Early Summer Newsletter
HELLO!
Many people are just getting started on their gardens and flower beds.  It’s a great time to plant.  We still have a great selection and with many sales going on, your dollar will stretch even further.  Now may be the time to step back and see if you have any open spots that need some color.  Need instant color for a graduation party, wedding or family gathering?  Try a planter or container garden.  A great idea if you’re a perennial grower is to stop by the garden center every few weeks and see what is blooming.  This is a great way to keep continual color in your perennial flower beds.
Remember to keep an eye out for insects and disease on your flowers and vegetables.  If you see any problems-stop them early-they won’t go away on their own.  We carry a large variety of organic and chemical products to help with most problems that come up.  Not sure what it is-ask us-we can help you find the best product for you that fits your lifestyle.   Usually, you will need to apply a few times through the growing season.  Prevention is the best solution.

ANNUALS

Love the look of those European bouquets you see in magazines-Try growing your own.  With just a few different types of flowers added to your garden, you can have continual bouquets to set in your house or office all summer long.  They also smell great.  Here are a few ideas-but usually anything that has a long stem and holds its flower longer than a day will work:
Zinnia
Dahlia
Snapdragons
Cosmos
Victorian Blue Salvia
Heliotrope
Gaura
Angelonia
Rudbeckia
Phlox
Pentas
Liatris
Nemesia
Gerbera
Grasses
Gaillardia
Coneflower
Lavender

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PERENNIALS
How do you get that beautiful Clematis you see in neighbors yards or in the magazines?  A few helpful hints will get you on your way.  Pruning tends to be the most puzzling question.  The fact is, clematis will survive, and even bloom, with no pruning.  But with the right pruning, it will grow and bloom more vigorously.  Timing is important:  Don’t prune in the fall.  Let your clematis stay unpruned and dormant until spring.  You’ll also need to know which pruning group your clematis is in:
A, B or C (sometimes called 1,2 & 3).
The tag on the plant should tell you.  If not, just watch it grow for a year.  Pay attention when it blooms, notice weather it blooms on woody stems that survived the winter, or new stems from this year.
Group A or 1:  Spring flowering-only prune if overgrown and do it right after flowering.
Group B or 2:  Mid-season flowering-generally the large flowered types.  Prune out spindly or dead shoots.  Older plants benefit from a hard-pruning to 12” from ground to train new growth.
Group C or 3:  Late-season flowering-Always prune to 12”  in early spring.

VEGETABLES
Not much of a gardener but would love some fresh produce during the summer?  It’s not too late to try vegetable container gardening.  Many new “compact” varieties have been developed over the past few years.  We carry them both in plant and seed form.
Just use a soil that has good drainage and plant what you like.  Some suggestions are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, pole beans, and lettuce.  Try adding a few herbs in as well to make fresh salsa.  Basil, cilantro, chives and parsley all do well.  Just be careful to not over water the container.  Allow soil to dry out to the touch between waterings.  Keep an eye out for any disease or insects that may attack your plants.  Normally, container gardens are less likely to see a lot of insect and disease due to them being away from the ground.  Pick vegetables as them become ready to promote new growth and continued harvest throughout the summer.  Enjoy!!!

GARDEN TIPS
You probably already deadhead at least to get rid of spent flowers.  But there are other reasons, too.  You can prolong the bloom time or even get a second flowering out of many plants.  Others will reseed all over the place if you don’t keep their spent flowers picked off.  Some plants will need just a light pruning, such as snipping off each pod as it fades.  Other require a little more.  Perennials can withstand a hard pruning when done flowering to promote new fresh growth and sometimes even a second blooming period.  It usually only takes a few days for the plant to look “ok” again.  We do this on a regular basis with our plants to keep them in prime condition. 
To get more information on deadheading or for a specific plant:  visit online-www.gardengatemagazine.com under the online extra section.  Or, just ask us and we will be happy to demonstrate the correct way to deadhead the plants that you own.



SUPER SALE
GOING ON NOW

50% OFF ALL ANNUALS
Including Baskets and Planters

30% OFF ALL PERENNIALS TREES AND SHRUBS

We have a great selection to choose from!