It pains me to see customers spending hundreds of dollars on new plants and simultaneously refusing to spend a few more on a bag or two of compost and a box of starter fertilizer. These two items are not unnecessary “add-ons” that the retailer is just trying to add to the sale, they are critical components of a successful transplanting process - or as I like to refer to them as “plant insurance”. Unless you have phenomenal soil, you should always add compost and starter fertilizers when you are planting new plants. Here is why…
Here we are, the last week of August. The summer season is coming to an end, the kids (if you have any) are going back to school, our veggie beds and flower containers are winding down (although my overwintered geraniums seem to be just reaching their stride), and our lawns are parched (unless like me you are willing to spend your children’s inheritance to water it). That is all about to change…
As we near the end of August it is becoming apparent in my garden that the fall season is fast approaching, despite the fact that as I write this (the week of August 14th) it is still very much summer with temps in the low 90’s. Yes, it is still hot with lots of sunshine, but there are sure signs that we are about to switch to another season. Here are some of the clues I have noticed…
It’s funny how the meaning of some words can change over time. In a garden setting, having a “diverse” collection of plants is generally a good thing. One could say that the gardener embraces “diversity”. Likewise, if that same gardener “includes” many different genera in the landscape, you could state that the gardener embraces “inclusivity”. Now, before you get your hackles up, I have no intention of…
If your garden is anything like mine, then you are probably busy watering, staking, checking for bugs and diseases, harvesting veggies and fruits and bouquets of flowers, and planting - at least those are the things that we all should be doing in August if we want to call ourselves gardeners. I don’t think anyone ever manages to accomplish all the gardening chores they set out to do, but we should at least give it the old college try. Just for fun, here are some of the things I have been doing in my garden…
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
As we inch towards the onset of summer, with the solstice on the horizon, June is another month full of garden temptations and color for our landscapes. It is also pollinator month, and I urge everyone to do all that they can for our local pollinating friends. We all need to welcome…