Hate to say good-bye to summer? Me too! Today I will be bringing summer indoors for the winter by taking cuttings of my favorite annuals. Specifically, I must get cuttings of Persian shield and fishnet-stockings coleus and King Kong coleus. Once I get those covered, I might take cuttings of all the varieties of coleus,… Continue reading Tip of the Day
Show of hands! Who buys wonderful, expensive, organic fruits and veggies with the best intentions of making a healthful meal, only to throw them away weeks later, after the fridge starts to produce a strong, foul odor? Mel’s tip, which has been working for a while: When you realize you are not going to use… Continue reading Garden to Table
Simplify Watering! Have a tricky plant in a spot that is hard to water, or always spills over onto your nice wood furniture? Instead of watering it the old-fashioned, “normal” way, just place 2 or 3 ice cubes on the dirt once a week. I started doing this last year and now water mostly with ice cubes, as… Continue reading Tip of the Day
Daffodils make a great spring bouquet! Just make sure they STAND ALONE, as they will kill any other flowers you add to the bouquet.
If you want healthy trees and shrubs, this is the best time of year to prune. Just be careful not to take off blossoms. For example, I will be leaving my lilacs alone; and since most hydrangeas blossom on old wood, I will leave them alone too. Mind you, if they needed it (if they… Continue reading Mel’s Green Garden – Tip of the Day
To ensure you have blooms all summer long, try this method of planting that has worked really well for my garden: For example, let’s say you want to grow some zinnias. Buy some zinnia plants and buy some zinnia seeds (I like cut-and-come-again from Seed Savers). First, plant your plants. When your area is all… Continue reading Succession Planting
Have a spot you need to fill in your perennial bed? Not sure where to start? Autumn Joy looks great everywhere I put it, and after 6 years it is everywhere in my garden. I have managed to divide this gem of a plant into almost every area of my yard, front and back. It… Continue reading Tip of the Day – Use Autumn Joy to fill gaps
Top 10 Reasons You Should Add a Hydrangea Limelight to Your Garden 1. A shrub that could pass for a beautiful perennial, it really adds to any perennial border. 2. They are extremely low-maintenance. 3. They have a super-long blooming period, from the 2nd week of July until the first frost. 4. They make a… Continue reading Top 10 Reasons You Should Add a Hydrangea Limelight to Your Garden
Stretching Your Garden Dollar . . . Four things you can do now to stretch your garden dollar are divide mature perennials; take cuttings to root before the first killing frost, which looks like this Sunday; bring outdoor plants inside for the winter before the first killing frost; and collect seeds. Dividing Perennials This is a… Continue reading Stretching Your Garden Dollar
If your summer is flying by and you haven’t gotten to everything on your to do list, it is not too late to plant seeds. July is actually an optimal time as the ground is warm and the daytime and nightime temperatures are warm so your seeds will germinate faster and your plants will grow… Continue reading Tip of the Day – July is not too late to plant seeds
Mel's Green Garden 