Fall evokes thoughts of crisp, cool air, geese flying overhead, and leaves crunching underfoot. Capture the spirit of autumn with an inviting display of plants near the doorway of your home. Your display can be as simple or fancy as you like, start with a basic potted container, and then add-on decorative accents.
Author Archives: Hampton
Choose Well To ensure attractive healthy annuals all season, choose full, well branched plants with good foliage color and – on flowering annuals – an abundance of buds. Don’t go for the biggest plants or most open blooms, these are more likely to be leggy and burned out too soon. If the latter is all […]
Late winter into early spring is when we crave fresh growth, a bit of color…some sign that spring is really returning!! Swelling buds on Pussy Willow and dainty Snowdrop blooms – which might be overlooked or scoffed at if amongst the lushness of summer plant life – bring excitement, praise and hope! These are soon followed […]
Benefits of Mulching Long before modern day use as a purely decorative element, mulch had an established history of benefitting plants, soil and gardeners. This is still its highest calling. A good layer of beneficial mulch can reduce stress on plants by regulating soil temperatures and reducing moisture loss and competition from weeds. In the […]
Landscape Calculator for mulch, stones, plants, etc. created by professional landscape contractors. Pest I.D. for Vegetables. Clear Insect photos, descriptions, damage details and management suggestions. Plants best suited for Pollinators in your region. Zip code search tool courtesy of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign. Leads to full guidebooks for specific regions. Pollinators list on […]
Hot, bold hues and diversified shades of foliage are all the rage. From Tangerine Tango, the new Pantone color of the year, to rich jewel tones galore, make this seasons’ garden space your own tropical paradise. Dramatic foliage plants such as Black Lace™ Elderberry or ‘Black Magic’ Colocasia help create that relaxed island feel. Plant […]
Upright (thriller, vertical) plants add vertical interest and a sense of height to planting arrangements, making them more lively and dynamic. Mounding (filler, anchor) plants are used to create stability in planting arrangements. They bring a sense of balance to even the boldest combinations. Trailing (spiller, spreading) plants are the final “accessory” in planting arrangements. […]
The mere presence of a lone Peace Lily tucked in the corner of the living room is nice. But, with a bit more thought and effort regarding placement, arrangement and interaction with houseplants, benefits similar to those received from being outdoors in nature can be achieved. Of course, this is all based on having more […]
For the Lawn • Apply lime to lawns to raise pH. A 50# bag of lime will raise lawn pH about .5 point per 1000 sq ft. • Apply fall lawn fertilizer at this time. This can be done around the same time as your lime application. • Re-seed areas damaged by grubs with insect […]
Are you overloaded with new ideas for perennial beds and borders after visiting friends or public display gardens? Seen lots of unfamiliar and interesting new plants at the nursery? If so, fall is an excellent time to prepare new beds for planting now or in the spring.