Summer is when we enjoy the greatest abundance. This is not only the case when it comes to fruit and vegetables, but it’s also true for flowers. The warm weather encourages plenty of flowers to bloom and this means that we really can take our pick! If you are looking for the best flowers to decorate your home or office during the summer months, here are some excellent options. Not only will they brighten the room, but they will also help improve your mood! There is no doubt that the most popular of all summer flowers is the rose. These…
Author: Mateo
You’ve probably heard that phrase many times. Why exactly is fall the best time to plant? It all has to do with the roots! During the fall months, soil temperatures are perfect for root growth. Why does that matter? Roots are where plants store energy! The healthier the roots, the healthier the plant. Root establishment in the fall provides a place for plants to store energy for use in the spring. In addition to storage capacity, a larger root system going into the summer months is great if we encounter prolonged dry periods. A large root system can mean…
Feather Reedgrass The most popular ornamental grass, feather reedgrass offers a distinct upright habit that looks fantastic all winter long. Like many grasses, this tough plant tolerates a wide range of conditions. Name: Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 6 feet tall Zones: 5-9 Plant This Grass Because: It has a nice architectural shape. Native to North America: No Little Bluestem A lovely, tough-as-nails prairie native, little bluestem offers gray-green leaf blades that turn bold shades of purple, red, and orange in autumn. Name: Schizachyrium scoparium Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 3 feet tall Zones: 4-9 Plant This Grass Because: It has…
Ladybugs Everyone loves ladybugs with their bright scarlet, orange or yellow bodies, small black spots on their wing covers, and tiny black legs, head and antennae. Gardeners love ladybugs because ladybugs love to eat aphids, mites, scale, whitefly and mealybugs. A single ladybug may eat as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. Instead of spraying the aphids that have already started to appear on our perennials and rosebushes with chemicals, why not try to keep them in check with nature’s number one aphid predator. Our ladybugs are available in sealed, mesh bags this year. After you get your ladybugs…
You’d have to have been trapped like a Genie in a bottle to have missed the explosion of terrariums in the last few years. So what’s the fuss about? Terrariums are mini masterpieces that you can enjoy throughout the year; they are easy to make and even easier to maintain. Terrariums make great office plants and can be made for birthday or valentine gifts or just as a way to brighten up someone’s day. Join us in the fun by signing up for one of our Terrific Terrarium Workshops on February 13th at our Portland Garden Center locations. Can’t make it to…
Planting fall bulbs is an easy way to bring your winter-weary garden to life well before perennials poke their noses out of the ground and before it is warm enough to plant annuals. Fall bulbs bloom in the spring and early summer; they generally flower from January through June, depending on the type of bulb and where you live. Types of Bulbs Bulbs are a diverse group of plants which have one thing in common: they store food underground in a fleshy structure commonly called a bulb. Without getting too technical, there are four different types of “underground storage structures.”…
Whether you enjoy hosting dinner parties or you are planning on entertaining guests for special occasions like Christmas. Formal events call for formal décor. You will want to set places for everyone which includes glasses, plates, cutlery, and things like napkins. You should also think about decorations. Apart from placing a lovely centrepiece on the table, you can add colour and style by using the right napkin rings. You don’t need to buy expensive napkin rings though. You can make them yourself! Things you need: Old napkin rings Silk flowers of your choice Hot glue gun Sharp pair of scissors…
This is for all the people out there who’ve invested in decorative ceramic pots and plants for the front door with the intention that they would bring years of beautiful color, only to end up with an embarrassing collection of mostly dead plants a year later – Too disheartened to go through the process and expense a second time you hide the once prized pots in a corner and forget the idea of fluffy flowers to greet you at the door. Take heart, you’re not alone and the fact is you were set up to fail. Colorful showy pots are…
The annual war has officially started again. I’m talking about the war on Slugs. Those sly quite mollusks that think they can crawl all around my garden and feast on the newly emerging, fresh greenery. I just want to grow hostas that have all of the leaves intact at the end of fall. Is that too much to ask?! A light bulb finally went off. In order to win the war, I need to think like a slug. Hmmm, that sounds crazy but if I learn the life cycle, then I WILL WIN! According to Oregon State University, there are…
When a loved one passes away, it’s an extremely painful experience. After the funeral and once all the appropriate paperwork has been taken care of, life seems to go on for everyone except their family. For the family, the first year is the most painful of all. Every occasion during this year will be a painful reminder that their loved one is no longer with them. They will spend their first Christmas, first New Year, birthday, and other anniversaries without that one important person in their lives. Initially, when your loved one passes away, you are bound to receive several…