Gardening Information

rose trellace Summer Garden Tips

June

Summer is finally here! Boy do we deserve it. Take advantage of every garden minute. It's not too late for transplanting and dividing. Take advantage of established plants - divide and use to fill in bare spaces in the garden or mix it up and add a perennial division to a container.
Experiment with an annual variety that's new to you. Try summer snapdragon (Angelonia), cuphea (Cuphea sp.), or globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa) in a sunny location. Wish bone flower (Torenia), coleus, and fuchsia are great additions to a shady site.
Go big and bold: add a tropical accent to your garden or favorite container. Banana (Musa), honeybush (Melianthus), and fiberlily (Phormium) are some of our favorites here at the Gardens.
A common mistake when designing containers is leaving out the foliage. Foliage adds interest and texture - it gives the container a little extra kick! Some great foliage plants are alterananthera, artemisia, and spurflower (Plectranthus sp.). Silver sage (Salvia argentea) is my current foliage favorite!

July

Need some new container ideas? Visit Olbrich Gardens! Every year more than 500 containers are displayed throughout. Also attend Olbrich's Home Garden Tour and collect ideas for your home garden. Tour private home gardens in Maple Bluff July 11 and 12 this year.
Deadhead your containers throughout the season for continuous bloom. Removing spent flowers allows plants to use energy for flower production, rather than seed.
Tame aggressive plants such as sweet potato vine (Ipomoea), shrub verbena (Lantana), and petunias. These plants are great additions to a container, but if allowed to roam, they will take over and smother other less aggressive plants. It's ok to cut back hard; you'll be surprised how quick they'll grow back.
If a plant isn't performing as you had hoped, remove it and pop it in another container or allow other plants to fill in the space.

August

Stay one step ahead by starting to take cuttings from annuals you want to overwinter indoors. Plants are healthier and will root faster than they will later in the season.
Containers need more attention later in the season. Established containerized plants will need to receive more frequent watering than plants in the ground.
Due to the sterile nature of artificial potting mixes, your containers would appreciate liquid fertilizer later in the season. A balanced liquid fertilizer every two to three weeks will make a big difference.
Extend the life of your containers by removing plants that won't tolerate a fall frost. Identify them early and switch them out for frost tolerant annuals such as pansies, snapdragons, and ornamental kales and cabbages.

Samara Eisner, Horticulturist

Fall Garden Tips

September

Fall is the time for planting and transplanting - sunny days, cool temperatures, and warm soil promote root development. Divide spring and early summer blooming perennials like iris and peonies.
Take cuttings of geraniums, begonias, scented geraniums, coleus, lantana, fuchsia, and other tender plants for over-wintering in a windowsill.
Tropical plants may be brought indoors and over-wintered as houseplants in a bright sunny location.
Lift elephant ears, gladiolus, dahlias, cannas, caladiums, and tuberous begonias after frost. Cut back, remove soil, and store in peat moss, newspaper, or sawdust in a cool, dark area for winter.
Keep on weedin'! Weeds are still trying to set seed or store energy for the coming winter.

October

This year try planting â€˜minor bulbs' in addition to tulips and daffodils like Siberian squill, glory of the snow, snowdrops, and puschkinia.
Impress your neighbors by adding bulbs to your spring containers. It's a great way to tie your spring landscape to your containers.
After a killing frost, cut perennials to the ground and remove â€˜melted' annuals. Remove plant material to reduce the over-wintering of insects and diseases.
Leave some plant material standing for winter interest. Birds and other wildlife with enjoy standing black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower, gayfeather, and little bluestem. Keep a journal of which plants attract songbirds into your garden.
If you are considering planting new beds or changing bed outlines, take advantage of this precious time. Spring leaves little time for this activity. You will thank yourself next April, especially if we're having a wet spring.
Collect dried material for winter decorations. Dried peppers threaded on a string of fishing line make a beautiful garland. Basil flowers, grass seed heads, strawflowers, amaranthus, statice, and celosia all dry well and can later be used to decorate a holiday tree with natural plant material.
Don't forget to drain the water from garden hoses at the end of the season. Coil and store in a location where they won't freeze.

November

Place wire screen around fruit trees, roses, witchhazels, and other susceptible shrub and tree trunks to protect from rodent damage.
Water all needle and broadleaf evergreens one last time before the ground freezes. Winter wind and sun will continue to demand water from these plants through their foliage all winter. Excess water loss can lead to â€˜winter burn' or death.
Don't forget to bring in your terra cotta pots. Winter frosts and harsh weather can cause pots to crack and shorten their life span.
Do you have a Garden Action Notebook? This is the time to make â€˜action' notes. Before you forget what plants you want to divide in the spring, what plants you wanted to move to new locations, and plants you want to research over the winter, make a few action notes. You'll appreciate the reminders in the spring.

Samara Eisner, Horticulturist