple steps can help you assess your property’s potential to develop the landscape of your dreams. By getting involved in the landscape design process, you can address practical problems, structure your outdoor living space and develop a plan that […]Read More...
Don’t Miss Out on Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’
Are you trying to add drama and beauty to your shady spots but keep finding only bland, lackluster plants? You won’t want to overlook Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ with its stunning appearance and easy care. Introducing Brunnera macrophylla Also called Brunnera-Heartleaf and Siberian bugloss, this plant is a stunner for its delicate foliage. The broad, […]Read More...
A Kitchen Herb Garden
Fresh cut herbs are a delight for any cook, and when they are within arm’s reach, fresh herbs are a delight and dream come true! During the coldest months of the year, potted herbs not only offer convenient, fresh seasonings, but also fragrance, color and flowers to truly spice up the kitchen. Growing Tips for […]Read More...
Caring for Orchids
Orchids can be an amazing addition to your indoor landscape, but unfortunately they have a reputation for being finicky and difficult. While they do require precise care, if you know what their needs are, you can easily grow a variety of beautiful orchids and enjoy their exotic loveliness throughout the year. To care for orchids […]Read More...
Feeding Birds in Winter
Winter is a crucial time for birds. As temperatures drop, there are no insects to eat and the natural seeds are covered with snow, and as the season lengthens, the berries and crab apples are long gone. Birds need enough food to maintain their body temperatures and must search for food from sun up to […]Read More...
Anti-Desiccants: Why, What, and When
Have you wondered why some of your plants die in the winter, even when you provide winter protection? Many plants die during winter because they dry out, or desiccate. As temperatures drop, the ground freezes and plant roots cannot take water from the soil. This causes the plant to use stored water from the leaves and stems as part of the transpiration process, during which water exits the plant through the leaves.Read More...
Creating Humidity for Houseplant Health
Houseplants are like Goldilocks...sometimes there is too much humidity and sometimes not enough. However, somewhere it's "just right." Many of our houseplants hail from the tropics and grow in humidity of 50-80%, considerably more humid than our homes.Read More...
Holiday Ornamentation
Are you less than enthusiastic to drag out the same old holiday decorations this year? It's time for a change! If you're like many of us, last year you vowed to update, replace and rejuvenate your ornament collection. Don't wait! Stop by now for the best selection of a wide variety of themes, styles, sizes and colors.Read More...
Celebrating the Holiday in Small Spaces: Norfolk Island Pine
Is your space a little too tight for a full-sized Christmas tree? Do you dread the thought of lugging a seasonal evergreen up those narrow apartment or condo steps? Does the thought of vacuuming up all those pointy brown needles and disposing of the debris when the holiday is over provoke panic attack? Do you prefer a living decoration instead of chopping down a tree for a temporary ornament, but you don't have anywhere to plant a larger pine? Fear not, a Norfolk Island pine may be the solution.Read More...
Winter Vegetables on the Table
Winter marks a seasonal change. Our bodies seem to crave deeper, more tantalizing, richer tastes rather than light, bright, fruity flavors of summer. Harvesting vegetables in the late fall, and sometimes into the winter, presents us with bounty for slow, simple and savory cooking. Read More...
Tools for Holiday Gift Giving
It's easy to shop for gifts for the gardeners on our holiday list. There are always new tools available for the serious, and not so serious, gardeners in our lives. In fact, there may be too many to pick from, but we can help you narrow down the selection to find the perfect gift.Read More...
Holiday Poinsettia Care
A poinsettia plant is the quintessential holiday decoration and hostess gift for holiday parties or visits. They're great as a centerpiece, decorating a step or filling in any empty space with bold holiday color and cheer. Read More...
Kiss, Kiss: Mistletoe, a Holiday Tradition
One of our sweetest holiday traditions is kissing under the mistletoe, but how much do we really know about this custom or, for that matter, the plant itself?Read More...
Get Started Composting
Fall is an excellent time to start a compost pile with all of the leaves falling, and if you develop compost now, you will have a rich source of organic material for your garden and flowerbeds in spring. Read More...
Audition Some Autumn Bloomers
Extend the beauty of your garden with vivid autumn-blooming perennials. When you think of fall-blooming plants, don’t stop at mums – there are many perennials that can add color to your yard at this time of year.Read More...
Fall-Blooming Camellias
We love camellias! An Asian native and an old southern standby, they are now a favorite in the northern states as well. In recent years, new varieties have been developed for their increased cold hardiness, giving northern gardeners even more opportunities to enjoy these charming beauties.Read More...
Entrance Way Evergreens
Cool and classic or chic and contemporary, no matter what your style, you'll always be proud of an entrance flanked with beautiful containers highlighting just-right evergreens. Read More...
King of the Cold: Ornamental Cabbage & Kale
Looking to add interest to the fall and winter landscape? This year, plant ornamental cabbage and kale for bold textures and vibrant colors.Read More...
Plant a Tree This Fall
There are so many reasons to add a new tree to your landscape this fall that it’s hard to find a reason not to.Read More...
Deterring Deer
Deer may be beautiful and elegant, but they aren't always welcome in the garden. Even just a few visiting deer can tear up a landscape, eat an entire crop, destroy a carefully cultivated bed and cause other havoc, such as creating a traffic hazard, damaging bird feeders or leaving behind unwanted "gifts" on sidewalks and pathways.Read More...
Fall Horticultural Oil Application
Autumn is an excellent time to apply horticultural oil. The oil smothers many soft-bodied insects and hard-shelled scales that are impenetrable to many insecticides, and can therefore help control some of the most stubborn insect populations. But is it right for your plants?Read More...
Repotting Houseplants
Fall is an excellent time to repot many houseplants. Potted plants that have been growing outdoors during the summer have probably grown quite vigorously due to the high light levels and greater humidity.Read More...
The Fall Vegetable Garden
Fresh vegetables don't have to end as the days grow shorter – fall is a great time to plant an autumn garden to extend the growing season.Read More...
Redbud Revelry
Gardeners love the Eastern redbud tree. Native to North America, these hardy, slow-growing, small trees richly deserve their places front and center in the landscape. Read More...
Versatile Euonymus
What are your garden's trouble spots? Do you need an evergreen hedge? A tall anchor plant at the back of a deep garden bed? How about an interesting groundcover? Perhaps your garden needs a medium-sized transition plant. Try a euonymus!Read More...
Bulbs: Increasing Your Yield
When you visit our garden center, you'll find an incredible variety of autumn "bulbs." Although they may look strange at this time of year, these "ugly ducklings" will become beautiful swans in your spring garden.Read More...
Birdscaping
As wildlife habitats are threatened by development, the creation of a bird-friendly environment that provides food, water and shelter is crucial to the existence of our wild bird population. Caring for our feathered-friends is an educational and enjoyable activity for the entire family that brings beauty and song to our lives.Read More...
Choosing a Japanese Maple
We’re certain you’ve heard it numerous times: fall is the best time to buy your Japanese maple. Have you come into the garden center to pick one? Did the varieties overwhelm you? Let us make it easier for you by explaining Japanese maple differences.Read More...
The Cotinus Craze
Smoketree, the common name for the genus Cotinus, aptly describes the hazy, smoky look of the flowers sported by this fabulous plant. Best described as a deciduous large shrub or small tree, Cotinus boasts species with varying heights, unique summer flowers, outstanding fall color and low maintenance requirements, all features that can make it an excellent addition to your landscape.Read More...
Perennials for the Cutting Garden
The classic gardener’s dilemma is whether to cut flowers for enjoyment or leave them to look nice in the garden. Often, removing flowers from the border can make it less attractive and leave an unsightly hole in the overall garden design.Read More...
Grasses With Gusto
Ornamental Grasses lend a unique dimension to any landscape with their texture, sound, motion and architecture. By planting ornamental grasses, you can also add multi-seasonal excitement to your landscape.Read More...
Small Shrubs for the Perennial Border
Adding structure and an aspect of year-round permanence to any yard, small shrubs are excellent for enhancing the perennial border. Thought of as the spine and bones of good landscaping, small shrubs hold the soft body of flowers together and add consistency between areas.Read More...
Blossom End Rot
Nothing is more disheartening than grabbing a beautiful tomato only to find the entire bottom is soft, black and rotten. Blossom end rot (BER) affects tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash and melons. Read More...
Goji Berry (Wolfberry)
Touted by some as the "fruit from the fountain of youth" because of its high antioxidant, carotene and essential amino acids content, the goji berry, also creates a large sensation in the garden.Read More...
A Taste of the Tropics
It only takes a few plants to cast a tropical look upon a garden. Although our gardening zone here isn't strictly tropical, it's still possible to include some tropical and tropical-looking plants in our landscapes to create a lush summer oasis that hints at a vibrant paradise.Read More...
Versatile Hydrangeas
Tall or short, red, pink, purple, blue, white and shades in between, few shrubs provide the versatility of hydrangeas. Generations of gardeners have loved and designed their gardens using these showy shrubs as summer privacy screens, landscape focal points and beautiful cut flowers. Now, thanks to new hydrangea introductions, there are even more ways to use them.Read More...
Pruning Red Raspberries
There's an unfounded rumor that raspberries are difficult to prune. This isn't true if you understand the type of raspberry in your garden. Summer-bearing raspberries produce only one harvest per year while everbearing, or fall-bearing, raspberries can produce two harvests.Read More...
Simple Water Features for Small Spaces
A simple water feature can make a large impact even in small spaces. The addition of a container water garden will transform, beautify and diversify your existing garden into an oasis that brings relief during the dog days of summer and beyond.Read More...
Pink Muhley Grass
Becoming increasingly popular, there is now an over-abundance of ornamental grasses available at garden centers. So many choices can make the selection process difficult. There is, however, one that takes the cake. Pink Muhley Grass is arguably the most colorful ornamental grass around and it is sure wow your friends and neighbors.Read More...
Try Something New: Pomegranates
Want to grow an exotic fruit that is delicious, nutritious, beautiful, incredibly hip and rarely grown in our area? You really should consider planting a pomegranate!Read More...
Get Your Mint On!
This is the 140th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby. What does that mean? Mint Juleps, of course.Read More...
Conserving Water Through Proper Planting
Worried that you may have to give up color in your landscape to save on maintenance and water? Afraid that watering restrictions in your area will put a damper on your colorful flowerbeds, borders and shrubs? It doesn’t have to be that way! Many brightly-colored trees, shrubs and flowers don’t require as much water once […]Read More...
Top Native Shrubs for Year-Round Interest
We just love incorporating natives into the home landscape! Including native plants is an important part of sustaining local pollinators and wildlife. They are all low maintenance and, wow, are they beautiful!Read More...
Begonias for the Home
Begonias are a beautiful and diverse group of plants, with more than 1,500 species. Some are suitable for use as bedding plants or in container gardens, some for hanging baskets and others for indoor cultivation. Begonias are treasured not only for their colorful flowers but also for their unique foliage, and many varieties make spectacular […]Read More...
Beetle Mania
It’s hard to forget the years that we’ve been plagued with Japanese beetles. These ravenous creatures can destroy your lawn, garden and good nature in one season by eating away precious time and money invested in our landscapes. As they know no boundaries, Japanese beetle control methods are most effective if neighborhoods band together in […]Read More...
Rose Care Basics
Beginners often become confused with the many recommendations and suggestions for growing roses. However, it is important to start with the basic guidelines for successful rose growing. Roses can thrive under many conditions, but they are sure to grow better, with more luxurious blooms and fewer problems, when you follow the basics. Prepare the Soil […]Read More...
Choosing the Right Flowering Tree
Purchasing a tree for your landscape is an investment that can raise the property value of your home and bring you pleasure, beauty and shade for many years to come.Read More...
Aphids
One of the most common insects, and one of the most potentially plant-threatening, is the aphid. There are actually many types of aphids – more than 4,000 in all. Some feed on specific plants and others are not so choosy. They all attack the newer plant growth and suck sap from a plant’s internal circulation […]Read More...
Lilacs
One of the most popular deciduous flowering shrubs, and certainly one of the most nostalgic, lilacs herald the arrival of spring. When we reminisce about this old-fashioned favorite we recall large panicles of sweetly scented, pale purple blossoms. Today, however, lilacs are available in an incredible variety of sizes, growth habits, flowering times, bloom sizes, […]Read More...