August
8.28.09 - Time to reflect on your garden
Fall is just around the corner however summer is lingering for a little while longer. We can see evidence of this in our gardens & landscapes. Many of the summer flowers are at their peak & still look beautiful, while others look tired. It is the perfect time to evaluate the garden & make notes about what did well & what changes are needed in the future. In addition, take a few pictures so you can remember it. As they say a picture is worth many words. Notes might include plants that need to be replaced, others that may benefit from pruning earlier or staked. One might also note blooming habits, insect or disease issues, etc. These notes can be a simple or elaborate as you care to make them. They will serve as a guide for next year. As an example…a few notes I might make about my garden is to find a way to put a support system in place for my Annabelle Hydrangeas since this is the 3rd year in a row that they have fallen over as a result of a thunder storm. In addition, I struggled with Japanese beetles on my hibiscus & roses so next year I will treat for them systemically early in the season.
Through this evaluation process you may find areas of your landscape that need to be updated. Now is a great time for planting perennials, shrubs, & trees to get a head start for next year. Take advantage of late summer / early fall weather with cool nights & warm days to get them established as well as extra savings with our Fall Planting Sale. In addition, you can fill in & freshen up your gardens & containers with garden mums, asters, & flowering cabbage to keep your landscape looking its best.
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8.21.09 - From Chicago, With Love
Earlier this week Craig Graf & I were in Chicago, Illinois meeting with other garden centers from all over the United States. We were so impressed with the colorful flower plantings of perennials & annuals all over the city. In addition, they had beautiful street tree plantings & large landscaped areas with evergreens everywhere you looked. I had a new experience taking a water taxi ride where I saw gorgeous window boxes hanging on railings & walls along the route. In contrast to the vast areas of cement sidewalks, roads, & high rise office buildings beds of flowers & trees were a welcome sight. I have included a few pictures so you can see too.
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Ball Horticulture in West Chicago, Illinois was a stop on our tour where we visited various trial gardens. Ball Horticulture is an international seed & plant breeder & their current claim to fame that you will recognize is the development & marketing of Wave Petunias. It is fascinating to see 3 varieties of the same plant next to each other in a bed where you can make comparisons like which variety is taller or which variety had more blooms, etc. We were even introduced to a few new plant varieties & asked to suggest possible names for them. One of them was a coal black petunia (see picture) & the other was a new variety of impatiens. This was the first truly black flower (not dark purple) I have ever seen & we submitted the name “Midnight”. Both will be available in a few years.
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How does all this relate to your garden? It is just a glimpse into behind the scenes of the horticulture business. Plants are developed by breeders & then planted in trials for several years before they become available. This ensures that the plants will grow & bloom in your garden so you can be successful.
8.14.09 - Sit back and enjoy your garden, or work?
In late summer many people sit back & enjoy the beauty of the work they have done earlier in the season however, it is a great time to plant & enjoy your garden. Freshen up declining early season perennials & annuals with garden mums & flowering cabbage or cut back spent blooms & freshen up the landscape. Choose late season blooming perennials so you can see their blooms before you make your selections. The key to planting in the late summer is to be sure to keep newly planted items thoroughly watered when rain fall is not sufficient. A few of my favorite late blooming plants include sedum, caryoptoris, ceratostigma ‘plumbago’, & perennial hibiscus. Stop in so we can introduce you to these late season blooming plants so your landscape will be colorful right into fall.
A few random garden notes:
•Japanese beetles continue to be persistent this year. I noticed them feasting on hibiscus plants, impatiens & roses this past week. If they are still active in your garden spray them with Sevin Bug Killer or Eight (an insect control product) to control populations.
•Everywhere I look butterflies are enjoying the long blooming season of Butterfly Bushes. They add so much color & movement to the garden as they flutter around the bush & land on the flowers to spread their wings. If you enjoy butterflies you’ll definitely want to find a space for one.
•Although we have had a fair amount of rain in the last week it is important to keep watering & fertilizing container gardens & hanging baskets to keep them looking their best into the fall.
8.6.09 - I am reminded of the importance of white flowers & silver foliage...
As we move into August the days subtly get shorter & the season progresses. It is the peak of the harvest for many vegetable gardens & late summer perennials like Rudebeckia ‘Black-eyed Susan’s look fabulous. As I enjoy my garden usually in the evening around dusk I am reminded of the importance of white flowers & silver foliage because you can see them at dusk & in the dark.
Here are a few suggestions of white flowers & foliage you might consider.
White Cone Flowers (Echinacea ‘Baby White Swan’) grows 20” tall with white daisy flowers with prominent centers.
Penstimon digitalis ‘Husker’s Red’ This plant grows 36” tall & offers strong contrast in the garden with dark red foliage & white flowers.
Artemesia ‘Silver Mound’ – provides beautiful mounds of silver foliage which is good for a border in a sunny garden.
Liriope ‘Variegated’ is a green & whitish cream perennial that looks like a short wide bladed grass with blue flowers in late summer.
Hibiscus (Rose of Sharon) ‘White Chiffon’ – This white blooming shrub is beautiful in late summer covered with white flowers.
Rose ‘White Out’ I have never seen a rose bloom as prolifically as this variety from early summer through fall. It is amazing & very disease resistant & hardy as well. The flowers are single so they do not have the traditional rose form.
Additionally, there are many other varieties of white flowers to choose from. Stop in & discover the possibilities. Consider adding a few spots of white flowers or silver foliage in your garden or perhaps you may wish to create an all white moonlight garden to enjoy in the evenings. It is fun to extend the time you can enjoy the garden.
8.29.08 - Portland Garden Tours Inspiration
Last week Craig Graf & I were in Portland Oregon for an industry conference & a few days of leisure. One day was spent touring garden centers with a lunch stop at the Rose & Japanese Garden in Portland. Although the roses were fragrant & colorful, the Japanese Garden is rated as one of the best in the country so Craig & I decided to spend our time there. I was fascinated by the incredible contrast of foliage colors & textures in all of the conifers & the magnificent use of Japanese Maples in a variety of settings. In addition, the sound of water flowing in the form of a roaring waterfall as well as the softer tones of a slow drip & babbling creek with beautiful fish provided a soothing atmosphere. There were many azaleas planted there & I am sure they are very beautiful when in bloom. I thought you would enjoy the pictures that illustrate this.
  
I was reminded of the importance of conifers in the landscape to provide structure & interest all year, even in the winter. When you’re making decisions for your landscape consider the lacy texture & natural colors of a variety of conifers (evergreen shrubs) as well as the structure & foliage color of deciduous forms like Japanese Maples & others in addition to blooming perennials & annuals. This will insure that your landscape will be interesting all year long. If you are considering updating your landscape, stop in this weekend & we’ll introduce you to a few new conifers & other landscape favorites that will add the perfect element to your landscape.
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In closing, I saw this sign at one of the garden centers we visited & I think it is a good reminder of why we enjoy spending time gardening. It is relaxing & personally rewarding. If you plan to enjoy the long holiday weekend at home make sure you allow some time in the garden. You’ll be glad you did. |
8.21.08 - Fall Planting Sale with Scratch Off Savings of 20% or More!
Today we begin the annual fall planting sale with Scratch – off savings of 20% or more! Aside from the obvious savings, why would you want to work on a garden or landscape project now? Because it is a great time of year for you (kids back in school, lower temperatures, etc.) and the plants as well as it is a great time to establish plants for next spring. Take advantage of cool nights & warm days to begin to establish the root system. Generally, we get more rainfall in the fall so you’ll have less watering to do. Best of all, your landscape will look great now & in the spring!
I encourage you to use the proper soil amendments & starter fertilizer as well as make proper plant selections for the site to get them off to a great start. We’ll help you make selections. It’s best if you do a little homework by observing the site for sun or shade & take a few measurements or bring a picture of the site to make it easier for you. To get plants established we suggest you use a combination of Root Master Rooting Hormone & Espoma Plant-tone or Holly-tone for best results. The Root Master is a hormone which encourages faster root growth which is vital to getting the plants established & the Espoma Plant-tone & Holly-tone provide longer term fertilization for optimal growth. Additionally, it is important to amend the soil with something like compost, peat moss, or other amendments before you plant. We’ll help you choose the soil amendment that is right for your soil & the plants you select. Last, protect roots & prevent weeds in new planting sites with a fresh layer of mulch. There is a real feeling of accomplishment when your home & garden looks great so get started now & enjoy!
This week I visited Portland Oregon for an industry conference. We visited the Japanese Garden which is one of the premier Japanese Gardens in the USA. It was awesome & so inspiring! I will tell you more next week & share a few pictures.
8.14.08 - Geranium 'Rozanne' is the Perennial Plant of the Year... and for good reason!
This past week I had the opportunity to visit a few private gardens. At one garden there was a beautiful bed of perennial Geranium ‘Rozanne’ blooming & full. The gardener explained that he had just planted them this past summer. I was reminded of why this plant was chosen Perennial Plant of the Year for 2008. They were covered in blooms that blanketed the bed in beautiful blue-violet flowers. It is a repeat blooming perennial which he mentioned that it was the second time the plants had bloomed this season. If you are interested in adding them to your landscape they are on special this week $2 off reg.price.
Grace Cochran, a member of the Akron Men’s Garden Club, hosted a garden open house this past week at her home. She invited the club members & other friends & neighbors. I thought this was a great way to share her love of gardening with her friends. I was honored to be invited & wanted to share a special part of the experience. While we were walking around looking at her various plantings we came upon an Evening Primrose (Oenthera). She said every night about 8:30 PM they open & you can watch the buds unfurl before your eyes. Although it was a little before 8:00, the sky was getting darker due to impending rain. At the same time she was telling us about it, the first bloom began to open & we were mesmerized as we watched the bud open to a full flower right in front of our eyes. After we finished our tour we met the other guests on the patio & they wanted to see it for themselves as well. So the party moved to another Evening Primrose plant on the other side of the house & everyone watched intently until another bloom opened. It captivated everyone’s attention. So often we enjoy our plants & landscapes from afar yet when we look closely they can be so very interesting. It was an amazing experience & a perfect ending to a beautiful garden open house.
8.8.08 - Late Summer Garden Brings Rich Bold Colors & Lush Full Growth of Shurbs
 Although the spring garden is a favorite of many gardeners, my favorite is the late summer garden with all the rich bold colors & lush full growth of shrubs. Ideally, a landscape is designed to have multi-season interest & color. Take a walk through your landscape & evaluate where late summer color or interest is needed & consider giving it a boost with a few new colorful plants. I thought I would share a few ideas for you to consider. As I walked through he perennial house I was struck by the beauty of the Sunrise Echinacea with its pale yellow flowers & thought what a striking combination it would be to plant it with the leafy, nearly black foliage of Heuchera ‘Obsidian’. Additionally, the large bold Hibiscus flowers look like they are dancing in the late summer sun, grasses are beginning to get their plumes which add awesome texture & the Knock –out Roses will bloom through late fall. Garden Mums will add a finishing touch. You’ll be amazed at what a difference a few additions & changes can make.
8.1.08 - Relax & Enjoy Your Garden!
If you read this every week you might know how much I enjoy the process of gardening. I spend most of my free time planting, weeding & tending to my garden but rarely do I just sit & enjoy it. This past week I had the opportunity to visit a private garden & I entertained guests in my garden. I enjoyed visiting this beautiful privately owned garden & sharing gardening ideas. This gardener has tended her garden over many years & has a story to tell about how she acquired various plants including a fern collection. It was fun to share. Later the same day, I entertained guests in my own garden. I enjoyed sitting in the gazebo with them & looking out over the gardens. It was great fun to see the reaction of friends as they experienced the garden for the first time (I usually entertain in the winter). For me, it was the first time this year that I enjoyed my garden rather than looking at it with a critical eye (weed to pull here, dead heading needed there, etc.) I would encourage you to do the same. This is the time of year when you can stop, sit back & relax with a cool drink in your garden & enjoy!
Just a few summer gardening hints:
Japanese Beetles are still going strong devouring leaves on many plants & will most likely continue for a few more weeks. If you have Japanese Beetles you can trap them or spray them with a product called ‘Sevin’ or another product named ‘Eight’. Both products are very effective however when you use ‘Eight’ you do not have to wait as many days before harvest on vegetable plants.
Take a few minutes to trim stringy hanging baskets & container gardens by clipping them back & removing dead blossoms, then fertilize them with a water soluble fertilizer like Miracle Gro or Jack’s Classic to give them a mid summer boost. They may look a little sad at first but will quickly grow out in a few short weeks & then stay beautiful all season. Continue to trim lightly as needed & fertilize regularly so they will look nice until late fall.
Remove dead flowers on perennials to encourage a second round of blooming. Many varieties of perennials will bloom a second time if you remove the spent flowers. This is true for many daylilies, coreopsis, some geraniums, & others.
8.31.07 - Create a Living Fence This Weekend!
Consider adding privacy & beauty to your property line with a living fence. The most common way to do this is with a hedge of Arborvitae known for their tall narrow shape & sustainability which can provide instant privacy and a green backdrop for the landscape. However, you can create a living fence with more interest when you plant a mixed border of deciduous & evergreen shrubs & possibly a few grasses or perennials for color & interest. If you have enough depth you can even plant them in tiers with taller plants in the back & shorter complimenting plants in the foreground. The key to the success of of a living fence is proper spacing, using low maintenance plants & plants with a variety of interests including complimenting colors & textures.
A few plants you might consider are:
Holly provides beautiful dark green foliage that is evergreen & red berries in winter. They will tolerate partial shade.
Red Twig Dogwoods – growing around 6’ tall this plant provides interesting green & white variegated foliage & beautiful red stems in winter.
Forsythia – known for their brilliant yellow flowers in early spring this bush is extremely tough & easy to grow.
Weigelia – available in many varieties from short to tall this plant is a summer bloomer with pretty trumpet shaped flowers.
This is is just a few of many. Whether you have sun or shade there is a great selection to choose from & you can take advantage of Fall Planting Sale savings. If you are not sure where to begin take a picture of the area & an estimated distance & we’ll help you make selections.
Autumn the resident Cat at Graf Growers,
is enjoying the Fall Planting Sale too!
8.24.07 - This is a Great Time to Plant Grass and Late Blooming Perennials..
I like to take a walk through my garden regularly & evaluate what is blooming & where color is needed as well as the structure of shrubs & trees at different seasons. I love late summer perennials blending with colorful annuals that are full & lush with blooms at the end of summer & have made changes to my garden to accomplish this. However, often when I visit landscapes in late summer the gardens are beautiful but many of the perennials have finished blooming & the design would benefit from the addition of late summer blooming perennials & the structure of shrubs & trees. I would encourage you to take a walk through your garden & evaluate what is working & where late season color spots or structure is needed. If you are not sure, bring a picture of the area & we’ll help you.
Listed below are a few of our favorites that you might want to try:
Caryoptoris – azure blue flowers are gorgeous & long lasting on this woody perennial.
Ceratostigma – low growing ground cover with bright blue flowers in late summer & foliage that turns red.
Autumn Joy Sedum & other sedum varieties – sturdy sun loving plants that look great long after the flowers are spent.
Itea & Burning Bush – provide brilliant red foliage in the fall
Cypress ‘Gold Mop’ - provides soft flowing lacy texture & a brilliant gold color in the landscape. Grows 3’ – 4’ tall & wide
One more time, I am repeating myself …It is a wonderful time of year to plant grass seed, perennials & shrubs so you can take advantage of cool nights & warm days to get plants established before winter. Laura Kaufman, perennial & nursery manager, along with Jacci Klein, Dave Weida, Scott Burdeshaw & many other staff members are here to help you get a head start on your landscape projects. It really makes a difference in the end result when you start with a design or at least a bit of forethought. Bring pictures & or measurements in & we’ll help you make selections that will flourish in your landscape as well as provide helpful growing advise. You will be so glad you did when you begin to enjoy the fruits of your labor early next spring!
8.17.07 - Relaxation and Rejuvenation For You and Your Landscape!
I just returned from a couple of days of rest & relaxation on the beaches of Lake Erie. I never realize how much I need a break until I let down for a few days, recharge my batteries so to speak & then I am anxious to tackle new projects, learn & grow. It is the same way with late summer landscapes. Take a few minutes to rejuvenate your landscape by cutting back leggy plants, removing spent blooms, treating for powdery mildew, pulling a few weeds etc. to keep your garden & landscape looking it’s best. Furthermore, provide a late season fertilization to give tired plants a boost. This will help refresh a tired landscape as annuals will bloom until we have a killing frost & roses love to bloom in the fall as well as many late blooming perennials. If you do this now, you should be able to enjoy your landscape into October.
8.10.07 - Recovering From the Rain and Thinking Ahead for Fall Landscaping...
After the rains…I have noticed many plants that were heavy in bloom lying over from the weight of the rain soaked flowers & stems. Often they will perk up & stand again once they dry out. If plants have damaged or have broken stems cut them back or if they are just floppy stems you can support them with plant stakes so you can enjoy them longer into the season. If ornamental grasses are bent over tie them up with green garden twine into a bundle & let the grasses flow out & over from the top. You may need a few replacements to add color for the rest of summer. If so, we still have potted annuals as well as a new shipment of garden mums & perennials to freshen up the landscape. In addition, with the high humidity we have been experiencing plant disease can become more prevalent. Examine roses, phlox, monarda & other plants closely & treat if you see leaf spot or powdery mildew. We’ll help you find the right product when you stop in. Last but not least, make sure container garden pots or hanging baskets are not waterlogged. Sometimes in the late season the drainage holes can get clogged & they will fill up with water so it is best to check them & drain them if needed.
As the days get shorter & the beginning of the school year is just around the corner our thoughts turn to fall gardening projects. It is a wonderful time of year to plant grass seed, perennials & shrubs so you can take advantage of cool nights & warm days to get them established before winter. You will be so glad you did when you begin to enjoy the fruits of your labor early next spring! You can get a head start & begin landscape projects now. We have stocked up with fresh shrubs & perennials perfect for late summer planting. Bring pictures & or measurements in & we’ll help you make selections that will flourish in your landscape as well as provide helpful growing advise.
8.3.07 - Add Drama and Movement to Your Landscape
Frequently, I like to talk about different design elements in the landscape like contrast & color combinations that provide more interest but today I want to talk about structure & movement as design elements. This is seldom addressed in design books that I have read but can add a lot of interest & provide a nice backdrop for colorful perennials & annuals. Structure in the landscape is most easily achieved with evergreen & deciduous shrubs. The structure of evergreens & conifer shrubs are most often obvious whether they are conical, or mounded, etc. & are often used in foundation plantings. You might consider adding deciduous shrubs to the landscape as well. Many deciduous shrubs bloom in the spring or summer as well as add winter interest with their branch structure. Choose the mounded shapes of spirea or barberry or the vase shape of Rose of Sharon & Weigelia. Furthermore, Itea & Burning Bush provide excellent fall color as their leaves change to brilliant red.
Ornamental Grasses provide drama & movement in the landscape as well as color, texture & structure. This past week I was reminded of the importance of grasses & the visual interest they provide in the landscape. I visited a landscape where a large Miscanthus ‘Graccillimus’ with its flowing fountain like shape was the focal point of the front entrance. Along with structure & form they also provide movement as many varieties sway with the breeze. Most varieties of Ornamental Grasses are easy to grow in full sun & are available in many different forms from the very small Blue Fescue tufts to the very large & massive zebra grass. A newer variety worth mentioning is Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gold Bar’; a slow growing grass with a heavy concentration of gold bars & a very upright shape growing 3’ – 5’ at maturity. Stop in & let us help you select grasses or shrubs that would provide structure & interest in your landscape.
You can take advantage of summer savings this week on perennials, shrubs & trees & update your landscape. It is safe to plant in the summer however new plantings require frequent & thorough watering. I like to place my hose at the base of newly transplanted shrubs & let the water run slowly to soak the root ball for 10 – 15 minutes. If you use this method it will only need to be repeated 1 – 2 times per week. Be sure to amend the soil & fertilize with Plantone by Espoma to get new transplants off to a good start.
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