Draw up your garden plans – this is the time to dream and scheme!

Winter pruning on a sunny day can give life and bloom to neglected or overgrown shrubs. However, don’t prune spring-blooming plants like forsythia, azaleas or rhododendron as you will be cutting off the coming blooms.

Holiday plants like poinsettia, amaryllis and Christmas cactus will last longer in cool temperatures. Feed poinsettias with a water soluble fertilizer (20-20-20) whenever the soil dries out.

Make friends with the birds… Put out Lyric Birdseed and C&S Suet Cakes.

Heavy snow and ice can damage evergreens and birches. Gently brush off shrubs and prop up leaning birches if necessary.

Spray houseplants with Safer Houseplant Insecticidal Soap if spider mites or mealy bug are present.

Spray shrubs and trees with Liquid Fence, if deer are destroying them.

Rotate your houseplants a half-turn every other week to expose foliage to improved light conditions and eliminate bending.

Start seeds indoors for early spring planting. Use a Hydrofarm Hot House with Mat to grow bigger, healthier starts.

Fertilize new seedlings with Neptune’s Harvest Fertilizers.

Add color to your world with plants from our greenhouse…orchids, primrose, African violets and more!

Let’s face it – purchasing a new garden tool is usually not the first thing on your mind when you visit your friendly neighborhood garden center. Most of us tend to gravitate toward the latest and greatest herbaceous eye-candy without considering whether we have all that is necessary to prepare and care for it. So, let’s get practical for a moment. Selecting quality garden tools to attend to your garden and its acquisitions is akin to choosing a good friend. You want one that meets your needs, is available when needed, is easy on you, is long lasting, and is not too expensive or too hard to maintain.

With so many tools on the market, choosing one that meets your needs can be a daunting task. First consider what type of work you will be doing, and what tools are required to accomplish your goal. Choosing the right tool for the job will make the work easier and more efficient. If you’re not sure, ask. Our employees are happy to assist your selection. We offer a large collection of garden tools so that we can provide what you need when you need it. Before you buy it, try it! Basic tools in new designs are available to the consumer every year. Those that are ergonomically designed, to align with the natural mechanics of our bodies, are meant to lessen the stress on muscles and joints as we garden. So pick up the tool. See how it feels in your hands. Make sure that the weight and size are well suited to your strength and frame. Does it feel comfortable as you simulate the way it will be used?

When you find a tool that meets your needs and is comfortable, you will want to have it around for a long time. Plan to purchase the highest quality tools that your budget will allow. If you purchase tools simply because they are the least expensive, chances are they will not last, and you will eventually spend more money to replace them.

Proper care and storage will add to the longevity of your garden tools. Hose off tools to remove soil and chemicals after every use. Allow tools to dry thoroughly before storing. For hardened soil, use a wire brush. Occasionally cleaning metal surfaces with oil will help to keep tools lubricated and prevent rust. Keep all moving parts well oiled with WD40. Oil wooden handles at least twice a year with linseed oil, to help prevent drying and splintering. For ease of use, keep tools with cutting surfaces sharp by filing them as often as needed. Check frequently and tighten any loose screws and bolts. Store all garden tools in a dry place with tool surfaces off the ground.

Suet is a high-energy formulation of animal fat and other ingredients to attract insect-eating birds. Suet is a quick source of heat and energy for birds and has been used as a good substitute for the insects that birds usually feed upon, but are not plentiful in cold weather. Suet can be offered all year long but is especially important in winter.

Providing suet in a wire basket or mesh bag is an easy, low-maintenance bird feeder. You refill only once every week or so, you never need to scrub the feeder, and you can leave it in your yard year round. Presenting suet in your backyard will also attract a greater variety of birds for your enjoyment. Some of the backyard birds that enjoy suet include: Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Bluebirds, Mockingbirds, Warblers, Kinglets, Titmice, Nuthatches, Jays, Robins, Starlings and Wrens. Be sure to suspend your suet feeder close to the trunk of the tree approximately 5 to 6 feet from the ground.

One of the benefits of a garden is the wildlife it attracts. And, most birds are voracious eaters that are glad to keep the insect population down. Did you know that one bird can eat 500 to 1,000 insects in an afternoon? So anything you can do to attract birds will make your garden healthier and you’ll be entertained, too!

To attract birds to your garden, you’ll simply need to meet a few of their needs:

Food
Consider placing a variety of bird feeders and food in your garden. Platform feeders attract ground birds, hanging feeders are for perching birds while suet holders entice insect-eating birds. Suet is especially important during the winter as this helps birds maintain their body temperature by adding fat to their diet. Hang plastic mesh bags of suet or pinecones dipped in suet (or peanut butter) from the limbs of trees. White millet and black oil sunflower seeds will attract the most common seed-eating birds. Add other species-specific seed like niger seed (to attract goldfinches, pine siskins and purple finches) or peanuts (to attract chickadees and tufted titmice). Various gourmet mixes are available like Lyric Supreme, Delight, Chickadee, Woodpecker and Finch Mixes.

Shelter & Nesting Sites
Birds feel more secure if they have shelter to protect themselves from the weather and other predators. Plant native trees and shrubs. You may also want to add nesting boxes or bird houses and other materials for birds to raise their young. This should be done in early spring. Clean houses or boxes after each nesting season.

Water
One of the most important things to include in your garden is water. This is especially true during the winter months. Use a bird bath heater to keep water from freezing. Ideal water sources are 3 inches deep and 3 feet off the ground. Moving water is a magnet for most birds and will attract them from great distances for a drink or bath. A mister, dripper or circulating pump can be added to a bird bath or other water feature during most of the year.

Habitat Variety
Because birds live in many different habitats, the greater variety of plant material you can offer in your backyard will determine how many birds are attracted to your garden. Consider native plants, plants with berries, fruits, sap and nectar for year-round food sources as well as nesting materials.

We carry a complete line of bird feeders, houses, seed mixes and suets as well as garden accents, accessories and plants you will need to start attracting birds to your backyard. Stop by today!

It’s cold outside and the compost pile is frozen. Do you really feel like hauling kitchen scraps out into the winter wasteland only to have them picked through by scavengers? There is an alternative. Keep your kitchen scraps cooking this winter producing buckets of black gold for the garden next spring while you stay warm and cozy. Try our three bucket system in your basement or heated garage. No odor, no pests, very easy!

Try these easy step for our 3 bucket composting system in your basement or heated garage. Five gallon painter buckets with lids work great or plastic trash cans with lids and wheels make the job a cinch!

1. Fill bucket #1 with sawdust or peat moss mixed with equal parts dry soil, add a little limestone and cover with lid.

2. On the bottom of bucket #2, place about one inch of dry straw, leaves, or shredded newspaper. Dump your kitchen scraps on top as they become available, each time sprinkling on some of the sawdust/soil mixture from bucket #1 to absorb odors and excess moisture. If you have a lot of scraps to add all at one time, portion out and add as smaller amounts and cover each addition with the sawdust/soil mixture. Replace lid after each addition. If there are any large pieces of scraps you may want to chop them smaller before adding. If your scraps are holding excess water, let them drain well before adding them to the bucket.

3. When bucket #2 is full start filling bucket #3. By the time bucket #3 is full, the contents of bucket #2 should be well on the way to becoming compost.

4. Use and enjoy in the spring!

Who said fruits and vegetables can’t be show-offs in the ornamental beds? Mix fruits and veggies into you flower and shrub borders to add drama, texture, color and food!

Blueberries
Displaying white flowers, tinged in pink, in little tassels during late spring, blueberries will grow only in moist, peaty soil with a pH lower than 5.5. The best way to grow them is in an informal border or along a woodland setting with other acid-loving plants like rhododendrons. To ensure good pollination, two different cultivars should be planted together. Plants should be protected from birds with netting when the fruit begins to ripen. Apply cotton seed meal to the soil in spring, water regularly during dry summers, and prune the plants in winter by cutting out dead or damaged branches. You can also lightly trim plants in spring to keep them compact. Blueberries are rarely attacked by insects or diseases, but will look chlorotic if the soil is not acid enough.

Brambles: Raspberries and Blackberries
Although not particularly ornamental, brambles, when trained on wires, offer a nice summer screen, or they can be grown against a fence or wall. Both Raspberries and Blackberries require slightly acidic soil, adequate moisture, and will need support. Plants will succeed in light shade, but prefer a sunny location. Mulch in early spring with manure or compost, then cut old canes down to the ground after fruiting in early to mid-summer. No more than 5 to 6 strong stems should grow from each plant. Protect fruit from birds and squirrels.

Strawberries
In the past few years, strawberry plants have been increasingly grown for their ornamental qualities. Beautiful white flowers with yellow centers become delicious, glowing red strawberries. When choosing cultivars, be sure to try both June-bearing and ever-bearing selections, as well as alpine varieties that are perfect for edging a path. Strawberries require deep, well-drained, nutrient-rich soil (see our article on “healthy soil” in the What’s Bugging You section of our site), plant in early spring and replace plants every three years for best results. Fertilize in spring and cut off runners as they form to keep plants fruiting well, unless you are starting new transplants. Spread salt hay around plants as fruit starts to develop to keep the berries free from soil and well ventilated. Protect from birds and watch for slugs and botrytis (moldy, grey fungus) with wet springs.

Grapes
Trained over an arbor or combined with clematis on a pergola, grapes add an elegant touch to any landscape. Plant grapes in well-drained, fertile soil where there is full sun. When growing on a trellis, limit your grapevine to a single stem or trunk. Train the leading shoot vertically and the lateral shoots horizontally. There are also various other ways to train and prune grapes, but do not let this task scare you. Grapevines are very forgiving.

Rhubarb
Offering beautifully colored stalks of pink, white or red, rhubarb can be grown in any kind of soil in a sunny spot. You can pick from this trouble-free plant from spring until early summer. Only the stems of rhubarb are edible, the leaves are to be discarded. Add plenty of manure to the soil, keep damp during dry summers, and remove tall stems before they produce flowers. Although decorative, they tend to reduce plant vigor. Divide every five years. Watch for “tunneling” insects on the leaves and treat with rotenone.

Figs
Adding an air of distinction, where space is limited, a fig tree can be grown in a large pot. Forgiving figs do well in poor soil, but need a sunny, protected area, which may mean a south-facing wall. These ancient trees tend to produce more fruit when their root systems are restricted. Therefore, when planting in the ground, it is a good idea to dig a hole about 3 feet wide and line with bricks. Mix plenty of bone meal in with the soil, too. Mulch fig trees in late spring with compost and water in dry weather while the fruit is growing. You can also encourage these trees to produce more fruit by pinching new shoots in spring.

This year, with 431 total nominees, the prestigious Perennial Plant of the Year award has been bestowed upon one of last year’s runner ups; Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’

Description
The heart shaped leaves of ‘Jack Frost’ are dark green with a heavily frosted metallic silver overlay which allow only the green veining to peep through giving the plant a crackle-like finish. Sprays of bright blue forget-me-not like flowers spring forth in mid to late spring.

Use
Excellent in a woodland garden, the genus Brunnera is a group of classic perennials valued as a shade tolerant ground cover. The variegated forms are slower to spread than the species. This plant is fabulous as a specimen plant or may be massed to show off it’s phonomnal floral display. ‘Jack Frost’ would make a wonderful addition to a shady containers garden. The flowers are long-lasting when cut and this plant is deer and rabbit resistant.

Care
Brunnera is a woodland plant that should be grown in full shade and consistently moist soil in southern regions. In the north, morning sun is acceptable as long as the soil remains moist. Although tolerant of many soil types, this plant will grow best rich soil. Little care is needed once Brunnera is established. Cut back the old foliage in the spring rather than in the fall; it will help to protect the crown during the winter. A winter mulch is also recommended.

Early spring flowers are precious proof that winter is on its way out. Yet, we often forget these beauties, overcome with the bold bulb displays of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and more. This is unfortunate, because many of these perennials have a subtle charm that complements bulbs and shrubs which bloom in early spring. Plan to add these beauties to your landscape in early spring! Listed are a few of our favorites:

Orchids are some of the most exotic plants on earth. They display and amazing range of diversity in the size, shape and color of their unique flowers. There is a misconception, however, that these floral treasures are difficult to grow. Not true. More and more gardeners are growing and collecting orchids each year. Provide the essentials and you too can grow orchids easily!

The best gardens provide interest all twelve months of the year. In the spring and summer, gardens are full of color with bright, cheerful bulbs, pastel spring-flowering trees, vivid, multi-colored bedding plants and striking perennials; while fall gives us shades of yellow, gold, orange, red and purple with the changing of the season. Winter, too has its attractions, and with a little planning, container gardens can give us color and variety, even during the bleakest months of the year.Many plants are suitable for winter container gardening. The best choices include evergreens, shrubs with berries, those with contorted branches or interesting bark and buds or later winter-flowering shrubs. These plants remain in the containers for year-round interest, while bulbs, annuals and perennials can be switched out for colorful seasonal interest.

When planting containers for all-season interest, frost-proof pots should be your choice. This includes fiberglass, polyethylene, and structural foam planters. These pots resist winter damage, insulate to help regulate the soil temperature, retain moisture better than porous pots and are also lightweight. Plant containers as you normally would, following good horticulture practices. Be certain to give your pots shelter from the prevailing winds and water your plants when needed to keep roots from drying out. To water, check the soil moisture when temperatures rise above 40 degrees and add cold water as necessary.

Listed below are various selections to jazz up your containers for year round interest:

Evergreens…

Buxus (Common Boxwood)
Pinus (Dwarf and Semi-Dwarf Pines)
Thuja (Dwarf Arborvitaes)
Juniperus (Dwarf Junipers)
Tsuga (Dwarf Hemlock)
Picea (Dwarf Spruces)
Taxus baccata (English Yew)
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’ (Golden Japanese False Cypress)
Pieris Japonica (Japanese Pieris)
Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)
Microbiota (Siberian Cypress)
Euonymus fortunei (Wintercreeper)
Sciadopitys verticillata (Japenese Umbrella Pine)

Deciduous…

Amelanchier arboreo (Downy Serviceberry)
Fothergilla gardenii (Dwarf Fothergilla)
Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ (Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick)
Ilex verticillata ‘Nana’ (Winterberry Holly)
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ (PeeGee Hydrangea)
Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster)

Late Winter/Early Spring Accent Plants…

Helleborus (Christmas and Lenton Rose)
Primrose
Ajuga
Violas or Pansies
Crocus*
Snowdrops*
Dwarf Iris*
Ivy
*Plant these bulbs in fall for winter flowering.