Garden Center Blog

rock around the christmas tree

Before I started working at a garden center, late autumn could be a bit depressing. When colder mornings and cloudier skies are combined with leaves falling and perennials withering, I felt more than a twinge of sadness. But not anymore. From design plans and buying...

light up the darkness

Now that Daylight Savings Time has had us all resetting our clocks, the shortening of each day as we head toward the Winter Solstice becomes more and more apparent. The term winter solstice marks the day when the earth’s axis tips us, and the rest of the Northern...

light the winter gloom

I love the bustle of the winter holidays. If I regret taking on extra projects, the sight of family faces around the table at Thanksgiving makes all of the work worthwhile. You can use all kinds of things to decorate for the holidays-live plants, foraged stems, fruits...

fall for autumn clean-up

The crisp, white frost that we’ve seen on our lawns a couple of times is a sure sign that the planting season is waning. If you have the energy, you don’t have to put away your wheelbarrow, rakes and shovels yet. There are lots of important tasks to accomplish in the...

hola la nina

Wow. We’re more than halfway through October and though some outlying locations have seen low temps close to freezing, we haven’t experienced a killing frost in any of the in-town areas! The old saying goes “No frost until after the full moon in October.” The long...

to LED or not to LED

There’s no snow forecasted in our immediate future! If fact, the predicted temperatures could be considered balmy. Spring-like. Lovely. So why is this this putting us in a Christmas state of mind? Because it’s a perfect time to add some tree lighting to this weekend’s...

a little something fishy

Despite the warm days we’ve experienced, the night temperatures are cooling and leaves are beginning to color. And did you know that the average date for the first trace of snow is October 16th? Yikes! Colder weather is certainly on its way making it time to get your...

time to take a breath

At long last. It’s time to take a deep breath because a lot of the physical work, and often frenetic pace of the growing season is winding down. Even though the warm weather means that there is still raking to be done, not having a million things to accomplish in the...

trick your bulbs

Let’s start by saying that the word forcing may sound like a lot of work. It really isn’t. What you’re doing is tricking a bulb into thinking that winter is over and it’s time to flower. You could call it a little sleight of hand. And you reap the rewards of spring...

fall is for planting

Now that we’re getting ready to turn the calendar page from September to October, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Cooler temps. Lower humidity. And so many other reasons to love fall! But a gardener’s work is never done. Let’s start by acknowledging...
if at first…

if at first…

written by Lisa Briggs
So many of you planted fruits and vegetables again this spring and we hope that you’ve been happy with the results. After all, there are few things more delicious then a tomato eaten right off the vine. And you may find that you’ve got some empty spots where spring crops have been harvested.

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the late summer seesaw

the late summer seesaw

written by Lisa Briggs
Seesawing temperatures are one clue that summer is on the wane. Long-range weather forecasters predict that we can expect more moderate temperatures this weekend through the end of the month, giving us lots of time to plant some fall veg and late blooming annuals.

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and the heat goes on

and the heat goes on

written by Lisa Briggs
It sure has been a sultry summer. Fireflies light the warm evenings and cicadas and crickets sing us to sleep. It’s a fact, sad but true though, that summer is winding down. The season of extended days never seems long enough, but it’s time for gardeners everywhere to reap what they have sown.

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butterflies are free!

butterflies are free!

written by Lisa Briggs
The hot, dry weather that is typical of late July, early August can be hard on your garden plants. And since this season’s July and August heat began in May, our plants may be having an especially difficult time establishing and thriving.

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grow your own and share!

grow your own and share!

written by Lisa Briggs
The popularity of vegetable gardening shows no signs of plateauing, and that makes your goal of eating in a more seasonal and local way easier than ever. Growers are introducing lots of new, and older but new to you varieties.

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what’s a gardener to do?

what’s a gardener to do?

written by Lisa Briggs
No one wants to be the first to say it, but here we go. The Solstice was a couple weeks ago and even though we are still under the spell of the dog days, astronomically summer is on the wane.

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can we garden for the birds?

can we garden for the birds?

written by Lisa Briggs
It’s hard to imagine a yard without our fine feathered friends. A key to getting birds to linger in your landscape is to give them what they want – food, water, nesting materials and cover.

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rain, rain, don’t go away

rain, rain, don’t go away

Mid-summer is an especially nice time to start a garden journal. Your what-to-do-in-the-garden-today lists have shortened and everything is just so beautiful. It can be helpful to make notes of particular diseases or pests that may haunt your yard year after year....

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