Archive for October, 2009
Look for plant sales.
October 8th, 2009
Fall is the time when you can get some really good bargains at garden centers. I’ve seen daylilies, ornamental grasses and even hostas for as much as 50 and 75 percent off this time of year.
A garden center doesn’t want to keep plants over winter because it costs too much in fuel and manpower time to maintain plants in a greenhouse.
If you need several plants of the same kind, ask a garden center what kind of extra discount they will give you in addition to the sale price.
Fall is the very best time to plant perennials, herbs, trees and shrubs so go shopping and get planting!
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October is pansy time.
October 1st, 2009
October’s cool weather is when you want to plant pansies in your gardens, in pots on your front porch and in planters on your back deck.
A fun Halloween display is to place a caricature-type pumpkin on a pedastal in a bed of yellow, orange and black pansies.
Pansies need full sun for best blooms. Since they are annuals, they are heavy feeders, so work in a timed-release fertilizer (a six-month formula is good) so they are continuously fed without you having to always do it.
You do not have to remove the old flowers on pansies to get new flowers. Cold weather, however, can make them limp and leggy. When that happens, use old scissors to give them a hair cut and they’ll be blooming again in no time.
Pansies will keep your garden colorful and attractive now through May when it’s time to plant petunias and geraniums again.
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