Want to keep these beauties looking great through the summer? Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch, such as shredded bark, wood chips, straw or even compost, around the plants before they get too big. This will help them stay hydrated and smother weed seedlings that would become competition in the garden. You'll thank yourself later when you have fewer weeds to deal with and you won't have to water as much. And don't forget to deadhead to keep the plants looking tidy, extend their flowering time and encourage another flush of blooms.
Calming Pastel Palette
Groupings of low, mounded foliage topped by petite pastel flowers give this border a calming flow. Even without a glamorous, attention-getting plant as a focal point, your eye is drawn to the restful scene. And each of these perennials is a dependable, easy-care bloomer. Give them full sun and regular watering and they won't let you down.
Though this combo peaks in late spring to early summer, don't think its show is one and done. Deadheading is the key to keeping it fresh and colorful. Cut lady's mantle flower stems off at the base once they begin to turn brown to keep it tidy. Use scissors or a cordless hand-held hedge trimmer to shear spent blooms from catmint and dianthus after the first flush fades to coax a second, lighter bloom. Snip faded salvia spikes off just above a set of leaves to encourage secondary blooms to take off. Then, in midsummer if the plant is flopping or looking leggy, cut spent stems back to a few inches from the ground, where a mound of new growth will fill in and rebloom in late summer to fall alongside the pollinator-friendly seven-son flower.
Bu hikaye Garden Gate dergisinin Issue 171 - June 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Garden Gate dergisinin Issue 171 - June 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Birds & The Bees (and Bunnies)
Although I wouldn’t call my raised garden beds romantic, the rabbits in my neighborhood sure like to use them in spring for their bunny rendezvous and subsequent nests.
5 Ways to Stake Tomatoes
While it might feel early to be thinking about tomatoes, it’s never too early to start planning your next garden, especially if your tomato plants tend to look wild and overgrown by the time you remember to offer them a cage for support.
Destination Gardens
Don’t miss out on these four botanical treasures!
Bee Balm
Butterflies and pollinating insects can't resist this bold summer perennial.
2024's Best New Plants!
Instead of ringing in the new year with champagne and balloons, why not treat yourself to a few new plants that you can enjoy through the growing season? There are a lot of interesting introductions to get excited about this year.
6 Pro Garden Design Secrets
Starting a garden can feel overwhelming. And sometimes it’s hard to know if you’ll like something until you’ve seen it. By then, you’ve spent enough hours, hard work and money that it’s tough to make a change.
Dreaming of Summer
Unless you are lucky enough to live where it’s warm year round, when winter starts to drag on, it may feel as if the garden is awash in dreary, monochromatic browns and grays. Time to close your eyes and dream of summer—a colorful season when foliage is vibrant, fl owers are blooming and pollinators are active. If you need a bit of summer inspiration, here are three colorful low-maintenance combos that will also attract wildlife. Who wouldn’t dream of that?
Native Bees Find Winter Shelter in Surprising Places
As the buzz of busy bees gave way to the rustle of fallen leaves in my autumn garden, the last of the bumblebee stragglers hit up fading mountain mint blooms. Day by day, fewer sparkly green sweat bees and dwarf carpenter bees nectared on the asters, eventually vanishing along with the fluffy field thistle seeds.
Reader Tips
GREAT IDEAS FROM SMART GARDENERS
GARDEN ESSENTIALS
TOOLS THAT MAKE FALL GARDEN WORK EASIER