A few days ago, a non-gardening friend asked me how to keep her container gardens in top shape all summer long. Of course I mentioned the usual tasks: proper watering, regular fertilizing, and deadheading, at which point she looked at me blankly. I explained that deadheading was the removal of the spent flowers and pinching off these dead blooms would allow the plant to put energy into fresh growth and more flowers, instead of seed production.
Resilience, thy name is goutweed
Confession – I have a goutweed problem. Like many gardeners, I wrestle annually with this invasive perennial, but I don’t think I’m winning. In fact, I probably didn’t take it quite as seriously as I should have when I first noticed it growing in a corner of the garden about four years ago. It took mere weeks for that tiny patch to double in size and it’s now conquered three areas of my yard. After watching its steady progression in my garden, I realized last summer, that I needed to get serious about getting rid of it.
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Vegetables for shade: Niki’s top picks!
In a perfect world, we’d all have an ideal spot for our veggie gardens with deep, rich soil, protection from strong winds, and at least 8 to 10 hours of sunlight per day. I don’t know about you, but that certainly doesn’t describe my own garden, and each year, nearby trees cast more and more shade over several of my veggie beds. Yet, with a little planning and proper crop selection, I’ve learned that there are plenty of vegetables for shade and that a low light site can produce as generously as one with full sun.
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3 small trees for the landscape
Bigger isn’t always better. It might be a cliche, but it’s one that certainly applies to trees. Though mature oaks and maples are gorgeous, sometimes there isn’t room for a sixty-foot tall hardwood in the garden. If you’re looking for a few small trees for your landscape, here are three great choices.
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Viburnum pruning: Early summer is time to prune spring-blooming shrubs
As soon as their flowers fade, it’s time for azalea, rhododendron, chokecherry, lilac, weigela, forsythia, and viburnum pruning. These spring-blooming shrubs produce their flowers on the previous year’s growth. Pruning them too late in the season could mean accidentally removing next year’s developing flower buds. If you are unsure of when to prune a particular flowering shrub, a good rule of thumb is always to prune immediately after flowering.
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Container garden ideas: Inspiration to put together your pots
Looking for container garden ideas? We thought we’d take this opportunity to show you a few of our favorite container combos. Jessica’s are shady superstars, Niki’s include touchable textures, and Tara’s pots feature a combo of food and flowers. We’ve also included some links to even more inspiration for sun and shade.
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