Why labor the weekend away when you can save time and money on your fall landscape? Read on for 3 labor-saving tips to add some pizazz to your home & garden.
Plant For Long-Term Success
For trees and shrubs, you can plant now and all the way up until the ground freezes. Once you make your selection, plant within 2-3 days of purchase. A handful of soil should crumble in your hand after you squeeze it. If it holds its shape it’s too wet to plant. You’ll also want to dig the hole twice as wide as the pot it comes in and just as deep.
Having the right tools on hand makes gardening more of a therapy and less of a chore. Keep within reach small tools such as small shovels, a trowel, pruner, garden fork, knee pads and gloves.
It goes without saying but plants are living things. Protect your investment by watering correctly. Check 2″ below the surface before you water to make sure you’re not overwatering. Keep leaves healthy by watering the roots, not the leaves. Adding 2” of mulch around the plants, making sure that it does not touch the base of the plant, helps conserve water and your time.
Make the Best of Every Space
Does low maintenance sound good to you? Drought tolerant perennials like Liriope and Daylilies can cope with extreme conditions. Junipers come in many shapes and sizes from short, low-growing to tall, upright. These evergreens perform well with minimal upkeep and provide all-season interest. Maybe you’d like mounds of grass-like foliage with Liriope spicata and Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’.
Looking to tuck in some edibles into your gardens? Grow herbs such as Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, Thyme, and Lavender. All thrive in sunny, well-drained conditions. Dianthus makes a beautiful border surrounding an herbal garden planting. The soft, wooly, silver foliage of Stachys byzantine (Lamb’s Ears) adds a soft touch.
Create Curb Appeal
Don’t hide the front door, compliment it. Make this a place where people will stop to look and admire your arrangement of containers and garden plantings. Place your containers symmetrically by flanking your door with identical pots for a simple, sleek look. Asymmetry can also be used to create a beautiful entryway by grouping different sizes and/or colors. A good rule of thumb is to group things in odd numbers so go for 3 or 5 pots depending on your space. A unique focal point could even be a miniature garden of gnomes, fairies and all plants small. Have fun and show your personality in your outdoor space.
Remember how exciting it is to see the first signs of spring after a long, cold winter? Visualize little green heads of snowdrops, crocus, and scilla peeking through the snow. Bulbs are the epitome of easy. Just dig a hole, drop them in and water them just once right after planting this fall and you’re done. Our first shipment of bulbs will be here for our bulb talk on September 7, 2019. We’ll be talking about bulbs and their BFFs. Come on over and let us show you how to use bulbs, groundcovers and drought-tolerant plants together.
Coneflowers in bloom
Your yard can be the space the neighbors flock to, as well as the birds. Coneflower sets seeds in late summer and is beloved by goldfinches. Crabapples have small, hard berries that persist through winter to feed birds in early spring when there are few options. Many birds nest between 5’-8’above the ground. Consider adding dense shrubs, evergreens, and trees for birds to hide and build nests. Remember the key: the more varied your landscape, the more you’ll attract.
Want to learn more? Visit our Aurora store on Saturday, August 31, 2019 for our Fall Landscape Jump Start. Click here for details.
