Watch Garden Ideas Online

Need quick and easy garden ideas? I just did a segment with Diana Pierce of KARE11 on ideas for your garden. It's not too late to mix it up a bit. Check out the video online. Go to the www.bloomonmn.com website under Happenings to see all the great garden tips, tricks and ideas presented to the KARE11 audience.

Enjoy and feel free to comment!

Roses in June & July

Roses are experiencing their first flush of bloom right now. Ever blooming roses typically flower in June, July (they take a break in the heat of August) and push one last burst of color in September. Remember roses are a thirsty and hungry plant, so water deeply and feed every other week, with osmocote timed released pellets always at their feet.

Roses can be susceptible to fungus, insect and diseases. The best preventative for a healthy rose is to site in plenty of sun with adequate moisture. When plants are vigorous, they are more able to fend off attacks from nature. When they are finished blooming it is best to dead head roses to encourage new growth. While even rosarians may disagree on where to make that cut, you would be safe to cut back to the first leaflet with 3 leaves cut back to new growth (which is usually reddish in color).

We stop feeding roses in August (all perennials actually) so that they can begin to slow down and gather their reserves for the winter. We also do not dead head the last September bloom to enjoy rose hips in the winter. Some varieties of roses produce hips better than others. Hmmmm, I know humans with the same issue!

About the Allium Flower

Leave Allium fading blooms up for interest. Different types of Allium bloom at varying times through out the month of June. If you prefer, cut them and put them in a vase without water to enjoy the "fireworks" flower head or months as they dry inside.

Tips for Your Spent Daisies & Columbine

After the wild daisy & columbine are done blooming, but their flower stems back to the ground to tidy up. If you are interested in getting more plants, shake their faded blooms/seeds onto your garden beds, or give them to a friend to try.

How to Plant in Containers

I'm always asked about the best tips and tricks to planting wonderful containers. Here are some I have learned over the years. Be sure to share your tips!

Use a coffee filter to cover the hole at base of container.

Use premium potting soil already fortified with wetting agents (soil moist or calsine clay) and timed released fertilizer (osmocote). Tamp soil down until it is firm.

Consider using a Thriller (height), Filler (mid section) and Spiller (trailing over the edge). Thriller is generally installed first and does not HAVE to be in the center but could be positioned on the back to create a one sided display. Thriller is typically a #1 (or one gallon) container.

Back fill potting soil until Spillers (many times 4-inch pots) can comfortably rest 2 inches below rim of container. If Fillers are 4-inch pots place them in now or continue to pack soil around installed plants.

Arrange smallest pack annuals as Filler or Spiller and back fill one last time. Push soil medium down around the rim to ensure that soil will not spill over the edge when watering. The goal is to have soil level 1 to 2 inches below the lip of the container to facilitate watering.

Water in with an organic fertilizer. Water deeply to fully wet dry soil. Watering is suggested every three days or so (weather depending) When watering, fill up container until water almost spills over the edge, let it drain down. Fill up the container a second time and let the water drain down. Fill up the container a third time and let the water drain down one last time. This ensures that moisture is getting all the way to the bottom of the container. This not only encourages longer roots on the plants, which helps them develop more drought tolerance, but also ensures that you watering chores will be lesser.

Pruning

PRUNING SHRUBS: One of the best ways to create a sustainable landscape is to prune appropriately. Proper pruning can lengthen the life of a plant. Different species of shrubs not only require different pruning techniques but there are appropriate times to prune woody plants, even within a species.

SHEARING: The most common technique is shearing or more affectionately coined "hack and whack". There are only a few shrubs that respond well to being cut back hard like this every season. Generally they are ones that bloom in the summer on new wood i.e., Spirea japonica (not the early blooming bridal wreath varieties), Ribes - alpine currant and Hydrangea aborescens 'Annabelle' the "mop head" hydrangea.

REJUVENATION PRUNING: Hydrangea paniculata 'Unique', 'Tardiva' and the like respond better to opening up the plant so that a butterfly could fly through it. First remove any dead, diseased or crossing branches. Then tip growth can be cut back to a strong leader to encourage sturdier branching to support the blooms. Other shrubs that respond well to this are Cornus - dogwood, Roses, Weigela

EVERGREENS: May and early June is a wonderful time to prune evergreens and many Taxus - yews, Buxus - boxwood and Alberta Spruce need it this season as they experienced a lot of tip browning or winter sun scald. Many times taking out long branches all the way back to a notch opens up overgrown evergreens and helps them put out new green growth. Evergreens do not respond favorably to "hack and whack".

SPRING BLOOMERS: Lilacs, Forsythia, Azalea, Rhododendron, Magnolia, etc. should be pruned with rejuvenation pruning right after flowering. With Lilacs it is suggested that 1/3 of the oldest canes be removed every year to help their flowering.

Be sure to check out our calendar of events for the summer at: http://www.heidislifestylegardens.com/calendar.html

A sneak peak...
What: 2009 Wayzata Depot Summer Concert Series: Bend in the River Big Band Big Band Where: Wayzata Depot
When: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Why: Enjoy an evening of Music and Learn about the French Portager Style of Vegetable Gardening with Heidi Heiland and other Lake Minnetonka Garden Club Members who tend the Depot Gardens for the City of Wayzata.

What: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum: Annual Benefit – Azalea Lights
When: Wednesday, June 17, 2009