September is a month of transition as Mother Nature shifts into Fall. It often includes the lingering heat of Summer as well as the cool breezes of Autumn. We may even see an occasional sprinkle of rain. Nevertheless, it is a GREAT TIME TO PLANT! We are showcasing our sweet salvias and succulents this month. Salvia gregii is the perfect survivor for the water-wise and deer-trampled garden, plus the hummingbirds love their sweet flavor.

Here are a few tips to put on your garden calendar in September:

• Harvest the remainder of your summer veggies and herbs
• Picked herbs can be dried for use in the upcoming soups and stews of Fall
• Start your Fall clean up in planting beds – cut back summer bloomers that are finished, dispose of any diseased or infested plant litter, pick up all fallen fruit
• Turn the compost pile and keep it moist
• Prepare your Fall veggie beds and amend with Greenall fir mulch and add some worms too!
• Have I ever mentioned MULCH??? Always a good idea anytime of the year!
• Also, Garden Grab is 14-16th!
  

Fall is also the perfect time of year to plant trees and shrubs, and punctuate the garden with annual color and Fall vegetables. The lawn can also be renovated with great success in the Fall… re-seed or sod. Then follow up with some organic Nature’s Green Lawn Food or Greenall Lawn Food. Overall – big or small – plant in the Fall!

One cautionary note: DO NOT PRUNE any spring blooming plant or you will be removing your Spring flower show.

July – the heart and sometimes heat of the summer! Patriotic parades, picnics, and produce from your garden… And should pests invade the party, try to identify the problem before acting and then opt for the least toxic approach. As always, nature will balance itself if given the opportunity – with the predators seeking the pest prey. Patience is invaluable, but for the anxious gardener… heavy infestations can be minimized with good garden practices, insecticidal soaps, and horticultural oils.

TO DO TIPS:

• Stake tall-growing flowering plants before they try to topple over.
• Make compost of lawn clippings and garden pruning.
• Water deeply and less frequently to encourage deep root growth for all your plant material.
• Early morning watering is the best time to water so that foliage can dry during the day and be less subject to the inherent problems of wet and warm evening environments, which promote fungus.
• Continue to build good soil with top dressing of compost or enriched mulch… Good soil translates to healthy plants!
• Protect new plantings or transplants from hungry gophers with our new  and improved root cage – much easier to secure the root ball.

NURSERY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Hydrangeas in full summer bloom – gorgeous!
• Fruit trees on sale for 20% off
• Special succulents – thrive on benign neglect.
• Great selection of terra cotta pots from teacup small to kettle drum large

FYI: 

Next “ Garden Grab” July 13-15… every plant 20% off

The weather has warmed and the grass is green. The vegetable garden is tilled and planted and you have tucked in your summer color... Time to relax and enjoy a picnic in your own garden! And for those undying garden workaholics - here are a few last chores to address before you head to the beach or the mountains...

• Prune back or thin any of your Spring blooming perennials, shrubs, or trees that need some size reduction. Remember to remove no more than 25%! Then FEED YOUR SOIL with organic compost to replenish the consumed nutrients.
• Prune back roses after their 1st flush of bloom and then fertilize to encourage another set of buds.

• Double check your irrigation... We are moving into our hotter season with longer days so you want to make sure your plants are hydrated sufficiently for their needs. Especially watch your newly planted or transplanted treasures... It takes 9-12 months for them to develop a deep root system.

• Blank spots or "holes" in the garden? Come PICK A POT and fill it with bright cheerful summer color!

FYI:

*Our next "Garden Grab" - 20% off all plant material - June 15th-17th

*Half off of all our 6 pack veggies... There is still time to plant.

*Add a smile to your garden - Pick out a Shasta Daisy!

Growing & Maintaining Healthy Roses:

• Plant roses in full sun and in a well ventilated area -- they appreciate good air flow.

• Plant root crown high in well amended organic soil -- a soil mound is ideal!
• Keep soil evenly moist -- roses also need good drainage as well as consistent moisture.
• Mulch the root zone but keep mulch away from root crown.  Roses love the heat but like their roots more protected from extreme temperature changes and the mulch serves to moderate soil temps. as well as preserve moisture, prevent weeds and add back nutrients.
• Roses love their fertilizer!  Using alfalfa at the beginning of the season, followed by an organic rose food every quarter will keep the blooms coming...but use caution and do NOT over-fertilize!
• Remember to dead-head to encourage more bloom -- cutting diagonally back to outward facing buds.
• Watch out for hungry aphids -- blast off critters with water or use Safer Insecticidal Soap.

• If rust, powdery mildew, or black-spot become a problem -- remove ALL infected leaves and discard into trash... DO NOT COMPOST infected leaves.   Heavy fungal issues can be addressed with combining 1 tablespoon of baking soda & 2 tablespoons of horticultural oil such as Neem Oil with 1 gal. of water.  As a last resort, chemical fungicides can destroy the fungus. 

Then STOP and Smell the Roses --  enjoying their fragrant beauty!