Blog

If you’re thinking about a creating monarch butterfly garden, you’re in good company. There’s a lot of buzz in gardening circles around the topic of pollinator support, and monarch gardens are one way to bring beauty and wonder into your landscape. Plants that attract Monarch butterflies are more readily available than ever before due to heightened awareness of our responsibility to maintain a healthy planet. Many of the plant selections for your monarch butterfly garden will be labeled as such, making monarch gardens as easy as 1-2-3. 1: Find a sunny spot. This can be as large or small as your gardening area allows, from a pot on the front steps, balcony, or even driveway, to a section of your existing flower bed or vegetable garden. Container gardening is great for butterfly gardens, either in a soft-sided pot or instant raised bed. So don’t worry if you don’t have a big yard! Plants that attract monarch butterflies are sun-lovers, just like the monarchs. 2: Select your nectar-producing plants. Butterflies have a real sweet tooth. They need lots of sugary nectar to fuel their high metabolism and their incredibly long migration. Monarch gardens need to be full of pinks, blues, purples, and reds, as these are the colors of flowers that attract monarch butterflies. Why? Because bees can’t see the color red, there is less competition for the nectar. Cool, huh? Some great choices are pentas, liatris, salvias, petunias, purple coneflower, cosmos, and zinnias. 3: Don’t forget the next generation! Host plants are necessary for monarch caterpillars to become monarch butterflies. Not only does a monarch butterfly garden need the right plants to feed the monarchs, it needs to have the right plants for next year’s butterflies. When the adult monarch visits your monarch gardens, she will be looking for some milkweed to lay her eggs. Milkweed, also known as Asclepius, is the only plant the monarch caterpillar will eat, so plant plenty. These hungry, hungry caterpillars can strip a milkweed plant in a day. Check out the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge where you can register your monarch butterfly garden. Be one in a million!

Red, sweet, juicy strawberries are the definitive taste of summer. Not only does June kick off the summer season, it’s also the month when most strawberries hit the market. So what do you do when your craving for strawberry shortcake or strawberry mojitos hits the roof? Harvest those beautiful, organic strawberries you had the foresight to plant just a few short months ago. 5 Strategies for Sweet Success: 1. Growing strawberries in containers is one of the easiest ways to ensure success. Strawberries thrive in lots of sun, but also need consistent water and loose, rich, soil for excellent drainage. It’s far, far easier to provide these ideal conditions when you start by planting strawberries in containers. 2. It’s oh-so-simple to learn how to grow strawberries in a pot. In fact, learning how to grow strawberries in pots is so easy, even brown-thumbs can enjoy a summer harvest. Select a pot or container with enough room to plant your desired number of strawberry plants, or “crowns” as they are sometimes called. Position them approximately six inches from the center of one plant to the center of the next. For the greatest yield, a shallow container with a wide surface area is the best choice. Soft-sided, instant raised beds are a great choice for these shallow-rooted beauties. 3. A great benefit to planting strawberries in containers, is that these gems are perennial. That means your strawberries will come up year after year, and even multiply by putting out new, little plants on runners – long stems that attach the baby plant to the original. When the roots are well established, clip the runner and transplant your new strawberries into a second container. It’s just one more reason growing strawberries in containers is a winner— you get delicious berries and new plants for free! 4. Oops…your lease is up! When you’re growing strawberries in pots, you never have to worry about leaving your hard work and money behind. Just pick them up and take them along for the ride. Perennial strawberries work even if your life is a bit like a rolling stone. Already in your forever home? Planting strawberries in containers lets you move them as your sun and shade patterns change, or if you simply want to tweak your garden design. Finally, pick strong, healthy plants as soon as you see them in local garden centers. They’ll get a head start when you plant them in good quality soil, an aerated container, and provide a moist, but not wet, growing environment. A layer of straw mulch keeps your strawberries off the soil, and an inch or so of new compost next year will enrich your strawberries in containers for another sweet season.

Are the dog days of August getting you down? Just the thought of fall garden crops can be refreshing! Figuring out what vegetables to plant in August is a piece of cake. Your county extension office has easy-to-follow lists and tips for fall garden crops. If the office is nearby, drop in. If not, you can find online information to help you decide what vegetables to plant in August. Or, just read the back of your seed packets! They have specific guidelines on which plants are the best choices for fall vegetable gardens. https://youtu.be/3Jwajv6NpOI Planting a fall vegetable garden allows your seeds to germinate in the warm soil of late summer and then to cool off for a long, productive growing season. While choices vary by climate, some of the vegetables to plant in August work for most parts of the country. Any spring veggies that popped out when the temperatures climbed are good candidates when deciding what vegetables to plant in August. Create your dream fall vegetable garden with lettuce and other delicate greens such as bok choy and spinach that thrive in cooler temperatures. These varieties make fresh, welcome fall garden crops, along with radishes and micro-greens. They germinate quickly, so they can be re-seeded over a period of weeks for a continuous supply. Carrots, parsnips, and turnips are great choices for vegetables to plant in August. Look for some fun, funky colors in these traditional veggies. They’ll get an early start, then grow and sweeten as the temperatures drop. In fact, they can often stay in the ground all winter in milder climates, continuing to produce well into the spring. Any of the cole crops—broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are great fall garden crops. In some climates, fall and winter are the only seasons to get good results with these species. So, harvest that salsa garden and scope out your seed catalogues with a cool drink. Choose the best vegetables to plant in August in your neck of the woods, and pick your favorite fall garden crops. A fresh start is right around the corner. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying fresh produce and that feeling of satisfaction that comes with a beautiful, delicious fall vegetable garden.

Water, water, everywhere – but what do your plants really need? How, when, and where to water—along with how much – are eternal questions for every gardener. The ‘how much’ will vary from plant to plant, but the how, when, and where are fairly universal. Where – No doubt the most efficient and healthy approach to garden irrigation is delivering water straight to your plant’s root zone. The choice between an in-ground watering system or overhead sprinklers will have huge impact on your results. Overhead vegetable garden irrigation wastes water and sets you and your plants up for a world of hurt. Alternative methods, like micro-head sprayers are an excellent alternative, delivering water to the root zone efficiently. When – Watering foliage, flowers, and fruits in the mid-day sun risks burning your plants. Leaving your plants wet overnight can lead to mildew and other diseases. A little work and investment on the front end of your project will pay off big time in the heat of the summer and in the peak growing season. How – A drip system or micro-head spray is the way to go when planning your garden irrigation. Not only will a well-planned system save time and money, it will provide the moisture your plants need – how, when, and where they need it. Roots are the primary way plants can absorb and deliver water. Adequate watering leads to thriving fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Container gardeners can also get great benefits from a micro-head system. It allows you to put one little spray head into each pot, simplifying your container gardening tremendously. Mirco-head sprayers eliminate the need to tote watering cans, and you won’t have to hand water with a hose for long periods. Each container can have custom garden irrigation, leading to bigger, better, beautiful plants. Lots of kits will help you install irrigation for vegetable gardens and provide irrigation tips and advice to boot. Most are packaged to allow plenty of customization and easy add-ons – like timers – to ensure your vegetable garden irrigation is a perfect fit.

A shady spot can provide a soothing and enticing garden, especially in the heat of the summer. There are plenty of shade perennials and annuals that will give you all the color and texture you dream about. So hang a hammock and consider some of these colorful shade loving perennials: A is for Astilbe… This colorful perennial has fern-like, lacy foliage, and a plume of flowers in white, pink, salmon, and other shades of red. Beautiful in groups, they give height, color, and a soft billowing foliage through the spring, summer, and fall. B is for Brunnera… With beautiful, heart-shaped leaves in various shades of green, silver, and white, this spring perennial is topped with sprays of tiny, sky-blue flowers held on delicate stems above the low cluster of leaves. It’s a great shade perennial for the front of the garden, where the leaves will really shine. C is for Coleus… A colorful shade perennial in warmer zones, and easily rooted annual in others, coleus has an unbelievable range of striking color combinations in a seemingly infinite number of patterns. Lime green, dark green, pink, purple, white, and fuchsia swirl through the leaves. And a spike of lavender or white flowers appear from time to time throughout spring, summer, and fall. And for Columbine… A mountain native, this shade loving perennial shines with delicate,scalloped leaves. Its tall, airy stems are topped with flowers in a multitude of pastel colors. D is for Dicentra… The old-fashioned Bleeding Heart your grandmother planted. Unusual heart-shaped flowers dangle from delicate stems in the spring, and ferny foliage persists until fall. Some newer varieties have brilliant chartreuse foliage that really stands out in a garden of shade loving perennials. E is for Elephant Ears… Gigantic leaves stand tall above colorful perennials, providing great height, a tropical feel, and a dramatic appeal. Perennial in warmer zones, elephant ears provide a tropical touch to your garden of colorful and shade loving perennials. In cooler climates, they’re easily lifted and replanted the next year. This easy primer is just the beginning of the combinations, colors, and textures your shade garden needs. Heck, we all know F is for ferns!

The long, hot days of summer can bring the greatest rewards from your container-grown summer plants. The difference between summer plants for pots that are stunners instead of bummers can be summed up in these do’s and don’ts: 1. The right plants for the right place: Good summer plants for pots that receive four or more hours of full sun include ornamentals like coneflowers, cosmos, pentas, cannas, salvias, zinnias and periwinkles. Shade-loving ornamentals include impatiens, hostas, begonias, astilbe, foxgloves, and ferns. Edible summer plants for the garden, or containers, include tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, basil, squash, and corn. There’s no use planting sugar snap peas in the summer in most parts of the country. It’s just too hot. Garden centers will have the veggies and herbs you want at the right time of year, so if you don’t see lettuce on the racks, it’s not the right time to plant it. 2. Food and Water: Learning how to take care of plants in the summer can be easy, as long as you remember that the sun, heat, and wind will speed up your plants’ metabolism. That means providing plenty of nutrients and water to keep them looking their best while yielding the most fruit and flowers. Sweet, juicy tomatoes, brilliant and abundant blossoms, tender squash, and crisp cucumbers all need adequate water and plenty of nutrients to keep going strong all summer long. Summer plants for containers are even greedier for nutrients and water, but since you can provide great soil conditions and easily monitor the moisture in a container, they can yield even greater results. Different plants have different water needs, so when to water plants in the summer can be worth a bit of research. For example, many herbs like a drier, leaner soil, while tomatoes like plenty of nutrients and water. Impatiens are well-known water hogs, while coneflowers will manage in drier conditions. There’s no better way to know when to water your plants in the summer than getting down and dirty. Stick your finger in the soil, to check the moisture level. What seems like a great summer rain storm can produce surprisingly little water. 3. Home Sweet Home: If you have terrific soil and tons of room, summer plants in the garden will thrive in the ground. You will still need to feed and water consistently, and according to instructions on your nutrients, but your water requirements may be a little less. If you have poor soil, limited space, invasive grass, tree roots, in-ground pests, or a multitude of other obstacles to overcome, summer plants for containers can be a gardener’s dream come true. Fabric aeration containers can provide air root pruning, light weight portability, and releases heat keeping your summer plants’ roots cool and healthy. As your trees leaf out, or the angle of the summer sun changes, shade and sun patterns will change, and summer plants in pots can be moved to adapt to changing conditions.

Not every gardener is blessed with full sun, making vegetable gardening challenging. But, by choosing shade tolerant vegetables, it’s possible to harvest plenty of fresh, homegrown produce. Different levels of shade Before you begin experimenting with vegetables that grow in the shade, it’s important to understand there are different levels of shade, and each level has a different degree of productivity. Dappled shade occurs beneath deciduous trees, where the sunlight filters through the foliage. This is the best canopy for shade tolerant vegetables, as they’ll still receive occasional light during the day, depending on the sun’s movement. Partial shade occurs when a garden receives sun for only a portion of the day, perhaps in the morning or afternoon. It’s quite possible to grow a decent vegetable garden in partial shade, just be careful to select the right kinds of shade loving vegetables. Full shade conditions, such as on the north side of a structure or under heavy tree cover, make growing even shade tolerant vegetables difficult. In deep shade such as this, gardening is a struggle. 7 vegetables that grow in the shade Most vegetables require a minimum of six to eight hours of sun. This is especially true of vegetables that produce fruits, such as tomatoes, squash, and peppers. But, the veggies listed below have a high shade tolerance, and you’ll get good yields, even with only two or three hours of sun. 1. Lettuce For the best results from this shade tolerant vegetable, harvest leaves in the baby stage, while the plants are young. If full-sized heads are desired, stick with loose-leaf types. 2. Kale One of the most nutritious shade loving vegetables around, kale thrives in just a few hours of sunlight per day. Kale is also extremely cold tolerant, making it a great crop for fall harvests. 3. Carrots Though their roots will be slightly smaller than carrots grown in full sun, and they’ll take a few weeks longer to mature, it is possible to grow a decent crop of carrots with minimal sunlight. 4. Chard Swiss chard produces edible leaves and stalks all summer long. Don’t expect huge leaves in the shade, but tender baby chard leaves are amply produced with only three hours of sun per day. 5. Beets Another shade tolerant root crop, beets produce small – but delicious and tender – roots in the shade. In areas with less than four hours of sun per day, focus on growing beets for their greens, not roots. 6. Arugula This peppery salad green doesn’t just tolerate shade, it thrives in it. Because arugula bolts when the weather warms, growing it in shade extends the harvest. 7. Radish A quick-growing veggie that’s ready to harvest in a mere 30 days, radish is one of the best vegetables to grow in shade. In dappled shade, this early crop is ready to harvest even before the leaves emerge from the trees.

Looking for a homemade garden idea that’s both easy-to-grow and delicious? Look no further than a salsa garden! What is a salsa garden? Theme gardens are wildly popular these days. They are unique gardens where all the elements support a single theme. Folks are planting cocktail gardens, fairy gardens, tea gardens, and salad gardens like never before. As you might guess, all the plants growing in a salsa garden are used to make one of the world’s most favorite condiments: Salsa! Salsa garden plants Traditional plant choices for a salsa garden include: Tomatoes Jalapeño or chili peppers Onions Cilantro Tomatillos But remember, depending on the ingredients in your favorite salsa recipe, you can also add beans, corn, garlic, and lots of other ingredients to your salsa garden. Where to locate your salsa garden Because all the vegetables used to make salsa thrive in full-sun conditions, locate your salsa garden where it will receive at least six to eight hours of full sun every day. Planting your salsa garden in a fabric aeration container makes it easy to maximize available sunlight; you can move these lightweight pots around to follow the sun, if necessary. Even gardeners with a lot of shade can successfully grow a salsa garden when using these containers. Planting a salsa garden A good-sized salsa garden, with multiple plants, will need a pot that holds at least 20 gallons of growing medium to get the best yields. Keep in mind, however, that containers capable of holding a larger volume of soil often grow bigger, more productive plants. Come planting time, fill your pot with a blend of 40% high quality potting soil and 60% compost. Salsa garden layout Once you’ve settled on what size salsa garden you’re going to grow, plan its layout. Lay the plants out on top of the soil to review the design before doing any planting. Keep taller plants, such as tomatoes, at the center of the pot to keep them from shading out smaller plants. Place the mid-sized salsa vegetables, like tomatillos and peppers, around the tall plant at the center. Then, place the shortest salsa garden plants, such as the onions and cilantro, around the outer edge of the pot. Once everything is properly placed, plant the garden and water it in well. Caring for your salsa garden Your salsa garden will need to be regularly irrigated throughout the summer months, especially during warm weather. Stake or cage tomatoes, and provide support to peppers and tomatillos, if necessary. Harvest your salsa vegetables on a regular basis to keep them productive. Feel free to share your favorite salsa recipe with us in the comment section below.

By definition, a plant fertilizer is either a chemical or a natural material added to the soil or growing media to increase its fertility and aid in plant growth. Understanding how best to feed your plants increases plant vigor and results in higher yields. The best natural fertilizer for plants There’s been a major shift in thinking over the past decade when it comes to how to fertilize plants. We’ve moved away from the idea of “feeding our plants” and toward the idea of “feeding our soil.” When we focus on feeding our soil and all the life contained in it, we provide a more balanced nutrient source to our plants. Science has shown us that fostering healthy, biologically active soil is the best way to encourage hearty plant growth. The types of fertilizers we choose can play a huge role in supporting this concept, if we choose them wisely. When shopping for plant fertilizers, look for ones that promote biological activity and supply organic matter to the soil, rather than ones made from fertilizer salts synthesized in a laboratory. Naturally sourced fertilizers feed the soil microbes who in turn release the nutrients contained in them to our plants, feeding plants the way nature intended. Whether you’re gardening in the ground or in fabric aeration containers, compost is the best natural fertilizer for plants. Its high organic matter content is an excellent food source for soil microbes; it improves soil structure, and contains a myriad of macro- and micronutrients essential for plant growth. Work one to two inches of compost into garden soil before planting, or fill fabric aeration containers with a 60/40 blend of compost and high-quality potting soil to best support plant growth. Other organic fertilizer for plants There are a number of easy-to-use natural granular fertilizers on the market that also do an excellent job of feeding your soil. These types of fertilizers are derived from assorted combinations of naturally sourced materials. Look for an ingredient list on the fertilizer’s label to learn more about the product. There are four main sources of natural fertilizers. 1. Plant materials Fertilizer ingredients such as corn gluten meal, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, and cottonseed meal fit into this category. 2. Manure materials You may see pelletized poultry manure, dehydrated cow manure, cricket manure, bat guano, and worm castings on the label of a natural fertilizer. 3. By-products Fertilizer components found in this category include things like fish emulsion, bone meal, feather meal, blood meal, and crab meal. 4. Mined minerals Organic fertilizers for plants may also include mined minerals, such as greensand, rock phosphate, crushed limestone, and sulfate of potash. Using natural plant fertilizers containing a combination of these ingredients is another terrific way to feed your soil, encourage plant growth, and help achieve higher yields, particularly when compost applications aren’t an option. The right types of fertilizers, especially when partnered with fabric aeration containers, result in a garden that’s nothing short of spectacular.

Properly caring for your trees throughout the summer months results in a happy, healthy landscape. Whether it’s tree trimming, pest inspections, or watering trees, summer is the perfect time to follow these six tree care tips. 1. Mulching: If you didn’t get to mulch your trees this spring, it’s not too late. Mulching trees is an important step because it cuts down on weed competition, stabilizes soil temperatures, and helps conserve soil moisture. Mulch trees with three to four inches of shredded hardwood mulch. The proper method of mulching trees is to form a donut shape around the base of the tree; do not mound mulch against the trunk as it promotes disease and insect issues. 2. Irrigation: During the hot, dry weather of summer, watering trees may be necessary, especially if your trees are young or newly planted. Trees need an average of one inch of water per week. When watering trees, deeper, less-frequent applications of water promote better root growth than shallow, more-frequent irrigation. 3. Fertilization: Another step in caring for summer trees is making sure they have ample nutrition to support leaf and shoot growth, and fend off pests and diseases. Trees growing in high-stress areas, such as urban or suburban environments, often have greater fertilization needs than trees growing in natural areas. 4. Pruning: Tree pruning is as much art as it is science. While the majority of tree trimming should occur during the dormant season, there are a few times when summer tree pruning is necessary. First, anytime there are diseased, dead, or damaged branches present, they should be pruned out for both the health of the tree and safety reasons. Second, trees that flower in the spring are best pruned in the early summer, as soon as they finish blooming. This list includes magnolias, flowering cherries, and lilacs. And remember, large trees are best pruned by professionals. 5. Tree pest inspections: Examine trees for pest infestations on a regular basis throughout the summer. While the vast majority of insects are not harmful to trees, discovering any potential tree pest problems early gives you a leg up on controlling them. Pests such as magnolia scale, bagworms, Japanese beetles, aphids, and spider mites are active during the summer months. These tree pests can be identified with help from your local cooperative extension service as well as certified arborists. 6. Storm damage prevention: Summer is the season for thunderstorms and heavy winds. To protect your property from falling tree limbs, consult with an arborist to assess the safety of your large trees. Cabling or bracing trees with weak limbs, or removing weak limbs completely, may be necessary. Use these six summer tree care tips to keep your trees healthy and growing strong.

Many of North America’s pollinators, including over 4,000 species of native bees, are facing dramatic population declines due to habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and various parasites and pathogens. To help these valuable insects, gardeners across the continent are creating pollinator gardens designed to offer these creatures more of the resources they need to survive. What is a Pollinator Garden? Pollinator gardens are areas of the landscape dedicated specifically to supporting pollinators by providing them with nectar, pollen, and habitat. Plants are selected for either their pollinator-friendly flowers or their hollow stems, in which many small native bees take shelter and nest. You don’t need a lot of space to create a habitat for pollinators. In fact, even just a small collection of pollinator-friendly plants attracts and encourages these important insects. But the more space you can dedicate to supporting pollinators, the better. Pollinators are responsible for one in every four bites of food we consume, and we need to do everything we can to help them. Farmers and gardeners with pollinator plantings often see a noticeable increase in the pollination rates of their crops. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQucWhY3VCk What Plants Are Best for Pollinators? Though the best pollinator garden plants will vary slightly from region to region, native plants are a good place to start. There’s an ever-increasing number of studies taking place to compare native and introduced plants regarding their fitness for pollinators. Early results indicate that when it comes to supporting native pollinators, native plants are among the best choices. Here’s a list of some excellent pollinator garden plants: Coreopsis New England asters New Jersey tea Penstemon Goldenrod Golden Alexanders Milkweed Ironweed Rudbeckia Mountain Mint Basswood Buttonbush Coneflower Cup plant Blanket flower Bee balm Hyssop Sunflowers (For more plant choices suited to your specific region, visit The Xerces Society’s website: http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/plant-lists/) Where to Place Your Pollinator Garden? When it comes to creating a pollinator garden, location is key. A site that receives a minimum of six hours of full sun per day is ideal. Because many of our smaller native bees find it difficult to fly on windy days, try to select locations that are sheltered from high winds. Vegetable growers should locate their pollinator garden plants inside the vegetable garden itself to encourage increased pollinator populations right where they’re needed the most. Interplant fruits and vegetables with pollinator-friendly flowers by tucking them in between crop rows and around the garden’s border. Pollinator-friendly Containers If you don’t have a lot of space to install a dedicated pollinator garden, consider growing pollinator garden plants in light-weight fabric containers. Not only do they lure in these insects, they also create a beautiful display of colors and textures. Plus, fabric containers are portable. They can be moved around to specific garden areas where increased pollinator numbers are desired. For example, moving a container filled with pollinator-friendly plants into the vegetable garden may help improve pollination for certain crops. Do your part by creating a pollinator garden that’s both resource-rich and beautiful. It’s both exceedingly interesting and fun. Also, it’s personally very rewarding knowing you’re helping endangered pollinators.

Raised bed gardening can’t be beat for its ease and efficiency, not to mention its ability to save gardeners time, space, and money. With little wasted space, raised beds are high-yielding and easy to maintain. The Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening Raised bed gardens don’t require as much effort as in-ground gardens. There’s no sod-stripping or deep tilling required to install a raised bed garden. And because raised beds are filled with high-quality soil, gardeners don’t have to deal with the same challenging soil issues that in-ground gardeners do, such as rocks or heavy clay soil. In general, raised bed gardening requires less time. If they’re properly planted and maintained, raised bed gardens seldom need to be weeded, nor do they need to be tilled every spring. Because the beds are not walked on and compacted, a light cultivation is all that’s needed. With raised beds, there’s no need to mulch pathways or navigate expansive rows to harvest and care for crops. Everything is at your fingertips. The Challenge The biggest stumbling block to raised bed gardening is the construction of the beds themselves. The idea of building costly wood frames, buying an expensive, pre-fab kit, or hauling in heavy stone or blocks to create the frames prevents many gardeners from growing in raised beds. The effort required to construct the beds themselves is all too often a limiting factor. But, there’s a simple way to get around this obstacle. The Solution Instead of taking the time to assemble frames, build your garden with light-weight fabric beds. Manufactured in different sizes and colors, fabric beds are an excellent way to have an affordable, productive, instant raised bed garden. Fabric raised beds keep roots well-aerated and provide the perfect level of drainage for garden plants. When filled with a blend of 50% compost, 25% high-quality potting soil, and 25% garden soil, they easily support a broad diversity of vegetables, and provide ample harvests with very little time and effort. What To Grow in Fabric Raised Beds Any vegetables that can be grown in the ground can also be grown in fabric raised beds. From root crops and leafy greens to tomatoes and beans, nearly every vegetable can be grown in these beds. What’s more, your fabric raised bed will produce higher yields so you have more fruits and vegetables throughout the season. Caring for Gardens Planted in Fabric Raised Beds Because they are above ground, raised beds tend to drain quickly, a trait that’s great for early spring plantings. Therefore, you will want to irrigate fabric raised beds religiously when the weather is hot and dry. Mulching fabric raised beds with a two-inch thick layer of straw or shredded leaves not only cuts down on watering needs, it also limits weeds and adds nutrients to the soil. Be sure to mulch beds soon after planting. Amend the soil in your fabric raised beds every spring by adding a few inches of quality compost. This yearly addition of organic matter revives the soil and feeds plants all season long. It’s not hard to see how fabric raised beds make easier than ever!

Even in cold climates, fig growing is easier than you think. Though this fruiting tree (Ficus carica) is native to the Middle East and Asia, it’s fast becoming a popular backyard fruit crop for gardeners across North America. Figs are prized for their succulent, honey-like flavor. How to Grow a Fig Tree Consider the Hardiness Gardeners in USDA hardiness zones 8-10 will find figs quite easy to grow outdoors, without any need for winter protection. But, if you garden in a climate where winter temperatures regularly dip below 10 degrees F, growing fig trees requires a bit more finesse. In these northern areas, figs need extra winter protection, and while you can go to the trouble of wrapping the tree with layers of blankets and tarps, a far easier way is to grow fig trees in fabric containers and overwinter them indoors. There are hundreds of different fig varieties, but if you’re growing them in a cold climate, begin by selecting a hardy, self-pollinating fig variety, such as ‘Chicago,’ ‘Brown Turkey,’ or ‘Celeste.’ Container Fig Growing Simplified Fabric aeration pots are the ideal containers for growing fig trees. Not only does the permeable fabric keep the soil well-aerated, it also encourages good root structure. Plus, the portability of lightweight fabric containers makes moving fig trees indoors for the winter a whole lot easier. While fig trees can be grown in smaller containers when they’re young, eventually each tree will require a 15-20 gallon container. This size container is ideal for fig growing because it promotes an ample root system without encouraging excessive top growth plus you can still move it around easily. Planting Fig Trees Figs prefer coarse, well-draining soil. Containers should be filled with 4 parts high-quality potting soil, 1 part coarse bark chips, and 1 part coarse sand. Plant fig trees to the same depth they were in their nursery pot. Caring for Fig Trees • Locate the pot where it receives a minimum of six hours of full sun per day. • Prune fig trees when dormant. Remove dead or crossing branches. To maintain a manageable size, prune back one-quarter of the plant’s total height each year. • Fertilize containerized figs with a light dressing of organic granular fertilizer each spring. • Containerized fig trees should be watered regularly. Overwintering Fig Trees Growing fig trees in cold climates means moving them indoors soon after autumn’s first frost. Choose a site, such as a garage, shed, or cellar, with temperatures between 20 and 50 degrees F. Fig trees do not require light when in dormancy, and they only need to be watered every six weeks. Upon spring’s arrival, slowly move the plant outdoors, gradually increasing its exposure to sun and weather extremes over the course of two or three weeks. Once the danger of frost has passed, move containerized figs outside for the rest of the growing season. Growing figs is one of gardening’s greatest pleasures. Enjoy this delicious, homegrown fruit by growing a fig tree of your own.

April showers bring May flowers, but that’s not always the case. Often times May and June bring severe weather and storms that can damage all your hard work. If your blooms are already full and bright, you can harvest them to enjoy indoors and save them from the harsh springtime weather. Start by cutting those beautiful peonies, mums, daisies and more. Then, strip the lower leaves to prevent them from being submerged in your vase where they will rot and create bacteria in the water. Make a fresh cut on the stem end, holding it underwater in the sink right before placing the bloom in a clean vase full of clean, room temperature water. Change your vase water daily to keep flowers fresh longer. What about those fruits and veggies? If your equally concerned with your fresh produce, it’s okay to pick them as many will continue to ripen indoors if picked before the storm. Just pick those tiny, tender peas, smaller greens, green beans and slightly green tomatoes right off the vine. After all, getting those mini fruits and veggies now are sure better than none at all! These delicate early produce can be your first taste of success, and more will set and mature long after the storm is passed. Whether you’re worried about those beautiful flowers in your front yard or concerned about saving those tasty fruits and vegetables, you can protect them all from the harsh weather that often comes in Spring. Don’t let the harsh elements ruin all your hard work!

Everybody knows the feeling– just as your tomatoes are looking great, a hail storm batters them. Weather is certainly one of the greatest factors influencing gardening success, and while we can’t control it, we can mitigate the damage at times by trying one of these methods to protect plants from the effects of extreme weather. 1. Think ahead. When you are locating your gardens and containers, spend some time determining sun and shade patterns in your yard. Know that you are placing the right plant in the right place to get your best results. Be sure sun lovers get enough sun and shady lovers are protected from the intense rays that can cause burns on the leaves and other damage. 2. Determine your prevailing winds. Just like watching your sun and shade patterns, be sure to research and observe your prevailing winds. Offer your plants some protection from frigid north winds early in the season, and hot drying winds in the summer. Look for places in your yard that might serve as a bit of a wind break like shrubs or along the sides of fences or buildings. 3. Move your containers. One big advantage of container planting is the ability to relocate them to shelter in the event of bad weather. Fabric pots are especially good in this regard because the containers are very light weight and durable. 4. Get creative with ways to protect your plants. Even putting a picnic table or chair over them will deflect lots of wind, rain and hail. Other ideas include inverting a large container, basket or trash can over the plant or planter. Be sure to weight these with something heavy like a brick or a piece of flagstone so the wind doesn’t blow it off causing further damage. 5. Secure the area. A well secured umbrella can help in a less severe rain storm. One peony nursery in Connecticut makes a practice of putting Chinese paper umbrellas over their blossoms. Even a fairly gentle spring storm can cause these beauties to shed their petals prematurely. 6. Build a mini hoop house. PVC pipe can be bent and stuck into the ground to provide a structure to attach a tarp or sheet to. Use binder clips to secure the covering to the PVC. This comes in handy if you want to get an early start by planting a covering with a translucent plastic, and as a way to secure shade cloth to protect your plants from harsh summer sun. A little investment and energy in this method can provide a win-win. 7. Use a light covering. Protect your plants from an early temperature drop in the spring or the fall with a light covering. Blankets, towels, sheets or horticultural frost blankets can be draped over tender flowers and crops and will do a great job protecting from an unseasonal evening low. Don’t despair. There are times when even your best efforts will be bested by Mother Nature. One great thing about gardening is that you can always try again.

Consumers in the U.S. spend 2 billion dollars on Mother’s Day plants and flowers every year. While fresh flowers are indeed a lovely gift, why not give Mom blooms she can enjoy for months, instead of just days? Living plants make terrific Mother’s Day gifts, and while you may be tempted to simply stop at the nursery and grab a hanging basket or potted hydrangea for Mom, she’ll appreciate a one-of-a-kind Mother’s Day planter built by you even more. Picking Plants for Mom While there are many Mother’s Day plant ideas, creating a planter composed of the plants she enjoys means you’re giving a tailor-made gift built especially for her. Here are a few great ideas for Mother’s Day plant combinations: • For moms who love cooking, make a container plant arrangement filled with culinary herbs like basil, thyme, and rosemary. • If mom’s into growing food, a container of fruit and vegetable plants is right up her alley. Partner an eggplant or pepper with some strawberry plants, or combine a patio tomato with basil and Swiss chard. • Are flowers more her style? Then pick a variety of flowering annuals in her favorite colors and pot them into a container together. • For hard-core gardening moms, make a container plant arrangement comprised of perennials she can eventually plant into her garden. Container Concerns Don’t want Mom to be a slave to her Mother’s Day plants all summer long? Then build your container combination in a fabric aeration pot, rather than a plastic or terra cotta container. With a fabric pot’s excellent aeration, Mom’s planter will grow quickly and fill the pot faster. It won’t become pot-bound and require excessive irrigation. Before planting, fill the container with a well-mixed 50/50 blend of high-quality potting soil and screened compost. This blend provides your Mother’s Day plants with both good drainage and a source of slow-release nutrients. Design Tips When planting Mom’s favorites into the container, it helps to keep a few things in mind. • Plant the tallest plants in the center so they won’t overshadow smaller plants and they’ll have plenty of room to grow. • Place low-growing plants around the edge, allowing them to cascade over the side. • Position mid-height plants around the tall plant at the center, essentially filling in the space around its base. Caring for Mother’s Day Container Plant Arrangements Once Mom receives her gift, share these five container gardening tips with her: 1. Keep the container well-watered. Hot summer weather requires daily watering. 2. For optimum growth, fertilize the container with a liquid, organic fertilizer, such as fish emulsion, twice per month. 3. Prune and pinch. If plants become unruly, don’t be afraid to give them a haircut. 4. Keep flowering plants deadheaded to generate more blooms. 5. If Mom’s container plant arrangement contains a tall or vining plant, train it to grow up a stake or trellis. Give Mom a living gift this year and make her Mother’s Day extra happy.

Intrigued by community gardens, but worried about getting in over your head? It can certainly seem daunting and ambitious, but thinking of it as “gardening in community” and taking it just one step at a time may make it easier to get started. Consider these three easy steps to jump start your spring planting: Step One: People • Gardening in community can be as simple as a small group of friends, neighbors, or colleagues who are interested in pooling resources and sharing the gardening experience with others. Nobody needs to be an expert. It’s more about enthusiasm and willingness to work than horticultural degrees. Tons of information is out there to help you succeed, and good gardeners learn by doing. Step Two: Places • You don’t need to have a giant fertile field, big equipment, and row after row of field crops to succeed. Think outside the box. Manage your expectations (and increase your odds of success) with container gardening. Driveways, parking lots, roof tops, vacant lots, you name it! Container gardening gives you complete control of your soil and watering. If it’s sunny, it works. Portable containers Smart Pots and Big Bag Beds give you the ultimate flexibility to manage your space for maximum yields, especially when there’s a wide variety of sizes that allow you to use every nook and cranny for planting. Step Three: Plants • Here comes the fun part! What do you like to eat? Visit your local garden center and see what’s available in young veggie starts and seeds. Do you want tons and tons of tomatoes for home grown, vine ripened summer salads and sandwiches? Add some peppers, cilantro and onions for a salsa garden and you have a dream kitchen garden—even if the only space you have is a friend’s driveway. Don’t forget herbs and a few flowers for the butterflies and bouquets. Now you’re living the good life!

Or rather, your soil. Whether you’re amending an in-ground area or improving a growing medium for your containers and raised beds, there is no substitute for good soil. And not just good soil, the best soil. Working on your soil may be a little less thrilling than aisles of fresh green plants and racks of brightly colored seed packets, but if you don’t get down and dirty first you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Compost is the best and most earth-friendly way to build a nutrient profile and soil structure that will yield the most bang for your buck. A great recommendation is to use a Compost Sak for early spring leaf clean up, but first, you’ll want to harvest the black, crumbly, and rich compost that has already been cooking in it. (See why some gardeners call it nature’s black gold?) Compost is what containers and beds need to set the stage for great results. You can spread this home-made, primo plant food around your perennial fruits and veggies, top dress your Smart Pots and Big Bag Beds, and then you’re ready to start the process over again. This season’s dark and damp spring leaves go back into the Compost Sak to start the cycle again. Gardeners dream, envision, and invest so much into turning those visions into reality. But no matter how diligently you prepare and tend, if you’ve hurried through that first, critical step—soil preparation—you’ll always be playing catch up.

Companion planting is the intentional partnering of two or more different plants for reasons that extend beyond aesthetics. One popular form of companion planting partners plants with the intent of deterring pest insects. This form of natural pest control is gaining in popularity as gardeners come to discover that including specific plant combinations in the garden may help combat certain pest issues. While many pest-deterring companion planting suggestions are more like old wives’ tales than scientific fact, there are a handful of companion planting techniques that have plenty of research to back them up. Still, even the partnerships proven only by hand-me-down knowledge may be worthwhile. At the very least, planting one plant next to another seldom proves detrimental to either partner; their partnership just might not send the pests packing as much as you’d hoped. Below, you’ll find four of our favorite, science-backed companion planting techniques for natural pest control. https://vimeo.com/163562119 Technique #1: Beneficial Insect Attracters One very useful companion planting technique involves partnering plant companions that attract pest-consuming beneficial insects to the area. For example, plant members of the carrot family, such as dill, fennel, Zizia, and cilantro, in the vegetable garden and allow them to come into flower. Their blooms are very attractive to the parasitic wasps, tachinid flies, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects that prey upon many common vegetable garden pests. The presence of these companion plants in the garden has the potential to naturally reduce pest populations. If you don’t have the space in your vegetable garden to include these plants, plant them in fabric aeration containers instead, and position the pots in or around the garden. Another example already in use on some farms, is partnering lettuce plants with sweet alyssum. The tiny flowers of sweet alyssum attract tiny parasitic wasps that use the aphids feasting on the lettuce to house and feed their developing young, leading to a dramatic reduction in aphid numbers. Sweet alyssum makes a great companion plant for any aphid-prone crop, including roses, fruit trees, and others. Technique #2: Intercropping Pests have an easier time locating host plants when there are a large number of them planted closely together. To make it harder for pests to find a particular host plant, the practice of intercropping can be very effective. To reap the benefits of this form of companion planting, intermingle different crops in your vegetable garden and include plenty of flowers and herbs with fragrant foliage, such as basil, onions, catmint, garlic, and tansy. The diverse array of plants found in an intercropped garden breaks up any monocultures and makes it harder for pests to find their host plants. Technique #3: Tansy and Catmint for Potatoes When it comes to plants that repel insects, here’s one specific companion planting partnership that’s definitely backed by science. The use of tansy and catmint in the potato patch is an effective way to deter Colorado potato beetles. A study conducted at the Rodale Institute Research Center in the 1990s concluded that planting tansy and catmint in the potato patch was between 58 and 100% effective in repelling Colorado potato beetles. If you don’t want to plant perennial tansy or catmint directly into the potato patch, you can plant them in fabric containers instead, and position the containers between rows of potatoes in your garden. Technique #4: Onions and Carrots Onions and carrots are another pair of plant companions with scientific backing. According to the University of Tennessee Extension Service, planting onions in and around your carrot crop significantly reduces the damage from carrot maggot flies. Natural pest control through companion planting may not solve all your pest problems, but it can certainly help you be a better gardener.

Vine-crops, such as melons, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and gourds, aren’t always well-behaved. A single, mature melon plant can cover up to a hundred square feet of garden real estate, and because many gardeners already find space at a premium, they might not be able to grow as many vine-crops as they’d like. It’s sad to think that these delicious vegetables are taken off the menus of many gardeners simply because they don’t have the space to grow them. Smart Pots can help! If you too find yourself in this situation, consider growing squash, cucumbers, and other vine-crops in fabric aeration containers, such as Smart Pots, instead of in the garden. Your efforts will result in high-yields, without the need to weed or mulch. And, most importantly, you’ll get lots of veggies without having to sacrifice a ton of precious space in the garden. Fabric aeration containers are ideal growing sites for vine-crops. They keep the roots well-aerated, and their porous nature prevents vine-crop roots from circling around in the pot and reducing plant vigor and growth. https://vimeo.com/163562123 Steps to vine-crop success 1. Most vine-crops require a minimum of six to eight hours of full sun for best performance. Position your fabric aeration containers where they’ll receive maximum sunlight. If you have limited sun exposure on your property, remember that fabric containers are lightweight and easy to move; simply drag or carry them from one spot to another to maximize the amount of light that reaches the vine-crops. 2. Pick the right pot size. Because most vine-crops produce a sizeable mass of roots, be sure to use an ample-sized Smart Pot to grow them. Growing squash plants in a tiny container is a recipe for disaster. Our Big Bag Bed is perfect for growing two to three plants, while the Big Bag Bed Jr. can support one or two vines. If you’re looking for something smaller, the Big Bag Bed Mini is just the right size for growing a single vine-crop as it is a 15-gallon container. If you’re looking to grow just one cucumber plant or a squash plant, a 5-gallon Smart Pot will be the perfect fit. The more plants you want to grow, the larger the necessary pot size will be. 3. For growing squash, cucumbers, melons, and others, fill the containers with a 60/40 blend of compost and high-quality potting soil, and plant the seeds directly into the container as soon as the danger of frost has passed. Most vine-crops do not like to be transplanted, though planting nursery-grown transplants is another option, if you don’t want to start from seed. 4. Grow up or grow out. When growing squash and other vine-crops in containers, decide whether you want the vines to grow up or grow out. Supporting vertical vine growth requires a bit more work on your part, but it’s a great way to limit the amount of space needed to produce a good crop. Erect a bamboo trellis in the pot, or locate your fabric aeration container at the base of an existing garden pergola, fence, or trellis, and train the vines to grow up onto it. Cucumber plantings can create a tunnel of vines over a walkway or other area by using a section of concrete reinforcement fencing bent into an arch and training the vines to grow over it. If you don’t want to go through the effort of trellising your vine-crops, simply allow them to ramble out of the Smart Pot and across the ground. They’ll take up more room than vertical growth, but there’s little effort required. 5. Maintain the vines and regularly harvest. Keep your growing squash plants and other vine-crops well-watered throughout the growing season. Large-fruited vine-crops, such as melons and pumpkins, require a lot of moisture for optimum yields. As the plants begin to fruit, keep the vines regularly harvested. Cucumbers, in particular, will continue to produce fruits for many weeks, as long as the cucumbers are picked on a daily basis.